Pick of the Pick Reds Case

Our Reserve Claret is made from vineyards in the Côtes de Bordeaux by Jean de Boigne and Nina Mitjavile at member favourite Château de Pitray. This medium-bodied wine is a merlot-based blend with an inviting nose of juicy dark-berry fruit, complemented by good tannin structure and a fresh note of black pepper. The Society buys the wine after harvest, but it is only released when ready for drinking. On the label we depict an element from a Bordeaux landmark, a column on the great Grand Théâtre, a hub of the city's cultural life.

Great-value grenache-syrah blend from the foothills of the Massif Central in southern France, packed with ripe tasting, juicy fruit.

A stunning, fruit-packed wine with easy charm. The name was conjured up because this wine is sourced from both banks of the Rhône, with the grenache coming mainly from the left and the syrah from the village of Daumazan, near the Pont du Gard, on the right bank.

Bags of vibrant, fresh gamay fruit from an excellent producer with vines close to Juliénas. Refreshing and versatile estate-bottled Beaujolais. Emeringes is a village perched above Juliénas and its vines, often laid out on steep slopes, offer a good source of Villages-quality Beaujolais. The château itself is at the top of the village, next to the church where Pierre David uses the cellars to make his wines.

Real value here, with plenty of dark brambly fruit, floral aroma and generous mouthfeel. An easy drinking anytime red from Portugal, made from local aragonez (aka tempranillo) and castelão grapes. From Torres Vedras, near Lisbon, a region not yet as well known as it surely will be.

Frappato can be seen as Sicily's answer to Beaujolais. Pale in colour and juicy in character, this is bursting with tangy cranberry, redcurrant, and wild-strawberry fruit. Light-to-medium bodied with gentle tannins, it makes a satisfyingly good match with spicy dishes thanks to its naturally sweet red-berry profile.

This is the ideal introduction to Argentine malbec.It has a forthcoming floral aroma with some black-fruit character and a fresh, round and balanced palate. It's mainly from the Valle de Uco for aroma and intensity of flavour with some Agrelo fruit for richness. It is produced exclusively for The Wine Society by Dominio del Plata, a winery owned by one of Argentina`s most celebrated winemakers, Susana Balbo. A gaucho rides on a sheepskin covered saddle which is illustrated on the new label.

A charming malbec, a grape more commonly associated with Argentina these days, though this Aussie ticks all the right boxes. Attractive, vibrant ruby-purple in the glass. Fragrant, with blueberry and redcurrant fruit aromas, the palate is fruit-driven and medium-bodied with notes of blueberry, brambles and redcurrant and is pleasingly jammy. Fresh and with enough juicy fruit concentration and tannin to go with a rare steak. It's not a top-tier Cahors or Mendoza but it's not trying to be as an unpretentious, fruity and easy-drinking wine at an excellent price.

South Africa`s very own grape pinotage takes the lead in this fresh, fruity Cape Blend of young Stellenbosch syrah with older bush-vine pinotage from Swartland. The grapes were whole-berry fermented and the syrah grapes were lightly crushed and gently handled in the cellar to produce a fruit-driven red with soft tannins. The blend is 66% pinotage, 34% syrah.

A modest, inexpensive Spanish red from the country's most famous grape. This is smooth, fruity and more mellow than usual with a touch of cedar. Everything about Bodegas Príncipe de Viana is vast. Owners of over 400 hectares of vines in Navarra, they control a further 500 hectares, but the winemaking approach is sensitive and modest, aiming always for clean, balanced flavours and offering superb value for money.

The 2024 vintage marks a return to the classic Laborie blend of carignan and grenache, with a splash of merlot adding suppleness. Brilliant value southern French red delivering fresh, uncomplicated fruit and soft tannins.

This is a great example of zweigelt, showcasing the wine's charming fruit and refreshing vibrancy. Plump, juicy and fruit-forward, this offers plum, blackcurrant and cranberry flavours, with a peppery undertone and delicate hint of tomato leaf. Familie Mantler is a small, family-owned winery in the sleepy town of Ebersbrunn, Lower Austria and they mature this wine in beautiful very large old oak vats, traditional to the country's winemaking. We have worked with their wines for a few years now and thanks to the excellent value and deliciousness that they offer, they have been a huge hit with members. After an incredibly successful launch under our own label from the 2022 vintage its a pleasure to now offer the juicy and upfront 2023 vintage.