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Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.94
12 bottles: $21.50
92-93 The 2022 Edad Moderna Malbec was finished and about to be bottled when I tasted it. It's a wine that wants to...
WA
93
JS
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $40.87
The 2020 Malbec Appellation Altamira was produced with 100% organic grapes from their Jardín Altamira property at...
12 FREE
WA
95
VM
94
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.93
Blackberries, blueberries, terra cotta, brick and white pepper on the nose. Medium-bodied with very tight and...
12 FREE
JS
95
Case only
Red
375ml - Case of 24
Bottle: $6.18
Nice sour cherries with a streak of white pepper and violets. Medium-bodied, but fleshy. Ripe, almost creamy tannins...
WA
90
VM
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.70 $13.00
Notes of ripe blackberries and raspberries with hints of blue flowers, young walnuts and crushed stones. Juicy and...
JS
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $25.93
12 bottles: $25.41
The 2021 Malbec Reserve from Altos Las Hormigas, sourced from Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley,...
12 FREE
VM
93
JS
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $14.64
Intriguing nose, with violet and cola character to the smoky black raspberries and cherry fruit,as well and some...
WA
92
JS
92
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94
12 bottles: $15.62
• Malbec. • Sourced from two high density plots (10 & 11), which have a good presence of limestone, and no clay...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.94
12 bottles: $15.44
Fruity nose of cassis, candied cherries, milk chocolate and sweet spices. Medium-bodied with powdery tannins. Fruity,...
JS
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $23.26 $24.48
This spirit is amber in color and exhibits nutty, caramel notes on the nose. The palate has subtle hints of citrus...
Sale
Red
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $34.52 $38.36
6 bottles: $27.43
Leather, black plum and cassis aromas carry the nose of this wine. The full-bodied palate brings jammy blackberry and...
WE
91
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.51 $21.68
12 bottles: $17.42
UNO Malbec offers a fresh nose with delicious plum, strawberry, and blackberry aromas with violets, vanilla, and milk...
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.07
6 bottles: $15.59
Case only
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $14.40
The Astica Malbec offers a pure, fruit driven example of Argentina’s signature grape. Medium in body with juicy...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $7.12
The Astica Malbec offers a pure, fruit driven example of Argentina’s signature grape. Medium in body with juicy...
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.62
12 bottles: $24.40
This velvety Cognac opens with plenty of oak on the nose and palate. The more you sip, the more the oak recedes and...
WE
92
UBC
91
Sale
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $44.87 $47.23
6 bottles: $41.83
Familiar American oak aromas of toasted coconut, dill, and baking spices seamlessly intertwine with notes of creme...
12 FREE
WE
93
UBC
93
Sale
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $44.45 $46.79
This golden-hued brandy offers an opulent bouquet of toasted oak, crushed lily petals, meringue, and orange balm....
12 FREE
UBC
95
Sale
Spirits
700ml
Bottle: $111.42 $117.28
6 bottles: $107.26
Fresh green table grapes and peach pit are fruity and earthy on the nose. A suggestion of sweetness in the mouth...
12 FREE
UBC
95
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $70.98
12 bottles: $66.68
90-95 Nice nutty aromas countered with subtle notes of tropical fruit. Palate entry features roasted tastes of...
12 FREE
WE
95
UBC
92

Armagnac Cognac Malbec Mencia

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.

For over three hundred years, Cognac has enjoyed its reputation as the king of brandies. Indeed, it is widely regarded as the finest drink to be distilled from grapes to be found anywhere in the world, and it is a testament to its producers and the master craftsmen who make it that this reputation has never faltered, and remains as strong as ever to this day.

Cognac is produced solely in the beautiful towns of Cognac and Jarnac, found about fifty miles north of Bordeaux, on the west coast of France. Here, around six thousand grape growers work exclusively in the production of white wine, used for the Cognac distilleries which are scattered throughout the region. The wines are made primarily from the Ugni Blanc or Trebbiano grape - one of the most commonly planted grape varietals in the world - which benefit from the cool, coastal climate and mineral rich soils which are found there. The wines themselves wouldn’t be suitable for drinking in themselves, as they are high in acid and low in alcohol, but this makes them ideal for distillation, and they can impart their wonderful, complex, rich flavors to the brandy.

Cognac varies quite significantly from bottle to bottle, depending on how long it has been aged for, and which appellation it comes from. The Cognac region is split into six separate Crus, all with their own distinctive characteristics, and the spirit can be aged from two years (VS) to six (Hors d’Age and Napoleon) and longer.

The purple Malbec variety grapes which now grow all over the Old and New Worlds had their origins in France, where they are one of the few grape varieties allowed to be used in the highly esteemed blended wines of Bordeaux. However, it is perhaps the New World Malbec wines which have attracted the most attention in recent years, as they thrive in hot southern climates in ways they cannot in their native country, where the damp conditions leave them highly vulnerable to rot. Malbec grapes are renowned for their high tannin content, resulting in full-bodied red wines packed with ripe, plummy flavors and held in their characteristically dark, garnet colored liquid. In many countries, Malbec is still used primarily as a varietal for blending, as it adds a great level of richness and density to other, lighter and thinner varietals. However, single variety Malbec wines have been greatly on the rise in recent years, with some fantastic results and big, juicy flavors marking them out as a great wine for matching with a wide range of foods.