Vintages for Victoria weekend

Ontario’s liquor giant releases small lots of wines through its Vintages section almost every other week. But it’s hard to keep up with those new releases let alone track which bottles are best. So to put you in the know, here are five wines that hit shelves Saturday, every one of which is well worth your hardearned dollars. Snap them up though. They won’t last.

For something pink and sophisticated, consider the 2021 Saint Aix Rosé AP Coteaux d’Aix en Provence from France (Vintages $24.95). It gleams a glorious, pale rose-gold hue and wafts with wispy apricot and lilac, strawberry and cherry. The entry is fresh, cool and precise with chiselled minerality scoring the fruit-and-floral centre while plunging acidity anchors each sip. A pleasantly bitter twist of grapefruit leaves the palate seasoned and clean. Score: 90

Pour this elegant expression of Provence with poached salmon or with bistro-style goat cheese salad.

Those who gravitate toward the velvety, sun-drenched reds from California wine will appreciate the 2019 Michael David Freakshow Zinfandel from Lodi (Vintages $28.95). It’s rich, jammy and lush without losing that all-important drinkability factor. On the nose, muddled berries smell sweet and inviting before the wine thunders in with a mouthful of smooth, ripe wild-berry goodness laced with milk chocolate, roasted almond, sweet oak and cherry-vanilla. That swirling complexity tastes generous and inviting before a slow black coffee and tobacco finish takes over. Easy pleasure. Score: 92

Serve this wine cocktail-style with a handful of nuts or with barbecue with all those charred, sweet and smoky bits.

Fans of cru Beaujolais will want to taste the 2019 Georges Duboeuf

Domaine Mont Chavy Morgon AC, France (Vintages $22.95). Cru Beaujolais hails from one of 10 top growing areas, or crus, in the Beaujolais region of Burgundy — in this case, Morgon. It’s a style that can be undervalued, which is certainly the case here.

Each glassful opens with rich scents of black cherry and blackcurrant liqueur laced with licorice, violets, cool chalk and cedar — a captivating perfume. The languid entry seems lifted, graceful. But that poise veils firm muscularity. Each sip of this full-bodied red cascades with brawny flavours of black forest fruit threaded with iron, clove, black earth, warm embers and black olive before persisting on the finish. Score: 91

If you’re a meat eater and enjoy steak with deep sear, this bottle is the perfect match.

White wine lovers take note: The 2020 Fontanafredda Pradalupo Roero Arneis DOCG (Vintages $18.95) is an immediately appealing bottle from Piedmont, Italy. Made from the native and increasingly respected Arneis grape, this gem shines clear and bright while exuding sliced pear aromas with a touch of honeyed nut. The attack beams in with linear intent, tasting dry, glossy and crisp at first. Then, it quickly broadens to reveal a more complex and textured expression.

Cool pear shifts to reveal white flowers, olive brine, and bergamot while an attractive grip holds the fruit in place as it tapers to a long, slightly flinty finish. Pure charm. Score: 91

Serve this wine with antipasti when company comes around for impromptu yet stylish entertaining.

The bottle of bubbly to buy is the NV Laurent Perrier La Cuvée Brut Champagne from France (Vintages $69.95). It’s a classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a splash of Pinot Meunier that draws you in with the fragrance of caramelized apples, butter pastry and lemon curd. Those aromas echo on the palate while brisk effervescence and a creamy mousse offers the delicacy, purity and finesse you’d expect from a bottle of proper Champagne. Score: 91

Pour this French fizz with a plate of oysters or a batch of gougères — those airy French cheese puffs. Magic.

These wines are the ultimate set up for the Victoria Day long weekend — or any time you want to treat yourself.

WINERIES OCCASIONALLY SPONSOR SEGMENTS ON CAROLYN EVANS HAMMOND’S YOUTUBE SERIES YET THEY HAVE NO ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF THE WINES SHE CHOOSES TO REVIEW OR HER OPINIONS OF THOSE WINES.

These wines are the

ultimate set up for the Victoria Day long weekend — or any time you want to treat yourself