×
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.27 $28.08
6 bottles: $24.00
Well-balanced and appealing, this medium-bodied red features a core of ripe and baked black cherry fruit, with light...
WS
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.13
12 bottles: $11.52
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $19.50
The bouquet opens up to candied fruit, lemon curd, dried apricot and pressed rose. Fresh floral notes complement...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $14.64
Fresh and intense on the nose with aromas of cherry, plum, and tobacco. Supple on the palate with concentrated fruit...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.90
A heady dose of sweet spices grace the nose, with baked black-cherry and plum tones at the core. This is ultrasoft...
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $26.20
12 bottles: $25.68
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $29.40
12 FREE
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $525.42
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $463.58
This likely auction bottling was sourced from recently acquired old vines that expanded Schlossgut Diel’s share in...
VM
96
WA
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $65.10
The Schola Sarmenti 2013 Primitivo Diciotto is the proverbial "big boy" wine from Puglia. If you don't get that from...
WA
91
WS
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $200.62
Golden yellow. Musky aromas of peach, butterscotch and cinnamon rise above the honeyed botrytis. Full-bodied...
VM
95
WE
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $295.95

Dessert Wine Primitivo Robola 750ml

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.

In the mountains of Cephalonia, the mineral rich soils assist in the growing of one of the finest of Greece's white grape varietals – the Robola grape. These noble yellowish grapes are notable for the wines they produce, which generally contain summer fruits, peach and citrus aromas, coupled with flavors which extend beyond the usual range of white wines, revealing smoky and mineral notes, and a lengthy, lemony after-taste. These fine characteristics helped the regions it is grown in gain AOC status, and wine-makers in this area have many generations of practice in bringing out the elegant and subtle characteristics of this grape.

Robola, and the other wines of Cephalonia have a long and illustrious history, being mentioned even in ancient epic poems such as Homer's Iliad. However, it was the Venetians who first recognized the great potential of Robola grapes, which quickly became the focus for the areas wine-makers and tradesmen. Nowadays, Robola wines act as an excellent example of a refined Greek dry white wine, which can be either drank as a light and refreshing summer aperitif, or alongside grilled white meats, salads, or white fish. Robola wines, as a rule, do not age particularly well, and it is highly recommended that bottles are drunk young, within two years of bottling. By doing so, you can enjoy the unique characteristics of this remarkable wine, complete with the balanced combination of chalky, smoky citrus flavors and delicate peach aromas which typify the finest examples of Robola varietal wines.

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?