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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.82
A new wine for 'A Vita (although it was made once before, in the 2012 vintage), the 'il Rosso' is Gaglioppo (from the...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.17 $21.30
12 bottles: $17.52
A very ripe, jammy cabernet franc with sweet cherries, baked strawberries and licorice spices. Very rich and fruity...
JS
90
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $23.66
Lovely and fresh with aromas of crunchy red berries, red plum, tomato, and leather. The palate has a touch of spice,...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.89 $35.20
In the glass, the wine shows colors of red garnet accompanied by a bouquet of cherries, menthol and a hint of...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.15 $17.08
12 bottles: $15.44
In the glass, the wine is deep ruby with purple hues. On the nose, the wine is delicate with notes of cherry,...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.80
12 bottles: $18.24
This blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese is a smooth, full-bodied cru made in an...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $109.93
6 bottles: $107.73
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.99
A fresh nose of blueberries, plums, cassis and violets. It’s medium-bodied with velvety tannins. It’s easygoing...
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JS
89
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.85
12 bottles: $33.17
100% Cabernet Franc from the Ampeleia di Sopra parcels at 450-600 meters above sea level. Vines were planted between...
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Red
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $17.90
12 bottles: $17.54
This wine is a blend of varieties originating from the Mediterranean Basin— 40% Alicante Nero (aka Grenache), 25%...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.20
12 bottles: $22.80
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.25
12 bottles: $44.35
Always one of the more garrigue-scented Châteauneufs, the Brunels' 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape includes hints of...
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WA
92
WS
92
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94
12 bottles: $16.60
This wine shows aromas of red fruits (mainly morello cherries) and spices (licorice, grey pepper). On the palate, the...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.87
This wine shows aromas of red fruits (mainly morello cherries) and spices (licorice, grey pepper). On the palate, the...
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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.83 $17.50
Taut and linear in profile, this red delivers black currant, black cherry, vanilla and peppery spices. Tightens up on...
WS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $20.40
12 bottles: $16.63
Lively ruby red colour with intense aromas or red fruits like plums, cherries with raspberry, blackcurrant and green...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $69.90 $75.60
Fascinating aromas of blackcurrants, orange peel, stone, minerals and blanched walnuts follow through to a medium to...
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JS
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.41
12 bottles: $17.06
COLOR: Dark ruby red color with purple highlights. NOSE: On the nose it shows a broad and complex bouquet with notes...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.49 $16.66
A juicy but umami nose on this wine begins with black cherries, blackberries and plums. Aromas then turn to soy sauce...
WE
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $40.79
6 bottles: $40.00
I love the aromas of blackberries, graphite and walnut with cedar. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that run the...
JS
94
VM
93

Cabernet Franc Italian Red Blends Mavrodaphne Red Rhone Blend

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

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?