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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $77.09
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.62
Blackberries, blackcurrants, dark plums, Chinese spices and hints of vanilla. Full body, incredibly structured...
JS
95
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.28
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.28
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $86.45
This is a pure merlot with violets, blueberries and hints of minerals and black truffles. Black olives, too....
JS
97
WA
92
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.14
Now in its third vintage, the Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Liù is a fine and impeccably detailed wine. You taste...
WA
94
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $165.95
One of the greatest Italian Merlots, the pedigree of L'Apparita is evident the minute you raise the glass to your...
WE
97
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $224.95
A deep and beautiful red with ripe berry, plum and orange peel character. Almost exotic in style. Full body,...
JS
98
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $157.95
The 2013 L’Apparita gets this tasting off to a very strong start. Fresh, perfumed and totally sensual, the 2013...
VM
98
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94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.93
Ama's 2015 L'Apparita is shaping up to be phenomenal. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to give...
VM
98
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $221.95
The 2016 L'Apparita, 100% Merlot, is a breathtaking, riveting wine that captures all the potential of the vintage. In...
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100
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99
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $167.45
Intense and exotic on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, violet and walnut aromas that follow through to a full...
JS
97
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $210.99
The 2018 L'Apparita is a total stunner. Ama's 100% Merlot is usually a wine of bombastic intensity, but the 2018...
WA
99
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99
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $242.95
A viscous, salted licoricetinged red, with plum, earth and spice flavors. Reveals a solid grip of tannins lining the...
WS
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.19
The Cotarella family was especially attracted to the idea of making Merlot in Lazio thanks to the volcanic soils...
WA
92
JS
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $77.63
Juicy, with good cut to the savory-inflected dried red berry and cherry tart flavors. The sleek finish is crisp and...
WS
89
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $56.36
A juicy and fruity merlot blend with plum, chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Full and layered with fleshy...
JS
93
WE
90
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $155.77
Powerful, rich and complex, with a refined mix of currant, dark cherry and plum tart flavors backed by suave,...
WS
96
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $135.29
Opened for 45 minutes before tasting. From the iconic Three Palms Vineyard, which delivers structured, elegant and...
DC
96
WS
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $119.95
I like the savory nose here, with notes of coffee, spiced plum, overturned earth and bark. Full-bodied with fine,...
JS
95
WS
94

Merlot Petit Verdot Italy United States 750ml Pre-Arrival

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.

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.