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750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$108.02
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$59.45
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$130.95
A dark, super-ripe wine, the 2008 Valpolicella Superiore is fabulous in this vintage. Smoke, tar, incense, licorice...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$106.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$116.49
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$101.95
A harmonious Valpolicella in a richer style, displaying a lovely range of plumped black cherry, star anise, espresso...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$120.54
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$100.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$104.58
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$97.95
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$162.62
Aromas of baked plum, blue flowers, new leather and oak-driven spice are front and center. On the enveloping palate,...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$180.28
Pre-Arrival
Secondo Marco Valpolicella Ripasso Classico 2015
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$36.92
This offers aromas of dark-skinned berry, underbrush and scorched earth. It's smooth and medium bodied, with ripe...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$192.30
COLOR: Dark ruby red.
NOSE: Dried violets, blueberries, Sichuan pepper, humus, rhubarb, rosewood, walnuts and...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$176.95
COLOR: Dark ruby red.
NOSE: Dried violets, blueberries, Sichuan pepper, humus, rhubarb, rosewood, walnuts and...
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$235.95
Plenty of dried fruit with figs and sultanas, as well as mushrooms. Full-bodied, yet integrated and polished with...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$82.68
A fresh, lightly exotic nose, offering dates, figs, fresh earth and a hint of toasted coconut. On the palate...
Corvina Blend Mavrodaphne Nero D'avola Verduzzo
Corvina grapes are most commonly associated with the Veneto region of Italy, where they have been grown successfully for centuries, and are a vital component of the region's viticultural identity. The Corvina varietal is famed around the world for its inclusion in such fine wines as Amarone and Valpolicella, where it is blended with small quantities of other grape varietals to produce wines of exceptional character and balance. The grapes themselves have a naturally high level of acidity, which often results in an aftertaste of bitter almonds. However, this bitterness is quite a sought for feature of this varietal, as it balances beautifully with the sour cherry notes also associated with the grape. Corvina grapes have a wonderfully potential for aging, and this process mellows the bitterness and acids present in the fruit, resulting in soft, complex and highly admired wines.
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?
Italy’s largest island, Sicily, has a wine producing history that can put most other European regions to shame. It was producing quality wines before the days of the Roman empire, and even the Ancient Greeks were not the first to cultivate vines on the island. For as long as anyone knows, the key grape varietal of Sicily has been Nero d’Avola, the beautiful, deep blue skinned grape which produces the region’s characterful, powerful red wines. While in the past, Nero d’Avola was mainly used as a blending grape, due to its deep color and intensely full body, it is today being increasingly celebrated as a single varietal wine grape, and is perfect for those who like their wines boisterous, loud and strong.
Nero d’Avola is grown pretty much everywhere on Sicily, as demand for wines made from this grape have never been higher. Despite its power and body, it is quite a versatile grape - it can be aged in oak barrels, which produces a dense and dark wine which puts its intense characteristics to good use, but it is also often drunk quite young, which allows its jammy, plummy character to come forward. It is also used to make rose wines in some appellations of Sicily, demonstrating a softer side to this otherwise heavy, deeply flavorful grape.