Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$19.17
$21.30
12 bottles:
$17.52
A very ripe, jammy cabernet franc with sweet cherries, baked strawberries and licorice spices. Very rich and fruity...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.05
12 bottles:
$11.81
COLOR: Clear pale yellow in colour, with greenish reflections.
NOSE: Fresh and slightly fruity bouquet with delicate...
![Aeris [By Rhys] Nerello Mascalese 'Centennial Mountain' 2019 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d4/d4180ece6a416f3caebb31584f0eeba0.jpg)
750ml
Bottle:
$51.30
$54.00
Pouring a jeweled ruby hue, the 2019 Nerello Mascalese Centennial Mountain Vineyard brings forward sun-kissed aromas...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.94
12 bottles:
$12.68
Made from 100% Garganega, the main grape variety in the Soave DOC. A bright, fresh wine with delicate almond blossom...
750ml
Bottle:
$30.24
$33.60
100% Cabernet Franc from the Ampeleia di Sopra parcels at 450-600 meters above sea level. Vines were planted between...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.20
12 bottles:
$24.70
From two old vineyards, located in the municipality of Randazzo and Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slope of...
750ml
Bottle:
$65.82
12 bottles:
$64.50
Once at the winery, the grapes undergo native fermentation with no added sulfites, resulting in a living wine that is...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.24
$17.09
12 bottles:
$13.18
Salmon-pink. Fine and elegant nose with ripe red berries aromas and hints of black pepper. Enjoyable wine, fruit...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.93
12 bottles:
$33.25
100% Cabernet Franc. Close to the town of Chinon, Clos Guillot is a hillside vineyard with S-SW exposure, near the...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.94
$27.60
100% Cabernet Franc. The Grézeaux vines are the Baudry’s oldest at around 50 years and were the very first part of...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$18.00
Strong Soave tradition here, drawing on the older nomenclature of the zone that once referenced Chablis-type and...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.93
12 bottles:
$19.53
Ripe and rich aromas of dark berries with a hint of pencil shavings, this is an approachable full-bodied red wine...
750ml
Bottle:
$22.95
12 bottles:
$22.49
100% Cabernet Franc from three vineyard sites - Barrow, Morehouse Rd., and Auten. The Vin d'Eté Cab Franc is made in...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.95
12 bottles:
$25.43
100% Cabernet Franc from Auten and Barrow Vineyards - vines from the hillside Barrow Vineyard off of Seneca Lake are...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.34
12 bottles:
$18.95
Reddish tones of medium to high intensity. On the nose this wine expresses all the elegance of the varietal; bell...
1.5Ltr
Bottle:
$21.85
$23.00
6 bottles:
$13.87
Pale yellow with greenish hues. Light-bodied and refreshing, offering a bouquet of melons, ripe apples, and pear....
Cabernet Franc Garganega Mavrodaphne Mencia
Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.
Italy is a fine country for white grape varietals, and white wines have been produced in this ancient country for thousands of years. One of the more popular varietals in the modern age is Garganega, which is currently the 5th most planted white grape across Italy. This grape is most closely associated with the Veneto region of Italy, although it is also grown in Sicily, where it is known as Grecanico Dorato. Garganega is a rigorous, hardy grape, which can grow in huge yields - explaining its popularity in the past. Today, winemakers must be careful to keep yields as low as possible, as this a varietal which can easily lose its distinctive characteristics and fine qualities when grown in bulk.
We know Garganega most commonly from the Soave wines which have been consistently popular over the past few decades. Indeed, the Soave Classico wines which still sell in large quantities across the globe are made from 70%-100% Garganega varietal grapes, and these wines showcase the varietal’s fresh and delicate qualities. The most common flavors present in Garganega wines are delicate, citrus notes, balanced by a hint of almond, and the best examples have remarkable balance and length, with wonderful aromatic notes.
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?