The Vintage Executive Wine Club

France is the dominant theme this month with four out of five of Vintage manager Wadih Riachi’s selections coming from the world’s most famous and prolific wine producer. Our first stop is Burgundy. Last month, I reviewed a Joseph Drouhin Macon-Villages, a pert Chardonnay. This month, the eminent Beaune négociant entertains us with a Brouilly 2002, made from 100% Gamay, the grape used with great success in AC Beaujolais, where its versatility has seen it used in both nouveau and higher quality wines. Brouilly (Mont Brouilly in this case) is one of the better Beaujolais areas and the wine – I must concur with Wadih here – is an explosion of fruity aromas and licorice, one that should be drunk the moment you get home. The Loire Valley produces arguably the greatest variety of wines – still, sparkling, dry sweet – in part due to its equally variable climate. Pascal