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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $109.63
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 1997 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $102.80
Intense, deep red in colour, Desiderio 1998 reveals inviting notes of sweet cherries and raspberries, rose petals and...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $178.53
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $77.03
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $57.62
Blackberries, blackcurrants, dark plums, Chinese spices and hints of vanilla. Full body, incredibly structured...
JS
95
WS
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $70.95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $86.62
This is a pure merlot with violets, blueberries and hints of minerals and black truffles. Black olives, too....
JS
97
WA
92
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $50.23
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White
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $2063.80
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White
375ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $379.20
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.09
Now in its third vintage, the Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Liù is a fine and impeccably detailed wine. You taste...
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94
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93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $166.95
One of the greatest Italian Merlots, the pedigree of L'Apparita is evident the minute you raise the glass to your...
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97
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95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $242.22
Ama's 2010 L'Apparita is super-intriguing from the very first taste. With each passing vintage, it seems like...
VM
96
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94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $217.12
A deep and beautiful red with ripe berry, plum and orange peel character. Almost exotic in style. Full body,...
JS
98
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $157.95
The 2013 L’Apparita gets this tasting off to a very strong start. Fresh, perfumed and totally sensual, the 2013...
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98
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94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $239.99
Ama's 2015 L'Apparita is shaping up to be phenomenal. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to give...
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98
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $207.95
The 2016 L'Apparita, 100% Merlot, is a breathtaking, riveting wine that captures all the potential of the vintage. In...
VM
100
WA
99
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $166.95
Intense and exotic on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, violet and walnut aromas that follow through to a full...
JS
97
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96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $211.07
The 2018 L'Apparita is a total stunner. Ama's 100% Merlot is usually a wine of bombastic intensity, but the 2018...
WA
99
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99

Merlot Muscat Primitivo Semillon Pre-Arrival Wine

With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.

One of the most widely grown and easily recognized wine grape varietals in the world is the Muscat, an ancient grape with an exceptional amount of versatility. For centuries, Muscat varietal grapes have been used all over Europe for the production of wonderfully fruity wines of many different shades and colors, which, with their strong 'grapey' flavor have come to be known as a quintessential fine wine grape. Their relatively high acidity also means they are ideal for the production of sparkling wines, and the fizzy Muscat wines of Italy are widely agreed to be amongst the best in the world. In more recent years, New World countries have shown a huge amount of flair when it comes to the Muscat grape, and have had plenty of success in allowing its natural and vibrant character to come through in the bottle.

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.

Semillon was, at one point not so long ago, widely believed to be one of the most grown grape varietals in the world. Whilst today the numbers of Semillon grapes has dropped considerably, it remains a widely planted grape with vineyards all over Europe and the New World dedicated to making the most of this special and flavorful varietal. The grapes are recognizable by their golden color, and the fact that they can take on a pinkish hue in particularly warm climates. The wines the Semillon grape produces are notably varied, and are often very crisp and dry, or sweet and soft, full of a wide range of flavors Commonly, dry Semillon wines are particularly citrus in flavor, with a delicate and summery bouquet. The vine is hardy and vigorous, and notable for being easy to grow and produce high yields from.