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Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $40.95 $46.80
The 2017 Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards opens with aromas of lemon meringue, popcorn, banana chip and stone fruits...
WA
89
WS
88
White
750ml
Bottle: $15.63
12 bottles: $15.32
White
750ml
Bottle: $20.08
12 bottles: $19.68
The 2017 Chardonnay Bayten opens with classic aromas of spiced yellow apples, poached pears, Meyer lemon curd and...
WA
89
WS
88
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $39.94 $42.48
12 bottles: $34.28
Made from Chardonnay grapes grown only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the famous Goldridge soils of the Russian...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $38.94 $40.08
12 bottles: $38.16
The 2017 Chardonnay Estate opens with notes of toast, cream, lemon pith and hay over a core of Red Delicious apple...
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WA
91
WS
91
White
750ml
Bottle: $17.94
6 bottles: $17.58
This layered wine comes from the neighbors' grapes, largely the noted Ferrington Vineyard, and offers enticing...
WE
92
WS
90
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $20.40
12 bottles: $19.99
Aromas of honeysuckle mingle with pink grapefruit and zesty key lime on the nose. On the palate, bright notes of...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $31.20
Attractive lemon-cream and peach aromas are framed in attractively fragrant spices. The palate has a succulent edge...
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JS
92
WE
90
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $26.90 $28.80
The 2017 Chardonnay is whole-bunch-pressed and matured in 30% new oak with no malolactic. The tightly wound bouquet...
VM
89
WS
89
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $34.39 $36.20
12 bottles: $33.25
Louis Latour Beaune Blanc has a pale yellow colour, the nose offers brioche bread notes, laced with subtle notes of...
White
750ml
Bottle: $13.87
12 bottles: $13.59
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $29.94
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Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $40.60 $46.40
This is very subtle and complete with cooked lemons and apples and a complement of straw and gunpowder. Full-bodied,...
JS
95
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $67.94
12 bottles: $66.58
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White
750ml
Bottle: $64.94
12 bottles: $63.64
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White
750ml
Bottle: $89.93
12 bottles: $88.13
The 2017 Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard, from a site in the Anderson Valley, has an incredibly Burgundian bouquet of...
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JD
94
WA
93
White
750ml
Bottle: $99.94
6 bottles: $97.94
The 2017 Chardonnay Buena Tierra Vineyard conjures up provocative notions of buttered popcorn, crème brûlée and...
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WA
94
WS
92
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.40
12 bottles: $14.11
Precision and brightness to this chardonnay with sliced cooked-apple, peach and pie-crust aromas and flavors. Medium...
JS
93
VM
90
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $87.95 $92.00
The 2017 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre ler Cru shows why this site is so highly regarded. Even with all of the...
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VM
95
JS
93
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $118.95 $123.20
12 bottles: $117.04
Aromas of crushed stones and oyster shell here with a fresh, lemon and yellow-grapefruit edge. The palate has a very...
12 FREE
VM
94
JS
94

Calvados Chardonnay Mezcal Savatiano 2017 750ml

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.

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.

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?