Graceland Cabernet Sauvignon
$49.99
Graceland is a family run boutique winery, specialising in red wine. Susan, the driving force behind the winery, takes on the roles of marketer, winemaker and viticulturist whilst Paul attends to the farm. The Graceland wine making philosophy starts in the vineyard where no insecticides are used and minimal spraying. Special attention is paid to pruning, canopy cover and limiting production in line with producing top quality grapes. The most important decision each year is when to pick and this is done in small batches according to the microclimate which determines when each row becomes optimally ripe. As to winemaking, they are very natural in our approach. Only grapes and nitrogen. Our sulphur dioxide levels are considerably lower than average.The grapes are de-stemmed into open fermenters. The skins are hand plunged 4 times per day. After 8 days the wine is pressed; pressed wine and free run are combined. It is then racked to oak barrels where malolactic fermentation takes place. The above techniques are geared towards low intervention with the use of oxidative rackings as a key feature. The oxidation causes unstable colour, tannin and flavour to polymerize and “drop out of the wine”. It also eliminates off odours. The resulting wines only have stable constituents left which means the wines will age well, probably 7 - 10 years. In summary, these wines are big and flavoursome with good tannin structures.
Glen Grant 15 Year
$96.99
Well, this is a clever addition to the range, isn't it? Fifteen years old and 50%. Wow. Colour us happy. If the team at Glen Grant realizes that higher abv in whisky like this has an appeal (mostly for textural reasons), why keep the rest of the range at 43%? Apparently, there are people out there that prefer their whisky at lower strengths. We've never met one, but I guess they're out there. Does that count as cryptozoology?
Anyway, let's celebrate the good! Great distillery, good expression, nice age statement, and a robust strength that suits the profile. Well done.
50% abv
Hoyne Dark Matter American Brown Ale
$5.29
From the Producer~
Dark Matter is the only beer we make where we don’t say on the bottle what style it is. This is for a very good reason. Even we don’t know! It is more easily described by what it isn’t. It is not as roasted as a stout, nor is it as sweet or high in alcohol as a porter. And don’t even mention brown ale in the same breath. Like the Northern Lights, it is seductively elusive, bringing the mystery of the universe into your glass.
Abv 5.3%
Pierre Ferrand Curacao
$44.99
Ferrand's Cry Curacao is made with a base of Brandy and Cognac blended with bitter orange peels and spices.
From The Producer
"Classic cocktails demand classic liqueurs and no liqueur is more classical than the Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao. Crafted in consultation with cocktail historian David Wondrich and based on a 19th century recipe, it is a traditional French “triple sec” – thee separate distillations of spices and the “sec” or bitter, peels of Curacao oranges blended with brandy and Ferrand Cognac. The result is a rich, complex and balanced liqueur that will bring new sophistication to your Punches, Slings, Fizzes and, of course Cocktails. It is also delicious straight up or on ice."
Field House Blue Black Dark Sour Can
$5.79
Weighing in at a barely noticeable 10% ABV, this sour from Field House utilizes Blackberries and Blueberries.
Bridgeland Glenbow Single Malt Whisky
$74.99
"Coming from a single distillery via a single malt house, sourced from a single field of a single farm.This barley comes from field NE4-37-27-W4M at Hamill farm and has been malted at Red Shed Malting in Penhold, Alberta. Bow Glacier Water, premium ingredients married with our passion is where this whisky begins." - Bridgeland Distillery website.
Small batch and artisanal, just as we like 'em. 45.5%
Wittmann Riesling Trocken Estate
$41.99
Wittmann is a highly regarded producer whose history dates back to the 17th century. The current winery was built in 1829 but the winemaking employs state-of-the-art viticulture. The vineyards are certified biodynamic and fermentations rely on natural yeasts. The fruit is manually harvested and sorted and all the press wine is transferred to tank via gravity flow. Wittmann has been highly awarded in the German wine press, and now produces some of the most coveted wines produced in the country.
Traquair House Scotch Ale
$7.49
From the Producer
The original ale first brewed in 1965 and now sold all over the world. Perhaps the most distinctive Scottish ale on the market and with its rich dark oakiness, this is a serious winter ale.
What The Experts Say
“Serious alcohol and fruity malt on the nose and delicious plum pie and vanilla flavours with a little oak and amontillado sherry character”
72.% Abv
Le Clos des Cazaux Cotes du Rhone Red
$30.99
The Le Clos des Cazaux estate has been a family property focused on viticulture for five generations since Gabriel Archimbaud, an ancestor, was one of the first to produce wines from Vacqueyras in 1947. It is now owned and operated by brothers Jean-Michel and Frédéric Vache. They farm 35 hectares, 20 in Vacqueyras and another 15 in Gigondas. They own mostly low-yielding hillside vineyards, fashioning high-quality white wines, rosés, and red blends. Their Gigondas vineyards are situated in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail massif range that has been in the family since the 1950s. This very special terroir benefits from the solar power of the southern slope, balanced by the cool nights at higher altitudes, mostly on clay soils. The reds are blended primarily from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. however, they include lesser-known grapes such as Aubun, Counoise, Cinsault, Muscardin and Carignan. The white wines mainly employ old-vine Clairette, complemented by Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and a little Viognier. We just received five new wines from Cazaux.