Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.

The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.

Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of the 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the most prized reds from Italy, made by the ancient tradition of sun drying grapes before fermentation. This gives them an amazing richness, a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are prized the world over. This 2018 from the renowned Cantina Negrar is named after the 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poem celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous. The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. A superb bottle to enjoy now with hearty dishes or to cellar.

The supple, ripe Barón de Barbón has remained our bestselling Rioja since the early 2000s. That’s decades of popularity and loyal customers coming back for more. The Daily Express even claimed on its release that it’s “what true Rioja is all about.” The talent behind this contemporary, fruit driven red is the infectiously keen Javier Murúa. His father Julián owns Bodegas Muriel (a winery Julián's father established in 1926) in Rioja’s superior Alavesa. We’ve known the family well for years now, so much so that Javier calls us up after the vintage so we can get the top pick on their finest vats.

With its easy going, ripe red berry flavours and fragrant vanilla character, this supple Rioja is great on its own or with grilled meats or tapas.

Let’s go back in time! To the 1st century AD and vineyards planted to serve the ruling elite at the thriving Roman port of Troia. Here, on Portugal’s windswept Atlantic coast, the only grape that thrives in the dry, sandy soils and super-hot sun is local star Castelão. This small, dark-skinned grape boasts fathomless depths of flavour – if you know how to unlock it.

Back to today and enter Gold-medal maestro Jaime Quendera at Portugal’s most awarded winery, Casa Ermelinda Freitas. Only made in the best years, this Black Red flies of our shelves as soon as it's in stock. So our advice is: if you see it, buy it! Rippling with ripe plums, black fruits and laced with chocolate, with a spicy oak finish. At 14.5% it’s got power, so sip slowly.

Opi Sadler has brought us the customer favourite ‘Waxed Bat’, now he presents the ‘Big Bat’. If you didn’t think a wine could get any richer, silkier and packed with luxurious layers of flavour, you were mistaken. But then, Opi is one of Argentina’s most internationally renowned winemakers and he adores the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.

To achieve such an ageworthy perfection, he selected grapes from the finest, high-altitude vineyards in Altamira, Uco Valley, ageing this grand red for 18 months in French oak barrels. This lends a spicy edge to the rich black fruits. Opi states that Argentina makes "undoubtedly the best Cabernet wines in the world". A big statement, but judging by this wine, he may well be right. An elegant, mature steak red.

Black Saint Peter comes to you from California’s premium Lodi district, the self-proclaimed ‘Zinfandel Capital of the World’. This grape thrives in the very warm temperatures of this inland region, particularly when grown on gnarly, old, low-yielding vines, some dating back to the 1880s. Zinfandel was brought to California in the 1850s by incomers from the East Coast attracted by the Gold Rush. Some of the first vines were called ‘Black Saint Peters’ until, 20 years later, they were identified as the same grape as Zinfandel.

This weighty, velvety red uses grapes from vines over 50 years old, making for deep and complex flavour in the glass. At a generous 15.5%, it’s a splendid food companion. Serve with barbecued spare-ribs or spicy tagine.

Here, in the UK, we don't get to drink much Californian Zinfandel - 95% of it is consumed locally. And Lodi is one of the elite regions for growing it, its wines gorgeously rich, dark and swarthy. This is a special parcel from one of Lodi's finest cellars, so good we aren't allowed to name them. That's part of the hush hush deal that ensured an exceptionally good price on this wine. It won't surprise you that sales for super-premium wines have slowed, so the winery was keen to shift some stock. And with Zin-focused customers, we were more than delighted to oblige.

Small grapes ensure intense colour and a big lift of super-ripe black fruits, rippled with vanilla and spice. Open and decant an hour beforehand. Great with roast red meats.

Founded in 1965 by Alfo Bartolommei, this remarkable family estate is one of the region’s star performers. It used to be part of the great Pieve Santa Restituta and is also a neighbour to the renowned Soldara. All in all, with its 21 hectares of vines, the property is perfectly situated to produce some of the very finest Brunellos. Every vintage, their wines gain top scores. Alfo’s three children – Paolo, Paola and Manuele – now run the estate, with grandson Giacomo as winemaker. They’ve been ratcheting up the quality in recent years, so it's remarkable how this domaine has remained relatively under the radar. Despite his youth and dynamism, Giacomo keeps methods fairly traditional, as well as organic. This is a mesmerising, complex red.