VINTAGES HEADLINES:

*WINE TASTING SAT. OCT. 15, 2-5pm: Wines of CLOS CENTEILLES, Minervois, France
*VINTAGES Kicks-off Fall/Holiday Wine Tastings
*THANKS to those who shopped during Concord's HURRICANE RELIEF WEEKEND
*VINTAGES FALL NEWSLETTER on website

Wine Discovery of the Month:

CLOS CENTEILLES, Minervois, France
VINTAGES Eric Broege traveled to the Minervois in June and met with CLOS CENTEILLES proprietor Mme. Patricia Boyer-Domergue to taste through the wines of this stand-out property. In a region better known for rough-and-ready, rustic reds, CLOS CENTEILLES produces elegant, luminous wines of lovely richness and purity. Old-vine (50-90+ years) grapes, including Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Carignan, are blended or go solo in these bottlings. Drinkable now, these wines develop nicely with cellaring, too. Distinctive, authentic and delicious, these wines are wonderfully enjoyable, and offer tremendous value. A great discovery!

"Daniel Domergue... together his wife, Patricia, has been one of the pioneers of quality Minervois from his 18-hectare domaine. As Patricia says, "We don't make competition wines. We make wines to drink at the table." Their graceful and largely unwooded style is certainly a contrast to the direction taken by the avant-garde in the Languedoc..." --Andrew Jeffords, THE NEW FRANCE

 CLOS CENTEILLES REDS

2001 CAMPAGNE DES CENTEILLES $12.99  80% Cinsault, 20% Syrah from 50-year-old vines. “Absolutely luminous garnet color; pure, elegant and juicy with super-fine tannins. Cherries in the finish. Very invigorating and high-toned.” – EB
Patricia Boyer-Domergue, CLOS CENTEILLES

2000 CAPITELLE DES CENTEILLES $19.99  100% Cinsault from a single vineyard parcel. Picked late harvest. “Extremely rich and pure, similar to an excellent Valpolicella Ripasso. Superfine silky tannins. Seamless. Excellent!” -EB

 2000 CLOS CENTEILLES $19.99  Blend of Mourvedre, Grenache Noir, and Syrah. “Supple fine tannins and sweet fruit. Savory flavors. Exquisite fruit and tannin integration. Burgundian-like body.”--EB

1993 CLOS CENTEILLES $40 Direct from Mme. Boyer-Domergue's cellar, a beautiful example of how these wines develop over time. Blend of Mourvedre, Grenache Noir, and Syrah. “Aromas of fresh saddle leather, tremendous freshness, complexity, sweetness and elegance.” –EB.
Also available: 1993 magnums (1.5L) for $90.

 “LA PART DES ANGES” $11.99 Intriguing chilled light red, a blend of Picpoul Noir and Carignan grapes from Minervois. “Beautiful clear ruby color with violent rim; fresh and aromatic red berry fruit tinged with garigue. Juicy and refreshing.”--EB

More French Wine Adventures in White!
These two terrific whites, selected by VINTAGES during this years' wine tour in France, will be included in the tasting:

2004 CHATEAU GIGOGNAN “Vigne du Prieure” Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc $12.99 “Biological Production” 400 cases made. Blend of Rousanne, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Viognier – beautiful, floral aromas, white pit fruits. Excelllent balance, with very good acidity, peach and nectarine. Crisp finish, very refined.”—EB 

2003 PHILIPPE RAGUENOT PREMIERES COTES DE BLAYE $19.99 (Bordeaux) The new vintage of this summer’s “sleeper” white wine has just arrived! Eric tasted this 2003 bottling this summer at Tan Dinh restaurant in Paris with the sommelier who created this special cuvee bottled at the Raguenot estate. “A luscious, succulent blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. French barrique-aging with extensive batonnage lends this white Bordeaux more of a Burgundian quality –leesy, nuttier, richer texture—with none of the over-heated qualities of many 2003 whites. Superb!” -- EB 

*THANKS to those who shopped during Concord's HURRICANE RELIEF WEEKEND on Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
VINTAGES participated with other Concord merchants to support the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund by pledging a percentage of sales on the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct.1 Thank you for supporting Vintages and the Red Cross!

Eric & Carolyn
VINTAGES-Adventures in Wine
53 Commonwealth Ave. West Concord, MA
978-369-2545
open Mon-Fri 10-8; Sat 10-7
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