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Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.99
The wine has a deep, rich purple color. Intense red fruits are on the nose, with black pepper spice and a touch of...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $52.94
12 bottles: $51.88
Tightly focused and refined for a Zinfandel, this version packs in deep flavors of black cherry, licorice and roasted...
12 FREE
WS
94
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $21.87
12 bottles: $21.43
Dynamic and generous, this Zin combines old-school briar with sleek suppleness, serving up stylish flavors of...
WS
93
VM
90
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.94
12 bottles: $39.14
Eye: Garnet core, pink rose rim. Nose: Kumquat, exotic spice, wild strawberries, raspberries, Rainier cherry. Time...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $44.90
12 bottles: $44.00
60% Zinfandel,15% Grenache, 10% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah and 10% "other" (20+ other varieties, in fact)...
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $26.93 $28.80
"Bambino" comes from a ten-acre block planted on Old Hill in 1998. This young-vine field blend is patterned after the...
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $39.94
Always one of the richer more textured Pessac whites, and it lives up to type in this vintage, given a welcome sense...
12 FREE
DC
93
JS
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $34.83 $35.88
12 bottles: $32.98
92-94 The 2021 Carbonnieux Blanc has a relatively spicy bouquet, very slight touches of muscat filtering through the...
VM
94
JS
92
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.90
12 bottles: $19.50
A hint of cream and marzipan to the profile of green fruit. Sliced green apples, kiwis and gooseberries. Bright and...
WE
93
JS
91
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $23.94
Lemon and lime zest on the nose, smells bright and vibrant with crisp green apple. Fun and playful with a short of...
12 FREE
DC
93
VM
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $16.45 $18.80
This Graves is distinguished by its high percentage of Sémillon, sourced from vineyards in the greatest white wine...
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $39.94
12 bottles: $39.14
Barrel Sample. Citrus and crisp white apples go with the wine's mineral texture. It is balanced, full of white fruits...
12 FREE
WE
94
WA
93
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $69.94 $72.84
Beautifully wood aged, with subtle hints of spice, this is an elegant, textured wine, ripe with white fruit tones and...
12 FREE
WE
96
JS
95
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.94
12 bottles: $14.64
A stunning value in white bordeaux, this wine is packed with pretty perfumes of white flowers and citrus fruits (pink...
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $39.83 $42.00
94-95 A bright, salty white with dried-apple, lemon and hot-stone character. It’s full-bodied, yet vivid and tight...
12 FREE
JS
95
WE
94
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.94
A dense, fruity white with sliced lemon, apple and some dried pineapple. It’s full and flavorful. Quite layered....
12 FREE
JS
93
JD
92
Sale
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $35.93 $37.20
12 bottles: $35.34
The 2022 Santorini Assyrtiko, the flagship 100% Assyrtiko (usually producing around 100,000 bottles), is unoaked and...
WA
94
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.85
12 bottles: $14.55
This is a vibrant white showing aromas of pears, white flowers, puffed rice and lemon verbena. Medium-bodied, so...
JS
91
Sale
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $24.54 $26.39
A briar patch in a bottle, this hearty red abounds with bold raspberry, roasted anise and smoky black pepper flavors...
WS
91
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $35.94
12 bottles: $35.22
This is showing aromas of salted almonds, white flowers, honey and golden apples. It’s medium- to full-bodied with...
12 FREE
JS
92

Assyrtiko White Bordeaux Zinfandel Rapid Ship 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?

France is widely known as being the home of many of the world's finest white wines, and within France, the name which rings out across the wine world and is always associated with excellence of quality and flavor is Bordeaux. The white wines of the magnificent Bordeaux region are typically blended, and rely on the winemaker's skill and expertise to achieve the fine balance between the primary grape varietals used. Most blended white Bordeaux wines are made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle varietals, although there are actually nine grapes officially allowed by French wine law for the inclusion in Bordeaux white wines. The other six are Sauvignon Gris, Merlot Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Ondenc and Mauzac, although the use of these other grapes has been in steady decline over the past century.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.