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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.93
12 bottles: $29.33
Lots of ripe black fruits (blackberries, black cherries) emerge from the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts De...
12 FREE
JD
93
WA
92
Red
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.73
Soft, ripe black forest compote nose; nice concentration of fruit on the palate. Good weight. Really well balanced in...
DC
96
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.51
With a robust color and a nose of red fruits, the mouthfeel is generous with tannins.
Red
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.65
12 bottles: $13.38
A fruity Cotes-du-Rhone with raspberries, cherries and sweet spices. Medium body with velvety tannins. Supple and...
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94 $23.20
12 bottles: $21.50
Raspberry, violet, licorice, peony, black pepper and gingerbread. Greatly textured with prominent saltiness and...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $68.95
6 bottles: $67.57
Moving to the single vineyard releases, the 2020 Vinsobres Guerin comes from lower down on the hillside and more...
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JD
93
WS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $63.85
6 bottles: $62.57
Lastly, the 2020 Vinsobres Les Côtes has an almost Côte Rôtie-like vibe in its black raspberry, spring flower,...
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WS
93
JD
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $63.85
6 bottles: $62.57
My favorite in the lineup (although these are all brilliant) is the 2020 Vinsobres Rouanne Et Les Crottes, which...
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JD
94
WS
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $48.93 $52.79
Delivering a generous cascade of attractive ripe fig and cherry pie flavors, this red is grounded by serious cast...
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WS
93
VM
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.93
12 bottles: $36.19
92-94 The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Du Baron, which has not been bottled yet, should be terrific. It offers...
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JD
94
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $61.54 $65.20
A perfumed nose of spiced cherries, forest berries, dried thyme, cloves and a touch of leather, too. It's full-bodied...
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JS
94
VM
93
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $39.62
Lots of ripe black cherry fruits, graphite, ground pepper, and some leather nuances emerge from the 2020 Châteauneuf...
12 FREE
WA
90
JD
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $47.90 $49.00
12 bottles: $46.94
The deeply fragrant nose pulls you inexorably into this majestic Chateauneuf. So vibrant and refined for this amount...
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JS
96
JD
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.38 $17.09
12 bottles: $15.05
Ripe, but with a breezy edge as damson plum and bitter cherry notes glide through, laced with underlying mineral and...
WS
90
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.60
From one of my favorite estates, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape offers a healthy ruby/plum color as well as a stunning...
12 FREE
JS
95
JD
95
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $12.94
Vibrant and bright aromas of pomegranate, raspberry, fresh herbs and purple flowers all showcase the elegance of this...
WE
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.90 $15.17
12 bottles: $12.36
Its colour is a deep ruby red, showing garnet reflections while young. With its predominately berry-fruit bouquet,...
Red
375ml
Bottle: $24.45
12 bottles: $23.96
The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Domaine Barville is clearly outstanding and has the pure, classic, satisfying style of...
12 FREE
WA
92
JD
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Mavrodaphne Red Rhone Blend Rye Whiskey 2020

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?

Rye Whiskey is enjoying something of a renaissance of late, with sales rocketing in recent years thanks to a growing interest in strong, unique flavors, and small, independent distilleries. Rye Whiskey is a drink which is all about powerful, bold flavors, with plenty of spice and bitterness when drunk young. Aged, however, it takes on a deep set of subtle notes which are beautifully mellow and complex, and becomes a fascinating example of what whiskey can be when made with expert hands.

In order for an American Whiskey to be labeled a Rye Whiskey, it must have a mash content which is no less than fifty one percent rye. This separates it from Bourbon, and it is this which gives it its distinctive flavor and spiciness. Toffee, cinnamon, caraway, cloves and oak are typical tasting notes, and ‘straight rye’ whiskies - which are aged in charred oak barrels - take on plenty of the smokiness of the wood, adding a further, fascinating facet.

Rye Whiskey has its spiritual home in the northeastern states of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and cities like Pittsburgh produced vast quantities of Rye Whiskey in the 18th and 19th centuries. Most the old distilleries were closed during the prohibition era, after which time rye whiskey more or less disappeared completely, but the twenty-first century is seeing old recipes being resurrected and released to rave reviews.