Silky Reds

Organic black-grape skinned silkiness in a glass - should be a staple in every household!

This is a big and powerful red wine, dark red in colour. The nose has plenty of dark fruit aromas, plums, black cherries, chocolate, dried fruit and slight herbaceous notes. The palate is full, dense and rich with intense ripe fruit. There are more plum and spice flavours on the palate. The finish is has a touch of residual sugar, giving some natural sweetness, and is full, rich and lingering. 

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 14 %

Grape: 90% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot

Great value Chilean Merlot. Perfect for everyday enjoyment.

Fresh and bright with characteristic aromas of cherry and red fruits. Light and juicy on the palate with soft tannins.

Country: Chile 

Region: Central Valley

ABV: 13%

Grapes:  Merlot

Deliciously fruity with notes of blackberry, plum and black cherry.

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Grapes: Malbec

ABV: 13.5%

A deliciously rich yet supple red that's perfect to enjoy along side hearty, rustic Italian cuisine.

Intense ruby-red colour with a complex bouquet reminiscent of prunes, cherries and redcurrants.  The oak ageing adds a pleasant roasted and spicy aroma. On the palate it is full-bodied, supple and well-balanced with a long finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

ABV: 13%

Grapes:  70% Corvina, 20% Rhondinella, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Food Match: Great with Antipasto like cured meats and olives, but equally as good with hearty bean and beef stews.

A classic joven (or young) Rioja made without ageing in oak, so as to let the beautiful Tempranillo flavours sing their solo tune!

A modern, vibrant, unoaked Tempranillo. Oozing with pure, vibrant, juicy red fruits, fresh cherries and plums. Soft and easy to drink with approachable light tannins.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Tempranillo

Rioja is probably the most famous of Spanish wine regions, renowned for its red wines aged for long periods in oak barrels. The Tempranillo grape, the mainstay of Rioja, has such lovely flavours though that it is great to taste unoaked versions to appreciate the flavours ‘unadulterated’. Perfect with a mixture of tapas or just on its own, this wine is the essence of Rioja in a bottle. 

Soft and velvety, bursting with dark berry and bitter cherry fruit characters.

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Grapes: Nero D'Avola, Merlot

ABV: 13.5%

A super easy drinking red from native Portuguese grapes. Crunchy red fruit, juicy, supple tannins.

Country: Portugal

Region: Dão

Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tempranillo, Jaen

ABV: 12.5%

Food Match: Roast Chicken with a roast medley of Mediterranean vegetables.

Adega de Penalva Wine

A great example of well rounded Bordeaux wine at a reasonable price. Difficult to find!

An approachable style of Claret that has a ripe and round plummy nose with a hint of wood spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Full­ bodied and well structured, this is a lean and quite austere wine with gentle tannins.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

ABV: 14%

Grapes:  60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

Food Match:  Lamb, hard cheeses

Chateau Buisson ­Redon - The 41 hectare single block estate, owned by the Seze family since 1918, produces Chateau Buisson­ Redon and, with parcels sited within Fronsac AOC, Chateau Mayne­ Vieille. 

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%

A classic Rioja Reserva with beautifully intertwined fruit and oak flavours.

Beautiful blackberry notes with spices, smoky and subtle nuances of vanilla, toffee and tobacco. An excellently balanced wine which offers layers of red berry fruits on the palate, laced with vanilla and hints of mocha.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo 80%, Garnacha 15%, Graciano 5%

 ABV: 13.5% 

Wild berry and smokey notes are deftly handled at Henry of Pelham, where this variety has become their recognised flagship red wine. A deep ruby colour with hints of dark purple; blackberry and plum aromas with coffee, cedar wood and smoky notes. Dry and full-bodied with pronounced black cherry flavours lingering on a smoky finish.

Country: Canada

Region: Niagara Peninsula

Grapes: Baco Noir

ABV: 13.5%

Food Match: Great with roast lamb and all the trimmings

http://swahilicoastfoodie.com/wine-and-roast-lamb-pairings/

Baco Noir's origins go back to 1894, when French grape creator François Baco crossed Folle Blanche with an unknown member of the American Vitis riparia family.

His intention was to create phylloxera-resistant vines that retained their Old World French character. At one time Baco Noir was grown in Burgundy and the Loire, but it was gradually phased out of the Old World and has since become one of North America's more successful hybrids.

This is a big and powerful red wine, very dark red in colour. The nose has plenty of dark fruit aromas, plums, black cherries, chocolate, dried fruit and slight herbaceous notes. The palate is full, dense and rich with intense and sweet, ripe fruit.  The finish is has a touch of residual sugar, giving some natural sweetness, and is full, rich and lingering. 

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 13.5 %

Grape: Primitivo

Exceptional value right-bank Bordeaux from the village of St Emilion.

Rich plummy fruit throughout, this is a medium-bodied, food-friendly Bordeaux with an earthy, cocoa-dusted finish.

Country: France

Region: St Emilion

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: 100% Merlot

Completely untainted example of Nero D'Avola - just as nature intended!

The wine has a deep purple-red colour & intense aromas of blackberries & blueberries. The palate is soft & silky, bursting with spicy flavours of black pepper, dark chocolate, wild berries & vanilla.  The tannins are elegant yet persistent.  The finish is long & lingering and offers a burst of wild cherries at the end.

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

ABV: 13.5 %

Grape: Nero D'Avola

Fun Fact: Zensa in Italian means “without” referring to the absence of any chemicals or pesticides in the winemaking process. 

Chilean Merlot has become a byword for value and quality. This cracking example is the perfect easy-drinking example.

This is simply an outstanding wine for the money. Soft, super-­juicy, ripe, plummy fruit and a long flavoured finish with spicy flavours of plum and cherries.

Country: Chile

Region: Central Valley

ABV: 13%

Grapes:  Merlot

This easy drinking wine comes from Chile's renowned Valle Central region, where long, hot days are followed by cool nights. This temperature difference ensures the grapes ripen slowly, so they develop maximum flavour

Deep ruby colour. On the nose shows spice notes typical of Moreto, like clove, nutmeg, liquorice, and also some ripe cherry and strawberry notes. On the palate it is dry, fruity, spicy and easy to drink. Offers a surprising complexity of flavours and a long finish for the price!

Country: Portugal

Region: Alentejo

Grapes: Moreto, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet

ABV: 14%

Granja Amareleja vineyards are located in the left bank of Guadiana River, where the soils are sandy and the temperatures the highest in Alentejo reaching >40C. Moreto grape variety is the ex-libris of the viticulture here, where it continues to be cultivated, mostly, ungrafted (“Pé-Franco”). Perhaps for this reason its wines are so aromatic, balanced and distinct.

A vibrant red wine with aromas of dark cherry, rich red forest fruits and floral notes of lavender and violet. The palate has hints of white truffle, hazelnut, and warm spices with glimpses of anise and clove, rounded off with herbaceous undertones. The finish is gripping, velvety and lingering.

Country: Lebanon

Region: Mount Lebanon and Bekaa Valley

Grapes: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre

ABV: 13.5%

Produced at the historic Monastery of St Jean, whose building dates back to 1696. 75% of the grapes are from the Monastery’s own vineyards in Khenshara & Ajaltoun at 1000m altitude on the Maritime side of Mount Lebanon. The remaining 25% is Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bekaa Valley.

This is essentially a baby Super Tuscan! An intense ruby red colour with hints of garnet. Combining strength, intensity and elegance, with soft tannins to give it a roundness in the mouth. Fruity nose with a sweet spiciness. Lively and balanced.

A collaboration between the people behind iconic Tuscan winery
Castellare di Castellina and leading French wine brand Domaines Barons
de Rothschild-Lafite.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Grapes: Sangiovese, Ruby Cabernet, Merlot

ABV: 13.5%

Black cherry, violet and subtle herb characters on the nose with complex liquorice and earth flavours on the palate. Firm, but ripe tannins, great structure.

Country: New Zealand

Region: Hawke's Bay

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13%

Organic

Rod McDonald is a New Zealand winemaking legend who arrived in Hawke's Bay 25 years ago as a green cellarhand. Following a stint at Villa Maria he became winemaker at Vidal before setting off on a solo adventure to craft the most compelling and exciting wines from the wide variety of soils throughout the region.
Rod has chosen to farm organically to allow his wines to really represent both the land the grapes are grown on and the people who make them.

Intense and rich with soft, sweet tannins. 

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

Grapes: Negroamaro, Primitivo

ABV: 14.5%

Made with naturally dried grapes - this is the Appassimento method.

One of the top 10 most sought after Tuscan wines.

An intense red - floral and dark fruit notes, well-balanced with a ripe and explosive finish. Stunning. 

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

The winemaker from Baron Rothschild-Lafite, Christian Le Somme, visits once a month and, by working closely with Alessandro Cellai (from Castellare di Castellina) they are able to maintain the essential Italian character of Tuscany, through the plantings of Sangiovese combined with the power and mid-palate weight of Cabernet and Merlot.

Situated between Gavorrano and Ribolla in the rossetto province in Maremma, the soils have similar characteristics to those of Chianti and Montalcino, but with slightly higher temperatures, so are able to reach maturation earlier compared to those territories further north. The winery was designed by the Shard's architect, Renzo Piano, one of the most admired architects in the world, and named in Time Magazine’s Top 10 most influential people working in the Arts.

It has the biggest barrel room in the world, with only 20% of the winery above ground. The winery runs completely on environmental principles: electricity powered by solar panels and gravity-led production, and the underground barrel cellar allows natural air conditioning and saves energy.

Ripe bramble berry and plum aromas with coffee, cedar and smoky notes. Full-bodied with loads of black cherry flavour. Well balanced with soft, ripe tannin and a long finish.

Country: Canada

Region: Ontario,Niagara Peninsula

Grapes: Baco Noir

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Roast lamb

Complex nose with hints of spice, chocolate and mocha. Good structure with plum and mineral complexity and a lingering finish.

Country: South African wine

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet & Malbec

ABV: 14%

'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.

Cherry, strawberry and rhubarb notes define the aromatics of this wine and are backed by hints of cinnamon and oregano. Bright flavours of cherry, raspberry and ripe tomato are balanced by a layer of earthy mushroom. Smooth and silky!

Country: USA

Region: California

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Vegan/Vegetarian

From the Sacramento and Lodi areas at the northern end of California’s San Joaquin Valley.