Full-Bodied Fruity Reds
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
I have to admit, I don’t often reach for full-bodied fruity red wines. I’ve also judged some unfairly, as many a too-cool wine geek is wont to do at some point or another. But the great thing about studying and working with wine is that you get to taste everything, often, and there’s nothing like regular tasting to convince you that there are top-notch wines in every style, no matter which are supposed to be trending. And just like with food; one should never rule out a whole category from just one “meh” experience. Count this tasting as my mea culpa: full-bodied fruity red wines will always deserve a place on my wine rack.
Some clarifications:
I will forever maintain that body is a weird word for a liquid, and I have mixed feelings about “full-bodied” as a descriptor, too. But the words have been in use long enough that they’ve been enshrined in wine lore, so in this case, I’m using “full-bodied” to talk about wines that carry plenty of weight on the palate, thanks to grape ripeness, alcohol and tannin that together, make them feel more akin to a stout than an IPA, or whole milk rather than skim.
This tasting is focused specifically on the fruity reds within the full-bodied red wine category. “Fruity” here refers to how fruit-forward the wines taste, not how sweet or dry the wines are. In these wines, ripe fruit flavors take center stage, usually with supporting cast members like spices and herbs adding complexity to the show.
Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk tasting.
Stuff to know
The grape varieties that come up the most when discussing full-bodied red wines tend to be the Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and the blends made from some or all of them. This tasting includes several of those grapes, but focuses more on the places where these and other grape varieties tend to get really, really ripe, resulting in fruitier flavors in the final wine…as long as the winemakers are aiming for ripe wines, that is. It’s always a winemaker’s prerogative to choose when to harvest the grapes, after all.
Most of the wines in this tasting are blends, and that’s intentional. When varying red grapes are blended together, the resulting wines often have more of everything. Where one grape might have a thin mid-palate, another grape has a fleshy, fruity one. Where one grape might have only moderate acidity levels, another grape has acidity to spare. You get the idea.
Winemakers blend grapes in many different ways, even in the most traditional of places. One of the oldest methods is simply to grow different grapes together in the same vineyard, harvesting and fermenting them all together, creating wines known as field blends. Some winemakers blend at the fermentation stage, while others harvest, ferment and even age each type of grape or vineyard individually, only blending afterward, before further aging to let the flavors harmonize together before bottling. As you might guess, it’s a lot more expensive to maintain a bunch of different fermentation and aging vessels, but it’s also a very common method today, since it gives winemakers more control over the outcome compared to field blending.
Whichever way they’re made, the idea here is to taste some of the best-known full-bodied fruity red wine styles side by side, so that you can decide what you like best.
What to look for in this tasting
These wines should all have fruit flavors practically leaping out of the glass. Most of the time, red and black fruits like cherries, strawberries, plums, blackberries, black currants and blueberries will be the first out of the glass, though the forms they take can vary from ripe to jammy to dried.
Backing up the fruit, there are usually flavors from oak aging, like vanilla, cinnamon, anise, smoke, leather, cocoa and coconut. Herbal and floral flavors often make an appearance, too, though they might not be the first thing you smell or taste. Green bell peppers, eucalyptus, mint, roses, violets and even jalepeños can pop up as you’re tasting through these wines.
You’ve been warned that the alcohol levels in wines made from ripe red grapes like these tend to be on the high side, even up to 16%. In some wines, the heat will be noticeable, but in many, it blends right in with the high tannins, acidity and full body, so watch out.
The wines
#1: Ribera del Duero
In Spain’s inner plateau, the Meseta Central, there are acres and acres of knotty old vines clambering their way up out of dry, crumbly, often reddish soils. Ribera del Duero is a region that lies in northwest Spain, in Castilla y León, running along the Duero river, which flows all the way through Spain and Portugal into the Atlantic. Even with the river nearby, Ribera is a very dry region with seriously dramatic weather. The altitude here ranges between 2,300-3,280 feet (700-1000m), even though most vineyards seem to be only gradually undulating when you’re standing in them. The high altitude results in huge diurnal temperature shifts, so that there can be as much as 40 degrees’ difference between day and night, along with cold winters and crazy hot summers. It’s a spectacular landscape, and the wines made here are equally bold.
In Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo is the star grape, just like in Rioja, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Here, Tempranillo goes by the name “Tinto Fino” or “Tinta del País,” and in this region of extremes, the vines behave differently, producing grapes with thick skins and small berries, resulting in deeply colored wines with rich, ripe flavors.
Though winemaking has been happening in Ribera del Duero for thousands of years, the region became famous thanks to Bodegas Vega Sicilia, which started in 1864, crafting wines based on Tempranillo, but with Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the mix. Even as Vega Sicilia’s global prominence grew, it took until 1982 for Ribera del Duero to become a Denominación de Origen in Spain’s wine classification system. Since then, more and more winemakers are recognizing the value in the old, knotty Tempranillo vines that have adapted and survived for decades.
Today’s Ribera del Duero wines are at least 75 percent Tempranillo, and winemakers can use Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Malbec for the remainder, along with small amounts of Garnacha and Albillo, a local white grape. Ribera del Duero wines are typically deeply colored with sweet, ripe fruit flavors like black cherries, dried strawberries, blackberries and blackcurrants, with spices from oak aging like vanilla and cinnamon and soft, ripe, grippy tannins. The huge diurnal temperature swings leave the grapes with plenty of acidity, so that even though the wines are rich and ripe, they still tend to have high acidity levels.
What to ask for: Ask by name, preferably a Ribera del Duero Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva
Alternative(s): Toro red wines
#2: South African Red Blends
In South Africa, where winemaking has been going on for more than 350 years, there is the “big six,” which in wine’s case, refers to the grape varieties Pinotage, Shiraz (AKA Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, rather than the “big five” or “big six” that you might have heard about from African safari-going wildlife spotters.
South Africa’s unique claim to fame amongst the big six is Pinotage, a grape variety that was developed at Stellenbosch University by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault, two French varieties. The resulting Pinotage is a red grape that’s easier to grow than Pinot Noir, and creates wines that are deeply colored and fruity, with jammy flavors like black cherry, plum and blackberry, usually complemented by vanilla and spices from oak aging. Some Pinotage wines have distinct flavors that tend to create one of those love/hate propositions. I’ve heard these flavors described as smoked meat, tar, bitter dark chocolate, leather and even barnyard. The way the wines are made significantly impacts whether and how much of these polarizing flavors show up.
South Africa’s red blends tend to be either Bordeaux blends with varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot or red “Cape Blends,” which usually have Pinotage in the mix, though not always, since Shiraz and other French varieties like Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre often make appearances, too. For this tasting, look for a wine with Pinotage in the mix, since it represents South Africa’s particular contribution to the world of red wine blends.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with a South African red blend, preferably one that includes Pinotage
#3: Australian Red Blends
In Australia, Shiraz (AKA Syrah) is the most-planted grape variety, as well as Australia’s claim to wine fame. Australian Shiraz wines are known for being huge, ripe, high-alcohol wines with prominent flavors from oak aging, though there are now plenty of winemakers choosing to make “Syrah” wines that lean more toward a Northern Rhône style, with more savory flavors, less ripeness, more acidity and less prominent oak.
Nevertheless, Australia created a style that is now associated with the word “Shiraz,” such that when that word is used on a label in the United States or South Africa, it’s a good indication that the wine is on the ripe, fruity, and bold side of things stylistically, with flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plum alongside vanilla, coffee, cocoa, dried tobacco leaves and freshly ground black pepper.
Australian Shiraz doesn’t always fly solo though, sometimes made as a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre AKA Mataro) blend, much like in the Southern Rhône, sometimes made with Viognier, much like in the Northern Rhône, and sometimes blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in a uniquely Australian combination that goes by Shiraz Cabernet. Two of Australia’s oldest and most famous wineries, Tahbilk and Penfolds, are well known for their various Shiraz-based blends.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with Australian Red Blend, preferably one that includes Shiraz
#4: American Red Blends
In the sunny, warm parts of American wine country, much like in South Africa and Australia, Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and even Petit Verdot tend to dominate red blends. However, there are two grape varieties that are considered to be the most American, even if they’re technically French and Croatian, respectively: Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.
Petite Sirah is not the same grape as Syrah, and its wines are anything but petite. American Petite Sirah is, for the most part, Durif, a grape resulting from a cross between Syrah and Peloursin made by a French botanist, Dr. Francois Durif. Most often used as a blending grape, Petite Sirah tends to show up in small percentages in a wide variety of red blends. By itself, Petite Sirah makes dark, inky wines with aromas and flavors like rose petals, blueberries and black plums alongside baking spices, tobacco and black tea that will quickly stain your teeth and scrape your gums and cheeks with their prominent tannins. These are also the qualities that producers like to add to other wines that may be lacking color depth or structure without Petite Sirah in the mix.
Zinfandel, widely considered the most American of grapes, is actually Croatian, where it’s known as both tribidrag and crljenak kaštelanski. Still, like Petite Sirah, the majority of Zinfandel vines are grown in the US today. Wines made from Zinfandel aren’t as dark and inky as Petite Sirahs, but they’re equally bold, often with flavors of boysenberry, blueberry and cherry jams, even berry pie, with vanilla and cinnamon from oak aging complementing the jammy fruit flavors.
For this tasting, keep an eye out for red blends that include either or both Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, in any amount.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with an American red blend, preferably one that includes either or both Zinfandel or Petite Sirah
#5: Zinfandel
Zinfandel is widely considered to be a grape more American than any other…until vine DNA profiling unveiled that it was really from Croatia, where it’s known as both tribidrag and crljenak kaštelanski. The icing on the cake is that it’s also the same grape variety as Primitivo in Puglia. Even without any official “American-ness” though, Zinfandel is grown far more in California than anywhere else in the world.
I have a personal bias toward Zinfandel, since one of my closest friends is a 4th generation California grape grower struggling to keep some of her family’s oldest Zinfandel vineyards in Lodi, the “Zinfandel capital of the world.” Unfortunately, her story is becoming increasingly common, as many vineyard owners with dry-farmed old Zinfandel vines are finding it financially difficult to weather the vagaries of wine market trends that just haven’t always been kind to Zin.
One of the most important things to know about Zinfandel is that the grapes in each huge bunch do not ripen evenly. Like at all. At the Monte Rosso vineyard on Moon Mountain in Sonoma, I saw Zinfandel vines that had grapes that were green, just-ripe, ripe, overly-ripe and straight-up raisinated all in the same bunch. This uneven ripening means that most Zinfandel wines will have high acidity, high alcohol and a variety of fruit flavors ranging from tart, juicy sour cherries to ripe blueberries all the way through to prunes.
Zinfandel wines, like all American wines, run a gamut of styles. There are styles that taste like blueberry pie, they’re so ripe, sweet and oak-forward with flavors of vanilla and cinnamon complementing jammy and dried fruit. And there are Zinfandels that are more restrained, whose winemakers prefer earlier harvesting for less dried fruit flavors and the more subtle French oak.
What to ask for: Ask by name. For this tasting, ask your local retailer to point you toward bold, fruity Zinfandels, rather than the more restrained and nuanced styles.
Alternative(s): Primitivo from Puglia, Italy
#6: Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarones are unusual Italian reds. These rich reds are made in northern Italy, in Valpolicella just north of Verona. It isn’t the place or the grapes that make these wines most distinctive though, it’s the process.
Appassimento is a process that makes passito wines. Essentially, ripe grapes are harvested and then dried before the juice is pressed to make wine. It’s a process that has been practiced since antiquity, when sweet wines were the most precious, and someone discovered that drying grapes concentrated their sweetness. Grape bunches used to be carefully laid out and dried on straw mats or hung from the ceiling in lofts, but most producers today have facilities with big fans and temperature control to better avoid mold ruining a vintage.
While the appassimento process is ancient, Amarones are recent. It’s unclear exactly when producers started intentionally letting all of the sugars in these wines ferment, making dry wines instead of sweet. Eventually though, these dry, oak-aged wines became the region’s most prestigious.
Amarones are “big” wines. Since yeasts turn sugars into alcohol, there is plenty of alcohol and sometimes still a bit of residual sweetness, making Amarones hearty and decadent. You can expect to find dried fruit flavors from the various Veronese grapes that make up the Amarone blends, including Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara, like dried red and black cherries and prunes, alongside baking spices, cocoa and occasionally floral and herbal flavors like mint and violets adding further complexity.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva, Valpolicella Ripasso or Valpolicella Classico Superiore
Tasting tips
The eats
These are big, bold, fruity wines that deserve to be enjoyed with foods whose flavors don’t get lost in comparison. A burger bar with all the fixings is my go-to here. Fire up the grill if you can, or make due with pan-frying if there’s still snow on the ground where you live, too. Bust out some strong cheeses like aged cheddar slices, Asiago or smoked Gouda. Get some crispy lettuce and quality mayonnaise, and yes, aiolis qualify. Barbecue sauce, with its sweetness and spice, works a charm. Caramelized onions are always welcome if you have the time, and I firmly believe in pickles galore, including pickled red onions, though I know that some people believe in freshly sliced onion and tomatoes only, thanks. For your vegetarian friends, grilled portobello mushrooms are my go-to over the various veggie burger options, but you know your friends best and should choose accordingly. Butter and toast those buns and enjoy!
If you go with the charcuterie route, lean into all the boldest flavors on offer. Blue cheeses, aged and nutty cheeses, pungent creamy cheeses. Peppercorn salami and Bresaola and summer sausage. Olives and rosemary crackers and dried figs. They’ll all complement these wines.
The prep
Most of these wines are easy to find, though some might take some hunting, depending on where you live. I recommend giving your guests at least two weeks to find their wines before gathering for this tasting.
There is a wide range of prices for all of these wines, so it’s up to you as the host to decide if you want to set a price range or let your guests determine what they’re each comfortable spending.
I know it feels strange to chill big, bold reds, but these wines are still best with just a little bit of coolness to them. Imagine that you are grabbing these bottles straight from a fancy cellar where the air feels brisk and damp. If you live somewhere where it’s cold already, the time in the trunk on the drive over might just be enough.
It’s worth noting that in some parts of the world, particularly Australia, screw caps are more common than corks for these types of wines. In others, like France and the United States, wines with screw caps are often seen as being cheaper or poorer quality. Please ignore that stereotype. It’s simply not true, and there are many excellent wines bottled with screw caps.
A note on the tasting order: The wines in this tasting guide listed in the order of which should be tasted, first to last. Even if there are just 4 wines in the tasting, you’ll have a well-rounded experience ahead.
Sources
Ribera y Rueda | Ribera del Duero regional overview
South African grape varieties | South Africa
Shiraz and Blends | Wine Australia
