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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94 $18.00
From one of Margaret River's longstanding family-owned and operated wineries, this is a charming Shiraz. It's...
WE
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $54.72
12 bottles: $53.63
Occidental Hills Syrah is a single-vineyard bottling from our 0.21 acre Syrah planting at English Hill Vineyard....
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.90
12 bottles: $19.50
A rich, medium- to full-bodied red, with an underpinning of mesquite smoke and loamy earth and flavors of fig cake,...
WS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $56.90 $61.20
Dense, with toothsome tannins that add a firm background to tangy blackberry and blueberry flavors, with notes of...
12 FREE
WS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $148.95
3 bottles: $145.97
Ripe black cherries, wild blackberries, blackcurrants, nutmeg, licorice, mahogany, musk and some dried thyme on the...
12 FREE
JS
98
WA
96
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $107.90
97-99 I was blown away by the 2018 Côte Rôtie Château D'Ampuis, which is certainly in the same league as the famed...
12 FREE
JD
99
JS
96
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $205.20 $228.00
Built for the long haul, the 2018 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc is a majestic, noble white that could only come from this...
12 FREE
JD
100
DC
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $368.64 $409.60
Rated 97-100 - A barrel sample that just about made my eyes roll back in my head, the 2019 Ermitage Ex Voto has...
12 FREE
JD
98
WA
97
Red
750ml
Bottle: $71.94
Moving to the Hermitage releases, the 2018 Hermitage is terrific, and readers will love to have bottles in the...
12 FREE
WS
94
JS
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $98.15
6 bottles: $96.19
A savoury, red-fruited quality to the fruit with spiced plums and raspberry jam. Powerful, supercharged in the mouth,...
12 FREE
DC
96
WA
96
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $13.70
Deep intense ruby red in color. Marvelous and well defined nuances of cherry and plum aromas with a touch of spice....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.01
12 bottles: $18.62
This shiraz is a bright and youthful red colour with some rich purple hues. On the nose are aromas of plum,...
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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.94 $32.00
#97 of Top 100: 2020. Blackberry and huckleberry flavors are concentrated and plump, with appealing details of black...
WS
90
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $42.00
This wine comes from one of the most isolated single-vineyards in the world and from a fantastic Shiraz vintage. The...
12 FREE
WE
95
JS
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.94 $35.60
6 bottles: $34.24
Tasting of dark chocolate, blackberry syrup and tree bark, this leathery, full-bodied wine is textured and thick in...
12 FREE
WE
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $229.94
6 bottles: $225.34
First bottled in 1952 by Stephen Henschke's father Cyril, this reknowned cuvée is likely Australia's longest...
12 FREE
DC
98
WA
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $159.94
6 bottles: $156.74
An enticing and perfumed nose of heather, dried herbs and lavender with roasted spices, peppercorns and ripe, fresh...
12 FREE
JS
96
DC
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.90
12 bottles: $19.50
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $61.20
#49 of Top 100, 2021. A rich, succulent mix of dark chocolate, spiced plum, wild blackberry and black licorice notes....
12 FREE
WS
95
VM
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.50
12 bottles: $33.81
The 2018 Saint Joseph is almost Côte Rôtie-like in its black raspberry, spicy, and floral aromatics. These all...
12 FREE
WA
91
WE
91

Assyrtiko Syrah Verdeca White Rhone Blend 2018 750ml

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?

Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet's most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn't easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone's success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.