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 2017 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.

Domaine Saint Michel is a small family run estate that for years has been supplying grapes to the mighty Chapoutier. One of the most prestigious names in the valley, Chapoutier would snap up the whole vintage to add richness to their own Côtes du Rhône. When new generation Vincent took over, he dearly wanted to bottle his own. He knew it was more than good enough.

Well, the beautiful property does lie close to top crus Rasteau, Vinsobres and Cairanne. It shares the same stony soils and arid climate as its neighbours and produces from 40 year old vineyards small concentrated grapes. That’s all the better for flavour and richness. Grenache, Syrah and Carignan combine in this tasty red. It's great on its own or with pasta with pesto, or chops.

First we brought you the (far from) standard Lobo e Falcão, with its dense ripe fruit and weight. It went down a storm, so a few years back we also introduced the Reserva edition. The wines are from an historic estate that has been in the same family for over 200 years. In the 17th century, it was the king’s falconry and special barrels of wine were kept aside for royal visits. Today, fourth-generation José Lobo de Vasconcelos (Lobo means wolf) heads up the property, with its expansive vineyards, some of which are over a 100 years old. The cellar remains one of the region’s most innovative, with Joana de Lopes as winemaker. Dark, spicy Syrah along with native varieties and a layer of creamy oak, this is a top choice for slow cooked beef.

Hervé Sabardeil, our winemaker with limitless talent, has been making Cabalié, the big, ripe Catalan red, for over 15 years. He added the old-vine (Vieilles Vignes) edition in 2011, originally as a one off, but it was so popular we insisted he did it again. And again! The magic to this punchy red is really in the vines. At 60 to 100-years-old, yields are minute (about half of a Grand Cru claret). As a rule of thumb, the smaller the yield, the more concentrated the fruit, the more flavoursome the wine!

That’s why we call it Cabalié’s Big Brother. Still made in the same style that was beloved by the Roman centurions and now our customers too, it packs even more flavour than the original. Ideal with garlic-roasted lamb, rich stews or cheese.

As you’d expect from a wine dominated by Durif, this is a whopper of a red. It was carefully crafted in the darkest corner of the cellar. Why? Because it’s the special project of rising star winemaker David Joeky and he didn’t want anyone to take a look or taste it until he was absolutely ready. So every evening, after the rest of the crew had left, David would retire to the furthest corner of the cellar, where he’d stationed his special tanks of dark, spicy Durif and ripest, peppery Shiraz. We think he’s ‘blended a blinder’ as the locals say. It’s firm and full, yet abundant in gloriously ripe, liquorice and spice scented fruit with an underlying note of oak. Smooth enough to sip on its own, but even better with hearty red meat dishes.

Take a minute to read the (literally thousands of) 5-star online reviews for Cabalié. This one is typical: “When my time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil, this is the wine I want in that final glass. It is simply, utterly, indescribably fantastic.” Its secret? It’s crafted by a master winemaker, Hervé Sabardeil, following the centuries-old style beloved of Roman centurions, who first made wine there. Raspberry-rich Grenache, with herby Syrah and Carignan, Cabalié has impressive concentration.

That’s due to the maturity of the vines, most well over 50 years old. The tiny berries they produce give Cabalié extraordinarily rich, ripe flavours. Boasting 8 Golds in as many vintages, this much-loved red is warming solo or with hearty dishes.