×
Red
750ml
Bottle: $71.94
The Casanova della Spinetta 2008 Sassontino is a late-release wine that hits the market with 10 additional years of...
12 FREE
WA
94
JS
90
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $119.94
6 bottles: $117.54
Chocolate, sweet spice, tobacco, leather and dark berry fruit give this Brunello a bold and impactful first...
WE
91
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $214.89
6 bottles: $210.59
This has fabulous class and length with ultra-fine tannins that caress and enchant. Full body, yet dense and...
JS
97
WA
94
Red
750ml
Bottle: $139.80
The 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva is an impressive wine for the vintage. It boasts a serious core of fruit backed up...
12 FREE
WA
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $139.80
Savory herbs, tobacco, mint, licorice and dark cherries take shape in the glass as the 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva...
12 FREE
VM
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $174.94
Castell’in Villa is a small estate in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, at the southern end of the Chianti...
12 FREE
DC
95
VM
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $73.20
6 bottles: $72.00
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $62.93
12 bottles: $61.67
A red with soft and silky tannins and ripe and sweet fruit. Full and juicy with a dried strawberry and plum...
12 FREE
JS
92
WA
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $108.00
12 bottles: $105.84
This is Mocali's top shelf wine. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna delle Raunate shows a higher dose of...
12 FREE
WA
95
JS
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $66.06
The wine holds the power and style of the fantastic 2010 vintage. On the nose, very evident notes of plum and morello...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $92.12
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $188.95
Salvioni's 2008 Brunello di Montalcino speaks to finesse above all else. Sensual, ever-changing aromatics draw the...
VM
94
WE
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $280.95
One of the many highlights in this vertical, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is exceptionally beautiful. Today, the...
WA
98
VM
98
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $87.62
A wine that sneaks up on you. It starts up slowly with dried-berry, chocolate and dried-lemon character. Full body,...
JS
97
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $237.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $530.59
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $131.83
Gorgeous aromas of sea salt, savory, smoked meats and dried fruits follow through to a full body, with fine tannins...
WA
96
JS
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $627.12
This is very tannic and powerful with loads of currants, spices and hints of wood. So much stone and mineral...
WA
100
JS
100
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $252.95
The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is a protagonist of the vintage. The fruit is deep and dark with rich...
WA
100
JS
99
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $1096.59
After the highly unusual and exotic 2007, the 2008 Toscana Sangiovese marks a return to a more classic Soldera style....
VM
97

Merlot Sangiovese 2005 2008 2010 Italy

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.

The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old 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.