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750ml
Bottle:
$10.99
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.89
$17.09
12 bottles:
$15.57
‘Telleira’ is the Galician word for tile factory. In the past, tiles were made in this plot with the clay from...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.94
12 bottles:
$31.30
• Varietal Mencía from a few parcels, some younger and some up to 100 years old.
• Spontaneous fermentation in...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.94
12 bottles:
$18.56
There is a note of dry hay and esparto grass in the 2022 Fusco, which made me think of some wines from Douro in...
750ml
Bottle:
$59.94
$64.08
Native to the northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, mencía is known for its thick skins and dark fruit and...
750ml
Bottle:
$11.31
$12.57
Our wine stands out because of its marked fruity character which brings out all the qualities and characteristics of...
750ml
Bottle:
$36.00
12 bottles:
$34.20
A new paraje bottling from Antoine Graillot, the 2021 Encinas La Rata is from just below El Rapolao, on clay-rich...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.89
$26.40
12 bottles:
$25.37
The 2021 Encinas feels cleaner and less reductive than previous years but still has the earthy rusticity that seems...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$21.50
A vin de soif, made in a light, refreshing style. Earthy with some smoked meat aromas on the nose. The palate is...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$19.01
A vin de soif, made in a light, refreshing style. Earthy with some smoked meat aromas on the nose. The palate is...
750ml
Bottle:
$27.74
$29.20
12 bottles:
$26.60
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2019. This easy-drinking whiskey has a straw hue, mild vanilla aroma and feather-light feel on the...
750ml
Bottle:
$69.89
The 2021 Ultreia Valtuille was produced with the clay part of their Villegas plot, as the sandy part was used for the...
750ml
Bottle:
$69.94
Again, the cooler 2021 seems to have worked nicely for the 2021 Ultreia Cova de la Raposa, which compensates for the...
750ml
Bottle:
$69.94
The nose of the 2021 Ultreia Petra is completely different from the rest of the Ultreia range. This is only two...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.87
$19.60
The biggest volume of the winery is the 2021 Ultreia Saint Jacques, which represents some 170,000 bottles, and...
750ml
Bottle:
$60.87
$64.07
6 bottles:
$49.91
Rich aromas of toasted marcona almonds, saltine crackers, and hay are earthy, savory and ethereal. Equally powerful...
750ml
Bottle:
$60.87
$64.07
6 bottles:
$60.47
Pours an inviting amber color and shows complex aromas of preserved lemon, toasted grains, dried peach, and honey...
750ml
Bottle:
$152.39
6 bottles:
$143.99
Blanched nuts, clover honey, and hay are delicate and mellow aromas. The palate erupts with baking spice and tropical...
750ml
Bottle:
$286.13
$301.19
Red wine poached pear, dried tobacco, baking spice, and baked apricot on the nose. Much softer and honeyed on the...
White Rhone Blends Irish Whiskey Mavrodaphne Mencia 750ml
Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.
The Irish are hailed as being the original producers of whiskey in the British Isles, and their innovations and techniques were so successful, that neighbouring Scotland were quickly influenced by them in the 15th century. Centuries later, it was the Irish who brought whiskey to America, and their style of whiskey has since become popular all over the world.
However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the Irish whiskey industry - from being a dominant force in the 19th century, whose produce was considered far superior to that of Scotland, political upheaval and war saw the Irish whiskey almost disappear forever in the early 20th century. Today, the Irish whiskey manufacturers are back on their feet, and they are once again proving that the original is often the best. With new distilleries opening every year, it is safe to say that Irish whiskey is very much back.
Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in a number of ways, and not least the spelling - the extra ‘e’ was said to be added in the 19th century as a way of distancing the Irish drink from what they saw as an inferior Scottish product. Irish whiskey was traditionally made in enormous stills, as a way of ensuring consistency from bottle to bottle, and maintaining the quality and complexity their reputation was founded on. The typical tasting notes of fine Irish whiskey include apple and vanilla, alongside spicy and sweet touches of nutmeg and fresh hay, making this a highly pleasant and smooth drink, made for relaxation and stimulating conversation about times past.
In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.
Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.
Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.
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?