From luscious Languedocs to scintillating Sicilians, Olly says: You were Med for me!

‘Med reds’ 

I borrowed the title of this column from a wine I tasted recently. ‘Med Red’ just seems like such a brilliant term that ought to be part of the wine vernacular. It makes me think of fruity and hearty blends, in the first instance from the South of France. But then I began to realise. The reds rooted in the Mediterranean climate cover a vast area and myriad styles, countries, appellations and grapes. Here’s how to pick out the best.

The Med encompasses eastern Spain, southern France, Italy, Greece and a scattered selection of islands, from Sardinia to Cyprus. You could even bring in Lebanon and Israel, but let’s narrow things down.

Looking off the beaten track yields huge payback, and your first port of call should be the little-known Spanish appellation of Bullas. Created in 1994 near the town of Murcia, the upland tough landscape is all about the vibrant intensity of youthful, thick-skinned Monastrell grapes.

The one you want is Estratos Monastrell-Syrah 2016 (14%), which is imported by oakleywineagencies.co.uk with a UK stockist in the pipeline.

If you want a wine with lashings of character, the Languedoc in France is packed with them, from Minervois in the west to Bandol in the east.

But just inland around Aix-en-Provence is the appellation of Palette. Churchill was a fan of this complex red blend of no fewer than 15 grape varieties, and yapp.co.uk has the 2014 of the iconic Château Simone, which I adore, as a special treat for £39.95. Across the border in Italy there are many fine wines on the Tuscan coast of Maremma, but down in the heel of Puglia is where to find the rising quality and good value on offer from appellations such as Squinzano, powered by the rich aromatic Negroamaro grape.

And always remember the reliable quality and value of Sicily, with my old favourite Sicilian blend Il Barroccio 2016 (13%) for £7.95 from corneyandbarrow.com.

But my heart is lost to Greece, with a wealth of local grapes and islands and one of the brightest futures around the Med as wine fans set their sails to plunder its coasts of quality.

 

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