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Spirits
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...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $25.08 $26.40
12 bottles: $23.94
Sale
Spirits
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,...
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Spirits
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...
12 FREE
Spirits
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....
12 FREE
WE
94
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Spirits
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...
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Spirits
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...
12 FREE
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White
750ml
Bottle: $14.94 $16.25
Bright yellow color with green hues. The bouquet diplays aromas of passion fruit, mango and citrus. Balanced taste...
White
750ml
Bottle: $26.93
This has notes of grapefruit, toasted pineapple, grilled herbs and beeswax. It’s full-bodied, layered and...
12 FREE
JS
92
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
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...
Spirits
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...
WE
92
UBC
91
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $46.79
6 bottles: $46.00
This golden-hued brandy offers an opulent bouquet of toasted oak, crushed lily petals, meringue, and orange balm....
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UBC
95
Spirits
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...
12 FREE
WE
95
UBC
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.64 $15.41
12 bottles: $11.52
With an abundance of fruit aromas, the wine is produced from 100% Petite Syrah grapes from the vineyards of the...
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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $7.61 $10.58
Aromas of cocoa and mocha, with flavors of boysenberry, blackberry and blueberry.
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.93 $15.48
12 bottles: $11.58
This wine is rich, concentrated with aromas of blackberry, cumin, dried herbs and florals. The palate offers black...
WE
91
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $223.15 $234.89
Delicate vanilla and apricot perfume this Cognac. The palate is more forward, showing mouthwatering butterscotch,...
12 FREE
WE
92
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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $46.44 $51.60
Only a 30-minute drive southeast of Napa, Suisun Valley (which became an AVA in 1982) is still largely undiscovered....
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Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $34.37 $36.18
12 bottles: $29.81
D’Usse was developed as a brand and is a bit cagey about age and appellation. It’s curiously dark amber for a...
VM
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.64 $19.60
12 bottles: $15.83

Assyrtiko Cognac Mencia Petite Sirah

Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.

The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.

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?

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.

Petite Sirah was first brought from France to America in the 1880s. It later went on to become one of the only grapes to make it through the devastating Phylloxera virus in the 1890s, both World Wars, and the Great Depression. During Prohibition, it was a main ingredient used to make sacramental wines. In fact, through the 1960s it was a major blending grape in a number of the finest wines produced in California.

By itself, a bottle of Petite Sirah usually has no problem making a quick impression on consumers. With a large amount of natural color and tannins, wines made with the grape commonly feature intensive sweet fruit characteristics like fresh raspberry or blackberry jam, black pepper spice, and plenty of backbone or structure.

There are a number of different styles available. Some concentrate on highlighting fresh, fruity flavors; others are bigger, more voluptuous; and it keeps going up the ladder until you reach the powerful, more machismo-style category.