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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:
$11.31
$12.57
Our wine stands out because of its marked fruity character which brings out all the qualities and characteristics of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$44.40
Complex and aromatic with ripe citrus, peach tea, and baked apple. Fennel frond, dried tarragon and white pepper...
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:
$27.00
The nose develops an intensity of violet and wild berries aromas. The mousse is fair and creamy, with a dry yet full...
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:
$18.94
12 bottles:
$18.56
100% Xarel·lo fermented with indigenous yeasts in tank. Twice-weekly batonnage for a further 3 months in tank before...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$24.33
Testacalda is a pure Lambrusco di Sorbara Spumante Metodo Classico made with the ancient and traditional method of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$13.00
Slightly sparkling ruby red wine, semi dry, vinous and intense bouquet, with a characteristically fruity scent,...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.65
12 bottles:
$12.40
Color: Garnet red with a frothy fragrance, brilliant. Nose: Clean, distinctive with hints of violet and raspberry....
Lambrusco Mavrodaphne Mencia Xarel-lo
Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.
Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.
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?