×
Red
12 FREE
Red
750ml
Bottle: $133.88
12 bottles: $131.20
12 FREE
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $169.89 $184.20
Dark ruby. Deep, brooding nose hints at dark plum, blackcurrant, coffee and lavender accented by cinnamon and...
12 FREE
VM
91
WS
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1513.35 $1681.50
The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38%...
12 FREE
WA
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $1296.18 $1440.20
Softly spoken, fine tannins, pencil lead and leather, with truffle, earth, campfire and spice. Long drawn out finish,...
12 FREE
DC
100
WA
100
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $476.55 $529.50
Tasted over dinner in July 2009.
12 FREE
VM
94
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $454.18
It's extremely rare to taste older vintages of Angélus. It's utterly sumptuous, and it's such a shame that the...
DC
95
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $503.31
It's extremely rare to taste older vintages of Angélus. It's utterly sumptuous, and it's such a shame that the...
DC
95
WS
92
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $104.20
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $117.18
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $191.15
This is a backward, muscular, highly-extracted wine with a boatload of tannin, thus the question mark. The saturated...
WA
91
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $59.62
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $228.06
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $97.69
A wine must reflect its terroir, its origins. We strongly believe that the uniqueness of the vineyard’s location is...
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $568.35
While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this...
WA
95
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $541.95
While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this...
WA
95
WS
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $67.20
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
1.5Ltr - Case of 6
Bottle: $1063.89
Many 1996 are still pretty closed up right now, as it was a vintage with fairly hefty tannins but this is perfect for...
DC
95
VM
93
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $1024.95
The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38%...
WA
100
Case only
Long-term Pre-Arrival
Red
750ml - Case of 3
Bottle: $1600.00
The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is unquestionably this renowned estate's greatest wine. As I indicated last year, only 38%...
WA
100

Champange Blend Grenache Mondeuse Red Bordeaux Zinfandel 1996

The purple skinned grapes of the Grenache varietal have quickly become one of the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world, flourishing in several countries which have the correct conditions in which they can grow to ripeness. They thrive anywhere with a dry, hot climate, such as that found in central Spain and other such arid areas, and produce delightfully light bodied wines full of spicy flavors and notes of dark berries. Their robustness and relative vigor has led them being a favorite grape varietal for wineries all over the world, and whilst it isn't uncommon to see bottles made from this varietal alone, they are also regularly used as a blending grape due to their high sugar content and ability to produce wines containing a relatively high level of alcohol.

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.

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.