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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$91.99
Aromatic, with hints of tea rose, graphite and bergamot, this creamy Champagne is svelte and well-knit, with bright...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$79.94
This blend includes 50 percent pinot noir, 10 percent meunier and 40 percent chardonnay, aged seven years on the...
750ml
Bottle:
$64.93
$72.00
The 2006 Sassontino is a pure expression of Sangiovese from 45-year-old vines. Past editions of this wine saw a small...
750ml
Bottle:
$71.94
Here is another late-release Sangiovese from Casanova della Spinetta, only in this case, fruit is sourced from...
750ml
Bottle:
$66.84
$72.00
The 2006 Sezzana is a twin of the Sassontino, but not an identical one. Although the grape used is the same (100%...
750ml
Bottle:
$71.94
This shows a faint nose of leather, red peppers, dried herbs and red berries. Medium body and fine tannins, but a...
750ml
Bottle:
$149.80
The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva hits all the high notes. Ripe and structured, yet also wonderfully contained, the...
750ml
Bottle:
$212.76
$236.40
Intense aromas of candied citrus, grapefruit juice and lemon peel. Incredibly youthful for its age, with a chalky...
750ml
Bottle:
$486.00
$540.00
Initially the wine is all firm tannins, but then there is a pure line of fresh black fruits that comes through, with...
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle:
$509.85
Intense and enticing campfire smoke, this has beautiful rich fruits behind the grilled aromatics, and is open and...
750ml
Bottle:
$151.80
12 bottles:
$148.76
The 2007 Beychevelle has an attractive nose, fresher and more complex than others in this flight of off-vintages....
750ml
Bottle:
$100.00
12 bottles:
$98.00
Taking advantage of the delicious fruit of 2006, this Branaire-Ducru shows a charming side. It brings out ripe, spicy...
750ml
Bottle:
$98.25
12 bottles:
$96.29
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Brane-Cantenac has a quintessential bouquet for the estate...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$219.78
Not a wine that will please everyone. This has the austerity and backward thinking of 2006 mixed with the sleek fruit...
750ml
Bottle:
$707.58
$786.20
Barrel Sample Dark chocolate and mocha flavors, very dark and intense, this is a big, concentrated wine, flavored...
750ml
Bottle:
$234.95
Cos d'Estournel has softened those austere Saint-Estèphe tannins and produced a wine that is all opulence and...
Champagne Blend Red Bordeaux Sangiovese 2006 2007
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.
There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.
The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.