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Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.93
12 bottles: $33.25
100% Cabernet Franc. Close to the town of Chinon, Clos Guillot is a hillside vineyard with S-SW exposure, near the...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93
12 bottles: $19.53
100% Cabernet Franc. The Granges vines are an 8-hectare site along the Vienne River in Cravant, just below the...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.94 $27.60
100% Cabernet Franc. The Grézeaux vines are the Baudry’s oldest at around 50 years and were the very first part of...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.93
12 bottles: $19.53
Ripe and rich aromas of dark berries with a hint of pencil shavings, this is an approachable full-bodied red wine...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.95
12 bottles: $22.49
100% Cabernet Franc from three vineyard sites - Barrow, Morehouse Rd., and Auten. The Vin d'Eté Cab Franc is made in...
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.95
12 bottles: $25.43
100% Cabernet Franc from Auten and Barrow Vineyards - vines from the hillside Barrow Vineyard off of Seneca Lake are...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $42.60
Rich oak, brown sugar, cherry liqueur, and black pepper notes augment the natural agave herbaceous qualities in a...
12 FREE
UBC
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.34
12 bottles: $18.95
Reddish tones of medium to high intensity. On the nose this wine expresses all the elegance of the varietal; bell...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.92 $17.49
12 bottles: $15.83
Lots of rose petals, fresh herbs and red currants on the nose, but it’s not overdone. Really aromatic....
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $69.94
Again, the cooler 2021 seems to have worked nicely for the 2021 Ultreia Cova de la Raposa, which compensates for the...
12 FREE
WA
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $69.94
The nose of the 2021 Ultreia Petra is completely different from the rest of the Ultreia range. This is only two...
12 FREE
WA
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.87 $19.60
The biggest volume of the winery is the 2021 Ultreia Saint Jacques, which represents some 170,000 bottles, and...
WA
93
WS
91
White
750ml
Bottle: $13.94
12 bottles: $13.66
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.34 $15.09
12 bottles: $12.36
Aromas of raspberries and plums are the centerpiece, with polished tannins completing the symphony.
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $108.29 $113.99
4 bottles: $95.99
Soft, sweet, and smooth 100% agave tequila, aged for 8 months and packaged in an heirloom quality decanter bottle...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $35.34 $37.20
6 bottles: $30.71
Pink Grapefruit infused silver tequila. A beautiful light pink liquid with sweet and tart citrus flavors layered with...
Spirits
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $45.33 $47.72
You can thank former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar for this great example of a classic añejo Tequila: fruity,...
12 FREE
WE
94
UBC
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $31.92 $33.60
Clear color. Aromas and flavors of roasted green pepper and nuts, spiced figs, green banana, and coconut bread with a...
BTI
91
UBC
91
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $38.99
Watermelon, lavender, papaya, and dried herbs are all vivid on the nose. Full and round on the palate, the mouth is...
12 FREE
WE
94
UBC
94

Cabernet Franc Mencia Tequila Xarel-lo

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.

Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.

One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.

The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.