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Pre-Arrival
A. Christmann Riesling Idig GG 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$107.28
This medium-bodied Riesling delivers plenty of character, with velvety texture and an expressive palate. Bursts with...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$84.78
The core of peach and honeydew melon fruit is framed by lemon candy and butterscotch in this taut white. Hints of...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$95.50
The core of peach and honeydew melon fruit is framed by lemon candy and butterscotch in this taut white. Hints of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$96.63
Here the wood is more moderate though the nose is firmly reduced so be sure to give this a proper aeration if you're...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$70.62
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$96.63
The 2018 Rully 1er Cru Rabourcé offers up notions of crisp orchard fruit, orange zest, nutmeg and vanilla pod that's...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$89.02
89-91 There is a whiff of honeysuckle to the ripe white fleshed fruit, roasted nut and discreet hints of passion...
Pre-Arrival
Albert Bichot Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2019
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$50.53
A latent stoniness underlines the white peach, apple and lemon fruit in this sleek, balanced white, which lingers...
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle:
$554.95
A wine with subtle ripe pear and floral notes that are refreshingly not overly marked by the wood. The texture is...
Chardonnay Fiano Riesling Savatiano 750ml Pre-Arrival
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Riesling grapes have been grown in and around central Europe for centuries, and over time, they became the lasting symbol of south Germany's ancient and proud wine culture. Whilst the reputation of German wines abroad has in the past been mixed, the Germans themselves take an enormous amount of pride in their wineries, and Riesling grapes have now spread around the globe, growing anywhere with the correct climate in which they can thrive. Riesling grape varietals generally require much cooler climatic conditions than many other white grapes, and they are generally considered to be a very 'terroir expressive' varietal, meaning that the features and characteristics of the terroir they are grown on comes across in the flavors and aromas in the bottle. It is this important feature which has allowed Riesling wines to be elevated into the category of 'fine' white wines, as the features of the top quality bottles are generally considered to be highly unique and offer much to interest wine enthusiasts.
Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.
However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.
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?