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Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $189.94 $249.88
Pours a lovely golden tawny with aromas of milk chocolate nougat, toasted honeycomb, candied orange, fresh cream, and...
12 FREE
UBC
93
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $30.49
This golden-hued Bourbon calls to mind butterscotch hard candies, blondie bars, toasted coconut, and sweet cream on...
12 FREE
UBC
94
BTI
92
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $56.49 $59.46
6 bottles: $50.77
The nose is somewhat tight at first, but opens to aromas of coffee cake, fruit cup, and faint notes of cherry,...
12 FREE
WKY
93
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $34.78
Golden amber color. Aromas of hot cinnamon candies, milk chocolate, corn pops, maple syrup, and toast with a supple,...
12 FREE
BTI
92
WKY
90
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $39.69
12 bottles: $38.90
Aromas of currants, cedar and violets follow through to a medium body and fine tannins with a lovely, light velvety...
12 FREE
VM
92
JS
92
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $19.44 $21.60
12 bottles: $17.10
Beautiful, broad and plush, this structured but charming wine overflows with red fruits and baking spices, with a...
WE
93
DC
90
Red
750ml
Bottle: $28.00
12 bottles: $27.44
The 2016 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard is medium garnet-purple in color and opens with notions of raspberry tart,...
12 FREE
WA
93
JD
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $16.94 $18.33
12 bottles: $16.63
Lively lavender aromas elevate the dark berry and thyme scents on the nose of this bottling. The core of blueberry...
WE
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.89 $17.49
12 bottles: $15.83
This is a very successful Zinfandel, blending earth, spice and fruit into a savory, yet thirst-quenching package....
WE
93
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $28.23 $29.72
12 bottles: $22.79
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2015. Luxe and velvety, this port-finished Bourbon shows bold caramel and toffee up front, morphing...
WE
94
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $45.23
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2015. Luxe and velvety, this port-finished Bourbon shows bold caramel and toffee up front, morphing...
12 FREE
WE
94
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $45.36 $50.40
The 2019 Zinfandel Cat's Cradle is similarly hued but has a purer, crisper, more youthful vibe as well as ample plum...
JD
93
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $43.20 $48.00
6 bottles: $34.40
Dark plum and black-cherry flavors show great richness and breadth in this mouth-filling, slightly tannic wine as it...
WE
92
JD
90
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $64.94
Lean, dry and spicy, this seven-year-old small-batch Bourbon may be reminiscent of of rye whiskey. It has a mild...
12 FREE
WE
93
WKY
93
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $31.24 $32.88
6 bottles: $27.00
Excellent, Highly Recommended - 2020 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE
UBC
90
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $159.94
This whiskey from Bardstown leaps out of the glass with cocoa nibs, chocolate croissant, cigar box, and banana split...
12 FREE
WKY
94
Instore only
Red
187ml
Bottle: $6.99
Bright cherry, ripe plum, milk chocolate, red apple, and vanilla bean flavors combine for this wine’s decadent...
UBC
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.94 $12.57
12 bottles: $9.51
Bright cherry, ripe plum, milk chocolate, red apple, and vanilla bean flavors combine for this wine’s decadent...
UBC
90
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $68.93
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Merlot bursts with notes of baked black plums, boysenberry preserves, and black...
12 FREE
JS
92
WA
91
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $68.94 $73.20
Rated 97 - This Barone Ricasoli 2018 Casalferro is a selection of the best Merlot from three different vineyards with...
12 FREE
WNR
97
JS
95

Bourbon Merlot Zinfandel

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.

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 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.