BAROLO WINE TASTING with Valter Fissore, owner/winemaker of the ELVIO COGNO estate in Novello, Barolo. We are thrilled to have VALTER FISSORE of ELVIO COGNO winery presenting his superb range of wines on Sat. June 13 at our Belmont store. Valter is a rising star in Barolo, creating wines true to the land with a classic character and feel; rich, elegant, and memorable. Valter and his wife Nadia have a beautiful 17th c. estate in the village of Novello with spectacular views overlooking the vineyards of Monforte and Barolo.
“Cogno remains an under-the-radar source for delicious wines. This is an impressive line-up from top to bottom.” –WA

WINES featured at the TASTING June 13, Belmont:

2007 COGNO Anas-cetta Bianco $28
“The Anas-Cetta is often one of Piedmont’s finest whites, as it is again in 2007. Fresh, perfumed aromatics lead to sensations of mint, ripe peaches and apricots. This rich, soft-textured white offers excellent length and plenty of style. Simply put, it is a joy to taste.” –WA

2007 COGNO Dolcetto d’Alba $19.99
“Cogno’s 2007 Dolcetto d’Alba is made in a firm, sturdy style yet it offers compelling balance in its fresh bouquet and ripe dark fruit. The wine possesses a long, clean finish, not to mention terrific balance. This reliably excellent Dolcetto also happens to be a great value.“–WA

2006 COGNO Barbera d’Alba “Bricco dei Merli” $25 (special order only) “The 2006 Barbera d’Alba Bricco dei Merli is another super-refined effort. This is a Barbera of notable pedigree, with layers of dark fruit, licorice, tar and toasted oak that emerge from the glass. The Barbera spent 12 months in French oak barrels, 40% of which were new.”–WA

2005 COGNO “Montegrilli” Langhe Rosso $30
“The 2005 Montegrilli (50% Nebbiolo, 50% Barbera) shows off the style of this vintage in its perfumed aromatics and delicate, well-articulated small red fruits and toasted oak. It is a delicate wine with plenty of nuance and a long, refreshing finish. The Montegrilli spent 12 months in oak, 40% of which was new.” –WA

2004 COGNO Barolo DOCG $48
“Cogno’s 2004 Barolo is particularly beautiful in this vintage. Sweet, ripe tannins frame a core of perfumed red cherries, flowers, spices, smoke and earthiness as this soft-textured, feminine Barolo opens up un the glass. The wine offers terrific persistence as well as harmony.” –WA

2004 COGNO Barolo “Ravera” $75 (est.) “Three Glasses” winner!
“The 2004 Barolo Ravera is another beautiful effort. Ravera is a vineyard that typically yields wines with a firm tannic spine, yet this Barolo has plenty of fruit to provide an engaging counterpoint. Dark cherries, plums, tar and smoke all come to life as this elegant, medium-bodied Barolo struts its stuff. The Barolo Ravera is aged for a year in French oak (40% new) followed by a second year in cask. 91 pts.”–WA

2003 COGNO Barolo “Vigna Elena” $95 
“The 2003 Barolo Vigna Elena is the estate’s top bottling. This late-release Barolo spends 36 mos. in cask. It is a big, rich wine endowed with notable volume and depth in its black cherries, earthiness, minerals and tar. There is more than enough plumpness in the fruit to stand up to the tannins. This is a wine of notable harmony, not to mention a highly successful 2003. 93 pts.”–WA

BAROLO WINE TASTING & DINNER with PIETRO RATTI, June 11

WINE TASTING: 5:30-7pm, Belmont shop
WINE DINNER: 7:30pm, Il Casale restaurant (sold out)

Friend and winemaker PIETRO RATTI has been upholding and extending the great wine traditions of his family’s prestigious estate, RENATO RATTI, in the La Morra region of Barolo for more than 20 years. He has a superb line-up of wines from excellent vintages– we are thrilled to host Pietro during his visit to the Boston area on June 11. A great opportunity to meet Pietro Ratti, taste his beautiful wines, and take home your favorites!

WINES featured at the TASTING June 11, Belmont:
2007 Renato Ratti Dolcetto d’Alba “Colombe” $15.99
A limestone ridge, 550 m high with optimal exposure, cradles the Colombè vineyard. The resulting wine is a Dolcetto both fruity and intense with a pleasant rusticity typical of the wines of Mango.

2007 Renato Ratti Barbera d’Alba “Torriglione” $19.99  Rich in body and in color, warm and robust, pleasantly tart when young, a wine suitable to aging. The particular soils of La Morra yield to it a measured acidity along with superb elegance.

2006 Renato Ratti Nebbiolo d’Alba “Ochetti” $19.99
Class and vivacity are the distinguishing characteristics of a Nebbiolo d’Alba. An ancient wine from the Roero District,  it was already a regular fixture at the Royal Savoia Cellars in the early 17th Century.

2004 Renato Ratti Barolo “Marcenasco” $60
“Perfumed aromas of raspberry, marzipan, flowers and truffley underbrush. Suave, dry and firmly built, combining lovely sweetness and very good inner-mouth energy. Finishes long and shapely, with a suggestion of exotic fruits and tannins. 90 pts.” –IWA

2004 Renato Ratti Barolo “Conca” (Available in 1.5L format only- $192 special order)
“Red fruits, mocha and brown spices on the nose. Densely packed but tight, boasting a sappy core of dark raspberry and minerals, with its oak component in the background. The wine’s excellent acidity and solid minerality give it terrific cut. Finishes with firm tannins and a suggestion of exotic fruits. Pietro Ratti points out that this parcel, replanted in 1994, was his father’s original vineyard in 1965, but at the time the wine was simply bottled as Marcenasco. 91+ pts.” –IWA

2004 Renato Ratti Barolo “Rocche del’ Annunziata” $106 “Wild black cherry and mocha on the explosive nose; this is downright Burgundian. Full, lush and broad; an outsized wine with terrific verve and sappy depth. Offers lovely purity of fruit, along with excellent volume, sweetness and balance. This is from a southwest-facing parcel planted on sandy soil;  These vines are between 40 and 50 years of age. 93 pts.”

1999 Renato Ratti Barolo “Rocche” $100
“Very subtle and refined with lovely perfumes of chocolate, berry and spices. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a succulent finish. Refined. Ratti is improving at a quick rate. Best after 2007. 650 cases made. 91 pts.”–WS

BAROLO WINE DINNER with PIETRO RATTI, Thurs. June 11 @ Il Casale restaurant
DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 7:30pm
WHAT: BAROLO WINE DINNER with Pietro Ratti
WHERE: Il Casale restaurant, Belmont center
COST: $145/person inclusive; 5-course meal, 8 wines (including 4 barolos) tax & tip included in price.
RESERVE: CALL VINTAGES 617-484-4560 with credit card to hold

Barolo Wine Dinner Info pdf

Friend and winemaker PIETRO RATTI has been managing his family’s prestigious estate in the La Morra region of Barolo for over 20 years. He is also president of the region’s wine trade organization and has accomplished an ambitious agenda as an ambassador for Piedmont wines. We are thrilled to host Pietro during his visit to the Boston area on June 11. il Casale chef Dante deMagistris has created a delicious pairing menu for these wines and our dinner.  Click “continue” to see menu. Continue Reading »

VINTAGES goes to Piedmont, Italy!
Total Immersion in Barolo & Barbaresco

VINTAGES owners return from ALBA Wine Exhibition in Piedmont, Italy
Eric & Carolyn just returned from a week-long stay in Barolo & Barbaresco as part of the annual ALBA WINE EXHIBITION. This prestigious, invitation-only program offers the opportunity for a comprehensive evaluation of the new releases of Barolo and Barbaresco and other Piedmont wines.

Each morning began with a 2-3 hour tasting of 150+ wines organized by appellation and type. This is not a pick & choose situation; each participant tastes and evaluates every single wine. Informative? You bet. Following that, we made appointments each day with several top wineries in Barolo and Barbaresco; some familiar, some new discoveries. More regional tastings in the afternoon offered access to different wines and vintages. Finally, dinners with — you guessed it – more wine! This week-long program is nothing less than a total immersion in Barolo and Barbaresco and the wine traditions of the Piedmont region. Engaging work, indeed – all with the goal of evaluating and selecting only the very best wines for VINTAGES’ discerning customers!

VINTAGES was the only wine merchant from New England invited to participate in the Alba Wine Exhibition. This tremendous opportunity was earned through our ongoing commitment to– and knowledge of– the wines of Italy’s Piedmont region.

Each week, we will highlight a Piedmont producer we visited during our trip. We invite you to investigate these small-production wines that continue to express the distinctive character of this fascinating region and its indigenous grapes.
THIS WEEK: CANTINA del PINO, Barbaresco

WINE TASTING “Profound BAROLO”
Belmont: Friday, Feb. 27, 4:30-6:30pm
Concord: Sat. Feb. 28, 2-5pm
Presented by ERIC BROEGE, wine director
Allow us to indulge you in a taste of these profound wines that are built to last; wines for the ages.  The King of Italian Wines has never been better, and the wines from recent outstanding vintages are just beginning to unfold.

“Eric Broege of VINTAGES…one of the most influential ambassadors of great Italian wine.” — Pietro Ratti, LA STAMPA
Learn about this legendary world-class wine on Friday, February 27 in Belmont, and Saturday, Feb. 28 in West Concord. ERIC BROEGE, VINTAGES’ wine director, will pour and discuss the attributes of this powerful, complex wine and debunk the myths that surround it. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to taste the highest expression of the noble nebbiolo grape– only at VINTAGES! Continue Reading »

VINTAGES has best selection of 2004 BAROLO & BARBARESCO in the state! Browse our inventory by clicking on the “Best in Show” tab.