{"id":7757,"date":"2012-05-08T01:29:30","date_gmt":"2012-05-08T01:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=7757"},"modified":"2012-05-08T01:31:19","modified_gmt":"2012-05-08T01:31:19","slug":"graffigna-malbec-hartley-pinot-noir-seghesio-zinfandel-best-lcbo-wines-vintages-release-may-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/graffigna-malbec-hartley-pinot-noir-seghesio-zinfandel-best-lcbo-wines-vintages-release-may-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Graffigna Malbec, Hartley Pinot Noir, Seghesio Zinfandel: Best LCBO Wines Vintages Release May 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Here are my top picks from the May 12 Vintages Release. You can also get all 69 of my Best Value Wines<\/strong><\/a> and Top Rated Wines<\/strong><\/a> for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. I\u2019ve also already posted my picks for May 12<\/strong><\/a> Vintages Release.<\/p>\n

You can also add my wine picks to your shopping list<\/strong><\/a> by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list<\/strong><\/a> just for this release that will be saved in your account. Print a text-only<\/strong><\/a> version of the reviews.<\/p>\n

Call it your What to Buy Me for My Birthday List or Here are the Wines that Can Truly Express Your Gratitude List. You can start a new list next time to keep them separate.<\/p>\n

Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy!<\/p>\n

Natalie\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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2011 Alamos Torront\u00e9s, Salta, Argentina<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Pretty and floral with very pleasant lime blossom aromas. Medium-bodied and ultra food-friendly. Pair with: Asian dishes, fresh seafood salad. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 81539\u00a0 13.5%\u00a0 $13.95\u00a0 Score: 87\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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2010 Helfrich Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Gorgeous gewurz! Lovely lychee, rose petal and light spices on the nose. Perfect for a variety of dishes, from Asian to curries. Pair with: mildly spiced seafood dishes. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 169748\u00a0 12.5%\u00a0 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated White Wine<\/p>\n

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2011 Geil Bechtheimer Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Lovely! Lime blossom and honeysuckle… So pretty. Medium-bodied with terrific acidity for food. Pair with: Thai green papaya salad and chicken skewers. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 994764\u00a0 10%\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 88\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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2011 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Grassy and herbal with quivering lime vibrancy. Pure, fresh, no oak. Bring me a mega big salad! Pair with: steam mussels. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 919514\u00a0 13.5%\u00a0 $17.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value White Wine<\/p>\n

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2009 Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Glorious nuttiness and peach-pear mingle on the nose. Rich, long and complex. A chardonnay lover’s chardonnay. Pair with: grilled lobster tail, halibut with mango salsa, barbecued pork loin. Drink: 2012-2017.\u00a0 608646\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $49.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Top Rated White Wine<\/p>\n

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2010 Stags’ Leap Winery Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A chardonnay that’s vibrant and alive! Great acidity yet lovely richness and complexity with green apple, baking spice and tree fruit aromas. Pair with: butter-brushed lobster tail, roast chicken with fresh herbs and goat cheese. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 655381\u00a0 14.1%\u00a0 $34.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated White Wine<\/p>\n

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2010 Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A stunning quality and taste for this price point! Rich and full-bodied with lip-smacking delicious black fruit aromas and just enough toasty oak. Vibrant and alive. Pair with: grilled juicy steak, baked beef empanadas. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 143248\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2008 Graffigna Malbec , San Juan, Argentina<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Smoky with dark fruit: perfect for barbecues! Lots of rich flavour here with a satisfying full-bodied texture. Fire up the grill and crack open a bottle! Pair with: grilled steak, hamburgers, prime rib, brisket. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 162149\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $16.95\u00a0 Score: 88\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2009 Heartland Stickleback Red, South Australia, Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Incredible price for this quality. Loaded with big black fruit and lots of mouth-watering acidity. Great wine for big meals, especially those involving steak. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 116574\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2008 Shotfire Quartage, Barossa, Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Love this! Gorgeously rich and full-bodied with layers of voluptuous black fruit flavours. Velvet caress on the tongue. Top me up! Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 24091\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $22.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2008 Wolf Blass Shiraz Gold Label, Barossa, Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Classic Australian shiraz nose of dark, fleshy ripe blackberries, a hint of oak and a mouth-watering juiciness. Loaded with delicious dark fruit flavours, incredible depth, concentration and length. Benchmark shiraz. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 590273\u00a0 15%\u00a0 $28.95\u00a0 Score: 93\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2009 Arduini Ripasso Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Juicy and delicious with tremendous mouth-watering juiciness. Dark red fruit, smoke and earth. Perfect for many dishes. Pair with: short ribs, three-cheese lasagna. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 267898\u00a0 14%\u00a0 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2010 Juan Gil Monastrell White Label, Jumilla, Spain<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Deal of the Century! Full-bodied, juicy, savoury and delicious. Loaded with dark wild blackberries and forest-deep cherries and cedar. Oh yum. Pair with: mushroom and wild rice dishes, savoury meat stews. Drink: 2012-2015.\u00a0 13656\u00a0 14.5%\u00a0 $12.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2009 Hartley Ostini Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Big cherry-berry notes with a little mocha and oak. Juicy with a medium- to full-boided weight and ultra smooth texture. Pair with: teriyaki salmon. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 179812\u00a0 14.2%\u00a0 $34.95\u00a0 Score: 91\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2008 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five, Napa Valley, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Full-bodied and dry with cassis and blackcurrant aromas. Elegant, balanced and refined with terrific length on the finish. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 45476\u00a0 15.4%\u00a0 $84.95\u00a0 Score: 92\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2010 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County, California<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Very complex with a great balance of acidity and fruit. Layers of delicious flavour and a long finish. One of the most elegant zinfandels I’ve ever tasted. Pair with: prime rib. Drink: 2012-2016.\u00a0 942151\u00a0 14.8%\u00a0 $29.95\u00a0 Score: 93\/100. Top Rated Red Wine<\/p>\n

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2011 Featherstone Ros\u00e9, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Lovely sipper with soft strawberry notes and flavours. Great aperitif or food companion. Pair with: barbecued prawns, steak frites.\u00a0 117861\u00a0 12%\u00a0 $14.95\u00a0 Score: 87\/100. Best Value Ros\u00e9<\/p>\n

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2011 Ch\u00e2teau La Tour De L’\u00e9v\u00eaque Ros\u00e9, C\u00f4tes De Provence, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

So pretty! Aromas of tiny field strawberries and little white flowers. Run barefoot with your senses through this delightfully dry and refreshing rose. Pair with: homemade aioli with grilled shrimp, seared ahi tuna steaks. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 319392\u00a0 13.5%\u00a0 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 88\/100. Best Value Ros\u00e9<\/p>\n

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2011 Ch\u00e2teau D’aqu\u00e9ria Ros\u00e9, Rh\u00f4ne, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The rose I drink for personal pleasure and stock up every year. Bone-dry, complex with field berry notes and a long, dry finish. Pair with: crab cakes with aioli. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 712000\u00a0 13.5%\u00a0 $10.45\u00a0 Score: 93\/100. Top Rated Ros\u00e9<\/p>\n

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Louis Bouillot Ros\u00e9, Burgundy, France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Superb value! Superb aromas of field raspberries and strawberries. An I can’t believe it price. Get it now if you have wedding and celebration this summer. Pair with: poached salmon, pastry based hors d\u2019oeuvres. Drink: 2012-2014.\u00a0 48793\u00a0 12%\u00a0 $18.95\u00a0 Score: 89\/100. Best Value Sparkling Wine<\/p>\n

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Quinta Do Infantado Port Ruby, Douro, Portugal<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Smokin! Especially for this price. Rich and layered with lots of pleasure. Dark berry jam and happiness. Drink: 2012-2018.\u00a0 979898\u00a0 19.5%\u00a0 $15.95\u00a0 Score: 90\/100. Best Value Dessert Wine<\/p>\n

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

Here are my top picks from the May 12 Vintages Release. You can also get all 69 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. I\u2019ve also already posted my picks for May 12 Vintages Release. You can also add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list just for this release that will be saved in your account. Print a text-only version of the reviews. Call it your […]<\/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-7757","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\/7757","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=7757"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7842,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7757\/revisions\/7842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}