Do we ship to you?.
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$289.90
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$168.95
Explosive and powerful to the core, Vilmart's 2006 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is once again superb. Rich, textured flavors...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$139.39
Disgorged in May 2018 with seven grams per liter dosage, Vilmart's new 2011 Brut Coeur de Cuvée is showing...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$183.88
Vilmart's just-released 2012 Brut Coeur de Cuvée was disgorged in February 2019, and after two years on cork, it...
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$448.45
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$129.25
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$113.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$104.12
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$89.96
A mouthwatering Champagne that shows seamless integration of the plush and creamy mousse, rapierlike acidity and...
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$258.57
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$193.95
Disgorged in June 2019 with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Brut Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or reveals...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$81.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$103.86
Pre-Arrival
Vouette Et Sorbee Champagne Blanc D'argile NV
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$224.69
The NV Extra-Brut Blanc d’Argile is simply wonderful. Chablis-like in its purity, the wine shows off a focused...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$86.76
Pre-Arrival
Wiston Estate Cuvee Brut 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$43.70
Notions of spiky lemon zest and rounded shortbread vie for dominance on the wine's lively nose. These opposing...
Champagne Blend White Rhone Blends Savatiano
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.
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?