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750ml
Bottle:
$11.62
$12.91
12 bottles:
$11.52
COLOR: Ruby red with purple highlights.
NOSE: Elegant fruit aromas of cherries and plums with an enticing warm,...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.00
12 bottles:
$25.48
Produced from very old vines (60-65 yrs!), this Barbera exudes floral, black currant, and licorice aromas. The palate...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.95
12 bottles:
$20.53
100% Barbera from vines located in Perno in the village of Monforte d'Alba, on the right slope in front of...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.38
$20.40
6 bottles:
$17.50
Laced with blackberry, black cherry and spice flavors, this red is rich and juicy. Well-structured too, yet balanced...
750ml
Bottle:
$29.64
$31.99
Alluring aromas of dark-skinned berry, exotic spice and an earthy note of tilled soil come together in the glass. The...
750ml
Bottle:
$87.99
6 bottles:
$86.23
Like all great wines, Barbera too has its own crus. In certain areas and vineyards where it reaches the highest of...
750ml
Bottle:
$27.00
The nose develops an intensity of violet and wild berries aromas. The mousse is fair and creamy, with a dry yet full...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
12 bottles:
$34.24
• 100% Barbera.
• Practicing Biodynamic.
• Sierra Foothills AVA (Shake Ridge Vyd).
• Planted in early...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$124.85
The 2019 Barbera d’Asti Ai Suma is laced with blackberry jam, crème de cassis, sweet spice, licorice, lavender and...
375ml - Case of 24
Bottle:
$35.39
A supple, concentrated red, with plum, blackberry, earth and iron flavors permeating the rich texture. Stays...
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$178.80
A smooth red, saturated with plum, blueberry, loam and toasty oak flavors. Reveals assertive tannins on the finish,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$68.88
A smooth red, saturated with plum, blueberry, loam and toasty oak flavors. Reveals assertive tannins on the finish,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$67.13
Ruby red in color, with purple hues. Rich, intense and persistent aromas of liquorice, violet, plum and vanilla....
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$30.40
Characterised by well defined fragrances of ripe cherry and small red fruits. Violet ruby red in color. Intense mouth...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
$38.40
Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense winey bouquet recalling sour cherry and spices. Lively,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$29.30
Bruno Rocca's 2020 Barbera d'Alba offers terrific brightness to play off its red fleshed fruit. This mid-weight,...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$24.33
Testacalda is a pure Lambrusco di Sorbara Spumante Metodo Classico made with the ancient and traditional method of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$13.00
Slightly sparkling ruby red wine, semi dry, vinous and intense bouquet, with a characteristically fruity scent,...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.94
$20.08
12 bottles:
$16.60
Red wine made with grapes coming from some of our oldest vineyards in Agliano Terme. Suggested with cold cuts,...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.65
12 bottles:
$12.40
Color: Garnet red with a frothy fragrance, brilliant. Nose: Clean, distinctive with hints of violet and raspberry....
Albana Barbera Lambrusco Mavrodaphne
For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
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?