I don’t mean rosé, I mean real red wines that are just so good drunk with a bit of a chill, especially in summer! After all, red wine is intended to be drunk at ‘cellar temperature’ and a European cellar is probably around 15°C all year, not the 35°+ our bottles reach when they sit outside at a barbie. We’re talking about light-bodied reds here with little or no oak, soft tannins and plenty of fruit. Pinot noir (and its cousins) shine … but there are a few surprises too. And this is only scratching the surface of a long list of reds that take well to a bit of chilling; try it with your favourite light reds soon.
Eldridge Estate PTG Mornington Peninsula, Vic
I love Beaujolais, so the gamay in this 50/50 blend with pinot noir may be what grabbed me at first. This deliciously moreish light red is an easy quaffer on its own, and great alongside something spicy like a red curry. Lovely fruity nose and savoury finish with good length.
Two Tonne Tasmania Ziggurat Pinot Noir Tamar Valley, Tas
Ricky Evans likes to experiment with his pinot noir, mixing things up a bit each year. He says his 2019 is: ‘Pinot noir chasing a Beaujolais style’, with half having been fermented cab mac style and half whole berry. It’s quite savoury with good acid and best with food.
Murdoch Hill Ridley Pinot x Three Adelaide Hills, SA
Pinot noir is joined by cousins pinot meunier and pinot gris, at Murdoch Hill winery, to create this juicy, slightly funky, light red wine. It’s a touch cloudy, with a lovely aromatic note, plenty of red fruit and warm spices, plus firm tannins to finish.
Terre à Terre Piccadilly Red Blend Adelaide Hills, SA
At Terre à Terre winery, Trousseau, the classic red grape of Jura, is co-fermented with mondeuse (common in neighbouring Savoy) and pinot noir to create a wine with lovely chalky tannins, juicy red fruit and bright acidity. It has good body with a bit of grip and comes into its own with food.
Bodega Pirineos Principio Moristel Somontano, Spain
This soft, dusty, savoury wine comes from the Spanish Pyrenees. It’s made from a rare local grape, moristel. Thin-skinned with light body, it’s usually used for blending, but fermented with natural yeasts, unwooded, unfined and unfiltered, it’s delicious here as a single varietal.
