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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $139.94 $141.10
This is sensational, characterized by such purity and beauty and with aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate,...
12 FREE
JS
96
WE
95
Red
375ml
Bottle: $22.29
Love the fruit on the center palate here with its brightness and vivid acidity. Citrus undertones and a fresh finish....
JS
93
DC
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.90 $39.20
12 bottles: $36.16
Love the fruit on the center palate here with its brightness and vivid acidity. Citrus undertones and a fresh finish....
JS
93
DC
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $14.64
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.94 $35.40
Very pretty and finely formed with currant, cherry and raspberry character. Medium to full body, firm and silky...
JS
93
DC
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.94 $36.70
Very pretty and finely formed with currant, cherry and raspberry character. Medium to full body, firm and silky...
JS
93
DC
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $510.48 $567.20
Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's...
12 FREE
WE
94
JS
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $498.95 $516.00
While few people get excited about second wines, the reality today is that the top estates are making such a strict...
12 FREE
JD
94
WS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.80
12 bottles: $19.40
A tight and focused second wine from Potensac with currant and lemon-rind character. Medium body, fine tannins and a...
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.83 $19.80
An attractive nose with red fruit and an array of red flowers that lead to a palate that has red fruit at its core...
JS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $450.99 $501.10
A total blockbuster is the 2015 Angelus and it’s reminiscent of a slightly more elegant 2009. Made from 62% Merlot...
12 FREE
WA
97
VM
97
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $422.28 $469.20
#37 Top 100 Cellar Selection 2019. This is a rich, perfumed wine, with dense tannins and intense layers of black plum...
12 FREE
WE
100
WA
98
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1135.08 $1261.20
An utterly perfect wine from Alain Vauthier, the 2015 Château Ausone offers off the hook notes of crème de cassis,...
12 FREE
WE
100
JD
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1011.15 $1123.50
The incredible succulent power in Ausone puts a different perspective on other wines, as it so often does. The...
12 FREE
DC
99
WA
99
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $41.88
12 bottles: $37.98
Readers will find a rich, flamboyant wine in the 2016 Barde-Haut. There is not a ton of subtlety here, but I am not...
VM
96
JD
95
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.80
12 bottles: $21.66
Superb intensity and clarity of fruit, ranging from blueberries to blackcurrants to oyster shells and lightly tarry...
JS
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $99.36 $110.40
Shows beautiful, ripe cabernet aromas with currants, plums, meat and smoke. Flowers, too. Full body, deep and ripe...
12 FREE
JS
96
WA
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $89.28 $99.20
This family-owned property at one of the high points in Saint-Émilion has made a rich, opulent wine, full of...
12 FREE
WE
96
WA
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $84.90 $93.20
Showing spectacularly well on the two occasions I was able to taste it, the 2016 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is a...
12 FREE
WA
95
VM
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.90 $22.20
A juicy and pretty wine with berry and chocolate character, a medium body and a clean finish. Clearly better than the...
WE
92
JS
92

Armagnac Red Bordeaux 2002 2015

Armagnac is a beloved grape brandy, hailing from the beautiful French region of Gascony, in the south-west of the country. It has been in constant production since sometime just before the fifteenth century, and over the decades has been the toast of royal households across Europe. Today, it is still enjoyed for its unique flavor profile and characteristics, and although it is understandably compared with Cognac, its more famous cousin, lovers of Armagnac claim that its distinctive rusticity and full body make it a superior brandy, perfect as a digestif or as an evening treat.

Armagnac is made from more than one grape varietal, but the major player in this drink is the fine Ugni Blanc grape, more commonly known by its Italian name, Trebbiano. This is one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, and grows beautifully in Gascony, which has a similar microclimate as its neighbouring wine region, Bordeaux. Armagnac grapes reveal fascinating and complex flavors after distillation, which commonly include christmas cake, earthy, oaky notes and praline.

Armagnac is sold under two categories - vintage, and non-vintage. A vintage Armagnac is made from a blend of grapes which have been grown in a single year, and will have the date printed on the label. Non-vintage Armagnacs, on the other hand, are labelled according to their age. V.S indicates that the brandy has been aged for a minimum of two years, VSOP for four years, XO six years, and Hors d’Age is a premium Armagnac which has been aged for at least ten years.

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.