The Best Red Wines in India: Meet the Winners at the Cosmo India SNAs

Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Mondavi Private Selection California Cabernet Sauvignon

A good Cabernet Sauvignon epitomises a worldly, sophisticated woman, so it’s hard not to love a good Cab, and this one is from California’s legendary winemakers that sets the pace for a great evening—at home, or with friends. While the world goes gaga over Cabernet Sauvignons from Bordeaux, Californians quietly began producing their own in the ‘80s—and Robert Mondavi was among the first to introduce this small, thick-skinned grape. California’s cool climate on the Central Coast makes for a conducive environment and the volcanic soil encourages the grapes to ripen slowly, prompting a certain depth of flavour and complexity. Blended with a touch of Syrah, Carignan, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot—this wine exudes the decadent aromas of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, toasty oak, and coffee.
Ripe and elegant, with soft red and black fruit flavours with hints of vanilla bean, liquorice, toasty oak, coffee, and gentle tannins, this wine was aged in a combination of American and French oak. What emerges is a fruity, rich, and spicy Cab that you can savour every day with a side of roasted or grilled meat and cheese. Tip: it’s best served cool to enjoy its full-bodied taste.

Credits: Ombré Tassle Clutch, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, ₹18,500

Best Merlot

Thunevin Bad Boy 2016

What makes a Merlot unforgettable is not just its quirky history, but also its novelty and citrusy taste. Wine Park’s Thenuvin Bad Boy 2016 is all that and the fact that it’s grown naturally. Modern winemaker Jean-Luc Thunevin has been making some of the best Bordeaux that’s available today. Bad Boy (or ‘mauvais garçon’ in French) is playfully named after Jean-Luc himself, as he was known as the ‘bad boy’ of Saint-Émilion, a moniker given by wine guru Robert Parker, as a homage to Jean-Luc’s independent spirit.
Jean-Luc rose to fame with his wine producer, Saint-Émilion Château Valandraud, and went on to become a négociant of Bordeaux wines. Produced from a selection of 30-year-old vines from the Right Bank, from properties managed by Bad Boy himself—the wine that has a citrusy red plum and mulberry, with slightly grainy tannin taste is aged for a minimum of 14 months in the barrel. It is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It is also has a fragrant, floral bouquet, with notes of black cherries, bergamot, and vanilla. Jean-Luc has always favoured natural wine production and uses no herbicides and insecticides in his wine’s production.

Credits: Faustine Soft-Gathered Clutch, Miraggio, ₹2,999

Best Pinot Noir - Editor’s Choice

Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir
 

This is a wonderful dry wine straight from the cellars of one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated winemakers, Robert Mondavi. He had opened his eponymous winery in 1966—the first in California since Prohibition in the US. Situated in his hometown of Lodi, the  Woodbridge Winery was 160kms east of San Francisco. With its cool Pacific climate, perfect for making delicious everyday wines for Americans—he sourced the ingredients from local producers in the Lodi region.
Today, the Pinot Noir grapes are processed with Woodbridge’s unique growing techniques and state-of-the-art methods. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir gives you a bright, full-bodied glass with flavours of ripe cherry, strawberry, cocoa, zesty orange, all paired with hints of spice and toast, leading to a velvety-smooth finish. It’s the toasted oak ageing that adds a hint of smokiness. Sourced from local producers in the Lodi region, the Pinot Noir grapes are processed with Woodbridge’s unique growing techniques and state-of-the-art methods. It is best to be enjoyed with light meats and pasta.

Credits: Ola Crescent Moon Danglers, Radhika Agrawal Jewels, ₹6,000

Best Red Wine For Girl’s Night - Editor’s Choice

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet

This one is to be enjoyed with friends (though we wouldn’t judge you if you enjoyed it by yourself)! With its stunning ruby colour and promise of a fruity, fleshy taste, it’s not afraid of standing out in a crowd. One of Australia’s favourite red wines, from one of the world’s most respected winemakers (propelled onto the global stage by Chief Winemaker Max Schubert in the 1940s), Koonunga Hill’s reputation has been built upon its well-positioned price, its approachability as a young wine—with the potential to develop if carefully cellared. Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is a reflection of the Penfolds winemaking style and philosophy—from this winery founded by Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold at Magill Estate in South Australia in 1844. The wine is known for its full-flavoured style with excellent Shiraz and Cabernet fruit, and a firm, well-balanced structure and balanced oak. The Shiraz gives the wine a fleshy fruit flavour of loganberry, mulberry, and red cherry, while the cabernet provides the fine, grained tannins.

Credits: Choker, Anaash, ₹8,500

Best Shiraz - Editor’s Choice

Bush Ballad Shiraz
 

Cosmo Ed Nandini Bhalla picked a poetic wine (this Australian winemaker was literally inspired by one of the most popular bush ballads of all—The Waltzing Matilda), that’s meant to be enjoyed with the ones you love. This standout wine with its beautiful Aboriginal art on the label evokes the Great Australian Outdoors, a time of leisurely indulgence, perhaps sipping wine under the stars, or on the beach, sharing tales of love, passion, and adventure. Now let’s talk about the wine itself—the Bush Ballad Shiraz. Team Cosmo appreciates its great aroma and taste. Besides the colour, we were drawn to its deep, vibrant red hue that shimmers in the glass, with an aroma that’s fruit-driven with exotic spice, plum, and blackberry. On the palate, it shows up with medium tannins and a lingering finish. Lastly, as someone who loves to pair her wine with delectable foods, Nandini serves her Shiraz at 16-18°C with aged cheese.

Credits: Classic Choker, Anaash, ₹7,000

Most Interesting Red Wine

Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz

Shiraz or Syrah as it’s known in the Mediterranean, is no ordinary wine and Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel really is the best Shiraz in competition. It takes us back to sunny, mellow Oz, where the Shiraz is the most widely grown grape varietal. Produced since its inception in 1840, the winery was founded by William Jacob along the banks of a small creek in the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia.
The Double Barrel range uses the same method used in craft whiskies—putting the spirit in two types of barrels to enhance its flavour. As a result, these wines are crafted from grapes of superior quality that are first matured in traditional wine barrels. Then, using Jacob’s Creek’s unique Double Barrel technique, they are aged in whisky barrels to add more layers of complexity, to create a richer, deeper, and smoother taste. It culminates into a complex variety with hints of cedar, vanilla bean, and buttered toast, with notes of pecan nut and roast cashew on the nose. But, there is also an attractive, savoury palate of blackberry and ripe plum with integrated charry notes, lending a lovely soft finish. All in all, this Double Barrel Shiraz tastes like a treat...and also like coming home after a tiring day, and just being enveloped in the soothing warmth of a soft blanket.

Credits: Sunglasses, Cutler & Gross, ₹35,000

Most Giftable Red Wine - Editor’s Choice

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Syrah

The true value of a gift is the sentiment behind the gifting, they say, and if it’s the pleasure of presenting your special someone with an authentic red Syrah (or Shiraz) from France, this wine is it. Made from 100 percent Syrah grapes in Rhône Valley and the Languedoc region of France. The grapes are sourced from a wide swathe of terroirs, which allows Paul Jaboulet to create a wine with consistent quality. The Syrah is matured without oak to maintain a supple and fruit-driven style. Medium-bodied with a fresh, juicy feel, this wine is a clear red-purple with purple reflections in the glass, and offers the classic Syrah characters of blackcurrant, cherry, and liquorice, with subtle aromas of wild shrubs pepper. It has a nice, long finish, just right to savour with good company. It’s perfectly accompanied with char-grilled lamb or Tandoori Chicken.

Credits: Geegee Savannah Bag Charm, Hermès, price on request

Most Giftable Red Wine - Editor’s Choice

Viña Pomal Crianza

If you’re as fussy about your red wines as we are, that’s a good enough reason to pick the Viña Pomal Crianza. It’s quite simply one of the world’s best Rioja wines on offer—at least as per international critics in 2020. A drinkable option at any given time, it matches perfectly with mild dishes such as rice, cheese, vegetarian dishes, fish, as well any food that is normally paired with red wines. Perfect for gifting your loved ones, they will appreciate the history too! This wine was born out of the Bodegas Bilbaínas, the longest standing winery in Rioja, in the town of Haro (established 1901), in a 250-hectare area of vines; the Viña Pomal is its flagship brand. In the glass, you will witness the cherry red hue with hints of violet, and on the nose, you will get the flowers, liquorice, black fruit with hints of vanilla, and roasted coffee. While for the palate, it expresses itself as a wine with good structure and mild tannins.

Credits: Silk scarf, Carte Blanche, ₹14,000

Best Other Red Wine Variant - Editor’s Choice

Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo

When you’re a fan of Rioja, you automatically seek out an artistic winemaker from Spain who will offer the variety you crave. The Campo Viejo—dedicated to making Rioja—ensures that theirs is the most vibrant expression of the grape being used—in this case, the Tempranillo. The Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo is crafted from 100 percent premium Tempranillo grape that is backed by a passionate winemaking philosophy. The result: a fresh and lively fruit expression—that is a refreshing change from the usual array of red wines—exactly why it is our choice. On the nose, it’s rich and intense, and the notes of rich, ripe fruit are followed by wooden nuances with sweet notes of vanilla to finish with other sweet spices. On the palate, it’s perfumed, soft and fresh, and leaves memories of red fruit, vanilla, and cocoa. It is perfect with pasta, vegetarian dishes, or small bites.

Credits: Starlit Danglers, Radhika Agrawal Jewels, ₹6,800

Best Value For Your Money Red Wine - Editor’s Choice

Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallele 45 Rouge

Once again, from the Paul Jaboulet Aîné family from the Côtes du Rhône in France, here’s the Parallele 45 Rouge, which is actually the real deal when it comes to serving an authentic, pricey-looking (and tasting) variant from the home of red wines. Taking its name from the 45th Parallel that runs barely 2km from the cellars of Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné—fast becoming one of the most famous winemakers in France, this is an organic wine (its new owners Jean-Jacques and Caroline Frey are using a brand-new gravity flow winery that produces stunning wines), that delivers value vintage after vintage. No wonder Editor Nandini fell for the whole package. With its deep red cherry and spiced berry notes on the nose, the Parallele 45 Rouge has a superb mouthfeel where the soft tannins subtly coat the mouth. There’s spice and soft, almost jam-like fruit on the palate, and it’s not overly layered, with a full, fruity expression.

Credits: Necklace, Anaash, ₹3,400

Overall Fabulous Red Wine

Sensi Montepulciano D’abruzzo

Some of us like our wines from the heart of Tuscany, and this red from Sensi (established 1890) is one of those great Italian wines that has a long and storied tradition in winemaking—in short, this wine will never cease to enthrall the palate! What adds to the authenticity of this red wine is that the grapes originate in the vine-growing region of Abruzzo, that has been praised by Greek and Latin poets and writers. The main vine of this region, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, today provides wines with a strong character, produced on beautiful sloping hills. After a process of soft pressing of the grapes, fermentation through submerged cap maceration in stainless steel tanks, the wine is then aged in steel tanks for five months. The result? A wonderfully ruby red wine with violet reflections, with an aroma of violet and hints of spice. On the palate, it’s soft, structured, and gently tannic—overall a superbly smooth glass, perfect as an accompaniment to cold cuts, ham, and lamb dishes. You’ll find yourself reaching out for this one very often!

Credits: Isabella Crossbody Bag, Miraggio, ₹3,499

Best Overall Red Wine - Editor’s Choice

Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block 2019

This red comes to us from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, from the Boekenhoutskloof winery in Franschhoek. But it’s the unusual name and minimalist label—The Chocolate Block—founded by Chief Winemaker and Owner Marc Kent, which is interesting. Somewhat of a cult wine with a considerable fan following—it even has its own graphic novel to understand the wine and its name! In fact, The Chocolate Block is also found on the menus of some of the world’s top restaurants by Wolfgang Puck and The Fat Duck [Bray, UK], to name a few. A blend of predominantly Syrah (around 70 percent, picked from the farms of Porseleinberg and Goldmine), along with Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier grapes—the makeup of the wine is always tweaked to reflect the season. Each wine is matured in different kinds of French oak casks. The result is a perfumed wine with black fruit aromas (blackberry and blueberry), with hints of pepper and spice. The palate is full and layered, with expressions of dark plum and notes of graphite and cocoa nib. The tannins are fine-grained and add an exceptional structure. While, the black currant and chocolate linger onto a silky finish—proving this one to be truly an exceptional choice for an overall outstanding red.

Credits: Juliette Soft-Gathered Shoulder Bag, Miraggio, ₹3,499

Most Soothing Red Wine That Feels Like A Hug

Nederburg The Winemaster’s Pinotage 2019

A wine that is meant to be relished until the last drop, the Nederburg Pinotage is from the Western Cape region of South Africa. Decidedly named as a soothing glass that hits all the right notes and feels like a warm hug—the grapes are sourced from the wine-growing areas of Darling, Stellenbosch, and Paarl. Nederburg is South Africa’s most awarded winery, which was established over 200 years ago, and is known for its classically structured wines with fruity flavours. Grown in granite, sandstone, and shale soil, the vines produce grapes that have a higher natural acidity, and hence, offer greater freshness. In the glass, the wine is a glowing cherry red, with a bouquet of plums, prunes, succulent blueberry, and juicy red fruit with a subtle hint of bananas and oak. On the palate, cinnamon spice and red and berry fruits dance around in a compote that is tasty and succulent. Enjoyed on its own, you can pair it with that late-night indulgence at home like a pizza, pasta, and even chocolate. This one ticked many boxes!

Credits: Selena Storm Bag, Mistry, ₹6,000

Best Red Wine For Netflix And Chill Nights - Editor’s Choice

Sensi Pinot Noir Trevenezie
 

Sensi Pinot Noir will be the best accompaniment when you just want to be wrapped up in your duvet, watching your favourite show after a long day...and sipping on a wine that’s easy to glug. Indeed an elegant choice made by Cosmo Editor Nandini Bhalla, this Pinot Noir is from one of Italy’s grandest wineries—Sensi, which was established in 1890. This wine from the Veneto region is a clear ruby red in the glass, and has a medium body, with a warm, appetising aroma of currants, blackberry, and raspberry. Prepare a cheese platter or a hearty soup, or order a pizza, that you can savour, and pair it with the Sensi Pinot Noir—you won’t be disappointed!

Credits: OH Celeste Blazar Handcuff Bracelet, Outhouse, ₹17,500

Red Wine Overall Excellence Award

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2019

The South Australian Penfolds Bin 389 is no ordinary wine...it has impressed many critics and experts (including the Cosmo SNA panelists). The 2019 vintage was given a score of 92 by The Wine Advocate and the 2008 vintage was given a score of 18/20 by popular British wine journalist, Jancis Robinson. The lovely folks at Penfolds gave the Bin 389 a special status—first made in 1960, this was the wine that helped forge the company’s reputation, thanks to a beautifully balanced marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon with rich Shiraz. Bin 389 is often referred to as Baby Grange, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. Most red-wine drinkers will agree that this is a vibrant wine, alive with flavours of fruit and oak that come together in a delicious, full-bodied way. We recommend you save this plush, polished wine for days you want to savour a glass of something special...or in the company of those who have good taste and understand the nuances of a great wine. This succulent pick promises not to disappoint.

Credits: Studded Arcadian Bag, Kaeros, ₹18,000