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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $199.94
The 2021 Mourvèdre is another archetypal example of the variety from Andremily, where winemaker Jim Binns manages to...
12 FREE
WA
100
JD
98
Rapid Ship
White
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $7.70 $11.00
Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussane, from vines of an average age of 20 years, planted on sandy and clay slopes...
Rapid Ship
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $1199.94
This blended whisky is an ideal sipper, with an enticing crème brûlèe and dried apricot scents. Those notes are...
12 FREE
WE
95
WKY
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $100.70 $106.00
Kaiy? whisky is matured in the finest Japanese Mizunara oak casks. These casks are handmade due to Mizunara oak’s...
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $78.17 $82.28
This was aged in Japan's rare Mizunara oak for the entirety of its maturation, which includes three-month ocean...
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WE
91
WKY
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $99.75 $105.00
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $41.40
Get back to nature; this is a whisky to savor during a spectacular sunrise. Lychee, edamame, pea shoots, green apple,...
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WKY
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $148.50 $199.94
Prunes, forest honey, vanilla seeds, dark chocolate cookies, and Brazil nut, with hints of chocolate orange and...
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WKY
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $249.94 $349.94
Showing an attractive straw-gold color, this mature whisky has bright flavors of baked cereal grains, toasted vanilla...
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UBC
92
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $69.23
Ambrosial notes of sprouted grain, honey, bacon fat and orange blossom accompany deeper notes of toasted hazelnut....
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UBC
93
WKY
92
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $74.79 $78.73
This unique expression was developed in 2013 as a result of Nikka's continuous experiments to widen the variety and...
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $46.46 $48.91
An accomplished blend packed with appealing flavors from Miyagikyo and Yoichi Distilleries. Honey, baked lemon,...
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WKY
89
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $79.94 $89.94
Number 1 in the 2018 Top 20. Notably balanced and elegant, the colorful palette of whiskies combines for tremendous...
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WKY
94
BTI
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $110.91 $116.75
This is a single malt from the Yoichi distillery, Nikka’s first distillery built in 1934. The founder Masataka...
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $34.35 $39.25
The subtle and demure nose shows aromatics of lightly toasted butter biscuit, clover honey, dried Bergamot peel, and...
UBC
92
BTI
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $87.93 $90.59
Takamine Koji Whiskey is made with the patented Takamine Process, which uses an ancient Japanese mold, koji, to...
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $199.94 $224.94
Deep gold color. Lovely opening aroma is delicately spicy and brown rice-like in its grain intensity. In the mouth,...
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UBC
94
WE
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $49.66 $52.27
This small-batch whisky has a mild, almost neutral aroma and silky, spiced palate. Each sip opens with cinnamon and...
12 FREE
WE
90
WKY
90

Japanese Whiskey Malagousia Mourvedre White Rhone Blend Rapid Ship

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.

If you're looking for a Greek white wine packed full of interesting character and a wide range of unique and surprising aromas, then the wines made from the Malagousia grape varietal are unlikely to disappoint. Although this grape is said to have originated in and around Nafpaktos, in Western Greece, it is now most commonly grown, cultivated and processed in Greek Macedonia, where it is used to make high quality white wines of a highly aromatic nature. Indeed, Malagousia is renowned for producing wines which are full of unusual aromas, with many wines holding traces of jasmine, mint, citrus and exotic fruits, and occasionally a whole lot more.

It was the famous Greek wine maker Gerovassiliou who was said to be the first to experiment with the Malagousia grapes, which were previously used mainly by smallholders and families to produce simple house wines. Gerovassiliou recognized that Malagousia had the potential and the characteristics necessary for producing excellent quality wines, and before long, vineyards were being planted across Macedonia, the Peloponnese and Attica. Today, wines made with the Malagousia grapes tend to be full bodied, with a noticeable tannin content elegantly interplaying with the mellow, medium acidity of the wine. Such roundness allows all of these interesting and exciting flavors and aromas come forth, making for a truly fascinating and unique wine.

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?

Mourvèdre is a fascinating and ancient grape varietal, thought to have been introduced to Spain by the ancient Phoenicians over two thousand years ago. Since then, it has found a home in many regions of France, and has gone on to be a key grape varietal in the New World, where it is often blended with Grenache and Syrah varietals to make a beautifully rounded and balanced red wine. The Mourvèdre grape itself is renowned for holding a complex set of flavours, which are often described as meaty or gamey, with plenty of bramble fruit notes. As such, they are often served with dark meats, and are enjoyed in many countries across the globe. The grapes are not the easiest to cultivate, as they require plenty of sunshine alongside well irrigated soil. However, their quality and unique attributes mean that wineries all over the globe continue to persevere with this special varietal.

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone's success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.