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750ml
Bottle:
$32.61
12 bottles:
$31.96
Firm tannins are holding everything in place right now. There's a tiny dip through the mid-palate before the fruit...
750ml
Bottle:
$633.15
$703.50
Exotically perfumed, with ripe, lushly textured fruit. A complete and showy example of great, polished modern claret...
1.5Ltr
Bottle:
$316.20
6 bottles:
$312.00
93-95 Barrel sample. This is a smooth, rich wine that's intensely concentrated and packed with great black-currant...
750ml
Bottle:
$154.94
$157.20
93-95 Barrel sample. This is a smooth, rich wine that's intensely concentrated and packed with great black-currant...
750ml
Bottle:
$70.56
$78.40
Barrel sample. Full of ripe Cabernet tannins, this is a structured wine that's chunky in character. It elegantly...
750ml
Bottle:
$114.95
12 bottles:
$112.65
Tasted from several bottles in recent months, the 2012 Canon is a stupendous wine for the vintage and if anything, it...
750ml
Bottle:
$59.89
$64.59
Barrel sample. A solid effort, this is a wine with great fruit and firm structure to support it. Ripe and full in the...
375ml
Bottle:
$325.35
$361.50
The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this...
750ml
Bottle:
$622.35
$691.50
The 2012 Cheval Blanc boasts stunning power and a vertical, imposing sense of structure that is quite rare in this...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$25.32
From the Castillon outpost of Gérard and Chantal Perse, this blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10%...
750ml
Bottle:
$174.15
$193.50
Always excellent for the vintage. What a nose with currants, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stones and wet earth...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$46.99
La Gabare de Croizet-Bages is the second wine of Chateau Croizet-Bages and is made up of the Château’s younger...
750ml
Bottle:
$82.94
This is very polished and refined with blackcurrant, raspberry and citrus-peel undertones. Full body, extremely fine...
750ml
Bottle:
$60.88
Barrel sample. This is a dense, complex wine that's full of dark tannins piled atop ripe black-plum fruits. The wine...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$69.80
Barrel sample. This firm, dry wine is solidly rich and full in the mouth. With fine acidity and black currant fruit...
750ml
Bottle:
$58.24
12 bottles:
$57.08
Barrel sample. Solid and concentrated, this wine certainly shows great dryness as well as fruit. It has power and...
750ml
Bottle:
$35.40
12 bottles:
$34.69
Barrel sample. This concentrated wine is packed with new wood as well as dark chocolate flavors. The palate is dense...
750ml
Bottle:
$524.95
$567.00
A big, powerful wine, the 2012 Haut-Brion possesses stunning richness and intensity, with all of the depth that is...
750ml
Bottle:
$98.55
$109.50
The 2012 Haut Bailly is brilliant and does nothing to damper my belief that this vintage is underrated in the market....
750ml
Bottle:
$48.30
$55.20
A 2012 with currant, wet earth and walnut aromas and flavors. Full body, firm tannins and a savory finish. Give it...
Lambrusco Red Bordeaux Robola 2012
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
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.
In the mountains of Cephalonia, the mineral rich soils assist in the growing of one of the finest of Greece's white grape varietals – the Robola grape. These noble yellowish grapes are notable for the wines they produce, which generally contain summer fruits, peach and citrus aromas, coupled with flavors which extend beyond the usual range of white wines, revealing smoky and mineral notes, and a lengthy, lemony after-taste. These fine characteristics helped the regions it is grown in gain AOC status, and wine-makers in this area have many generations of practice in bringing out the elegant and subtle characteristics of this grape.
Robola, and the other wines of Cephalonia have a long and illustrious history, being mentioned even in ancient epic poems such as Homer's Iliad. However, it was the Venetians who first recognized the great potential of Robola grapes, which quickly became the focus for the areas wine-makers and tradesmen. Nowadays, Robola wines act as an excellent example of a refined Greek dry white wine, which can be either drank as a light and refreshing summer aperitif, or alongside grilled white meats, salads, or white fish. Robola wines, as a rule, do not age particularly well, and it is highly recommended that bottles are drunk young, within two years of bottling. By doing so, you can enjoy the unique characteristics of this remarkable wine, complete with the balanced combination of chalky, smoky citrus flavors and delicate peach aromas which typify the finest examples of Robola varietal wines.
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?