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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: $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...
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WS
92
JS
91
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...
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WA
100
JS
98
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...
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JS
97
DC
96
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $899.94 $999.94
Cooked cherries, cherry cough drops, raspberry, vanilla, dried banana chips, and old attic on the nose. The palate's...
12 FREE
WKY
90
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White
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $3673.05
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $1033.23
Amazing! The limestone soils of Ausone appear to have been the perfect foil for resisting the extreme heat and...
WA
100
WS
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $125.45
The most beautifully situated chateau, with its great view of the Gironde estuary, Beychevelle is another of those...
WE
93
WA
92
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $100.95
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $167.68
Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and...
WS
95
VM
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $181.96
Loads of crushed berries, with mineral, lightly toasted oak and licorice. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and...
WS
95
VM
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $60.61
This is a ripe, complete wine, full of black fruits, spicy wood and solid tannins. Over five-10 years, it will...
WE
89
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $121.87
Loads of blackberry, toasted oak and chocolate here. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and lots of fruit. This is a...
WS
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $231.62
A dense and powerful wine as always with very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity with tobacco,...
JS
98
VM
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $316.61
A dense and powerful wine as always with very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity with tobacco,...
JS
98
VM
96
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $108.28
Very fruity with strawberry and currants on the nose. Full bodied, with silky tannins and a long, fruity finish....
WS
91
JS
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $111.65
A beautiful red with blackberries, flowers and chocolate. Full body, velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Sous...
JS
93
DC
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $113.43
Case only
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Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $48.51
Bright yellow-gold. Spicy, ripe, complex aromas of peach, apricot, orange and nutmeg. Juicy, shapely and sweet, with...
VM
92
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $207.59
Lots of aromas of roasted fruit, such as blueberries and raisins, and spices. It has full body with plenty of velvety...
WA
94
WS
94

Bourbon Chardonnay Red Bordeaux Semillon/sauvignon Blanc 2003 750ml

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

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.