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Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.08
12 bottles: $17.72
COLOR: Wine of very elegant red color. BOUQUET: Intense aroma, with fruity hints of ripe plums, cherry jam and notes...
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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,...
Rapid Ship
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $15.99
Deep ruby-purple in color, this wine boasts exquisite aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plum and spice. It is well...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $8.99
Deep ruby-purple in color, this wine boasts exquisite aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plum and spice. It is well...
Sale
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....
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WE
94
Sale
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...
12 FREE
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Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $47.42 $49.92
A complex VSOP, with herbal and spicy notes mingling with fruit and well-selected oak. The texture is thick and rich,...
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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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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.17 $21.30
12 bottles: $17.52
Plenty of fruit on the nose with a nice reductive and peppery edge. Dark cherries and strawberries with spiced plums...
JS
93
WA
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.94 $14.30
12 bottles: $12.35
This classic Malbec has dense flavors of dark plum, black cherry and chocolate, layered with toasted oak and a...
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $18.29
Food-friendly and downright yummy this is a complex wine with lots of layers and notes of earth, leather, red fruit...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.15 $11.70
12 bottles: $11.12
Food-friendly and downright yummy this is a complex wine with lots of layers and notes of earth, leather, red fruit...
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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.10 $13.01
This entry-level Malbec is an authentic mountain wine that offers excellent value for money. Just 30% was oak-aged,...
DC
92
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.30
12 bottles: $14.01
Color: Red of good intensity. Nose: Intense aromas resemble ripe cherries and raspberries that combined with the...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.44 $16.25
12 bottles: $12.35
Alamos Malbec captures the spirit and terroir of Argentina’s signature variety. Grown at high-level altitudes, our...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.00
12 bottles: $14.25
Hand selected from vineyards in the cool climate district of La Consulta, Alamos Selección is the brand’s premier...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.80
12 bottles: $18.42
The wine has ripe, red fruit aromas and spicy notes, with round, soft tannins and a lively mouthfeel.
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.94
6 bottles: $29.34
The 2020 Terroir Selection Malbec blends grapes from their vineyards in different subzones of Mendoza. This time, 25%...
12 FREE
WA
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JS
92

Cognac Malbec Mencia Pinotage Primitivo

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.

The purple Malbec variety grapes which now grow all over the Old and New Worlds had their origins in France, where they are one of the few grape varieties allowed to be used in the highly esteemed blended wines of Bordeaux. However, it is perhaps the New World Malbec wines which have attracted the most attention in recent years, as they thrive in hot southern climates in ways they cannot in their native country, where the damp conditions leave them highly vulnerable to rot. Malbec grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, resulting in full-bodied red wines packed with ripe, plummy flavors and held in their characteristically dark, garnet colored liquid. In many countries, Malbec is still used primarily as a varietal for blending, as it adds a great level of richness and density to other, lighter and thinner varietals. However, single variety Malbec wines have been greatly on the rise in recent years, with some fantastic results and big, juicy flavors marking them out as a great wine for matching with a wide range of foods.

Pinotage is the signature grape varietal of South Africa, and is the most widely grown grape in the country, as well as being common in several other countries around the world. It is a viticultural cross of two fine grape varietals, the Pinot Noir and the Cinsaut (known as Hermitage in South Africa, hence the portmanteau name), and is notable for the fact that it produces excellent and flavorful wines of a deep red color The flavors most commonly associated with Pinotage wines are generally smoky in nature, with notes ranging from dark bramble fruits, to plum, mulberry and earthy characteristics. However, it often also includes quite tropical flavors of stewed banana. The Pinotage varietal is a versatile one, and is often used for producing fortified and sparkling wines, as well as the more common still red wines.

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.