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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $26.46
This cuvée is made from Cabernet Franc old vines and is partly oaked. The wine has a beautiful garnet color, a nose...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $41.82
12 bottles: $40.98
Floral aromatics of violets and red flowers, with a bright palate of fresh yet salty berry and dense but ripe,...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $54.55
12 bottles: $53.46
• 100% Zinfandel. • Sourced from estate vineyard in St. Helena. • All native fermentation. • Aged for 11...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.90
12 bottles: $25.38
Case only
Red
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.95
12 bottles: $29.35
This dense and structured wine has rich tannins as well as concentrated black fruits. It is an impressive wine, still...
12 FREE
WE
93
Sale
Red
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $149.95
3 bottles: $146.95
Organic. Pruning method is Guyau Val de Loire. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard....
Red
750ml
Bottle: $78.95
12 bottles: $77.37
Organic. Pruning method is Guyau Val de Loire. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard....
12 FREE
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $220.86 $245.40
From 70-year-old vines planted in three parcels on silt and sand topsoils covering softer limestone bedrock, the 2018...
WA
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.94
12 bottles: $39.14
Exceptional terroir quality inspired this limited production.The Cabernet Franc grapes came from a single terroir of...
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $95.84 $104.80
Blueberries, blackcurrants, hot stones, tobacco leaves, dried lavender, walnuts and cracked pepper on the nose....
12 FREE
VM
96
JS
96
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.37
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Dark colour and a nose with notes of spices and pepper, as well as ripe and jammy red berries....
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.93
This has a very fresh array of ripe red berries and a spiced biscuit-like edge to the nose, too. The palate has a...
12 FREE
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.94
12 bottles: $18.56
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $38.88 $40.00
12 bottles: $38.10
A real briar patch of a Zin, with appealingly rustic wild cherry, spiced cinnamon and bay leaf accents that take on...
12 FREE
WS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $59.94 $61.92
12 bottles: $58.74
GRO Cabernet Franc beautifully expresses our Calistoga “archipelago”. This dry-farmed vineyard is grown at the...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.88
12 bottles: $33.20
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.94
6 bottles: $34.24
This full-bodied wine is strongly shaped by firm tannins and a spicy, new-oak quality that fills the aroma with...
12 FREE
WE
91
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $67.76
Another beautiful wine in this lineup is the 2018 Cabernet Franc, which is 100% varietal and spent 22 months in 80%...
12 FREE
JD
97
VM
95

Assyrtiko Cabernet Franc Zinfandel 2018

Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.

The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.

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?

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.