If I Could Buy Only One – September 13th Vintages Release
We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from the September 13th release, which one would it be and why?”
Henry Of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2023, Ontario, Canada
$34.95, Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery
Sara d’Amato – In a Vintages release that is stacked with impressive local wines, the Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay proved a standout this week. Crafted from the estate’s oldest vines, the handpicked grapes were whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented in French oak, lending a delicate creaminess and a hint of spice. The old vines bring intensity and depth, yet the wine has a weightless grace. Mid-weight, finessed, and lingering long after the last sip.
Natasha Williams Lelie Van Saron Chardonnay 2022, Walker Bay, South Africa
$39.95, Noble Estates Wines & Spirits Inc.
Megha Jandhyala – My “only one” this week is Natasha Williams’ 2022 Lelie Van Saron Chardonnay. Made with minimal intervention, this golden chardonnay is enthralling. Opulence co-exists with grace and balance here. I love the rich notes of yellow apples, peaches, and oranges, and the hints of roasted nuts and dried lemon peel. This wine’s texture is its most compelling feature, though – it is fleshy, almost voluptuous, with intense, taut acidity supporting this fullness. These aesthetic qualities are reason enough to buy a bottle (or several) of this chardonnay, but I find Williams’ story captivating too. She did not grow up with wine around her, in fact, it was forbidden in her home. It was in university that she found her way to it, in part because she was struck by the fact that the winemaking program had only one female student. Now, she is not only the head winemaker of a well-known winery in Hemel-en-Aarde, but she also makes wine under her own labels, one of them being Leslie Van Saron.
Descendientes De J. Palacios Villa De Corullón 2022, Bierzo, Spain
$68.95, Woodman Wines & Spirits
David Lawrason – I felt a little rush of excitement when I saw this wine on Vintages list. It doesn’t come by often and I remembered it as being one of the most memorable wines I tasted during my first trip and only trip to this region a few years ago. Alavaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo Perez almost single-handledly put Bierzo on the international wine map at the end of the last century, with elegant and structured reds from local mencia and other varieties growing on steep slate covered hillsides. This is a very refined if still youthful, tight knit and reserved version, aged only eight months in barrel. There is a lovely purity and florality amid mulberry-like fruit, with subtle licorice and mineral notes. Very elegant yet firmly underpinned on the palate with grainy tannin. The quality is plainly evident, but it needs three to five years to expand and intensify to the point you will be fully engaged. Tasted September 2025. Available in LCBO Vintages Flagship Stores.
Use these quick links for access to all of our September 13th Top Picks in the New Release. Non-premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.
Lawrason’s Take – September 13th
Megha’s Picks – September 13th
Sara’s Selections – September 13th
