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Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.93 $28.80
"Bambino" comes from a ten-acre block planted on Old Hill in 1998. This young-vine field blend is patterned after the...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $29.94 $31.60
12 bottles: $26.60
Our Zinfandel was aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, 20% of which were new. At...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.93 $13.43
Dark forest fruit leading the nose, with touches of green bell pepper. Fruit forward, savoury finish. (Bronze) - DWWA...
DC
88
WE
88
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.90 $13.43
12 bottles: $12.76
A beautiful red colour with garnet glints An expressive and complex nose, with primary aromas of toast, vanilla and...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.65 $15.17
12 bottles: $12.36
Our smooth Zinfandel is layered with hints of rich blackberry, luscious caramel, and aromatic toasted oak.
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $510.48 $567.20
Lead-pencil aromas with currants and plums, too. Full body, silky tannins and a focused and very refined finish. It's...
12 FREE
WE
94
JS
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $498.95 $516.00
While few people get excited about second wines, the reality today is that the top estates are making such a strict...
12 FREE
JD
94
WS
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $384.75 $427.50
Exquisitely fine tannins to the currant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. The palate is full, yet very refined...
12 FREE
JS
97
WA
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $486.63 $540.70
The second wine of the estate, the 2019 Carruades De Lafite offers a beautiful, Lafite-like bouquet of crème de...
12 FREE
JS
96
JD
96
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $370.08 $411.20
So perfumed and subtle with roses, lavender, sage, and currants. Medium-bodied. So much Spanish cedar, cigar box,...
12 FREE
JS
96
DC
95
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $236.52 $262.80
94-95 Soft and attractive character to this wine, showing a polished-tannin frame and a juicy center-palate. Medium...
12 FREE
JS
95
VM
93
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $34.10
The 2020 Céres, from Clare and Gonzalgue Lurton, comes from a 8-hectare estate owned by Clare and Gonzalgue Lurton,...
12 FREE
VM
88
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $232.38 $258.20
The second wine of Château Ausone, always produced in limited quantities, provides a fine echo of the top wine. Bold...
12 FREE
WE
96
JS
95
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.80
12 bottles: $19.40
A tight and focused second wine from Potensac with currant and lemon-rind character. Medium body, fine tannins and a...
JS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.83 $19.80
An attractive nose with red fruit and an array of red flowers that lead to a palate that has red fruit at its core...
JS
91
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $19.99
A fresh, clean wine with currants, spice and light chocolate character. Medium body and fine tannins. Easy finish. A...
WE
89
JS
89
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $486.00 $540.00
Initially the wine is all firm tannins, but then there is a pure line of fresh black fruits that comes through, with...
12 FREE
WE
95
DC
94
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $509.85
Intense and enticing campfire smoke, this has beautiful rich fruits behind the grilled aromatics, and is open and...
12 FREE
DC
94
WA
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $426.60 $474.00
The 2008 Angélus offers a still youthful, vibrant color as well as a classic Angélus bouquet of spice box, black...
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $529.20 $588.00
3 bottles: $489.00
Along with the 2005, the 2009 is the greatest Angelus I've tasted and is a perfect wine in every way. Based on 60%...
12 FREE
JD
100
WA
99

Cognac Mencia Red Bordeaux Zinfandel

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.

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.