Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$13.89
$15.41
Baked cherries and plums with some spices. Medium-bodied on the palate with juicy but light fruit. The soft, dusty...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.85
12 bottles:
$24.35
Dense, concentrated and packed with tannins, this wine comes from one of the estates managed by the Vigouroux family....
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$18.23
This wine is brilliantly elegant, generous, and fruity. It has a deep, subtle color with purple highlights, smooth...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.37
$17.08
This firm red offers sanguine notes to the dark plum and mineral flavors. Leafy herbal notes linger on the finish....
750ml
Bottle:
$26.95
12 bottles:
$26.41
2017
Combel La Serre
France
Southwest
100% Malbec (aka Auxerrois in local parlance). Au Cerisier comes from a single...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.50
12 bottles:
$17.15
100% Malbec (aka Auxerrois in local parlance). The fruit for Pur comes from seven different Combel sites totalling...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.94
100% Côt (Malbec). Beautiful dark garnet color with ruby highlights. The nose has expressive spicy black fruits, and...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.00
12 bottles:
$14.70
Vibrant, mineral-laced berries, redcurrant, and orange zest aromas are accented by subtle floral notes. Lithe and...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.39
$24.88
12 bottles:
$18.61
Dark color with purplish highlights. An intense intense aromas of black fruits and violet. Structured with silky...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.92
12 bottles:
$14.62
Odile Delpon inherited the family vineyards, tobacco farm, and saffron plantation in Albas in 1968. She developed the...
Malbec Mavrodaphne Mencia France South West France Cahors
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.
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?
Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.