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Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $13.94 $15.00
An inviting nose of peaches, sliced pears and dried orange peel. Medium-bodied with delightful texture. Bright and...
JS
90
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $34.84
Rated 95 -Year in, year out, this exceptional Chenin Blanc vineyard delivers the goods.... it produces a wine with...
12 FREE
WNR
95
VM
91
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $33.94
• Certified organic. • 100% Chenin Blanc. • 40-50 year old vines. • South exposure. • Sand clay soil with...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $35.94
12 bottles: $35.22
Delivers a saline beam that cuts through bruised apple and pastry notes. Concentrated on the palate, with floral lift...
12 FREE
WS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.93
12 bottles: $13.65
All old vine Carignan, the 2019 Côtes Catalanes Tessellae from Jean-Marc Lafage offers a beautifully pure nose of...
JD
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
Notes of crushed wild berries and sweet plums with blue flowers and dried blood orange. Medium-bodied, juicy and...
JS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.35
12 bottles: $15.05
We love Dolcetto. In the local tradition, this grape was cultivated on the best exposures, just above Nebbiolo...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.93
12 bottles: $28.35
This red is appealing in its softness, despite a base of light tannins and bright acidity. Allows the cherry and...
12 FREE
WS
89
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $10.99
A crisp, expressive, light-bodied wine. Light straw in appearance. Vibrant aromas of quince, pear and pineapple. On...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.85
Floral aromas, with crisp notes of sweet spice. On the palate, giving plums and dark berries, with intensity and...
DC
91

Carignan Chenin Blanc Dolcetto 750ml Rapid Ship

Carignan is an ancient blue-skinned grape varietal, thought to be indigenous to the Aragon region of Spain. However, today it is most commonly associated with the fine wines of southern France, and has been grown in many countries around the world which have the warm and dry conditions it requires to thrive. Carignan is recognized as being quite a sensitive vine, highly susceptible to all kinds of rot and mildew, although producing excellent results when given the right conditions and handled correctly. Its high tannin levels and acidity make the Carignan grapes very astringent, and as such, they are often used as a blending grape to give body to other, lesser bodied varietals. Despite this, with careful treatment, Carignan can produce superb single varietal wines packed full of character and unique attributes.

Originating in France yet now grown in many parts of the New World, Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile and highly regarded white wine grape varietals on earth. These green skinned grapes hold a relatively high acid content, and as such can be used for making still white wines of exceptional quality, as well as superb sparkling wines (such as the Crémant wines of the Loire Valley) and extremely aromatic dessert wines. Their natural transparency means that they are a fine grape for expressing their terroir in the bottle, and winemakers often experiment with this varietal to coax unusual and intense flavors from the grapes, such as allowing the development of noble rot on the fruit in order to make sweet and viscous wines of a unique character.

In Italian, Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' – a slightly misleading name, as the black grapes of this varietal have relatively little natural sugar and almost almost produce dry wines. However, the Dolcetto grapes are remarkably popular with those looking for a full, rounded and highly flavorful wine, and are grown extensively in their native Italy, and in many other countries around the world. Dolcetto varietal grapes tend to have quite a high level of tannin, due to their thick, black skins, and low acidity, resulting in interesting wines with a large feel in the mouth, despite being relatively light in body. They are most commonly associated with big, complex flavors such as liquorice and prunes, and are regularly described as having a finish similar to the flavor of bitter almonds.