Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$18.32
$19.28
12 bottles:
$14.00
The aromas of cocoa, warm spice and dark fruit are very powerful from the first whiff. In the mouth, the wine is...
750ml
Bottle:
$10.90
$12.02
12 bottles:
$10.48
Shows some floral aromas with raspberries dominating the nose, as well as blackcurrants. The palate has a soft,...
750ml
Bottle:
$615.24
$683.60
This is an epic wine that doesn't quit, opening up with ripe, fleshy flavors of black cherry, Maraschino cherry and...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.55
$26.40
This inky-hued Shiraz is dense, ripe and powerful with quite a bit of oak on display. Chocolate and dusting polish...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.36
$13.01
Red plum, exotic aniseed and candied fennel add to the vibrant fruit mix that the nose suggests…..and...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.85
$16.03
The Chook Shiraz Viognier is sourced
from the premium grape growing region of McLaren Vale in South Australia. The...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
12 bottles:
$13.66
Deep crimson purple in color. Cascading aromas of wild blackberries, ripe blueberries and Black Forest cake are...
750ml
Bottle:
$9.99
Plump and juicy, with apricot, maraschino cherry and black licorice notes that show accents of star anise, black tea...
750ml
Bottle:
$12.47
$13.86
12 bottles:
$12.35
Offers ripe raspberry puree, maraschino cherry and red candy notes that are round and supple, with red licorice,...
Pre-Arrival
Penfolds Grange 1997
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$418.24
The 1997 Grange (a blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon) looks to be a classic Grange, although slightly...
Pre-Arrival
Penfolds Grange 2000
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$363.25
I had both the 2000 and 1994 of Grange last year - this one in New York at a wonderful dinner at Vaucluse, and the...
Pre-Arrival
Penfolds Grange 2002
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$496.29
Deep garnet with a touch of brick, the 2002 Grange is locked in a time capsule, like many of the 2002s, yielding a...
Gruner Veltliner Mavrodaphne Syrah Australia South Australia
Gruner Veltliner is a pale skinned white wine grape varietal most closely associated with central European countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In recent years, it has spread somewhat to several New World countries, where it is becoming gradually more popular and regularly seen in wine stores. One of the main attractions of this grape varietal for winemakers is the fact that it is highly versatile, and can be used for the production of several different wine styles, including young, dry white wines, excellent sparkling wines, and it is also a grape varietal which is well suited for aging Gruner Veltliner has the ability to express much of its terroir, and the best examples are generally those which are full of delightfully mineral-rich flavors alongside the more usual notes of citrus fruits and peach.
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?
Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet's most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn't easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.
Whilst most of Australia consists of arid deserts and dense bushland, the oceanic coasts to the south of the country have a terrain and climate ideal for vine cultivation and wine production. It took several decades of failed attempts at the end of the 18th century in order to produce vines of a decent enough quality for making wine, but since those first false starts, the Australian wine industry has continued to grow and grow. Today, wine production makes up for a considerable part of the Australian economy, with exports in recent years reaching unprecedented levels and even overtaking France for the first time ever. Whilst the greatest successes in regards to quality have been the result of the Syrah grape varietal (known locally as Shiraz), Australia utilizes several Old World grapes, and has had fantastic results from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. As the Australian passion for locally produced wine continues to develop, wineries have begun experimenting with a wider range of grape varietals, meaning that nowadays it isn't uncommon to find high quality Australian wines made from Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier, amongst many others.
The vast region of South Australia is home to a wide variety of vineyards, growing a large range of different grape varietals. Because the South Australian wine region is so large, it benefits from a great array of climatic conditions – from dry and hot, to cool and windy – which wineries can use to their advantage when it comes to selecting the grape varietal they wish to thrive in a particular sub-region. South Australia is most commonly associated with the big, powerful and fruit-forward Shiraz wines which are produced in the cooler valley areas of the region, but recent decades have seen something of an explosion in the South Australian wine industry, leading to wineries expanding their repertoire enormously and experimenting with other fine grape varietals and making the most of their unique terroir.