×
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $25.08 $26.40
12 bottles: $23.94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $31.54 $33.20
12 bottles: $30.40
A blend of fine cognacs from 15-30 years old, this XO Cognac is characterized by a pleasant light-gold color,...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.99
Red plum, currants and cedar aromas with a touch of earthy goodness. This wine is medium to full-bodied and...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $74.55 $78.47
6 bottles: $62.39
A very delicate blend of eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne, aged between 8 and 15 years in cask, and...
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $65.03
6 bottles: $57.59
TOP 100 SPIRITS OF 2019 - This Cognac offers rich aromas and flavors, yet still remains light and easygoing....
12 FREE
WE
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $235.52 $247.92
Carefully matured, balancing the influence of oak with that of time, to produce a complex Cognac. Rich, sweet and...
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $100.32
6 bottles: $99.60
Complex and in need of some time to breathe. However, patience is rewarded with richness, fruit and the layers of...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.69
12 bottles: $38.90
Aromas of currants, cedar and violets follow through to a medium body and fine tannins with a lovely, light velvety...
12 FREE
VM
92
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $47.16 $52.40
Colour: Lively, deep ruby-red; nature's gift. Perfume: Complex scent of ripe red fruit (mainly black cherry), spices,...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.44 $21.60
12 bottles: $17.10
Beautiful, broad and plush, this structured but charming wine overflows with red fruits and baking spices, with a...
WE
93
DC
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94 $18.33
12 bottles: $16.63
Lively lavender aromas elevate the dark berry and thyme scents on the nose of this bottling. The core of blueberry...
WE
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $31.93 $33.60
12 bottles: $31.29
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $23.26 $24.48
This spirit is amber in color and exhibits nutty, caramel notes on the nose. The palate has subtle hints of citrus...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.58 $14.30
12 bottles: $11.40
Our Apothic Merlot is a silky, approachable red wine grown in California. Notes of blackberry and boysenberry are...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $31.16 $32.80
The aromas of blue fruits, such as raspberries, with subtle cloves and bark follow through to a palate of...
JS
93
VM
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.72
6 bottles: $44.00
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 2019 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.62
12 bottles: $24.40
This velvety Cognac opens with plenty of oak on the nose and palate. The more you sip, the more the oak recedes and...
WE
92
UBC
91
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $70.98
12 bottles: $66.68
90-95 Nice nutty aromas countered with subtle notes of tropical fruit. Palate entry features roasted tastes of...
12 FREE
WE
95
UBC
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.36 $13.01
12 bottles: $8.08
Our Merlot is garnet in color with flavors of black cherry on the palate. Soft and smooth.
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.94 $12.57
12 bottles: $9.51
Bright cherry, ripe plum, milk chocolate, red apple, and vanilla bean flavors combine for this wine’s decadent...
UBC
90

Carignan Cognac Japanese Whiskey Merlot 750ml

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.

For over three hundred years, Cognac has enjoyed its reputation as the king of brandies. Indeed, it is widely regarded as the finest drink to be distilled from grapes to be found anywhere in the world, and it is a testament to its producers and the master craftsmen who make it that this reputation has never faltered, and remains as strong as ever to this day.

Cognac is produced solely in the beautiful towns of Cognac and Jarnac, found about fifty miles north of Bordeaux, on the west coast of France. Here, around six thousand grape growers work exclusively in the production of white wine, used for the Cognac distilleries which are scattered throughout the region. The wines are made primarily from the Ugni Blanc or Trebbiano grape - one of the most commonly planted grape varietals in the world - which benefit from the cool, coastal climate and mineral rich soils which are found there. The wines themselves wouldn’t be suitable for drinking in themselves, as they are high in acid and low in alcohol, but this makes them ideal for distillation, and they can impart their wonderful, complex, rich flavors to the brandy.

Cognac varies quite significantly from bottle to bottle, depending on how long it has been aged for, and which appellation it comes from. The Cognac region is split into six separate Crus, all with their own distinctive characteristics, and the spirit can be aged from two years (VS) to six (Hors d’Age and Napoleon) and longer.

Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.

The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.

Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.

While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.