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750ml
Bottle:
$19.20
12 bottles:
$18.82
A new wine for 'A Vita (although it was made once before, in the 2012 vintage), the 'il Rosso' is Gaglioppo (from the...
750ml
Bottle:
$29.88
$31.20
12 bottles:
$29.64
The 2021 Grenache Blanc Thompson Vineyard is bright and beautifully focused. Orchard fruit, mint, white pepper and...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.17
$21.30
12 bottles:
$17.52
A very ripe, jammy cabernet franc with sweet cherries, baked strawberries and licorice spices. Very rich and fruity...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.57
12 bottles:
$12.32
Colour: Intense bright red colour with violet reflections.
Nose: Flavours of prune, tobacco and vanilla.
Taste: Dry,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$23.66
Lovely and fresh with aromas of crunchy red berries, red plum, tomato, and leather. The palate has a touch of spice,...
750ml
Bottle:
$32.89
$35.20
In the glass, the wine shows colors of red garnet accompanied by a bouquet of cherries, menthol and a hint of...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.15
$17.08
12 bottles:
$15.44
In the glass, the wine is deep ruby with purple hues. On the nose, the wine is delicate with notes of cherry,...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.80
12 bottles:
$18.24
This blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese is a smooth, full-bodied cru made in an...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.99
A fresh nose of blueberries, plums, cassis and violets. It’s medium-bodied with velvety tannins. It’s easygoing...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$35.00
Ripe pineapple, papaya, and slatey minerality on the nose. Intense but well-balanced tropical fruit flavors on the...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.85
12 bottles:
$33.17
100% Cabernet Franc from the Ampeleia di Sopra parcels at 450-600 meters above sea level. Vines were planted between...
750ml
Bottle:
$11.71
$13.01
This refreshing wine has fruity and citrus aromas with notes of lemon and mineral hints. Fresh and light on the...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.83
$17.50
Taut and linear in profile, this red delivers black currant, black cherry, vanilla and peppery spices. Tightens up on...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.40
12 bottles:
$16.63
Lively ruby red colour with intense aromas or red fruits like plums, cherries with raspberry, blackcurrant and green...
750ml
Bottle:
$69.90
$75.60
Fascinating aromas of blackcurrants, orange peel, stone, minerals and blanched walnuts follow through to a medium to...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.41
12 bottles:
$17.06
COLOR: Dark ruby red color with purple highlights.
NOSE: On the nose it shows a broad and complex bouquet with notes...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.49
$16.66
A juicy but umami nose on this wine begins with black cherries, blackberries and plums. Aromas then turn to soy sauce...
750ml
Bottle:
$40.79
6 bottles:
$40.00
I love the aromas of blackberries, graphite and walnut with cedar. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that run the...
Cabernet Franc Italian Red Blends Mencia Nero D'avola Savatiano 750ml
Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.
Italy’s largest island, Sicily, has a wine producing history that can put most other European regions to shame. It was producing quality wines before the days of the Roman empire, and even the Ancient Greeks were not the first to cultivate vines on the island. For as long as anyone knows, the key grape varietal of Sicily has been Nero d’Avola, the beautiful, deep blue skinned grape which produces the region’s characterful, powerful red wines. While in the past, Nero d’Avola was mainly used as a blending grape, due to its deep color and intensely full body, it is today being increasingly celebrated as a single varietal wine grape, and is perfect for those who like their wines boisterous, loud and strong.
Nero d’Avola is grown pretty much everywhere on Sicily, as demand for wines made from this grape have never been higher. Despite its power and body, it is quite a versatile grape - it can be aged in oak barrels, which produces a dense and dark wine which puts its intense characteristics to good use, but it is also often drunk quite young, which allows its jammy, plummy character to come forward. It is also used to make rose wines in some appellations of Sicily, demonstrating a softer side to this otherwise heavy, deeply flavorful grape.
Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.
However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.
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?