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Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.99
12 bottles: $15.67
Savory undertones of grilled thyme, fresh earth and smoky mineral flank the steeped cherry and raspberry fruit...
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WS
89
Red
750ml
Bottle: $35.40
12 bottles: $34.69
Offering up aromas of dark chocolate, roasting game bird and small wild berries, the 2016 Côte de Brouilly is medium...
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WA
91
Red
750ml
Bottle: $35.85
12 bottles: $35.13
The 2016 Fleurie Clos Vernay wafts from the glass with a nuanced bouquet of raspberries, wild plums, dark chocolate...
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WA
93
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.80
12 bottles: $28.22
The 2016 Fleurie Joie de Palais was lucky to escape the hail that stopped 50 meters from Lafarge’s parcel. It has a...
WA
88
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $33.84 $36.40
12 bottles: $33.82
Ripe red berries are laced with hints of schist from the soil, expanding through a soft finish of well-integrated...
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $62.90
A very fresh attack with crunchy, energetic blueberries and redcurrants, delivering a plush, supple pastry-like...
WA
93
JS
93
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 3
Bottle: $89.95
This is very lively and delicious with dark fruit, orange peel and a hint of chocolate. Medium to full body, tangy...
JS
92
WA
91
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $93.95 $99.17
The Barbera grape can often act like Nebbiolo showing its best results in the later vintages that end on a cool note....
WA
93
WS
90
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Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $588.50
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Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $65.37
An elegant Gamay, with seamless flavors of cherry tea, raspberry gelée and orange zest, flanked by licorice, floral...
WS
92
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $375.95 $397.59
The 2015 Barbera d'Alba Pozzo dell'Annunziata offers a good deal of immediacy to match its soft, silky personality....
VM
92
DC
91

Assyrtiko Barbera Gamay Red Bordeaux Wine

Cultivated since at least the middle of the Byzantine era, the Assyrtiko grape is generally considered to be one the finest of the Greek grape varietals, as a result of its multi-purpose properties and ability to flourish on a wide range of terrains. The ancient Byzantines used it in conjunction with Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of their unusual and naturally sweet Vinsanto wines, which are still produced today in Santorini, and continue to be popular. However, the Assyrtiko grapes are used for many different AOC wines across Greece, and are favored by wine makers who want to maintain a dryness and acidic punch to their produce.

The Assyrtiko grapes are renowned for their ability to maintain their acidity as they ripen beneath the blazing Mediterranean sun, resulting in wines which have a distinctive dryness and a range of citrus fruit aromas, as well as great structure and high tannins. Often, Assyrtiko grapes will produce wines which leave an unusual after-taste reminiscent of the mineral rich, volcanic soils they are grown in on the slopes of Santorini, making them a favorite for wine drinkers looking for something full of character and interesting attributes. The past twenty five years have seen Assyrtiko vines planted all over the Greek mainland, and even in Attica and Macedonia, where the softer terrain often produces more fruit forward wines with a milder, less astringent character. However, wherever this fine grape varietal is grown, it is rare the results will be anything less than excellent.

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?

For centuries now, the beautiful red grapes of the Barbera varietal have been grown in Italy, where they are prized for their unusual high acid content and low tannins, brought about by their thin skins. The Barbera grape varietal thrives in warmer climates, and has had some success overseas in the new world, where its strongly aromatic flavors of intense hedgerow fruits make it a favorite with wineries and wine drinkers looking for a grape which offers plenty of interesting characteristics. Interestingly, the differences between young and aged wines made from this varietal are quite significant, with younger bottles holding a plethora of berry flavors, including blueberry and raspberry notes, and oak aged wines made from the Barbera grape being much loved for their ability to become extremely complex and spicy, and picking up vanilla flavors from the wood they are barreled in.

The French wines of Beaujolais are widely regarded as some of the finest table wines in the world. This is due in part to the qualities of the Gamay grape, from which they are made. Gamay produces beautifully, juicy, rounded and gulpable red wines, usually drank young and full of their natural fruit character. However, it would be a mistake to say that Gamay is limited to easy-drinking, soft wines - it’s a highly flexible and versatile grape, capable of producing aged wines of serious complexity and structure, full of expression and fascinating characteristics.


The majority of Gamay wines from France are labeled under Beaujolais Villages or Beaujolais, and these are the standard table wines we’re used to seeing in French restaurants, at bistros, and at our local wine store. Usually great value for money, these are the light, slightly acidic examples of what the grape can do. Far more interesting are those Gamay wines from the 10 cru villages, just north of Beaujolais, where generations of expertise and a unique soil type made up of granitic schist result in far more unique, complicated wines. The best examples of Gamay feature intense aromatics, all black fruit and forest fare, and are worth cellaring for a few years.