×
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $51.07 $51.79
6 bottles: $51.00
From Adi Badenhorst, Swartland's savoury, mineral and meaty tones chime though here, the fruit taken from a single...
12 FREE
DC
94
VM
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.82
Cinsault and Pais.
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $45.03
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.90 $27.60
Cinsault from the historic Bechtold Vineyard in the Mokelumne River AVA of Lodi. The twenty-five acre own-rooted...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.06 $13.40
12 bottles: $11.88
Color: Deep violet. Aroma: Intense aromas of black fruits, dark chocolate, with notes of toast and olive. Palate:...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.89 $24.79
Lush and fruit-forward, with hibiscus accents to the raspberry and plum core, adding mineral and spice details around...
WS
89
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.84
12 bottles: $13.56
Spiced red fruit with plums, strawberries and red cherries. A hint of grilled tarragon. Juicy, medium-bodied palate...
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94
12 bottles: $13.66
Bright and intense ruby red. On the nose, aromas of black cherries and plums with hints of spices. On the palate, it...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.20
12 bottles: $18.24
Deep ruby with a violet rim. On the nose, intense, with notes of ripe black fruits with hints of wild forest fruits....
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $37.80 $42.00
The top-of-the-range 2020 Luz Carménère feels closed, serious and austere, even in a warm and dry year like 2020....
WA
94
JS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $18.00
12 bottles: $17.10
The 2020 Carménère Massal 1945 from Almahue, Cachapoal, was made in used barrels and foudres for 12 months. Garnet...
WA
92
VM
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.44 $16.25
12 bottles: $12.35
Expressive and fruity, featuring luscious berries and plum aromas, alongside hints of coffee and spice, with polished...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $21.09 $22.20
6 bottles: $13.00
This bright ruby-red wine with violet tones and plums and spices aroma, delights with the softness and balance in...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.63
6 bottles: $33.94
Aromas of black fruit, green herbs, smoked meat, oyster and lemon zest. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm,...
12 FREE
JS
93
VM
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.01
12 bottles: $24.50
The 2021 Cinsault is from a nice vintage, cool and with healthy grapes that ripened well. It comes from a 65-year-old...
12 FREE
WA
93
Case only
Spirits
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.01 $17.91
12 bottles: $13.99
Deep ruby red in color, with aromas of cherries and spice, especially black pepper, on the nose. Robust and full...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $89.94
6 bottles: $88.14
This is a very sophisticated Kai with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, violets and graphite that follow through...
12 FREE
JS
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94 $17.50
12 bottles: $15.44
Tightly wound for Carmenere, but slowly reveals subtle dusty cocoa, petrichor and spice notes up front, joining black...
WS
90

Carmenere Cinsault Japanese Whiskey Robola

The deep blue colored grapes of the Carmenere varietal have their origins in France, where they are still listed as one of the elite grape varietals allowed by French law for the use in Bordeaux wines, generally regarded to be the finest in the world. However, the use of Carmenere grapes in France has been dwindling for many decades now, and it has been in several New World countries where they have seen their renaissance. Although still mostly used as a blending grape, single variety Carmenere wines are greatly sought after as a result of their deep, complex aromas, stunning blood red color and the fact that the grapes, when processed at optimum ripeness, carry some fascinating flavors, including chocolate, tobacco, and spicy cherry notes.

Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.

The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.

Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.

While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.

In the mountains of Cephalonia, the mineral rich soils assist in the growing of one of the finest of Greece's white grape varietals – the Robola grape. These noble yellowish grapes are notable for the wines they produce, which generally contain summer fruits, peach and citrus aromas, coupled with flavors which extend beyond the usual range of white wines, revealing smoky and mineral notes, and a lengthy, lemony after-taste. These fine characteristics helped the regions it is grown in gain AOC status, and wine-makers in this area have many generations of practice in bringing out the elegant and subtle characteristics of this grape.

Robola, and the other wines of Cephalonia have a long and illustrious history, being mentioned even in ancient epic poems such as Homer's Iliad. However, it was the Venetians who first recognized the great potential of Robola grapes, which quickly became the focus for the areas wine-makers and tradesmen. Nowadays, Robola wines act as an excellent example of a refined Greek dry white wine, which can be either drank as a light and refreshing summer aperitif, or alongside grilled white meats, salads, or white fish. Robola wines, as a rule, do not age particularly well, and it is highly recommended that bottles are drunk young, within two years of bottling. By doing so, you can enjoy the unique characteristics of this remarkable wine, complete with the balanced combination of chalky, smoky citrus flavors and delicate peach aromas which typify the finest examples of Robola varietal wines.

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?