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Red
750ml
Bottle: $82.89
6 bottles: $81.23
Brilliant ruby. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe red fruit, candied flowers, black cardamom and musky earth, and a...
12 FREE
VM
92
JS
90
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
The 2018 Rosé Pinot Noir from San Pablo, Uco Valley spent 40 months aging with yeast. Coppery in hue. The nose...
VM
91
Case only
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $44.04
So pink, reflections veering towards salmon pink. Intense red berry and fruit compote aromas. Delicate but...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.88
12 bottles: $21.44
A soft, smooth and most enjoyable bottle, this shows plenty of well-ripened fruit, from strawberry to raspberry and...
WE
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $42.40
With the Barham Mendelsohn label, Jim stretches his Pinot potential to include one of California's best growing...
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $20.90 $22.48
12 bottles: $17.62
The B Side Pinot Noir offers lifted aromas of fresh black cherry, rose petal, and brewed black tea. The nose rings...
Rapid Ship
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $49.90
12 bottles: $48.90
This rose is characterized by a soft pink color that turns over the years to old pink, by an exuberant foam and a...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $59.28
6 bottles: $58.09
The 2018 Pinot Noir has layers of tart cherry, Christmas (Douglas Fir, candle wax, and gingerbread), dried orange...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.32
12 bottles: $33.63
With the majority of its fruit from the Hirschy Vineyard, the 2018 Pinot Noir Athena is dark ruby and takes on a bit...
12 FREE
JD
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.94 $23.52
12 bottles: $22.48
Vivacious and full on the palate, the red fruit (think Twizzlers) pops, and the uninterrupted juiciness melds with...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.90
12 bottles: $39.10
An estate-grown wine given 30% whole-cluster fermentation, this is a fleshy and lively red wine, broad in appeal and...
12 FREE
WE
94
JD
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $40.88
6 bottles: $40.06
This full-bodied and full-flavored wine from a high-elevation vineyard is packed with ripe juicy plum and raspberry...
12 FREE
WE
92
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $15.51
12 bottles: $15.20
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $14.63
12 bottles: $14.34
Light and pale in color, this fruity rosé is attractively perfumed with aromas of blossoms and crushed strawberries....
WE
88
Case only
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $24.40
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.40
12 bottles: $25.87
Here's a new discovery from the Mazon subregion that is closely associated with the cultivation of Pinot Nero. The...
WA
93
VM
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $74.55
12 bottles: $73.06
12 FREE
Sale
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $129.95 $136.00
This brilliant Blanc de Blancs unfurls with notes of mandarin orange, citrus oil, pear, and fresh-baked croissant...
12 FREE
Sale
Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $133.94 $136.00
The 2018 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millésimé Œil de Perdrix is lovely, wafting from the glass with scents of orange...
12 FREE
WA
95
JD
93
Case only
Sparkling
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $28.22
Yellow straw with green highlights in the glass. Fresh and mineral on the nose with yeasty notes. Full bodied on the...

Assyrtiko Champagne Blend Pinot Noir 2018

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?

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.

Regularly described as being the grape varietal responsible for producing the world's most romantic wines, Pinot Noir has long been associated with elegance and a broad range of flavors The name means 'black pine' in French, and this is due to the fact that the fruit of this particular varietal is especially dark in color, and hangs in a conical shape, like that of a pine cone. Despite being grown today in almost every wine producing country, Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape variety to cultivate. This is because it is especially susceptible to various forms of mold and mildew, and thrives best in steady, cooler climates. However, the quality of the fruit has ensured that wineries and vintners have persevered with the varietal, and new technologies and methods have overcome many of the problems it presents. Alongside this, the wide popularity and enthusiasm for this grape has ensured it will remain a firm favorite amongst wine drinkers for many years to come.