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. In Burgaud’s hands, COTE DU PY produces a deep, dark and brooding wines, black garnet color, serious and powerful. Black tea, black fruit, intensely saturated. Made from selected grapes from a small parcel at the top of the vineyard, aged in seasoned barrique, CUVEE JAMES turns up the volume on rich, concentrated fruit, with deep, powerful gripping tannins; the only successful oak-influenced Beaujolais I’ve ever tasted.

Curiously, the name is inspired by the inevitable scene in a James Bond movie when the femme fatale sighs “Oh, James!” A spot-on moniker for this elegant, suave, brooding, yet powerfully seductive wine. 100 cases made; 10 available.

A BLISTERING DEAL to beat the heat!

2008 MASARI “AGNOBIANCO” $19.99; Buy 12 btls @ $14.99 each!

Buy by the case and save! 12 bottles for $14.99 each! That’s 25% savings!!!  AGNOBIANCO is an elegant blend of Garganega and Durella from the Soave area of the Veneto. Intriguing tangerine rind aromas, papaya fruit and pleasing bitter almond notes on the finish in a silky delivery system with driving minerality. A flexible, delicious wine for all your summer escapades. Now at a blistering bulk price for cooling off!

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.

WINE DOG DEAL JUNE & JULY!

20% OFF when you buy a case!

Ferdy’s feeling a lot better and has sniffed out some awesome deals for the summer! For June & July, Wine Dog features a red & white pair from FIORINI in Marche, Italy. 20% off case purchase (you can mix red and white.)

white:
2008 FIORINI BIANCHELLO del METAURO “Sant Ilario”  $12.99 Beautiful and intriguing white wine from the Bianchello grape. Delicate fragrance, fresh ripe fruit, and pleasing minerality on the finish. Enjoyable as an aperitif or with fish and seafood.

red:
2008 FIORINI SANGIOVESE “Sirio” $12.99
100% Sangiovese from Colli Pesaresi DOC in Marche. Juicy, vibrant cherry and red berry fruit, soft tannins.

ALSO, Ferdy is also featuring a special deal on this well-priced GAVI white wine from Piedmont, Italy; 20% off for a case!

white:
2009 PICOLLO ERNESTO Gavi DOCG $11.99 – case purchase 20% OFF! Made from 100% Cortese, this straw-colored white with a burst of fruit and refreshing zip, is perfect anytime from porch-sipping to “catch of the day!”

Yves CuilleronSyrah for Summer!

SYRAH: The real deal from the northern Rhone

2009 YVES CUILLERON Syrah VDP $17.99 (Northern Rhone)
From Yves Cuilleron, one of the greatest producers of Cote Rotie, St. Joseph & Condrieu, comes a charming, mid-weight Syrah for the table. Northern Rhone is the world’s epicenter for Syrah, and produces the grape’s greatest expression in Cote Rotie.
The Cuilleron family estate was established in the 1920’s; young Yves took the helm in 1987. With great passion & an exacting, hands-on approach, he quickly rose to the top echelon of producers in the region. The 2009 Syrah VDP is a refreshing example of 100% syrah from its native habitat that’s ready to enjoy now. Ripe blackberries, violet notes, black pepper, silky tannins. Great for barbecue & charcuterie.

It’s time to DRINK PINK!

Summer has just begun, but Rozay season is well underway! VINTAGES offers up to a dozen different ways to drink pink while beating the heat! If you want to try them all, now’s the time to get started!

FRANCE
NEW! 2009 CHAT. EPERONNIERE Rose de Loire $17.99 (Loire Valley)
Aromas of strawberry and pear. Fresh fruit flavors through to the finish, with a perfectly fresh and dry landing.

2009 COTEAUX du VENDOMOIS Lieu-dit Cocagne Rose $9.99 100% Pineau d’Aunis, this bargain rose packs a sophisticated punch. Pale salmon color, racy acidity. Mouthwatering!

2009 MAS AMIEL “Le Plaisir” Rose $14.99 (Roussillon, France) EXCLUSIVE
Just arrived, the delightful rose “Le Plaisir” from the historic Mas Amiel property in Roussillon, southern France. From 70% Grenache Noir, this rosé delivers crushed berries, pomegranate, racy minerality, and wonderful complexity. A zesty finish guarantees pure pleasure!

2009 DOM. du BAGNOL Cassis Rose $28 (Provence)
This exquisite rose evokes the scents of the delightful seaside town of Cassis. Sweet currant, strawberry and herb flavors. Very well-balanced and graceful, lively with firm minerality.

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 complicating 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!

ITALY
2009 PROPRIETA SPERINO Rosa del Rosa $14.99 (Piedmont) Nebbiolo blend named for Monte Rosa, the 2nd highest peak in the Alps. Drinks like a juicy watermelon!

2009 LE FRAGHE Bardolino Chiaretto Rose “Rodon” $14.99 (Veneto) This Chiaretto (or rose) is a blend of Corvina and Rondinella. Notes of wild rose followed by wild strawberry and redcurrant. Crisply refreshing with a persistent finish, “Rodon” is a perfect balance of delicate flavors and inviting minerality.

REFRESHING NEW ARRIVALS from the legendary LA TOSA!

Wines known for purity of fruit, and pure enjoyment!

2009 LA TOSA “Valnure” Frizzante $14.99 is back!!!
Finally it’s here — and just in time for the long weekend.  Party-starter in a bottle, LA TOSA is a summer time essential. What is it? A blend of malvasia, ortrugo & magic.

2008 LA TOSA “Riodeltordo” $14.99 EXCLUSIVE
A “still” version of La Tosa’s famous “Valnure” — same blend of grapes, but vinified tranquilo. Equally delicious, with more flexibility at the table.

2008 LA TOSA “Sorriso di Cielo” Malvasia $25 EXCLUSIVE
Yet another irresistible white from LA TOSA. Fully fruited mango, quince, papaya – a succulent, lush expression of malvasia. A nice afternoon sipper. Great with a cheese course or to finish a meal. Once you taste it, you’ll find more reasons to open it.

New from CLOS CENTEILLES Minervois
(Languedoc, France)

Reviving the varietal heritage of this region

We call them the “Burgundy of Minervois” to characterize the elegant, smooth and perfumed nature of their wines. Yet age-worthy elegance for a bargain price is just not enough for Patricia Boyer-Domergue. With 13 ha and 15 grape varieties, the Boyer-Domergues at CLOS CENTEILLES tirelessly forge ahead with their mission of reviving lost local grapes and wines to the Minervois. This year, a project begun in 1986 has yielded its first wine — the debut of the Clos Centeilles “C” Blanc.  All three wines are VINTAGES EXCLUSIVES!

2009 “C” de CENTEILLES Cotes du Brian blanc $19.99 Debut release of this white wine from a new planting of old local grape varieties carefully selected to thrive in this terroir and combine for a harmonious wine! A blend of 25% Araignan Blanc, 30% Riveirenc Gris, 30% Riveirenc Blanc and 15% Grenache Gris. Orchard fruit flavors, rich and ripe, with an intriguing green almond skin finish. Calls to mind a cross between Manzanilla sherry and Arneis. Total production 300 cases.

Patricia Boyer

2006 CLOS CENTEILLES Campagne de Centeilles $13.99 The classic Cinsault rouge that begins its bottled life as a lithe and lively red, and fleshes out over time. Clos Centeilles was the first estate dedicated to making an age-worthy wine from Cinsault, a notoriously difficult grape to cultivate, requiring a very specific set of conditions and constant vigilance. A delicious, fascination wine at an unbeatable price!
1991 CLOS CENTEILLES “Clos Centeilles” $40 / $80 1.5L Special “Library Release” shipped directly from the cellar to VINTAGES. The estate’s top wine is a traditional blend of Mourvedre, Grenache noir, and Syrah planted in limestone. This wine is designed to mature gradually, evolving in compelling complexity over time. Drinks like an old Barolo, beautiful, elegant and lilting, yet firm and austere in structure with notes of mint, cured meat, soy and mushrooms. Vividly demonstrates the quality and aging potential of Minervois.

New from KERMIT LYNCH! DOM. de FONTSAINTE Corbieres Reserve – special price $14.99!

2007 DOM. de FONTSAINTE Corbieres “Reserve la Demoiselle” Reg. $18; Now $14.99! For fans of the “regular” Fontsainte Corbiere, try this amped up model from Bruno Laboucarie. A ripe blend of 60% Carignan (100 yrs old); 30% Grenache Noir & 10% Mourvèdre. Undergoes long maceration and fermentation in vat before aging 12 mos. in French oak barrel. Aromas of red fruit, pepper and nutmeg, along with an undercurrent of garrigue herbs. Elegant and ripe berries in the mouth, with savory tannins and crushed almonds on the finish. Great with charcuterie, grilled skewers and meats.