×
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
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $76.94
Undergoing a four-week maceration followed by approximately nine months in French oak (50% new), Es is intoxicating:...
12 FREE
DC
96
Red
750ml
Bottle: $133.60
Gianfranco Fino has rightfully entered the range of those winegrowers tied to traditions wishing to save old...
12 FREE
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $62.40
12 FREE
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
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $47.43 $51.00
12 bottles: $41.04
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2015. Almost like dessert in a glass, this deep topaz-hued Cognac has a scent that evokes baked apple...
12 FREE
WE
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.13 $32.40
12 bottles: $24.49
A blend of unfermented grape juice mixed with unaged brandy then aged together for 18 months in oak. 17% abv
Instore only
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $20.96 $22.06
Sumptuous confectionary aromas of chocolate orange, salted caramel, vanilla, almond butter, and orange peel. The...
UBC
96
BTI
94
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.31
12 bottles: $38.29
Sumptuous confectionary aromas of chocolate orange, salted caramel, vanilla, almond butter, and orange peel. The...
12 FREE
UBC
96
BTI
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $171.46 $180.48
This version of Grand Marnier uses rare Cognac reserves aged up to 50 years. Here, the flavor and scent are closer to...
12 FREE
WE
96
UBC
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $67.72 $71.28
6 bottles: $67.20
This noble cordial combines both the essence of pure citrus peel and the heady flavors of aged Cognac. The two find...
12 FREE
UBC
96
BTI
95
Instore only
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $26.99
Hennessy Very Special (V.S) is one of the most popular cognacs in the world. Matured in new oak barrels, Hennessy V.S...

Cognac Mencia Mencia Primitivo

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.

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.