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750ml
Bottle:
$19.89
12 bottles:
$19.49
Colour:Intense straw yellow
Nose:mineral, with hydrocarbon, almond, honey and Mediterranean brush notes
Flavour:...
750ml
Bottle:
$76.94
Undergoing a four-week maceration followed by approximately nine months in French oak (50% new), Es is intoxicating:...
750ml
Bottle:
$133.60
Gianfranco Fino has rightfully entered the range of those winegrowers tied to traditions wishing to save old...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.93
12 bottles:
$14.63
Fresh and crisp with aromas of white pears, lemons and white flowers. Some fennel. Medium-bodied with bright acidity...
750ml
Bottle:
$47.20
6 bottles:
$46.40
A white wine of exquisite aromatic complexity and depth. On the palate, Grattamacco Bolgheri Vermentino expresses a...
750ml
Bottle:
$53.95
The bold aroma suggests sarsaparilla and allspice underlined by maple sugar. The sweet-spiced palate resounds with...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.95
12 bottles:
$25.43
100% Vermentino. Monte dei Frati is a 2.5-ha hillside vineyard with higher presence of the sedimentary sandstone...
750ml
Bottle:
$102.22
$107.60
A rich and concentrated nose is full of baking spices, baked fruit and soft vanilla cookies. The elegant flavors...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.32
$19.28
12 bottles:
$14.00
Big, inky-black fruit, spice and white pepper; layered and rich in the mouth with jammy black cherries, truffles,...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.24
12 bottles:
$15.92
Deep ruby red with violet reflections. Intense fruity bouquet with notes of plum and cherry, hints of Mediterranean...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.94
6 bottles:
$16.60
A balanced, medium-bodied red, with light tannins and a subtle underpinning of fresh, loamy earth layered with...
Armagnac Mencia Primitivo Vermentino
Armagnac is a beloved grape brandy, hailing from the beautiful French region of Gascony, in the south-west of the country. It has been in constant production since sometime just before the fifteenth century, and over the decades has been the toast of royal households across Europe. Today, it is still enjoyed for its unique flavor profile and characteristics, and although it is understandably compared with Cognac, its more famous cousin, lovers of Armagnac claim that its distinctive rusticity and full body make it a superior brandy, perfect as a digestif or as an evening treat.
Armagnac is made from more than one grape varietal, but the major player in this drink is the fine Ugni Blanc grape, more commonly known by its Italian name, Trebbiano. This is one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, and grows beautifully in Gascony, which has a similar microclimate as its neighbouring wine region, Bordeaux. Armagnac grapes reveal fascinating and complex flavors after distillation, which commonly include christmas cake, earthy, oaky notes and praline.
Armagnac is sold under two categories - vintage, and non-vintage. A vintage Armagnac is made from a blend of grapes which have been grown in a single year, and will have the date printed on the label. Non-vintage Armagnacs, on the other hand, are labelled according to their age. V.S indicates that the brandy has been aged for a minimum of two years, VSOP for four years, XO six years, and Hors d’Age is a premium Armagnac which has been aged for at least ten years.
As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.
Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.
The Vermintino grape varietal has been grown in northern Italy for centuries, but is perhaps most closely associated with the island of Corsica, where it is the most widely planted grape varietal and is one of the key flagship grapes on the island. Thought to have originated in Spain, the Vermentino grape quickly spread to other countries, and is now found in many parts of Mediterranean Europe and the New World. The grape itself is prized by wineries due to the crispness of its acids, and the wide bouquet of refreshing flavors it carries. Most commonly, Vermentino is known for holding flavors of green apple and lime, and for having a relatively light body with a low alcohol content. As such, it makes a perfect match for a wide range of foods, and is particularly popular when paired with shellfish.