Red Wines

Very few things on this planet are as gorgeous as a healthy pour of red wine, swirling vivaciously inside the walls of your glass. This crimson nectar has followed humanity for centuries and millennia, stealing the breaths of any man and woman with a taste developed enough to appreciate it. In more ways than one, red wine has been the lifeblood of every wine-producing region, the cornerstone upon which entire estates are built. A single glass of crisp, delicious wine is enough to convert almost anyone into a lifelong aficionado.

There are as many red wine varieties as there are flavor combinations you can imagine, and this makes it relatively easy to find a bottle or ten that fit your preference. Each blend has its own unique identity, and a conversation in the form of sampling will tell you its history, taste, texture, and complexity. The finest red wines inspire long hours of thought, as you try to deconstruct the elaborate and mesmerizing experience you had, seemingly a mere moment ago. Each grape varietal brings character and a distinctive flavor to the mixture – a wine with plenty of Pinot Noir in it will have a soft, yet earthy taste, with traces of leather or tobacco, whereas a Zinfandel blend will be spicier, with delicate raspberry notes and often a higher alcohol content.

We’ve made it our goal to introduce you to the highest quality red wines in the world, as we would introduce two potential lovebirds to each other. Collecting fine wines is a long-term commitment, but much like a long-lived and stable romance, that commitment makes your life infinitely sweeter. Immerse yourself in the world of fine wine, and you will learn the true meaning of “living the moment.”

Popular Red Wines by Category

1981 Pavie

I’ve always had a soft spot for the 1981 vintage as well as these two châteaux. This was the first vintage of Bordeaux that I bought, back in 1984, with some knowledge of the region (or so I thought at the time) and Cos because the first serious vertical that I ever attended was of their wines from 1982 back to 1952. Pavie? Well, to be honest, it was the label that drew me in at first, being all old-timey Bordeaux and all. The first Pavie that I bought was a 1979 from a wine shop in Boston and from the get-go I was hooked on the blend of power and finesse that a St.-Emilion from a great terroir can exhibit. Being able to visit both of these estates in late June of 1989, on the same broiling hot day, sealed the deal.Ninteen eight-one is what some would derisively call a ‘classic’ or ‘restaurant’ vintage. In the old days some would say ‘a useful vintage’ for the fact that the wines are mostly to be drunk while waiting for “great” vintages to mature or to keep ones’ hands off of already mature ‘great’ vintages resting in the cellar. That belittles wines such as these two, I think, because more times than not I crave a graceful, finely delineated and less dramatic wine than one from a blockbuster vintage. Both of these bottles deliver the goods.Purchased by a good friend on release here in New York, both the Cos and the Pavie are decidedly at peak but based on these bottles there’s no need to fear the reaper. The Cos is a textbook rendition of the old style at the châteaux, with intense cigar box, dried cherry, licorice and pipe tobacco character and smooth, harmonious tannins that have all but faded away. As might be expected, the Pavie is more dramatic in character, but still showing the restraint that’s been typical of the ‘81s since release, offering a haunting, floral- and spice-dominated bouquet and plush, seamless plum and cherry flavors. Like the Cos, it’s fully mature but there’s no sign of undue fatigue, either. In both cases, pretty remarkable for 34 year-old wines from a vintage that’s now been mostly forgotten, but not by me.Vinous Media | 91 VM

As low as $255.00

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Popular Red Wines by Category