{"id":6780,"date":"2012-03-10T13:44:49","date_gmt":"2012-03-10T13:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=6780"},"modified":"2022-08-17T18:33:17","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T22:33:17","slug":"yalumba-cabernet-sauvignon-carmen-carmenere-domaine-chanson-the-ned-pinot-gris-best-wines-in-the-lcbo-vintages-release-march-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/yalumba-cabernet-sauvignon-carmen-carmenere-domaine-chanson-the-ned-pinot-gris-best-wines-in-the-lcbo-vintages-release-march-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmen Carmenere, Domaine Chanson, The Ned Pinot Gris Best Wines in the LCBO Vintages Release March 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>You don’t need the luck of the Irish to find some terrific wines this week! Here are my top picks from the March 17 Vintages Release. You can also get all 59 of my Best Value Wines<\/strong> and Top Rated Wines<\/strong><\/a> for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions.<\/p>\n

It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out.<\/p>\n

You can also add my Top Wine Picks<\/strong><\/a> to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy!<\/p>\n

Natalie<\/p>\n

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Las Perdices Torront\u00e9s, Argentina<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A profusion of white flowers, white peach and sunshine. This is simply glorious and will dance with Asian dishes, seafood and roast chicken. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 267823\u00a0 $12.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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Alkoomi Riesling, Australia<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Lovely petrol and white peach on the nose. Terrific intensity on the palate with a satisfying long finish. Great acidity for food. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 269290\u00a0 $16.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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Domaine Chanson Burgundy, France<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Lovely hazelnut and toasty richness on this oaked chardonnay. Buttery and round with terrific balancing acidity. Drink: 2011-2015.\u00a0 265033\u00a0 $32.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated White Wine<\/p>\n

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Domaine Christophe Camu, Chablis, France<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Clean and crisp: a glorious unoaked chardonnay from northern Burgundy. This is perfect as an aperitif or pair it with a variety of dishes from lobster in butter to roast chicken. Pair with: steamed mussels with fennel, oysters on the half shell. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 268532\u00a0 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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Lawson’s Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Herbal but too grassy with crisp, mouth-watering acidity. Clean and refreshing. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 214460\u00a0 $17.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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The Ned Pinot Gris Marlborough, New Zealand<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Love it! I find many pinot gris boring, but this is spectacularly interesting. Glorious notes of white peach and Asian pear, with a lovely salmon hue. Perfect aperitif or companion to seafood, salads and roast chicken. Pair with: seafood dishes. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 267138\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Simi Chardonnay, California<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Full-bodied, generous chardonnay with the right amount of oak and lovely green apple and peach aromas. Pair with: pork loin dishes, grilled tuna. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 673806\u00a0 $19.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Top Rated White Wine<\/p>\n

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Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon,Coonawarra, South Australia<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Gorgeous richness with a juicy underlay of fleshy dark berries. Layers of pleasure with a terrific long finish. Serve it to your boss at dinner and get a raise, guaranteed. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 473645\u00a0 $53.95\u00a0 Score: 93\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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St. Hallett Shiraz Blackwell, Australia<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Smoky, toasty oak wraps around black, brooding fruit. Full-bodied and smooth. Honkin’ big! Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 535104\u00a0 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Wakefield Shiraz, Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Blackberry liqueur richness with a hint of mint. Full-bodied and ultra-smooth. This is an incredible wine for the price. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 943787\u00a0 $17.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Hidden Bench Estate Pinot Noir, Ontario<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Full-bodied pinot with lots of toasty oak. It’s supported by velvet cushions of fleshy ripe cherries. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 274753\u00a0 $38.20\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Carmen Carmen\u00e8re, Colchagua Valley, Chile<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Another remarkable wine from this winery that tastes twice as expensive as it costs. Smooth, full-bodied and well-rounded with generous layers of black plush plum. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 439166\u00a0 $17.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Foncalieu La R\u00e9serve Du Crouzau, France<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

An incredible wine for this price point! Rich, full-bodied, offering generous layers of fleshy blackberries and dark fruit. Buy a case while it lasts. Pair with: herb-encrusted lamb. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 142943\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. 2012 Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Jean-Marie Arnoux Vieux Clocher, France<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Full-bodied, rich and layered with black cherries and blackberries running through its dark heart. Decant for 2 hours. Pair with: herb-encrusted lamb. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 172668\u00a0 $21.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Ch\u00e2teau S\u00e9gla, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A gorgeous, full-bodied, perfectly balanced bordeaux. Classic aromas of cassis and wild blackberry. Pleasantly bitter, complex and deep with a long finish. One of the better wines from the 2008 vintage I’ve tasted. This is the second wine of Chateau Rauzan-S\u00e9gla … Think of it as Max Mara weekend wear versus the main Max Mara brand. Pair with: rack of lamb with a blackberry-jelly sauce. Drink: 2012-2018.\u00a0 265512\u00a0 $47.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Mas D’auzier\u00e8s Les \u00c9clats, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Terrific for this price! Full-bodied with juicy ripe purple and black plums. Layers of full-bodied pleasure. Top me up! Pair with: herb-encrusted lamb. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 271742\u00a0 $16.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Ch\u00e2teau de Beaucastel Pierre Perrin, France<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Incredible concentration yet still elegant and balanced, not heavy. This is the flagship wine for Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape: consistently glorious year after year. Will keep in your cellar very well. Pair with: hearty meat dishes. Drink: 2013-2020.\u00a0 711317\u00a0 $89.95\u00a0 Score: 95\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Papale Primitivo Di Manduria Varvaglione Vigne & Vini, Italy<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Juicy great with generous layers of mouth-watering blackberries, blueberries and purple plums. Primitivo is the Italian version of zinfandel … Fire up the barbecue! Pair with: seafood jambalaya, Moroccan-style lamb dish with cumin, coriander and paprika. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 261784\u00a0 $15.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Quintarelli Valpolicella, Italy<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Rich black cherry liqueur and dark spices with layers of full-bodied goodness. A long, lasting finish. Drink: 2013-2020.\u00a0 986117\u00a0 $79.95\u00a0 Score: 95\/100.Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir, New Zealand<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Lovely concentration of fleshy dark cherries and raspberries. Smooth and medium- to full-bodied. Absolutely luscious! Drink: 2011-2016.\u00a0 31294\u00a0 $47.95\u00a0 Score: 93\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Spice Route Shiraz, South Africa<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Triple yum! Juicy with blackberry liqueur richness. Complex, deep and long: just like the ideal relationship. I love this winery… That’s why it’s featured in my book Unquenchable. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 263657 $24.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Baron De Ley, Spain<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is a remarkable wine — please save me some as I intend to get a couple of cases. Matures aromas of leather, cigar box, dried herbs and black plums. It’s rare to get a mature wine like this on a release, snap it up but not too much. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 642496 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 94\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Opus One, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Just a baby: give this one cellar time. Classic, robust, complex and deep with black fruit and toasty oak. Drink: 2014-2020.\u00a0 158063 $364.95\u00a0 Score: 95\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Villa Mt. Eden Zinfandel, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Some kind of juicy wonderful! Full-bodied and almost cabernet-like in its complexity and depth. However, this wine also delivers pure zinfandel pleasure: smooth and tasty. Pair with: beef ribs. Drink: 2011-2015.\u00a0 256719 $19.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Best value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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Saintsbury Pinot Noir, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Very robust pinot, yet balanced. Dark fleshy berries with some smoke on the finish. A very nice man makes this wine :) Pair with: grilled meats. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 359265 $31.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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G. Marquis Silver Line Ice Ros\u00e9, Ontario<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Toasty and full-bodied with aromas of ripe raspberries and toast. Pair with: shrimp cocktail, soft cheeses. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 274761 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Top Rated Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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Lef\u00e8vre R\u00e9mondet, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A steal for bubbly… Got a big party, wedding or reunion? Here’s your wine. Lovely notes of field strawberries. Pair with: light seafood salads. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 265306 $15.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Blue Top, Champagne, France<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n

Terrific toast and crispness. Baked bread and green apple vibrancy. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 68288 $49.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Top Rated Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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Graham Beck Brut Sparkling, South Africa<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

An absolute steal for such a terrific sparkling wine! Toasty and crisp. Buy several cases for your summer parties. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 593483 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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Mumm Sparkling Ros\u00e9, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Loving this! Terrific aromas of raspberries and toast. Perfect for parties and celebrations. Pair with: lobster salad, salmon steaks, pan seared scallops. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 205641 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Top Rated Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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De Bortoli Semillon, Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A lusciously layered dessert wine with rick aromas and flavours of honeyed apricot and peach preserves. Triple yum!. Drink: 2010-2017.\u00a0 917252 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Dessert Wine<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Posted with permission of the LCBO.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You don’t need the luck of the Irish to find some terrific wines this week! Here are my top picks from the March 17 Vintages Release. You can also get all 59 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out. You can also add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wine-picks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6780"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57615,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6780\/revisions\/57615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}