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750ml
Bottle:
$20.04
$21.10
12 bottles:
$18.91
1786 VS is a rich Cognac which is the result of high-quality terroirs and experience. Made from Ugni Blanc grapes and...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.54
$33.20
12 bottles:
$30.40
A blend of fine cognacs from 15-30 years old, this XO Cognac is characterized by a pleasant light-gold color,...
750ml
Bottle:
$74.55
$78.47
6 bottles:
$62.39
A very delicate blend of eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne, aged between 8 and 15 years in cask, and...
750ml
Bottle:
$65.03
6 bottles:
$57.59
TOP 100 SPIRITS OF 2019 - This Cognac offers rich aromas and flavors, yet still remains light and easygoing....
750ml
Bottle:
$235.52
$247.92
Carefully matured, balancing the influence of oak with that of time, to produce a complex Cognac. Rich, sweet and...
750ml
Bottle:
$100.32
6 bottles:
$99.60
Complex and in need of some time to breathe. However, patience is rewarded with richness, fruit and the layers of...
750ml
Bottle:
$23.26
$24.48
This spirit is amber in color and exhibits nutty, caramel notes on the nose. The palate has subtle hints of citrus...
375ml
Bottle:
$44.40
12 bottles:
$42.18
Floral nose. Waxy (candlewax, crayons), then spicy, fruity notes emerge, in particular raisin and plum, becomes more...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.93
$16.66
Concentrated and ripe, this red offers blackberry, loganberry, dark chocolate and loam flavors, while dense tannins...
750ml
Bottle:
$30.62
12 bottles:
$24.40
This velvety Cognac opens with plenty of oak on the nose and palate. The more you sip, the more the oak recedes and...
700ml
Bottle:
$44.87
$47.23
6 bottles:
$41.83
Familiar American oak aromas of toasted coconut, dill, and baking spices seamlessly intertwine with notes of creme...
700ml
Bottle:
$44.45
$46.79
This golden-hued brandy offers an opulent bouquet of toasted oak, crushed lily petals, meringue, and orange balm....
700ml
Bottle:
$117.28
6 bottles:
$107.26
Fresh green table grapes and peach pit are fruity and earthy on the nose. A suggestion of sweetness in the mouth...
750ml
Bottle:
$70.98
12 bottles:
$66.68
90-95 Nice nutty aromas countered with subtle notes of tropical fruit. Palate entry features roasted tastes of...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.20
12 bottles:
$15.44
Ruby color. Elegant, with fresh fig and ripe red berry aromas (black cherry, wild strawberry), as well as delicate...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.95
12 bottles:
$14.65
The Beau! Beaujolais comes from a forty year-old high-density vineyard. Fermentation is traditional, 100%...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.94
$20.88
12 bottles:
$19.54
The colour is ruby red, clear and transparent, with tinges of purple. The nose is fruity and winy. Full-body, rich...
750ml
Bottle:
$28.94
12 bottles:
$28.36
If there is a red grape more expressive in its youth than Valdiguié, we've yet to meet it. It's so many vibrant,...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.94
12 bottles:
$16.60
Brouilly is one of the Cru Beaujolais, which are known for producing excellent, food friendly, underrated wines at a...
Cognac Dolcetto Gamay Grappa
For over three hundred years, Cognac has enjoyed its reputation as the king of brandies. Indeed, it is widely regarded as the finest drink to be distilled from grapes to be found anywhere in the world, and it is a testament to its producers and the master craftsmen who make it that this reputation has never faltered, and remains as strong as ever to this day.
Cognac is produced solely in the beautiful towns of Cognac and Jarnac, found about fifty miles north of Bordeaux, on the west coast of France. Here, around six thousand grape growers work exclusively in the production of white wine, used for the Cognac distilleries which are scattered throughout the region. The wines are made primarily from the Ugni Blanc or Trebbiano grape - one of the most commonly planted grape varietals in the world - which benefit from the cool, coastal climate and mineral rich soils which are found there. The wines themselves wouldn’t be suitable for drinking in themselves, as they are high in acid and low in alcohol, but this makes them ideal for distillation, and they can impart their wonderful, complex, rich flavors to the brandy.
Cognac varies quite significantly from bottle to bottle, depending on how long it has been aged for, and which appellation it comes from. The Cognac region is split into six separate Crus, all with their own distinctive characteristics, and the spirit can be aged from two years (VS) to six (Hors d’Age and Napoleon) and longer.
In Italian, Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' – a slightly misleading name, as the black grapes of this varietal have relatively little natural sugar and almost almost produce dry wines. However, the Dolcetto grapes are remarkably popular with those looking for a full, rounded and highly flavorful wine, and are grown extensively in their native Italy, and in many other countries around the world. Dolcetto varietal grapes tend to have quite a high level of tannin, due to their thick, black skins, and low acidity, resulting in interesting wines with a large feel in the mouth, despite being relatively light in body. They are most commonly associated with big, complex flavors such as liquorice and prunes, and are regularly described as having a finish similar to the flavor of bitter almonds.
The French wines of Beaujolais are widely regarded as some of the finest table wines in the world. This is due in part to the qualities of the Gamay grape, from which they are made. Gamay produces beautifully, juicy, rounded and gulpable red wines, usually drank young and full of their natural fruit character. However, it would be a mistake to say that Gamay is limited to easy-drinking, soft wines - it’s a highly flexible and versatile grape, capable of producing aged wines of serious complexity and structure, full of expression and fascinating characteristics.
The majority of Gamay wines from France are labeled under Beaujolais Villages or Beaujolais, and these are the standard table wines we’re used to seeing in French restaurants, at bistros, and at our local wine store. Usually great value for money, these are the light, slightly acidic examples of what the grape can do. Far more interesting are those Gamay wines from the 10 cru villages, just north of Beaujolais, where generations of expertise and a unique soil type made up of granitic schist result in far more unique, complicated wines. The best examples of Gamay feature intense aromatics, all black fruit and forest fare, and are worth cellaring for a few years.
Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.