Red Wines
Red wine – we like it, you like it. Sometimes it’s really red, sometimes it’s less red. Sometimes it’s Barossa Valley Shiraz, sometimes Coonawarra Cabernet or McLaren Vale Grenache. New world, old world, weird and wonderful, traditional and cutting edge – if it’s red and it passed the Tasting Panel’s approval, it'll be listed here.
Which is the least tannic red wine?
Tannins come from both grape skins and oak. Pinot Noir is generally fairly low in tannins, as is Gamay, Barbera and Dolcetto. Rosé, given its limited skin contact and typical fermentation in stainless steel, is usually very low in tannin.
Red wines that spend no time in oak, or which are matured in older oak tend to have less tannins too.
On the flipside Nebbiol ...
- 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
- Briar Ridge Big Bully Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon 2022Special Price $60.00 Regular Price $65.00Initially, this feels like a story told at max volume—packed with detail but challenging to unravel. Given a few hours in the decanter, however, an engaging narrative reveals itself. Layers of black fruit, cola, cedar, black pepper, espresso and tobacco emerge, framed by robust oak and fine, raspy tannins. With time and air, a quiet complexity draws you in, urging you to listen closely. A wine destined for greatness with patience. Learn More
- Briar Ridge Hillrose Shiraz 2023Special Price $50.00 Regular Price $55.00Medium bodied, red fruited and spicy. Lots of complexity here with raspberry, blueberry, musk, aniseed and white pepper at play. Tannins are fine and silken. Lovely! 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
- Briar Ridge Terra Rossa Malbec 2022Special Price $25.00 Regular Price $27.00Powerful black and blue fruits, sage smoke, meat, lilly pilly, mint and rose petal. Black cherry, spice, coffee and dark chocolate. A complex beast and exceptional value for money. Learn More
- Briar Ridge The Gatherer Shiraz 2023Special Price $50.00 Regular Price $55.00Outstanding! We gave it 97 on our tasting panel, and shortly thereafter, this picked up a trophy at the Hunter Boutique Wine Show. This is a medium bodied, aromatic Rhone style, with purple and blue fruits, smoky notes, redcurrant panna cotta, mulberry, black pepper, and violets. Loads of spice here, purple flowers and more. Gorgeous, and captivating, both aromatically and on the palate. 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