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Wine Champions Winners Reds
Wines included
The Society's South African Pinotage-Syrah, Coastal Region 2023
Soft, chillable and so easy to enjoy, this is a delicious ambassador for the quality, value and finesse South Africa`s reds can offer. The country`s signature grape, pinotage, is blended expertly with syrah and handled gently in the winery by the outstanding Radford Dale team, resulting in a joyful, cherry-scented Wine Champion. Radford Dale are a brilliant case study in pioneering sustainable practices, despite challenging circumstances. They employ practical low-intervention solutions in the vineyards such as encouraging raptors to manage pests, and creating a natural water purification system with reeds. They also run a trust using revenue from the sale of wines of the Land of Hope range to fully pay all educational costs for the children of their black employees.
Chianti Classico, Fattoria La Ripa 2021
From a beautiful, historic organic estate in Tuscany, this 2024 Wine Champion from a great vintage was praised by our tasters for its traditional style and for being particularly food-friendly. Its vivid cherry, spice and leather notes will complement a huge range of dishes.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Gran Sasso 2022
Few reds work better than good montepulciano for a comforting, characterful accompaniment to midweek pizza and pasta, and this year it was Gran Sasso that leapt out as the perfect candidate and as a worthy Wine Champion in 2024. ‘Drinking beautifully`, with full-bodied cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant fruit backed up by second-glass-inviting freshness.
Cuvée Laborie, Pays d'Oc 2023
Uncomplicated charm doesn`t get more charming than this. A popular southern French red and a Wine Champion in 2024, Laborie was given a makeover in 2023 to include some especially good, crunchy syrah fruit. Tasted blind among its peers, it was a resounding hit: ‘So much fruit, juicy and user friendly. Incredible value.`
The Society's Austrian Red 2022
Lovers of fresh, fruity reds should have Austrian zweigelt firmly on their radar, and this pitch-perfect example from Familie Mantler proved the point in style. Their plump, juicy, peppery reds have been delighting members for years and such was 2022`s quality we welcomed it into our own-label range, making its victory as a 2024 Wine Champion all the happier .
Château Virevalois, Bordeaux 2022
Bordeaux is offering brilliant value and this delicious wine shows just how much, with richness, freshness, a fleshy texture and hint of spicy complexity.