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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $117.93 $119.80
Quite a mineral Gran Reserva expression with wet stones and hints of sweet spices to the minty plums and cherries....
12 FREE
JS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.82
Complex and well-balanced Rioja wine, it has a well-layered nose of black raspberry and liquorice accompanied by...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $23.15 $25.98
Bright red and garnet with a rim turning to brick showing its extended ageing in barrel and bottle. Complex aromas...
WS
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.86
12 bottles: $19.46
The enticing, complex and focused nose displays scents of ripe plum, cherry, clove, rose, rosemary and thyme. The...
DC
96
WS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $20.89 $23.20
This has an impressive, ripe dark-fruit nose with hints of coffee and cedar, too. The palate has a very succulent and...
JS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $46.50
12 bottles: $45.57
Selected wine from the best vintages. Representative of classic Rioja Alta wines. Cherry-red with tawny hues. Rich in...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.88
12 bottles: $16.24
Color: Underdeveloped hue of red fruit. Nose: Broad range of aromas and especially excellent integration of the...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $28.40
Color: Dark ruby red with violet highlights that, after ageing, turn on garnet red. Bouquet: Intense, resolute but...
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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $79.80
A very balanced wine, with powerful aromas but also a lot of finesse, revealing floral notes, red fruits, scents of...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $53.89 $57.60
12 bottles: $51.30
Attractive nose of dark cherries, dill, thyme, coconut and chocolate. Some salted caramel, too. It’s medium-to...
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WA
95
JS
95
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $449.94
A good vintage - the problem was the yields,' says Jean-Louis. A tasting of principal component lieux-dits Péléat,...
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DC
100
JS
98
Red
750ml
Bottle: $133.60
Gianfranco Fino has rightfully entered the range of those winegrowers tied to traditions wishing to save old...
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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $298.83
Stony-mineral and flinty complexity here. This delivers a very taut, very compact and composed palate with tightly...
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JS
98
VM
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.83 $42.40
Beautiful transparency here with fresh flowers, green tobacco, pine needles, crushed stones and sandalwood. Dark...
JS
95
WA
93
Rapid Ship
Red
375ml
Bottle: $21.90
12 bottles: $21.46
Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and...
JS
95
DC
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $209.95 $215.00
Blackberries, crushed violets, ample minerality, and some scorched earth notes all emerge from the 2016 Côte Rôtie...
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WS
96
JS
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $186.20
6 bottles: $185.00
Named after the lieu-dit, which is located next to Viallière, the 2016 Côte Rôtie Nève sports a deep...
12 FREE
JD
95
WA
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $485.25
Readers wanting to understand pure granite soils need to taste the inky blue/black-colored 2016 Ermitage L’Ermite,...
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JD
100
DC
99
Red
750ml
Bottle: $199.94
A barrel selection chosen from a couple of vineyard blocks, the 250-case production 2016 Marsican Shiraz exudes...
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WA
97
WS
94
Case only
Red
12 FREE

Primitivo Syrah Tempranillo 2005

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.

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.

There are plenty of notable native Spanish grapes which have made a big impression on the wine world at large, but none are as renowned or as widely loved as the Tempranillo varietal. This black skinned grape has been used for wine making for centuries, with several ancient civilizations noticing the fact that it is highly versatile and holds some delicious flavors and aromas, perfect for those looking for a powerful yet elegant grape for their wines. Tempranillo often causes winemakers some trouble, however, as it is highly susceptible to many diseases. Despite this, plenty continue to persevere with this varietal, as it is perfect for producing delicious and complex single variety and blended wines, packed full of classic Spanish flavors and plenty of aromatic and intense surprises.