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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $738.18 $820.20
Bright red. Pure aromas of strawberry, flowers, soy sauce, espresso and minerals. Then clean and straightforward on...
12 FREE
VM
93
WS
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $298.35 $331.50
The bouquet of the Ducru-Beaucaillou 1995 offers an array of fresh fruit, blackcurrant, plum, spices and liquorice...
12 FREE
DC
95
WA
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $112.76
12 bottles: $110.50
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1099.98 $1222.20
I pulled this lone bottle out of my cellar at the last minute to remind some Italian vintners of the great quality of...
12 FREE
JS
98
WS
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $329.84 $361.20
This estate's second wine, the 1995 Pavillon du Chateau Margaux, may turn out to be one of the most delicious...
12 FREE
WA
89
WS
89
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $368.28 $409.20
What sumptuous pleasures await those who purchase either the 1996 or 1995 Pichon-Lalande. It is hard to choose a...
12 FREE
WA
96
WS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $746.96
Flower and berry character, with hints of clove and black pepper. Full-bodied and very rich, with decadent flavors....
WS
96
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $124.95
The 1995 Branaire-Ducru has a generous bouquet that might be a tad riper than the 1996 with blackberry, dark plum, a...
VM
91
WS
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $60.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $94.90
Slightly one-dimensional, but shows some very good fruit character. Dried berry and cherry aromas, with a hint of...
WS
88
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $150.79
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $640.87
Bright red. Pure aromas of strawberry, flowers, soy sauce, espresso and minerals. Then clean and straightforward on...
VM
93
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $93.67
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $381.91
The bouquet of the Ducru-Beaucaillou 1995 offers an array of fresh fruit, blackcurrant, plum, spices and liquorice...
DC
95
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $309.12
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $188.95
Another unbelievably rich, multidimensional, broad-shouldered wine, with slightly more elegance and less weight than...
WA
95
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $585.94
It is fun to go back and forth between the 1995 and 1996, two superb vintages for Haut-Brion. The 1995 seems to have...
WA
96
VM
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $85.12
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $295.31
This is still quite solid, with a prominent tannic backbone that holds the core of damson plum, raspberry and black...
WS
95
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $906.86
I pulled this lone bottle out of my cellar at the last minute to remind some Italian vintners of the great quality of...
JS
98
WS
96

Melon de Bourgogne Red Bordeaux 1995

One of the more unusual French grape varietals, Melon de Bourgogne has been grown in and around the Loire Valley for several hundred years. In fact, this grape was first planted in the Loire region of Pays Nantais back in the mid 17th century, after a devastating frost decimated most of the red grapes which were typical in the area. The winemakers of Pays Nantais were keen to cultivate vines which were hardy, high yielding, and capable of surviving another such frost, and so turned their attention to Melon de Bourgogne for this very reason. The native home of the varietal is actually in Burgundy, where it is still grown to a lesser extent.


Because Melon de Bourgogne produces naturally heavy yields, the vintners of Pays Nantais go to great lengths to reduce the amount of fruit the vines bear. This allows the finest characteristics of the grape to come forward, and also opens up the opportunity for it to express the wonderful granite and schist soils in which the vines are grown. Melon de Bourgogne is a minerally white wine grape varietal, with a very subtle set of fruit flavors. It is prized for its freshness and brightness, and is seeing a revival in the twenty first century as an excellent wine for pairing with a wide range of foods.

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.