NEW from BURGUNDY
We highly recommend these red & white burgundies, recently tasted and drinking beautifully!

2006 DOM. FOURRIER Chambolle-Musigny $75
“The Fourrier ’06s are very impressive and worth a close look … they are ultra pure wines fashioned in an elegant and understated style.”- Burghound
Aromas of raspberry, flowers and crushed stone in the perfumed nose. Leans toward raspberry liqueur, yet maintains freshness. Powdery tannins on the long finish. Beautiful!

CROWD PLEASERS!

TURKEY-FRIENDLY WINES

WHITES
2007 LA TOSA”Rio del Tordo” Bianco $14.99 Exclusive
White peach & ripe pear flavors with a refreshing finish! Great with savory root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and turkey!

2007 KUENTZ-BAS Pinot d’Alsace $12.99
Inviting blend of sylvaner, chasselas, and auxerrois that is focused & pure. A marvel of charm and precision! Classic table companion.

2008 VALLE REALE Trebbiano d’Abruzzo $12.99
Rich, inviting fruit; lush texture - amazing value!

2008 LE CAPITAINE Vouvray $13.99
Burst of ripe pear fruit with a crisp mouthwatering finish! Another classic and a tremendous value.

REDS

2006 DOM. de FONTSAINTE Corbieres $12.99
Featured in the Boston Globe Turkey Plonk this week! Berry fruit with notes of tobacco and cocoa. Sweet, chewy tannins. A lot of flavor in a mid-weight drinkable red.

2008 DOM. BURGAUD “Chateau Thulon” Beaujolais Village $11.99 Beautiful old-vine Beaujolais - perfumed nose, fine sweet tannins, a true gem!
 
2008 FATTORIA del CERRO Chianti Colli Senesi $14.99 Exclusive A juicy sangiovese hits the spot! Red berry fruit, yet refreshing.

2006 SAVIGNOLA PAOLINA Chianti Classico $14.99
Classic Chianti from Greve - elegant, powdery tannins.

2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Cotes du Rhone “La Font Blanche” $13.99 Aromas of herbal scrub; berry fruit, woodsy notes on palate.

2005 GUIDO PORRO Barbera d’Alba $17.99
Traditional in the best possible way. Balanced fruit and acidity; smooth finish.

2008 THURNHOF Santa Magdelener $15.99
Ruby plum color, soft and juicy red from the schiava grape.  Delightful foil to Thanksgiving’s heft.

Perfectly Pink
2008 OTTELLA “RosesRoses” Rosato $14.99 Exclusive
Brighten your outlook through rosé-colored glasses around your table! Abundant fruit with a refreshing finish.

TURKEY-FRIENDLY WINES!
VINTAGES Recommendations

WHITES
2005 SAN FEREOLO “Coste di Riavolo” Langhe Bianco $25 Exclusive
Simply one of the most outstanding wines for the Thanksgiving table ever made! Blend of riesling and traminer from vineyards adjacent to Nicoletta’s house in Dogliani. Stands up to all side dishes, whether sweet or savory; satisfies both the sophisticated and “sweet-tooth” wine drinker. HIGHLY Recommended.

2006 ALBINO ROCCA “La Rocca” Bianco $30
The 06 ‘La Rocca’ is a deep golden color, weighty and viscous with a beautifully complex and rich bouquet of apple pie ‘al la mode’ & buttered popcorn. On the palate, the wine has tremendous freshness, crisp apple flavors, lively acidity, and powdery minerals, a hallmark of great wines made in Barbaresco. In short, a gorgeous, full-bodied white wine of great richness and complexity. HIGHLY recommended.

These “aromatic” style wines from Italy are such perfect partners for the “bird,” it seems that they’re made just for our holiday. Fragrant, aromatic, fruit-driven wines, light on their feet. Continue Reading »

TURKEY-FRIENDLY WINES!
VINTAGES Recommendations for RED

REDS
2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Chateauneuf du Pape $40
(Yes, Parker has two “brilliants” in his opening sentence reviewing this wine.) “The brilliant 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition (made from 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre) is brilliant. ….The wine is expansive, savory, very fleshy, and totally disarming in its explosive aromatics and lush, opulent flavor…. 92 pts.”-WA  This Chateauneuf gets bonus points for vibrancy… HIGHLY Recommended.
 
2007 DOM. ROBERT CHEVILLON Bourgogne Rouge $30 “A pretty, even elegant red pinot fruit nose trimmed in a bit of warm earth leads to supple, round and attractively complex flavors that are quite forward yet impeccably well balanced. Outstanding Top Value!”-Burghound  An elegant choice, from this traditional estate in Nuits-St. Georges. HIGHLY Recommended. Continue Reading »

2009 BEAUJOLAIS Nouveau $17.99 Est Arrive!

2009 CHATEAU CHATELARD BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU “Cuvee Vielles Vignes” $17.99 Organic
Just in– VINTAGES’ annual tradition of organic, non- chaptalized old-vine Beaujolais Nouveau! It’s delicious, fruity, very youthful, but definitely “real” wine! No flowers, no sugar. From Violette Imports. Enjoy!

NEW ARRIVALS from BORDEAUX
Sleeper vintages, great estates = outstanding value!

2006 CHATEAU CANTERMERLE Haut-Medoc $35
“Quality has improved dramatically at this estate, and the 2006 is a quintessentially elegant Bordeaux displaying a dark ruby/purple color, a lovely bouquet of forest floor, sweet cherries, cranberries, and black currants, medium body, a textured, sweet, tannic mouthfeel, and a long finish. Everything is beautifully pure as well as perfectly balanced in this outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. Excellent value. 90 pts.” -Parker, WA

2006 CHATEAU PIPEAU St-Emilion Grand Cru $35
“What can one say about this richly fruity, exuberant St.-Emilion that is designed to provide enormous pleasure? Although not as concentrated as the top vintages can be, the 2006 Pipeau exhibits sweet cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with notions of earth, spice box, and fruitcake. Medium-bodied and round with plush tannin and a good finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years. Good value.” –WA

2006 CHATEAU BRANE CANTENAC Margaux $65
“I can’t say enough about how beautifully classic, racy, and gracious the wines of Brane Cantenac have become over the last decade. The stunningly elegant 2006 exhibits a sweet, subtle smoke note intermixed with creme de cassis in its medium-bodied style with superb nobility, concentration, and sweet tannin. Possessing a complex, luscious personality with strikingly beautiful, velvety tannins, it should be at its finest between 2012-2025+. 92 pts.” -Parker, WA

2006 CHATEAU BEYCHEVELLE Saint Julian $78
“This St.-Julien leans toward more of a Margaux style. The attractive earthy, floral, red currant, and raspberry notes are impressively intense and complex in the aromatics. This dark ruby/purple-tinged wine displays elegance, finesse, and a beautiful mouthfeel in a restrained, moderately intense, but still classic style with sweet tannins. Tobacco, cedar, earth, and red and black fruits are prominent in both the aromas and the flavors. This wine can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. 90 pts.” -Parker, WA

2003 CHATEAU d’ARMAILHAC $65
“The deep ruby/purple-hued 2003 d’Armailhac exhibits notes of Asian plum sauce interwoven with creme de cassis, licorice, and roasted herbs. With moderately high yet sweet tannin, an earthy character, and chewy, muscular, deep fruit as well as medium to full body, it should be drunk between 2008-2019. 90 pts.”–WA

2003 CHATEAU COUCY Montagne St. Emilion $25
Managed by Jean-Luc Thunevin, this well-priced red is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. “Aromas of cherry and berry follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fresh finish.”

WINE TASTING: SAT. Nov. 14 
2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET
CHATEAUNEUF & COTES du RHONE
Concord: Saturday 12-5pm
Belmont: Saturday 3-6pm

CLOS du MONT OLIVET
“One of the hallmark and legendary estates of Chateauneuf du Pape, having first estate-bottled wine in the early 1930s, Clos du Mont Olivet is a reference point for traditional, long-lived Chateauneuf du Pape.”– WA

2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET “Tradition” $40 92 pts.
“The brilliant 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition (made from 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and other assorted authorized varieties) is brilliant. Gorgeous notes reminiscent of an open-air Provencal fruit and vegetable market jump from the glass of this deep plum/purple-colored wine. The wine is expansive, savory, very fleshy, and totally disarming in its explosive aromatics and lush, opulent flavors. The better-than-average acids, due to the cool growing year, give it uplift and vibrancy, which nicely buttress the wine’s full-bodied power and substance. This is a beauty to drink over the next 15 or so years. 92 pts.” –WA (photo: Thierry Sabon, Clos du Mont Olivet)

More wines from Clos du Mont Olivet in the tasting:

2008 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc $39
Masterful blend of 30% Clairette, 30% Bourblenc, 25% Roussanne, 15% Grenache Blanc from a collection of the family’s older-vine plots.

2007 MONT OLIVET Cotes du Rhone “Varene” $22
100% Syrah — debut vintage!

2008 CLOS du MONT OLIVET “Montueil de Lavade” V.V. $15.99
Old-vine Cotes du Rhone.

2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Cotes du Rhone “Font de Blanche” $13.99 Unbeatable value!

2007 CLOS du MONT OLIVET Chateauneuf du Pape “La Cuvee Papet” $75 98+pts.  SOLD OUT! “The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape La Cuvee du Papet may will turn out to be their finest example since the 1998 and 1990. Stylistically, it probably comes closest to resembling the legendary 1990. Notes of roasted meats and smoked duck, with Provencal herbs, truffle, incense, licorice, and pepper, are all there, plus enormous quantities of red and black fruits. This is one heck of a complex wine, with a bouquet that is the essence of southern France, in particular Provence. Full-bodied, powerful, with the glycerin and level of richness covering some lofty tannins, this wine is already accessible and nearly impossible to resist, but my instincts suggest it will be absolutely glorious in another 4-5 years and keep for 15-20. 98+ pts.” –R. Parker

NEW from PIEDMONT 95 pts!
A new generation of winemakers take center stage!

2005 CANTINA del PINO Barbaresco & 2005 RENATO RATTI Barolo
VINTAGES is excited to present these long-awaited releases from two of our favorite Piedmont producers: Pietro Ratti of RENATO RATTI and Renato Vacca of CANTINA del PINO. Renato and Pietro are not only superb winemakers coming into their own, but our very dear friends. We are very excited for their incredible success and thrilled to share their wines with our customers!

CANTINA del PINO, Barbaresco
Renato Vacca is an understated, handsome guy, yet intense and focused. We have supported his wines since his start in 1997 and have been thrilled to see his meteoric rise to Barbaresco stardom! “This year, Vacca has a new Barbaresco from the Albesani vineyard - and it is a knockout. Despite all of his recent success Vacca remains humble and down to earth, qualities that should serve him very well for the future. Readers should do whatever they can to taste these wines, the Barbarescos in particular.” — Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate. We say: Fantastico!

2005 CANTINA del PINO Barbaresco “Albesani” $65 95 pts. VINTAGES Exclusive; “Tre Bicchieri” — Gambero Rosso
“The sublime, gorgeous 2005 Barbaresco Albesani is laced with the essence of dark cherries, flowers, spices, minerals on a rich, textured frame. This large-scaled, superb Barbaresco will require patience, but is a classic in the making. With time in the glass, the wine’s inner perfume emerges more fully in a dazzling, totally polished style. Cantina del Pino’s Barbaresco Albesani is a new bottling from a parcel in the hillside of the same name in Neive that also contains Santo Stefano, one of the most storied vineyards in the world. The microclimate here is quite warm, which contributes to the wine’s richness and body. Readers will not want to miss this superb effort, which is easily one of the finest 2005 Barbarescos. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. 95 pts.”–WA

2005 CANTINA del PINO Barbaresco “Ovello” $65 95 pts. Awarded “5 Grappoli” by Italian Sommeliers Assoc. SOLD OUT!
Renato’s “Ovello” cru Barbaresco is always a marvel of purity, balance, intense aromas, and precise flavors. He has tremendous fruit to work with and skillfully guides it into barrel and bottle. “The 2005 Barbaresco Ovello is another magnificent Barbaresco from Renato Vacca. The Ovello is decidedly more powerful and taut in its expression of red cherries, flowers, minerals, and menthol although it is just as compelling as the Albesani. The wine offers exceptional length and a long, powerful finish. The wine continues to improve in the glass, but it remains a decidedly energetic, youthful Barbaresco in need of significant cellaring. In a word: majestic. Ovello sees greater temperature fluctuations from day to night than Albesani. The microclimate, along with the poorer, white soils give the Ovello its signature focus and drive. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. 95 pts.”–WA

RENATO RATTI, Barolo
VINTAGES was delighted to host our friend Pietro Ratti, owner & winemaker, on his last visit to Boston in June. Here are the eagerly anticipated 2005 Barolos that we tasted in his cellar in La Morra earlier this year. What more can we say? BRAVO, Pietro!
Note: VINTAGES is offering special pre-arrival pricing on these high-scoring wines (see below). Call 978-369-2545!

2005 RENATO RATTI Barolo “Marcenasco” $50 · 96pts Highly Recommended
“This fabulous Nebbiolo displays aromas of very ripe strawberry and cappuccino. Full-bodied, with super-velvety tannins and incredible concentration. All the tannins are coated with gorgeous fruit. Best after 2013. 5,000 cases. 96 pts.”- WS

2005 RENATO RATTI Barolo Conca $86 · 94pts
“Intense aromas of dried flowers and berries. Concentrated and full, with ripe fruit and supervelvety tannins. Long and gorgeous. Best after 2013. 575 cases. 94 pts.” - WS 

2005 RENATO RATTI Barolo Rocche $96 · 96pts
“Shows ripe strawberry and black cherry aromas, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of fruit, vanilla and white pepper character. Long and rich. Best after 2012. 900 cases. 96 pts.“- WS