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$9.95
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Santa Cristina was originally introduced in 1946 asa Chianti Classico by Piero Antinori’s father, Niccolò. However, with the passage of the 1984 DOCG laws - spearheaded by Piero Antinori- requiring lower vineyard yields, Chianti Classico grapes became so complex and rich that they required more aging than this fruity fresh wine should have to maintain its style and character. Therefore, with the 1987 vintage Santa Cristina moved away from the Chianti Classico designation, and with the 1994 vintage Antinori began including 10% Merlot to the blend to add soft, open fruit nuances to the wine.
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$9.95
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Italy
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Umbria
In stock, 12+ available
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'Wine of the Week,' Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Grechetto 60%, Procanico 40%. In the glass: Santa Cristina Bianco is a fine, pale almost clear citrine-yellow color with a star-bright core going out into a very faint, nearly glass-clear meniscus with medium viscosity. On the nose: Fresh, crisp and tangy are things that immediately spring to mind here for this highly aromatic wine, with lots of zippy kiwi, pomelo and general citrus zest; also white currants, crushed cloudberries, hints of honeysuckle and orange blossom, then zucchini flowers and crushed fine granite for minerality. On the palate: It is very aromatic as it hits the center palate with loads of zesty pears, citrus rind, Granny Smith apples and excellent acidity to carry that backbone in the wine right through the relatively soft and supple midpalate into a finish that is chock-full of vibrant white currants, stone fruit and kiwi crush with just a touch of minerality. It is entirely clean and crisp to the end. Odds and ends: The Antinori family has been making wine in Tuscany for more than six centuries in an unbroken line of 26 generations since 1385. I think it is fair to say that this qualifies them to know how to make great wine. And yet the family was one of a handful of great winemakers that knew a modern approach was needed for Italian wine to succeed worldwide. The Antinori portfolio now counts a tremendous lineup of great wines, not just from Italy, but also Napa Valley, Chile and Hungary, to name a few. It is a dynamic, engaged and globetrotting winemaking family that excels at their craft. They're also some of the nicest people in the business. From their top legendary wine Solaia right down to this delicious and superb spring white wine, it's all great... a fabulous alternative to pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. Drink it with sauteed shrimp scampi or a seafood salad. The wine is good now through 2014."
Producer notes: "Straw yellow in color, the wine is intense and complex in aroma with notes of bergamots, orange flowers, and sweet spices such as cinnamon. On the palate it is soft and savory, with a return of the aromatic notes of the nose on the finish and aftertaste. Grape varieties: Principally Grechetto and Procanico."
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$7.95
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WE 86
Italy
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Sicily
In stock, 12+ available
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List $10.00
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'Best Buy' and 86 points Wine Enthusiast: "Warm notes of raw, jammy fruit and moderate spice emerge from the nose. This native variety usually shows aromas of cherry, pistachio and almond and these very characteristics are evident here. Alcohol 13.5%. (Mar 2011)"
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$6.95
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Italy
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Veneto
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Other
In stock,
4
available
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Light straw color. Fine, elegant, clean and intense aroma, dry flavor with pleasant green apple aftertaste. Lively, and easy to drink. Excellent as aperitif, hors d'oevres, seafood salads and fish dishes. Perfect with white meats and light meals.
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$6.95
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Italy
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Veneto
In stock,
1
available
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$9.95
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Italy
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Puglia
In stock, 12+ available
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Negroamaro is Salento's oldest and most prized grape variety. The red fruit and spice on the nose of this wine reappear on the palate with even greater conviction and its balance of tannin and acidity confer nobility and grace. Serve with pastas with meat sauces and red meats. Negroamaro is also an excellent accompaniment for medium- to well-ripened cheeses. Alcohol 13%.
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$9.95
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Italy
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Puglia
In stock, 12+ available
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Three Glasses, Gambero Rosso (2013). In addition to becoming a Three Glasses winner, this wine was awarded the single 'Best Value for the Money' among all Italian wines by Gambero Rosso.
This modestly priced 100% Negroamaro from Puglia was recently awarded the coveted Three Glasses designation by Gambero Rosso--perhaps the lowest priced Italian wine we have ever known to receive such an award! The wine shows streaks of garnet giving way to intense ruby red color. Its nose is of candied fruits and spices that evolve into clean underbrush, tea, and amber notes. Enhanced by notes of red flowers, the aromas return on the palate transported by confident but not overbearing alcohol. The tannins and fresh acidity work in counterpoint to create a balanced, soft wine. Pair with veal and beef, game, lamb, and ripe aged cheeses.
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$8.95
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WA 89
Italy
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Sicily
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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89 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 2009 Rosso opens with sweet dark fruit and warm spiced notes. Floral overtones add lift and complexity. Six months in Slavonian oak gives the Rosso a touch more body and spiciness than the straight Nero d'Avola. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. (Jun 2011)"
Wine Spectator: "[$14 list] Polished and ripe, displaying a rustic edge to the spicy plum and crushed cherry notes, as hints of underbrush emerge in the slightly grippy finish. Drink now. (2/29/12)"
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$8.95
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Italy
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Sicily
In stock, 12+ available
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$9.25
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock, 12+ available
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List $16.00
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Producer notes: "The Da Vinci Chianti is deep crimson in color with aromas of cherries and red fruit balanced by soft, round tannins."
Wine Spectator: "A rich red, backed by good acidity, leaving space for its cocoa dust, blackberry and spice notes. Just a bit burly on the finish. Drink now through 2012. (2/28/11)"
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$9.95
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Italy
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "Dry and mellow wine, with a bright red colour, fresh and fruity bouquet with a hint of violet and red berries and a trace of leather. Ideal with hors d’oeuvres, starters, game, meats and cheeses." From the Molise region of south-central Italy.
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$8.95
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Italy
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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$9.95
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Italy
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Friuli-Venezia Giulia
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "Straw yellow in color. Fruity aromas when young, becoming more intense, characteristic with age. On the palate, velvety, dry, soft and well-balanced. Food affinities: Ideal as an aperitif or with seafood salads and fish, crustacean based first course dishes and particularly rich and tasty soups."
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$8.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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This vibrant Lacryma Christi 2009 Rosso hails from the lava-caked foothills of Mount Vesuvius, just east of the spirited bayside city of Naples. Lovers of Campanese wines already know that the region's mild year-round climate and cool Mediterranean breezes provide ideal growing conditions for its indigenous varietals. This deliciously inexpensive blend is crafted with fruit sourced from Caputo's Enodelta, twenty-five hectares of sun-baked volcanic soil at altitudes of 300-500 meters. Campania's local varietals include the smoky, licorice and berry infused Piedirosso and Aglianico, varietals that are uniquely suited to the volcanic soils of the region. This delightful wine is aged entirely in stainless steel, which allows the subtleties and nuances of the smoky, mineral-driven terroir to come out naturally. The 2009 vintage in southern Italy has been highly lauded by critics and oenophiles alike. This is easily one of the most interesting, well-balanced red quaffers we've come across at this price.
Aromas of red current, cherry, cocoa, tar, licorice, and dusty earth on the nose give way to tobacco leaf and smoky black minerals on the palate. A rustic yet smooth, well-balanced, medium-bodied red with bright acidity. In the glass over time evolve pretty scents of mint, flowers and dried herbs that add complexity and elegance. Perfect with pizza, spicy seafood pasta, or on its own with salumi, antipasti, and hard sheep's milk cheeses. The blend is 65% Piedirosso, 35% Aglianico, all grown in the black lava caked soils of region.
Not reviewed; 2010 vintage rated 87 points by Robert Parker: "The wild strawberry, sweet cherry and damp earth-scented and flavored, fresh, light-bodied 2010 Lacryma di Christi can be drunk slightly chilled (as you would a Beaujolais). Enodelta has fashioned three very good values."
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$6.95
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IWC 88
Italy
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Tuscany
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Other
In stock,
10
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List $10.00
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88 points Ian D'Agata (International Wine Cellar): "($10 list; an 85/15 blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon; no oak; 12.5% alcohol) Light, bright red. Aromas of red berries, pipe tobacco and underbrush. Tangy and penetrating but not hard in the mouth, with fresh acids framing the red fruit and tar flavors. Finishes bright and simple, with a lingering sweetness. (Jul/Aug 2010)"
Producer notes: "Sangiovese 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%. Remole ’08 greets the eye with a deep, brilliant purple. The bouquet is a dense complex of fruit aromas, such as blackberry, raspberry, cherry, and redcurrant, lifted with fragrant hints of spice and black pepper. The palate is velvet smooth, very warm and rich, with a perfect balance of its components and a refreshing crispness. A long-lingering finish mirrors nicely the fruit on the nose."
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$7.95
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $10.00
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Wine Spectator: "[$10 list] A light, fruity style, offering cherry and strawberry flavors, with a hint of spice. Just a bit hot on the finish... Drink now through 2014. (10/15/11)"
Producer notes: "Sangiovese 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%. A rich, luminous ruby of appealing depth announces an equally complex nose, Remole 2010 reveals multi-faceted aromas of red and dark fruit and lifted by spicier impressions of black pepper and liquorice. The entry is velvety and warm, and the components on the palate are well balanced, with a tasty vein of acidity. Aromatic fruit returns to grace a lengthy finish."
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$8.95
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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100% Sangiovese. 13.5% abv. With a bright ruby-garnet cast, this Chianti displays a spicy red currant and tobacco nose, plenty of zip and drive, abundant fruit, and a tonic acidity on the finish. A great pairing with pizza or pasta with red sauce.
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$8.95
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock, 12+ available
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List $15.00
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Importer notes: "This wonderful new Italian Cantina is the result of a collaboration between the well known and very successful Brazilian entrepreneur Luiz Alberto Barichello and Luca Fedrigo. Mr Barichello has been developing wines not only in Italy but also in his home country of Brazil for five years. He is introducing new varieties of grapes to the Mercosur area as well as introducing the wonderful old world techniques of the Valpolicella area of Italy. Luca Fedrigo, is the young wine maker of the Azienda Agricola Fedrigo Luca in Negrar, Italy the producer of L'Arco wines. Luca is also the vineyard foreman and assisstant for the renowned Italian wine maker Giuessppe Quintarelli. The wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli are known throughout the world for their extraordinary quality and artisan methods of production. Mr. Quintarelli is helping Luca start his own cantina, the L'Arco cantina."
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$8.95
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock,
6
available
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List $15.00
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16.5/20 points Julia Harding, JancisRobinson.com: "Fragrant cherry fruit as only Sangiovese can do. Even very slightly floral. Then a firm, fresh dry depth. Mouthfilling and fresh and a long dark cherry tang on the finish. Good Value."
Well made Chianti from the Montalbano district near Florence. A blend of Sangiovese with Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera, aged in large botte. Deep in color, richly textured with warm and ripe cherry fruit and a nice spicy finish. Great value.
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$7.95
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WA 88
Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock, 12+ available
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List $9.00
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88 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "[$9 list] The 2008 Chianti is a very serious wine for the money. The floral aromatics render an impression of accessibility but the darkness and richness of the fruit that follow hint at a far more important pedigree. Dark red berries, flowers and minerals add the final notes of complexity on the impressive finish. This is one of the most rewarding wines readers will find under $10. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014. (Aug 2010)"
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$9.95
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Italy
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $12.00
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Big and robust with some Italian country roughness that makes it very food friendly. Spice, ripe black fruit and plum aromas carry through to the palate.
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$7.95
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Italy
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Friuli-Venezia Giulia
In stock, 12+ available
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List $12.00
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Wine Enthusiast: "Light and fresh, floral and peachy; this is textbook Pinot Grigio that delivers all the easy drinkability you require from an informal, affordable wine like this. You can pair it with fresh summer foods and salads. (Nov 2010)"
Palmadina is the second label from the Primosic family of Friuli. The Palmadina style is fresh, fragrant and immediate. This wine is clean, fresh and bright -- classic Pinot Grigio with a very slight coppery hue.
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$6.95
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Italy
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Veneto
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Other
In stock,
1
available
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List $9.00
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Producer notes: "A well balanced, crisp, fresh, very lively fruity wine showing hints of apples and fresh flowers on the palate and a very clean, medium lasting soft finish."
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$7.95
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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: "A well balanced, crisp, fresh, very lively fruity wine showing hints of apples and fresh flowers on the palate and a very clean, medium lasting soft finish."
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$6.95
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Italy
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Puglia
In stock, 12+ available
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100% Primitivo. Strong, vigorous, with a lot of personality. The grapes for this wine are picked early, resulting in a fresh, juicy, jammy wine with low alcohol. Dark, spiced cherry flavors and an easy finish make this a great backyard barbecue wine with burgers, or a great match for pizza or pasta. Aged 40% in oak and 60% in stainless steel. Alcohol 13.5%.
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