The Oct 25 2025 LCBO Vintages Release has a great Riesling and Chardonnay assortment as well as some very interesting premium red wines.
The run-up to the Holiday season is well underway at the LCBO with more and more premium wines, gift packs and jumbo-sized bottles in this release. And that trend will hold strong until January, when the wine gods take pity on us, and they will do a feature on value wines. So, if you see a good value that you like at this point, stock up!
Having said that, it is fun to be able to explore some premium wines that are not always available to us. I will point out some worthy choices in our snack bracket below!
Good wine doesn't have to be expensive! Get better value for your wine dollars with the recommendations below - and they're free!
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If you try a recommended wine - this is your chance to be a critic! If you find another gem you would like people to know about add that too!
Please leave a comment below so others can benefit!
Cheap And Cheerful
Cheap and Cheerful White Wine Winners:
BOYA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2025 Coast Zone, DO Valle de Leyda, Chile Vintages #389726 $15.95 Chile makes a decent Sauvignon Blanc thanks to the coastal influences. This one gets a 90 from Natalie Maclean. Look for lime and gooseberry notes with savoury, herbal undertones. Juicy with some salinity and minerality. (XD - 2 g/L)
Cheap and Cheerful Red Wine Winners:
VISTAMAR BLOCK #9 ANDES MORALINA CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SYRAH 2022 DO Valle del Cachapoal, Chile Vintages #21466 $17.95 This gets a 92 from Zekun Shuai of jamessuckling.com. Look for red cherry, spice and mineral aromas. The palate is fruit-driven and juicy with fine-grained tannins. 'Excellent length and quality.' (XD - 4 g/L)
3 RINGS SHIRAZ 2022 Barossa Valley, South Australia Vintages #15495 $17.95 You can't go wrong with anything from Barossa Valley IMHO! This gets a 92 from Sam Kim,
wineorbit.co.nz, who describes dark berry and spicy oak notes. Intense fruit on the palate with well-integrated tannins lead up to a ' sustained, delectable finish'. What's not to like here? (XD - 3 g/L)
ROC DES TEMPLIERS PLAN DE DIEU CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES 2023 Rhone, France Vintages #539916 $16.95 This little gem is outscoring the other Cotes du Rhone in the release priced at $27.95 according to multiple sources! This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre showing generous cherry and plum fruit with herbal notes. Well balanced and vibrant. Score - Gold (Concours Général Paris, 2024) (XD - 4 g/L)
Best Buy Fortified Wines
GONZÁLEZ BYASS NUTTY SOLERA MEDIUM OLOROSO SHERRY DO, Spain Vintages #35204 $21.95 This is a medium-sweet Sherry showing pleasant nut and caramel tones with a long, lingering finish. Full disclosure - I don't drink it... I use it recipes like Sweet Potato Bites with Sherried Onions. Score - 91 (John Szabo, MS, winealign.com) (S - 62 g/L)
Best Buy Sparkling Wines
JOSEPH CATTIN BRUT CRÉMANT D'ALSACE AOC Alsace, France, traditional method Vintages #281329 $21.95 This is scoring 90 consistently among respected critics. Look for delicate apple, pear and yellow plum notes with desirable pastry and honey notes. (D - 8 g/L)
PERE VENTURA TRESOR ANNIVERSARY GRAN RESERVA BRUT CAVA 2021 Penedès, Spain, traditional method Vintages #39244 This scores 90-95 points depending on the year. Look for ripe apple notes, a fine mousse with some citrus on the palate and a long, clean finish. Great turkey wine if you haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet. (XD - 9 g/L)
Best Buy White Wines
2027 CELLARS WISMER VINEYARD FOXCROFT BLOCK RIESLING 2023 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment, ON, Canada Vintages #47642 $18.95. Kevin Panagapka of 2027 Cellars is a very talented winemaker so I am excited to see this Riesling at this price. (I had to double-check if it was a 750 mL and it was!) It gets a 93 from Rick VanSickle of winesinniagara.com, who describes bright green apple and citrus aromas with wet-stone minerality. The palate is energetic with citrus, apple and ginger supported by some salinity and chalky minerality. If you are a Riesling fan - stock up! (D - 12 g/L)
If you can't find that one, consider SONS OF EDEN FREYA RIESLING 2024 Eden Valley, South Australia, Vintages #12652 $19.95. This gets a 94 and high praise from Dave Brookes of winecompanion.com.au. (XD - 4 g/L)
CATENA HIGH MOUNTAIN VINES CHARDONNAY 2023 Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina Vintages #918805 $20.95 This scoring consistently mid-90s among respected critics. Look for creamy pastry and citrus notes. The palate is elegant with a lengthy finish. Score - 93 Zekun Shuai, jamessuckling.com (XD - 4 g/L)
RINGBOLT CHARDONNAY 2023 Margaret River, Western Australia Vintages #45497 $22.95 This gets a 91 from Ray Jordan, of rayjordanwine.com.au, who describes citrus and butterscotch aromas. The palate is light-bodied with melon and citrus, juicy acidity and subtle oak. (XD - 4 g/L)
LAKE CHALICE THE FALCON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 Marlborough, South Island Vintages #42103 $21.95 This is scoring low 90s across the board. Look for a generous nose of apple and lime zest. The palate is 'succulent and super tasty, making it gorgeously drinkable'. Score - 94 Sam Kim, wineorbit.co.nz (XD - 3 g/L)
Premium Whites
CRAGGY RANGE TE MUNA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023 Martinborough, North Island NZ Vintages #466011 $32.95
This ranked #11 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2024. Tasting notes indicate it is fresh with lime, mango and passion fruit notes. The palate is fresh and fleshy with dried camomile and lemon zest. (XD - 4 g/L)
Score - 94 (MaryAnn Worobiec, winespectator.com, Oct. 15,
2024)
TWO SISTERS UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2021
Vintages #423103 $39.00
VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON, Canada
Unoaked à la Chablis style, this is from 65 year-old-vines and a slightly warmer climate. Michael Godel give it high praise saying, '... this wine should be famous, not merely almost and the time has come for more consumers to know it by name.' Drink 2024-2028. (XD - 9 g/L)
Score - 93 (Michael Godel, winealign.com)
Best Buy Red Wines
ALAMOS SELECCIÓN MALBEC 2020 Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina Vintages #322800 $18.95 This gets a 92 from James Suckling who describes currants and berries with cloves and spice. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. (XD - 4 g/L)
If you can't find that one, then look for SALENTEIN RESERVE MALBEC 2023
Vintages #640854 $19.95 Best Buy Score - 90 (Jesica Vargas, Wine Enthusiast)
(XD - 3 g/L
WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 South Australia Vintages #744235 $19.95 Wakefield Estate is always a good value proposition. From cool-climate vineyards in the Clare Valley and Limestone Coast, look for dark berries and cherry with herbs and hints of cocoa and nuttiness. Tannins are smooth, it is well-balanced and rich. Best Value Wine. (XD - 4 g/L) Score - 95 (nataliemaclean.com, June 7, 2025)
VINELAND CABERNET FRANC 2019 VQA Niagara Escarpment, ON, Canada Vintages #47830 $19.95 Ontario has a world reputation for some of the finest 100% Cab Franc. It adds interest to the traditional Bordeaux blend, so imagine how interesting 100% Cab Franc is! Look for strawberry, raspberry, cherry fruit with earthy, savoury notes. (XD - 2 g/L)
VALDEMAR INSPIRACIÓN SELECCIÓN 2020 DOCa Rioja, Spain Vintages #166512 $19.95 This gets a 90 from Alison Napjus of winespectator.com, who describes cherry and fig flavours with baking spice and some floral and herbal notes. Supple tannins make this silky and lively. (XD - 2 g/L)
THORN-CLARKE SHOTFIRE SHIRAZ 2021 Barossa, South Australia, Vintages #18796 $22.95 This gets a 93 from Sam Kim, wineorbit.co.nz, who describes blackberry, olive and hints of cocoa on the nose. The palate is satisfying with terrific weight, silky texture and fine tannins. (XD - 3 g/L)
ERADUS PINOT NOIR 2023 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, NZ Vintages #41809 $24.95 The nose is showing cherry, blood orange and rose petals. The palatae is concentrated yet delicate. Score - 92 Jacobo Garcia-Andrade Llamas, jamessuckling.com (XD - 2 g/L)
CASTELLI DEL GREVEPESA CLEMENTE VII CHIANTI CLASSICO 2021 Tuscany, Italy Vintages #421388 $24.95 This gets a 92 from Bruce Sanderson, winespectator.com, who describes rich cherry, raspberry and pomegranate with floral and herbal aromas. The palate is dense and chewy with a long mineral finish and racy acidity. (XD - 3 g/L)
MONTES ALPHA SPECIAL CUVÉE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 DO Valle de Colchagua, Chile Vintages #649160 $24.95 This is scoring 93-95 across the board from respected critics. Zekun Shuai of jamessuckling.com describes dark, peppery fruit and aromas of tar and rosemary. Spicy and complex with a long finish. (XD - 3 g/L)
Premium Reds
DOMAINE DU GRAND ORMEAU 2020 AOC Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France Vintages #33040 $33.95 Pomerol is known for elegant, high-quality wines, so I am thrilled to see this in my snack bracket! (And again, I checked it was 750 mL, not 375!)It gets a 92 from David Lawrason of winealign.com, who describes ripe black fruit with fine oak and cedar spice. Herbal notes are fresh but subtle. Big, balanced with firm tannins. Drink 2025-2030. XD - 4 g/L)
L'ORME DE RAUZAN-GASSIES 2018
AOC Haut-Médoc. Bordeaux, France
Vintages #24211 $39.95
This is the 'second wine' of a legendary Margaux estate, which gives us a chance to experience a bit of the elegance and expertise through their efforts in Haut-Médoc. 62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon; it is showing intense black fruit and plum with a rich, smooth palate. Glossy oak and a spicy finish complete the picture.
Score - 95 (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2023) (XD - 3 g/L)
Related Recipes
FAQs
What Are LCBO Vintages Releases?
Twice a month the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) releases a selection of special wines they have chosen from around the world. They are not part of the regular stock that is replenished regularly. So if you see something that is good value you need to order it or pick it up while you can.
I am WSET 3 Certified and I use my experience as an LCBO-approved media taster to highlight good value wines. I also have the opportunity to taste wines from all over the world as showcased in industry Master Classes and wine tastings. See my About page for more details on my experience.
The Best Buy wines I recommend tend to be wines that score 90 or above and are in the $20-$30ish range. I research the wines to see which are scoring consistently in the 90 + range. You can expect these wines to represent the characteristics of their varietal and region well; display some complexity, depth and length. I suggest food pairings for many of the recommendations because... that is what it's all about here at The Wine Lover's 
Kitchen.
Wines I call 'cheap and cheerful' wines are wines that are hovering around the high 80s to 90-point mark. They are not going to win gold medals in competition but they should be a solid choice for weeknight sipping or dock or deck sitting. They also make for a good value choice if you are serving a crowd and your lively guests are too busy chatting to discuss the depth and length of their wine!
Premium Wine recommendations are edging up on my $40 limit. They may be 'entry' level wines of prestigious regions or producers. Often cellar-worthy and always wines that you want to pay attention to when you serve them to ensure you appreciate their complexities!
The $40 is a rather arbitrary level, but if you are spending more than $40 routinely on a bottle of wine, then you are probably a wine enthusiast doing your own research.
Decanter World Wine Awards tastes and score wines according to their price bracket. So a 95 Score for a $20 bottle of wine means it is outstanding among wines 'in that price range'. Decanter scores from an individual or a panel are scored against the 'Gold standard' for that varietal.
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