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$23.95
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United States
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Cabernet & Blends
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California
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "35% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, 15% Malbec. Rich in color with beautiful floral aromas on the nose and supple, plummy fruit on the palate. With well-integrated tannins and impressive smoothness on the finish, this red blend is meticulously crafted using fruit sourced from our favorite low-yielding vineyards in Napa Valley."
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$23.95
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France
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South of France
In stock,
9
available
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Paul Strang (South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers): "The Barré family has been growing vines at Viella since 1850, and Didier represents the sixth generation... His roguish and teasing manner conceals a deep seriousness for his wines, which are regularly cited as among the best of the region. The vineyard covers about 24 hectares, partly on a pebbly-clay plateau to the west of the village and partly on a south-eastern slope over the east where Didier grows his grapes for pacherenc. Some of his vines go back 100 years."
The cuvee "Vitis MCM" is made with 100% Tannat harvested from vines planted in 1900 and aged in 80% new oak barrels.
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$23.95
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Greece
In stock, 12+ available
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List $27.00
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90 points Wine Spectator: "[$27 list] This supple, complex and enticingly ripe red features a mix of citrus, spice, smoke, dried berry and cherry tart flavors. The long finish shows sandalwood notes, with hints of mincemeat and touches of cream. Ends on a briary note. Xinomavro. Drink now through 2018. 300 cases imported. (2012)"
Producer notes: "100% Xinomavro. The 'Grande Reserve' designation is only granted to wines that are barrel aged for at least two years, and then bottle aged for at least two additional years.The barrel aging allows the complexity of the Xinomavro grape to fully show through. Aroma: Cinnamon, dry fig and red fruits combined with complex spices. Taste: Well structured, full-bodied and balanced with intense flavor and a long cinnamon and smoked nuts finish. Although ready to drink now, the wine will continue to develop in the cellar for 12-15 years. Serve with red meat, spicy sauces and yellow cheeses. Alcohol 13%."
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$19.95
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Italy
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Veneto
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Amarone
In stock,
2
available
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Two Glasses, Gambero Rosso: "It is said that quality never goes hand-in-hand with large quantities, but luckily the reverse is sometimes true, and our tasting of Giuseppe Campagnola's wines was one of those occasions... (2011)" Intense red garnet color. Fine ethereal, fragrant bouquet. Dry full complex and velvet smooth. Rich superb noble warm on palate with aftertaste of green almond.
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$18.95
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France
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Alsace
In stock,
1
available
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List $24.00
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David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "The Dirler 2007 Pinot -- a 100% Pinot Noir of pale salmon color -- was, for the second time in the history of this cuvee (and far more successfully than in 2006), fermented in barrel, where it received extended lees contact. Fresh cherry and lime on the nose follow on a palate of subtle creaminess and generous refreshment, with spicy adjuncts from the barrel and mineral salts mingling in a saliva-inducing finish. This will prove versatile over at least the next 12-18 months. (Apr 2010)"
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$19.95
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United States
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Sparkling
In stock, 12+ available
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List $25.00
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Producer notes: "The Blanc de Blancs offers abundant aromas and flavors recalling sweet apples, pears and citrus. The three years of aging has contributed a pronounced classic toastiness with accents of roasted almonds and minerals. The palate is creamy and long, and the style is elegant, dry and crisp, with great complexity. Only 1,000 cases produced."
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$11.95
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France
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Bordeaux
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ruby red color, with aromas of red fruits and black currants. Medium-bodied with abundant fruit flavors, a hint of spice, and soft, silky tannins.
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$17.95
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Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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List $20.00
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Not yet reviewed; 2006 vintage rated 89 points by International Wine Cellar: "(50% garnatxa, 30% merlot and 20% syrah) Deep ruby. Expressive aromas of blackberry, spiced plum and flowers, along with hints of smoked meat and tobacco. Open-knit, attractively sweet dark fruit flavors are lifted by gentle acidity and gain firmness with air. With its absence of rough edges and good lingering sweetness, this is drinking very well right now. (Sep/Oct 2010)"
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$13.95
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Italy
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Veneto
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara. Deep ruby red colour. Cherries and intriguing aromas of mild spices on the nose. Bright and well rounded at the same time on the palate; baked cherry and plum flavours with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. Excellent balance between the supporting acidity and soft tannins. Full bodied finish with delightful hints of cocoa. Alcohol 13.3%."
Not yet reviewed; 2006 vintage rated 88 points by Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "Masi’s 2006 Campofiorin reveals a soft, floral expression of red fruits framed by silky tannins. This medium-bodied, restrained wine offers lovely balance. Campofiorin is essentially a Valpolicella made in the ripasso style which involves a secondary fermentation on the skins and stems of the estate’s Amarone. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012."
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$18.45
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Other
In stock,
9
available
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Gambero Rosso: "Founded in 1992, Nottola is owned by Giuliano Giomarelli, who has just finished reorganizing the whole estate. This restructuring is already bearing fruit and has swept away any doubts that may have lingered in the past to place it squarely among the best artisan wine producers. The wines are well made and have an approach that favours balance and drinkability... The Nobile '07 has a generous, clean nose and a tasty, eminently drinkable palate. (2011)"
Producer notes: "Intense ruby red. Aromas of ripe fruit and spices with delicate scent of sweet-smelling violet. Tasty and velvety on the palate."
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$14.95
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New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $23.00
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Joelle Thomson (Mindfood): "Everything you want in a pinot gris but don't usually get is abundant in this zappy little 13.9% alcohol pinot blanc. Firm acids, full body, an off-dry style that is luscious and flavoursome as well as varietally characteristic. You know the sentiment 'you had to be there'? This is a wine you have to taste. (Sep 2008)"
Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "Grown in the Waihopai Valley, the 2007 vintage was hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Pale gold, it is fleshy and smooth, with ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, showing very good depth and complexity, and a dry finish. Ready."
Producer notes: "Pale gold. Candied orange peel; clove, cinnamon, mace; a pungent honey note, like miel des forets; marmalade, baked apricot; brioche. Powerful on the entry, broad and rich -- orange flan, spice cake -- but crisp acidity and brisk minerality quickly follow, girdling the ample flesh of the wine. 550 cases produced."
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$17.95
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New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $24.00
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4 stars, Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "The 2007 vintage was hand-picked at Rapaura, fermented with indigenous yeasts and less-aged for eight months. It's a light (11 per cent alcohol), medium style (34 grams/litre of residual sugar) with strong, ripe, citrusy flavours, finely balanced for current enjoyment."
Producer notes: "Pale white gold. Fresh, and ripe; comice pear, white peach, red delicious apple; lifted and floral - honeysuckle, alyssum, cherry blossom; wet stone. Compact and juicy, flavours of ripe pear, red apple and talc; lightly sweet floral notes play through the phenolic architecture of the wine; apt balance of acid and sugar, so that the sweetness seems to disappear on the long, minerally finish. Production 350 cases."
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$24.95
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New Zealand
In stock,
8
available
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*SPECIAL: Take 10% Off Listed Price!
(We'll reduce item's price when processing your order.)
Producer notes: "Light straw/gold. Initially somewhat closed; then still strict, but expressive: dried apricot, mandarin peel, quince, and cooking apple; also crushed rock, and a balsam/sandalwood note. Dense, introverted, with chalky phenolics and great mineral grip; an unusual kind of balance, less fulcrum (counterpoise of acid and sugar) than gyroscope -- internal components whirring in independent equilibrium; exciting for the dynamism, the energy this creates. Production: 85 cases."
Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "Hand-picked at Rapaura, the 2007 vintage was fermented with indigenous yeasts in tanks and old oak casks. Mouthfilling and dryish (9 grams/litre of residual sugar), it's a fleshy, very individual wine, not highly scented, but generous, ripe and well-rounded."
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$21.95
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France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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'Recommended,' Decanter: "Ample, blackberry fruit, hint of earth and game. Ripe, good, breezy drinking. Modest, late tannins. Enjoy now. Drink from 2010. (7/27/10)"
WHWC Staff Notes: "I was really excited to try this wine, as it is from the legendary 2007 vintage, which is pretty much gone from the marketplace, especially wines in this price range. Also, it is from Redortier, a producer that has consistently released fantastic wines when they reach their prime. The blend on this vintage is 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Counoise. A co-worker and I pulled the cork on one and were both blown away. It takes a few minutes to really open up, but once it does, it sings! The flowery, medium-toned Grenache is hidden behind balanced, rich dark fruit and subtle minerality. Underneath is a nuance of the classic Beaumes-de-Venise black pepper. The acid is well-poised and keeps the wine fresh and lively on the palate, while the tannins are soft and integrated, contributing to the structure but not dominating it. This is a really fantastic bottle of Rhône that you could drink now, or hang onto for a few more years. It won't be around very long, so order some while you can." - Casey Carmichael
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$18.95
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France
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Importer notes: "An estate reflecting the image of an ever-changing Jura and family enterprise that was created in the early '40s by Désiré Rolet. A native vineyard consisting of 60 hectares distributed over the best hills of the Arbois and Côtes du Jura AOC vineyards, the Rolet Estate is the second largest winegrowing estate in the Jura. Tasting Notes: Clear and brilliant color reflecting pale green glints, which denote the freshness of the vintage. White flower and apple aromas. The mouth balances fullness with acidity, and the palate confirms what the nose predicts. Finally, the wine clings to the mouth for a full finish. It pairs well with appetizers and fish entrees. Fermented and matured for 18 months in barrels in order to bring out the specific personality of the Côtes du Jura terroir; a very particular terroir that characterizes the wine with notes of gunflint and almond. 100% Chardonnay."
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$16.95
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France
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Importer notes: "An estate reflecting the image of an ever-changing Jura and family enterprise that was created in the early '40s by Désiré Rolet. A native vineyard consisting of 60 hectares distributed over the best hills of the Arbois and Côtes du Jura AOC vineyards, the Rolet Estate is the second largest winegrowing estate in the Jura. Tasting Notes: Pretty, pale color with green glints; fine bubbles that rise slowly yet with persistence. The nose is delicate and discrete, smelling of white flowers and hawthorn. The mouth has a solid finish with some vivacity, lacks bitterness, and is full-bodied, pleasant and delicate. This is an all-occasion wine and can be enjoyed as an aperitif, at the end of a meal or any time day or night. Chardonnay 54%, Savagnin 23%, Poulsard 23%."
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$15.95
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United States
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Merlot
In stock,
9
available
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Producer notes: "Elegant aromas of boysenberry and black cherry join with nuances of vanilla and plum. These aromas lead to a soft and supple mouth-feel, rich with blackberry and toffee flavors. Hints of spice and cranberry are supported by moderate tannins for a smooth finish. Our favorite pairings for this wine include chicken cacciatore, Cornish game hen, and parmesan risotto. Alcohol 14.4%."
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$16.95
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Australia
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Red
In stock,
5
available
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Producer notes: "Cabernet Sauvignon 56%, Merlot 44%. This wine is a deep ruby color, with fresh purple tints. It displays classic black fruit and forest floor varietal characters complemented by soft, mocha oak flavors. The long, fruit driven palate and firm, ripe tannins make this an ideal wine for drinking now or for aging for two to three years. Pair with: Roast chicken with lemon. Alcohol 14.0%."
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$17.95
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Australia
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Red
In stock,
8
available
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Producer notes: "A vibrant plum red colour, this wine has an elegant nose of spice, pepper and blackberries typical of Shiraz from this region. These flavours continue on the long, full palate where they are complimented by firm, fine tannins and spicy French oak characters. Very appealing to drink now but built to cellar with confidence for at least ten years. Alcohol 14.0%."
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$18.95
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United States
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Cabernet & Blends
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California
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "100% Napa Valley juice makes this negotiant Cabernet from Napa Valley a great value. Medium weight tannins, slightly chalky character. This vintage has a small amount of Napa Merlot in the mix."
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$14.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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List $19.00
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80% Carignan and 20% Grenache. Purple in color. Intense aromas of red fruits, blueberries, raspberries, licorice and some spice. On the palate, supple and round, with a long finish. Food match: pork glazed with caramel, beef or lamb stew, duck with cherry sauce, veal medalions and mushrooms, rabbit with prunes, pasta with cream sauce.
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$21.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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80% Piedirosso and 20% Aglianico, organically grown: broad reddish-black color; smoky aroma with a hint of tar (notes I often find in red wines grown in volcanic soils); aroma and flavor of black fruit (blackberry, black cherry) and woody herbs (thyme, bay, rosemary); medium-weight but light on its feet. It is aged in puncheons for about a year. Drink now with red meats or cellar.
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