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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $121.97
The 2009 Finca Bella Vista was sourced from a vineyard planted in 1910 giving a miserly yield of 0.75 tons per acre....
WA
98
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $89.94
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $65.87
I thought the 2011 was the best ever from this stylish wine producer in Sardinia. But the 2012 is clearly better...
JS
94
VM
92
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $60.62
Very beautiful aromas of violets, purple fruit, fresh lavender and thyme follow through to a medium body with...
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93
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91
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $138.94
The 2021 Malbec Grand Alpasión hails from Los Chacayes in the Uco Valley and was aged in new French oak barrels....
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90
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $76.82
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.62
Blackberries, blackcurrants, dark plums, Chinese spices and hints of vanilla. Full body, incredibly structured...
JS
95
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.95
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $86.45
This is a pure merlot with violets, blueberries and hints of minerals and black truffles. Black olives, too....
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97
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750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $130.95
Cropped from an almost perfect growing season when the grapes ripened slowly, the 2016 Noemía is pure Malbec from...
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97
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96
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.94
Now in its third vintage, the Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Liù is a fine and impeccably detailed wine. You taste...
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94
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $165.95
One of the greatest Italian Merlots, the pedigree of L'Apparita is evident the minute you raise the glass to your...
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $224.95
A deep and beautiful red with ripe berry, plum and orange peel character. Almost exotic in style. Full body,...
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98
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $157.95
The 2013 L’Apparita gets this tasting off to a very strong start. Fresh, perfumed and totally sensual, the 2013...
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98
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.77
Ama's 2015 L'Apparita is shaping up to be phenomenal. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to give...
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98
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $207.28
The 2016 L'Apparita, 100% Merlot, is a breathtaking, riveting wine that captures all the potential of the vintage. In...
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100
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99
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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $167.95
Intense and exotic on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, violet and walnut aromas that follow through to a full...
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97
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $210.94
The 2018 L'Apparita is a total stunner. Ama's 100% Merlot is usually a wine of bombastic intensity, but the 2018...
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99
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $243.95
A viscous, salted licoricetinged red, with plum, earth and spice flavors. Reveals a solid grip of tannins lining the...
WS
95

Carignan Malbec Merlot Mencia Zinfandel Pre-Arrival Wine

Carignan is an ancient blue-skinned grape varietal, thought to be indigenous to the Aragon region of Spain. However, today it is most commonly associated with the fine wines of southern France, and has been grown in many countries around the world which have the warm and dry conditions it requires to thrive. Carignan is recognized as being quite a sensitive vine, highly susceptible to all kinds of rot and mildew, although producing excellent results when given the right conditions and handled correctly. Its high tannin levels and acidity make the Carignan grapes very astringent, and as such, they are often used as a blending grape to give body to other, lesser bodied varietals. Despite this, with careful treatment, Carignan can produce superb single varietal wines packed full of character and unique attributes.

The purple Malbec variety grapes which now grow all over the Old and New Worlds had their origins in France, where they are one of the few grape varieties allowed to be used in the highly esteemed blended wines of Bordeaux. However, it is perhaps the New World Malbec wines which have attracted the most attention in recent years, as they thrive in hot southern climates in ways they cannot in their native country, where the damp conditions leave them highly vulnerable to rot. Malbec grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, resulting in full-bodied red wines packed with ripe, plummy flavors and held in their characteristically dark, garnet colored liquid. In many countries, Malbec is still used primarily as a varietal for blending, as it adds a great level of richness and density to other, lighter and thinner varietals. However, single variety Malbec wines have been greatly on the rise in recent years, with some fantastic results and big, juicy flavors marking them out as a great wine for matching with a wide range of foods.

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

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.