×
White
750ml
Bottle: $49.94
6 bottles: $48.94
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Pine Mountain is made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard at 2,850 feet in elevation. It...
12 FREE
WA
92
VM
90
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $26.46
This cuvée is made from Cabernet Franc old vines and is partly oaked. The wine has a beautiful garnet color, a nose...
White
750ml
Bottle: $56.94
12 bottles: $55.80
Pruh is the flagship wine, a top, parcel selection of which only a single cask is bottled in years in which the wine...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.90
12 bottles: $25.38
Case only
Red
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.95
12 bottles: $29.35
This dense and structured wine has rich tannins as well as concentrated black fruits. It is an impressive wine, still...
12 FREE
WE
93
Sale
Red
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $149.95
3 bottles: $146.95
Organic. Pruning method is Guyau Val de Loire. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $78.95
12 bottles: $77.37
Organic. Pruning method is Guyau Val de Loire. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard....
12 FREE
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $220.86 $245.40
From 70-year-old vines planted in three parcels on silt and sand topsoils covering softer limestone bedrock, the 2018...
WA
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.94
12 bottles: $39.14
Exceptional terroir quality inspired this limited production.The Cabernet Franc grapes came from a single terroir of...
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $95.84 $104.80
Blueberries, blackcurrants, hot stones, tobacco leaves, dried lavender, walnuts and cracked pepper on the nose....
12 FREE
VM
96
JS
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.93
This has a very fresh array of ripe red berries and a spiced biscuit-like edge to the nose, too. The palate has a...
12 FREE
JS
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $59.94 $61.92
12 bottles: $58.74
GRO Cabernet Franc beautifully expresses our Calistoga “archipelago”. This dry-farmed vineyard is grown at the...
12 FREE
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $18.94
Light and elegant, with a note of peach blossom in the background and plenty of fresh lemon sherbet details. White...
WS
90
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $67.76
Another beautiful wine in this lineup is the 2018 Cabernet Franc, which is 100% varietal and spent 22 months in 80%...
12 FREE
JD
97
VM
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.90
12 bottles: $28.32
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $46.94
6 bottles: $46.00
Fragrant aromas of pine needles, violet essence, currants, citrus tea, sandalwood and incense. Fresh herbs and a hint...
12 FREE
JS
91
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.90
12 bottles: $14.60
This Saint-Bris has a golden color with light green highlights. Its powerful nose is characterized by aromas of...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $430.92 $478.80
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer To Kalon needs a little coaxing to reveal slowly...
12 FREE
WA
97
JD
97

Altesse Bourbon Cabernet Franc Sauvignon Blanc 2018

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.

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.

The green skinned grapes of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal had their origins in Southern France, where they are still widely grown and used for many of the excellent young and aged white wines the region is famous for. Today, however, they are grown in almost every wine producing country in the world, and are widely revered for their fresh and grassy flavors, full of tropical notes and refreshing, zesty character. Sauvignon Blanc grapes thrive best in moderate climates, and ripen relatively early in the year. This has made them a favorite for many wineries in the New World, where they can still produce healthy and high yields in the earlier part of the summer before the temperatures become too hot. Too much heat has a massively adverse effect on Sauvignon Blanc, as the grapes become dull in their flavor, and the wine produced from them loses all its unique character and high points. As such, Sauvignon Blanc farmers have had a lot of trouble from global warming and climate change, as they are being forced to harvest their crops increasingly earlier in the year when it is cool enough to do so.