Top 5 Bold Red Wines with Dark Fruit Flavors You Need to Try
If you love bold reds bursting with rich dark fruit flavors, these five wines—Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Syrah, and Zinfandel—are must-tries!
Blog Highlights:
● Cabernet Sauvignon is the
most-widely planted grape in the world with the most famous bottles hailing
from Napa Valley and Bordeaux.
● Syrah or Shiraz has a distinctive
smoked meat and black pepper character.
● Most Argentinian Malbec is grown at
3,000–5,000 feet above sea level for a perfect balance between bold fruit,
silky tannins and freshness
● Petite Sirah is a little-known
grape that produces great value inky black wines
● Zinfandel is California’s heritage
grape with the best examples coming from 100 year old vines
1. Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet
effortlessly tops the list for the best red wine the USA
has to offer. It’s the most-widely planted black grape in the world with over
700,000 acres or roughly the size of Rhode Island. The most famous examples
come from Napa Valley, where they tend to be opulent with plenty of rich dark
fruit, and Bordeaux where Cabernet is often blended with Merlot to create a
robust red wine
that can age for decades.
Classic
Napa Cabernet like this St. Supery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
typically has punchy notes of blackberry, cassis, and jammy boysenberry along
with toasted spice notes from barrel aging. The top Cabernet Sauvignon for dark
fruit lovers is the iconic Caymus made from top quality grapes
sourced from the valley floor for fruitiness and the hillsides to add elegant
structure and balance.
2. Syrah or Shiraz
Called Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia, this punchy black grape is known for its telltale black pepper notes. French Syrah tends to be more earthy and peppery while New World Shiraz from the US or Australia is powerful and packed with jammy black fruit flavors. Syrah often has a distinctive smoky, meaty character which makes it the best red wine with grilled meats.
Domaine de Gouye Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes is a great example of French Syrah
made from 100 year old vines grown in St Joseph in the northern Rhone Valley.
Traditional winemaker Philippe Desbos produces just a few thousand bottles each
year from 3 hectares planted on steep slopes which he ploughs with the help of
his horse Ramses.
Or why not
try this Green & Red Napa Valley Syrah grown
1,700–2,000 ft elevation at Chiles Canyon. Layered with juicy plum, cassis, and
violet notes, this small batch Syrah is one of the best bold red wines
from California’s lesser-known hillside plots.
3.
Malbec
Originally hailing from the Cahors region of southern France, today Malbec is synonymous with delicious and affordable bold red wines from Argentina. It’s usually grown at between 3,000–5,000 feet above sea level which gives the grapes plenty of freshness and acidity to balance the punchy dark fruit flavors. Argentinians traditionally pair Malbec with a hearty asado or barbecue to make the most of the powerful structure and jammy fruit.
Catena Zapata High Mountain Vines Malbec
is an intense high altitude red from Argentina’s most famous winemaking family.
The Catenas were the first to pioneer high-elevation Malbecs from their
mountain vineyards up in the Andres foothills. Expect a deep violet-purple
color from the thick Malbec skins, velvety smooth tannins and succulent dark
berry notes.
Or for
something closer to home, try this Lucky Rock Malbec crafted by brothers
Aaron and Jesse Inman in Sonoma County. This rich, easy-drinking red is a
limited release that will never be made again in the same style or from the
same vineyard.
4.
Petite
Sirah
This
little-known grape was created by French botanist Dr. François Durif in the
1860s by crossing regular Syrah with an obscure grape called Peloursin.
Although the name suggests it plays small, Petite Sirah typically produces inky
black red wines with dark fruit flavors with tons of tannins and
alcohol. If you love flavor bombs that can age for decades, Petite Syrah offers
some of the best
red wines under $50.
This St. Amant Mohr-Fry Ranch Petite Sirah from Lodi is a great introduction to the grape with exceptionally deep color and luscious dark fruit. Or step it up a notch with this double gold medal winner, the Portalupi L. Venturi Vineyards Petite Sirah, which delivers massive flavors balanced by a touch of freshness.
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5.
Zinfandel
Here in
California we regard Zin as our heritage grape, but the variety actually comes
from Croatia where it’s called Crljenak Kaštelanski. It arrived on US shores in
the 1800s and became California’s most widely planted red until Cabernet took
over in the 1990s. The best examples come from 100-year old vines which produce
tiny quantities of very intense, concentrated fruit packed with spicy dark
berry and plum notes.
Crafted
from historic vines in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile AVAs, St. Francis Old Vines Zinfandel is a great
value fruity red wine for dinner. Jammy wild blackberry and ripe cherries make
this a perfect match for grilled steaks or barbecued ribs. Or try this Saini Vineyards Dry Creek Zinfandel from a
small family-run estate in Sonoma where Zinfandel thrives in the warm climate
and well-draining soils.
Looking to
buy red wine online? View our full
collection online or drop into our liquor store in Santa Rosa
and ask our experts for their full-bodied red wine recommendations.
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