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750ml
Bottle:
$38.65
6 bottles:
$37.88
A perfumed nose of plums, black cherries, violet and paprika. Medium- to full-bodied with lovely ripe red and black...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.50
$18.33
The 2021 Secateurs Red has a lovely nose with brambly red fruit, an attractive floral note emerging with time. The...
750ml
Bottle:
$10.90
$12.13
Made from a blend of Cabernet and Syrah, the 2021 The Curator Red Blend offers a fresh nose of red fruit with a spicy...
![Alpha Estate Red [SMX] 2021 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/98/9842cb507736fd0d206887673f968961.jpg){kind=small}
750ml
Bottle:
$27.94
12 bottles:
$27.38
Deep ruby color with purple hints. Powerful, pungent aromas of sweet cherry, candied plum and toasty vanillin oak....
750ml
Bottle:
$26.45
12 bottles:
$25.92
The 2017 Arboretum Bordeaux Blend is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.94
12 bottles:
$31.30
Composed of 38% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 9% Carignan and 7% Pinotage, the 2020 Elpidios comes from 12...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
$15.84
Concentrated aromas of fresh red fruits, herbs, leather and spices. Light-bodied with a good acidity, and soft,...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.85
$16.25
This is a lively and juicy red showing raspberries, sour cherries, balsamic and oranges on the nose. Medium-bodied...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.90
The color is very deep, clear purple with ruby hues. On the nose, it is intense, dense and fresh due to the Cabernet...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.92
$21.68
6 bottles:
$19.52
Beautifully perfumed with notes of violets, cherry liquor, blueberries, and herbs/fynbos. An intricately constructed...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.20
12 bottles:
$20.78
• 100% Mavrodaphne.
• Low yielding vines from loamy clay soils.
• Fermented and aged in stainless steel.
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
12 bottles:
$13.66
This is a medium-bodied, blended red wine made for family and friends. These vineyards are all farmed organically.
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
$15.00
Paranga is a refreshing and jammy combination: a supple Merlot in the background with a touch of a very spicy Syrah...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.94
$19.20
A touch reductive on the nose, this medium-bodied red features flavors of baked black plum, bitter cherry, smoke and...
Mavrodaphne Mencia Red Blend Greece South Africa 750ml
In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.
Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.
Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.
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?
As one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world, Greece has millenia of experience and expertise when it comes to viticulture, and has developed a set of flavors and characteristics which are found nowhere else on earth. The ancient Greeks revered and deified wine, and were the first true innovators in the history of wine, adding everything from seawater to honey and spices in order to find exciting new taste combinations and aromas. Today, Greek wines are just as varied, although far more refined and sophisticated than their ancient counterparts. The practice of enhancing Greek wines with aromatic substances never left the country, though, as can be seen in the popular Retsina wines, which use pine resin to provide their unique taste and aroma combinations. There is far more to Greek wine than merely Retsina, however, and the vast variety on offer is a testament to the expertise of Greek wineries making the most of the wonderful climate, terrain and grape varietals they work with.
Situated on the very tip of the African continent, South Africa has proved itself over three centuries to be an ideal location for producing a wide range of wines. Benefiting from something not dissimilar to a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers complemented by both Atlantic and Indian Ocean winds, the grapes which grow on the valleys, mountainsides and plains of this fascinating country can ripen to their fullest capacity, producing wines packed full of fruity flavors and an array of interesting and enticing aromas. As a former colony, South Africa has long since been home to a range of different nationalities, who each brought something of their wine culture with them. As such, many European grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling and others have been given time to flourish in South Africa, allowing the country to develop a diverse group of wine types which are proving increasingly popular around the world.