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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $9.03
Medium ruby-red with a touch of crimson, this wine is expressive with aromas of dried cherries, floral notes and a...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $57.94
12 bottles: $56.78
From warm, fully south-facing vineyards near the township of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Agostina Pieri’s 2018...
12 FREE
DC
92
WA
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $49.86 $52.00
12 bottles: $49.40
Overtones of vanilla give way to pungent fennel and sage. Belying Agostina Pieri’s warm, southerly location, the...
12 FREE
DC
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $33.16
A bold wine with impressive tannic structure. Ripe black fruit and dark berries on the nose with hints of roasted...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $64.94
A concentrated bead of blackberries and minerals pervades the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied with...
12 FREE
JS
95
WA
94
Red
375ml
Bottle: $29.67
12 bottles: $29.08
This has fantastic intensity with concentrated hazelnut, chocolate and dark berry aromas alongside dried flower and...
12 FREE
JS
95
WA
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $49.90 $52.00
12 bottles: $49.40
This has fantastic intensity with concentrated hazelnut, chocolate and dark berry aromas alongside dried flower and...
12 FREE
JS
95
WA
93
Sale
Red
375ml
Bottle: $32.94 $35.20
12 bottles: $32.68
The Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a rich and savory side that this wine wears very well. There is a...
WA
95
JD
95
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $52.92 $56.00
The Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a rich and savory side that this wine wears very well. There is a...
12 FREE
WA
95
JD
95
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $264.95
6 bottles: $259.65
Super clean black fruit and minerals on the nose and palate. Floral and herbal nuances, too. Medium-to full-bodied...
JS
97
WA
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $102.95 $113.99
Super clean black fruit and minerals on the nose and palate. Floral and herbal nuances, too. Medium-to full-bodied...
12 FREE
JS
97
WA
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $98.94 $104.80
This has a complex nose of cranberries, dried pineapple, soy, bark, cardamom, mocha, iodine and wet leather....
12 FREE
JS
97
JD
96
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $244.20
6 bottles: $240.00
Perfumed and beautiful with raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors. Purity like a mountain stream. Medium to full...
WA
97
VM
97
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $104.16 $112.00
Perfumed and beautiful with raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors. Purity like a mountain stream. Medium to full...
12 FREE
WA
97
VM
97
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.85 $20.80
12 bottles: $19.45
The unoaked 2022 Rosso di Montalcino offers redcurrant, dried raspberry, cherry cola, lavender candy and wild rose....
WA
88
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.83 $18.28
A vibrant, elegant red, despite the firm tannins. Reveals prevailing floral, cherry, strawberry and iron flavors as...
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.99 $28.88
12 bottles: $23.56
The 2022 Chianti Classico Peppoli is a youthful ruby magenta, and is highly expressive with lively aromas of...
JD
90
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $9.51
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $32.92 $35.60
6 bottles: $32.00
A juicy red, with flesh and bright acidity framing cherry and strawberry flavors. Firm and taut, yet finds...
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.90 $17.54
12 bottles: $15.87
The Rosso di Montepulciano 2020 has a ruby red colour highlighted by purple streaks. The bouquet presents caresses of...

Counoise Marsala Sangiovese Mencia Savatiano 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.

The name of this grape, meaning 'blood of Jove' conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively – full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

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?