Vintus Portfolio Tasting 2024

Vintus, a company founded 20 years ago, is one of the many importers in the New York City area. Like most importers they will have a tasting of the wines and spirits in their portfolio to showcase to members of the restaurant/hospitality industry. Those tastings are usually a couple of times a year, in the Spring and in the Autumn.

On September 9th they held this season’s portfolio tasting.

The event was held at Saint Bartholomew’s church, a Protestant Episcopal church founded in 1835. It’s located at 325 Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

As far as trade tastings go, this was one of the most spectacular venues in which to host a tasting, the interior of the church where the tasting was held is beautiful. And many of the wines in their portfolio weren’t too bad either.

Some highlights:

2020 Far Mountain Myrna Chardonnay (Sonoma Valley): Clear light gold, floral, roast peaches on the nose, moderate body with roasted nuts notes and good acidity.

2022 Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Grand Vin (Rhone): Clear light gold, white flowers on the nose, spicy cinnamon fruit with a good grip.

2010 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark brick, cigarette smoke on the nose, silky, black olive fruit with silky tannins and a long finish.

2018 Hospices de Beaune 1er Cru Dames Hospitalieres (Burgundy): Clear medium brick, perfume of plummy leather and mint, tight with spicy tree bark fruit notes, goof grip on the long finish.

2018 Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque medium purple, dark chocolate and black olives on the nose, chewy black fruit, silky finish, nice balance.

2019 Tommasi Amarone Classico (Veneto): Clear medium brick, crushed green herbs on the nose, silky and juicy tarry leather fruit, balanced with a long finish.

2018 Chateau Troplong Mondot (St Emilion): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, crushed red fruit on the nose, concentrated and silky red fruit ending with silky tannins.

2020 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis (Rhone): Opaque dark red, nose of sweet tar and dirt, chewy black fruit with a long finish and a great balance.

2020 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune e Blonde (Rhone): Opaque medium purple, sweet roasted meat on the nose, concentrated and chunky with crushed stone notes on the balanced and long finish.

2020Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso (Tuscany): Cabernet Franc, clear medium red with a purple rim, dusty stone on the nose, juicy black licorice fruit, good grip at the end.

2020 Far Mountain Fission Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): Opaque black with a purple rim, black olives on the nose, concentrated black fruit of smokey leather with a long, tarry finish.

2020 Far Mountain Amotus Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County): Opaque black with a purple rim, violets, dark chocolate and spicy black olives on the nose, concentrated with tobacco, pencil shavings and dark chocolate on the fruit, great balance, long finish. A big wine.

2021 Petrolo Galatrona (Tuscany): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, dusty red tar on the nose, tight and concentrated with a moderate finish.

2021 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint Jacques (Burgundy): Clear light brick, nose of tar, dirt and cigarette smoke, juicy red fruit with bitter almond notes on the finish.

2021 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Rouge Reserve (Burgundy): Clear light red, nice perfume of tar, barnyard and smoke, tight black cherry fruit with a good grip at the end.

2021 Chateau La Fleur Petrus (Pomerol): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, woody, dusty sweet tar on the nose, silky red fruit, great balance with Asian spices on the long finish.

2021 Chateau Malescot St. Exupery (Pauillac): Opaque medium purple, perfume of slate and crushed black fruit, concentrated with dusty fruit, great structure, long finish.


Vintus Imports Portfolio Tasting

Many of the distributors that supply the wine and bar industry here in New York carry a wide range of wines and spirits. Not surprisingly every bar and restaurant have its particular needs. They might be looking for a good wine by the glass or something out of the ordinary or maybe they’re looking for a trophy wine.

On March 21st I attended the Spring portfolio tasting of Vintus Imports which was held at their offices at 48 West 38th Street in Manhattan.

I was not familiar with this company and was curious to check out their portfolio. They did carry a good selection of wines as well as some interesting spirits including several aquavits.

Some highlights:

2007 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque medium brick with a sweet perfume of graphite and black licorice, silky red fruit with dark chocolate notes finishing with green herbs. Lovely wine.

2018 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque dark red, sweet nose of tar and wet earth, dense and chewy black fruit. Some heat at the end.

2019 Far Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon “Fission” (Sonoma): Opaque dark red to black, nose of ripe fruit, chewy and chunky black fruit with a dusty and chewy finish and a nice balance.

2017 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru “Les Baudes”: Clear light brick with graphite and leather on the nose, juicy red fruit with earthy notes, tight acids and a long finish.

2017 Lucien Le Moine Volnay 1er Cru “Clos des Chenas”: Clear light red, toasty red fruit on the nose, silky red fruit with some earth notes, nice balance.

2018 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph “Vignes de l’Hospice”: Clear dark red with a beautiful nose fo wet earth, mint and crushed black fruit, silky red fruit with wet rock notes on the fruit, balanced and long.

2016 Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf du Pape: Clear dark brick, closed nose of bacon fat, dusty, silky dark fruit with slate notes, balanced and long.

2008 Tommasi “De Buris” (Veneto): Clear medium brick with damp earth and prunes on the nose, pruney green herbs on the tight finish.

2017 Tommasi Amarone Classico (Veneto): Clear light brick, closed nose of dark chocolate, juicy with raison and herbs of the long finish. Great balance.

2015 Casisano Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light red, tar and graphite on the nose, silky with earthy fruit and nicely balance.