Your essential treasure map to Vintages right now

Vintages is the fancy part of the LCBO. So it’s reasonable to assume wines stocked there are pricier and better than the bottles in the less swanky areas of the store. But that’s not really the case.

Wines in Vintages can be high or low-priced, delicious or dire, but they’re generally available in limited quantities — which is essentially the defining aspect. Through Vintages, the LCBO refreshes wine categories with a continuously changing selection of wines. But an important exception exists.

Wines proven to be popular over time become “Vintages Essentials” and are always available. Vintages Essentials are labelled as such in store and the list appears online at Vintages.com.

The dynamic nature of the Vintages section of the LCBO creates a bit of a treasure hunt for wine lovers, with the added tension of knowing the best new releases could sell out before you get to them. But shopping there can be hit or miss. Meanwhile, Vintages Essentials tends to be a trove of smart buys.

It’s not a perfect system. Vintages Essentials does include some good bottles when better buys exist elsewhere at the LCBO. But I’ve never tasted a terrible Vintages Essential. So it’s a smart place to shop — especially when you’re in a rush.

With that in mind, here’s a roundup of outstanding Vintages selections including three new releases and 9 Essentials. 2013 Ascheri Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (Vintages 496851 $49.95) Order a pizza, grab a bottle of this “special occasion” wine, and you’ve got an event! It’s a classic and refined Barolo with delicate aromas of dried cherries and aniseed that opens up to a suave entry that quickly unfurls with delicate red fruit, finely grained tannins, and flitting notes of black cherry, chalk, dried herbs and black olive. Piedmont in a glass.

Score: 91 2016 Paxton Biodynamic MV Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia ( Vintages 327403 $19.95) This plush Aussie shiraz offers that ample hit of choco-berry fruit one would expect from the variety. But the rich centre is threaded with charcoal, black licorice and a crank of black pepper, lending substance and seriousness to this fruit forward expression.

Score: 92 2018 Rustenberg Petit Verdot Rosé, Stellenbosch, South Africa ( Vintages 451773 $13.95) Though stock is starting to dwindle on this release, there is still some to snap up. It’s a gorgeous rosé that opens with cool wild cherry-strawberry-pomegranate flavours laced with smoked paprika and wired with just enough acidity to taste lit. Dry-tasting, full-bodied and long. Terrific value.

Score: 94 2015 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir, Oregon (Vintages Essential 229781 $24.95 in stores and online) Velvet folds of fruit entice with subtle ripples of complexity. Lush and dry, the base flavour suggests macerated black cherries while red cherry juiciness adds lift. Black pepper, licorice underpinnings anchor the expansive fruit and linger on the finish.

Score: 93 2015 Château Argadens Bordeaux Superieur, France (Vintages Essential 681643 $18.95) The nose shows great purity and classicism. The palate tastes brawny and structured with oodles of elegant dark fruit and cassis spiked with bright cherry, and layered with caramelized meat juices, Brazil nut and toasted tobacco. Good length. Punches above its price.

Score: 94 2017 Malivoire Chardonnay, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON (Vintages Essential 573147 $17.95 till June 23, reg. $19.95) This wine is all about purity and restraint. It’s a bone-dry and unwooded Chardonnay with the scent that calls to mind fresh linen sheets air-dried in the sunshine. The entry is a beautiful sweep of cool silk with allusions of wet stones, sea spray, and citrus oil that taper to a long finish of nougat. Score: 90 2017 Tawse Quarry Road Vineyard, Estate Bottled Riesling, VQA Vinemount Ridge, ON (Vintages Essential 198853 $24.95) The vibrant shock of sorbet-like fruit shows lime, mandarin and green mango mostly — with a little shake of stones and salt somewhere. That stony-salty complexity lends interest to otherwise a good but simply fruity Riesling.

Score: 92 2014 Beronia Reserva, Rioja, Spain (Vintages Essential 50203 $21.95) Deep aromas of stewed black cherries and vanilla cream gives way to a hearty hit of black forest fruits layered with vanilla, soft leather, toasted wood, cherry-cola and black peppercorn. A suave, smooth red with power and finesse.

Score: 95 2017 Flat Rock Pinot Noir, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, ON (Vintages Essential 1545 $21.95) Expect captivating aromas of bumbleberry pie and a mouthful of juicy but delicate fruit. Great purity too. Spiralling strawberry-raspberry-boysenberry flavour tastes pure and clean, sunlit and lively, while a quiet crush of dried bay leaf and earthiness layers in savory complexity. Terrific value.

Score: 92 NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne, France (Vintages Essential 268771 $74.95) Instantly captivating aromas of baked apple lead to a saturated attack of caramelized apple tart, lemon curd, toasted almond and wet stones. Love the tiny bubbles, creamy mouthfeel, and long length. Blue chip buy.

Score: 94 2016 Erath Pinot Noir, Oregon (Vintages Essential 394717 $25.00) The nose is flush with smoked cherry and baking spices. The palate offers a generous rush of macerated berries laced with orange zest, bonfire, bread, aniseed and crushed stones. And the finish lingers.

Score: 91 2016 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, California (Vintages Essential 719435 $34.95) Elegance, freshness and delicacy balance this fruit forward expression of Pinot Noir. Soft chalk and cool cranberry, warm violet and gentle beetroot aromas lead to a beamlike entry of cool fruit that broadens with elements found on the nose along with brawny nuances of warm tobacco and toasted hazelnut.

Score: 90