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Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.89 $24.79
Lush and fruit-forward, with hibiscus accents to the raspberry and plum core, adding mineral and spice details around...
WS
89
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.84
12 bottles: $13.56
Spiced red fruit with plums, strawberries and red cherries. A hint of grilled tarragon. Juicy, medium-bodied palate...
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94
12 bottles: $13.66
Bright and intense ruby red. On the nose, aromas of black cherries and plums with hints of spices. On the palate, it...
12 FREE
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94 $17.50
12 bottles: $15.44
Tightly wound for Carmenere, but slowly reveals subtle dusty cocoa, petrichor and spice notes up front, joining black...
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.96 $24.40
12 bottles: $19.76
Deep violet red. An intense, pure Carmenère, packed with blueberries and wild berries. Floral hints like violets and...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.94 $13.43
Ruby-red in color with a hint of violet. Red-fruit aromas recall strawberries and plums, along with notes of licorice...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.84 $27.60
12 bottles: $22.80
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.94
6 bottles: $34.24
This is a very elegant and fruity Carmenere that offers a combination of red and black fruits, with no herbal notes...
12 FREE

Carmenere Japanese Whiskey Mencia 2021

The deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.

The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.

Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.

While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.