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Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $21.93 $22.80
12 bottles: $21.49
The 1st vintage of Bianco di Ampeleia was 2016. A neighbor's vineyard had old vines of a local biotype of Trebbiano...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.72
6 bottles: $44.00
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 2019 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
12 FREE
Case only
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $18.68
Color: Pale-straw. Bouquet: Fruity. Taste: Crisp, fresh, refreshing.
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $68.94 $73.20
Rated 97 - This Barone Ricasoli 2018 Casalferro is a selection of the best Merlot from three different vineyards with...
12 FREE
WNR
97
JS
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $79.94
6 bottles: $78.34
A rich, dark expression of Merlot, this red walks the line between austerity and generosity, the latter gaining...
12 FREE
WS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $144.95
6 bottles: $142.05
This is a pure merlot with violets, blueberries and hints of minerals and black truffles. Black olives, too....
12 FREE
JS
97
WA
92
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $5.89
White
750ml
Bottle: $81.00
6 bottles: $79.80
This is another fantastic white and continues to be one of the best from Tuscany. It’s so perfumed with sliced...
12 FREE
JS
98
WA
95
White
750ml
Bottle: $82.88
6 bottles: $81.22
A solid white with dried pear, apple, cream and stone aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied with a beautiful core of...
12 FREE
JS
96
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.53
12 bottles: $19.14
Sliced-pear some red-apple aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with lemon zest and fresh pear on the finish....
12 FREE
JS
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $98.89
12 bottles: $96.91
A pretty red with aromas of blueberries, plums, incense and tea leaves. Full-bodied and structured with a creamy...
12 FREE
WS
94
JS
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $69.94
6 bottles: $68.54
The 2019 Merlot Liu' is another outrageously beautiful wine from Rampolla. Deep, inky and explosive, the 2019...
12 FREE
WA
94
VM
94
White
750ml
Bottle: $36.72
6 bottles: $36.00
COLOR: Pale yellow, greenish hues. NOSE: Spicy herbs, honey, dried apricot.
12 FREE
Sale
White
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $20.42 $21.50
6 bottles: $12.00
Fruity and floral, freshness is the Bonizio Bianco’s calling card. The wine is versatile, food-friendly, pairing...
Case only
White
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.91
12 bottles: $15.83
Savory and a little old-fashioned on the nose with anise-like spices, bark and earthy berries. Full-bodied on the...
JS
90
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $23.75
Aromas of baked yellow apple and orange blossom, jasmine, and clover honey. The palate is fresh and crunchy with...
White
750ml
Bottle: $107.92
Le Macchiole's 2022 Paleo Bianco (a blend of mostly Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc in a supporting role) offers a...
12 FREE
WA
93
VM
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $319.20
A nose like a private library with old books on the shelves, dried lavender and violets on the desk, and sunbeams and...
12 FREE
WE
98
JD
98
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $36.80
Leuta 1,618 Merlot DOC Cortona comes from a vineyard cultivated in Cortona - Tuscany - IT -. The intrinsic...
12 FREE

Assyrtiko Italian White Blends Merlot Italy Tuscany

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?

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.

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.