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750ml
Bottle:
$35.88
12 bottles:
$35.16
Delivers attractive pear, melon and chamomile notes that turn creamy on the medium-weight palate, with crushed stone...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.87
12 bottles:
$15.55
Bright and juicy, with good energy to its mix of apricot, peach and nectarine flavors. Fresh acidity carries the...
750ml
Bottle:
$26.89
$27.59
12 bottles:
$26.35
Grilled Pineapple, Citrus Blossom, Olive Oil, Stone Fruit, Butterscotch.
375ml
Bottle:
$44.40
Floral nose. Waxy (candlewax, crayons), then spicy, fruity notes emerge, in particular raisin and plum, becomes more...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
$14.73
• Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Roussanne.
• From two parcels – One in the village of Montfrin and one in...
700ml
Bottle:
$36.79
6 bottles:
$36.00
The nose is fragrant, delicate and harmonious. On the palate, this grappa is intense and complex, but with a smooth...
750ml
Bottle:
$82.39
4 bottles:
$81.60
Complex profile with multiple nuances attributable to spicy and fruity notes with hints of vanilla, morello cherry...
750ml
Bottle:
$51.38
$54.08
6 bottles:
$42.00
An impressive mix of savory and aromatic aromas is abundant on the nose. Baked white cherries, golden peach, raisins,...
750ml
Bottle:
$108.08
3 bottles:
$90.00
Big flavors of apple and pear cider, clearly holding their character through the influence of the cask, here bringing...
700ml - Case of 4
Bottle:
$82.50
Sweet oak and cereal on the nose. Enjoyably elegant on the palate, with rich nutty and floral notes. Richly textured...
750ml
Bottle:
$29.94
12 bottles:
$29.34
Color: Straw yellow with golden highlights.
Nose: White flowers and white-fleshed stone fruits evolving into notes...
750ml
Bottle:
$11.70
12 bottles:
$11.12
Color: Pale yellow with green hints.
Nose: Aromas of exotic fruits, white flowers and citrus fruits.
Palate:...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
12 bottles:
$14.64
Color: Pale yellow with green hints.
Nose: Aromas of exotic fruits, white flowers and citrus fruits.
Palate:...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.20
12 bottles:
$13.92
The effusive nose of apple, sliced pear and white peach pulls you into this bold dry white that has some positive...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.92
$47.28
12 bottles:
$38.76
Aromas of fresh pressed cider are supported with a core of earthiness. Medium rich in the mouth, it pleasantly coats...
Calvados Grappa Mavrodaphne White Rhone Blend
Like so many of the great spirits of Europe, Grappa was born from a need to make resources go that little bit further, to eke out the last drop of flavor and potential from the crops of winemakers. Indeed, Italian vintners invented Grappa as a way to make use of the pomace - leftover grape skins, stems, pulp and seeds - which remained after the juice was extracted from the fruit needed to make wine. Over the centuries, the process was refined, and the distillation of Grappa became an art in itself. Today, top Grappa producers use a range of state of the art equipment, from continuous stills to pot stills, to manufacture a wide variety of Grappas, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Most of us know Grappa from our local Italian restaurants, where it is commonly served as a digestif. However, in the twenty first century, there is a high interest in unique, boutique Grappas, which showcase the talent of the distillers through a range of interesting qualities. Grappa can be aged in oak, in which case it takes on a beautiful golden color, quite different from the clear Grappas we are most familiar with. The high end Grappas are a world away from the harsh spirit many of us have encountered, and have a smooth, gentle quality which can be nothing short of a revelation.
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 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.