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.
Filter Wines
Wine Type
Style
Grape Variety
Country
Region
Grower
Dietary Requirement
Organic / Biodynamic
Vintage

Buy 12
Save £21.54

Piekenierskloof, Grenache Noir, 2021
Light-bodied
Piekenierskloof has more Grenache planted than any other estate in the Cape – that’s why so...
OriginSouth Africa
RegionPiekenierskloof
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodePIK821
GrapeGrenache

Buy 12
Save £9.90
Il Traliccio, Sangiove Rubicone IGT, 2023
Light-bodied
Light, simple, juicy and cherry-accented. Certainly easy to drink on its own. A Sangiovese from...
OriginItaly
RegionAbruzzo
ColourRed
ABV11%
Bottle75cl
CodeILT423
GrapeSangiovese

Buy 12
Save £21.00
“Superiore” may be added if the wine is aged for a year prior to release, of which at least...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBOA622
GrapeBarbera

Buy 12
Save £17.94
Michele Biancardi, Uno Piu Uno, IGT Puglia, 2022
Medium Bodied
From halves of Nero di Troia and Primitivo. Because the grapes come from the very edge of their...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA122
GrapeNero di Troia & Primitivo

Buy 12
Save £69.30

I Fabbri, Chianti Classico Riserva, 2019
Medium Bodied
"Mid ruby with orange tinges. Peppery, concentrated and a little brooding on the nose....
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeIFA319
GrapeSangiovese


"Why do I not drink more Nero di Troia? It's such a heart-felt wine! It's not...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA419
GrapeNero di Troia

Buy 12
Save £28.74

I Fabbri, Chianti Classico, Lamole, 2021
Medium Bodied
Susanna Grassi’s Chiantis are so graceful. Her vineyards, in the Lamole subzone of Greve, are...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeIFA121
GrapeSangiovese

Buy 12
Save £19.14

Michele Biancardi, Primitivo Puro, IGT Puglia, 2022
Medium Bodied
As the name implies, 100% Primitivo. Such a seductive wine – flamboyant colour; a flagrant...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA322
GrapePrimitivo

Mount Riley, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, 2020
Light-Bodied
Generous raspberry and cherry fruit, just smoothed with a lick of oak. Satisfying concentration...
OriginNew Zealand
RegionMarlborough
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeMOU620
GrapePinot Noir

Buy 12
Save £13.80
Chevalier d'Albran, Bordeaux Rouge, 2022
Medium-Bodied
Chevalier d’Albran is produced by Château Peychaud, located in Ambarès-et-Lagrave, between...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeALB122
GrapeMerlot & Cabernet Sauvignon

Buy 12
Save £34.20
Château Les Cabannes, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 2022
Medium-Bodied
Cabannes is a tiny seven hectare estate bought by Canadian Peter Kjeilberg in 1997. He...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeCAB222
GrapeMerlot

Buy 12
Save £21.54
Chateau Bellerive, Medoc, Cru Bourgeois, 2016
Medium-Bodied
Cru Bourgeois in a top red Bordeaux vintage like 2016 almost always represents a good buy. From...
OriginFrance
RegionBordeaux
ColourRed
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeBEL116
GrapeMerlot, Cabernet & Cabernet Franc