Red wines

Mas Bécha Barrique Rouge

Roussillon, France 2019

Winemaker Charles Perez assumed control of the Mas Bécha estate and its 25ha of vineyards towards the border with Spain in 2008, since when he has earned a reputation for handcrafted wines that reflect the local “Aspres” (arid) terroir.

The organic vineyards are spread over three hillsides at around 100m above sea level, and for this cuvée, a blend of Syrah (70%) with equal-parts Grenache and Mourvèdre, Perez opts for a gentle pressing and nine months’ ageing in a mix of new and used Bordeaux barrels.

“Inky nose, very viscous body, super balance and integration,” the judges said. “Tobacco, savoury notes, fruits, spices, cedar and liquorice, mocha … it’s a complex yet very harmonious wine with lots of power but that never feels too much. Impressive.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £25.49 ABV 15%

Ilatium Morini Valpolicella Superiore Campo Prognal

Valpolicella Superiore, Veneto, Italy 2017

A group of seven brothers and cousins runs this family business in Valpolicella, and the group has been on a roll since making the collective decision to change direction and, in the words of importer Alliance, “decided to keep the best grapes to make wine themselves”.

That fruit comes from 40ha of vineyards in Soave and, for this “beautifully made” red, Valpolicella, and matured in 350-litre oak barrels for 12 to 15 months, followed by bottle ageing.

“Plush, rich, spicy and full, but with classy northern Italian cherry and tomato acidity, nicely done and very satisfying indeed – a winter Italian feast of a wine.”

Alliance Wine

RRP £21.99 ABV 14%

Tenuta Laramè Tumlin Roero

Piedmont, Italy 2018

The quality of Nebbiolo from beyond the classic Barolo/Barbaresco zones has never been higher, with producers such as the Povero family showing just how good the grape can be in their vineyards in Roero, a Piedmontese region where the first references to Nebbiolo date back to the early 14th century.

Made from the family’s oldest vines in a hillside vineyard, the wine is aged for 24 months in Piedmontese tonneaux of Slavonian oak.

“The Nebbiolo fruit is perfumed, with notes of violets and roses balanced with a hint of sweet spice and dark berry fruits on the palate that are velvety and delicious,” the judges said. “Long-lasting finish. Terrific value and with a delicate medicinal quality.”

Vindependents

RRP £18.50 ABV 14%

Boroli Barolo Classico

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2016

Long-term lovers of the wines of Barolo, the Boroli family of Piedmontese entrepreneurs decided to take the plunge and move into winemaking themselves when they set up their eponymous estate in the region in the 1990s.

Second generation Achille Boroli now heads up the enterprise, which takes in 10ha of vineyards shared between plots in Castiglione Falletto, Barolo and La Morra, as well as a boutique hotel, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a slick modern winery.

“Classic Barolo that is highly polished,” said the judges of the family’s Barolo Classico. “A wine that opens with a very savoury (mushroom/sousbois) attack but then features wave upon wave of deliciously elegant cherry, blackberry and mulberry fruit.”

Top Selection

RRP £39.99 ABV 14%

Celestino Pecci

Brunello di Montalcino

Montalcino, Tuscany 2018

The eponymous founder of Celestino Pecci defied his parents, and the flow of history in post-war Italy, when he rejected the life they had planned for him in white-collar jobs in the city and instead bought two farmhouses and a 40ha plot in Montalcino in 1968.

Today the business is run by Celestino’s daughter, Tiziana Pecci, who oversees the production of this cuvée from a south/south west-facing vineyard at 350m above sea level.

“Stunning nose, with deep earth and leather aromas, as well as black cherry and herbs,” the judges said. “Fine tannins and gentle acidity. Both complex and eminently drinkable. While expensive, it is a bargain for those wanting an outstanding wine at home with dinner.”

RRP £59 ABV 14.5%

Michele Chiarlo

Barolo Tortoniano

Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2019

One of the grandest names in Piedmont, Michele Chiarlo, now run by the eponymous founder’s sons Alberto and Stefano, has vines in some of the best addresses in Barolo at its disposal for its range of terroir-driven wines.

This Top 100 winner takes its name from the “Tortonian” geological area in Barolo’s La Morra and Barolo zones, where the soils are a mix of sedimentary clay, Sant’Agata marl and grey-blue sandstone.

“Reticent nose, but you can tease out raspberry, violet and boiling tar,” the judges said.

“A very fine wine, with creamy palate, sour cherry and dried cranberry flesh. Moreish.”

Hallgarten

RRP £53 ABV 14%