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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.84
12 bottles: $13.56
Spiced red fruit with plums, strawberries and red cherries. A hint of grilled tarragon. Juicy, medium-bodied palate...
JS
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $35.93 $37.20
12 bottles: $35.34
The 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko, the flagship 100% Assyrtiko (usually producing around 100,000 bottles), is unoaked and...
WA
94
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.85
12 bottles: $14.55
This is a vibrant white showing aromas of pears, white flowers, puffed rice and lemon verbena. Medium-bodied, so...
JS
91
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $35.94
12 bottles: $35.22
This is showing aromas of salted almonds, white flowers, honey and golden apples. It’s medium- to full-bodied with...
12 FREE
JS
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
Notes of crushed wild berries and sweet plums with blue flowers and dried blood orange. Medium-bodied, juicy and...
JS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.35
12 bottles: $15.05
We love Dolcetto. In the local tradition, this grape was cultivated on the best exposures, just above Nebbiolo...
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $34.56 $38.40
Reveals baked melon, Marcona almond, pastry cream and lime blossom flavors that exude a toasty edge -- a rich profile...
WS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.34
12 bottles: $17.42
A medium-to full-bodied carmenere with lots of dark, grilled cumin, black beans, olives and smoked meat. Dry and...
VM
91
JS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.93
12 bottles: $28.35
This red is appealing in its softness, despite a base of light tannins and bright acidity. Allows the cherry and...
12 FREE
WS
89
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $89.90 $94.80
A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives,...
12 FREE
JS
98
VM
94
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $28.99
12 bottles: $28.42
100% Assyrtiko grown in volcanic soils in the villages of Pyrgos and Imerovigli. Vines are 40-60 years old, grown on...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.85
Floral aromas, with crisp notes of sweet spice. On the palate, giving plums and dark berries, with intensity and...
DC
91

Assyrtiko Carmenere Dolcetto In-Store or Curbside pickup

Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.

The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.

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 deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

In Italian, Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' – a slightly misleading name, as the black grapes of this varietal have relatively little natural sugar and almost almost produce dry wines. However, the Dolcetto grapes are remarkably popular with those looking for a full, rounded and highly flavorful wine, and are grown extensively in their native Italy, and in many other countries around the world. Dolcetto varietal grapes tend to have quite a high level of tannin, due to their thick, black skins, and low acidity, resulting in interesting wines with a large feel in the mouth, despite being relatively light in body. They are most commonly associated with big, complex flavors such as liquorice and prunes, and are regularly described as having a finish similar to the flavor of bitter almonds.