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Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $384.75 $427.50
Exquisitely fine tannins to the currant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. The palate is full, yet very refined...
12 FREE
JS
97
WA
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $486.63 $540.70
The second wine of the estate, the 2019 Carruades De Lafite offers a beautiful, Lafite-like bouquet of crème de...
12 FREE
JS
96
JD
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $370.08 $411.20
So perfumed and subtle with roses, lavender, sage, and currants. Medium-bodied. So much Spanish cedar, cigar box,...
12 FREE
JS
96
DC
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $236.52 $262.80
94-95 Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium...
12 FREE
JS
95
VM
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.50
12 bottles: $10.45
Full bodied red wine, deep colour with raspberry scent.
Red
750ml
Bottle: $36.72
6 bottles: $36.00
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $22.44
12 bottles: $21.99
Violet and lavender florals give way to sugar-dusted blackberries and spice as the 2021 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo...
12 FREE
VM
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.90 $21.92
COLOR: Deep ruby red color and nuances of ruby red, little transparency. NOSE: The bouquet on the nose is intense,...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $34.10
The 2020 Céres, from Clare and Gonzalgue Lurton, comes from a 8-hectare estate owned by Clare and Gonzalgue Lurton,...
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VM
88
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $232.38 $258.20
The second wine of Château Ausone, always produced in limited quantities, provides a fine echo of the top wine. Bold...
12 FREE
WE
96
JS
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.80
12 bottles: $19.40
A tight and focused second wine from Potensac with currant and lemon-rind character. Medium body, fine tannins and a...
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.83 $19.80
An attractive nose with red fruit and an array of red flowers that lead to a palate that has red fruit at its core...
JS
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $19.99
A fresh, clean wine with currants, spice and light chocolate character. Medium body and fine tannins. Easy finish. A...
WE
89
JS
89
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $486.00 $540.00
Initially the wine is all firm tannins, but then there is a pure line of fresh black fruits that comes through, with...
12 FREE
WE
95
DC
94
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $509.85
Intense and enticing campfire smoke, this has beautiful rich fruits behind the grilled aromatics, and is open and...
12 FREE
DC
94
WA
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $426.60 $474.00
The 2008 Angélus offers a still youthful, vibrant color as well as a classic Angélus bouquet of spice box, black...
12 FREE
JD
95
DC
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $530.55 $589.50
Along with the 2005, the 2009 is the greatest Angelus I've tasted and is a perfect wine in every way. Based on 60%...
12 FREE
JD
100
WA
99
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $578.88 $643.20
A longer, slower harvest than 2009, with cooler nights giving a resultantly fresher acidity. Highlighting the serious...
12 FREE
DC
99
WA
99
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $410.40 $456.00
Fine tannins, this is elegant and finessed, with cool blueberry and raspberry fruits, touches of orange peel, rose...
12 FREE
DC
95
WA
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $633.15 $703.50
Exotically perfumed, with ripe, lushly textured fruit. A complete and showy example of great, polished modern claret...
12 FREE
DC
95
WA
94

Japanese Whiskey Montepulciano Red Bordeaux Vidiano 750ml

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.

Montepulciano grapes are one of the most widely cultivated varietals in Italy, with vines growing in twenty of Italy's ninety five provinces. This varietal is renowned for producing high yields, making it popular with vintners looking for a relatively easy varietal to grow. Whilst the grapes tend to have a low skin to juice ratio, the skins themselves are remarkably high in tannins with a lot of pigmentation, which means they often produce rather well bodied wines with a beautiful deep, dark color The wines of Montepulciano grapes are most commonly associated with soft, rounded characteristics, with plenty of juicy, plummy flavors The wines are known for being very smooth and drinkable, and easy to match with a wide range of foods.

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.