2020 Imported Red Wines

New Imported Reds have landed! We taste hundreds of wines every year at the largest wine fair in the world, Prowein, which is staged in Dusseldorf over several days in March each year. Over 5,000 wineries from around the globe show up to promote their kit to wine trade buyers. To give this context, that is more than twice as many wineries as there are in Australia. With pre-booked meetings it is possible to taste up to 200 wines a day, and 500+ across the event. We taste hundreds more at Vinitaly, a wine fair specific to Italian producers that presents the wares of over 4,000 producers across 5 days. Then there are tastings at the wineries we visit in person to gain a deeper understanding of what, why and how they make the superb wines they do. Before we make a decision to import a wi ...

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New Imported Reds have landed!

We taste hundreds of wines every year at the largest wine fair in the world, Prowein, which is staged in Dusseldorf over several days in March each year. Over 5,000 wineries from around the globe show up to promote their kit to wine trade buyers. To give this context, that is more than twice as many wineries as there are in Australia. With pre-booked meetings it is possible to taste up to 200 wines a day, and 500+ across the event.

We taste hundreds more at Vinitaly, a wine fair specific to Italian producers that presents the wares of over 4,000 producers across 5 days. Then there are tastings at the wineries we visit in person to gain a deeper understanding of what, why and how they make the superb wines they do.

Before we make a decision to import a wine, we’ve tasted it at least once overseas, often twice. From there, we collate a shortlist of samples and bring them into Australia, let ‘em rest for a couple of weeks and look at them with the entire tasting panel. A list of up to 1,000 wines tasted might be initially whittled down to 150 samples. Of these, somewhere between 15 and 20 will be chosen. This is the same level of care we take when choosing Aussie wines to offer you and as a result, we feel very comfortable, excited even, to be offering each of these wines to you. This care is the reason we are able to offer our Wine Goodness Guarantee... In the rare instance that you are not satisfied with a wine purchased from winedirect.com.au, then we are more than happy to replace the product or refund your money, whatever you choose.

Do Italian wines have less sulphites?

No! There’s a bit of a misconception there as Italian wines sold in Italy don’t require a sulphite statement on the label. Our local labelling laws require it which is why you’ll see preservative 220 added listed on the back labels for all of the Italian wine we sell. These same wines in Italy don’t say they have had sulphites added... but they do.

How to read Italian wine labels...

With a magnifying glass and a copy of ‘Decoding the Rosetta Stone’!

It’s tricky, with so many regions to navigate and often no varietal statement on the label. Doc, Docg, IGT, IGP and VdT – what do they mean and are they a guarantee of quality?

VdT – table wine - not poisonous, fair to average quaffing. Generally cask quality – but can sometimes be excellent.
IGT and IGP – A wine from the area – has to be made from grapes from the area stated on the label. Generally, IGT and IGP wines are better than VdT – but not always.
DOC – short for Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata. Must be made from varieties approved within the region using methods approved for the region. There are more than 300 DOCs in Italy. Generally, DOC wines are very good, but not always.
DOCG - short for Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita – this is like DOC but is even more stringently regulated. Yields are tightly limited and wines must be individually assessed and approved by a government licensed committee before being bottled. Generally, these are among the best wines made in Italy but, it is still not a guarantee.

The wine names can be challenging too... you’d think a wine called vine Nobile di Montepulciano would be a wine made from Montepulciano... nope – these are made from Sangiovese grown in Tuscany, near the township of Montepulciano. Chianti is also made from (primarily) Sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino is also made from Sangiovese. Barolo and Barbaresco and other wines are made from Nebbiolo...

We’ve had a crack at demystifying things for you. Any Italian wine on our site we have tasted overseas and then twice back in Oz before we make the decision to import. We also highlight in the Wine Specs section the varieties included in the wine, alcohol level, region, vintage and more...

What is a traditional Italian wine?

That’s a moveable feast as there have been heaps of changes in Italian wine production and quality over the last 50 years. Fair to say though, that wine is an Italian tradition, with viticulture dating back perhaps as far as 4000 BC. It is the only country in the world where every region produces wine. It has about 1.7 million acres under vine which accounts for about 1 glass in 5 consumed across the planet. It is thought that Sicily is the first site of production, followed by Calabria, with vines heading northwards over time.

What is the most popular Italian red wine?

That's a curly one! Italy grows an incredible variety of grapes across a vast array of regions and regionality can have a marked impact on the flavour of what’s in the bottle... but we can answer by way of telling you which grapes are the most commonly planted; that will at least give you a useful pointer.

Sangiovese (Chianti), Nebbiolo (Barolo and Barbaresco), Montepulciano, Primitivo, Aglianico, Barbera (d’alba and d’asti) , and Nero d’Avola are very widely planted.

Corvina is pretty popular too, often blended with Rondinella and/or Molinara and/or Corvinone... This turns up in the relatively light wines of Bardolino and the much heavier wines of nearby Valpollicella. In Valpollicella it is quite versatile, turning up in light wines called Classico – light, fruity, acidic, no oak; richer wines called Valpollicella Classico Superiore – medium to full bodied, oaked; in Amarone Wines – concentrated, dark, rich, and powerful thanks to the extended air drying of grapes prior to fermentation; and in the Ripasso wines where high quality grapes are fermented on top of pressed Amarone skins. These wines are medium to full bodied, rich, plush and smooth.

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Alberto Bartali Chianti Riserva DOCG 2020
$60.00

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2020 was a low cropping, intensely fruited vintage - fairly consistently warm and foliage was retained until harvest; qualities which have led to an excellent vintage! This is a powerful wine with plenty of chalky tannins, so double decant a few hours before getting stuck into this one, and when you do, consider pairing with a lump of quality protein - will work beautifully with this wine's tannin profile. Red fruits here, dried cherries, tobacco, spice, hints of balsamic, oregano, coffee and more. This is complex, powerful and long, delightful now with a decant and one you can cellar for more than a decade. Learn More
Ca 'Botta Alta Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2020
Special Price $60.00 Regular Price $65.00

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A stunning Valpolicella made using the Ripasso method, or 'repass'. Highest quality, high altitude Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone are fermented on the pressed skins of an Amarone ferment, giving higher alcohols, colour and a good degree more complexity. Rich, dark and savoury, this beast offers ripe cherries, white pepper, chocolate, graphite, minerals, blackberries and more. A moreish and complex red wine that pairs majestically with roast meat and ragu. Learn More
Ca 'Botta Cerviero Rosso Veneto 2020
Special Price $79.00 Regular Price $89.00

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In theory this is an entry level wine for Ca’ Botta, carrying the IGT designation rather than the more favoured DOC or DOCG status. Why? Because this is a wine made using Amarone methods using primarily Amarone varieties with the inclusion of Cabernet which is not allowed in Amarone production... They add Cabernet to build freshness and change the tannin profile... to make something as good but a little different to a traditional Amarone. 2.2 kilos of fruit are needed to make just one bottle. Structural, black and intense, with complex flavours, fruit sweetness and exceptional length. A wonderful opportunity to try an exceptional Amarone style wine from the region. Learn More
Carlos Serres Crianza Rioja 2020
$50.00

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Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.
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