×
White
750ml
Bottle: $41.79
6 bottles: $41.20
This energetic and fully dry Riesling is made in the same way as the Dr. Loosen Grosses Gewächs (“Great Growth”)...
12 FREE
JD
96
WE
94
Case only
White
12 FREE
White
12 FREE
White
12 FREE
White
375ml
Bottle: $43.94
12 bottles: $43.06
12 FREE
White
750ml
Bottle: $38.94
Some funk here, but it gels really well with the white-peach and white-currant aromas. Very juicy with an exciting...
12 FREE
JS
92
VM
90
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $175.12
From very low yielding vines on rocky terroir, the 2017 Zellertal Kreuzberg Riesling is quite open and fresh on the...
WA
96
JS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Rose
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $181.19
Incredibly complex aromas of subtle white stones, slate, light berries and peach character plus a hint of cream....
JS
95
VM
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Rose
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $61.17
This is so lovely with the strawberry and cream character but also so much minerality in the form of slate and chalk....
JS
92
DC
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Rose
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $236.49
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Rose
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $99.95
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.36
Cinnamon, white pepper, green paprika, green apples and citrus. Medium-bodied and very taut and citrusy on the...
JS
93
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $41.00
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $38.90
The 2017 Wachenheimer Böhlig P.C. is excitingly pure, fresh and elegant on the bright and chalky/flinty nose....
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $157.37
Picked on October 19 and 20, the 2017 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese is deep and smoky on the rich and...
WA
94
WE
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $193.13
The 2017 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Auslese is intense and floral on the deep and still only slightly flinty nose....
WA
94
JS
94
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $175.28
This features intriguing spicy notes of clove and star anise that extend from start to finish, while the core is...
WS
92
JS
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $56.95
I love the ripe peachy fruit of this wine. Behind that, there’s a great mineral structure that effortlessly carries...
JS
94
WA
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $589.76
Although this Saar Auslese is still a bit closed, it already shows sensational refinement and elegance. With...
JS
97
WS
96

Grenache Mavrodaphne Riesling Rose / Blush 2017

The Grenache grape holds the honor of being the most widely planted wine grape varietal on earth. It has a long and impressive history, and has been the backbone of the some of the planet’s most respected and famed wine regions, blended with Syrah in regions such as Chateauneuf du Pape, and in certain other Loire and Languedoc regions where it reigns supreme as a single varietal wine grape. In other key areas, such as Spain’s La Rioja (where it is known as Garnacha Tinta), it is blended with Tempranillo to make that country’s signature red wine, and is widely used as a blending grape in other old and new world countries, due to its unique character and jammy, fruit forward character.


For a long time, the Grenache grape was somewhat looked down upon as an ignoble varietal, incapable of producing wines of any particular interest. However, times are very much changing - in the right hands, Grenache grapes result in astonishingly intense and complex wines, full of fascinating features, and capable of achieving plenty of expression. For a while now, Grenache has been a major player in Australian wines. While not yet quite as extensively planted down under as Shiraz is, the Barossa Valley is bringing out some of the finest examples of this grape’s wines in recent years.

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

Riesling grapes have been grown in and around central Europe for centuries, and over time, they became the lasting symbol of south Germany's ancient and proud wine culture. Whilst the reputation of German wines abroad has in the past been mixed, the Germans themselves take an enormous amount of pride in their wineries, and Riesling grapes have now spread around the globe, growing anywhere with the correct climate in which they can thrive. Riesling grape varietals generally require much cooler climatic conditions than many other white grapes, and they are generally considered to be a very 'terroir expressive' varietal, meaning that the features and characteristics of the terroir they are grown on comes across in the flavors and aromas in the bottle. It is this important feature which has allowed Riesling wines to be elevated into the category of 'fine' white wines, as the features of the top quality bottles are generally considered to be highly unique and offer much to interest wine enthusiasts.