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White
750ml
Bottle: $40.08
12 bottles: $39.28
A honeycomb sweetness with a hint of oaky caramel leads in this stylish white. It’s broad and ripe, but the apple...
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W&S
90
White
1.5Ltr
Bottle: $182.20
3 bottles: $179.20
Montelena's 2016 Chardonnay is terrific. Fresh, nuanced and light on its feet, the 2016 is striking for its freshness...
VM
94
JD
90
White
750ml
Bottle: $93.94
Montelena's 2016 Chardonnay is terrific. Fresh, nuanced and light on its feet, the 2016 is striking for its freshness...
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VM
94
JD
90
White
750ml
Bottle: $36.96
6 bottles: $36.22
Aromatically this wine shows deeply concentrated flavors of lemongrass, citrus peel, and faint honey notes, with a...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $33.06 $34.80
12 bottles: $30.40
This has cleverly curated aromas of peach and grapefruit with flinty, winemaking complexity and hazelnut-like oak...
JS
94
DC
93
White
750ml
Bottle: $20.88
12 bottles: $20.46
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White
750ml
Bottle: $14.29
6 bottles: $14.00
White
750ml
Bottle: $36.68
12 bottles: $35.95
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White
750ml
Bottle: $72.79
6 bottles: $72.00
The barrique-aged Cantina Tramin 2016 Alto Adige Chardonnay Riserva Troy is a real beauty. This wine will appeal to...
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93
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92
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $212.95
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $91.62
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $201.95
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $277.95
A touch of matchstick character blends with notes of pear, apple and lemon peel. The supple, vibrant and utterly...
BH
89
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $193.83
Bright medium yellow. Deep scents of apricot, very ripe peach, hazelnut and nutmeg; distinctly yellow in its fruit...
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92
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $130.95
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $211.95
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $104.65
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $59.32
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White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $107.43
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $48.63

Chardonnay Lambrusco Pigato

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

Some grape species are distinct and unique varietals, clearly separate from each of their cousins. Others, like Lambrusco and Muscat, are more like umbrella terms, featuring several subspecies which show slight differences from each other from region to region. Indeed, there are astonishingly more than 60 identified varieties of Lambrusco vines, and they are almost all used in the production of characterful Italian sparkling wines. They are distinguishable by their deep ruby blush, caused by strong pigments present in their skins, and their intensely perfumed character.


Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian regions, although we most closely associate this varietal with Piedmont and Basilicata. It has also been grown successfully in Argentina and Australia. The varietal suffered from a fairly lowly reputation in the late 20th century, due to bulk, low cost production of Lambrusco sparkling wines, aimed at markets across northern Europe and America. However, things are rapidly changing, and the older, more traditional methods of bottle fermentation are returning, along with a higher level of quality and expression, as consumers become more discerning and demanding. Many of the Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own established DOC, such as Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, Lambrusco di Sorbara and Modena, where new regulations are keeping standards high and methods traditional.