Red wines from Italy

Deep ruby colour and arresting spicy aromas, with rounded fruit flavours of plum and black cherry leading into chocolatey depths and the intense fullness of dried fruit. A smooth, concentrated red, medium to full-bodied, dark and powerful, and not to be missed at this price. Treat yourself to a pure Primitivo and enjoy the warm embrace of the south of Italy.

The wines of Il Papavero are as much about their extraordinary winemaker as they are about the vineyards they come from. The tireless travelling and immense expertise of maestro Scipione Giuliani have led to the internationally successful Il Papavero range, which includes a pure Primitivo from a plot in Apulia, the heel of Italy, where the concentration and quality of the fruit demanded that it be bottled as a single varietal wine truly expressive of its origins.

Expressively scented Piedmont red with juicy black cherry, sweet blueberry, and dark chocolate notes. Inky and concentrated, with a sleek texture, seductive style and superb length.

There's good, muscular concentration and balance with the typical acidity of Barbera keeping this a refreshing, appetizing wine throughout a meal.

Barbera d'Asti is always made from Barbera, which is Italy’s third most planted red grape variety after Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

It was given DOC (appellation) status in 1970, and was upgraded to the top DOCG tier in 2008. Under the rules, at least 85% Barbera must be used; the balance may be made up with Freisa, Grignolino or Dolcetto grapes.

The appassimento method of making wine from grapes dried in the sun is a way of adding texture and raisiny intensity to the fresh fruit flavours of the juice.

The most famous wines made by this method are probably the Amarones and Valpolicella Ripassos of the Veneto region of northern Italy, but there is a similar tradition in Sicily, and this luscious red demonstrates that the island's indigenous Nero d'Avola is also an excellent candidate for the drying treatment.

Because the grapes for 'Siccari' (a dialect word for 'sun-dried') come from the relatively higher and cooler vineyards of Sicily's south-east, there's an invigorating freshness in the fruit that balances the enriching, concentrating influence of the appassimento.

The result is a voluptuous but not overpowering wine, silky-smooth and succulent, with plum and cherry character and just a hint of residual sugar. It's a perfect, full-flavoured partner for meat dishes, and its rich, very slightly off-dry finish and gentle tannins make it ideal with good cheese too.

DRINK OF THE WEEK ‘…smooth and round but not in any way jammy. Layered, intense, lovely’
Tom Doorley, Irish Mail on Sunday, May 2020

There is no mistaking the commitment of the Purato range—certified carbon neutral— to minimizing the environmental impact of its excellent everyday wines.

Not only are the wines themselves made from organically grown grapes, but the bottles, labels and cartons for the range are as far as possible made from recycled materials, with pure vegetable inks used in printing.

Nero d'Avola is indigenous to Sicily and an ideal choice for organic production because it is suited to the conditions of the island and has evolved to resist the particular challenges posed by the local climate and soils.

This is a medium-bodied dry red with soft tannins and attractive red fruit character. Its layers of flavour make it an excellent accompaniment to meat and tomato dishes—so it's perfect with lasagne, pizza and spaghetti bolognese as well as vegetarian meals. Of course, if you're trying your hand at some Sicilian specialities, so much the better.

‘…rich, supple, cherry-scented and fresh’
Tom Doorley, Irish Mail on Sunday, May 2020

Made from selected grapes from the Valpolicella hills, this cherry-and-damson scented wine is light and fruity, with barely-there tannins and a clean, fresh finish—a beautiful option for warm summer evenings.

'You wouldn’t normally expect much of a Valpolicella unless it were at least a superiore, but here’s a basic level one that’s head and shoulders ahead of its peers: lovely cherry and vanilla on the nose and lipsmackingly tart and savoury on the palate.'
Blake Creedon, Irish Examiner, January 2012

The Tezza family's 25-hectare estate is just outside the historic heart of Valpolicella in the sheltered microclimate of the Valpantena valley. Their cantina is an intriguing mix of modern and traditional, with ancient cement cisterns alongside gleaming steel vats and giant oak casks. Some of the vines are planted in the classic pergola method, where the grapes hang high, protected from both sun and humidity, while the rest have been converted to the much lower French guyot system, which is tantamount to heresy for old-fashioned winemakers.

The three Tezza brothers began their winery in 1965, and now it is run by their three sons, cousins Flavio, Vanio and Federico. Vanio says: "We are against the present trend of a dolce Valpolicella and Amarone, which many winemakers seem to think the market wants, and we prefer to produce wines to our own principles, with plenty of tannin to age well, and drier."

Guardian travel article here.

Rich plum, blackcurrant and raspberry aromas lead to a palate that explodes with red berry flavours before melting into the soft rounded tannins typical of the Sangiovese grape.

As a food wine, Sangioveses are friendly and accommodating, and traditionally served with tomato-sauced pasta dishes; however, because of the fifteen per cent Merlot in this classic blend, it is equally successful paired with red meats or even a rich soup.

According to the company's website, the Umbrian wine revolution begins at Cantina Tudernum. The Cantina is one of the largest wineries in Umbria, and is situated on the slopes of Todi’s hills, along the ancient Tiber Road. Founded in 1958, the winery uses only regionally produced grapes in partnership with 350 selected vineyards from the surrounding area.

Fairly full bodied, with fragrant aromas (cherry, spice), firm structure, and a tangy palate of red berries, dark chocolate and herbs. Dry, savoury and satisfying.

Its warm power just blossoms on the palate—make sure to open it well in advance. This wine is aged for twelve months in oak and six in bottle prior to release, and it goes down a treat with pizza, casseroles and strong cheeses.

Ripasso is an Italian term meaning 're-passed', for the technique of adding extra body, flavour and alcohol to Valpolicella by refermenting the young wine on the skins of Amarone wines after these dried-grape wines have finished their fermentation in the spring.

Ripasso-style wines are hugely popular with today's wine drinkers.

The Guardian: Top 10 of Italy's Valpolicella wine route

The Tezza family's 25-hectare estate is just outside the historic heart of Valpolicella in the sheltered microclimate of the Valpantena valley. Their cantina is an intriguing mix of modern and traditional, with ancient cement cisterns alongside gleaming steel vats and giant oak casks. Some of the vines are planted in the classic pergola method, where the grapes hang high, protected from both sun and humidity, while the rest have been converted to the much lower French guyot system, which is tantamount to heresy for old-fashioned winemakers. The three Tezza brothers began their winery in 1965, and now it is run by their three sons, Flavio, Vanio and Federico. Vanio says: "We are against the present trend of a dolce Valpolicella and Amarone, which many winemakers seem to think the market wants, and we prefer to produce wines to our own principles, with plenty of tannin to age well, and drier."

John Brunton, The Guardian, 4 April 2013

From an estate where a profound respect for the environment is taken for granted comes one of the most impressive Nero d'Avola wines around.

This is a supple, subtle medium-bodied red that has immense charm and grace. It's a real treat, and winemaker Fabio Sireci's description of its understated character needs no further enhancement:

Ruby red in color. Its structure does not want to conquer with strength, but with elegance. A complex perfume with notes of fruit and spices, that are in harmony with one another. The boldest aroma is of cinnamon. Notes of menthol amplify the freshness of the taste. It is soft, velvety, sapid and is laced with the right amount of tannin on the palate.

The Ormanni estate is located in Tuscany, between Poggibonsi and Castellina in Chianti. Founded by the Ormanni family in 13th century, it has been owned by the Brini family since 1818.

This Chianti Classico is made principally from Sangiovese grapes, with ten per cent of Canaiolo, all estate grown, and aged for twelve months in oak barrels and casks. It's a medium- to full-bodied wine, with cherry and hedgerow fruit character. There's a hint of liquorice and some cleansing, earthy minerality too.

The 13th Century Ormanni estate is located right in the heart of Chianti, between the towns of Poggibonsi and Castellina. Proof of the incredible heritage of this Tuscan property can be found in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, where the Ormanni family is mentioned.

For the last 200 years the estate has been owned by the Brini Batecchi family, and it is Paolo Brini Batecchi together with his daughter Paola who run the winery today.

The farm covers an area of 242 ha of land, 68 of which are vineyards dedicated principally to the cultivation of Sangiovese. They also have two beautiful agriturismo resorts, Podere La Querce and Podere Montignano.

The Nero d'Avola grape loves the heat, and gets plenty of it on its home soil of Sicily.

Nonetheless, this is an elegant and fruity wine, not too overwhelming at 13% alcohol and offering a great taste of Western Sicily that can accompany not only roast and grilled meats but also earthy vegetarian fare and even the rich spiciness of Oriental braised dishes with sweet-salt sauces.

The gently oaked sibling of our ever-popular Blina, this is also a Barbera of intense ruby colour and beautiful fruity aromas, but four months' aging in eighty-hectolitre barrels gives flavours with light notes of spice and a supple texture.

There's every reason to try this zippy and refreshing medium-bodied red, which is perfect for tomato-based dishes, meatier fish, or drinking on its own.

This is the perfect lighter red to choose if you're looking for something Italian that's smooth and a little spicy, but not too heavy

Avignonesi's basic Rosso is a versatile, everyday wine that really sings alongside roast meats, meat pies, and strong cheeses. It's produced from hand-picked grapes grown on 300m high south-facing slopes around the Tuscan town of Montepulciano, and is aged for nine months in large oak barrels before bottling, with a further three months' bottle rest prior to release.

• 88/100 Bronze Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards
• 90/100/smart buy - Wine Spectator
• 2 red glasses/price-quality award - Gambero Rosso

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, awarded DOCG status in 1980, is made in the hills surrounding the Tuscan town of Montepulciano. It is surrounded by the large Chianti subzone of Chianti Colli Senesi.

Regulations dictate that the vineyards must sit on the hills (250m-600m) around the town and that the grape to be used (at least 60-80% of the final blend) is Prugnolo Gentile (the local name for Sangiovese Grosso, the strain of Sangiovese used in Tuscan superstar-wine Brunello). The balance is made up of a combination of Canaiolo, Mammolo, Malvasia and some international varieties.

90/100 "A light, elegant style, delivering cherry, iron, leather and earth flavors in a balanced profile. Clean and lively, with a lingering aftertaste of leather, earth and almond. Drink now through 2023."
Wine Spectator

Intense aromas of black cherry, fig and plum with hints of black pepper and cinnamon in a full, dry red, one of those versatile Italian wines that suits a range of dishes from cold meats and cheeses to roast lamb or beef, stews and even dark chocolate desserts.

It's dry, with velvety tannins, but the fruit character is soft, spicy and moreish.

Because the grapes used to make it come from a carefully assembled selection of the best vineyards along the Adriatic—in this case, the Teate sub-zone of the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo area, the brand name ‘Ferzo'—which means a patch of sailcloth stitched together with others to make a full sail—is especially appropriate.

Awards for the 2016 vintage

• Decanter Asia 2019 • BRONZE
• Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 • 90/100 SILVER
• Mundus Vini Summer Tasting 2019 • SILVER
• Guida Vinibuoni d’Italia Ed.2020 • 4 stars
• Berliner Wein Trophy • GOLD
• Mundus Vini Spring Tasting 2019 • 86 points
• IWSC TRANCHE 2 • BRONZE 89 points

The baking heat of Puglia is reflected in the concentrated fruit flavours of this intense red.

Dark fruit aromas with herbal hints develop on the palate into a smoky, savoury cocktail of rich, juicy plum jam with balancing notes of sage and bacon.

This is a big red for the price, with a finely controlled tannic grip and a lasting finish. Ideal with red meats, punchy and satisfying too as an accompaniment for a pizza or lasagne.

Dante's Divine Comedy mentions the Ormanni property: proof of its ancient heritage.
For proof of its remarkable wines, try this mouthwatering Chianti with brisk tannins, fresh acidity, and savoury notes of black cherry, tea leaves and herbs.

The Sangiovese grape can sometimes pose a challenge for producers and even for drinkers, and in the past some very indifferent wines have been passed off as "Chianti" – but the prestigious history of the Ormanni estate and the Brini Batacchis' constant striving for improvements in both vineyard and cellar mean that there's nothing to worry about in this case.

The estate's basic Chianti DOCG is a medium-bodied, lively red with aromas of cherries and hints of the distinctive violet scent of great Sangiovese. Savoury notes of herbs combine with its bright acidity and judicious tannins to deliver a satisfying and easy-drinking wine that looks as good in shirtsleeves at a casual lunch or picnic as it does dressed up for dinner.

The Ormanni estate is located right in the heart of Chianti, between the towns of Poggibonsi and Castellina, and dates back to at least the thirteenth century.

For the last two hundred years, the estate has been owned by the Brini Batacchi family, and it is Paolo Brini Batacchi together with his daughter Paola who run the winery today.

The farm covers an area of 242 hectares, 68 of which are vineyards dedicated principally to the cultivation of Sangiovese. There are also two beautiful agriturismo resorts, Podere La Querce and Podere Montignano, on the property.

Powerful and fleshy super-premium Barbera with a dense, unctuous texture, intense rasperry jam, clove, and caramel flavours, and a lingering finish that seems to go on forever.

This is a 'big' wine that calls for hearty, savoury food—roast beef or lamb— to show at its best, and it will certainly repay decanting for two or three hours before drinking.

It was great good news to hear from Mauro Pavia that the 2016 vintage of this wine had earned 97/100 and thus a Platinum Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019:

‘This is a cracking Barbera, modern in style with elegant black fruit and chocolate aromatics. Very rich, opulent and concentrated palate; powerful but not overwhelming, with enough acidity to balance the fruit and well-integrated oak. Spicy, lingering finish. Delicious stuff!’

97/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 2019

Lucrezie Sangiovese is an attractive blend of typical Sangiovese grapes grown on the hills surrounding Todi with Merlot and other local red grapes. Four months in stainless steel and three months in bottle see the fresh red fruit character, bright acidity and supple texture of this authentic and delicious wine ready to be enjoyed.

According to the company's website, the Umbrian wine revolution begins at Cantina Tudernum. The Cantina is one of the largest wineries in Umbria, and is situated on the slopes of Todi’s hills, along the ancient Tiber Road. Founded in 1958, the winery uses only regionally produced grapes in partnership with 350 selected vineyards from the surrounding area.

Rich, cherry-ish, earthy aromas introduce a concentrated and powerful red. Vibrant red fruit flavours are gripped tight by secondary notes of cedar and tobacco and those typical firm tannins in a wine that will age well for years to come.

Hand-picked grapes and traditional vinification methods yield a substantial glassful, ideally suited to red meat dishes and hard cheeses.

The Veneto’s king of wines, Amarone is made from grapes that are partially dried before pressing, giving an immensely powerful, luscious red with decadent black cherry jam flavours and a long, mellow finish.

This is a powerful wine and needs strong flavours such as those of game, roasted red meats or mature cheeses to match its richness, although with a few crackers and fruit, or a slice of fruit cake, it makes a robust digestif too.

Amarone developed as the Veneto's winemakers looked for a way to increase the body, complexity and alcohol content of their (light, not always satisfying) Valpolicella wines. They began drying their grapes after harvest, to concentrate the crop.

The technique proved very successful, although initially it was used to produce sweeter styles of wine known today as Recioto della Valpolicella. In fact the early Amarones were seen as mistakes—Reciotos that had been left to ferment for too long; but eventually the new, drier style gained respect in its own right.

Amarone grapes are picked in whole bunches and kept in warm drying rooms where they stay on racks for a few months. When that process is complete, the grapes are pressed and the must is fermented to dryness, resulting in a powerful, rich, alcoholic (15-16% ABV) wine.

Ageing is for two years in either large botti or, increasingly, smaller Slavonian oak barriques. The Tezzas allow this wine to age for eighteen months in oak and twelve in bottle prior to release.

The Tezza family's 25-hectare estate is just outside the historic heart of Valpolicella in the sheltered microclimate of the Valpantena valley. Their cantina is an intriguing mix of modern and traditional, with ancient cement cisterns alongside gleaming steel vats and giant oak casks. Some of the vines are planted in the classic pergola method, where the grapes hang high, protected from both sun and humidity, while the rest have been converted to the much lower French guyot system, which is tantamount to heresy for old-fashioned winemakers. The three Tezza brothers began their winery in 1965, and now it is run by their three sons, Flavio, Vanio and Federico. Vanio says: "We are against the present trend of a dolcevalpolicella and amarone, which many winemakers seem to think the market wants, and we prefer to produce wines to our own principles, with plenty of tannin to age well, and drier." Don't miss their intense 2009 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, and the 2003 Amarone is worth splashing out on.

‘Intense, deep red in colour, the main trait of Desiderio 2015 is the harmony between the sweet fruity notes, typical to Merlot, and the power, testament of the 2015 vintage. The bouquet is deeply endowed with black currant, myrtle, eucalyptus and black cherries. Very savoury, with hints of incense, the wine has velvety tannins and impressive persistence. Son of a warm vintage, vinified with great finesse.’

Plush and modern, Desiderio shows layers of complexity from the first glass, when gorgeous aromas of fruitcake, truffles, violets, black olive and chocolate waft from the bowl. Powerful, yet refined, it really is a wine to savour and enjoy with another wine lover or two - 'an overwhelming and sensual Merlot'.

The grapes are sourced from the estates of La Selva and La Lombarda, both located between the historic towns of Valiano and Cortona, within the Cortona DOC appellation.

The Desiderio Merlot is named after the white bull you see on the label.

This impressive animal, weighing 1,673 kg / 3,688 lbs, lived on Avignonesi's estate Le Capezzine towards the end of the 19th century. He was, in fact, the largest bull in Cortona and was used to sire the rest of the cattle from the local breed "Chianina" in the region.

The Chianina has earned its fame as the breed which gives us the delicious meat for the famous bistecca fiorentina (Florentine T-bone steak), easily recognizable due to its striking white colour.

The bull Desiderio is known and recognized as one of the forefathers of the Chianina breed, together with another bull by the name of Donetto. In fact, when you savour a bistecca fiorentina today, there is a good chance you will find some Desiderio DNA in it.

Avignonesi decided to honour this majestic animal by naming one of its most emblematic wines after it: the Desiderio Merlot, which, just like the bull, is full, impressive, and sensual.

Consistent scores of 90-94 in the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.

• Bronze Medal Decanter World Wine Awards 2015

• 91/100"Flavors of black cherry, blackberry, chocolate and spice enliven this ripe, juicy red. The tannins are dense and firm, and the finish stays fresh and long. Drink now through 2021."
  BS, Wine Spectator