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Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $150.39 $167.10
97-98 Spicy and complex with cardamom, green apple, pineapple and dried lime. Hints of white chocolate and mango,...
12 FREE
JS
98
DC
96
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $159.12 $176.80
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.25
12 bottles: $44.35
Always one of the more garrigue-scented Châteauneufs, the Brunels' 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape includes hints of...
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WA
92
WS
92
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94
12 bottles: $16.60
This wine shows aromas of red fruits (mainly morello cherries) and spices (licorice, grey pepper). On the palate, the...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.87
This wine shows aromas of red fruits (mainly morello cherries) and spices (licorice, grey pepper). On the palate, the...
Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.94
The Collection’s Bordeaux Blanc, made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, explodes with freshness on the palate, in...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $37.62 $39.60
12 bottles: $34.20
Stews, game, strong cheeses – Best between 16°C and 18°C. Wine list comments: The bouquet is fine and complex....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.09
12 bottles: $13.18
Intense purple red color. Intense nose of flowers (violet) and black fruits (black cherry, blackcurrant) combined...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $23.40 $26.00
This wine always overdelivers, and this vintage's blend of 50% Syrah, 38% Grenache, 7% Mourvèdre and 5% Counoise...
WE
92
VM
91
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $45.03
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White
750ml
Bottle: $18.94
12 bottles: $18.56
With a floral and fruity bouquet, this wine is fresh and fruity on the palate, vivid and a floral freshness and...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94
12 bottles: $15.62
Heaps of dark berry fruit, along with classic Provence garrigue notes (rosemary, thyme, sage), and a broad, rich and...
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $61.80 $67.20
Bright and crunchy white with layers of gooseberries, fennel, lemon grass and sea shells. White peach, too....
12 FREE
JS
94
VM
93
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $64.08 $71.20
Peach, apricot, pear and green apple combine with sweet tropical fruit touches lending both a freshness and rich,...
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DC
92
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $13.94
This deeply coloured wine has an inviting nose of dark cherry and chocolate. The palate is dense and rich, with...
12 FREE
DC
95
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.93
12 bottles: $29.33
Lots of ripe black fruits (blackberries, black cherries) emerge from the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts De...
12 FREE
JD
93
WA
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.40
12 bottles: $43.51
Good depth of colour. Intense berry and juniper freshness with well-integrated oak lending a little background spice....
12 FREE
DC
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.93 $14.30
12 bottles: $12.67
Raspberry and currant notes on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Fresh acidity and fleshy texture on...
WE
90
JS
90
Red
375ml
Bottle: $12.50
12 bottles: $12.25
Very fresh red-cherry and floral aromas for this appellation, together with some healthy tannins on the full-bodied,...
JS
89
WS
88
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.94 $14.30
12 bottles: $12.68
Very fresh red-cherry and floral aromas for this appellation, together with some healthy tannins on the full-bodied,...
JS
89
WS
88

Japanese Whiskey Red Rhone Blend Savatiano White Bordeaux

Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.

The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.

Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.

While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.

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?

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.