Holiday celebrations, with its rich cornucopia of food, begs for nicely balanced red wines, rich in flavor but not too high in alcohol. This worldly trio of classic reds will certainly make the season bright!
Spain’s Beronia Reserva Rioja 2011 (SRP $18.99), a blend of 93% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, and 2% Mazuelo, is a smooth, juicy wine. Aromas and flavors of dark fruit, spice, dried herbs, licorice, clove, woodsmoke, and chocolate give way to good acidity and fine tannins, beautifully balanced and oh so drinkable! Aged in both French and American oak barrels for 18 months, the wine is further aged in bottle for another 20 months, yielding a high quality wine for a very good price. Rioja is a perfect wine pairing for lamb and red meats, it’s deep rich flavors compliment the heavier dishes of the holidays. And Rioja, with its history of not releasing wine before it’s ready to drink, offers incredible value, and is a people pleaser to the max!
Italy’s Fontanafredda Serralunga D’Alba Barolo DOCG 2011 (SRP $45), 100% Nebbiolo, is a softer version of the often tannic younger Barolo wines. Full-bodied and well-balanced, it channels floral notes of rose and violet, cherry fruit, clove spice and dried herbs, licorice and tobacco with a thread of forest floor that reinforces the savory aspects of this wine. Gentle tannins float on the long finish, escorted by fresh acidity. This modern version of Barolo is ready to drink, aged in a mixture of large oak casks and smaller barriques. Ideal with red meat dishes and mature cheeses, this Barolo brings a touch of class to your holiday dinner.
Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet Merlot 2015 (SRP $13.99), 100% Merlot, is made from organically grown grapes from some of the highest vineyards in the Mendoza region. Aged in both French and American oak, it’s aged in bottle for an additional four months. It’s an elegant wine, a reminder of how great Merlot can be, with its smooth body, yet concentrated flavors of red berry fruit and blueberries, coffee, sweet spice, and chocolate, with notes of tobacco and pepper. It’s texture and slight toasty character carries through on a long, persistent finish, while lively acidity accompanies the velvety tannins. Perfect with red meats, pasta, and cheeses, this Merlot will charm all who drink of its pleasures!
