The 10 best red wines to enjoy this festive season
With the Yuletide season beckoning, and a cold wintry chill now permeating the air, now is the time to invest in a good red wine. Be it for quiet nights in huddled up under a blanket, or for toasting your friends at a festive function, red wines are always a firm favourite and guaranteed crowd pleaser.
So, whether you’re a fan of a delicate pinot noir, an approachable merlot, or a full-bodied and fruity cabernet sauvignon, our experts have selected the best red wines out there.
What makes a good red wine?
With several different grape varieties and blends available, from a diverse range of producing regions, you’ll find an array of flavour notes to choose from.
In general, there are a few things to look for. The first is aroma; from mushroom to tobacco, spice, and even sometimes a little salinity to be found alongside the usual fruit and woody notes, an appealing aroma is an important way into tasting a wine.
"Objectively speaking, a good red wine is one that is balanced — which is to say the fruit, tannins, acidity and alcohol are aligned, with neither component dominating the palate but rather complementing one another to create a good structure with the tannins acting as a backbone," said wine expert Michael Pope, creator of Vine Travel. "The wine should evolve in the glass and we should be able to identify various groups of aromas, ie fruit, floral, spice, whether they are herbaceous or vegetal, and then you should be able to taste the wine still after a few seconds, which we refer to as the finish."
However, as with most things, wine preferences are hugely subjective - with what someone recommending perhaps not being to your taste.
All this said however, subjectivity plays a huge role. Personal taste, mood and the people you’re with can influence this greatly. So whilst we have ways to define a good red wine objectively, a good red wine should be the one that resonates with you or keeps you wanting more.
What's the difference between light and full-bodied reds?
When it comes to body, wines range from light, to medium, to full-bodied. Light-bodied wines such as a pinot noir are generally lower in strength and fill and coat the mouth less, offering more delicate flavours, whereas full-bodied reds such as cabernet sauvignon are more intense, have a higher strength, and a thicker, more viscous feel.
This is due to different concentration of tannins, explains Zoë Adjey, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality and Events Management at the University of East London.
"The thicker the skins of the grape variety and the longer they are in contact with the juice, the more full-bodied the resulting wine will be," she says. "Pinot Noir, for example, has thin skins and makes a lighter bodied wine, while Cabernet Sauvignon has thick skins and produces a full-bodied wine."
Taste-wise, both grape variety and terroir have a role to play. Grapes have typical characteristics; look out for earthy, herbal notes and greater acidity from a pinot noir, which prefers to grow in cooler temperatures; whereas a shiraz grape, mostly grown in moderate and warmer climates, has higher tannins, forest fruit flavours, a little pepper and some smoky notes.
"The main difference between light and full-bodied red wines lies in how heavy they feel in the mouth," explains wine expert Caroline Lips from Tabl.com, a global wine experience provider. "Light-bodied reds such as Pinot Noir are more delicate, smooth and easy to drink, whereas full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon are rich, velvety and contain more alcohol. Light-bodied reds go well with lighter meals such as fish, chicken, salads and roasted vegetables, whereas full-bodied reds can be paired with hearty beef, lamb and duck dishes."
How should I serve red wine?
According to Pope: "Light reds should be served cooler at around 13c, which helps highlight their freshness and elegance.Full-bodied reds should be served slightly warmer between 16-18c to let their richness shine."
Decanting is also an option.
"Does it lack fruit aromas? If yes, I’d decant it to let the oxygen help develop that side of the wine. I often recommend decanting half the bottle first and the rest later," Pope explains. "Is it an old wine with sediments at the bottom that you’d prefer not to drink? If yes, decant it slowly trying to avoid the sediment entering the decanter. This is typically done with a light source at the neck of the bottle, stopping to pour as the sediment reaches the neck"
What glassware should we use for red wine?
"Generally, red wines should be served in high-quality larger glasses to increase the surface area which lets the wine aerate, but there are also more specific glasses for certain types of red wine," Lips says. "For full-bodied reds, it’s preferable to use Bordeaux glasses which are tall with a broad bowl, helping to soften tannins. For lighter reds, it’s best to use a Burgundy glass which has a slightly tapered rim that enhances delicate aromas."
The best red wines for 2024 and beyond
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir wine really does show why New Zealand's Marlborough region is almost unrivalled when producing magnificent reds. This complex number is both opulent and aromatic, boasting notes of rose, violet, dark cherry and plum, which is then offset by additional flavours of graphite and tangy raspberry. This versatile wine is equally at home paired with a big, hearty roast, but doesn't go amiss with salads or cold meat plates. At £43, it errs on the slightly more expensive side - but is a guaranteed crowd pleaser by being both flavourful and rich but without being too heady.
Purple Owl Pinot Noir
If you like your reds fruity and full-bodied, step this way. The vineyards of California’s sunny Lodi region produce soft, fruit-forward styles, and this offering from Purple Owl is no different.Our panel appreciated its sweet cherry, ripe raspberry, redcurrant and plum notes, with a floral flourish of roses and raspberries, backed by earthy smoke and leather. Balanced with ripe tannins and a long finish, it’s our top all-rounder.
The Hedonist Ecology Organic Shiraz
Aptly described as "like a walk across a forest floor", this biodynamically produced shiraz from The Hedonist combines tartness with some savoury notes.
Alongside chocolate, ripe red fruits and a little smoke, you’ll find some tobacco and even a little mushroom on the nose, and some nutty notes.
Storm Wines Pinot Noir
Stony, clay-rich soil in South Africa’s Hemel-en-Aarde Valley helps give this pinot noir its intensely rich flavour. That, and the fact it’s aged in 25% new French barriques for 11 months and released after 15 months in bottle.
Get that chicken risotto cooking; look for vanilla, plum, sweet cedar and a little smoke from this dry and pleasing acidic tipple. It pairs perfectly with the dish, or other treats such as pâtés and terrines.
Columbia Valley Merlot
Like to stick with red, even when the mercury rises? This purple-hued treat could be just the thing. Though made from over 80% merlot, there’s also a little syrah, malbec and cabernet sauvignon in the mix.
Light, with hints of vanilla and coconut, it definitely evokes summer, but there's also some deep berry and cherry notes to keep things juicy. Pair with a bright salad.
Penfold's Max's Shiraz Cabernet
Renowned Australian wine maker Penfolds has been producing wine for 175 years, and claims to source only the best grapes, from the best regions, to put in its wines.
This one uses shiraz and cabernet sauvignon grapes from across South Australia to create a wine our panel described as soft, herbal and fruity, with notes of vanilla, plum, star anise and a little smoke. Bring out those smoked notes by pairing with a steak or grilled fish.
Jim Barry The McRae Wood Museum Shiraz
This is a deep, earthy shiraz courtesy of Jim Barry, the man responsible for putting Australia's Clare Valley on the map.The McRae Wood Shiraz is made from grapes declassified from The Armagh and blended with fruit from special parcels from the family’s other Clare Valley vineyards. This full-bodied number has a rich scent of rose petal, leather and warm spice aromas with silken layers of rich black fruit. It pairs beautifully with a simple roast chicken.
Vasse Felix Premier Cabernet Sauvignon
With earthy cocoa, cedar and a hint of cigars, this deep, smooth red stands out. Produced in Western Australia’s Margaret River region – a hotspot for cabernet sauvignon production – you’ll also find notes of sweet strawberry, liquorice and pepper, backed by tannins, and a little unripe currant. It may taste young but it’s full of flavour.
RedHeads Whip-Hand Cabernet Sauvignon
A great-tasting wine that’s also good for the planet? What’s not to love? This small-batch producer from Australia’s Barossa Valley is organic, uses 100% renewable energy, and collects and re-uses waste water and rainfall, among a number of other initiatives.This one leans a little sweet for a cabernet sauvignon, but our panel loved its sweet tannins and black pepper spice, while its warming fruit pairs perfectly with cheese and charcuterie.
Gaja Sori Tildin 2017
This juicy and fresh red wine is certainly on the higher end of price point, but its purity and strength will certainly leave your palate wanting more. Its rich aromas of dried flowers and strawberries are paired with subtle undertones of blue flower, aniseed and candied orange peel - the ideal companion for an indulgent lamb roast.
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