The best new bottles at the LCBO in February

The LCBO is constantly adding new products to its shelves. We tasted our way through the new releases and put together a guide to the best new booze of the month. Here’s what to look for on store shelves in February.

Fortified wine

Dillon’s Vermouth Batch 5

$19.95 | Ontario This vital negroni or manhattan ingredient is tasty enough to sip on its own, with ample floral flavours, red fruit and spice. LCBO 571133

Burmester 10-Year-Old Tawny Port

$29.95 | Portugal There’s plenty of wow factor here, with burnt cherry and toasted orange peel, and plenty of spice and acidity. But the kicker is the chocolate-walnut finish that lasts long on the palate, and in the memory. LCBO 223958

Sparkling wine

Ferrari Brut Sparkling

$24.95 | Italy It’s not a new-release, per se, but one of the best traditional-method bubblies to come out of Italy is back in stock, and it’s worth re-filling the cellar. LCBO 352153

Red wine

2016 Monterra Cabernet Sauvignon

$19.95 | Australia Some wines are meant to be enjoyed immediately—like this one. It’s brimming with juicy cassis, cherry and strawberry flavours, and it’s perfect for entertaining. LCBO 12835

2016 Black Sage Vineyard Shiraz

$31.95 | British Columbia This bottle straddles the shiraz/syrah border with its rich mocha-vanilla richness, plus spice, pepper and ripe black fruits. LCBO 11818

2017 Tuck Beckstoffer the 75 Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon

$37.95 | California From the son of legendary Napa Valley grower Andy Beckstoffer comes a perfect bottle to enjoy right now, or save for a special occasion a few years down the road. It’s packed with plush cassis, strawberry and cherry, mated with balanced acidity. LCBO 13692

2017 Torbreck Old Vines Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre

$24.95 | Australia Torbreck wines are always worth snapping up and this one is no exception, with its plethora of raspberry, mocha, spiced cherry and cinnamon flavours. LCBO 10223

2015 Trentham Estate Reserve Pinot Noir

$24.95 | Australia Sparkling wines, chardonnay and, especially, pinot noir thrive in the cool climate of Tasmania, and it’s easy to see from this bottle why the island off the coast of Australia is generating so much buzz. LCBO 12845

2017 Laurent Perrachon et Fils Terres Roses Moulin-a-Vent

$19.95 | France Moulin is a good jumping off point for newcomers to cru Beaujolais. This bottle has rich cherry and white pepper flavours that linger long after the final sip. LCBO 11877

2015 Carpineto Riserva Chianti Classico

$28.95 | Italy Riserva chianti is aged longer than standard chianti, and those from 2015 can be cellared even longer. The tannins are still aggressive, but there is lots of red and black fruit to back them up, along with hints of smoke, good acid backbone and a touch of cedar on the finish. LCBO 47118

2017 Garzón Estate Cabernet Franc/Tannat

$16.95 | Uruguay A really solid wine from Uruguay isn’t often seen around here. This one offers tobacco and spice with cassis, blackberry and black pepper—a fun one to have guests guess where it’s from. LCBO 12651

2016 Beringer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

$59.95 | California This up-and-coming Napa cab starts off slow, but the palate grabs hold with flavours of sweet black cherry, chocolate, cedar and just the right amount of spice. LCBO 91058

2013 Il Poggone Brunello di Montalcino

$72.95 | Italy 2013 is a difficult vintage for Tuscany, so finding a Brunello that deserves its price tag is a challenge, but this one delivers with dried fruit, mocha, cedar and spice along with toasted nuts and herbal notes. LCBO 551176

White wine

2016 Cuvée Joseph Talmard Mâcon Chardonnay

$16.95 | France Talmard already has a reputation for great bargain Burgundy, and here’s another staggeringly good value, with delicate peach, apricot and lime notes. But what makes this one truly exciting is the array of apples it has on the mid-palate. LCBO 392712

2017 Le Riche Chardonnay

$19.95 | South Africa South Africa and Chardonnay don’t seem to roll off the tongue like you would expect, but this one is going to surprise you with its notes of apple and pear plus the vanilla cream finish. LCBO 12431

2018 Dominio de Punctum Pomelados Orange Wine

$16.95 | Spain The aromas and flavours are floral and citrus, but the added tannin from the skin contact makes the finish taste a little like cold tea. LCBO 12119

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