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750ml
Bottle:
$14.99
The wine has a deep, rich purple color. Intense red fruits are on the nose, with black pepper spice and a touch of...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.17
$21.30
12 bottles:
$17.52
A very ripe, jammy cabernet franc with sweet cherries, baked strawberries and licorice spices. Very rich and fruity...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.44
$21.60
12 bottles:
$17.10
This wine has great color, with a dark purple and red hue. There are spicy, earthy aromas of black cherry, black...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.85
12 bottles:
$33.17
100% Cabernet Franc from the Ampeleia di Sopra parcels at 450-600 meters above sea level. Vines were planted between...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.89
$17.49
12 bottles:
$15.83
This is a very successful Zinfandel, blending earth, spice and fruit into a savory, yet thirst-quenching package....
750ml
Bottle:
$28.13
6 bottles:
$27.57
A rich wine with layers of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry complemented by vanilla, licorice, and toast....
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$21.35
A lush, full-bodied Zinfandel that blaze dark berry, earth and grassy aromas that complement a rich and complex...
750ml
Bottle:
$65.82
12 bottles:
$64.50
Once at the winery, the grapes undergo native fermentation with no added sulfites, resulting in a living wine that is...
750ml
Bottle:
$45.36
$50.40
The 2019 Zinfandel Cat's Cradle is similarly hued but has a purer, crisper, more youthful vibe as well as ample plum...
750ml
Bottle:
$43.20
$48.00
6 bottles:
$34.40
Dark plum and black-cherry flavors show great richness and breadth in this mouth-filling, slightly tannic wine as it...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.24
$17.09
12 bottles:
$13.18
Salmon-pink. Fine and elegant nose with ripe red berries aromas and hints of black pepper. Enjoyable wine, fruit...
750ml
Bottle:
$52.94
12 bottles:
$51.88
Tightly focused and refined for a Zinfandel, this version packs in deep flavors of black cherry, licorice and roasted...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.93
12 bottles:
$20.90
Dynamic and generous, this Zin combines old-school briar with sleek suppleness, serving up stylish flavors of...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.93
12 bottles:
$33.25
100% Cabernet Franc. Close to the town of Chinon, Clos Guillot is a hillside vineyard with S-SW exposure, near the...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.44
$27.60
12 bottles:
$25.91
100% Cabernet Franc. The Grézeaux vines are the Baudry’s oldest at around 50 years and were the very first part of...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.93
12 bottles:
$19.53
Ripe and rich aromas of dark berries with a hint of pencil shavings, this is an approachable full-bodied red wine...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.32
$19.28
12 bottles:
$14.00
Bursting with aromas of luscious black cherry, blackberry with hints of toasted coconut and Tahitian vanilla. Silky...
Cabernet Franc Mavrodaphne Zinfandel
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.
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?
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.