In Part 1 of this series, we attempted the Herculean feat of covering the entire taste spectrum of the world’s white wines with only twelve wines. Was it ill-advised? Maybe. But we love a good challenge, so today we’re doing the same with red wine.
The number of “essential” red wines has a tendency to multiply. You can’t just have one Nebbiolo, you need one from a modernist and one from a classicist. You can’t just try Pinot Noir, you need a riper and a leaner style. Oh, and one with some age on it. You simply must try a Xinomavro to have truly lived. Well, maybe not that last one.
To reduce the vast world of red wines into twelve bottles, we must focus more on taste profile than region. Yes, this approach may put us in danger of investigation by the Terroir PoliceTM, but some chances must be hazarded on the path to great wine journalism.
As a reminder, this entire endeavor is in answer to the question: The world of wine is vast. With so many options, how do I figure out what kind of wine I like to drink?
Without further ado, on to the reds:
Case 2: The Red Wines
A Study in Tannin: The first wine will serve the simple purpose of isolating the defining characteristic (besides the color, of course) of red wine. Tannin, the texture on the palate that is extracted from the skins and seeds of the grapes during winemaking, needs to be well understood by every budding wine lover. A classic, young Nebbiolo is the perfect wine for the job.
Our recommendation: Oddero Barolo, Brunate
A Light, Fruity Quaffer: Hot weather, spicy food, diverse groups with strong opinions – there are plenty of times that call for a light, fruity red that is refreshing and unobtrusive without being boring. Good acidity is a must, and it ought to show just as well slightly chilled as it does closer to room temp. Our inclination is towards a more versatile style with slightly more structure, rather than full “glou glou”.
Our recommendation: Julien Sunier, Beaujolais
A Ripe, Oaked Wine: Just as light and fruity can be the order of the day, so can ripe and oaky. There is no place like the Barossa if you’re looking for both ripeness and new oak turned up to eleven. Grab one of the single-block bottlings from Two Hands to see if this is your style.
Our recommendation: Two Hands, Shiraz, Barossa Valley
A Dried-Grape Wine: The process of drying grapes on mats or in the sun developed independently in regions around the world as a way of concentrating color, flavor, and alcohol in the finished wine. You should know what this style of wine tastes like, and there’s no better way than diving into a classic Amarone. Those without price sensitivity can jump straight to Quintarelli or Dal Forno, but you can get the gist for far less.
Our recommendation: Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella, Sergio Zenato Riserva
A Wine with Lots of Pyrazines: Just like phenolics in Part 1, don’t worry about what pyrazines are. But you absolutely should taste some! As long as you stick to less-ripe regions like France’s Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc has pyrazines in spades, resulting in green or vegetal notes in the finished wine. There are usually some well-aged vintages of classics like Charles Joguet available for a pittance out there in the wine-o-verse. If you end up being a pyrazine lover, these wines are some of the best values out there!
Our recommendation: Charles Joguet, Chinon
A Less Fruity Pinot Noir: Lean, structured, elegant, long-lived. There’s a reason Pinot Noir makes some of the most expensive and collectible wines in the world. While you won’t need a second mortgage to experience this style of Pinot, it is worth spending a bit more in this category to get the full picture of its potential. The Chambolle wines of Ghislaine Barthod are a perfect example. Make sure to get some with 10+ years of age – these wines last forever.
Our recommendation: Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Les Cras
A Fruitier Pinot Noir: Let’s face it, sometimes more fruit is more better (I’m sure that’s what the earliest winemakers said, verbatim). As a fun side-by-side, we’d recommend grabbing a Pinot from a much warmer climate but the same soil type, like Josh Jensen’s Calera, planted on some of the only limestone outcroppings in California’s Central Coast.
Our recommendation: Calera, Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan
A Classic Claret: For this one we need a structured, Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux with all that cedar and cigar box action, so we’ll be headed to the left bank to a village like Pauillac or Margaux. Get one with some age, and be sure to try it with food as well as on its own.
Our recommendation: Château Rauzan-Ségla 2eme Cru Classé, Margaux
A Big Ol’ Napa Cabernet Sauvignon: Obvious? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. The trick here is to fully embrace the ripeness, the oak, the power, without getting something that is unnecessarily overblown. The goal is good and representative, not the most elegant (those tend to be higher up and less oaked, like Mayacamas) or most rare (no Screaming Eagle).
Our recommendation: Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley
A Meaty Syrah: If you need evidence that place has more to do with taste than grape variety, compare the wine below to the Barossa Shiraz from earlier on (same grape, for those who were unaware). We’re headed to the Northern Rhône for this far earthier example, to Côte-Rôtie, for smoked meat and olive tapenade notes to dazzle the senses.
Our recommendation: Domaine Jamet, Côte-Rôtie
A Tuscan Classic: Dried herbs, plenty of tannin, loads of acidity – the perfect food wine, just what you’d expect from Tuscany. While we are normally Chianti apologists, this is a job for one of the best (and most overlooked) Brunello producers.
Our recommendation: Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, Brunello di Montalcino, Pianrosso
An Intentionally Oxidative Wine: If you’ve been following along, we already have some oxidation through slow cellar age in the mix, but it’s also good to experience something that has been oxidized intentionally during the winemaking process. Long travel times between the vineyards and winery plus higher temperatures make this Lebanese icon the perfect choice.
Our recommendation: Chateau Musar, Red
Just as with the whites, crack these wines open with friends, with food, without friends, without food, indoors, outdoors, and any other way you can think of (if you get the hiccups, try drinking from the opposite side of the glass). Variety is the spice of life, and the lifeblood of a good cellar. Once you figure out what you like, do a deeper dive into the producers and styles in that category, or just stay tuned – we’ll be doing just that!