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Red
750ml
Bottle: $98.82
12 bottles: $96.84
Shows macerated black currant and blackberry notes, with dark charcoal and bay leaf lining the finish. This has good...
12 FREE
WS
90
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $529.20 $588.00
3 bottles: $489.00
Along with the 2005, the 2009 is the greatest Angelus I've tasted and is a perfect wine in every way. Based on 60%...
12 FREE
JD
100
WA
99
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $182.70 $203.00
This wine showed exceptionally well, both at the the Bordeaux 10 Years On tasting in London a few weeks ago and in...
12 FREE
DC
93
WE
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $213.60
12 bottles: $202.35
An attractive, medium-bodied St.-Julien with plenty of blueberry character, plus touches of cassis and mint and a...
12 FREE
JS
94
DC
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $55.20
12 bottles: $54.10
Ripe, fresh and decidedly forward in style, with a modestly tarry edge supporting the juicy blackberry, loganberry...
12 FREE
WS
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $63.95
12 bottles: $62.67
This estate has produced an impressive wine for the vintage. It balances acidity, tarry wood flavors and ripe...
12 FREE
WE
93
JS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $130.68 $145.20
Showing beautifully, the 2009 Château Brane-Cantenac is loaded with classic Margaux notes of sandalwood, dried...
12 FREE
JD
95
DC
94
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $210.60
A wine that expresses the sun-drenched and opulent character of the vintage, and yet Merlot does not play a leading...
12 FREE
DC
96
WA
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $184.95 $195.00
The freshness on the nose is striking and you could easily mistake this for a 4-5 year old wine. Ripe elderberry and...
12 FREE
WS
96
JS
96
Sale
Red
3.0Ltr
Bottle: $1099.95 $1131.00
One of my favorite vintages from this incredible terroir located on the upper plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2009...
JD
99
WA
97
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $85.13 $94.59
Extremely perfumed with cocoa powder, nuts and hints of cherries. Medium body, lovely density of fruit and a soft and...
12 FREE
JS
93
WE
92
Red
375ml
Bottle: $39.94
Gorgeous ripe fruit character, with loads of blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Full body, with velvety tannins...
JS
95
VM
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $95.40
12 bottles: $90.06
Along with brambly fruit and hints of vanilla on the nose, the finesse of the tannins is most admirable in this wine,...
12 FREE
DC
94
WE
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1182.60 $1314.00
A profoundly generous wine with coffee grounds and patisserie notes revealing grilled oak that's subtle but extremely...
12 FREE
DC
100
WA
100
Red
750ml
Bottle: $184.95
12 bottles: $181.25
Juicy and nicely framed with a singed bay leaf note, which allows the medium-weight core of crushed plum and mulled...
12 FREE
WS
93
WA
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $86.95
12 bottles: $85.21
93–95. Barrel Sample. A rich and structured wine, this combines both the ripeness of mature Merlot and a solid, dry...
12 FREE
WE
95
WA
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $397.08 $441.20
Another magical wine from this property, the 2009 Château Cos D'Estournel reminds me slightly of the 2005 with its...
12 FREE
WA
100
JD
100
Red
750ml
Bottle: $35.25
12 bottles: $34.55
The quality of the fruit and tannins are very pretty here. It’s full-bodied, with round velvety texture and a...
12 FREE
WE
92
JS
92
Red
3.0Ltr
Bottle: $1659.00
Plenty of ripe cassis and chocolate with a hint of smoke on the nose lead you into a ripe and velvety Pauillac that...
WE
93
JS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $106.50
3 bottles: $89.00
Plenty of ripe cassis and chocolate with a hint of smoke on the nose lead you into a ripe and velvety Pauillac that...
12 FREE
WE
93
JS
93

Primitivo Red Bordeaux Red Rhone Blend 2009 2013

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.