Nov
29
2008
ROSENTHAL IMPORTS WINE TASTING
featuring MICHAEL KANE of Rosenthal
SAT. DEC. 6, 2-5pm, BELMONT store
Please join us for a taste of the distinctive, terroir-driven wines of Rosenthal Wine Merchant. For thirty years, Neal Rosenthal has carefully selected artisanal wines that profoundly express their origins and traditions — “the best of wines will always proudly tell you from where they come.”
The informative and inspiring MICHAEL KANE of Rosenthal will be at VINTAGES’ Belmont shop 2-5pm to present the wines. Michael is a veritable fountain of precise and passionate knowledge about what’s in your glass! No “tasting notes” necessary!
white
2006 DOM. PHILIPPE FOREAU Vouvray Sec $33 (Loire Valley)
Philippe Foreau is the third generation of the Foreau family to produce Vouvray from this fabled domaine which his grandfather purchased in 1923. Philippe assumed the direction of the domaine in 1983 upon the retirement of his father, Andre. Today the domaine consists of 11 1/2 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc.
2006 JEAN-MARC PILLOT Saint-Romain Blanc $38 (Burgundy)
Under Jean-Marc’s direction, this domaine has arrived at the very top of its class with wines that are intensely fruity, graceful, and precise.
2007 FERRANDO Erbaluce di Caluso “La Torrazza” $19.99 (Piedmont, Italy)
Erbaluce is an ancient white grape originally from the alpine foothills of northern Piedmont. It has bright acidity, and an elegant underlying minerality. Luigi Ferrando makes a delicious example of this white.
Champagne:
NV ROGER COULON BRUT “Tradition” 1er cru $50
Eric and Isabelle Coulon are “Recoltants-manipulants” (Grower-Producer) at Vrigny, 10 kms from Reims. For eight generations, the Coulon family has produced and sold its own wine. Their NV Roger Coulon Brut “Tradition” is 50% pinot meunier, 25% chardonnay, 25% pinot noir.
red
2004 FERRANDO CAREMA white label $38 (Piedmont)
The Carema “Etichetta Bianca” (white label) is aged for a minimum of four years, of which at least two are spent in barrel (a combination of large and small).
2004 FERRANDO CAREMA black label $78 (Piedmont)
The Carema “Etichetta Nera” (black label) is vinified and aged in similar fashion, but is only produced in exceptional years, and is exposed to a touch more small barrel aging (some new).
2006 BROVIA BARBERA “Brea” $33 (Piedmont)
Sisters Elena and Cristina Brovia are the fourth generation to carry on the family winemaking traditions of this distinguished estate. The Barbera “La Brea” is from a vineyard in Serralunga, lending intense flavor, power and structure to this energetic, aromatic barbera.
Apr
29
2008
GIUSEPPE CORTESE, BARBARESCO (Piedmont, Italy)
Special Cellar Release, shipped directly from the Cortese winery! VINTAGES Exclusive
Run by Giuseppe and Piercarlo Cortese, this winery knows that good wines are made in the vineyard, with minimal intervention in the cellar. A superb example of Barbaresco and the nebbiolo grape, transformed by the RABAJA vineyard and the warm vintage of 1997. Enjoy now or cellar!
1997 GIUSEPPE CORTESE BARBARESCO “RABAJA” $75 92 pts. ($63/btl case purchase) During a visit to the Cortese winery last year, Eric Broege asked Giuseppe if he had any “older” wines available — and discovered he had a quantity of this gem from 1997! The highly-touted 1997 vintage created some very sumptuous Barbaresco. We are thri
lled to offer this perfectly-cellared, ready-to-drink Barbaresco from this small, traditional family estate that has always taken great care with their wines. Continue Reading »
Apr
16
2008
Wine Tasting Friday, April 25, 5-7pm in Belmont
Please join us for a wine tasting on Friday, April 25, 5-7pm featuring PAOLO CANTELE from the Cantele winery in Puglia (southern Italy). Paolo will be here in person presenting the deliciously stylish wines from his family’s estate in the Salento district, including Chardonnay, Primitivo, Neroamaro, and Salice Riserva. (Tasting is free of charge)
Apr
14
2008
2006 COENOBIUM $26 (Lazio, Italy)
Produced by the Cistercian nuns in their monastery outside Rome
The second vintage of the lovely, traditional white wine known as “COENOBIUM” has just arrived! The sisters of the Cistercian order organically cultivate their vines at the monastery in
Vitorchiano, a hillside town in Lazio about an hour north of Rome. The wine is made from Verdicchio blended with small percentages of Grachetto, Malvasia, and Trebbiano. Giampiero Bea, the son of Paolo Bea in Montefalco, is the consulting winemaker for the monastery. The result is a wine of stunning concentration with herbal and citrus notes, fine density on the palate, and a classic minerality to the finish. This wine is unfined and unfiltered, with a particularly rich, gold-green color which announces this unconventional, but compelling treat.
Apr
14
2008
2004 Dom. des BAUMARD SAVENNIERES $19.99
Thrill-seekers: don’t miss the 2004 DOM. des. BAUMARD SAVENNIERES $19.99! This wild and racy Savennieres from the Loire Valley is just the jolt to the senses we need right now. Perk up your palate with the vibrant intensity of this bone-dry, assertive Chenin Blanc with nice weight and mouthfeel. “The Baumard 2004 Savennieres introduces a fascinatingly musky suggestion to a nose dominated by lemon, grapefruit and peach. In the mouth, it blossoms to layers of fresh peach and quince, brine and chalk minerality…”–WA
“Shows piercing intensity to the lime, mineral, quince and pear flavors. The long, stony finish really reverberates. Drink now through 2011. 91 pts.” -WS
Apr
11
2008
LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!
32 Leonard Street, Belmont Center Mon-Sat. 10am-7pm
617-484-4560
Parking on street. After 4:30pm M-F and all day Saturday, free parking is available in the Town Hall lot on Moore Street (between Leonard & Pleasant), very close to VINTAGES.
