Red Wines
We offer more red wine than white on our website… Well, there is a view that a meal without red wine is like a day without sunshine…
As a general rule red grape varieties tend to perform at their best in warmer temperatures than white. So whilst one could argue that the very greatest reds of the world come from marginal zones where the local vines need to be coaxed to full ripeness - for example Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux, Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Syrah in the northern Rhône - there is abundant decent red wine available now from countries or regions enjoying a Mediterranean climate; in particular the south of France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, California, etc.
While certain grape varieties are associated with particular countries or regions (for example Sangiovese with central Italy, Tempranillo with Spain, Malbec with Argentina, Carmenère with Chile, the home-grown Pinotage with South Africa, Zinfandel with California), it is the varieties best known for making top French wine - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Pinot Noir, and, to a lesser extent, Grenache and Mourvèdre - which have been widely planted all over the new world.
A word about ripeness, alcohol levels and climate change. Red wines, even more than white, are becoming more alcoholic. This is as a result of a number of different factors working together. First, consumers now seek riper wines - wines made from grapes which are picked properly ripe, with higher sugar levels which, once fermented out, become higher alcohol levels. (My theory as to why riper wines are so much more popular is related to us having become accustomed to higher sugar levels in a modern diet). Better management of the vines (in particular the "canopy" of the leaves) and more sophisticated weather forecasting has enabled growers to ripen their grapes better and pick at the right moment.
And on top of that is climate change. Thirty years ago reds from Bordeaux used to be bottled at 12-12.5%; since the hot 2009 vintage most examples show 13-14.5%, and some wines actually contain over 15% of alcohol.
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The top red from a 7th generation estate in the south of the Graves region – and the best...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeBDU620
GrapeMerlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot

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Château La Plaige, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2023
Medium Bodied
Made by Frédéric and Lise Naud from vineyards near the Dordogne river. This is the 16th...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodePLA123
GrapeMerlot & Cabernet Sauvignon

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Frédéric Borderie's principal wine, 65% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15%...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeGRC120
GrapeMerlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc

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Made from a single parcel of 70 year-old Grenache vines, aged in barrel for 18 months, it...
OriginFrance
RegionRoussillon
ColourRed
ABV17%
Bottle75cl
CodeFON621
GrapeGrenache

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Domaine Fontanel, Maury Sec, Arrels 2022
Full Bodied
Arrels means “Roots” in the Catalan language. This is Elodie and Matthieu’s love letter...
OriginFrance
RegionRoussillon
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeFON522
GrapeGrenache & Mourvedre

From one plot of 75 year old vines of Grenache Noir. This style is well-known for matching...
OriginFrance
RegionRoussillon
ColourRed
ABV16%
Bottle75cl
CodeFON619
GrapeGrenache

Murphy Vineyards, Big Rivers Shiraz, Australia, 2022
Medium Bodied
Brambly Aussie Shiraz; fruity, friendly and warming. Now-2026 The Murphy family arrived in...
OriginAustralia
RegionNSW
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeMUR122
GrapeSyrah/Shiraz

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Segares, Rioja Crianza, 2016
Medium Bodied
Excellent pure Tempranillo Rioja, all cooked strawberries and spice, attractively mellow and...
OriginSpain
RegionRioja
ColourRed
ABV13.50%
Bottle75cl
CodeNES316
GrapeTempranillo

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Segares, Rioja Reserva, 2010
Full Bodied
The Reserva goes into 40% new French barrels, 60% in older American oak. It's wonderful to...
OriginSpain
RegionRioja
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeNES410
GrapeTempranillo

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Errazuriz, Pinot Noir, Aconcagua Costa, 2022
Medium Bodied
Again, a brilliant example from vineyards on schist at Manzanar, just 12 kilometres from the...
OriginChile
RegionAconcagua
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeERR922
GrapePinot Noir

Felton Road, Cornish Point Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2020
Light, medium bodied
Cornish Point is a vineyard almost surrounded by water, on high calcium loess soils over...
OriginNew Zealand
RegionCentral Otago
ColourRed
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeFET720
GrapePinot Noir

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Cistes takes its name from the rock rose that grows around the vineyards. 60% Syrah and 40%...
OriginFrance
RegionRoussillon
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeFON221
GrapeGrenache & Syrah