Seasonal Reds
... wines for winter dishes ...
Following on from last week’s list of Seasonal Whites, here are a few more to add to the list for Christmas.
The first three of the wines listed below were covered in an earlier missive - Autumn Reds - that can be read again at dappled.info. All current receivers of the missives will be moved across to this site early next year. The site contains all the previous missives, and please ignore the call to subscribe when you land there for the first time as that will be an automatic process. Nearly completed, but still needs a few tweaks.
1 - Moss Wood Amy’s Blend 2022, Margaret River, Australia.
Lamb cutlets for lunch. This iconic and internationally renowned winery produces an array of wines from consistently reliable entry-level creations to top flight Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. This wine at less than £20 is delivering a very refined, subtle and superbly balanced wine. 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 7% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot. The light fragrance of blackcurrants on the nose is accompanied with a delicate offering of fruit, tannins and acidity all in balance. Blueberries and blackcurrants settle on the palate with a touch of oak, and a medium finish. It is a very well-made package.
£18.50 - Waitrose - link
2 - Rustenberg John X Merriman 2022, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Roast leg of lamb for dinner. Slightly fuller and richer than the Moss Wood. It delivers in spades and at this price it is always exceptional value for money. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Classic blackberries on the nose and palate, with very well integrated tannins, good length and very, very easy to drink. Also, it ages surprisingly well. I recently found a few bottles of the 2016 hiding in part of the cellar: the fruit had dropped a few degrees, but it was still a highly drinkable and enjoyable wine.
£19.00 - Waitrose - link
3 - Clos Constantin ‘Euziéra’ 2023, AOP Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc.
Steak and Kidney Pudding. Nose is exquisite: an enticing combination of concentrated red fruits with hints of violets. It grabs your attention and prepares you for the delights that sing when you taste this excellent wine. 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 25% Cinsault. Fresh, slightly left-of-field, unexpected but superbly delicious. There is an abundance of deep, dark fruits, with smooth tannins, a well defined structure, and excellent length. I could drink this all autumn and winter. Also, it will age. Five years from now, perhaps even ten, it will still be delivering a special and very memorable wine. However, it is just great today.
£24.00 - Yapp Brothers - link
4 - Simpsons Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2023, Kent, England
Lunch. Goats cheese or quiche. Roast chicken. As one member of the panel tasting these wines said, ‘Is this really from England?’, and that from a long-term Burgundy fan. Delicate Pinot with a light ruby colour. Cherries, raspberries and a touch of oak on the nose. Classic cool climate wine with a touch of unexpected spice on the nose. Freshness has been neatly balanced with a good weight of fruit and an openness that is very appealing. Aged in oak - 80% old and 20% new (75% French and 25% American). Another excellent example of how a small handful of wineries are beginning to produce top quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In good vintages Simpsons produce their ‘Q Class’ from these varietals. Hopefully, with the high quality 2025 harvest, we might see these created again over the coming 12 months.
£32.00 - Simpsons Winery - link
5 - Viña Bosconia, Reserva 2014, Bodegas R. López de Heredia, Rioja, Spain
Game. Always slightly in the shadow of Heredia’s flagship Tondonia label, this might be considered ‘under-the-radar’ and exceptional value for money. Heredia own 170 hectares of vines and make their wines exclusively from their own grapes. At the beginning of its long journey, this Bosconia will still be drinking well into the early 2040s. Fermented in old oak vats this blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho and the remaining 5% Graciano and Mazuelo is elegant, refined and immensely drinkable at this point. You could decant it, but just use large glasses and a few swirls will start to release the rich and mature elements of a wine that has been crafted with immense skill.
£36.00 - Berrys - link
6 - Errazuriz, Las Pizarras Pinot Noir 2022, Aconcagua Costa, Chile.
Rump Steak, Bernaise, and Triple-Cooked Fries. Another example of a superbly well-made Pinot Noir from the Pacific Rim. Albeit with the power and weight from a South American blockbuster. There is a lot going on here, and I would decant it about an hour before you consume. Ripe, very rich, concentrated with oodles of dark fruits, brambles, blackcurrants, cherries, and oak. This house knows how to make a crowd pleaser and it will keep for another decade, ageing with strength and fortitude as the flavours intertwine and take on the earthy, mushroomy flavours of aged Pinot Noir. It’s very, very long.
£62.00 - Berrys - link
7 - Château Pontet-Canet 2005, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France.
Christmas Day. Perhaps a present to oneself. If you have a gap in your cellar and want a wine for a celebratory event in 2026, or perhaps next Christmas, then this is an outstanding and truly exceptional wine. With 20 years under its belt, it’s about as good as any 2005 I have tasted recently. Actually, apart from 1st Growths, I think it is the best wine from the Médoc of this vintage. Although only rated as a 5th Growth in the 1855 Classification, it consistently sit alongside the very best 2nd Growths, often surpassing them. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The price is worth every penny. Everything you could ever want from an aged Claret - finesse, structure and exceptional elegance - sits within this bottle. Buy it In Bond, and pay the Duty and VAT when you need it. Will still be drinking well for another decade, but enjoy it before then.
£1,090 case of 12 bottles - Berrys - ex VAT and Duty - link
Also available in magnums and double magnums
