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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $126.80 $141.10
This is sensational, characterized by such purity and beauty and with aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate,...
12 FREE
JS
96
WE
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $510.48 $567.20
Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's...
12 FREE
WE
94
JS
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.80
12 bottles: $19.40
A tight and focused second wine from Potensac with currant and lemon-rind character. Medium body, fine tannins and a...
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $450.99 $501.10
A total blockbuster is the 2015 Angelus and it’s reminiscent of a slightly more elegant 2009. Made from 62% Merlot...
12 FREE
WA
97
VM
97
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1135.08 $1261.20
An utterly perfect wine from Alain Vauthier, the 2015 ChÒteau Ausone offers off the hook notes of crème de cassis,...
12 FREE
WE
100
JD
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $89.28 $99.20
This family-owned property at one of the high points in Saint-Γ‰milion has made a rich, opulent wine, full of...
12 FREE
WE
96
WA
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $31.10
12 bottles: $30.48
Dark plums, gently toast spices and dark, stony, graphite-like aromas here. The palate has an extremely fluid,...
12 FREE
JS
94
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $364.95
6 bottles: $357.65
Made in a more flamboyant, lifted style than the 2016, the 2015 ChΓ’teau Beychevelle offers a beautiful, medium to...
WE
95
JD
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $157.68 $175.20
Made in a more flamboyant, lifted style than the 2016, the 2015 ChΓ’teau Beychevelle offers a beautiful, medium to...
12 FREE
WE
95
JD
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.92
12 bottles: $45.00
Stylish cedar and lightly toasted spices mingle with ripe cherries, blue plums and violets. The palate has a very...
12 FREE
WE
94
JS
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $41.37
12 bottles: $40.54
Lots of chocolate and juicy fruit to this with currant and walnut undertones. Medium body, soft and silky tannins and...
12 FREE
JS
92
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $67.95 $71.40
12 bottles: $67.26
This family-owned estate has produced a structured and dark wine with great concentration balanced by acidity and...
12 FREE
WE
95
DC
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $99.51 $107.00
Right from the attack this has beautiful intensity and focus, with tannins covered by a layer of silk. A dash of...
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DC
96
WE
96
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $261.36
This dense, rich wine is firm with solid tannins. Its texture and structure give it an opulent character that brings...
12 FREE
WE
96
DC
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $270.18 $300.20
Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums,...
12 FREE
JS
100
JD
98
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $38.89 $41.70
12 bottles: $38.48
Impressive richness and clarity of red and dark berries. Lightly spiced-pastry aromas, too. The palate has a very...
JS
95
WE
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $42.75
12 bottles: $41.90
Dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice and spice are all amped up in the BriO, Cantenac Brown's second wine....
12 FREE
VM
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $66.94 $72.20
Barrel Sample. Beautiful dusty tannins permeate this ripe wine. It has a smooth and rich texture, with bright...
12 FREE
WE
96
DC
95
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.89
Lively, with aromatic pomegranate, rooibos tea and savory notes forming the core, picking up currant coulis and iron...
12 FREE
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $47.93 $53.20
The firm tannins in this wine are dense and concentrated, ripe rather than dry. The fruit and juicy acidity give the...
WE
94
DC
93

Assyrtiko Red Bordeaux Savatiano 2015

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?

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.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

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?