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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $61.74
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.94
12 bottles: $44.04
50% Barbera/50% Bonarda (aka Croatina). Named for an old farmhouse in the midst of the vineyard, Macchiona is La...
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750ml
Bottle: $899.94 $999.94
Cooked cherries, cherry cough drops, raspberry, vanilla, dried banana chips, and old attic on the nose. The palate's...
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90
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $251.95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $107.09
A focused, balanced style, evoking pure cherry, raspberry, mineral and floral aromas and flavors, this is elegant and...
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97
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $110.95
#10 Top 100, 2015. A phenomenal Saffredi with so much structure and length. It’s full-bodied yet remaines agile and...
JS
100
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95
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $285.45 $291.80
Manetti calls 2012 'the vintage of two faces': summer was very hot until mid-August, when some rain brought cooler...
DC
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $144.71
Manetti calls 2012 'the vintage of two faces': summer was very hot until mid-August, when some rain brought cooler...
DC
97
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $68.78
The 2012 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is striking. Mocha, plums, roasted coffee beans, espresso, dark red fruit and...
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93
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.45
A very rich, layered Siepi with lots of ripe plums and cherries and just a hint of jam. Some chocolate and a whiff of...
JS
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $1142.11
The 2003 Masseto is tremendous tonight. I admit, 2003 is one of my least favorite vintages, and yet the wine is so...
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $882.38
#11 Top100 Italian wine of 2015. Fantastic aromas of lavender, rosemary, violets and currants. Full body, a wonderful...
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99
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $397.49
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $449.95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $63.28
Lots of blackcurrants and blackberry aromas and flavors with hints of bark and mushrooms. Full-bodied, chewy and...
JS
96
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94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.95
The 2003 Ornellaia (magnum) is another impressive wine. Owing to the heat of the vintage, this is an especially ripe,...
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $209.12
This famed SuperTuscan wine (a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend with 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot) is the...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $94.71
Very racy and refined with bright acidity and a blueberry and dark-chocolate character. Love the interplay of acidity...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $130.95
Produced entirely form Merlot grapes in a Vineyard located on the higher part of the Ruffoli hill in the heart of...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $287.53
One of Italy’s most iconic bottlings, the 2012 Sassicaia is drop-dead gorgeous. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon...
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Bourbon Italian Red Blends Merlot 2003 2012

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.