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750ml
Bottle:
$22.00
12 bottles:
$21.56
Made from 100% Lledoner Negre, the local name for Garnacha in this part of Catalunya, Pla de Gates showcases the...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.46
$46.80
The 2020 Atalier Caíño was produced with ancient vines in the same place as Perez gets the Albariño. It has...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
12 bottles:
$13.94
Focussed herbal, wild black fruit and tobacco nose. The youthful palate is poised and approachable with a soft...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$45.98
A wine that talks about roots and new beginnings. Covered cherry red colour. Intense aromas of ripe fruit, spices,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$23.42
Dense yet supple and polished, with rich aromas and flavors of herbs, licorice and dark fruit.
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$20.48
A bouquet of red fruit, citrus blossom, and white pepper - pure and lithe on the palate with the same mouth-coating...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.95
12 bottles:
$31.31
As Xaras is 100% Mencia from the villages of Chandoiro and Larouco in the Val do Bibei (500-600 elevation) on 20 year...
750ml
Bottle:
$15.94
12 bottles:
$15.62
100% Sousón (indigenous red varietal). All stainless steel. Fresh, light, beautiful, approachable red with notes of...
750ml
Bottle:
$21.95
12 bottles:
$21.51
El Triángulo is 100% Tintilla sourced from three Pagos and three soils – Balbaína, Corchuelo, and Carrascal....
750ml
Bottle:
$15.95
12 bottles:
$15.63
Rated 91 - The 2020 Manchuela from Rus Jimenez (and selected by Mary Taylor) is crafted from the Moravia Agria grape,...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$45.86
Aromas of blueberries and warm baking spice on the nose with hints of dried violets and crushed rocks. Rich and...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.95
12 bottles:
$18.57
100% Sumoll made from a blend of three parcels, the oldest of which was planted 70 years ago. The vineyards sit on...
Gelber Muskateller Marsala Mencia Nero D'avola Spain Wine
Marsala is a well known fortified wine from Italy’s largest island, Sicily. A largely misunderstood and undervalued fortified wine, it is most commonly associated with its sweet variety - usually used as a cooking wine - although the finest dry Masalas are able to stand up to more revered, similar wines such as Sherry and Madeira. Marsala has been made in Sicily since the mid 18th century, and it grew wildly popular around Europe as sailors introduced it to port towns across the continent. Marsala wine has a beautiful set of flavors, most typically including apricot, tamarind, vanilla and tobacco, making it a delightfully intense treat when served as a sipping wine.
Marsala wine comes in several different varieties, and most of them are a world away from the sweet wines used in sauces and chicken dishes. Amber, golden and ruby versions of Masala are produced, from a range of different native grape varietals, and many of the finest are aged for over ten years to achieve a fascinating set of complex flavors and a remarkably smooth finish. It is usually made from the Grillo, Inzolia, Damaschino and Catarratto white grapes, although the ruby Masala wines uses typical Sicilian red varietals such as Nero d’Avola and Calabrese, among others.
Italy’s largest island, Sicily, has a wine producing history that can put most other European regions to shame. It was producing quality wines before the days of the Roman empire, and even the Ancient Greeks were not the first to cultivate vines on the island. For as long as anyone knows, the key grape varietal of Sicily has been Nero d’Avola, the beautiful, deep blue skinned grape which produces the region’s characterful, powerful red wines. While in the past, Nero d’Avola was mainly used as a blending grape, due to its deep color and intensely full body, it is today being increasingly celebrated as a single varietal wine grape, and is perfect for those who like their wines boisterous, loud and strong.
Nero d’Avola is grown pretty much everywhere on Sicily, as demand for wines made from this grape have never been higher. Despite its power and body, it is quite a versatile grape - it can be aged in oak barrels, which produces a dense and dark wine which puts its intense characteristics to good use, but it is also often drunk quite young, which allows its jammy, plummy character to come forward. It is also used to make rose wines in some appellations of Sicily, demonstrating a softer side to this otherwise heavy, deeply flavorful grape.
Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.