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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $107.85
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $209.95
The wine is dark, deep, rich and dense. It has just the right wood element, black berry juice and a pure line of...
WE
93
DC
92
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $384.95
The 2008 Lynch Bages is brilliant stuff as well as a textbook Pauillac. Revealing a still youthful ruby/purple color...
WE
94
JD
94
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $397.95
Lovely precision and drive to this with aromas of lemon curd, brioche, praline, apricots, pomelos, mandarin zest and...
JS
97
WA
96
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $544.72
A superb vintage of this renowned prestige cuvée, this is made from a base of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, to...
DC
98
WA
97
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $221.43
Disgorged with four grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Extra Brut Vintage hasn't appreciably evolved since I last...
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $348.95
Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and...
WA
94
VM
94
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Sparkling
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $629.95
The 2008 La Grande Année is another brilliant 2008 that delivers the goods. Straight-up awesome notes of stone...
JD
99
DC
97
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $1002.81
Firm tannins and great freshness, with a touch of bitter chocolate as well as spice and tight tannins. This second...
WE
92
WA
91
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $1583.45
Pretty aromas of crushed blackberry, with hints of ash and light earth. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a...
WS
95
WA
94
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $144.95
New wood and high extraction are the dominant characteristics of this wine. That makes it in a modern, polished...
WE
91
WA
90
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $255.17
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $1280.71
Barrel Sample. This is certainly one of the stars of the vintage. With its solid tannins and dark, smoky character,...
WE
97
WS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $242.13
The wine is dark, deep, rich and dense. It has just the right wood element, black berry juice and a pure line of...
WE
93
DC
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $398.38
The first vintage made at the new winery, the 2008 Cos d’Estournel is drinking beautifully today, with terrific...
WA
95
WE
95
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $260.90
A magnificent sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Duhart Milon is the shrewd consumer’s wine to purchase by the case...
WA
94
VM
93
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $501.33
Served in magnum, this represents a classic Bordeaux vintage that saw average temperatures and rainfall. You had to...
DC
94
VM
91
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $191.05
A smooth, delicious wine. The fruit flavors go right through this ripe, complex wine, leaving the tannins and wood as...
WE
93
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $152.46
A smooth, delicious wine. The fruit flavors go right through this ripe, complex wine, leaving the tannins and wood as...
WE
93
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $197.70
The 2004 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that I have not tasted since 2011. This example, from a half-bottle, shows a...
VM
89
WE
89

Champagne Blend Red Bordeaux 2004 2008 1.5Ltr

The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.

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.