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Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $277.94
6 bottles: $272.38
Blueberry and plum aromas here with some flowers and hot stones, too. Complex. Medium body. Juicy fruit in the center...
WE
94
JS
94
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $185.94
6 bottles: $182.22
Aromas of blueberries and stone with some dried-flower notes. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins...
JS
94
DC
93
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $278.35 $293.00
This has ethereal transparency to it with a fresh, red-berry and cherry nose. Terra-cotta and dried-flower notes....
WA
96
WE
96
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $68.52
6 bottles: $67.15
So vibrant for its age, this has so many herbal aromas it’s almost got a herb-liqueur nose! Very cool and elegant,...
JS
93
WA
92
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $219.95
3 bottles: $215.55
A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 50% new barrels, the 2017 La Gravette De Certan...
JD
94
JS
93
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $118.93 $121.40
6 bottles: $118.40
Beautiful cassis, chocolate, leafy herbs, and earth all emerge from the 2017 Pedestal, a ripe, sexy, opulent wine...
JD
95
WA
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $61.66
A very refined nose with redcurrants, red flowers and a complex mix of light, fresh earth and tobacco leaf. The...
JS
90
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $61.66
You can tell that this is ripe with so much plum and peach character, yet it remains fresh and vivid. Medium to full...
JS
93
DC
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $725.45
The top wine here is terrific, and the 2017 Chateau Angelus is in the top two or three wines on the Right Bank....
JD
97
DC
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $1848.12
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the...
WA
98
DC
97
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $114.57
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou Cuvée Colbert springs from the glass with...
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $257.95
Made of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Belair Monange is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. With a...
WA
98
JS
97
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $93.40
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Berliquet gives up expressive notes of baked plums, blackberry preserves and...
WA
94
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $240.73
The 2017 Chateau Beychevelle is another beautiful wine from this estate, which is being run with incredible talent...
WE
95
JD
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $236.21
The 2017 Chateau Beychevelle is another beautiful wine from this estate, which is being run with incredible talent...
WE
95
JD
95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $93.40
A juicy, fruity Margaux for the vintage with a medium-bodied palate, round and juicy tannins, bright fruit and a...
JS
92
VM
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $185.75
A tight, focused center palate to this red with blackberries, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and smoke. Medium to full...
WE
94
JS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $307.87
Château Calon Ségur is the northernmost classified growth. The wine often has a high percentage of Cabernet...
DC
96
WE
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $238.64
Château Calon Ségur is the northernmost classified growth. The wine often has a high percentage of Cabernet...
DC
96
WE
96
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $233.70
Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc...
VM
97
JD
97

Aligote Merlot Red Bordeaux 2017 1.5Ltr

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

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.