Vintages Adventures In Wine

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Here are Vintages top picks for the Holiday Season. This custom selected list of reds, whites, sparkling wines and champagnes is all you need to be prepared whether you are playing host at a dinner party or a guest in need of a gift for holiday celebrations. These autumn and winter selections are also perfect for that quiet night at home and available by the bottle or case for your convenience.
Visit either of our stores or call us directly to place your order over the phone and the rest is easy Drive up and well bring the wine out to your car!

Doesn’t your family deserve the best?
A successful thanksgiving wine– white or red –is versatile, lively, and refreshing. Big, heavy wines will take you down faster than tryptophan! Here are some of our tried-and-true selections for the best of the season:

Two delectable wines that pair beautifully with the meal from start to finish. So much character and class – you can drink them all day.
2005 SAN FEREOLO Langhe Bianco $25
Dry Riesling/Gewurztraminer blend that’s a great pairing with the sweet/savory flavors of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, cranberry.
2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Chateauneuf du Pape BLANC $35 Masterful blend of Clairette, Roussanne, & Grenache Blanc from a collection of the family’s older-vine plots. Surprising richness balanced with refreshing minerality. Ripe nectarine, apricot and tangerine flavors.
2009 MARISA CUOMO Ravello Bianco $25
Blend of 60% Falanghina, 40% Biancholello. Beautiful light color, crisp, tangy fruit with powdery minerals; vibrant and refreshing.
2009 MARISA CUOMO Furore Bianco $25
A blend of 60% Falanghina, 40% Biancholello. Rich texture with powerful fruit; round mouth-feel with a soft, lovely finish.
2008 OTTELLA Molceo Bianco $25
Beautiful pale gold color; rich fruit character followed by clean, refreshing minerality. Next time you’re thinking chardonnay, reach for “Molceo.” Highly recommended.
2007 I CLIVI Arzillari Verduzzo $14.99
Hay, wild herbs and citrus notes drive this distinctive, refreshing white from the I Clivi family in Italy’s far northeast corner. A great pairing with vegetables, stuffing and the bird!

2009 LE FRAGHE Bardolino $14.99
Juicy cherry and blueberry flavors with spicy notes; a refreshing red that pairs perfectly with ‘bird, cranberry and roasted root vegetables.
2006 ODDERO Barbera d’Asti $23
Rich, earthy fruit -this barbera is a perfect companion to the wide-ranging flavors of the day. Classy, yet easy-going red.
2005 TOMMASO BUSSOLA Valpolicella Ripasso $22
Concentrated flavors of spice, chocolate, & morello cherry on a velvety finish. Beautiful!
2008 BURLOTTO Pelaverga $19.99 (Piedmont)
Deep ruby color, lovely aromas, raspberry fruit, and a hint of pepper on the finish. Unusually delicious!
2009 DOM. COUDERT Clos de la Roilette Fleurie “Cuvee Tardive” $25 Cru Beaujolais is a turkey-day classic. Black raspberry and plum fruit with notes of smoked meat and tobacco. Rich, ripe yet balanced — this cru beaujolais “thoroughbred” will take you from start to finish!

If your Thanksgiving group is stadium-sized, these CROWD-PLEASERS will save the day. Red, white and sparkling, these are inexpensive and easy favorites….please pass the pinot!

We are very excited about presenting the new releases of Riojas from Lopez de Heredia. Time and again, we keep coming back to the same idea about wine: that great wine originates from regions with tradition and history, and the wine in the bottle is a means of transporting you to that place. Great wine also takes you back in time, because you are able to experience wine as it has been made for generations. In this regard, I can’t think of a winery that better exemplifies these ideas than LOPEZ de HEREDIA.
Since its beginning in 1877, Lopez de Heredia continues, unchanging, to the present day. The winery is operated by Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia, her sister Mercedes, and father Pedro, still active into his 80s. All of the wines are produced from estate grown bush vines. Tondonia and Bosconia are two different vineyards; Bosconia has a larger percentage of Tempranillo and a different orientation.
2000 VINA GRAVONIA Crianza Blanco $28
“Light yellow-gold. Sexy aromas of yellow peach, jasmine and toasted nuts. A sappy, tactile wine that offers lively orchard and pit fruit qualities and brisk acid bite. Bright and focused but also plenty rich, finishing with excellent length and notes of pear skin and anise.”–IWA
2000 VINA TONDONIA Rosado Gran Reserva $28
“A blend of 60% garnacha and 20% each of tempranillo and viura) Bright peach skin color. Red berries, pear and orange zest on the nose, with complicating notes of tarragon and salty minerals. Sweet red fruit flavors give way to muskier pear skin and almond in the middle palate, with a firm note of talc emerging on the back end. This dry, focused, serious pink wine finishes with strong grip and a lingering note of dried red fruit. Serve it with full-flavored food.”–IWA
2004 Rioja Crianza VINA CUBILLO $28
“65% tempranillo, 25% garnacha and 5% each of graciano and mazuelo) Bright red. Primary cherry and red berry aromas are complemented by baking spices and licorice. Medium-weight bitter cherry and raspberry flavors are dusted by fine-grained tannins and turn spicier with air. Silky and sweet, with a seductive pinot-like character and impressive finishing clarity. This suave wine is delicious now.”– IWA
2002 VINA BOSCONIA Reserva $38
“80% tempranillo, 15% garnacha, 3% graciano and 2% mazuelo) Medium red. Exotically perfumed bouquet of spicy red fruits and dried rose, with a slight medicinal cast. Taut, refreshing redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors are complemented by notes of mint and licorice, with a peppery quality adding bite to the back end. Quite impressive for the vintage, finishing with very good clarity and spicy cut.” — IWA
2000 VINA TONDONIA Reserva $45
“75% tempranillo, 15% garnacha and 10% graciano and mazuelo) Bright red. Complex aromas of cherry, sassafras, dried rose and pungent herbs, with a gentle vanilla note. Fleshy, sweet and graceful red fruit flavors are firmed by a bitter cherry quality and pick up dusty tannins with air. Finishes on a juicy note, with lingering cherry and herbal notes.”–WA
1991 VINA BOSCONIA Gran Reserva $100
“80% tempranillo, 15% garnacha and 10% mazuelo and graciano) Amber-edged, fading red. Compelling bouquet of dried red fruits, rose, lavender, anise and gingerbread. Deep, velvety red fruit flavors are surprisingly lithe, with candied floral and licorice qualities contributing complexity. Gains sweetness with air and finishes long, with strong mineral and floral qualities. For this much complexity in an aged Burgundy, you’d likely pay twice as much.” — IWA

Published by VINTAGES under Burgundy-red, Burgundy-white, Events, Uncategorized

HOLIDAY WINES: Cru Beaujolais & Burgundy
“2009 Beaujolais are gloriously generous and genuinely complex, as fine as any wines from this region in recent memory.”– WA
JOIN US for a tasting featuring a delicious selection of 2009 vintage of CRU BEAUJOLAIS, white Burgundy, and a 2007 Savigny les Beaune.

“Eric tasted with Burgundy iconoclast Jean-Marie Guffens at his cellar in February and selected this 2009 Chablis to be imported for our customers.
“Ginger and apple aromas are lifted by stony minerality. Broad, concentrated and ripe, with an open-knit texture in the style of the year. This sweet, supple wine is not especially high in acidity but offers a more pleasing balance than the 2008 version. Finishes with impressive length.” -Tanzer, IWC
2008 THEVENET St. Veran Vieilles Vignes “Clos de l’Ermitage” $19.99
Jean-Claude Thevenet is a third-generation vigneron in the Maconnais (southern Burgundy). This gorgeous Saint-Veran comes from an exclusive vineyard site in Prisse, the “Clos de l’Ermitage,” planted with 45-70 year old vines. An inviting, complex array of citrus, floral, and mineral qualities with a note of beeswax. This beautifully textured Chardonnay saw no oak but offers the power and weight of a barrel-fermented wine.

2009 DOM. PASCAL GRANGER Julienas $17.99
Don’t let the word ‘Beaujolais’ fool you-there is a whole world of Gamay outside of ‘nouveau’. There are 10 Cru-level villages in Beaujolais, each distinct, each offering incredibly delicious light reds! The Granger family moved to Julienas about a century ago, which is now the focus of the domaine’s production.
2009 CLOS DE LA ROILETTE Fleurie “Cuvee Tardive” $25 Coudert’s 2009 Fleurie “Cuvee Tardive” displays a brighter cast of fruit (black raspberry, plum paste); a richer depth of roasted and smoked meats, and greater amplitude and grip than the regular bottling. Peat, tobacco, dark chocolate, and salt lend complexity along with an abundance of fine tannins.
2008 JEAN-MARC BURGAUD Morgon Cote du Py “Cuvee James” $28 “Burgaud’s 2008 Morgon Cote de Py James offers a surprisingly confitured impression of blackberry and boysenberry. Saline, charred meat and

forest floor notes in the nose and on a sweetly-fruited yet vivacious palate lead to strikingly long as well as subtle finish, with an invigorating sense of fruit skin tartness and mineral salts. This cuvee combines uncommon richness for 2008 with the sense of attack and clarity that accrues to the best Beaujolais of that vintage.”–WA
2007 CHANDON de BRIAILLES Savigny les Beaune $30 “Extremely pretty; nose of earthy red berry fruit and a hint of spice leads to round, yet detailed flavors that possess a mildly edgy but persistent finish. A delicious effort.”–Burghound

GIACOMO CONTERNO Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Italy
VINTAGES is very excited to announce the arrival of these newly-released Barolos from GIACOMO CONTERNO: 2006 Barolo Cascina Francia and long-awaited 2002 Barolo Monfortino Riserva.

Every year, we visit Roberto Conterno at his cellar in Monforte dAlba — always an important and memorable occasion and are reminded once again of the atmospheric level of quality this winery pursues and achieves …quite simply, there are no greater wines in all of Italy, and arguably anywhere in the world.
Case in point: 2002 Monfortino Riserva! In March of 2006, while visiting Roberto in his cellar, we first heard that the only wine he would make in 2002 would be Barolo Monfortino Riserva. This was a stunning announcement. In a vintage where almost no Barolo was produced, Roberto Conterno has achieved something incredibly profound — a wine that, even prior to its release, has become a legend, along the lines of a 1978 or 1971! This remarkable achievement required a truly great vineyard in perfect condition, prodigious talent, and rigorous work in vineyard and cellar to bring the greatness of the vineyard to such profound expression under the most difficult of conditions. Over the years of getting to know Roberto and the wines of GIACOMO CONTERNO, it is not entirely surprising that against all odds, not only did they decide to make Barolo Monfortino Riserva, but that 2002 Monfortino might be among the greatest ever made!
Before I get into my notes for the 2002 Monfortino Riserva, I just want to say a few things about Roberto Conterno. He is a very intense, serious man who knows exactly what he is doing; no journalist or wine critic knows more about the subject of Barolo than he does. So five or six years ago when he mentioned that he potentially had a modern day masterpiece on his hands, i.e. 2002 Barolo Monfortino, there was no reason to doubt his proclamation. Unfortunately for him, Ive been pestering him ever since to let me taste the 02 Monfortino, and in the spring of 2008, I finally had a chance to taste this miraculous wine! To make a long story short, anybody can make wine in a great vintage; only someone with a true understanding of great wine can have success in a disastrous year… This is what makes 2002 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva all the more remarkable.
2002 GIACOMO CONTERNO Barolo Monfortino Riserva $415

Purchase 6 bottles of Monfortino; price is $373.50/bottle.
Exotic, brooding, serious, ethereal, moroccan spices, bitterroot aromas, and spicy tobacco leaf leap from the glass in this kaleidoscopic tour-de-force. Huge structure– incredible power with dense, super-ripe tannins! Tannins seem sweeter than the 2004 Monfortino. Dense, gripping, extremely long on the palate, and incredibly profound! A great surprise,” for Roberto. One of the best Monfortinos ever!”
2006 GIACOMO CONTERNO Barolo Cascina Francia $125
Standard quantity discounts apply on 6 bottles (10%= $112.50) and 12 bottles (15% = $106.25).
The 2006 Barolo Cascina Francia is a powerful, muscular, austere, Barolo that harkens back to classic vintages of the past. It is bigger, deeper and darker than the 2005 Cascina Francia which has a more feminine personality, with notes of wild strawberries, blood orange, pomegranate, and roses.
The stern, structured 2006 Barolo Cascina Francia is a textbook example of Barolo from Serralunga, with smoldering, earthy, tarry notes. A luscious, layered, beautifully mysterious Nebbiolo that is built for the ages and will only reveal its true potential over many years. Roberto loves his 2006 Barolos, says its a great vintage, and compares it to 1996…..one of the all-time great vintages of Barolo!
To purchase GIACOMO CONTERNO Barolo: Call or visit VINTAGES.
West Concord, MA: 978-369-2545 OR Belmont, MA: 617-484-4560
Giacomo Conterno Barolo is in! (Available in West Concord store or next-day delivery in Belmont.)

featuring TOMMASO BUSSOLA, OTTELLA, SUAVIA, ADAMI
Wines to enjoy during the holiday season — flavorful, not ponderous. Stop in today for a taste!

2009 ADAMI Prosecco Giardino Tranquilo $17.99
Top Prosecco estate ADAMI breaks new ground with a still version of their wine from their excellent Giardino vineyard. Delicate aromas and flavors, fresh, with flavors of green apple. An ideal wine for lighter meals, fish and as an aperitif. Even without the sparkle, it shines!
2009 SUAVIA Soave Superiore Classico $14.99
From the Tessari sisters in Fitta di Soave, this Soave Classico offers ripe peach and apricot fruit in a well-balanced white thats quite versatile at table. Mineral notes on the finish contribute a pleasing complexity.
2007 OTTELLA Lugana Superiore Molceo $25An EXCLUSIVE offerOttellas Molceo and a winner of Italys top Three Glasses award! This Trebbiano di Lugana has a beautiful pale gold color; rich fruit character is followed by clean, refreshing minerality. Next time youre thinking chardonnay, reach for Molceo.

A new release from winemaker Matilde Poggi. A blend of corvina & rondinella grapes from the Veneto, Le Fraghe Bardolino is ruby red with a perfumed nose of sweet-sour cherry and blueberry, and spicy nuances of cinnamon and black pepper.
2007 OTTELLA Campo Sireso Rosso Veronese $25
Blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Corvina Veronese. Selection of grapes hand-harvested exclusively from estate vineyards. Aged in barriques. Aromatic with plum, vanilla and spice, elegant, well-balanced with dark cherry and sweet tannins; smooth finish with a spicy note. Impressive!
2005 TOMMASO BUSSOLA Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Ca del Laito $22The heir-apparent to Amarone master Guiseppe Quintarelli, Tommaso Bussola creates wines of a unique and deeply personal character. 100% Ripasso (wine from Amarone lees). Cadel Laito emerges from the glass with juicy dark cherries, spices, subtle French oak. Great complexity, yet very drinkable. A delicious wine from one of Valpolicellas top growers.

SAT. NOV. 6, 2-5pm WEST CONCORD
Wine Tasting features the following wines from Northern Italy, plus additional wines that vary by location.

2007 I CLIVI Venezia Giulia “Bianco degli Arzillari” $14.99Father and son Ferdinando and Mario Zanusso offer this beautiful bottling of Verduzzo, an indigenous, native grape from 60-year-old vines in the Arzillari vineyard. Fully-ripened grapes from low-yield vines lend a depth and concentration to this unusual and compelling white wine. Organic cultivation in the vineyard and non-interventionist, artisanal winemaking ensure the absolute integrity of this hand-crafted, long-lasting wine.

2007 OTTELLA Lugana Superiore “Molceo” $25An EXCLUSIVE offer–Ottella’s “Molceo”– and a winner of Italy’s top “Three Glasses” award! This Trebbiano di Lugana has a beautiful pale gold color; rich and powerful fruit character followed by clean, refreshing minerality. Next time you’re thinking chardonnay, reach for “Molceo.”

2009 INSTITUT AGRICOLE REGIONAL Premetta (Vallee D’Aoste) $14.99A viticultural school established in the 1950’s, the IAR also prides itself on the authentic production of indigenous varietals. Cooperatives are very common in the Aosta Valley, and like the IAR, produce very good quality wines. The 2009 Premetta is a light, dry, delicious red—a wonderful alternative for Pinot Noir lovers.

2005 TOMMASO BUSSOLA Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso “Ca’ del Laito” (Veneto) $22The heir-apparent to Amarone master Guiseppe Quintarelli, Tommaso Bussola creates wines of a unique and deeply personal character. 100% Valpolicella Ripasso (wine from Amarone lees). Ca’ del Laito emerges from the glass with juicy dark cherries, spices, subtle French oak. Great complexity, yet very drinkable. A delicious wine from one of Valpolicella’s top growers.

WINE TASTING: BAROLO from ODDERO with Isabella Oddero, Fri. Oct. 29, Belmont store
FRI. OCT. 29, 4:30-6:30pm, ISABELLA ODDERO in Belmont

BAROLO from ODDERO winery, La Morra
VINTAGES is thrilled to re-introduce the wines of the ODDERO estate in La Morra to Massachusetts!

During our visitsto this estate the past few years, and tastings at the Alba Wine Exhibition and Vinitaly, we became enamored of the the wines from Oddero (oh-DARE-oh)– classic expressions of their beautiful piedmontese hillside vineyards. A unique aspect of the Oddero estate is their extensive vineyard holdings in many top “cru” areas in Barolo, as well as an excellent Barbaresco vineyard (Gallina). With 35 hectares total, and 16 ha planted to nebbiolo, the

noble grape of Barolo & Barbaresco, Oddero offers a number of single vineyard bottlings, as well as a superb DOCG Barolo. Bottling their estate-grown fruit since 1878, Oddero is a landmark winery in the same family now for six generations.
2009 ODDERO Dolcetto d’Alba $16.99
Classic example of this friendly dinner companion.
Ruby-violet color, velvety cherry-berry fruit with powdery minerals and silky tannins on the long, dry finish. Think of Dolcetto in the same category as a good Rhone wine or a Cru Beaujolais; not the most profound wine, but you’d be hard pressed to find a more congenial wine at the dinner table.
2007 ODDERO Barbera d’Asti “Vinchio d’Asti” $23
From the steep slopes of this historical vineyard, this Barbera d’Asti offers perfumed aromas of red fruit and spice, a rich texture, and a long finish. Another great choice for the table!
2007 ODDERO Barbaresco Gallina $55 Exclusive
One of the most historic vineyards in all of the Langhe, and one of the two or three grand ‘crus’ of Neive. For more than a century, nebbiolo from ‘Gallina’ has been sought after for its noble structure, beautifully complex fruit, finesse and age-ability. We have always admired Oddero’s Barbaresco ‘Gallina,’ — traditional Barbaresco that is elegant, refined, austere, and understated. It has all of the qualities that make great Barbaresco and Barolo so alluring and compelling. We are proud to offer this great wine EXCLUSIVELY to our customers.
2006 ODDERO Barolo DOCG $39
A true ambassador for the appellation and one of the great Barolo DOCGs for the money. If you want to understand Barolo, start here with Oddero’s excellent example. It is a classic Barolo with elements of tarry cherries, silky rose petals, porcini mushrooms, sandalwood and exotic spices. The Odderos take great pride in their ‘regular’ Barolo, making it their calling card rather than an entry-level wine.
2006 ODDERO Barolo Villero $60
Along with Bricco Boschis, Bric del Fiasco, Monprivato and Rocche, Villero is a true grand ‘Cru’ of Castiglione Falletto of the highest order. In some ways Barolo from Villero has always represented the character of Barolo described as ‘austere’; that reserved noble character that is primarily due to clay soils which produce more structured, tannic and less fruity wines. Barolos from Villero are typically more ’shy’ upon release, and take more time to develop and reveal their true nature.
2005 ODDERO Barolo Bussia Soprano $70 Exclusive
One of the great vineyards of Monforte, Bussia Soprana is an exquisite amphitheatre-shape with perfect exposures to the south-east, south and south-west. With primarily white calcareous soils (decomposed limestone), Barolo from Bussia Soprana achieves a pure and precise red and blackberry fruit character. Floral aromas are highlighted by pristine mineral notes. This is a Barolo that will age effortlessly, but will be hard to resist in its youth.
2009 ODDERO Moscato d’Asti $17.99
Great example of this classic lightly sweet sparkling wine; great as an aperitvo, or dessert accompaniment.
Please join us on Friday, Oct. 29 for a tasting of ODDERO wines with ISABELLA ODDERO from the winery.

Chateau Pradeaux & Chateau Simone
We were fortunate to taste with Mr. Etienne Portalis from the Bandol estate CHATEAU PRADEAUX in the shop earlier this week. Etienne poured and discussed wines from PRADEAUX and another renowned historic estate from Aix-en-Provence, CHATEAU SIMONE. The wines of PRADEAUX and SIMONE are among the treasures of Provencal and southern French wine, representing some of its most admirable and enduring qualities. The Portalis family of Pradeaux and the Rougiers of Simone are guardians of their wine heritage, a pleasurable testament to the native varietals that have adapted to the particularly harsh climate. These wines were not invented to meet a marketing niche, or please a reviewer’s palate; their greatness lies in their singular expression and longevity. Like a monument, the wine is its own destination; through trends and fads, it remains, should you choose to engage the wine on its terms.
CHATEAU PRADEAUX, Bandol

2004 Chateau Pradeaux “Longue Garde” $55 ($116 1.5L)
“Longue Garde” is 50 cases of the best barrels selected by importer Neal Rosenthal for the U.S. market.
2003 Chateau Pradeaux, Bandol Rouge $40
CHATEAU SIMONE, Aix-en-Provence
The wines of Chateau Simone are among the treasures of the wine world, representing some of its most admirable and enduring qualities. The Rougier family are the
2008 CHATEAU SIMONE “Palette Blanc” $65

2007 CHATEAU SIMONE “Palette Rouge” $65
2006 CHATEAU SIMONE “Palette Rouge” $652005 CHATEAU SIMONE “Palette Rouge” $65
2004 CHATEAU SIMONE “Palette Rouge” $70

Beautiful purity of fruit in this luscious rose champagne from Larmandier. Fresh cranberry and blood orange aromas open to subtle flavors of wild strawberry. A fine dusting of minerals on the long finish adds a welcome vibrant quality.