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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.83 $18.28
A vibrant, elegant red, despite the firm tannins. Reveals prevailing floral, cherry, strawberry and iron flavors as...
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.99 $28.88
12 bottles: $23.56
The 2022 Chianti Classico Peppoli is a youthful ruby magenta, and is highly expressive with lively aromas of...
JD
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.93 $18.00
Notes of cooked strawberries, red licorice, blood orange and cedar. Medium body. Bright and racy with crunchy acidity...
JS
92
VM
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.94
Red cherries, cranberries, slate, cloves, bay leaves and lemon peel on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and...
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VM
92
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $30.85 $32.80
The organic Badia a Coltibuono 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva is 90% Sangiovese with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and Colorino...
WA
93
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.11 $36.79
Notes of dried strawberries and cherries with hints of chocolate and sweet spices. Dry and polished with firm...
JS
93
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.25
12 bottles: $14.94
The 2021 Chianti Classico RS Cultusboni is rich, boisterous and quite appealing. I would open it in advance to allow...
VM
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $55.51 $61.68
6 bottles: $54.41
24 Jul, 2023 – This is really velvety and open with a caressing texture that entices with every sip. Medium-bodied...
JS
94
JD
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.43 $21.59
12 bottles: $17.80
Color: Ruby-red. Bouquet: Intense with notes of cherries, plums, and violets. Taste: Rich flavors of cherry and...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.67 $25.19
12 bottles: $20.51
Notes of red plums and bramble berries with dried rose petals, red licorice and bark. Medium- to full-bodied with...
WNR
92
JS
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.74
12 bottles: $19.35
Lovely sweet berry and orange zest aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with crunchy fruit and a stony...
JS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $59.94
Bright and floral on the nose with orange blossom to the vivid sliced cherry character. Medium body, with ultra-fine...
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JS
96
WS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $91.50
6 bottles: $89.67
This is very perfumed and fruity with cherries, light currants and just a hint of vanilla. It’s medium-bodied with...
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JS
96
WA
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.93
6 bottles: $78.33
Aromas of al dente cherries with citrus peel. Flowers, such as red roses, also come through clearly. Medium to full...
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JS
97
WS
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.94
6 bottles: $78.34
The purity of fruit here is stunning with blackberry, blueberry and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied...
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JS
97
WA
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.83
6 bottles: $78.23
Very perfumed with hibiscus flower, citrus and fresh cherry aromas that follow through to a medium body with layers...
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JS
97
VM
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.94
6 bottles: $78.34
Riper and richer Roncicone with plums, currants and jam, accompanied by fresh flowers and walnut undertones....
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JS
95
WS
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $23.14 $23.99
12 bottles: $22.79
A savory version, this Chianti Classico delivers green olive, tomato leaf, iron and tobacco flavors centered on a...
VM
91
WS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.93
12 bottles: $26.39
Plenty of sweet plums on the nose with orange peel. It’s full-bodied with juicy ripe fruit and creamy tannins. Some...
12 FREE
JS
92
Case only
Red
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.63
This leads off with dark fruit tones of black cherry and blackberry, with contrasting scents of violet and iron...
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WS
90

Armagnac Cortese Moschofilero Sangiovese Italy Tuscany Chianti Classico

Armagnac is a beloved grape brandy, hailing from the beautiful French region of Gascony, in the south-west of the country. It has been in constant production since sometime just before the fifteenth century, and over the decades has been the toast of royal households across Europe. Today, it is still enjoyed for its unique flavor profile and characteristics, and although it is understandably compared with Cognac, its more famous cousin, lovers of Armagnac claim that its distinctive rusticity and full body make it a superior brandy, perfect as a digestif or as an evening treat.

Armagnac is made from more than one grape varietal, but the major player in this drink is the fine Ugni Blanc grape, more commonly known by its Italian name, Trebbiano. This is one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, and grows beautifully in Gascony, which has a similar microclimate as its neighbouring wine region, Bordeaux. Armagnac grapes reveal fascinating and complex flavors after distillation, which commonly include christmas cake, earthy, oaky notes and praline.

Armagnac is sold under two categories - vintage, and non-vintage. A vintage Armagnac is made from a blend of grapes which have been grown in a single year, and will have the date printed on the label. Non-vintage Armagnacs, on the other hand, are labelled according to their age. V.S indicates that the brandy has been aged for a minimum of two years, VSOP for four years, XO six years, and Hors d’Age is a premium Armagnac which has been aged for at least ten years.

The Cortese white wine grape varietal has been grown in and around south Piedmont, Italy, for at least five hundred years. Its delicate nature and moderate acidity have made it a favorite with people around the world, and it is most commonly served alongside the excellent seafood and shellfish dishes of the part of Italy it is traditionally grown in. Cortese grapes are easily identifiable by their lime and greengage flavors, and their generally delicate and medium bodied character. Cortese wines are also notable for their freshness and crispness, again, making them an ideal match for seafood. Whilst colder years often produce harsher, more acidic Cortese wines, practices such as allowing malolactic fermentation can solve any such problems and still produce delicious white wines made from this varietal.

Greece has many AOC regions, each with their own signature grape varietal which is cultivated and processed to an exceptionally high degree of excellence. The AOC of Mantinia on the beautiful expansive plateau of the Peloponnese has the Moschofilero varietal, a gray colored white variety which produces exceptional Blanc de Gris wines. A delicate grape, highly sensitive to adverse weather conditions, it is nonetheless prized by wine makers for its unique attributes and the quality of the wine which can be made from it. Although commonly compared to western European Muscat wines, the Moschofilero grapes produce wine which is in a league of its own – full of floral aromas containing heavy, almost soporific notes of rose petals and violets. The flavor of the wine tends to be spicy, and leans more towards earthy mineral flavors rather than fruit ones, making it perfect as an aperitif or coupled with salty olives and cheeses.

Moschofilero wines tend to be elegant and subtle, with their strength being in their crispness, and the bouquet of floral aromas rising from the glass. The finest Moschofilero wines to come out of Greece in recent decades have included the Tselopos, whose high altitude vineyards have seemingly mastered the potential and complexity of this gray grape to international acclaim.

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?

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.

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.

The central Italian region of Tuscany is widely understood to be one of the world's most famous and highly regarded wine regions. The beautiful rolling hillsides and medieval towns and castles which are a key feature of the area are also home to many of Europe's finest wineries, and extremely high quality vineyards growing the distinctive Sangiovese and Vernaccia grape varietals which are the flavorful backbone of Tuscany's wonderful red and white wines. For almost three thousand years, this region has been recognized as an ideal home for wine production on a large scale, and the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans all noticed that fine grape varietals flourished on the unique soils and under the hot sunshine which typifies the area. Today, Tuscany is home to a wide range of wines, from the traditional to the complex, but all dedicated to excellent flavors and aromas, and maintaining the region's international reputation.