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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $438.95
6 bottles: $430.17
Each year we strive to bring you the finest and rarest one of a kind aged tequila. This year we are proud to announce...
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $68.80
As a young wine, it has the potential to grow and thrive. Its noble heritage is revealed through its purity and...
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $68.80
It opens with fragrant aromas of pear, brioche, beeswax, honey, and sweet spice. On the palate, this wine is ample...
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $126.95
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $377.45
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1694.39 $1802.54
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1805.00 $1920.21
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1398.95
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White
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $991.30
Encouragingly, the 2009 vintage is still a light lemon yellow in colour, with no apparent signs of age. Still, it is...
DC
97
WA
94
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White
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $7753.67
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $572.37 $608.90
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $704.23
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $598.95
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $617.73 $657.16
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $563.02
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $684.09 $727.76
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1163.46 $1237.72
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1281.40 $1363.19
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $1462.95
The 2009 Batard-Montrachet positively explodes from the glass. Round, sweet and expressive, the wine saturates the...
WA
96
VM
95
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $1333.01

Chardonnay White Rhone Blends Tequila 2009

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.

Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.

One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.

The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.