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Truly great vintages in Burgundy are like good Ben Affleck films. They come around maybe once every 10 years. On the bright side, this means novice wine drinkers with limited budgets can blissfully ignore the French region - with its Byzantine labels, hyperinflation and wildly inconsistent quality - 90 per cent of the time.

The 2005 vintage, now streaming onto Canadian shelves, is, by most accounts, beyond great, though. Some wise critics and winemakers have dared to use the word "perfect," describing it as better even than the last magical harvest, 1990, and the best since 1978.

Burgundy insiders have already placed their best bids on case lots from the best domains through private importers (importers with vaunted labels include vinifera.com, liffordwineagency.com and halpernwine.com). But it's still possible to get in on the 2005 feeding frenzy at the retail-store level.

A small selection of humble wines labelled simply "Bourgogne" should be on your local store's shelves. It's hard to go terribly wrong with big but reliable houses such as Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père. Also look for Chablis, the district of Burgundy specializing in exceptionally crisp, mineral-tinged chardonnays. One good choice: William Fevre Petit Chablis 2005 ($25.99 in B.C.).

And there's a decent, if small, representation in today's release of fine wines in Ontario Vintages stores. There are five white Burgundies (all chardonnays) and five reds (all pinot noirs), most from big the big negociant producers noted above.

These are well-known producers, not the snob-worthy domaines beloved of Burgundy zealots (who are the wine-world equivalent of indie-rock nerds).

The big bargain is Maison Champy Bourgogne Chardonnay Signature 2005 ($18.95, product No. 043455). Interesting Burgundy is uncommon at this price level, but here's a very fetching white that's fresh in style, showing an almost sweet, up-front fruit character, with plumpness and subdued oak. The finish is subtly nutty and mineral-laced. With this and other fine Burgundies, don't forget to take in the subtle and seductive aroma before you sip; it's half the reward.

Although I did not get to taste the promising Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault Genevrières 2005 ($89.95, No. 705970), I can heartily recommend another, more affordable white, William Fèvre Chablis Montmains 2005 ($32.95, No. 977587). Light-bodied, yet with an almost silky-oily texture, it delivers hints of peach and citrus with a crisp, mineral-like finish.

The best of the five reds is Bouchard Père & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 2005 ($104.95, No. 974014). This rich premier cru shows plenty of concentration and liqueur-like cherry flavour, supported by lots of well-integrated tannins for aging, and a long finish. Give it five years in the cellar if you can.

Hard-core Burgundy fans will be tempted by the lone grand cru among today's selections, Château de La Tour Clos Vougeot 2005, even at $144.95.

It's concentrated, to be sure, but I found it a tad overripe, clamouring for just a bit more acidity.

If you can sit still for a month, here's a tip: Its far superior big brother, Château de La Tour Clos Vougeot Vieilles Vignes 2005, made from select old vines on the same vineyard, will be released in Ontario on Dec. 8, at an only slightly higher price of $171.95 (product No. 057240).

The other very good red in today's release is Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune du Château 2005 ($41.95, No. 901199), dry and earthy in style, with a slightly gritty, tannic backbone supporting ripe berry, floral and mineral nuances. And worth laying down for three to five years.

Should you be in the mood for a superb pinot noir without the snob-factor of Burgundy, do not miss a selection that was released a few weeks ago in Ontario, Lawson's Dry Hills Pinot Noir 2005 from New Zealand ($24.05, No. 034827). Brimming with up-front berries, this opulent, supple pinot is long and nicely balanced, with spice and good acidity. You'd work hard to find a better pinot for the money.

Also released a while ago but still available in good quantities (remarkably) is another bargain, this one from southern France, Château Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Rouges 2005 ($16.95, No. 725606). This blend of syrah and Grenache from the Costières de Nimes delivers a luscious, round core of black cherry and chocolate, subtly accented by provençal herbs and licorice. Modern, yet still very French.

From the remainder of today's Vintages release in Ontario, and also available in small quantities in British Columbia at press time, comes a great vintage of a famous wine from Spain. Tinto Pesquera 2004 from Alejandro Fernandez ($27.95, No. 341461; $30.99 in B.C.) is a showstopper for the money. Full-bodied and luscious, it sports a creamy texture that resolves into perfect dryness thanks to a gritty, tannic backbone.

There's a good dollop of oak here, but it's well-integrated, with flavours of ripe, dark fruits, bitter chocolate, licorice and minerals. Age it for up to 12 years.

A few other highly recommended vintages of some well-known big reds: Elderton Shiraz 2004 from Australia ($29.95, No. 713024; $34.99 in B.C.); Rosemount Hill of Gold Shiraz 2004 from Australia ($22.95, No. 614784; $27.59 in Newfoundland and Labrador); Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 2001 from Italy ($49.95, No. 922054); and the voluptuous but remarkably balanced Solaia from the hot 2003 vintage, also from Italy ($149.95, No. 987586; $169.99 in B.C.).

And if you like champagne bargains, don't miss Cattier Brut ($37.95, No. 919464), light and lemony, with good flavour concentration and a hint of nuttiness.

For those who sometimes need a special reason to justify twisting open a bottle on a weeknight, let me introduce Plantatree. That's not a misspelled imperative, it's a fresh, unpretentious new Canadian wine brand with a virtuous backbone. Every $14.95 purchase contributes $2.50 to Tree Canada, which will plant a sapling as a natural way to help mop up carbon-dioxide exhaust at the root of the climate-change crisis.

You might call it the world's first un-carbonated wine.

The brand's creator, Steven Campbell, owner of Lifford Wine Agency in Toronto, more lucidly calls it the "world's first carbon-positive wine." Produced from California fruit by Ironstone Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, it's bottled by Lifford in Niagara.

Based on orders placed by the LCBO in Ontario, Campbell expects to exceed his goal of 100,000 new trees in the first year. At that rate, the little forest, to be planted around Sudbury, would absorb more than 35,000 tonnes of atmospheric carbon. The average person in the West creates roughly 10 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

Available only in Ontario for the moment, Plantatree comes in locally made, recyclable plastic bottles to minimize freight weight and a Quebec-manufactured screwcap in place of Portuguese cork.

What's inside the bottle is decent, too, though as a cyclist without a car, I should probably confess my passion for the cause. Campbell, who developed the three varietals - a chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot - possesses a formidable palate.

The chardonnay and merlot, in particular, are well-balanced, smooth, yet sufficiently crisp to pair with many foods.

Plantatree Chardonnay 2005 ($14.95) is medium-bodied and silky, with peach and citrus flavours and a crisp, bright finish. Plantatree Merlot 2005 ($14.95) shows a medium full-bodied palate, with good concentration, a smooth texture and classic merlot nuances of plum, blackberry, violet and even a slight hint of tobacco. Plantatree Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($14.95) is lighter than the merlot, with juicy, fresh-berry flavour and a soft finish.

Pick of the week

Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune du Château 2005 ($41.95, No. 901199) is dry and earthy in style, with a slightly gritty, tannic backbone supporting ripe berry, floral and mineral nuances.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com