A trio of attention-grabbing red wines | Alistair Gibson
Three reds have caught my attention at tastings I have attended this week.
First up is a Spanish organic red which has recently been added to the Co-op’s ever increasing range of eco-friendly wines.
Extreme Bobal 2018, Manchuela (Co-op £10) is made for the Co-op by Bodegas Altolandon, which is a winery I have increasingly taken note of over the past few years.
It is situated inland, north-west of Valencia, and organic methods are used to manage all the their vines. The wines are produced in as natural a way as possible, with minimal intervention.
The wine takes its name from the extreme altitude at which the vineyards for this wine are planted – around 1,100 metres – and this is a lovely fresh, red for spring.
The nose shows some ripe red berry fruit, along with some red cherry and some dried herbs, before a medium bodied palate with some crunchy red fruits and some ripe tannins before a reasonably powerful finish which is typical of this variety.
This would work really well with a fairly rustic dish such as a sausage casserole.
I am fortunate to be going off to Cape Town on a wine trip shortly, a region I think produces some of the best value, as well as some of the most interesting, wines in the world right now.
Cape Town Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018 (Aldi £7.99) is a really great example of the value that can be found and is produced by Diemersdal Estate, which is one of the oldest wine farms in the Cape.
A take on a Bordeaux blend, this is made very much in an easy drinking, modern style and shows ripe red berry fruit, some dark chocolate, and a little spice on nose followed by more red fruits and spice and some subtle tannins on the palate.
Serve this with an Easter leg of lamb.
The red wine region I return to again and again is the Rhône Valley, in southern France.
There are always bottles of Côtes du Rhône in my wine rack.
Côtes du Rhône ‘Belleruche’ 2018, .Chapoutier (Majestic £11.99 or £9.99 as part of a mixed six, Hermitage Cellars £10.30) may be made in relatively large volumes by one of the biggest names in the region but it is consistently well made.
A blend of grenache and syrah, this offers dark fruits, dried herbs and some earthy spices on the nose, medium bodied with more dark fruits, ripe tannins and a very satisfying finish.
One of my favourite wines with confit duck leg.