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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$50.33
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$37.61
Pre-Arrival
Bartolo Mascarello Barbera D'alba 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$72.12
Plum, kirsch and blackberry flavors align with a muscular structure here. Firm and lightly astringent in the end,...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbera D'alba 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$55.32
Plenty of crushed berry and spice on the nose and palate. Full body, light tannins and a juicy and fresh finish. A...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbera D'alba 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$38.76
Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense winey bouquet recalling sour cherry and spices. Lively,...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Giacosa Barbera D'alba 2021
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$40.96
Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense winey bouquet recalling sour cherry and spices. Lively,...
Pre-Arrival
Bruno Rocca Barbera D'alba 2019
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$42.45
The 2019 Barbera d'Alba is silky, pliant and super-expressive. Inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, licorice and mocha...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$52.78
A release of 13,426 bottles, the Cavallotto 2018 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Vigna Cuculo is an organic wine with a...
Barbera Mavrodaphne Vidal Blanc Pre-Arrival
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.
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?