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![Domaine Equis [M. Graillot] Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Des Lises 2020 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/e7/e753cf4ec53b1ead651b7894fd673393.jpg){kind=small}
750ml
Bottle:
$27.74
$29.60
Deep violet. Lively aromas of fresh blackberry, cherry and candied flowers, along with cracked pepper and olive...
![Domaine Equis [M. Graillot] Crozes-Hermitage Equinoxe 2022 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/f9/f9b76f94732ec96a110869afd976ccb1.jpg){kind=small}
750ml
Bottle:
$19.90
$21.20
100% Syrah, this is an elegant, earthy wine that loves to find itself paired with a roast chicken or duck.
![Domaine Equis [M. Graillot] Saint Joseph 2020 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/a3/a34037ec2c68df0e1b7b1ab18e6155e0.jpg){kind=small}
750ml
Bottle:
$34.96
$36.80
Textured and lythe. Flavors of fresh blueberries and blackberries are accented by notes of fresh cracked black...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.85
$34.79
12 bottles:
$33.17
91-93 Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Pungent floral and black pepper flourishes complement smoke-inflected dark berry...
750ml
Bottle:
$104.24
12 bottles:
$97.95
A blend of grapes from Bassenon, Maison Rouge and Lancement, the 2019 Cote Rotie Blonde du Seigneur contains about 5%...
750ml
Bottle:
$66.94
$70.99
12 bottles:
$66.69
From a muscovite-based site above Chavanay, the 2019 Saint Joseph Terres d'Encre doesn't come across as being from a...
750ml
Bottle:
$49.74
12 bottles:
$48.75
This bright, alluring wine leads with violet, plum and black pepper, all wrapped around a core of graphite. Sleek and...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.80
12 bottles:
$43.90
Offers a vibrant beam of cassis and violet flavors that race along, with smoked meat and iron accents. Floral and...
750ml
Bottle:
$449.94
A good vintage - the problem was the yields,' says Jean-Louis. A tasting of principal component lieux-dits Péléat,...
750ml
Bottle:
$64.80
Not yet bottled, the 2017 Cornas has a rich, powerful, chewy style as well as notes of blackberries, blueberries,...
750ml
Bottle:
$28.94
12 bottles:
$28.36
750ml
Bottle:
$90.00
Deep ruby. Dark fruit preserves, olive, woodsmoke and a hint of incense on the powerfully scented nose. Intense,...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.60
100% Syrah sourced from Achaia, with 13-19 year old vines in sandy clay loam soil at 2,132 ft (650 m) altitude. It...
750ml
Bottle:
$51.94
The 2020 Syrah Estate was made with a touch of whole cluster and matured in neutral oak. Medium ruby-purple in color,...
750ml
Bottle:
$148.95
3 bottles:
$145.97
Ripe black cherries, wild blackberries, blackcurrants, nutmeg, licorice, mahogany, musk and some dried thyme on the...
750ml
Bottle:
$179.94
3 bottles:
$176.34
Very deep and dark fruit in the nose, with violets, ink, blackberries, roasted meat, asphalt and spices. Wet earth,...
750ml
Bottle:
$145.20
3 bottles:
$144.00
Very attractive aromas of meat, spice and blue fruits with cloves and black pepper. Medium-bodied with very fine...
Japanese Whiskey Mavrodaphne Syrah Trebbiano
Whisky might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of Japanese fine produce, but over the past one hundred years, this fascinating and multi-faceted country has diligently forged a unique whisky identity which is growing in popularity, and which is entirely its own.
The story of Japanese whisky begins in 1918, when Masataka Taketsuru was sent to Scotland to undertake a tour of single malt distilleries in the Highlands, and bring home a knowledge of whisky and distillation skills. He returned full of inspiration, helped no doubt by his new Scottish wife, and alongside his friend, Shinjiro Torii, set up what would become a successful whisky industry.
Today, the Japanese whisky industry is spread over a relatively small handful of distilleries, which continue to use Scottish techniques and recipes, but with a hefty dose of distinctly Japanese experimentalism. This is displayed most obviously in the barrelling techniques the Japanese use - to create a distinctly Oriental set of tasting notes, native Japanese oakwood casks are used for ageing, alongside casks taken from plum wine producers, which impart a beautiful set of floral flavors to the whisky.
While some distilleries produce some excellent single malts, the majority of Japanese whiskies are blended, which reveals a unique set of flavors and aromas ranging from honeysuckle and orange blossom, to toffee and acetone.
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?
Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet's most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn't easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.
The Trebbiano varietal grape is a white wine grape originally from Italy, but which has been successfully planted and cultivated in several European countries, as well as in many parts of the New World. Although it is widely grown around the world, it remains relatively unknown to wine drinkers, perhaps because it has mostly been used traditionally as a blending varietal, and for the production of fortified wines. However, it is used very well in parts of Tuscany and elsewhere in Italy for single variety wines, where it is prized for its elegant character and beautiful citrus flavors, alongside floral aromas and a great expression of terroir. As such, Trebbiano wines often hold interesting mineral notes, making them fascinating and complex white wines perfect for matching with a wide range of foods.