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375ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $101.05
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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $57.20
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750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $378.17
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750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $416.42
Noticeably more oak than their Condrieu (10% new oak here), but this should settle - the score assumes that it will....
DC
95
JS
94
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $358.59
Noticeably more oak than their Condrieu (10% new oak here), but this should settle - the score assumes that it will....
DC
95
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94
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $59.62
91-93 The 2020 Condrieu La Galopine can be thought of as the base Condrieu, and it's always a good buy. Light...
JD
93
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.45
The colour is a straw yellow, with green tinges. This Condrieu has layers of amazingly powerful and complex aromas:...
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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $52.12
Rare and confidential Cuvée. On the nose, notes of peach, apricot, and white fruits are revealed. In the mouth,...
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $43.12
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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $213.06
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $203.88
Plump and creamy in feel, but also very pure, with fine details to the mix of melon, pear, apricot and anise notes. A...
WS
97
JD
97
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1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $387.95
Lastly, the 2019 Condrieu Coteau De Vernon comes from a steep, southeast-facing hillside of granite soils and is...
JD
98
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97
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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $96.53
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Bottle: $147.71
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750ml - Case of 6
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750ml - Case of 12
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $96.56
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $85.37
I loved the 2020 Condrieu. It’s made in a more vibrant, reductive, racy style that carries classic white peach,...
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94
WA
93
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750ml - Case of 6
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750ml - Case of 12
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Ripe and lush, offering peach, mango, papaya and nectarine flavors, this nonetheless keeps a sense of purity, with...
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94
VM
93

Lambrusco Savatiano Sherry Viognier Pre-Arrival

Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.


Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

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?

Sherry is made in a unique way using the solera system, which blends fractional shares of young wine from oak barrels with older, more mature wines. Sherry has no vintage date because it is blended from a variety of years. Rare, old sherries can contain wine that dates back 25 to 50 years or more, the date the solera was begun. If a bottle has a date on it, it probably refers to the date the company was founded.

Most sherries begin with the Palomino grape, which enjoys a generally mild climate in and around the triad of towns known as the "Sherry Triangle" and grows in white, limestone and clay soils that look like beach sand. The Pedro Ximenez type of sweet sherry comes from the Pedro Ximenez grape.

Sherry is a "fortified" wine, which means that distilled, neutral spirits are used to fortify the sherry. The added liquor means that the final sherry will be 16 to 20 percent alcohol (higher than table wines) and that it will have a longer shelf life than table wines.

Although primarily associated with the Rhone region of France, the precise origins of the Viognier grape variety are unknown, and the subject of much debate. However, these fine and delicate green skinned grapes are an important varietal for many of France's most elegant white wines, and they are quickly beginning to spread around the New World, too, where wineries are discovering their unique qualities and unusual character. Viognier grapes are notoriously difficult to grow, due to the fact they are highly susceptible to mildew, but wineries persevere with them nonetheless, producing wines which are highly aromatic and have a great, fruit-forward character. Their delicate aroma suggests sweetness due to its flowery, sappy nature, but the wine itself generally very dry and crisp, and full of summery, light and refined qualities.