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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.44
Enticing aromas of plums, orange peel and strawberries with hints of mushrooms that follow through to a medium body...
JS
92
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $40.51
Vibrant and expressive, with bold Key lime, passion fruit and tangerine flavors that are succulent and show off...
WS
93
DC
91
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $39.77
Leaps out of the glass with effusiveness, featuring flavors of apple blossom, Key lime, Honeycrisp, lemon thyme and...
VM
93
WS
93
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.76
The 2010 Te Koko is beautifully redolent of ripe grapefruit, lemon curd and lightly browned toast with hints of...
WA
91
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $61.36
Barrel-fermented character and complex aromas of beeswax, limes and preserved lemons lead to a palate that has...
VM
93
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $75.89
Medium ruby-purple-colored, the 2011 Pinot Noir presents a nose of black cherry compote, black raspberries and wild...
WA
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $79.92
Showing very well after this amount of time in the bottle with dried strawberry, bark and seaweed aromas and flavors....
JS
95
WA
91
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $61.28
A very complete wine with a complex and rich nose of red berries along with some distinct herbs, chocolate, flowers...
JS
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $42.58
96-97 The most brooding of the Escarpment pinot noirs. This has a dark, minerally nose with graphite and slate that...
JS
97
WA
93
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $81.12
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $59.20
A rich and rather decadent nose of ripe strawberry, smoke and grilled meat follows through to a full body with layers...
JS
96
WS
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $66.46
Very attractive hibiscus with sliced strawberries and orange peel aromas that follow through to a medium body with...
JS
93
DC
92
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $54.94
Lovely seductive aromas of perfectly ripe strawberries with fresh flowers and orange. Medium body, very fine with...
JS
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $121.89
Distinct wild thyme and spice introducing its more diverse and complex nose. It’s incredibly transparent on the...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $120.22
There is an opulence and intensity here yet it remains fresh and vivid with orange peel and ripe strawberry aromas...
JS
97
WA
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.70
Fantastic clarity and transparency in this wine with fresh strawberries and cherries. So bright. Medium to full body...
JS
95
WA
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $81.06
Beautifully concentrated nose with ripe strawberries and raspberries, black cherry, hints of star anise and delicate...
DC
96
JS
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $56.45
A very energetic pinot with a fine line of tannins running through with a powdery texture. Medium-bodied and very...
DC
96
JS
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $69.20
Aromas of balsamic, spice, plum and dried strawberry. Medium to full body with round and fine tannins showing polish...
JS
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $110.65
A dense and centrally focused red with a solid core of fruit with a ripeness and intensity. Lots of fruit. Round and...
DC
95
JS
95

Japan Netherlands New Zealand Switzerland

All over Japan, farmers and wine producers take the production of alcoholic beverages including plum wine and sake very seriously. It is an industry which dates back well over a thousand years, and is held in high esteem in this far east country, where plum wines and sake often accompany meals and are used for ceremonial purposes. Whilst plum wine is produced in a relatively similar way to grape based wines, sake requires a complex process more akin to the brewing of beer, except using a rice mash instead of other grains. The rising popularity of both of these drinks in the west has seen the drinks industry in Japan increase dramatically over recent years, and both quality and quantity has risen alongside demand, and is expected to rise further.

As with nearby Australia, New Zealand has over the past century proven itself to be a superb location for producing high quality wines in vast amounts, with much of the cooler regions of both islands being used primarily for vine cultivation. New Zealand wineries are notable for their enthusiasm in regards to experimentation, and for utilizing modern technologies and methods to make the most of the imported grape varietals which flourish in the rich, fertile soils and oceanic climate. In recent years, it has been the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines which have gained the most attention, as a result of their smoky character and ability to carry the mineral rich nature of the terroir they grow in. Changing consumer interests have brought about a considerable rise in the production of organic and sustainable wines in New Zealand, of which again, the Sauvignon Blanc varietals are leading the way in regards to excellence, flavor and overall character.




Switzerland is composed by 26 cantons and 4 linguistic areas: the German one, the French one, the Italian and the Romanche. This creates a richness of various expressions, which are also reflected in traditions, lifestyles, eating and drinking manners. Its wine-producing geography is subdivided into six areas: the cantons of Valais, of Vaud and of Geneva, the three lakes' region (Western Switzerland), the German-speaking area (Eastern Switzerland), and the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Moreover, Switzerland's particular geographical situation, in between four wine-producing nations (France, Italy, Germany and Austria), offers an extreme diversity in the characters of its wines.


Swiss vineyards give a large choice of grape varieties, although they are still scarcely known abroad. The most typical white grape variety is Chasselas, whose extreme sensitivity to both soil and situation is reflected in subtle differences in taste. Among the red grape varieties, the most widespread is Pinot Noir which can take very different characters depending on the region from where it comes and the type of vinification it has undergone.


History



Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era. Even though certain traces can be found of a more ancient origin, many native Swiss vines have Latin names. Christianity and the needs of religious services ensured the cultivation of the vineyards throughout the Middle Age and long after it. However, wine would not be used in masses only and, despite its highs and lows, the wine-production in Switzerland lasted and developed to our days. Swiss products can now be seen abroad as cultural ambassadors of a country whose winegrowers completely dedicate themselves to producing the very best.