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Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.44 $21.60
12 bottles: $17.10
This wine has great color, with a dark purple and red hue. There are spicy, earthy aromas of black cherry, black...
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $25.28
A pure and delicate full fruited Pinot, with a lot of flexibility, balanced out with a dry touch. Pinot Blanc is a...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.36 $50.40
The 2019 Zinfandel Cat's Cradle is similarly hued but has a purer, crisper, more youthful vibe as well as ample plum...
JD
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $43.20 $48.00
6 bottles: $34.40
Dark plum and black-cherry flavors show great richness and breadth in this mouth-filling, slightly tannic wine as it...
WE
92
JD
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94 $15.17
12 bottles: $13.66
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $17.09
Aromas of plum and black currant frame ripe, juicy flavors of black cherry and strawberry jam. Well-integrated...
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $15.05
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Dark colour and a nose with notes of spices and pepper, as well as ripe and jammy red berries....
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.20 $38.00
12 bottles: $32.68
Fragrant earthiness lies beneath rich black cherry and plum flavors in this full-bodied, deep-colored wine. Mocha,...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $65.88
12 bottles: $64.56
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $34.88
12 bottles: $34.18
Floral scents and vivid, jammy blackberry and black-pepper flavors highlight this full-bodied, full-on fruity wine as...
12 FREE
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93
JS
92
Red
375ml
Bottle: $19.94
12 bottles: $19.54
Enticing strawberry and red-plum aromas lead to a combination of wild berry, oak leaves and cranberry flavors on a...
WE
94
JS
92
Sale
Red
375ml
Bottle: $12.48 $13.87
12 bottles: $11.94
The grapes for our Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel come from several different vineyards within the Lodi...
White
750ml
Bottle: $47.94
From the oldest Pinot vines in the single-vineyard Seeberg comes the 2019 Pinot Blanc Leithaberg, whose grapes were...
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WA
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $38.39
6 bottles: $37.60
Coming from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, the 2019 Zinfandel Cortina is a rocking Zinfandel that plays in the more...
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WS
93
JD
93
White
750ml
Bottle: $17.94
12 bottles: $17.58
The 2019 Pinot Blanc (a.k.a. Weissburgunder Trocken) is clear, fresh and aromatic on the pure, crystalline and...
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WA
90
White
750ml
Bottle: $18.94
12 bottles: $18.56
Vinified in large oak vats and aged on the lees for 19 months, Ziereisen's intensely yellow 2019 Weisser Burgunder is...
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WA
89
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Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $35.96
The signature briary, black-peppery characteristics of the variety feature in this medium- to full-bodied wine in the...
WE
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $47.87

Grolleau Japanese Whiskey Pinot Blanc Zinfandel 2019

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.

Pinot Blanc is a popular white grape varietal most commonly associated with the beautiful French region of Alsace, but which is also grown across Central Europe and Italy. In Germany and Austria it is known as Weisseburgunder, in Italy it is called Pinot Bianco, and is one of the key varietals in the alpine regions of Alto Adige. Pinot Blanc is the main white grape varietal in Alsace, where it is prized for its ability to beautifully express the fine terroir on which it is grown, and it is used to produce exceptional single varietal wines, as well as blended wine such as Edelzwicker. Pinot Blanc is also a key component in this part of France’s signature sparkling wine, Cremant d’Alsace.


The wines made from Pinot Blanc are typically medium to light bodied, but they possess a remarkable freshness and clean character, which reminds us of the cool, green hillsides of their homeland. Apple, honey and biscuity, yeasty flavors are typical in fine Pinot Blanc wines, as well as a good level of minerality, making it a popular choice for those looking to pair a fine white wine with a wide range of foods. Although it is almost never oaked in Alsace, Italian vintners have a tendency to age Pinot Bianco in oak barrels, adding an extra dimension to this wonderful varietal.

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.