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Red
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $133.88
12 bottles: $131.20
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $89.28
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $134.85
A smooth, delicious wine. The fruit flavors go right through this ripe, complex wine, leaving the tannins and wood as...
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WE
93
WA
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $169.89 $184.20
Dark ruby. Deep, brooding nose hints at dark plum, blackcurrant, coffee and lavender accented by cinnamon and...
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VM
91
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1513.35 $1681.50
The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38%...
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WA
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1296.18 $1440.20
Softly spoken, fine tannins, pencil lead and leather, with truffle, earth, campfire and spice. Long drawn out finish,...
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DC
100
WA
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $638.55 $709.50
An evocative nose with perfumed aromas jumping out of the glass. This balances intensity with freshness giving sour...
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DC
96
W&S
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $476.55 $529.50
Tasted over dinner in July 2009.
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VM
94
WA
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $119.95 $127.80
Full red-ruby. Vinous aromas of currant, milk chocolate, tobacco, hot stones and leather. Juicy and fresh but leaner...
12 FREE
WA
91
VM
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $92.40
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $173.94
Cognac PARK Borderies Mizunara Single Cask 2004 draws its specificity from a marriage of Single Cru Cognac which is...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $455.42
It's extremely rare to taste older vintages of Angélus. It's utterly sumptuous, and it's such a shame that the...
DC
95
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $501.41
It's extremely rare to taste older vintages of Angélus. It's utterly sumptuous, and it's such a shame that the...
DC
95
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $350.37
This 7,500-case blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc is one of the strongest wines of the vintage. A deep...
WA
95
W&S
95
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $1588.52
Pretty aromas of crushed blackberry, with hints of ash and light earth. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a...
WS
95
WA
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $95.77
Very grapey and fresh on the nose, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a...
WS
92
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $102.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $141.09
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $51.95
Lots of coffee and chocolate, with plum and dried cherries. Full-bodied with round yet fine tannins, and a fruity...
JS
92

Cognac Red Bordeaux 1996 2004

For over three hundred years, Cognac has enjoyed its reputation as the king of brandies. Indeed, it is widely regarded as the finest drink to be distilled from grapes to be found anywhere in the world, and it is a testament to its producers and the master craftsmen who make it that this reputation has never faltered, and remains as strong as ever to this day.

Cognac is produced solely in the beautiful towns of Cognac and Jarnac, found about fifty miles north of Bordeaux, on the west coast of France. Here, around six thousand grape growers work exclusively in the production of white wine, used for the Cognac distilleries which are scattered throughout the region. The wines are made primarily from the Ugni Blanc or Trebbiano grape - one of the most commonly planted grape varietals in the world - which benefit from the cool, coastal climate and mineral rich soils which are found there. The wines themselves wouldn’t be suitable for drinking in themselves, as they are high in acid and low in alcohol, but this makes them ideal for distillation, and they can impart their wonderful, complex, rich flavors to the brandy.

Cognac varies quite significantly from bottle to bottle, depending on how long it has been aged for, and which appellation it comes from. The Cognac region is split into six separate Crus, all with their own distinctive characteristics, and the spirit can be aged from two years (VS) to six (Hors d’Age and Napoleon) and longer.

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.