Our Favourite Red Wine

The Christmas story could have been very different. Had the three wise men been waylaid by a bottle of this Syrah on the way then they would certainly have chosen more exciting gifts! A super nose, full of lovely Syrah aromas, black currant, violet, licorice, a bit of pepper and spice with a good hearty juiciness. This is not a pricy Northern Rhone equivalent but it is the best £10 Syrah from the Languedoc we’ve had for many years.

Merlot schmerlot, it’s a grape variety with such a bad reputation, but we are here to change that. Like Christmas jumpers and the Buble album sometimes the classics just simply can’t be beaten. Plum and red fruits on the palate with a spicy, black pepper edge. Pair with a roaring open fire and a whole host of roasting chesnuts.

‘Cheap’ is not a word you often hear from wine merchants. Not publically anyway. But ‘cheap’ doesn’t always have to be followed by ‘nasty’. It might also be followed by ‘cheerful’. That’s a good thing to be and there should be no shame in saying so. ‘Cheap and nasty’ is a bargain-bucket Crazy Frog’s ‘Last Christmas’ EP, ‘cheap and nasty’ is a bumper roll of Poundland binbags. ‘Cheap and cheerful’ It’s also organic. Can’t say fairer than that, guv. Super with a bowl of pasta and tomato sauce.

'OK, this is the joker in the pack. I hold my hands up. You will have two bottles of this cheeky Pinot in your mixed case and you will not believe what’s happening when you dip your hooter into the glass. It is budget-priced, of course, but your expectations will undoubtedly be set low and then the surprise will build in your eyebrows, before making it down to your smile. Yes, this is Bulgaria’s hidden weapon – and who the hell would have guessed it would be a Pinot? Not me, that’s for sure.' Matthew Jukes, Money Week

A firm favourite with Swiggers and with top critics such as Jancis Robinson and Matthew Jukes, this Cape Bordeaux blend might just be the greatest creation since sliced bread. Or at least since the Turkey Feast sandwich. Without doubt one of the best-value South African wines on the market too. The bright, pure fruit has a compelling chocolatey, earthy richness to it. Candied orange dipped in dark chocolate, a hint of menthol and a lovely warm earthiness - think sunbaked earth and terracota pots with juicy autumn blackberries. It would work splendidly with a classic rosemary-studded shoulder of lamb.

"Such good value, I almost fell out of my chair" – Robin Davis. Yep, Spain really is a wellspring of vinous bargains these days: rich winemaking heritage, check; huge diversity of terroir, check; loads of gnarly old vines with the potential to produce high-quality fruit, plenty of interesting grape varieties, cheap land and production costs – check, check, checkeroo. This wine, with its quite serious structure and complex, oak-spiced dark berry fruit profile, is a prime example of the amazing value Spain offers, a wine whose charms would inevitably come with a heftier price tag were it made practically anywhere else in the world.

Rhone varieties meet the Languedoc in this ethereally lovely red blend. Think along the lines of a classic Chateauneuf du Pape with a little added freshness from Mas Brunet’s location in the cool, garriguey limestone plateau of the Terrasses de Larzac (prime Languedoc winegrowing country, a short hop from the ‘Lafite of the Languedoc’, Mas de Daumas Gassac). This is Robin’s de facto house wine, a genuine portfolio classic which overdelivers like a hyperactive Santa.

Normally £16.95 'Made from the excellent Austrian red grape Blaufränkisch blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this is a beautiful wine, showcasing the very best this country has to offer at a fighting price. The depth of plum and berry fruit, cut with cinnamon spice and pink peppercorns, is astounding. It is a claret-shaped wine with an entirely modern and enthralling outlook. Not only that, I love the label and the whole atmosphere surrounding the ritual of opening and drinking this wine. Push the boat out, claret-drinkers, and get yourselves bang up to date with what’s happening right now in the wine world!' Matthew Jukes, Money Week

Did you know that the collective noun for a group of parrots is a ‘pandemonium of parrots’? Worthy of inclusion as a Christmas cracker factlet, that one. Enjoy your own pandemonium of parrots by investing a case or two of Adi Badenhorst’s Papegaai (Afrikaans for ‘parrot’) Cinsault. The 2017 red uses the same high-quality fruit from selected old Swartland bushvines as the first vintage, but this one has a slightly deeper fruit profile thanks to a small proportion of Tinta Barocca - that Portuguese interloper on to the South African wine scene which the likes of Adi, Eben Sadie and Marelise Niemann use to such impressive effect. Joyous juice with more than a hint of Swartland swagger.

This has some serious pizazz and sparkle – just the perfect way to amp up your Christmas fun! Effortlessly enticing on the nose it is packed full of rhubarb and deliciously concentrated raspberries with just a hint of smoky spice. On the palate expect more of that bright fruit and a gentle smoked pepper edge with a feather soft finish. Don’t put up with over-oaked, syrupy excuses for Rioja, instead reinvent your Christmas hunk of beef with this juicy, jiggle inducing and totally fresh version of everyone’s go to Christmas tipple.

That touch of Pauillac, that fragrance of Margaux, that charm of St Emilion... ah, yes, I remember it well! Good Bordeaux at this price is as rare as a hen harrier sighting. We’ve not found better at this price for many years. It also happens to come from the excellent 2015 vintage, which can help propel a comparatively modest Bordeaux to heights of a more expensive wine. Our friend in Bordeaux who works with a few Chateaux and is not supposed to favour any particular one, did say, ‘Ah, nice choice – it’s a bit of a secret’. Very good with roasts.

It’s dark and cold outside, you’re off work for the holidays, and you’ve well and truly had your fill of baubles and Michael Buble´. It’s time for a quiet period of self-indulgence. Time to find a cosy, quiet room far away from clamour of the familials, pick out your favourite PG Wodehouse volume and pour yourself a generous glass of Chateau Gigognan’s Cote du Rhone. Feelings of immense satisfaction with occasional forays into fullblown elation will ensue. Soft, supple, warming, with sweet grenachey fruit and spicy hints from the mourvedre and syrah, this is your wine, this is your moment and no one is going to take it away from you, so there.

Look at the pricing of your average village-level Burgundy from a respectable domaine. You will be required to spend £20 upwards, often closer to £30. You could do that, but you could give this wine a go instead. I can almost guarantee that you will never look back. Considering the lush Pinot character - effortless smoky summer fruits and gamey, orangepeel and sandalwood notes - the beautiful balance and opulent texture this wine offers, frankly, it's a steal. 2015 was an especially warm year in Baden producing beautifully ripe fruit. This has translated to a an entry-level wine that is open and generous but easily capable of ageing too. Johannes told us he recently opened a bottle from 2008 that was drinking perfectly. This really is freakishly good-value. However many bottles you buy of this wine, it will be too few.

One of Decanter's Top "25 Under £25" this year, Yantra is the bottling from the most exciting newcomer in Tuscan winemaking, Tenuta Sette Cieli. A merlot/cabernet blend with bundles of sweet cassis, dry herbs and spice, it would cause the heavens to be riv’n with angels singing whether drunk with takeaway pizza on an anonymous Wednesday night or poured at a swish Chrimbo dinner complete with Fortnums crackers. Yantra is made for drinking young but two to four years of ageing would do the wine no harm at all.

From a vineyard that was classified as Gevrey-Chambertin until 1964, this is an elegant Pinot form a top producer. Domaine Arlaud is a 15ha estate with four Grand Cru sites to its name. Finesse and purity of fruit from 50-year-old vines.

touch of oak. It is hugely enjoyable. The moment I lifted it to my nose it was full of joy. It's no surprise it came top of Best Value Burgundy Tasting in Decanter. It totally delivers. Lots of Burgundy is quiet and needs time but this is perfect for serving now, although this will keep improving over 3 - 5 years. With dinner parties and when you need something gorgeous and grand but not at a grand price, this is perfect.

"It has a very well defined bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, crushed rose petals, hints of orange peel and minerals. This is much more detailed and classic in style than previous vintages... This is a very impressive wine. It is a great achievement that this level of quality is achieved with 2,057 barrels of wine. Bravo." - Neal Martin - Vinous.com

'Ardanza is a classic, pan-regional Rioja, blending Tempranillo from the Rioja Alta with 20% Garnacha from Tudelilla in the Rioja Oriental. It’s a richer, plusher wine than the 2008, reflecting the warmer vintage, but it’s not remotely ponderous. Floral, fine and very complete with fennel and sweet Asian spices, tangy acidity and deftly handled American oak. 2018-26.' - 95 points, Tim Atkin MW

The Keermont Merlot 2015 uses only the best estate Merlot fruit from vineyard parcels between 250m and 400m above sea level in the valley between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountain ranges. Small batches of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. The wine then spends 20 months maturing in seasoned French oak before being bottled by hand.

Or should that be Saint Nicola? Do you see what we did there? Ahaha haha ha... ah... hee... hey. Aherk herm. Sorry about that. Nicola Ferrari possibly warrants sainthood, though, for his transcendentally delicious Valpols, Ripassos and Amarones. Elegant, perfumed, with silky strawberry and cherry liqueur fruit and savoury, earthy notes, and a hint of that magical aroma of fine Amarone, this is a wine for your most luxurious dinner parties. Nicola describes the 2016 Ripasso as his best yet. Take heed.

For some of us, there can be no Christmas without a good drop of Burgundy. We would simply deny its reality. Here at Swig we put a lot of effort into choosing the right one for our Christmas list. It’s not just about choosing a great wine, it’s about choosing a great wine that represents fantastic, siren-wailingly good value. Thanks to the great vintage conditions in this under-appreciated appellation, this is one the best-value wines in Burgundy, a true Holy Grail wine. Given its increasingly insane pricing, red Burgundy is not something we often recommend. For the Maratray-Dubreuil Les Bons Ores 2016, we make an exception.

After much research and tasting we’ve found this astonishingly classy Bordeaux from the hills overlooking St Emilion and Pomerol. We love its classical flavour of pencil lead, cedar and black fruits. There is something a bit like a Medoc wine that comes from the Cabernet Franc in the blend with Merlot (like Cheval Blanc) but also undeniably charming and drinkable as St Emilion should be. Being organic makes it even better. It tastes so pure. A really good Christmas day drop.

In this Barbera there is beauty and generosity. It lights up your palate in the way that Renato’s smile lights up a room. It's known by his importers around the world as the best value wine from his cellar and it's always the first to disappear. It can impress just as well as any Barolo.

Interesting chap, Peter Vinding-Diers. After a career as a war correspondent in Vietnam, Aden, Malaya, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Nigeria, he started making wine - first in South Africa, then in Bordeaux, Brazil, Kenya of all places, Spain, Chile, and Hungary. Playing a pivotal role in revitalising regions from Graves in the '80s and Tokaj in the early '90s, he then influenced his nephew Peter Sisseck to set up the renowned Pingus in Ribera del Duero. Now he’s in Sicily, making stunning Syrah from massal selection Cote Rotie vines at his Monte Carrubo estate. Il Piccolo is his second wine and is as special as it is singularly expressive of Sicily’s volcanic terroir.

"You expect to find wacky stuff going on at a tasting like this, but The B.I.G from Pieter Walser takes the biscuit … Crazy? Yes. Delicious? Yes. It’s structured and tannic but with an appealing smash of ripe red and black fruit and some tobacco and tomato leaf notes too. Notorious." Chris Wilson, The Buyer, tasting at New Wave 2017

81% Syrah, 11% Grenache, 8% Cinsault, carefully selected "with love" from vineyards at altitude and with close to the coast. A 94-pointer for both Greg Sherwood MW and Christian Eedes. Sherwood describes it as “the most classically proportioned of all the Savage reds”, with a “beautifully complex nose of perfumed dried roses, black berry fruits, grilled herbs, cured meats, garrigue, fynbos and dusty granitic minerality”. Pretty much on the money, we think. The palate is full with fine tannin, soft spices and juicy cranberry and strawberry along with hints of dark berry fruits. For a slightly alternative Christmas meal, you might try pairing this with slow-cooked beef brisket with star anise and chilli. Yummm – with three ems.

Until Pomerol became famous, many of the wines of Canon-Fronsac, which is just to the west, used to sell for more. This is a good example of why. It is extraordinarily delicious, deep, rich, and fabulously mature. This is glorious wine to settle down into with a grand meal. Now that the sheen has gone from some of the famous names of Bordeaux that have been very overpriced, this is where to park you money. And it’s a 2009, to boot! Absolutely scrumptious.

Concentrated, but not overly so, fresh and mineral, with taut compact fruit. The aromas are quite closed, but there is super tight blackcurrant, licorice, savoury wood and garrigue notes and a hint of pepper. The palate is firm but supple.

Can’t have Christmas without CNDP. Just can’t be. No sir. This year we’ve pulled a stonker from our Santa’s sack of goodies. From the generous, ripe and ready 2015 vintage, this organic Chateauneuf is certainly worthy of a place on your Christmas dinner table. Perhaps winemaker Gerard Jacumin’s secret ingredient is the Pink Clairette, a rare mutation of Clairette which adds a flavour of roses to the Grenache/Syrah-dominant blend, giving elegance to the palate and fragrance to the nose. A full-bodied Rhone red but with the finest of tannins and a rather impressive degree of elegance given the relatively hot, dry vintage.

Indaco is from Tenuta Sette Cieli, an up and coming producer on the next hillside to the famous Sassicaia. It is a blend of the Bordeaux varieties. They are just out of the Bolgheri zone, on the Tuscan coast, South of Livorno, but if Bolgheri was re-drawn, they would almost certainly be within it. It is higher altitude than all but the highest of Sassicaia’s original vineyard, so the style tends to be a bit fresher than some of the more typical Bolgheri wines. They are a producer to look out in the future. They share the viticulture team with Ornellaia.

"Elegance personified." Greg Sherwood MW Nom stands for Nombulelo (gratitude in Xhosa) and Nomkhubulwane (a forgotten African goddess of agriculture) Situated at 700m altitude, the vineyard is a place where gratitude is instilled and tales appear.

Goose. Need we say more? Oh all right then. Pinot Noir and goose. The Ur gastronomic combo of the festive season, the quintessence of Christmas. Jessica Saurwein’s Nom Pinot grows more assured with every new vintage. Cotes de Nuits in style, from the mighty Kaaimansgaat vineyard in Elandskloof, this is from the fiendishly dry 2017 vintage, which has given this wonderfully complex pinot intense aromatics, hints of orange rind, concentrated red berry and plum fruit, and a lick of wood spice. Gorgeous on its own, nigh-on transcendent with a crispy-skinned goose and cranberry sauce.

Here in Swigsville we are having a serious love affair with Counoise at the moment and this blend is no exception! It has a beautiful nose of bright, fresh perfumed raspberries that the Counoise brings while the Cinsault, Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Roussane (more is definitely more in this case) add deeper notes of spice, charcuterie and a little black pepper husk. This is a wine with some serious elegance and power. Well worth a little up-spend on.

Lovely ripe plum and blackcurrant with cocoa dust, tobacco leaf, a touch of sandlewood. Very appealing. The palate is a fantastic contrast of those bright plum and currant fruits wrapped in dark secondaries – cigar box, dark chocolate and a bit of pipe tobacco. A producer just over the border from Pomerol, making wine, now with the help of the former winemaker of Petrus, Yannick Reyrel. Smooth for Bordeaux. Mull over it in a decanter and you can keep it for another 4 or 5 years, and get the tertiary flavours of mature Bordeaux.

An amazing cru that sits a few metres to the east of Rocche and just above it on the hillside. You get, from the slightly more easterly exposure compared to the fully south exposed Rocche, a slightly more lifted aroma with brighter aromatics and a hint more savoury and spice. This is exceptional wine that ages really, really well. I enjoy drinking Arborina on release, but it continues to reveal more complexity, depth and class over the years. Probably at it's peak 2022-2025.

Using grapes that have been partially dried on mats from harvest until January and aged for 30 months in French and American 500l oak barrels, we think this is one of the most complex wines produced in Italy. It is not like the massive more porty versions of Amarone, which can also be lovely, rather it shows real elegance. As it ages you really get a sense the terroir and the grapes of Valpolicella, which can be masked by the sweetness and power of the more powerful, 'modern' styles.

Slap bang next to Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan, whose 2009 sells for a cool £300 a bottle, and Petrus, this starts, in theory, to look rather good. Not content with reading the text books and looking at the map we decided to drive up to it, and sure enough there it is, flanked by these two most famous of producers on one side and Clos L’Eglise and Clinet on the other. The wine is excellent, pure, and deep and ravishingly good. £65 it may be, but it’s still a star buy if you’re into this kind of wine.

Concentrated, but not overly so, fresh and mineral, with taut compact fruit. The aromas are quite closed, but there is super tight blackcurrant, licorice, savoury wood and garrigue notes and a hint of pepper. The palate is firm but supple.

One of the most beautiful most sensual wines we've ever drunk. 95pts - top Italian wine in TASTED Journal with Sassicaia. Beautiful vintage for Cupano Brunello. Cocao dusted nose, herbs, gentle deep and round with excellent structure. Fabulous for the cellar though a wine that you can drink now but will be wonderful from around 2016.