Fruity Reds

Pinot Noir is one of Romania’s greatest hidden secrets. Probably the only place in the world that can do this grape variety justice at such brilliant value.

Delicate aromas of blackberry and touches of violets. A juicy, light-bodied palate with black cherry flavour and fresh finish. Enjoy slightly chilled with rich, creamy fish dishes.

Country: Romania

Region: Recas and Minis

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

As you walk through the rolling vineyards of the 700 hectare Cramele Recas estate, two things are inescapable. The first is the scale of the transformation that Englishman Philip Cox and his wife Elvira have managed to achieve, replanting 700 hectares of decrepit vineyards and replacing them with immaculately tended sites the equal of anywhere else in the world. The second is that if you didn't know where you were, you'd be convinced you were in Tuscany or any other "Classic" wine producing region. And, to a certain extent you are, Romania has a history of winemaking stretching back millennia and it was this potential that has driven this dynamic duo to dedicate their lives to driving forward Romanian winemaking to it's current state of rude health. A 20 million euro investment in the vineyards and brand new winery.

A full and fruit-rich red from the South of France. The intense, dark berry fruit carries a touch of sweet spice and is balanced with structured tannins. An all round fantastic wine for the price!

Country: France

Region: Midi, Southern France

Grapes: Grenache Noir

ABV: 13.5%

A modern style Rioja Joven with juicy fruit driven characters of black cherry and raspberry combined with subtle sweet vanilla spice. Medium – bodied with a creamy smoothness leading into a fresh finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo

ABV: 13%

Luscious, medium bodied, super-easy drinking red with red berry fruit flavours and touch of sweet spice.

Country: France

Region: Vaucluse

Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault

ABV: 13%

Super great value for money red from the guys at Waterkloof.

Hints of dark fruits, chocolate and eucalyptus leading to a heady mix of fruit, rich chocolate and plums supported by soft tannins.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: 100% Pinotage

ABV: 13.5%

False Bay Wine

Food match: Braaied meat!

Really bold, ripe and smokey Pinot Noir oozing loads of ripe cherries and mulberry characters. A Cellar Door Wines customer favourite!

Country: USA

Region: California

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

Good Côtes du Rhône that are worth their money are few and far between. We’ve kissed a lot of frogs to find this one!

Elegant bramble fruit aromas such as blackberry and raspberry, backed with a cedar and spice, lead into dark flavours and soft, supple tannins.

Country: France

Region: Rhone

ABV: 14%

Grapes:  80% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah

Food Match: Cold charcuterie platters or meaty stews

Great In Their Own Right:  For centuries Rhone reds were used to improve the colour of weedy Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. It became so common that Medoc wines that had been hermitage had the highest price. Today the practice is completely illegal and the finest Rhone wines are finally receiving the respect they deserve.

Fleurie is the most perfumed of the Beaujolais Cru wines, which this example shows so clearly with its floral aromas and flavours.

A heady perfume of freshly picked irises and peonies drift above the crushed, berry fruit nose. The fleshy, luscious, cherry flavours and hints of rose are typically vivacious, backed up with a good touch of spice and good depth.

Country: France

Region: Beaujolais

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Gamay

'Arenite' is the terroir of pinky, crumbly sandstone of the La Madone vineyards, rated as one of the best vineyards in Fleurie. The South­ East facing vineyards are steep in places, below the Chapel of the Madonna at the top of the hill.

Pretty and poised Pinot.

Classic cranberry and red current aromas giving us a wine with enough bite and texture to be foody but with enough generosity of fruit to be a delicious glass on its own. A touch of oak in the wine making lends a little soothing creaminess to the finish.

Country: New Zealand

Region: Marlborough

ABV: 13% 

Grape: Pinot Noir 100%

Saperavi is tipped to be the 'new Malbec' by a few well known wine critics. This ripe, Georgian red is full of red cherry and mulberry aromas and flavours, with layers of vanilla. Wonderful, soft rounded tannins with a long, juicy finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Saperavi

ABV: 13%

Food Matches: Red meat dishes, stews and casseroles, roast lamb or mature hard cheeses.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

George Margvelashvili is the founder at Tbilvino Wines - where this delicious wine is made. Established 60 years ago, and over this period Tbilvino have become one of Georgia’s pioneering producers. Almost dormant at the end of the Soviet era, the winery was acquired by the Margvelashvili brothers, who set out to restore the facilities, and moved away from quantity to quality production.

This wine represents phenomenally good value for money! Soft, red berry fruit and silky tannins, very moreish.

Country: France

Region: Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

Jaffelin Wine

Deliciously rich and fruity with notes of blackberry, plum and black cherry. Malbec grapes come from carefully selected vineyards in Mendoza. Bonarda grapes and stainless steel vinification result in a fruiter and fresher wine. Deep, brooding and dark. Big fruit, big spice, big flavours.

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Grapes: Malbec and Bonarda

ABV: 13.5%

Intense ruby-red, with a bouquet reminiscent of cherry, dried fruit, chocolate and prune; the palate is full-bodied, soft and round, with a spiciness and lingering finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Grapes: Corvina, Merlot

ABV: 14.5%

'Baby Chateauneuf Du Pape' A rich fruity wine that is made easy to drink with smooth tannins and an elegant finish. The harvest is hand-picked, meticulously sorted and 100% destemmed. It’s a traditional vinification with temperature control. No yeast added.

Country: France

Region: Rhone Valley

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah

ABV: 14 %

 Organic

Food: Best enjoyed with grilled red meat, especially lamb.

Mulberries and blueberries on the nose. Soft and supple on the palate with a juicy red cherry finish. Classic Southern Rhône easy drinking red.

Country: France

Region: Rhone Valley

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah

ABV: 14%

Dense, spiced nose with intense blackberry and blueberry aromatics. The ripe fruit is supported with cocoa and spiced oak notes; intense to the finish.

Grapes: Odesa Black

Country: Ukraine

Region: Odesa

ABV: 13%

Food pairing: Excellent with beef and other red meats, and also grilled vegetables and chicken. Also fabulous with 70% plus dark chocolate after a meal.

Serving temperature: 16-18°C

ABV: 13%

Villa Tinta has been a family estate winery since 1998 when the winery foundation was laid and 500 hectares of family-owned vines were planted. The winery is situated in the Bolgrad district where winemaking was the source of life centuries ago.

This delicious wine has aromas and flavours of jammy red fruits, juicy red cherries, pomegranate juice, summer herbs, and a touch of violet. On the palate it is rich and refreshing.

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Nerello Mascalese

This natural wine is chocca block packed full of bramble fruit notes with raspberry and blackberry dominating the aroma, smooth and juicy with complex notes of blueberry and moderate acidity and smooth tannins on the finish.

Country: Romania

Region: Panciu 

Grapes: Merlot, Pinot Noir 

ABV: 13.5%

In the early 1990s, Magpie identified this special site - a single vineyard of Grenache and Mourvèdre. After an olympic blending exercise one night with the wine from here, they name the vineyard 'Clovella'. This wine is a heady embrace of dark spice; it's no coincidence that there’s a distinct clove note in this wine. Bright, fresh, textural in spite of 22 months ageing in older French oak. Soft, moreish and foody.

Country: Australia

Region: Barossa

Grapes: Grenache and Mourvedre

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Slow cooked lamb shanks or Fillet of Beef for a special occasion.

The label design inspiration is all about the meeting of mouths, that energy before lips meet, whether meeting a glass of wine or each other. Two varieties blending into one....

Very intense and incredibly complex, this beautifully crafted wine has an aroma reminiscent of ripe cherry, plum, and blackberry, yet retains a delicate freshness and softness on the palate.

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

Grapes:  Primitivo 100%

ABV:  13.5%

Food Matching

Hearty and meaty pasta dishes with rich red sauces.

This is very exciting!!! Red wine from Rondo Grapes grown in Chiswell Green, so this is as local as it gets guys! Gorgeous, deep ruby colour. Elegant aromas of Morello cherry, violets and cloves. Juicy, fresh acidity, with flavours of bitter cherry and raspberries on the palate with silky tannins. Only 400 bottles produced, so grab it while you can.

Country: England

Region: St Albans, Hertfordshire

Grapes: Rondo

ABV: 12%

Food Match: Great with hard cheese such as pecorino or parmesan and cured meats.

Estate grown by Wimbushes Vineyard, St Albans

Produced by the winery at Thurston Place, Suffolk

Wimbushes Vineyard St Albans

Andy and Karina Harrison decided to plant an acre of vines on their beautiful Chiswell Green property about 9 years ago, as a hobby. In 2018 they appointed Suffolk winemaker (and ex-surgeon) Michael Rhodes to turn their Solaris and Rondo grapes into wine.  In recent years, due to careful vineyard management by David Savage and the vines maturing healthily, the fruit and their talented winemaker, they have produced some seriously good English wine. These wines are produced in very small quantities, so we do tend to limit the amount of bottles purchased by any one household.

An intense ruby red wine. Very fresh and full bodied, lovely finish. Perfect with game or aged cheeses.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Grapes: Malbec

ABV: 12.5%

Borga Wine

Primary fruit, with appealing cherry and damson flavours. It’s an easy drinking style with soft tannins and light body.

Country: Italy

Region: Emilia Romagna

Grapes: Sangiovese

ABV: 11%

Summer pudding reaches from the glass, there is an abundance of blackberry and cassis fruit with a naughty creaminess of oak that marries on the palate for a bold pastiche of old vine Barossa Cabernet. It's a big glass of juicy theatre.

Country: Australia

Region: Barossa Valley

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Food Match: It’s lovely with steak tartare, seared tuna, roast Mediterranean veg and some crunchy, matured hard cheese.

Medium to full bodied with a dark ruby colour and aromas of black cherries and berries, sweet spices and vanilla. The finish is soft and long with hints of black pepper and tobacco.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Struma Valley

Grapes: Melnik 55

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Red meat dishes especially roast lamb, charcuterie and hard cheeses.