Top 8 Timeless Red Wine Bottles To Add To Your Liquor Cabinet

As the winter weather kicks in, now is the perfect time to start sifting through your red wine collection to whip up some warming cocktails or have a go at preparing your own mulled wine. But any discerning vinophile knows that red wine is trickier to experiment with than whites or rosés, mainly because reds tend to be deeper and more complex. It can take a seasoned palate to taste all the more intricate notes in a good bottle of red.

If you are after some complicated red wines to experiment with this chilly season, then this list is sure to enlighten you. Here’s our selection of the top 8 timeless red wine bottles that are sure to delight your taste buds, be it in the form of a red wine cocktail, a pot of mulled wine, or all on its own.

1. Taylors Promised Land Merlot 2022

To start off our list, we have Taylors Promised Land Merlot originating from Clare Valley in South Australia. This Australian-made merlot can be characterized as juicy, smooth, and playfully medium-bodied.

What makes this wine a timeless concoction? Well, the answer to this lies in its production methods. This variety has come into contact with a combination of premium French oak and American oak barrels. This gives Taylors Promised Land Merlot a refreshing taste, with ripe plum fruit flavors surrounded by a touch of vanilla and coffee. An aromatic bottle, this rich merlot is sure to pair well with your favorite red wine cocktail recipes.

2. Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2016

The next red wine we’d like to showcase is from the Valenciso’s flagship Reserva, which is a selection of handpicked Tempranillo from the clay/limestone soils around Haro in Spain. The grapes for this refreshing Rioja Reserva are drawn from 17 different places across the different villages located in Spain, reflecting Valenciso’s commitment to precision winemaking. 

On top of the diversity in grapes used to produce this wine, 10 percent of the wine is also raised in low-toast Caucasus oak, which further lowers its wood influence. After barrel aging, the wine clarifies naturally in concrete vats for an additional 24 months, eliminating the need for filtering. It doesn’t get any purer than this.

The wine has a taste with good freshness and fine tannins. You can drink it with lasagna, pizza, or other hearty Italian or Spanish comfort foods – the perfect winter warming combo.

3. Pyramid Valley North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2021

Third on our little list comes a refreshing New Zealand-grown Pinot Noir, made with love from the folks at Pyramid Valley in North Canterbury. This delightful pinot is produced in three vineyards across the North Canterbury region. All the grapes for this Pinot Noir were also picked by hand, with 20 percent of the wine being fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top fermenters.

Like the Taylors Promised Land Merlot, this Pinot Noir is aged in French oak barrels for a portion of its aging process. This imbues this NZ Pinot with a hint of perfumed oak. And this little hint of flavor makes Pyramid Valley an exceptional Pinot Noir for adding to cocktails or for preparing a light mulled sangria.

4. Pesquera Ribera del Duero Tinto Crianza 2019

Next up is the Pesquera Ribera del Duero Tinto Crianza of 2019, a superbly sophisticated bottle of Tempranillo wine that hails from vineyards across Lucia, Vina Alto, and Llano Santiago in South America. These vineyards are well-established, and cover vast areas of land. And the 2019 is just the tip of the iceberg, considering that Ribera del Duero has been producing stunning red wine for about 30 to 40 years now. 

In their decades of winemaking, Ribera del Duero have been able to cultivate superb growing environments, characterized by their well-drained soils and gravel over a limestone and clay subsoil. The vineyards also ensure that the grapes are destemmed and fermented with natural yeasts after a cold soak. This makes the wine taste of intense red berry fruit flavors, and with good acidity to boot.

5. Vasse Felix Classic Dry Red 2022

If you’re after lighter reds for easy experimentations in the realm of mixology, then this next bottle is sure to deliver. This lightly perfumed shiraz hailing from the Margaret River region of Western Australia is renowned for its light red and fruity flavor profile. It also boasts fewer tannins than your average bottle of shiraz, making it highly palatable and easily pairable with a range of dinner menus. 

It has a fresh acid line that comes with plum, raspberry, and blueberry flavors. For those who are looking to enjoy a light shiraz with food, we highly recommend pairing your Vasse Felix 2022 with BBQ meats or pizza. These rich, meaty or creamy dishes will definitely bring out all the subtle flavors that make the Vasse Felix shiraz such an experience to taste.

6. See Saw Balance Organic Shiraz 2022

Although Margaret River does produce a superb range of shiraz wines, many agree that the town of Orange in New South Wales is arguably the best place for producing shiraz in Australia – mainly because of its cooler climate. To decide for certain, shiraz fans are advised to sample a bottle from each region. And if you’re looking for a red wine that hails from the town of Orange, then we have just the bottle for you.

This organic shiraz made by the folks at See Saw boasts a rich hint of white pepper and spicy fruit flavors – perfect for pairing with lamb and any slow cooked meat dishes. This organic bottle is truly full to the brim with berry fruits, accompanied by fine, velvety tannins which makes it exceptionally delicious. And on top of all of this, See Saw Balance’s production processes make this red wine both organic and totally vegan-friendly. So you might as well try pairing this wine with some impossible burgers! 

7. Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

If you’re a fan of Australian wines, then chances are you’ve definitely heard of Yellow Label. A signature series from Wolf Blass winemakers, Yellow Label wines are guaranteed to deliver all the richness and complexity that South Australian wine country has to offer. 

After having a sip of this particular cabernet sauvignon from 2021, you can expect to taste the rich flavors of plum, blackberry, and cassis or blackcurrant, all accompanied by a subtle savory oak. The mixture of dark plum and blackcurrant fruit has added an undeniable freshness to this cabernet, making it a delightful and well-balanced choice for any occasion.

8. Annie’s Lane Shiraz 2021

For fans of cassis wine, stick with us as we outline the major tasting notes and effortless appeal of the 2021 shiraz by the winemakers at Annie’s Lane. Another wine hailing from Clare Valley in South Australia, this vibrant red has a rich aroma, cultivated by combining dark fruits like plums, with black olives and dried spices. During the production, the fruit parcels were harvested during the cool of the night to retain freshness. They were then kept separate in the process of fermentation until blending to build texture and mouthfeel.

The end result is a deep, dark shiraz with a balanced flavor that’s almost reminiscent of cocoa or chocolate. You really have to taste it to believe it. So definitely consider serving this shiraz up in lieu of hot cocoa on your next winter evening by the fireplace.

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Do any of these red wines appeal to your own tastes? Then why not jump online and grab a few bottles of these dynamic reds for your own home bar or your liquor cabinet? With these versatile bottles on hand, you can make a range of warming red wine cocktails or mulled wines to help keep you rosy-cheeked all through the winter season.