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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
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: $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
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
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $436.68 $485.20
A massive Yquem, this has a dense palate that is almost chewy like a red. Full and very sweet, with notes of dried...
12 FREE
JS
98
WS
97
Red
750ml
Bottle: $49.94
12 bottles: $48.94
This is a 2013 with blueberry and currant aromas and flavors. Medium body, polished tannins and a juicy finish. Hints...
12 FREE
WE
90
JS
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $153.00
12 bottles: $144.78
Blackberry and licorice aromas, with full body, very fine tannins and a long finish. Very silky. So much for jammy...
12 FREE
WS
92
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $78.75
12 bottles: $77.18
Dense and silky with lots of flowers and black currant character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a long finish...
12 FREE
WE
91
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $50.19
12 bottles: $49.19
The 2013 Haut Batailley wraps around the palate with lovely depth and nuance. A layered, resonant wine, the 2013...
12 FREE
VM
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $37.60
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $216.54 $240.60
The thing that impresses here is the long finish of subtle currant, chocolate and walnut. Full body, silky tannins...
12 FREE
WE
94
JS
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1579.23 $1754.70
The 2003 Lafite Rothschild comes as close to perfection as any of the great Lafites made over the past three decades...
12 FREE
WA
100
JS
98
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $39.94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $286.74 $318.60
This is more exotic and monstrous than the 2000. It is like a muscle builder, with lots of round and rich tannins and...
12 FREE
JS
97
DC
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.94
12 bottles: $36.20
Dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and game notes emerge from the 2013 Ormes de Pez. Broad and ample on the palate...
12 FREE
VM
91
WE
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.94 $34.94
This is one of the most immediately appealing 2014s from the appellation thanks to its very ripe black fruits, and...
WA
89
WS
89
Case only
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $49.93
This is phenomenal with superb depth and texture. Full-bodied and very sweet, yet the bright acidity balances the...
JS
97
WE
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $70.20
12 bottles: $68.80
Barrel Sample. This is a soft wine, with ripe blackberry flavors and ample acidity. Perhaps the fruit tannins are too...
12 FREE
WE
91
VM
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.94
12 bottles: $17.58
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $63.18
A perfumed wine, this is full of black fruits that are shot through with acidity. It is bright, soft and only hinting...
12 FREE
WE
91

Primitivo Red Bordeaux Semillon/sauvignon Blanc 2003 2013 750ml

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.