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Red
750ml
Bottle: $71.94
The Casanova della Spinetta 2008 Sassontino is a late-release wine that hits the market with 10 additional years of...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $137.95 $139.80
Savory herbs, tobacco, mint, licorice and dark cherries take shape in the glass as the 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $188.95
Salvioni's 2008 Brunello di Montalcino speaks to finesse above all else. Sensual, ever-changing aromatics draw the...
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $46.12
This opens with pretty, dark concentration and balanced aromas of black cherry and red currant set against leather,...
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $1085.86
After the highly unusual and exotic 2007, the 2008 Toscana Sangiovese marks a return to a more classic Soldera style....
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $166.95
One of the greatest Italian Merlots, the pedigree of L'Apparita is evident the minute you raise the glass to your...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $82.95
Sweet rich, lush and layered, yet also remarkably light on its feet, the 2008 Brunello di Montalcino dazzles from...
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $224.95
This is layered and juicy, with lots of chocolate and berries and loads of other stuff. Full and velvety, with a long...
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $848.95
Opulent and complex, with dark fruits such as plums and blackberries. Milk chocolate. Dried herbs too. Black olives....
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $250.95
Subtle aromas of meat, plums and dried fruits follow through to a full body, with soft and silky tannins and a spice,...
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Lambrusco Merlot Sangiovese White Blend 2008 750ml

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.

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.