Smooth & Refined Red Wine

Q: What is a Super Tuscan?

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Q: Which red wine is the safest choice as a gift?

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Q: Do these need decanting?

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Q: What is the difference between Barolo and Barbaresco?

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Where the Tuscan range lives - Antinori, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce

Smooth and refined red wine is the largest part of the range and the place the Tuscan list sits. Antinori runs from Pèppoli Chianti Classico through Il Bruciato to Tignanello; Ornellaia has Le Volte and Le Serre Nuove; Tenuta Luce and Ciacci Piccolomini fill in around them. Beyond Tuscany, Ridge Zinfandel from Sonoma, Pisoni Pinot Noir, Rioja from Marqués de Murrieta, and Barolo and Barbaresco from Prunotto. Tracked UK delivery, next-day available.

What smooth and refined means in a red wine

Enough tannin to give the wine shape, but soft enough that it does not grip. These are medium-bodied reds where the oak has been folded in rather than laid on top, and they tend to be ready when you open them rather than needing years or an hour in a decanter. It is the largest group in the red wine range because it is the one people come back to most.

Tuscan reds: Antinori, Ornellaia and Tenuta Luce

Tuscany is the heart of this page. Antinori runs the full span - Pèppoli Chianti Classico, Il Bruciato from Bolgheri and Tignanello, the wine that started the Super Tuscan idea by putting Cabernet into a Sangiovese blend when the rules did not allow it. Ornellaia contributes Le Volte and Le Serre Nuove; Tenuta Luce brings Lucente and the Luce itself; Ciacci Piccolomini covers Montalcino. More sits under Italian wine and Sangiovese.

Beyond Tuscany: Rioja, Piedmont, Sonoma and Bordeaux

Ridge Vineyards is here with Geyserville and Lytton Springs, old-vine Zinfandel blends from Sonoma that have been made the same way for decades. Pisoni and Radio-Coteau cover Californian Pinot Noir. Prunotto brings Barolo and Barbaresco from Piedmont, Marqués de Murrieta a classic Rioja Reserva, Château Cissac a Haut-Médoc claret, and Vincent Girardin a Santenay Premier Cru from the Côte de Beaune. Malbec from Terrazas de los Andes and Cabernet from Arboleda in Chile fill in at the accessible end.

Where smooth reds sit against bold and light styles

This is the middle of the range, and the safest place to buy from if you do not know the recipient's taste well. If you want more grip and weight, bold and powerful reds go further in that direction. If you want less, light and elegant reds go the other way. Tracked UK delivery across the mainland, next-day available.

The Fulham Wine Co. Take

This is the part of the list we buy hardest, because it is where most red wine actually gets drunk - reds with enough shape to hold your attention and enough give to finish the bottle. Tuscany does it as well as anywhere, which is why so much of the page comes from there. Everything on it is something we open at home.

FAQs About Smooth & Refined Red Wine

What is a Super Tuscan?

A Tuscan red made outside the local appellation rules, usually by blending international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Sangiovese, or using them alone. Tignanello and the Ornellaia wines are the best-known examples. They were classified as table wine when they started and are now among the most sought-after reds in Italy.

Which red wine is the safest choice as a gift?

Something from this group rather than either extreme. Very tannic reds and very light ones both divide opinion; a balanced Tuscan red or a Rioja Reserva rarely does. A recognisable name helps too - Tignanello and Ridge are known well beyond people who follow wine closely.

Do these need decanting?

Generally not. That is much of the point of the style - they are approachable on opening. The Barolo and Barbaresco are the exceptions and will show better with half an hour of air, as will Tignanello and the Tenuta Luce in a young vintage.

What is the difference between Barolo and Barbaresco?

Both are made from Nebbiolo in Piedmont, in neighbouring areas. Barbaresco is generally the softer and earlier-drinking of the two; Barolo is firmer and built to age longer. Prunotto makes both, so this page is a fair way to taste the difference side by side.

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Smooth & Refined Red Wine

Where the Tuscan range lives - Antinori, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce

What smooth and refined means in a red wine

Tuscan reds: Antinori, Ornellaia and Tenuta Luce

Beyond Tuscany: Rioja, Piedmont, Sonoma and Bordeaux

Where smooth reds sit against bold and light styles

The Fulham Wine Co. Take

FAQs About Smooth & Refined Red Wine

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Clase Azul Tequila

818 Tequila

Fieldbar Coolers

Zalto Glassware

Clase Azul Tequila

818 Tequila

Gifts Under £100

Fieldbar Coolers

Zalto Glassware

MOST POPULAR GIFTS

Smooth & Refined Red Wine

Where the Tuscan range lives - Antinori, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce

What smooth and refined means in a red wine

Tuscan reds: Antinori, Ornellaia and Tenuta Luce

Beyond Tuscany: Rioja, Piedmont, Sonoma and Bordeaux

Where smooth reds sit against bold and light styles

The Fulham Wine Co. Take

FAQs About Smooth & Refined Red Wine

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