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Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $56.84
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $185.93
The 2018 Huilkrans is 100% Chenin Blanc from the Citrusdal Mountains. Its bouquet is more waxy and resinous than...
VM
97
WA
94
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White
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $79.00
The 2020 Nautical Dawn, from granite soils and vines planted in 1978 that undergoes a two month ferment, is aged in...
VM
94
WS
93
Sale
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Red
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $436.95 $462.33
One of two Allegrini wines making their debut on the Place de Bordeaux this year. From an 8ha vineyard at 415m....
DC
100
VM
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $205.95
One of two Allegrini wines making their debut on the Place de Bordeaux this year. From an 8ha vineyard at 415m....
DC
100
VM
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $220.41
Another astounding wine from Allegrini, if you didn't buy Fiermonte last year here's a chance to buy something just...
DC
100
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $77.65
Very dense, tightly packed aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries, as well as notes of hazelnuts. Full-bodied and...
DC
95
JS
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $77.87
An elegant, sophisticated wine with a noble profile and great aromatic expression. The enveloping and intense scent...
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $77.09
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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: $73.28
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $73.28
Case only
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $86.45
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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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $58.14
Now in its third vintage, the Castello dei Rampolla 2020 Liù is a fine and impeccably detailed wine. You taste...
WA
94
WE
93
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $166.46
One of the greatest Italian Merlots, the pedigree of L'Apparita is evident the minute you raise the glass to your...
WE
97
VM
95
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $242.65
Ama's 2010 L'Apparita is super-intriguing from the very first taste. With each passing vintage, it seems like...
VM
96
WA
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $225.95
A deep and beautiful red with ripe berry, plum and orange peel character. Almost exotic in style. Full body,...
JS
98
WA
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...
VM
98
JS
94
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $240.68
Ama's 2015 L'Apparita is shaping up to be phenomenal. That is the good news. But readers are going to have to give...
VM
98
WA
96
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Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $208.95
The 2016 L'Apparita, 100% Merlot, is a breathtaking, riveting wine that captures all the potential of the vintage. In...
VM
100
WA
99

Altesse Chenin Blanc Corvina Blend Merlot White Rhone Blend Pre-Arrival Wine

Originating in France yet now grown in many parts of the New World, Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile and highly regarded white wine grape varietals on earth. These green skinned grapes hold a relatively high acid content, and as such can be used for making still white wines of exceptional quality, as well as superb sparkling wines (such as the Crémant wines of the Loire Valley) and extremely aromatic dessert wines. Their natural transparency means that they are a fine grape for expressing their terroir in the bottle, and winemakers often experiment with this varietal to coax unusual and intense flavors from the grapes, such as allowing the development of noble rot on the fruit in order to make sweet and viscous wines of a unique character.

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.

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.

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone's success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.