Red Blend Wines
Single varietals are great, no argument here. But there is something magical about a winemaker’s ability to blend two or more different varieties to create something very, very special, that in some cases can be greater than the sum of its parts. Whether it’s the iconic Aussie blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, or a GSM and its variants, or the latest trend towards blending more new world varieties, we love a nice red blend. These are the latest red blends to leave the Tasting Panel grinning goofily with wine dribbling down their chins...
- Bleasdale Frank Potts 2021$39.00A casual 97 points from James Halliday! Oh, and four trophies and a 'stacks on' pile of golds and top gold medals. This is dense and complex, whilst also being taut and linear. Awesome now (post decanting), but will live for 20 years with careful cellaring, perhaps more. Red and black fruits here, with quality cedary spindles and exceptional length. Learn More
- Bleasdale Wellington Road GSM 2022$35.00Bleasdale's Wellington Road GSM blend has only been in existence for a handful of years, but it draws on quality older vines from the estate as well as key growers. Offering vivid aromatics, it builds around a core of noticeable acidity and fine but plentiful tannins - a skeleton that promises longevity. That said, it's lovely already, with floral notes, jubey fruit, spice and more. Learn More
- Briar Ridge Limited Release BDX 2022Special Price $35.00 Regular Price $40.00Dark fruits and chocolate and a burst of rosewater on the nose. Black and blue fruits and cedar in the mouth. Tannis are fine and supple, making this particularly enjoyable now - but don't be afraid to chuck this away for a decade either. Learn More
- Ca 'Botta Alta Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2020Special Price $60.00 Regular Price $65.00A 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 Alta Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2019$60.00Remarkably intense for a superiore, with dense fruits and excellent acidity tempered by French oak. The bouquet offers cherries, plums, sage and red flowers along with chocolate, smoke, minerality and olive tapenade. The palate is packed with ripe cherries, blackberries, blackberries along with white pepper. Soft and elegant tannins and balanced acidity leave your palate fresh. The second glass beckons. Learn More
- Ca 'Botta Cerviero Rosso Veneto 2020Special Price $79.00 Regular Price $89.00In 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
- Ca 'Botta Rubicondo 2019$55.00Black, rich, concentrated and savoury, this wine is made from 14-day air dried, traditional regional grapes Corvina and Rondinella softened by Merlot. It offers black fruits, spice and cedar. The fruit sweetness is excellent and well balanced by savory touches. An absolute bargain. Learn More
- Ca 'Botta Torcinato Valpolicella Superiore 2018Special Price $89.00 Regular Price $99.00Our 3rd vintage of the Torcinato, and absolutely the finest to date. This is a big and exceptionally well-structured and refined wine which requires at an hour in a decanter before drinking. It is powerful yet silky smooth, with intense red and blue fruits, cola, tobacco, blackberries, cherries and fresh thyme. Fruit is air dried prior to fermentation for 45 days meaning that 1.6 kg of fruit are required to make each bottle! Learn More
- Ca Vegar Bardolino DOC 2023$45.00Its bigger than Pinot, and of course has a different flavour profile, but in the UK plenty of punters who drink Pinot are equally enamoured of Bardolino. 'But it is made from the same grapes as Amarone', we hear you say. It is, and Bardolino is only half an hour from that region, but the wines are altogether brighter and far more delicate than you'll find there. This Bardolino sees about 6 months in oak, followed by some time in tank prior to bottling – red fruits and violet form the nose. It is red fruity, pulpy and fleshy and finishes tight and dry, with excellent length, minerality, plenty of acid and fine tannins. Drink it with rich meaty dishes or oily fish. Definitely a food wine and absolutely worth decanting. Learn More
- Ca ’Botta Cajo Amarone DOCG 2016$180.00Ca’ Botta’s highest quality fruit is air dried for 100 days prior to fermentation meaning that 2.2 kgs of fruit are required to make each bottle! This is incredibly, long, concentrated and complex… savour this over a few hours and you may well see black tea, spices, blackberries, cherries, rosemary, dark chocolate, prunes, green peppercorns, and coffee. Stunning. Learn More
- Cape Jaffa Shiraz Cabernet 2021Special Price $30.00 Regular Price $35.00A beautiful and fragrant mid-weight Limestone Coast blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. Cape Jaffa have a knack for making wines that are gloriously drinkable on release and improve, maybe not for 20 years, but for 5+ minimum. This offers, spice, florals and red fruit in abundance, which then leads to darker fruits, a litle cedar and a fine tannin finish. We love it. Learn More
- Carlos Serres Gran Reserva Rioja 2016$80.00
The most refined and profound of the Carlos Serres wines - a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, entirely sourced from the Finca El Estanque vineyard. Only 2% of Rioja wines are released as Gran Reserva, with the best fruit treated to at least a couple of years in oak, generally more, before being bottled at anywhere between 5 and 10 years of age. Carlos Serres choose to release the wine when it is ready to drink.... and this, the 2016 vintage is excellent, offering mature and ripe black fruits, cinnamon, minerality and more. The palate is rich and smooth, tannins plentiful but resolving, the finish long and satisfying. Beautiful now and will cellar for another 5+ as well.
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