Our Favourite Red Wine

A deep purple in the glass, there's something undeniably juicy, bitter sweet chocolatey and clove studded fruit laden about this. Dark chocolate dipped orange, a hint of menthol with a lovely warm earthiness- think sunbaked earth and terracota pots with juicy Autumn blackberries. It would work splendidly with a grilled Barnsley chop cooked with rosemary and some whole baked garlic cloves. A great take on a Cape style Bordeaux blend.

Ripe, fleshy blueberry and plum fruit. Tastes stately, with finesse, and lovely oak but definitely not too much. This is a wine with an impressive structure where spiced dark fruit is held together by a balanced acidity. Full-bodied with soft sweet tannins and a long finish. The sensation is one of a full-bodied, smooth wine but with really good flavour.

This is a joyful gamay, unpretentious, juicy and easy drinking from Touraine, central Loire. A slight pepperiness and a perfume of violet delicately emerges from the glass. The Gamay grape, so famous in Beaujolais, provides in the Loire a cleaner and sharper style. The tannins here are soft and smooth, giving an extremely refreshing style - drink it slightly cooled to express more intensely its youthful fruit character. Perfect with friends, sharing some charcuterie and cheese.

The hero grape of South Africa - the Cinsault component ensures excellent ageing, as well as immediate drinkability - a lovely smooth, supple palate. As Adi has always said, he hopes to imitate "the great old wines of the Cape."

Last year, we asked Adi, more hopefully than expectantly, whether he would consider making a red Papegaai to complement his deliriously popular Papegaai white blend. And he did it. No demure, no delay, no cheeky Badenhorst mind games. It was almost frighteningly straight-forward. To top it off, the wine he came up with, a 100% Cinsault, was utterly lovely: bright, light, clean and crunchily fruity, just a joy to drink - another gold star for the bird man of Kalmoesfontein and many happy, sated Swiggers. If only life could always be this way...A week or so ago, with bated breath, we had our first taste of the second vintage and, joy of joys, the man's gone and done it again!

Prettily floral – violets – with peppery soft fruit. Plenty of regional typicity here. Delicate and spicy with a little grainy tannin. A great value CDR. This is about delicacy and nuances rather than power, coming from a terroir much cooler than low lying vineyards. There is also no oak used on this wine. It is for drinking now. Drink with light summer food, barbeques, rabbit, chicken or lamb scented with herbs, sausages, pasta. This is beautifully made by Camille Nosworthy an architect who fell in love with making wine. It’s a 3.5 hectare vineyard of chalk and clay around the village of Suzette at 500 to 620m in the area of Beaumes de Venise in the spectacular Dentelles de Monmirail. These high vineyards and poor soil make the wine so different from those of the Rhone on the valley floor. Saint-Amant’s Les Clapas is not about weight; it’s about perfume, aromatics and vivacity.

'To prove that Swig can do traditional Tuscany as well as modern Tuscany, here is a stunning, budget Chianti from an estate which they introduced to me a few years ago. With a bright, red cherry and cranberry nose leading the way it seems that this wine might be a little slender, but it blossoms on the palate and rounds out to reward the drinker with juicy blackberry notes and even a touch of lavender and liquorice for good measure. This is a beautiful wine and it is drinking perfectly already.' Matthew Jukes, Money Week

The 2015 is a reminder of how great this wine really is with an incredible complexity and finesse coming from the 50 year old vines. Intense cherry red, with bright blackberries and plums develop into a dark and brooding concoction with hints of spice, tobacco and toffee. The tannins give you a gentle tug and then give way to a smooth and velvety caress on the palate. Simply outstanding value from the region.

Single site Pinot Noir from carefully selected cool climate areas in South Africa.

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.

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.

'My wife Amelia, who is herself in the wine business, tipped off Swig to this epic estate and they grabbed the portfolio of incredible wines with greedy hands. Made high up in the hills overlooking Bolgheri, where fat Super-Tuscans lazily ripen in the haze, the wines from Sette Cieli combine vivacity and intensity with exquisite accuracy. This is my favourite newcomer to the Tuscan scene and this Merlot / Cabernet blend sees no oak whatsoever. It retains scintillating freshness and drive thank to its lofty, breezy position and also the ultra-organic attitude of their fearless team. This is an estate to keep a very close eye on because it is tipped for super-stardom and Yantra is the perfect way to meet and greet the range.' Matthew Jukes, Money Week

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.

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.

So opulent and luxurious – blueberry compote, cocoa powder and spearmint. Crème de Myrtille. Deep. It’s a palate you want to dive into. Luscious. The integration of the fruit and the tannins is such that you can almost get lost. Blueberries and brambles with a bit of wood spice and savoury tones that so plush; so buoyed by the pristine polish of the tannins. This is a wine that gives a level of luxury that suggests a bottle two or three times the price. 14.9% alc. Drink now-2025

'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

Even winemaker, Nicola Ferrari, who is not one to blow his own trumpet, says the Ripasso 2016 is his best yet. This is truly beautiful Italian wine - – elegant, perfumed, lovely strawberry, cherry fruit that floats in the mouth with savoury earthy notes and a hint of that magical aroma of fine Amarone.

Chorey-Les-Beaune is a pretty modest appellation, underrated in the firmament of Burgundy’s vineyards, but this is precisely the kind of wine that can score big in great years. In Chorey-Les-Beaune ‘Les Bons Ores’ Maratray-Dubreuil we have a wine made by a brilliant winemaker that punches above its weight every year. This is one the best-value wines in Burgundy. Add to that the conditions of a great vintage and you really have a treat for the price. You don’t often see me recommend red Burgundy but Maratray-Dubreuil has nailed it.

100% Barbarossa from the only officially verified vineyard of the grape variety in South Africa. It is a grape variety that was thought to have been lost in the 1950's so finding an original vineyard of it is incredibly exciting! This is an intriguing and different style of wine, dark but with bright fruit and big tannins. Highlighted by Tim Atkin as on of his standout wines from the New Wave South Africa tastings. MAX 6 BOTTLES PER CUSTOMER

This is a 100% Cinsault from one vineyard in the Breedekloof - "not a very hip and happening area!" Cinsault has enjoyed a fantastic revival in South Africa, and this is an interesting example. Breezy currants and briar fruits with a little spice - cinnamon, nutmeg and liqurice sticks. As Pieter says "a surprisingly intense personality for such a sweet, elegant little frame!"

From a family owned Estate, this has all of the classic notes of Margaux. It's elegant and pretty with high toned floral notes that dance over the top of the main body of dark cherries, spice and tobacco. And at stonkingly good value - what more could you ask for!

Made by Francesco and Luca (Fralluca) who met working in the fashion industry in Milan. Throwing the designer towel in, they moved to Suvereto and fell in love with the totally astonishing vineyards where this wine comes from.

Gorgeous sangiovese with red fruit, soft oak and a little development. Deep sour cherry, a little blackcurrant, cola and sweetly decaying autumn leaves/stewed tea. Cocoa powder-like oak and vanilla hints. A glut of ripe-to-bursting summer berries. The palate is round with a sour cherry fruit note and beautifully fine, powdery tannins. The acidity keeps this feeling fresh, and palate is quite light despite the oak profile and ripe fruit.

Truly gorgeous Pomerol from a producer next to Trotanoy, Vieux Chateau Certan and La Fleur Petrus who has stepped up their quality and is now making wines of very high quality but it's still available at a very fair price. Gorgeous ripe aromas, cassis, plums and chocolate and smart wine-soaked oak, open knit, generous and classy but not too much; full and smooth and mouth-filling on the palate. This is divine wine that is very much to be enjoyed and drunk now. Of course, you can cellar it too, for 5 to 10 more years, but there is so much to enjoy now and in the next few years. Made from 77.5% Merlot / 22.5% Cabernet franc. 14.3% alc.

This Pinot Noir will take you to Cloud Nine! It's so very beautiful, silky, textured. It's one of the best New World Pinot Noirs we've ever come across. Finesse and class with amazing aromatics and flavours. "Ludicrously delicious, fine feeling wine here, savouriness to the fore, structure and bones, delicate yet with tension to the max. Superb." - 96 points - Mike Bennie, Winefront

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.

Considered a Grand Cru of the commune of La Morra. It’s completely South facing and is typically the fullest and ripest tasting of Renato Corino’s wines. It’s usually delicious when young, but this is a bit more reticent and closed than in some years. I think that’s no bad thing and a reflection of using less new oak than normal. It will develop in complexity and richness over the years. It really does need another 4 or 5 years to open up, but it’s special and a great wine from Renato, from this excellent vintage.

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.

The 2012 Brunellos are characterized by impeccable balance, vibrant acidity and fine-grained tannins. They are not especially luscious or fleshy, but they are blessed with precise aromas and flavors of mainly red fruits, blood orange and minerals, and will prove very ageworthy.

A word from winemaker Fraser: "A composition of our most poignant and superlative casks and a birth year celebration of our cheeky and joyous twin boys Mahé & Ribo - 15 Burgundian pieces. 79 week elevage. Bottles were filled without filtration, fining or sparging (the removal of naturally occurring oxygen & C02) and all transfer’s were completed via gravity prior to bottling. A decadent wine which feels both lavish and congenial and whilst immediately offering enjoyment is pleading for some peaceful cellar time. It should be fascinating to ponder over the coming decades." 4398 bottles were filled

This is a stunning vintage. It put us off schedule by 2 hours, so much were we enjoying this exceptionally beautiful fine wine. One of these wines that can beat top end Cabernets and Bordeaux in blind tastings. It's drinking now. The value is absurd and a brilliant wine to stock up on. Bordeaux lovers will swoon when they breathe in the sweet perfume of sandalwood, ink, plum, oyster shells and graphite. In the mouth it has heft, flesh and savour, along with a bright acidity that gently ushers everything along. It's silky, elegant and deep. Beautiful wine.

Superb Bordeaux lookalike. If South Africa were to hold a judgement of Paris, then this is the wine that could shock the world!