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Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $113.40
12 bottles: $111.13
Tasted single blind against its peers. This has a very well -defined nose of dried pineapple, quince and vanilla pod...
12 FREE
WA
93
VM
93
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $49.90
12 bottles: $48.90
12 FREE
Sale
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $414.18 $460.20
Barrel sample. Impressively balanced, with the fruit rich, intense with a golden glow. The acidity is as important as...
12 FREE
WE
98
WA
95
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $4221.40 $4490.85
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $60.94
A fine, supple red, sporting velvety tannins, racy raspberry, cherry and plum fruit, joined by layers of spice, hot...
WE
92
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.95
Tasted single blind against its peers. This has a very well -defined nose of dried pineapple, quince and vanilla pod...
WA
93
VM
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $59.94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $372.12
Barrel Sample. This is a beautiful Yquem, not huge or powerful, but with crispness, honey and freshness, very...
WE
96
WS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $322.65
Barrel sample. Impressively balanced, with the fruit rich, intense with a golden glow. The acidity is as important as...
WE
98
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $329.72
Barrel sample. Impressively balanced, with the fruit rich, intense with a golden glow. The acidity is as important as...
WE
98
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $45.35
Vivid, quite intense nose with a spicy savoury twist to the sweet expressive fruit. The sweet palate has a nice...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $65.53
Spicy, with dried apricot and lemon character. Full, yet tight and long. Medium sweet, with a spicy finish. An...
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $48.12
Pale orange-gold. Tangy aromas of peach, tangerine and honey are pure but a bit youthfully subdued; this reminded me...
VM
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $47.82
92-94 Barrel sample. Rich rather than sweet, this is stuffed full of botrytis. The wine is powered through with this...
WE
94
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $58.21
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1765.95 $1878.67
Sale
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1699.40 $1807.87
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1398.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $396.68
A focused beam, this white wraps its lime, mineral, apple and vanilla notes around a core of bracing acidity. Has...
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $459.15
The 2008 Corton-Charlemagne comes across as super-classic in its chiseled fruit. Today the 2008 is holding back much...
WA
94
WS
92

Carignan Chardonnay Semillon/sauvignon Blanc 2004 2008 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.

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.