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750ml
Bottle:
$66.94
Aged 15 years and distilled from mostly the hybrid Baco grape, Château de Briat Hors d’Age is big, rich, and round...
750ml
Bottle:
$84.94
$87.60
12 bottles:
$83.24
Beautiful amber colour. Complex nose with notes of dried fruits and prune. Round attack with fatness releasing the...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
$36.00
12 bottles:
$34.24
Intense nose; very fruity aromas, banana and pear predominating, evolving to floral aromas, notes of white blossom...
750ml
Bottle:
$52.94
$55.20
12 bottles:
$52.44
Vibrant -yellow-gold in color, this full-bodied blend of Ugni Blanc and Baco Blanc resounds with a rich butterscotch...
750ml
Bottle:
$119.88
12 bottles:
$117.48
A blend of brandies aged five to ten years, Domaine Boingnères Reserve Speciale is made from Folle Blanche, Ugni...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.94
$51.60
12 bottles:
$48.94
Aromas are of nuts, unsalted butter, distant scents of palm oil, very old oak and spice. The palate entry is...
750ml
Bottle:
$39.94
$42.00
12 bottles:
$39.14
Pellehaut Armagnacs have a firm texture, especially in their youth. High acidity gives Pellehaut Armagnacs the...
750ml
Bottle:
$100.06
$107.59
6 bottles:
$96.00
Bearing a resemblance to fine Cognac, this dark amber brandy offers rich caramel, raisin and dried fig notes, along...
750ml
Bottle:
$139.94
$142.39
6 bottles:
$126.00
Maple syrup in color, this has a toffee aroma and flavor, along with notes of dry cocoa, espresso, spice and dried...
750ml
Bottle:
$798.95
6 bottles:
$782.97
750ml
Bottle:
$53.95
The bold aroma suggests sarsaparilla and allspice underlined by maple sugar. The sweet-spiced palate resounds with...
Armagnac Mavrodaphne White Bordeaux NV
Armagnac is a beloved grape brandy, hailing from the beautiful French region of Gascony, in the south-west of the country. It has been in constant production since sometime just before the fifteenth century, and over the decades has been the toast of royal households across Europe. Today, it is still enjoyed for its unique flavor profile and characteristics, and although it is understandably compared with Cognac, its more famous cousin, lovers of Armagnac claim that its distinctive rusticity and full body make it a superior brandy, perfect as a digestif or as an evening treat.
Armagnac is made from more than one grape varietal, but the major player in this drink is the fine Ugni Blanc grape, more commonly known by its Italian name, Trebbiano. This is one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, and grows beautifully in Gascony, which has a similar microclimate as its neighbouring wine region, Bordeaux. Armagnac grapes reveal fascinating and complex flavors after distillation, which commonly include christmas cake, earthy, oaky notes and praline.
Armagnac is sold under two categories - vintage, and non-vintage. A vintage Armagnac is made from a blend of grapes which have been grown in a single year, and will have the date printed on the label. Non-vintage Armagnacs, on the other hand, are labelled according to their age. V.S indicates that the brandy has been aged for a minimum of two years, VSOP for four years, XO six years, and Hors d’Age is a premium Armagnac which has been aged for at least ten years.
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?
France is widely known as being the home of many of the world's finest white wines, and within France, the name which rings out across the wine world and is always associated with excellence of quality and flavor is Bordeaux. The white wines of the magnificent Bordeaux region are typically blended, and rely on the winemaker's skill and expertise to achieve the fine balance between the primary grape varietals used. Most blended white Bordeaux wines are made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle varietals, although there are actually nine grapes officially allowed by French wine law for the inclusion in Bordeaux white wines. The other six are Sauvignon Gris, Merlot Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Ondenc and Mauzac, although the use of these other grapes has been in steady decline over the past century.