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750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$68.80
As a young wine, it has the potential to grow and thrive. Its noble heritage is revealed through its purity and...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$68.80
It opens with fragrant aromas of pear, brioche, beeswax, honey, and sweet spice. On the palate, this wine is ample...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$126.41
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Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Blanc 2009
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$1228.81
A white of incredible energy and depth of fruit with a grapefruit, stone and peach character. Some hints of minerals...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$738.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$738.95
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$994.33
Encouragingly, the 2009 vintage is still a light lemon yellow in colour, with no apparent signs of age. Still, it is...
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle:
$7664.68
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$572.69
$609.25
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$700.66
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$614.60
$653.83
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$560.17
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$680.64
$724.08
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1157.53
$1231.41
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1274.92
$1356.30
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$1453.95
The 2009 Batard-Montrachet positively explodes from the glass. Round, sweet and expressive, the wine saturates the...
Chardonnay Lambrusco White Bordeaux 2009
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
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.
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.