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14 brilliant reds from the Spring Tasting 2022

06 June 2022 By Patrick Schmitt

Following our Spring Tasting earlier this year, we bring you 14 brilliant red wines from the competition, including some great-value Nebbiolo, Bordeaux and Brunello along with an impressive new red from Gordon Ramsay.

The wines featured below comprise some of the top-scoring entries in the tasting, which was done ‘blind’, meaning that the judges – all of whom where Masters of Wine – had no knowledge about the samples being assessed, aside from the price band, and whether or not the reds were oak-influenced.

The tasting notes below have been compiled by myself and Patricia Stefanowicz MW.

WEINGUT JOHANNESHOF REINISCH ST LAURENT RIED FRAUENFELD

Producer: Weingut Johanneshof Reinisch
Region: Thermenregion
Country: Austria
Grape variety: St Laurent
Abv: 13%
Vintage: 2019
Approx. retail price: £35
Medal: Gold

A lovely example of the St Laurent grape variety, grown in the alluvial gravel soils around Tattendorf in the Ried Frauenfeld, this wine is deep ruby in colour, showing notes of red cherry, blackcurrant and bramble fruit with toasty oak, marzipan and herbes de Provence. Nicely defined with brisk acidity and velvet-textured tannins, the integrated palate leads to a savoury, mouth-watering finish. A very modern wine that is an excellent match for gentle game birds, such as quail, pheasant or poussin. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

ESK VALLEY THE TERRACES 2018

Producer: Esk Valley
Region: Hawkes Bay
Country: New Zealand
Grape variety: 43% Malbec, 38% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc
Abv: 14.0%
Vintage: 2018
Closure: Screw cap
Approx. retail price: £80
Medal: Master

A spectacular wine from The Terraces old vines, this wine is dominated by a Hawkes Bay expression of Malbec, and displays lovely black fruits with tobacco, spice and a violet lift from Cabernet Franc. Concentrated, bold and full-bodied with dense tannins in evidence, the wine has fantastic definition, great fruit and lively acidity. This is a complex, layered wine with a long, plush-textured finish. Extremely attractive now, but this example has plenty of time for positive development. A wine for grilled steak, venison, grouse, beef stronganoff or osso buco. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW).

MALABAILA DI CANALE ROERO DOCG BRIC VOLTA

Producer: Malabaila di Canale
Region: Roero, Piemonte
Country: Italy
Grape variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Abv: 14.5%
Vintage: 2018
Closure: Cork
Approx. retail price: £32
Medal: Gold

Grapes have been grown here since at least 1583, when Count Daniele Malabaila had a vineyard and a dairy farm on the property. This wine reflects the terroir admirably. Red fruit aromas and flavours of raspberry, redcurrant and cranberry are accented by gentle spice and tobacco, rose petal and mountain herbs. A midweight wine of superb elegance, it shows racy acidity and linen-textured tannins, with dried red fruits and floral lift on the finish. An ethereal expression of pure Nebbiolo that will work well with lighter meats or pastas adorned with mixed mushrooms or autumnal truffles. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

MALVIRÁ ROERO RISERVA DOCG MOMBLETRAMO

Producer: Malvirá
Region: Roero, Piemonte
Country: Italy
Grape variety: Nebbiolo
Abv: 14.5%
Vintage: 2017
Approx. retail price: £30
Medal: Gold

The wine’s label is based on Tarot card symbols of Major Arcana: the Wheel of Fortune, comprising a wheel, an angel, and a dragon, thus fortune and misfortune. The wine, anything except a fire-breathing dragon, is made with Nebbiolo grapes grown on light calcareous soil from a vineyard owned by the producers’ grandmother. The result is a wine similar in some ways to Barbaresco but more delicate, almost ethereal. Redcurrant and blackcurrant aromatics, accented by herbes de Provence and allspice, lead onto a gentle juicy palate of red berry fruit framed by bright acidity and silky, though abundant, tannins, with the alcohol beautifully integrated. The long finish is light and lifted. A delightful wine with potential for ageing. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

ROBERT MONDAVI PRIVATE SELECTION PINOT NOIR NV

Producer: Robert Mondavi Private Selection
Region: California
Country: United States
Grape variety: Pinot Noir 81%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Petit Verdot 3%, other reds 12%
ABV: 13.5%
Vintage: NV
Approx. retail price: £11.95
Medal: Gold

A layered and generous style of Pinot Noir that would please lovers of this grape’s sweet fruit and light mouthfeel, this Robert Mondavi red uses Californian fruit to craft an accomplished wine for less than £20. There’s strawberry and vanilla, a touch of dried herbs, plums and cherry, in this juicy, but fresh good-value Pinot. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

DIVINUS DE CHÂTEAU BONNET

Producer: Les Vignobles André Lurton
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Grape variety: Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%
ABV: 14%
Vintage: 2018
Approx. retail price: £24.50
Medal: Gold

This powerfully flavoured and structured Merlot-dominant Bordeaux sells for under £30, despite showing the quality and concentration of claret that might sell for more than double that amount. Hailing from the fine stable that is Les Vignobles André Lurton, it has fleshy cherry and blackcurrant fruit, spice, vanilla, liquorice and leather, which linger, carried by an appealing, cleansing acidity. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

GORDON RAMSAY INTENSO ROSSO

Producer: Buontalenti SRL
Region: 50 % Tuscany 50% Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Grape variety: Sangiovese 50%, Montepulicano 30%, Merlot 20%
ABV: 14%
Vintage: 2020
Approx. retail price: £10
Medal: Gold

This ‘intenso’ red blend from Italy, made for Gordon Ramsay by Alberto Antonini, is a wonderful find for a fair price, mixing fleshy vibrant red and black fruit flavours, with spice, cherry stone and plum, along with background vanilla. An easy-to-drink, layered, fairly light, bright but ripe red for a good price. This is an impressive entry to the wine world from Ramsay. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

CHÂTEAU FOMBRAUGE

Producer: Château Fombrauge
Region: Saint-Emilion
Country: France
Grape variety: Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 10%
ABV: 15%
Vintage: 2019
Approx. retail price: £29
Medal: Gold

An outstanding Merlot-dominant St-Émilion from Bernard Magrez’s brilliant stable of properties, Château Fombrauge 2019 shows the class of great Right Bank Bordeaux in its youth. There’s fleshy, ripe dark cherry and raspberry fruit, creamy vanilla and cedar, and a lovely structure that mixes soft sweet fleshy fruit with dry, fine but firm tannin to refresh. Delicious now, but undoubtedly crafted for a long life. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

CASTELLO BANFI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG

Producer: Banfi
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Grape variety: Sangiovese 100%
ABV: 15%
Vintage: 2017
Approx. retail price: £26
Medal: Gold

A textbook Brunello with its mediumweight mouthfeel, plenty of fine-grained mouth-watering tannin, and flavours of stewed cherry and cigar box, along with a touch of plum and lingering vanilla too. A layered and ripe wine that also offers refreshment, making it ideal for cleansing the palate after rich and fatty foods. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

ROERO RISERVA TESTUN

Producer: Ridaroca
Region: Piemonte
Country: Italy
Grape variety: Nebbiolo 100%
ABV: 14.5%
Vintage: 2016
Approx. retail price: £45
Medal: Gold/ Master

This beautiful Nebbiolo from 2016 shows all this grape’s unique appeal, from its stewed ripe red berries to dry cherry stone, along with rose-petal aromatics, a touch of tar and cedar, then a texture that mixes stewed fruit with dense, mouth-coating tannins. A wonderfully aromatic and refreshing glass of wine that’s just starting to mature. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

LEGARIS ALCUBILLA DE AVELLANEDA

Producer: Legaris
Region: Castilla Leon
Country: Spain
Grape variety: Tinto Fino 100%
ABV: 15%
Vintage: 2018
Approx. retail price: £39.20
Medal: Master

Alcubilla de Avellaneda is a reliably brilliant expression of Ribera de Duero’s Tempranillo – known as Tinto fino in this Spanish region. Loaded with concentrated red and dark-berry fruit, from cherry to plum, prune to blackberry, it’s a powerful, ripe and dense drop, complemented by notes of toast, cedar and a touch of coconut, and a long finish, with plenty of fine dry tannin. This has the structure that suggests it’s been built for the long haul. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

CHÂTEAU PAPE CLÉMENT

Producer: Château Pape Clément
Region: Pessac-Leognan
Country: France
Grape variety: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 50%
ABV: 14.5%
Vintage: 2019
Approx. retail price: £92
Medal: Master

This outstanding Merlot Cabernet blend from Pessac-Leognan shows the appeal of great Bordeaux in its youth, although it will doubtless deliver more character as it slowly evolves over the next 10 years and beyond. Right now, there’s fleshy blackcurrant, blueberry and raspberry, wonderfully ripe, but with freshness too, and a taut structure, that frames the fruit. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

REMÍREZ DE GANUZA

Producer: Bodegas Remírez de Ganuza
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Grape variety: Tempranillo 93%, Graciano 4%, Viura and Malvasia Skins 3%
ABV: 14.5%
Vintage: 2007
Approx. retail price: £70
Medal: Master

If you want reliably fine, long-lived Rioja, then Remírez de Ganuza will deliver it, at all levels. Richly present in this wonderful version are Rioja’s hallmark characters, from dark cherry to black pepper, sweet balsamic to cedar, plums to coconut, while the mouthfeel is bright, with maturing ripe fruit, fresh acidity, and plenty of fine, dry tannins to make you salivate. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

VILLA MARIA NGAKIRIKIRI 2013

Producer: Villa Maria
Region: Hawkes Bay
Country: New Zealand
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 97%, Merlot 3%
ABV: 13.8%
Vintage: 2013
Approx. retail price: £70
Medal: Gold

This almost pure Cabernet from Hawke’s Bay hails from the 2013 vintage and shows how well the top-end reds from this New Zealand region age. Just starting to mature, there’s a touch of stewed black fruit and cigar box, but also plenty of strawberry and plum, pepper and cedar, along with dense, dry tannins, giving this wine a surprisingly youthful mouthfeel. (Patrick Schmitt MW)

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