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Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $15.99
Deep ruby-purple in color, this wine boasts exquisite aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plum and spice. It is well...
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $18.29
Food-friendly and downright yummy this is a complex wine with lots of layers and notes of earth, leather, red fruit...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $34.52 $38.36
6 bottles: $27.43
Leather, black plum and cassis aromas carry the nose of this wine. The full-bodied palate brings jammy blackberry and...
WE
91
JS
90
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $14.40
The Astica Malbec offers a pure, fruit driven example of Argentina’s signature grape. Medium in body with juicy...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $23.37 $24.60
6 bottles: $15.00
Black violet color. Aromas of blackberry jam, mulberry preserves, black tea, dark chocolate, orange blossom, and...
BTI
88
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $28.84 $30.36
6 bottles: $19.20
The Beringer Founders’ Estate Merlot is immediately approachable with lush flavors of blueberry, blackberry and...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $25.81 $27.17
6 bottles: $16.68
The Basics Ripe plum and currant flavors are immediately evident in its aromas and flavors. The Taste A sweet,...
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $223.00
Expressive nose filled with softly perfumed red fruit with touches of blackcurrant and black cherries. Great acidity,...
DC
94
WNR
90
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $21.85 $23.00
6 bottles: $13.87
Deep ruby red color. Vibrant, complex aromas with typical fragrant hints of hay. On the palate, stylish spice...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $22.74 $23.94
6 bottles: $13.85
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $83.15
3 bottles: $81.49
Ripe crunchy red forest fruits with notes of candied dark cherries. Rich and bold, with juicy tannins. (Bronze) -...
DC
89
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $18.44 $20.49
6 bottles: $16.66
Our Merlot is a very stylish and fruit-driven red wine. Rich and complex flavors of plum and berry are complemented...
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $16.94
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $28.84 $30.36
6 bottles: $19.20
With its ruby red color and round notes of plum, red cherry and a hint of chocolate, it’s a varietal that thrives...
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $205.00
6 bottles: $200.90
Fantastic aromas of crushed plums and blackberries. Perfumed! Full-bodied and very silky with stone undertones. Best...
JS
94
WA
91
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $256.50
3 bottles: $252.00
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $316.20
6 bottles: $312.00
93-95 Barrel sample. This is a smooth, rich wine that's intensely concentrated and packed with great black-currant...
WE
95
JD
94
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $364.95
6 bottles: $357.65
Made in a more flamboyant, lifted style than the 2016, the 2015 Château Beychevelle offers a beautiful, medium to...
WE
95
JD
95
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $183.95 $200.20
This is now performing as one of the top Margaux estates. Their latest release shows structure, elegant black fruits...
WE
96
DC
95
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $440.20
6 bottles: $436.00
Tight and dense still but so integrated and seamless in texture. Aromas of chocolate, hazelnuts, dried spices and...
WA
94
JS
94

Malbec Merlot Primitivo Red Bordeaux 1.5Ltr

The purple Malbec variety grapes which now grow all over the Old and New Worlds had their origins in France, where they are one of the few grape varieties allowed to be used in the highly esteemed blended wines of Bordeaux. However, it is perhaps the New World Malbec wines which have attracted the most attention in recent years, as they thrive in hot southern climates in ways they cannot in their native country, where the damp conditions leave them highly vulnerable to rot. Malbec grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, resulting in full-bodied red wines packed with ripe, plummy flavors and held in their characteristically dark, garnet colored liquid. In many countries, Malbec is still used primarily as a varietal for blending, as it adds a great level of richness and density to other, lighter and thinner varietals. However, single variety Malbec wines have been greatly on the rise in recent years, with some fantastic results and big, juicy flavors marking them out as a great wine for matching with a wide range of foods.

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.

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.

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.