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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.03
Medium ruby-red with a touch of crimson, this wine is expressive with aromas of dried cherries, floral notes and a...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $8.99
Deep ruby-purple in color, this wine boasts exquisite aromas of blackberries, blueberries, plum and spice. It is well...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.17 $21.30
12 bottles: $17.52
Plenty of fruit on the nose with a nice reductive and peppery edge. Dark cherries and strawberries with spiced plums...
JS
93
WA
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.66
12 bottles: $16.33
The 2022 Adelante Malbec is bold. The blue (blueberry) fruit is accented with minerality, earth, & spice. The wine...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $57.94
12 bottles: $56.78
From warm, fully south-facing vineyards near the township of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Agostina Pieri’s 2018...
12 FREE
DC
92
WA
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $49.86 $52.00
12 bottles: $49.40
Overtones of vanilla give way to pungent fennel and sage. Belying Agostina Pieri’s warm, southerly location, the...
12 FREE
DC
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $33.16
A bold wine with impressive tannic structure. Ripe black fruit and dark berries on the nose with hints of roasted...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.94 $14.30
12 bottles: $12.35
This classic Malbec has dense flavors of dark plum, black cherry and chocolate, layered with toasted oak and a...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.15 $11.70
12 bottles: $11.12
Food-friendly and downright yummy this is a complex wine with lots of layers and notes of earth, leather, red fruit...
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.10 $13.01
This entry-level Malbec is an authentic mountain wine that offers excellent value for money. Just 30% was oak-aged,...
DC
92
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.30
12 bottles: $14.01
Color: Red of good intensity. Nose: Intense aromas resemble ripe cherries and raspberries that combined with the...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.44 $16.25
12 bottles: $12.35
Alamos Malbec captures the spirit and terroir of Argentina’s signature variety. Grown at high-level altitudes, our...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.00
12 bottles: $14.25
Hand selected from vineyards in the cool climate district of La Consulta, Alamos Selección is the brand’s premier...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.80
12 bottles: $18.42
The wine has ripe, red fruit aromas and spicy notes, with round, soft tannins and a lively mouthfeel.
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.94
6 bottles: $29.34
The 2020 Terroir Selection Malbec blends grapes from their vineyards in different subzones of Mendoza. This time, 25%...
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WA
92
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.65 $15.17
12 bottles: $12.36
This Malbec has intense red fruit aromas, specially plums, with hints of vanilla and a subtle trace of coffee. It is...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $64.94
A concentrated bead of blackberries and minerals pervades the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied with...
12 FREE
JS
95
WA
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $49.90 $52.00
12 bottles: $49.40
This has fantastic intensity with concentrated hazelnut, chocolate and dark berry aromas alongside dried flower and...
12 FREE
JS
95
WA
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $52.92 $56.00
The Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a rich and savory side that this wine wears very well. There is a...
12 FREE
WA
95
VM
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $102.95 $113.99
Super clean black fruit and minerals on the nose and palate. Floral and herbal nuances, too. Medium-to full-bodied...
12 FREE
JS
97
WA
95

Malbec Mavrodaphne Petit Verdot Sangiovese 750ml

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.

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?

The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.