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Sparkling
750ml
Bottle: $184.03 $204.48
6 bottles: $175.20
Grilled bread with flowers, pears and apples. Lots of perfumes. Lavender and some herbs and nutmeg. The palate is...
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JS
97
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92
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $457.94
A fragrant, appealing Champagne, with wafts of elderflower and medicinal herbs on the nose, followed by expressive...
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95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $751.24
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Sparkling
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1389.95 $1474.82
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $143.77
Impressive concentration and power here. This is really assertive with ripe yellow orchard fruits and citrus within a...
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94
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94
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $234.45
A good rest on lees in the cellar through to May 2015 has seen this salmon-colored rosé develop a wealth of dried...
JS
96
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95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $108.55
Pale in color, but rich in texture and fruit, this wonderfully mature rosé is structured from 70% Pinot Noir in the...
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96
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94
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $424.33
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows...
JS
99
WE
95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $420.73
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows...
JS
99
WE
95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $504.95
A mind-blowing wine. This is super subtle and intense with aromas of peaches, light strawberry and cream. Also shows...
JS
99
WE
95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $761.78
Disgorged in July 2014, Francis Egly's 2005 Brut Grand Cru Millésime is a brilliant wine in this middling vintage,...
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94
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92
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $96.38
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $238.23
Rich hints of baked plum and marzipan are enlivened by sleek, well-knit acidity in this harmonious Champagne. The...
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93
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $320.08
Fabulous nose with great blood orange intensity neatly framed by brioche. On the extravagant and concentrated palate...
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99
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97
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $138.62
In 1833, Annonciade, the daughter of a winemaker from Bouzy, married Auguste François Bara, a young cooper from the...
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $177.62
A truly special site, this is a majestic Champagne that has superb darker notes of brulée, roasted almonds and...
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95
VM
94
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $210.71
Grilled bread with flowers, pears and apples. Lots of perfumes. Lavender and some herbs and nutmeg. The palate is...
JS
97
DC
92
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $149.28
A warm, sunny year produced this concentrated, elegant wine with refined aromas of ripe apple and quince, fresh...
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95
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95
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Sparkling
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $253.95
The 2005 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a wine of contrasts. At first rich and vinous on the palate, the 2005 turns...
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93
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93

Champagne Blend Melon de Bourgogne Mezcal 2005 750ml

The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.

One of the more unusual French grape varietals, Melon de Bourgogne has been grown in and around the Loire Valley for several hundred years. In fact, this grape was first planted in the Loire region of Pays Nantais back in the mid 17th century, after a devastating frost decimated most of the red grapes which were typical in the area. The winemakers of Pays Nantais were keen to cultivate vines which were hardy, high yielding, and capable of surviving another such frost, and so turned their attention to Melon de Bourgogne for this very reason. The native home of the varietal is actually in Burgundy, where it is still grown to a lesser extent.


Because Melon de Bourgogne produces naturally heavy yields, the vintners of Pays Nantais go to great lengths to reduce the amount of fruit the vines bear. This allows the finest characteristics of the grape to come forward, and also opens up the opportunity for it to express the wonderful granite and schist soils in which the vines are grown. Melon de Bourgogne is a minerally white wine grape varietal, with a very subtle set of fruit flavors. It is prized for its freshness and brightness, and is seeing a revival in the twenty first century as an excellent wine for pairing with a wide range of foods.

Although commonly confused with Tequila, Mexico’s other signature spirit, Mezcal, has its own set of unique characteristics which set it apart. Mezcal is made from the agave plant, although not the blue agave most commonly associated with Tequila production. This drink hails from the arid southern Mexican region of Oaxaca, where it has been made for generations according to traditional recipes and methods, and continues to be extremely popular worldwide today.


One of the defining features of quality Mezcal is its pungent smokiness, a heady aroma which reminds us of campfires and desert nights. This comes from the fact that the pinas (the fruit body) of the agave used in its production are slow cooked in wood fired ovens, before being distilled into a spirit. Mezcal is traditionally bottled with a worm - why? Nobody really seems to know for sure, but this unique drink continues to attract attention and convert new fans thanks to its authenticity, unique flavor and supposed health benefits. It is split into the same categories as Tequila; blanco, reposado and anejo, and although it is often used as a mixer in cocktails, it is best enjoyed straight and uncomplicated, allowing its beautiful and subtle characteristics to shine.