×
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $74.94 $76.80
12 bottles: $73.44
Age makes all the difference in Grande Champagne, and at 20 years old, this Cognac has begun to show its elegance and...
12 FREE
VM
95
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $38.76 $40.80
12 bottles: $37.62
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $48.16 $50.70
12 bottles: $47.03
On the nose, aromas of mature wood, vanilla, dried fruits (apricot, almond, date, nuts), banana and oriental spices....
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $83.22 $87.60
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $71.95
LIMITED EDITION. Cru Petit Champagne, Double-distilled in an alembic still in 2010 on heavy lees, non chill filtered,...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $54.94 $58.20
6 bottles: $53.84
Named for the distiller—the only woman Cognac distiller, according to the producer. Look for a light golden hue and...
12 FREE
WE
88
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $34.94
Pineau de Charentes is a traditional term for an alcoholic beverage produced by adding high-strength spirit to...
12 FREE
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $18.08
12 bottles: $13.59
The Florio Vecchioflorio Marsala Superiore Dry appears amber-colored with gold highlights in the glass. The nose...
Sale
Dessert/Fortified Wine
375ml
Bottle: $11.45 $12.05
24 bottles: $8.43
Warm and round with an elegant background of dried fruit and raisins.
Rapid Ship
Dessert/Fortified Wine
750ml
Bottle: $15.49
12 bottles: $15.19
Warm and round with an elegant background of dried fruit and raisins.
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $28.95 $30.47
12 bottles: $25.53
A golden colour. Elegant and generous cognac, with fruity and spicy aromas, light oaky notes and a hint of vanilla.
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $18.81 $19.80
24 bottles: $17.10
Baked pear,orange peel and beeswax are elegantly displayed on the nose. The tastes are well balanced and harmonious....
UBC
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.89 $41.99
12 bottles: $36.47
Baked pear,orange peel and beeswax are elegantly displayed on the nose. The tastes are well balanced and harmonious....
UBC
94
Spirits
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $61.56 $64.80
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $42.18 $44.40
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $33.06 $34.80
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $21.60
12 bottles: $20.52
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $33.06 $34.80
We let our Red Pineau age, and we discover that’il loses its color with time, taking tiled reflections on its...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $37.94 $40.80
12 bottles: $29.64
Scented with baked apple and vanilla, this amber-hued brandy—aged three to four years—shows oak, cedar and...
WE
91

Cognac Marsala Mencia Savatiano

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.

Marsala is a well known fortified wine from Italy’s largest island, Sicily. A largely misunderstood and undervalued fortified wine, it is most commonly associated with its sweet variety - usually used as a cooking wine - although the finest dry Masalas are able to stand up to more revered, similar wines such as Sherry and Madeira. Marsala has been made in Sicily since the mid 18th century, and it grew wildly popular around Europe as sailors introduced it to port towns across the continent. Marsala wine has a beautiful set of flavors, most typically including apricot, tamarind, vanilla and tobacco, making it a delightfully intense treat when served as a sipping wine.



Marsala wine comes in several different varieties, and most of them are a world away from the sweet wines used in sauces and chicken dishes. Amber, golden and ruby versions of Masala are produced, from a range of different native grape varietals, and many of the finest are aged for over ten years to achieve a fascinating set of complex flavors and a remarkably smooth finish. It is usually made from the Grillo, Inzolia, Damaschino and Catarratto white grapes, although the ruby Masala wines uses typical Sicilian red varietals such as Nero d’Avola and Calabrese, among others.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?