Fancifull Gift Baskets Wine List
- Rioja Albanza Reserva 2001 - Spain
This great red has a spiced nose with vanilla and tobacco complexity. It is balanced on the palate with a long spicy finish.
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- Martin Fierro Malbec 2006
It has a soft bouquet of berries with subtle gleams of vanilla and chocolate. Its body is of a medium intensity, with sweet tannins that provide harmony and balance, and a serious amount of enjoyment. Easy to drink for any occasion, or no occasion at all!
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- Reds 06 - California
2006 REDS is delicious, spicy, and rich with zinfandel providing dark raspberry fruit, carignan adding an exotic tang of white pepper, while the petite syrah tones down the tendency of zinfandel to become too jammy and pulls the whole blend together with its deep color and black bepper flavors. Enjoy with Mediterranean cuisine, burgers, and barbeque!
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- Domaine Berrod Beaujolais 2009
The fresh light bright fruit one expects from Beaujolais Nouveau, but with surprising refreshing notes of citrus on the palate leading to a clean and pleasurable long finish. The acids wash the tannins away and leave your mouth watering!
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- dAupilhac Lou Maset 08 - France
Sylvain Fadat of Domaine d'Aupilhac is making some of the best wines of his career, wines that I'll gladly put in the ring with other wines in the same price range from any region or country in the world-and I'm willing to bet this Lou Maset cannot be bested. This is a serious wine for the price. Hell's bells, it is serious, period-the astonishing aromas of roasted herbs, ripe southern fruit, and crushed stones leap from the glass. In France, Sylvain is celebrated as one of the top four or five producers in Languedoc, because of the impressive depth and complexity of his reds.
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- Vignedileo Sangiovese 2006
A Sangiovese from the same region as above, however this wine is grown south of Ancona, near Ascoli Piceno, which is a mountainous region that borders Abruzzo. Brambly, forward plump berry fruits jump out with great medium acidity. An easy and far more interesting wine to enjoy than your supermarket Cab or Pinot. Fine pizza and burger wine for BBQ's this summer.
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- Windbreak Pinot Noir 2007 - California
The wine is dark and structured with intense flavors of black cherry and raspberry. Barrel aging contributes nuances of oak spice and cedar with a long, mouth-filling finish.
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- Praxis Merlot 03 - California
Praxis is the second label of one of our favorite vinters, Bill Arbios of Arbios Cellars. The Praxis label allows Bill to play with different winemaking techniques. "Praxis makes perfect," he likes to say. All of Bill's wines tend to be more European in style - balanced without excessive alcohol. This Merlot is no exception. Aged for 16 months predominantly in American oak, Bill likes the spice and vanilla component that American Oak complements the varietal characteristics of Merlot in a lovely way. Aromas of black cherry, plum and blackberry predominate with scents of vanilla and roasted coffee rounding out the flavors.The Texture shows ample well-integrated and ripe tannins with a moderate to long finish.
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- Praxis Lagrein 2007
Traditionally grown in the Alto Adige in northeastern Italy, it's rare to find lagrein grown in the United States. But it seems to thrive in the cool climate, mountainous terrain of California's Central Coast. The same ink-dark, purple-tinged color as its Italian counterpart, the Praxis Lagrein has bright, food-friendly acidity, slightly floral aromas with underpinning scents of vines and earth and ripe cherry and blueberry aromas and flavors. A slight kiss of chocolate and vanilla adds some nice intrigue.
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- Sextant Zinfandel 2007
The 2007 Sextant Central Coast Zinfandel has an intense garnet hue which is a visual precursor to its aroma and flavor. The enticing nose possesses a sharpness of tart wild strawberries, the sweetness of grape jelly and the complexity of baking spice. Ripe cherry, pomegranate & luscious blueberry flavors fill the mouth. Soft pliable tannins balance the abundance of fruit and complete this wine with a nice long finish. This Zinfandel is bold, unmitigated, and simply audacious.
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- Madonna Pinot Noir 06
A beautiful organic Carneros Pinot, fruit-forward with strawberry, cherry, and earthy characteristics. Medium tannins and great acidity blend into a smooth balanced finish. This is an excellent food wine that goes well with many dishes such as: grilled salmon, stuffed mushrooms, polenta, and tenderloin of beef.
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- Sparviero Chianti Classico 06 - Tuscany, Italy
An extremely pleasant wine, showing a beautiful and intense ruby red hue with light garnet reflections. It opens to the nose with notes of wild berries and sweet-smelling violet, and the palate is dry and robust with a pleasant, supple finish.
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- Cairanne Cotes du Rhone 2006
Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil - 100% Biodynamic made from Organic Grapes and imported from Kermit Lynch (whose taste, in our opinion, is unparalleled). This dynamic Cotes du Rhone village wine is 50% Grenache from 100 year old vines, with rest being composed of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan, and Counoise. Generous and round in the mouth with flavors of red fruit and spice, these wines can be enjoyed young but age very well. Perfect with lamb and meats off the grill or a great cheese plate. Catherine is a talented winemaker, whose talent is apparent in the bottle.
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- Poggio Al Ginepri Bolgheri 06
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- Domaine Leon Barral
2006 Faugeres offers an essence of chocolate-covered cherries dusted with grated nutmeg and tonka bean. This displays the deep, low-toned richness and plush texture common to all of Barral's wines, no doubt influenced in part by his exceedingly sparing use of sulfur. Exceptionally sweet fruit with vanilla, baking spices, and cocoa powder lend a finishing cast so rich and exotic that one is tempted to ask what sort of toasting Barral orders for his cement. Expect this to perform stunningly for at least a half dozen years.
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- Bruno Colin Santenay 2006
Bruno Colin Santenay Vieilles Vignes is deep garnet red in color, medium-full in body, soft and velvety with silky tannins. It offers a beautiful nose and palate of black cherries, raspberries, earth, spice and mineral notes. The wine was aged in French oak barrels. Its elegant finish shows off the depth, length and earthy minerality reserved for great Burgundy.
Enjoy Bruno Colin Santenay Vieilles Vignes over the next 7-8 years with roast pork, grilled salmon, pasta, rich vegetable dishes, and aged cheeses.
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- Domaine dAupilhac Rouge 05 - France
If you haven't yet discovered the wines of southern France, this would be a great place to start. It's like a slow dance with a beautiful girl on a summer evening. It's earthy and sultry and charged with potential. You just want to keep dancing. A dark black-red wine with scents of earthy herbs and blackberries. Solid structure with balanced tannins and acids, great finish. A blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault. A hands-down winner at our last wine tasting. You'll find it in our Connoisseur's Choice basket, or choose it for any other wine basket on our site.
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- Ruche Di Castagnole Monferrato
The special care they dedicate to the cultivation and vinification of the rare Piemontese Ruche and its limited production set it apart from the crowd. Known by its characteristic ruby red color tinged with purple, intense fruit aromas and dry though velvety and harmonious flavors make it particularly suited to roasts, wild game and aged cheeses. Its solid structure and acidity make it suitable for aging and we recommend decanting an hour before serving.
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- Frogs Leap Zinfandel 2007
The wide range of aromas and flavors in the 2007 Zinfandel can again be attributed to its field blend origin. Grown and sometimes co-fermented together the three varietals of this wine Zinfandel, Petite sirah and Carignane each play critical roles in defining the wineÆs character. The Zin tastes of wild berries and briary fruit marked with a touch of spice, while the 'Pets' adds dark color and a weighty mid-palate leaving the Carignane to account for the bright acidity and slight earthiness. Dry farmed and organically grown, the wine never feels over-blown yet it is full of juicy flavors of cherry and boysenberry underlined with layers of earth and spice. Plus, with an alcohol under 14%, it makes a wonderful companion to your next backyard barbeque.
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- Joguet Chinon Cuvee de la Cure
Charles Joguet has always made good Cab Franc wines, but under the guidance of Francois-Xavier Barc, they are only getting better and better. Barc has introduced organic farming practices and hand harvesting, keeping the yields low (more concentrated flavor in the grapes) among other techniques that show in the wine. Since Chinon is all Cab Franc, Joguet concentrates on terroir - all grapes from the same vineyard in order to celebrate that particular parcel of earth. The Cuvee de la Cure
is one of his lighter wines, but is still medium bodied, full of earth, red fruit, and soft, but not wimpy, tanins. Great with food, this could pair with goat cheese, poultry, lamb and the classic rillettes which are famous in the Loire.
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- Hagafen Pinot Noir 2007 - Napa Valley, CA
On the nose, this intense, extracted Pinot Noir shows ripe strawberry and cranberry, followed by roasted coffee, smoky black licorice and fresh, loamy earth. This full-bodied wine has a soft and silky structure coupled with spicy and complex strawberry jam, black cherry, and boysenberry that finishes with notes of roasted coffee and toasty cocoa. A blend of two vineyards, the ripeness and heritage of old mid-Valley vines represented by Yountville's California Soleil, and the fruity raciness seen in the fog-cooled south ValleyÆs Fagan Creek, this wine reflects a passion for site-specific Pinot Noir that has evolved with each successive vintage release since 1999. Its Old World structure combined with New World integration will age well for many years to come.
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- Arbios Cabernet 04 - California
The 2004 Arbios Cabernet is classic ruby red in color with purple highlights. Berry, cherry and plum aromas are followed by hints of clove, allspice and vanilla. The cherry is also woven into the wine's flavor and is complemented by notes of toffee and forest floor. The wine is dry and soft with moderate acid. The wine is full bodied with round full tannins.
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- Patricia Green Pinot Noir 2007
To quote Patricia Green, this bottling is a burly wine. Denser, with blacker fruit than the average Pinot Noir, it has a potent taste with a wonderful minerality to balance its racy fruit. Given time, the wine will develop further. But good luck not drinking it now.
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- Chateau Monbrison Margaux 03 - France
The soft, supple, medium-bodied 2003 exhibits a plum/ruby/garnet color, elegant fruit, herb, and spice characteristics, but little depth and persistence. It should be consumed over the next 5-8 years.
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- Les Cocalieres 2005
Les Cocalières - 2005 Montpeyroux, France
Thanks to the altitude and exposure to the elements that slow the ripening of the grapes, this wine is beautifully fresh with aromas of red fruit, spice and all the wild plants of the garrigue. This wine's fruitiness combined with its softness and length make it an ideal aperitif drink in addition to being an elegant companion for pasta or lamb.
Another outstanding wine made by Sylvain Fadat. It is imported by Kermit Lynch.
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- Unity 06 - Napa Valley, California
A limited production cuvee, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 90% Cabernet, 6 % Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc. This luscious wine possesses chocolate, blackberry, cassis, charcoal, new wood and spice characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, it will keep for 10-20 years. 90+ from Robert Parker. This is a sensational wine from the renowned Fisher Vineyard. This wine is the definition of Unity: in art, a relation of all the elements of a work contituting a harmonious whole and producing a single effect.
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- Seduction Red Wine
Seduction: romance of the heart, passion of the soul. A voluptuous wine with sensual flavors and a velvet kiss.
Enjoy this bordeaux blend in good company.
Wine Spectator rating: 90 points
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- Grifalco Aglianico 2004
Brilliant ruby red with flowered fragrance and mineral flavors. Fresh. Sweet palate, good persistence and very good acidity. Ideal for all tasty and rich aromatic courses. It goes perfectly with tagliatelle with meat and tomato sauce, roast meats, cheese and salami.
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- Frogs Leap Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a richly fragrant nose of luscious black fruit and fresh herbs, followed by a taste progression that captures the essence of the terroir from which it came. Intense flavors of cassis, ripe plum and black currants are punctuated by hints of cedar and tobacco. The wine's velvety tannins are well integrated with fine acidity to create a finish that will endure well after the last course has been cleared.
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- Les Pagodes de Cos 03 - Bordeaux, France
Good Colour. Good plump nose. No lack of volume. Ripe and fresh. Plenty of depth and good acidity. This is very good indeed for a second wine. No weakness. Medium to medium-full body.
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- Chateauneuf du Pape 2004
This deep ruby-colored Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits loads of classic kirsch liqueur fruit intermixed with hints of garrigue, seaweed, and balsam wood. It is an impressive basic cuvee with a broad mouthfeel, sweet tannin, and low acidity. Enjoy it over the next decade. This is one of the most well-run estates in Chateauneuf du Pape thanks to the meticulous and passionate efforts of proprietor Michel Maret
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- Brunello di Montalcino 2003 - Tuscany, Italy
Ripe ready to drink Brunello from the glorious village of montalcino Villa e Tolli is a medieval estate that produces small production delicious Brunello - smooth tannins makes this wine a great Brunello that will not require years of aging to appreciate.
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- Wedell Cellars Pinot Noir 06
The deep color and intense bouquet of black cherry, raspberry and wild berry are only a hint at what an extraordinary wine we have created. The richness and complexity is reminiscent of a truly exceptional Pinot Noir. We feel that because this wine is incredibly balanced, it is readily enjoyable now and will mature beautifully for years to come.
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- Da Vinci Brunello 01 - Italy
"Gorgeous aroma of raspberry, flowers, and minerals follow through to a silky palate, with lovely tannins and a medium finish."
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- Frogs Leap Rutherford 2006
Like a person who knows from where they came, the FrogÆs Leap Rutherford stands as a true representation of the bench lands of the Rutherford appellation. The wine reveals classic flavors of the Rutherford Dust: rich dark fruit, black olive, black current and cassis layered with hints of earth and cigar box. The splash of cabernet franc not only adds a soft textural component but contributes to the green tea aromatics. The lush velvety texture is balanced with subtle yet well defined tannins.
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- Chateau de Pommard 1997 - Burgundy, France
A superb burgundy, rich and dark in texture. Dark fruit and spices on the nose. Long finish. Will easily age 10 - 15 years.
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- Fierro Chardonnay-Torrontes
Simply called a "Bivarietal", this tasty and lively Chardonnay is deliciously blended with Argentina's indigenous calling card Torrontes. This is an incredible value for a world-class white. This boasts flavors of fresh lime blossom, key lime pie, and floral notes. This is fresh and clean in the mouth with a persistent, bright finish. An exceptional value white for anytime!
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- Zellina Pinot Grigio 2008
The nose exhibits delicate minerality typical of the region with aromatics of pear, granny smith , flowers, honeydew and toast. Surprises you in the mouth with strong acidity and yet a luscious rich body with a bit of sharpness. Wow, this will be great with proscicutto, ham, shrimp, pasta with shellfish and risotto (especially vegetable risotto). Also good for just swirling, drinking it down alone in the summer.
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- Praxis Viognier 07
From one of our favorite wine makers, Bill Arbios. The wine is light straw in color with a hint of green. Aromas of peaches, guavas, tropical fruit and a hint of honeysuckle perfume on the nose. Flavors of pears are accentuated by a lingering taste of strawberry and stone fruits. The wine has a crisp, bright acidity, rich body and a dry finish. Houston Rodeo Uncorked 2008 - Best of Class & Double Gold Medal California State Fair 2007 Silver Medal.
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- Madonna Chardonnay 05
This Chardonnay begins with barrel fermenting intensely flavored Carneros grapes in French oak. After resting on the lees to develop a hint of yeast character, it is bottle aged to maturity. With hints of apples, pears, and butterscotch this Chardonnay is creamy with a nice lingering finish, and pairs nicely with roasted poultry, cracked crab, and cream based pasta dishes.
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- Alto Adige Pinot Bianco 2006
Cantina Terlano's goal is, "to produce wines that transmit the memory of our orgins." This pale straw colored wine with a bouquet and palate of apples and pears - fresh and crisp- achieves this end. Just a hint of honey lies behind the fruit gives this wine a soft and full feel with a long finish. Perfect with a big summer salad, tomatoes and mozzarella, or just sipping chilled on the front porch.
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- Hagafen White Riesling 2008
This White Riesling is made from organically farmed grapes at the renowned Devoto Vineyards in Lake County, a cool climate perfect for the long-ripening necessary to produce the tropical bouquet and lush mouthfeel this wine displays. The Lake County White Riesling presents aromas of peach, apricot, and pineapple. This gorgeous wine fills the mouth with a fusion of peach, apricot, and papaya. With a long finish, this well-integrated White Riesling works well with a wide variety of foods, including any meal needing an aperitif or a bit of sweetness to balance the use of chiles or soy sauce.
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- Frogs Leap Sauvignon Blanc 06
Crisp, bright, refreshing: three words that capture the essence of the 2008 FrogÆs Leap Sauvignon Blanc. Classic aromas of lemongrass, white flowers and subtle mineral notes are your introduction, followed by flavors of grapefruit, lemon zest and delicate white peaches. The wineÆs connection to its Rutherford roots is underscored with subtle flavors of wet stone. Lean and lively, the wineÆs low alcohol and balanced acid make for a totally engaging and pleasurable experience deftly suited for a table filled with le fruit de mer.
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- Grandes Perrieres Sancerre 07
Light bodied, crisp and very dry. A citrussy Sancerre with grass notes and excellent minerality. This is an absolutely brilliant, top notch Sancerre made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vines averaging 45 years of age. This gives a highly complex and concentrated wine with lime/lemony fruit, mineral undertones and a mouth-watering zestiness.
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- Dix Arpents Chenin Blanc
Domaine Taille aux Loups, Montlouis Sec, Dix Arpents. This refreshing bright wine is brought to you by phenomenon Jackie Blot who is making a name for himself and the whites of the Loire Valley in France. Jackie works closely with nature - handpicking the grapes, few fertilizers, pruning short and keeping yields down - to produce this crisply acidic wine. You might find hints of apricot, a stoney minerality, yet a roundness at the core, and tones of lime on the finish with a vibrancy that we must attribute to fine winemaking. Pour a cold glass and enjoy with poultry, fish, cream sauces, cheese (great with goat cheese) and salads. This is not the California Chenin Blanc of the 70s! It's an elegant wine to fit all tastes.
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- Taille Aux Loups Sec Remus 04 - Montlouis, France
Another amazing Chenin Blanc from the wonderful Jacky Blot of France. As always, his wines are elegant, refreshing, and true crowd pleasers. The grapes for this wine are picked late in harvest, giving them slightly higher sugar thus a richness in the mouth. Honeysuckle, peach and lime are all present as is his signature crisp acidity. Perfect for all poultry, fish, shellfish, buttery and cream dishes as well being perfect with goat cheese (also a specialty of the region).
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- Marimar Estate Chardonnay 06
This vintage displays subtle floral aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle, with some pineapple and tropical notes, with overtones of Meyer lemon. The acidity is bright and crisp, while the mouthfeel is creamy, leesy and complex. A note of hazelnut and spice harmonizes well with the toasty oak and lengthens the elegant finish.
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- William Fevre Chablis 2007
Characteristics of the appellation:
A structured, lively and mineral wine with good
length on the palate. Both straightforward and fresh, with exemplary concentration.
Food-wine matches:
Fish, seafood and shellfish, grilled or in a cream
sauce. Poultry and white meat, grilled or in a cream
sauce.
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- Villa Jolanda Moscato Rose
A light, delicately sweet Moscato Rose with tones of peach and strawberry on the nose. Frizzante rather than fully sparkling and with enough acidity for a nice clean finish. One of our most popular wines, selling out at our last three tastings - we almost had a fight break out over it. Pleasant and easy to drink, perfect for sitting in the garden and enjoying the day.
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- Isabella Prosecco
Airy scents of fresh tobacco, banana, sage and white flowers on the nose. It's bright and alive on the palate with hints of pepper and a lovely clean finish that leaves your mouth watering.
An outstanding Prosecco and a great food wine.
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- Shingleback Sparkling Shiraz
Deep garnet in colour with vibrant magenta bubbles. Aromas of concentrated blackcurrant with hints of liquorice, spice and dark cherries. Creamy bubbles and luscious sweetness envelop the plump blackberry mid-palate, which is enhanced with hints of savoury development. The long sweet fruit finish is balanced with fine tannin and acidity.
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- Champalou Vouvray Brut
Pale yellow in colour, nose of apples and dough w. some nuttyness. Small bubbles, medium bodied. On the palate, there is not a lot of residual sugar here...apple, unripe pear. It has a nice crispness and acidity with a pleasing creamy finish.
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- Veuve Fourny Premier Cru
"All subtlety, chalk, and discreet Chardonnay fruit. An even finer bead. The chalky terroir is impressed into the palate and persists with great delicacy. Quite a creation"
-Kermit Lynch
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- Janisson-Baradon Brut
This champagne consists of 12% Coteaux Champenois Rouge, 44% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay, providing it with a nice aromatic complexity of red fruits and stewed fruit. Its robe with orange reflexes, its fullness and its balance are pure pleasure.
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- Duval-Leroy Brut
Duval-Leroy continues its tradition of exceptional champagnes with a silk-screened bottle, signed by its favorite artist, the American painter LeRoy Neiman. He evokes Paris, the city of lights, a symbol of "art de vivre" and luxury. A fabulous new collector's item ! The deep blue labelling adds a hint of insolence.
Aroma: Powerful and elegant fresh fruits, white flowers, honeysuckle and hazelnut aromas
Taste: Well-balanced,full-flavoured and fresh, with a rich, elegant and silky long finish. This bottle will be a wonderful companion to a grenadin of tender veal, a filet mignon with truffles or even a gratin of langoustine tails American style.
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- J. Lassalle Brut Rose
Lassalle's Champagne Rose is very pale in color with strawberry and raspberry perfume in the subtle bouquet. No, it doesn't shout, and red wine was not added to color it. It grows on you - a connoisseur's rose, and it is bone dry!
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- Veuve Fourny Extra Brut
This cuvee is fully vinified in small oak casks and waits patiently in the Veuve Fourny cellars for four years; in the respect of traditional methods Opulent and mellow: a great Champagne, perfect for exceptional dishes.
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- J. Lassalle Blanc de Blancs
Lassalle's Champagne Rose is very pale in color with strawberry and raspberry perfume in the subtle bouquet. No, it doesn't shout, and red wine was not added to color it. It grows on you-a connoisseur's rose, and it is bone dry!
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- Dom Perignon - Champagne, France
The most incredible champagne. Dom Perignon has always been enjoyed in the most exclusive and most famous places around the world. An effervescent wine of golden hue with glints of silver and green and numerous delicate and vivacious bubbles. The nose has fine intensity with classic background aromas of puree of apples, poached pears, vanilla, hazelnuts, melba toast and yellow-plum jam as well as superb hints of quince and chalk. On the palate the attack is incisive and combines acidic freshness with the finesse of the bubbles. Try it with rock lobster Parisian style, lobster thermidor, caviar, poached turbot with champagne sauce, or, on its own, since Dom Perignon is sufficient unto itself.
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- Cristal Champagne - Champagne, France
The jewel of Louis Roederer House is Cristal, created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II. This is champagne at its finest, as inspired today as it has always been, the embodiment of elegance and purity. Cristal is made according to the strictest criteria, based on a drastic process of selection applying to the vintage, the cru, the village, the grapes, and, finally, the wines. Only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from the House's ten most celebrated crus are used in the production of this legendary cuvee.
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