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Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.49
12 bottles: $25.96
The hilltop village of Cairanne on the left bank of the southern Rhône between Orange and Vaisonla-Romaine is a...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.78
A true gem of a wine, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape checks in as 75% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and the...
WA
93
JD
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $69.28
I was questioning if the top cuvées were worth the money after tasting the traditional cuvée from winemaker Nicolas...
JD
97
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $345.28
Beautifully fresh, lifted and disarming on the nose, you react with a smile without thinking, like with so many of...
DC
100
JS
100
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $153.17
Very expressive, with violet, fresh bay leaf and rosemary notes leading off, while the core of black cherry, black...
WS
97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.28
Gorgeous, with a lush core of raspberry, blueberry and boysenberry puree flavors gliding through, flecked with anise,...
WS
94
WA
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $159.95
In spite of a hint of charcoal, this is a very deep and charming wine with an entire microcosm of spice on the...
VM
97
JS
97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $122.12
Another perfect wine from this brilliant estate is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which matches the otherworldly...
JD
100
DC
98
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.28
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $110.21
A dark and winey style, featuring intense raspberry and black currant preserve flavors coiled up with singed cedar,...
WS
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $67.31
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $54.62
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.65
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Red
Case only
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Red
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $94.90
Bottled end of February/early in March, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is incredible stuff, and while I...
JD
99
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $43.28
A lovely beam of cassis and dark plum fruit streams through, laced with anise and graphite notes and driving into a...
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $43.28
A lovely beam of cassis and dark plum fruit streams through, laced with anise and graphite notes and driving into a...
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $123.13
This is packed with plum, raspberry and blackberry confiture flavors that are youthfully wound up, while warm stone,...
WS
97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $193.95
A strapping, richly layered wine, teeming with blackberry, black currant and boysenberry paste flavors wrapped in a...
WS
96

Albarino Muscat Red Rhone Blend Tequila 750ml

The pale skinned grapes of the Albarino varietal have been grown in and around Spain and Portugal for almost a thousand years, where they are highly enjoyed and prized by the locals for their distinctive aroma, and sharp, tart acidity levels. Over the past century, their influence has spread to the New World, and many vineyards keen to emulate the white wines of Spain have had considerable success with this varietal. The light bodied wines which are produced from the Albarino grapes have wonderfully aromatic properties, and carry ripe flavors of soft summer fruits, apricot and peach, with a mild and pleasantly bitter after taste brought on by their thick skins. Because of their acidic nature, they are a fantastic match for many Spanish foods, and are best served chilled on a hot day.

One of the most widely grown and easily recognized wine grape varietals in the world is the Muscat, an ancient grape with an exceptional amount of versatility. For centuries, Muscat varietal grapes have been used all over Europe for the production of wonderfully fruity wines of many different shades and colors, which, with their strong 'grapey' flavor have come to be known as a quintessential fine wine grape. Their relatively high acidity also means they are ideal for the production of sparkling wines, and the fizzy Muscat wines of Italy are widely agreed to be amongst the best in the world. In more recent years, New World countries have shown a huge amount of flair when it comes to the Muscat grape, and have had plenty of success in allowing its natural and vibrant character to come through in the bottle.

Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.

One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.

The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.