Heartwarming Wines To Cellar For Winter
To hell with plummeting mercury and dull dark evenings – the silver lining gets thicker this winter with our bunch of heartwarming reds!
Seasons are the harbingers of change in more ways than one. The turn of climate is the most obvious while other natural shifts are more subtle but essential. Us humans have perceived and wrangled seasons into the predictability of months on a papered calendar. And yet, our habits and hankering change not by the decree of the calendar but the announcement of nature itself. So when winter arrives as it just about did this month, we needn’t inquire about the month. Winter is here and so is the time to uncork some unapologetically full bodied red wines to warm the cockles of the heart and fortify the senses against the raging cold. ‘Big bold reds’ as the refrain goes are the ideal choice of tipple for the winter, given the sheer weight of the wine buoyed by ripe fruit and backbone of high alcohol and robust tannins. Bordeaux is renowned for sublime structure and panoply of flavours while Rioja delivers elegance accompanied by barrel aged sinew and Aussie Shiraz is no holes-barred jammy red ferment. So while you relish the joy of shorter work days and a wardrobe of warm clothes is finally put to good use, add the cherry on the cake that is our handpicked bunch of heartwarming red wines to romp with through the chilling winter. Cheers!
Echo De Lynch-Bages 2017
The convergence of sheer discipline and near perfect terroir is a rare thing and yet that is what is contained inside a bottle of Echo De Lynch-Bages 2017. Chateau Lynch-Bages has strived to create vinous art for decades in Medoc’s highly rated commune of Pauillac and the result is stunning. This classic Left Bank blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon expresses subtle red fruit, classic structure and earthiness with a backbone of firm tannins that will make you want to keep winter overstaying its welcome.
Roda, Sela 2017
Spanish reds make the winter a season to look forward to and that holds especially true with this organic Rioja red beaming with concentrated flavours and barrel aged charm. Vinified by one of Spain’s premier family estates, the wine is defined by soft texture and tantalizing notes of cherry, spice and oak, finishing on the back of firm yet silky tannins.
Roger Sabon, Cote Du Rhone 2020
From traditionally steeped Rhone Valley estate Roger Sabon that handpicks fruit from vineyard rooted in limestone rich soils, comes this red wine blend led by Grenache that expresses wholesome flavours of cherry, blackberry and pepper capped by soft tannins and a long finish. An ideal winter companion to be enjoyed with mushroom pasta, rosemary lamb and gamily textured barbecue.
Vietti, Barbera d’ Alba Tre Vigne 2018
Now here’s a red that exemplifies full bodied expression. Produced in Italy’s cool northwest region of Piedmont, this bold Barbera style abounds with cherry, vanilla and chocolate, lifted by textural richness and lingering tannins. Rated. Crafted in one of Italy’s most prestigious denominations and rated 91 points by Robert Parker, here’s your winter cellar lead. Roda, Sela 2017
Spanish reds make the winter a season to look forward to and that holds especially true with this organic Rioja red beaming with concentrated flavours and barrel aged charm. Vinified by one of Spain’s premier family estates, the wine is defined by soft texture and tantalizing notes of cherry, spice and oak, finishing on the back of firm yet silky tannins.
