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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $35.25
Consisting of over half Chenin Blanc with 14% Semillon, 13% Roussanne, 9% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc and 4%...
WA
91
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.61
With a wine list that extends to thousands of labels you can easily get lost, so since I will soon be in the Cape, I...
VM
93
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $54.11
The 2019 Cartology was whole-bunch-pressed and matured in cement eggs, amphorae, foudres and used barrels, fermented...
VM
94
WS
91
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $45.94
The 2021 Cartology is a worthy follow-up to the 2020. It unfurls gradually on the nose with honeysuckle and light...
VM
95
WS
91
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $46.94
Mostly Chenin Blanc with 8% Sémillon, the 2022 Cartology Bush Vines instantly impresses with fantastic balance and...
WA
93
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $48.90
As always, the nose is intense and exotic, sporting salted lemon and quince, oatmeal and a hint of white flowers. The...
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $47.32
As always, the nose is intense and exotic, sporting salted lemon and quince, oatmeal and a hint of white flowers. The...
Case only
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.94
The 2020 Hemelrand Vine Garden comes from a field blend albeit planted in rows that makes it easier to manage. It is...
VM
95
WS
92
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $46.37
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $82.29
Big and rich. Loads of crushed raspberry aromas, with toasted oak and coffee highlights. Full-bodied, with a solid...
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $51.95
Intensely plummy, with ripe fruit and floral aromas with lots maraschino cherries. Full-bodied and soft, with lovely...
WS
92
WA
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $212.21
The 2016 Ampio delle Mortelle needs time to shed some of its considerable power. Red cherry, plum, licorice and dried...
VM
93
WE
93
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $146.62
This has a perfumed nose of licorice, blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, mocha and dried flowers. Kumquat,...
JS
95
VM
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $223.71
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $267.23
Case only
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $67.04
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.62
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $64.45
The plush texture envelops black cherry, black currant and plum flavors, backed by a strict spine of acidity and...
WS
92
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $65.82
Very complex aromas of fresh flowers, blackberries and black licorice follow through to a full body, integrated...
JS
99
WA
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $83.53
This is really dense and structured, yet there’s energy and agility throughout. Full-bodied, yet agile and firm....
JS
94
WS
93

Italian Red Blends Italian White Blends Primitivo White Blend Pre-Arrival

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.