It’s never too early to prepare for the holidays

It’s only October, but festive selections have already hit the shelves at the LCBO

It’s not yet Halloween, but most stores are seriously gearing up for the December holidays. That’s certainly the case with the new crop of releases at the LCBO’s Vintages outlets, which feature serious splurge-worthy labels to capture the imaginations of trophy hunters or anyone getting a jump on their shopping lists.

The new release offers satisfyingly robust Cabernet Sauvignons from well-known California producers Cliff Lede, Francis Ford Coppola and Silver Oak, which boast impeccable credentials.

Lesser known, but nonetheless worthy of your time and attention, is the thoughtful selection of highly touted reds from Argentina and Chile.

Montes 2015 Purple Angel ($62.95, Vintages# 62364) is always one of the most exciting reds from Chile’s Colchagua Valley, while Achával Ferrer Malbec 2015 ($29.95, Vintages# 24737) and Zuccardi Polígonos 2015 ($29.95, Vintages# 568915) show two wildly different approaches to making Malbec in the Mendoza region.

The Ferrer is fragrant and ripe, with a core of concentrated dark fruit and oak spice. The Zuccardi

is lighter and brighter in style, designed to capture the finesse and elegance of the grape variety, without any performance enhancing oak aging.

My head loves what the Zuccardi family is doing to produce pure and refreshing wines. My heart loves the hedonistic pleasure from the concentrated character of the Ferrer bottling. Taste them side by side at a dinner party and you’ll no doubt learn a lot about which style of red wine you most enjoy.

Another new release to seek out is the Palacios Remondo La Montesa Crianza 2015 ($25.95, Vintages# 674572) from Rioja, Spain.

Whether you’re shopping for wine lovers on your list, hosthostess presents or simply looking for a nice red wine to enjoy, La Montesa is always a safe bet. It’s geeky enough to appeal to collectors and tasty for anyone who simply likes to sip a pleasant wine.

It’s an appealing red that’s ready to drink now but has the stuffing to make it a worthy candidate for a couple more years in the cellar or wine fridge.