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750ml
Bottle:
$72.94
6 bottles:
$71.48
Rated 98 - Bright, light yellow colour with intense lemongrass aromas, hints of straw and wax, barely any toast...
750ml
Bottle:
$16.95
12 bottles:
$16.61
This 100% hand harvested Semillon is from a single vineyard in the Tupungato region of the Uco Valley. The lower...
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Chateau Le Puy Marie-Cecile VdF 2022
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$62.78
Marie-Cécile is produced exclusively from semillon grapes. The wine is vinified and matured in used barrels, by...
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle:
$79.19
I also loved the 2020 Château Suduiraut Pur Semillon, a 100% Semillon that will also shine on the dinner table....
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Ridge Petite Sirah Lytton Estate 2019
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$51.91
A wine of weight and substance, the 2019 Petite Syrah Lytton Estate is fabulous. Best of all, readers won't have to...
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Sine Qua Non The Writing On The Wall 2012
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$6613.56
$7035.70
The 2012 Petite Sirah The Writing on the Wall should be the greatest Petite Sirah to ever come out of California (or...
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Tyrrell's Semillon Vat 1 2006
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$110.10
With lifted lime citrus aromas the palate is seamless, showing the typical powerful fruit core which is balanced by...
Counoise Mavrodaphne Petite Sirah Semillon
In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.
Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.
Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.
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?
Petite Sirah was first brought from France to America in the 1880s. It later went on to become one of the only grapes to make it through the devastating Phylloxera virus in the 1890s, both World Wars, and the Great Depression. During Prohibition, it was a main ingredient used to make sacramental wines. In fact, through the 1960s it was a major blending grape in a number of the finest wines produced in California.
By itself, a bottle of Petite Sirah usually has no problem making a quick impression on consumers. With a large amount of natural color and tannins, wines made with the grape commonly feature intensive sweet fruit characteristics like fresh raspberry or blackberry jam, black pepper spice, and plenty of backbone or structure.
There are a number of different styles available. Some concentrate on highlighting fresh, fruity flavors; others are bigger, more voluptuous; and it keeps going up the ladder until you reach the powerful, more machismo-style category.
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.