Ten red wines to serve with the Christmas feast
Wines listed in ascending order of price. I've given a UK stockist (or two) for each, but you can find other stockists in the UK and other countries on wine-searcher.com
Cimarosa Carmenère 2012, Colchagua, Chile
Crowd-pleasing, fresh, velvet-soft Carmenère with a typical, smoky, green-pepper edge to the blackberryish fruit. A match for turkey, but not up to goose.
£6.99, Lidl
Domaine Mas Barrau Cabernet Franc 2014, Pays du Gard, Languedoc, France
Softly flowing, supple, fresh red with gingerbread spice and red berry flavours. A match for turkey as long as the accompaniments are not too sweet and powerful. Not for goose.
£7.89, Booths
Torre de Golbán Ribera del Duero Crianza 2012, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Full-bodied, confident Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) with rich fruit bathed in the vanilla and chocolate of smart French oak. A match for goose or turkey.
£9.99, Wine Rack, winerack.co.uk
Gouguenheim Flores del Valle Blue Melosa Malbec 2011, Mendoza, Argentina
Expressive, fine-boned, velvety Malbec with blueberry fruit streaked with mint, with dark chocolate, spice, coffee and polished oak. A match for goose or turkey.
£11.45 (down from £12.95), Tanners, tanners-wines.co.uk
Ontañón Rioja Reserva 2005, Rioja, Spain
If a wine can be cuddly, this ten-year-old Rioja defines it: mellow and round, with fresher notes of raspberry, blackcurrant and white pepper smoothed by the soothing vanilla and mocha oak flavours. A match for goose or turkey.
£12.95, Noel Young Wines, nywines.co.uk, £13.95, slurp.co.uk
Definition Pinot Noir 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand
Inviting, juicy cherry and strawberry flavours with a smoky, coffee-bean undertow and a crisp, sleek finish. Good with turkey and all the trimmings. A bit bright and primary for goose.
£15.99, or £11.99 when you buy any 6 bottles, Majestic
Ginestreto Fuligni Rossi di Montalcino 2012, Tuscany, Italy
Mellifluous, full-bodied Tuscan with sweet cherry and tobacco flavours and chestnut richness. Sangiovese on a charm offensive. A match for goose.
£19.95, or £17.95 when you buy any 12 bottles, Lea & Sandeman, leaandsandeman.co.uk
Saint-Julien 2010, Bordeaux, France
Textbook claret from a great estate in a great vintage – declassified Château Ducru-Beaucaillou to be precise. Drink now, or any time over the next eight years if you have somewhere cool, dark and tranquil to lay it down. Better with beef or lamb than with goose or turkey.
£19.95, fromvineyardsdirect.com
Berry Bros & Rudd Nuits-St Georges Benjamin Leroux 2012, Burgundy, France
Seamless, silky texture, youthful, black cherry purity and flattering coffee-edged oak. Goose, or turkey with all the trimmings, may overwhelm this elegant, young Burgundy. Plainly roasted game birds, beef or lamb would be better.
£29.95, Berry Bros & Rudd, bbr.com
Torres Mas La Plana 2010, Penedés, Spain
Legendary Spanish wine in its fortieth vintage. Young, powerful, oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon with classic cassis, cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate flavours. Enjoy it this Christmas or, if you have somewhere cool, dark and tranquil to lay it down, some time in the next 15 years. Goose, beef and lamb-friendly.
£35, waitrosecellar.com and selected Waitrose
Opening photograph by Joanna Simon