×
Red
750ml
Bottle: $74.95
6 bottles: $73.45
The classic take on Rioja from Benjamín Romeo is the 2010 Carmen Gran Reserva and it blends all of the traditional...
12 FREE
WA
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $75.45
The 2010 La Vina de Andres Romeo was picked on October 6, later than the 2009, which was harvested on the September...
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $121.28
The 2010 VS is a special selection of Tempranillo from two plots of older vineyards, one in Transpinedo and another...
WA
97
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $161.62
Diverse soils and altitudes in an exceptional location, Cueva Baja. Character, intensity, and depth in a single site...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $131.12
The wonderfully silky texture with an added juiciness is what makes this wine so very special. The flawless and...
JS
99
WA
97
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $112.95
This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and...
JS
98
WA
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $40.62
The 2010 Reserva is a textbook Rioja, and in fact it surprised me with a very classic profile. This is usually a...
WA
93
WE
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $49.38
(90% tempranillo, with equal parts garnacha, mazuelo and graciano): Deep ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of black...
WA
93
VM
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $189.27
This is really refined and complex, with dark mineral, savory berries, mussels, walnuts, sweet spices, truffles,...
JS
99
DC
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $231.95
Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very...
JS
99
WA
97
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $2779.96 $2957.81
I have tasted the 2010 Pingus a number of times since I published a note on it in issue 207 in June 2013, my first...
WA
98
JS
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $110.11
The 2010 Pintia had already been bottled when I tasted it, although not released. The bouquet is very Bordeaux-like...
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $152.90
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $123.38
The phenomenal 2010 Reserva is produced with 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and some 5% of the skins of Malvasía and...
WA
95
DC
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $112.45
The phenomenal 2010 Reserva is produced with 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and some 5% of the skins of Malvasía and...
WA
95
DC
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $428.62
This is still very tight and closed with so much depth and beauty. The linear line to this is very vertical and draws...
JS
99
DC
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $459.86
This is still very tight and closed with so much depth and beauty. The linear line to this is very vertical and draws...
JS
99
DC
98

Grenache Savatiano Tempranillo 2010

The Grenache grape holds the honor of being the most widely planted wine grape varietal on earth. It has a long and impressive history, and has been the backbone of the some of the planet’s most respected and famed wine regions, blended with Syrah in regions such as Chateauneuf du Pape, and in certain other Loire and Languedoc regions where it reigns supreme as a single varietal wine grape. In other key areas, such as Spain’s La Rioja (where it is known as Garnacha Tinta), it is blended with Tempranillo to make that country’s signature red wine, and is widely used as a blending grape in other old and new world countries, due to its unique character and jammy, fruit forward character.


For a long time, the Grenache grape was somewhat looked down upon as an ignoble varietal, incapable of producing wines of any particular interest. However, times are very much changing - in the right hands, Grenache grapes result in astonishingly intense and complex wines, full of fascinating features, and capable of achieving plenty of expression. For a while now, Grenache has been a major player in Australian wines. While not yet quite as extensively planted down under as Shiraz is, the Barossa Valley is bringing out some of the finest examples of this grape’s wines in recent years.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

There are plenty of notable native Spanish grapes which have made a big impression on the wine world at large, but none are as renowned or as widely loved as the Tempranillo varietal. This black skinned grape has been used for wine making for centuries, with several ancient civilizations noticing the fact that it is highly versatile and holds some delicious flavors and aromas, perfect for those looking for a powerful yet elegant grape for their wines. Tempranillo often causes winemakers some trouble, however, as it is highly susceptible to many diseases. Despite this, plenty continue to persevere with this varietal, as it is perfect for producing delicious and complex single variety and blended wines, packed full of classic Spanish flavors and plenty of aromatic and intense surprises.