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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$300.04
Intensely mineral, herbal nose. Palate is juicy, dark and savory, featuring plum, olive and tomato, with streaky...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$81.45
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$81.71
The colour is a deep, intense red, bright and transparent. This evokes intensity with great subtlety…
It has a...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$68.14
The rich, deep black colour reveals the full ripeness of the cabernet franc grapes… The exceptional and meticulous...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Le Clos 2011
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$228.95
Bright ruby. Complex nose melds blackberry, licorice, violet and wild herbs. Subtly rich and elegant, offering dark...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Le Clos 2014
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$309.95
The 2014 Saumur Champigny Le Clos is a great Champigny that opens with a deep and concentrated, still leathery...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Le Clos 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$209.00
Released in November 2021, after its customary five year stay in the cellar, the 2016 Le Clos is a wine that makes...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Le Clos 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$185.95
A sense of minerality with gunflint on the nose, almost a tertiary character, giving the impression of a cooler...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$427.44
Another 2015 with a floral scent of violets and roses along with a blood-like iron element, on a foundation of brisk...
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux 2016
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$350.76
There's a gorgeous nectarine-like character that runs through Les Poyeux when young and the 2016 is no different....
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Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$260.95
Set for release in November 2022, the 2017 Les Poyeux is a delightful wine. While waiting for the winemaker, I was...
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle:
$80.95
Barbera Cabernet Franc Mencia France Loire Valley Anjou-Saumur
For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.
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.
Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.
Within France, the one region most closely associated with fine white and rosé wines is surely the Loire Valley. With over eight controlled appellations, and a relatively large expanse of land covering this wide valley, the Loire Valley is an ideal location for wineries wishing to produce large quantities of excellent quality vines for their wine production. Indeed, this region has been associated with excellent white wines for over a thousand years, with it once being the favorite wine region for the crowned heads of England, France and beyond. Today, it produces a wide range of white wines, and several rosé and red varieties also. It is also widely celebrated for being home to some of France's most lively and fruity sparkling crémant wines, which more than match those produced in nearby Champagne.