JEAN-MARC BURGAUD, Beaujolais
“Cuvee JAMES” Morgon

Amazingly beautiful and perfectly balanced Beaujolais – ripe fruit, suave, powerfully structured.

Jean-Marc Burgaud

2008 DOM. Jean-Marc BURGAUD Morgon Cote du Py “Cuvee James” $28 ($23.80 by the case) JEAN-MARC BURGAUD, a signature Beaujolais producer from Morgon, is upping the ante and laying his land out there for all to taste. Yeah, it’s good. Continue Reading »

Hooray for MUSCADET!
A great value wine that deserves more fans

NEW! 2009 DOM. de la LOUVETRIE Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur lie “Fief de Breuil” $17.99 VINTAGES EXCLUSIVE
The ultimate Muscadet. The Fiefs is an old vines bottling that is Dom. De La Louvetries’ top bottling, a selection of the most perfect Melon de Bourgogne grapes. The weight and volume of the wine are amped up a bit, without sacrificing the crystalline minerality, crisp acidity,  purity of fruit, and the infinite drinkability that is a hallmark of Muscadet. The Fiefs is a unique Muscadet because, while it is delicious upon release, it improves over time, becoming even more complex and refined over the next 10+ years! Quite an achievement for such a modestly priced wine. Continue Reading »

ALESSANDRIA: hip sips for summer in Red & White
NEW! 2009 ALESSANDRIA Langhe Favorita $19.99
2009 ALESSANDRIA Pelaverga Verduno $19.99
VINTAGES’ Exclusives

The folks at Alessandria in Barolo have done it again – delivered one of the most compelling white wines of the summer – this time from local grape “Favorita.” A white with fresh aromas, lush, lip-smacking fruit in the mouth, and powdery minerals on the finish. A great pairing with the underground runaway hit PELAVERGA red.  It doesn’t get any better than this — blow away your hosts or guests; serve ALESSANDRIA Pelaverga Verduno $19.99 and Langhe Favorita $19.99 at your next social opportunity! Chill the red and the white for best results!

VINTAGES in WineZag
What an inspiration to meet ADAM JAPKO recently, a dedicated oenophile who documents his wine experiences in his blog WineZag. Well-written with an informed and refreshing point of view, it rewards investigation. Adam wrote these kind words about Eric Broege and VINTAGES after stumbing into one of our typical over-the-top tastings of Barolo, and a days-old bottle of 1991 Clos Centeilles Minervois.
“I owe the discovery of this wine to Eric Broege, President and Wine Director at Vintages. I break habits hard, so I only recently connected and started doing some business with Eric at his shop in West Concord which appears exclusively stocked with wines he wants to personally drink, especially the deep Barolo, Barberesco, and Burgundy inventories. He travels to Europe regularly and clearly searches out honest, natural, artisan wines that express their unique geographies.  It does not take long to see that Eric’s passion and knowledge are respectively effusive and deep; both impressive and most certainly infectious.”

Click to read the article

NEW & EXCLUSIVE: DEVOIS du CLAUS
Pic St. Loup, Languedoc
Scents and flavors of summer!

Eric originally visited this tiny cellar in Pic St. Loup five years ago. We purchased the wines and featured them in the Concord store where they were well-received. When we tried to order the next vintage, no one could get in touch with the winery; it seemed to simply disappear! This February, Eric returned to southern France and attended VINISUD, the major wine expo of the region. He was pleasantly surprised to see that DEVOIS du CLAUS had a booth there. All the wines were just as good as he remembered — this time we were able to place the order and now, after several years’ hiatus, they’re back!!

2007 DEVOIS de CLAUS Pic St. Loup $22
90% Syrah, 10% Grenache Deep, deep dark red and black berries. Wow! Tremendously rich and powerful wine. Tremendous concentration, depth of fruit and unctuousness. Ripe and full cassis flavors. 833 cases produced.

2008 DEVOIS de CLAUS Blanc “Cuvee Luca” $22
100% Grenache Gris. Deep, ripe, pit fruit– white nectarine, white peaches. Nose reminiscent of Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc. Big, powerful, concentrated rich, white wine. Pair with swordfish, lobster or other flavorful seafood. 58 cases produced.

NEW & Deluxe from PROVENCE!
Celebrate summer’s special occasions with Bandol white or rose!

WHITE

2009 CHAT. PIBARNON Bandol Blanc $35 Exclusive

Deluxe blend of Clairette and Bourblenc from Bandol in Provence – the white counterpart to the powerful Bandol rouge. Burst of fresh provencal olives, pine and jasmine scents on the nose. Ripe peach and apricot flavors with rich honeyed notes.  On the palate, the wine offers a wonderful balance of rich, dry texture and sappy, mouthwatering complexity.  Pibarnon’s bandol Blanc is planted on north-facing slopes to preserve its freshness and natural acidity, and is made with very little sulfites. Enjoy this richly delicious white with grilled chicken and fish, roasted vegetable salads, swordfish, lobster and other summer delights!

ROSE!

2009 CHAT. PRADEAUX Bandol Rose $30 (Provence)

Bandol is the King of Rose, with 60% Mourvedre and 40% Cinsault leading the charge. Enticing aromas of redcurrant and cherry, with compelling notes of herbs, white flowers, anise and minerals. Smooth & fleshy with berry and blood orange flavors and tangy notes of white pepper and quinine.  Offers superb complexity and is very flexible at the table. Tremendous!

Oeno-Adventure in Red & White from Corsica

DOM. MAESTRACCI “E Prove” Corse Calvi

2008 DOM. MAESTRACCI e PROVE Blanc $17.99
“The Maestracci 2008 E Prove Blanc de Blanc – from Vermentino – is one of the most unusual whites you will taste this year, and you should. …This luscious, juicy wine sticks to the palate with a mineral, herbal tang that you simply have to experience.” –WA

100% Vermentino. Piney, sappy nose complicated with pungent herbal aromas and briny oyster shell. Juicy, sappy fruit, tangy citrus and mineral notes. A rewarding, delightful find– definitely a crave-inducing white!

2007 DOM. MAESTRACCI e PROVE Rouge $19.99

Blend of Niellucio (Sangiovese) Grenache, Sciacarello, and Syrah. Long maceration; aged three years in cask. Blackberry fruit and floral aromas. Earthy, tinged with roasted herbs — southern Rhone meets Tuscany.

“Nice deep garnet, and what an aroma! Hard to beat for the buck– a big, beautiful, complex red that reeks of the south and the Île de Beauté, as Corsica is called in France. There is anise, thyme, rosemary, the wildflowers of the maquis, animal notes, a discreet touch of oak. The palate is full, deep, and tannic– a great food wine. The nose of it is really special.”
–KLWM Newsletter