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Pre-Arrival
Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes 2020
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle:
$151.95
The older vine cuvée, the 2020 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is 100% Syrah. It's similarly inky hued and offers up...
Pre-Arrival
Anne-Sophie Pic & M. Chapoutier Cornas 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$65.12
Deep black hue in color with notes of ripe, wild black fruit and hints of graphite and tar. Fine tannins, full...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2015
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle:
$500.95
This has it all, from the dark, dense core of steeped fig, blackberry and black currant fruit to the smoldering...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2017
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$121.62
Plenty of sexy graphite and dark stony aromas cast across showy dark fruits seen here, all presented in a vibrant and...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2017
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$137.17
Plenty of sexy graphite and dark stony aromas cast across showy dark fruits seen here, all presented in a vibrant and...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2018
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$145.87
#29 in Top 100, 2022. The 2018 Cornas is a classic wine from this renowned estate that’s 100% Syrah, mostly from...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2018
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$153.49
#29 in Top 100, 2022. The 2018 Cornas is a classic wine from this renowned estate that’s 100% Syrah, mostly from...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2020
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle:
$359.54
97-98 Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry preserve, violet oil, olive, cured meat and woodsmoke scents...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$176.64
97-98 Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry preserve, violet oil, olive, cured meat and woodsmoke scents...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2020
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$170.39
97-98 Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed dark berry preserve, violet oil, olive, cured meat and woodsmoke scents...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance 2020
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$100.68
95-96 Dark violet. Offers dark berry preserves, fruitcake, smoky minerals, olive and pungent flower notes on the...
Pre-Arrival
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance 2020
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$84.91
95-96 Dark violet. Offers dark berry preserves, fruitcake, smoky minerals, olive and pungent flower notes on the...
Gruner Veltliner Mavrodaphne Syrah France Rhone Valley Cornas
Gruner Veltliner is a pale skinned white wine grape varietal most closely associated with central European countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In recent years, it has spread somewhat to several New World countries, where it is becoming gradually more popular and regularly seen in wine stores. One of the main attractions of this grape varietal for winemakers is the fact that it is highly versatile, and can be used for the production of several different wine styles, including young, dry white wines, excellent sparkling wines, and it is also a grape varietal which is well suited for aging Gruner Veltliner has the ability to express much of its terroir, and the best examples are generally those which are full of delightfully mineral-rich flavors alongside the more usual notes of citrus fruits and peach.
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?
Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet's most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn't easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red 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.
The Rhone Valley of southern France is a particularly fascinating wine region, with a history that stretches back to at least six hundred BCE, when the ancient Greeks first began cultivating vines there. The region itself is split into two distinct sub-regions, with the northern sub-region being famed for its production of exceptional Syrah, Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier wines, packed full of interesting character and expressing the terroir found there. The southern sub-region is home to an enormous variety of grapes, and produces red, white and rosé wines, and some of the world's most famous and adored blended wines. The continental climate of the region is ideal for growing grapes, and the winds which blow from the Central Massif help temper the heat in the vineyards, leading to very ripe fruits holding plenty of flavor.