Holiday Wine Guide: The LCBO’s best bottles to give as gifts

2018 Marques de Murrieta

$40.95 | Spain Riojas can be real gems. They’re aged a while before they hit the market—especially at the Reserva and Gran Reserva levels—yet they still maintain some fruitiness, albeit under a firm layer of oak flavour. As the next generation of winemakers takes over in Spain, we’re seeing a more modern approach to rioja—and this bottle, with less oak and more fruit, is an excellent example. LCBO 209148

2020 Crossbarn Cabernet Sauvignon

$76.95 | California Crossbarn is the entry-level line of wine from celebrated winemaker Paul Hobbs—but there’s nothing entry-level about this bottle. Dense cassis and soft tannins mean you can cellar it for a decade or (because who has the patience?) open it now. LCBO 438986

2021 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon

$89.95 | California This is everything you would expect from a big and bold cabernet sauvignon made with fruit from some of the most celebrated regions in the Napa Valley. With torrents of black currant, blackberry and raspberry, there’s nothing subtle about this wine—and for Cali cab fans, that’s a very good thing. LCBO 24190

2021 Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon

$38.95 | California Here we have Duckhorn’s little brother, made with fruit from vineyards all around California as well as grapes from their own estate. It’s an excellent wine even when compared to its swankier, more expensive sibling—it all depends on how much you want to spend (or how much you love the person you’re buying for). LCBO 186171

2022 La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir

$31.95 | California They say it’s hard to be a saint in the city, but we would argue that it’s even tougher to be a pinot noir in California—bold, juicy and bearing little resemblance to your lighter-bodied French cousins. Unless, of course, you’re from a cooler climate, like Monterey: then you have a good chance of being one of the best pinots on the table. Change the minds of your sort-of-snobby Burgundy-loving friends with this bottle. LCBO 367896

2021 Famille Perrin Les Sinard Châteauneuf-du-Pape

$43.95 | France From the family that brought us Château Beaucastel, an iconic Châteauneuf-du-Pape, comes this single-vineyard version. Made from the younger vines in and around Beaucastel, it spends two years in oak barrels to maintain its fruitiness and lessen the influence of oak. This is a delight for the senses, with a savoury fruit core, great acidity and marvelous ageability. LCBO 926626

2020 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro Gran Selezione Chianti Classico

$49.95 | Italy Gran Selezione is the top-grade wine from Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region. While the laws of the designation are a little in flux right now, you can be sure the best grapes and vineyards still go into these bottles. This is high-quality wine made from single-vineyard, 30-month-barrel-aged sangiovese. It balances soft tannin and bold cherry and plum notes with the structure to mature for a long time in a cellar. LCBO 353201

22021 Reva Nebbiolo d’Alba

$28.95 | Italy Nebbiolo is the grape responsible for Barolo and Barbaresco, and it’s the predominant grape of Piedmont. When it says nebbiolo on the label, it means a younger, fresher version than what those other two big and bold bruisers bring to the table. It’s less oaky too, spending around four months in the barrel with extended time in the bottle. This makes for a very food-friendly and approachable wine that still has some mid-term cellar potential. LCBO 38310

Taylor Fladgate 20-Year-Old Port

$71.95 | Portugal From one of the country’s oldest port houses comes this 20-year tawny port. It’s made up of a blend of wines that have been aged in gargantuan 630-litre casks (your average wine barrel is around 225 litres), and the long aging period is what gives the port its signature bronze colour. Complex, with notes of nuts and dried fruits, it pairs lovely with hard cheeses and is a fine replacement for dessert. LCBO 149047

22023 William Fevre Petit Chablis

$31.95 | France Chablis has exploded in popularity over the past decade, and quality wines like this are behind the boom. It’s bright and crisp, with the mineral notes that are the signature of white wines from this region of Burgundy. The classic French pairing with chablis is freshly shucked oysters, but the high acidity in the wine also goes well with creamy pasta dishes. LCBO 30251

2021 Rosehall Run JCR Rosehall Vineyard Pinot Noir

$45 | Ontario When you see the JCR Rosehall Run label on the shelf, it’s a reason to get excited. Dan Sullivan has been plying his craft for over 20 years and has made some of the best pinot noirs and chardonnays to come out of PEC. Buy a bottle as a gift to yourself or introduce a pinot-loving friend to some of the county’s best. LCBO 326504

2021 Westcott Estate Pinot Noir

$31.95 | Ontario Winemaker Casey Kulczyk pushes the quality higher with every vintage from this Niagara winery—and we get the sense he’s just getting started. Made using fruit from two vineyards owned by the Westcott family, this pinot brings aromas and flavours of cherry with hints of damp earth. It’s elegant on the palate and refreshing on the finish. LCBO 427500

2020 Korlat Cabernet Sauvignon

$29.95 | Croatia Croatia’s winemaking history goes back some 2,500 years, but the spotlight is just starting to shine on the nation. While not one of its 130 indigenous varieties, this cabernet shows how well international grapes grow in the region. It’s big, bold and juicy, with notes of vanilla and cocoa. This year, take your wine-loving friends on a trip to Croatia (without leaving Toronto). LCBO 40875

2020 Black Bank Hill Chardonnay

$34.95 | Ontario The vineyards at Black Bank Hill were planted in 2018, so it’s still an under-the-radar winery. Owner Taylor Emerson likes to hold his wines back so they have a bit of age, which means they’re ready to drink when the bottles hit the shelves. This chardonnay is broad and rich on the palate, with vanilla, a hint of spice and perfectly balanced peach, tangerine and pineapple notes—an absolute must for any chardonnay fan on your list. LCBO 39811

2021 Pillitteri Late Harvest Vidal

$15 | Ontario What the heck is a bottle of $15 wine doing on this list? Shouldn’t it be on our roundup of best bargain bottles? Well, that’s how it started, but this is how it’s going: when a late harvest beats out all other icewines for balance and taste, maybe it’s time to show some respect to an icewine with half the sweetness and a third of the price. Pick it up by the case and pass it around like the candy it is. LCBO 488668