Chill

Just when you think there can be no more wine competitions, the Australians come along with one for chilled reds. That’s not such a stupid idea and if the Aussies see there’s a gap in the market, then it’s worth pursuing.

Serving temperature of any wine is a topic that stirs vigorous debate and adamant points of view, particularly in restaurants and especially red wine. Whites are potentially less problematic; they’re usually served chilled, often too chilled for some styles, but it’s an easier way of reaching a comfortable temperature than sticking them in an ice bucket at the last moment.

Reds are a different matter. Few restaurants or wine lovers have sufficient cellaring conditions for reds to be served at the optimum temperature – forget room temperature; it’s a vague term, as the wine could be too warm in summer and too cold in winter. While winter is thought of as red wine season, that’s an increasingly skewed view of today’s reds, so we return to the Aussies’ competition for chilled reds.

The trend for lighter and fresher reds, those with less oak and tannin, has been growing in momentum, no doubt encouraged by varieties like cinsaut, grenache, gamay and others suited to such a style.  Just which wines work and, how chilled for best results, called for some practical research.

Thanks to suggestions from friends, my own ideas and Samantha Siddons’ kind donation of her Vine Venom Satellites NV, a 2021 Syrah, 2022 touring nacional, grenache noir and cinsaut blend, which advises ‘Best served chilled’ on the back label, I had five wines to test. The others; Paul Cluver Village Pinot Noir 2020, Radford Dale Vinum Gamay 2022, Craven Wines Cinsaut 2021 with Warwick Trilogy 2019, 48% cabernet franc, 38% cabernet sauvignon, 14% merlot), aged in French oak, 34% new, hopefully setting an example of what shouldn’t be stuck in the fridge for any longer than a brief chill and only if necessary.

After a night in the fridge, these five came out around 9C, when I had my first taste, followed by two further ones at half-hour intervals. A final try came later in the day, at around 18/19C, which was also the comfortable and consistent temperature in my south-facing office, despite a hot 31C outside; only the wines’ temperature changed.

Such a low initial temperature didn’t do the wines any favour. If some grudgingly offered a little aroma, the overwhelming downside was a bitter finish, particularly in the pinot, gamay and Warwick, something Jean-Vincent Ridon had warned of; ‘The colder the wine, the more your palate will perceive the acidity. And the acidity is boosting any perception of bitterness, such as the wine tannins. So I’ll cool down a carbonique maceration wine with low tannins more than longer extraction, or full bunch maceration, eg a Beaujolais nouveau more than a Morgon.’ Both the cinsaut and Satellites are low on tannin, so avoided bitterness and had a little flavour.

Once around 13C, there was more noticeable freshness rather than acidity, more energy and brighter fruit in the pinot, cinsaut and Satellites. The gamay remained a little sullen, lacking energy but smooth, with rounded tannins.  A good temperature, if one is going to chill this wine but pay attention to J-V’s comment about different Beaujolais styles; Vinum Gamay is not made in the carbonic maceration method.  Personally, I really enjoyed the Craven’s cinsaut and Samantha’s Satellites with this level of chill, which cut through Satellites’ 14% alc, a result of both syrah and grenache made like a red wine, while touriga nacional and cinsaut are wholebunch pressed.

After 90 minutes, the wines were close to my cellar temperature of 16C, the bottles still pleasantly chilled; while Samantha’s blend seemed better balanced when slightly cooler, cinsaut’s sprightly, fresh and flavoursome, spicy red fruit and 12% alcohol, were at their best. With 15-20 minutes out of the cellar, Warwick Trilogy had regained its equilibrium.

Sadly this particular Cluver pinot vintage didn’t perform as Jean-Vincent says it usually does.

Another opinion from Johannesburg-based Miguel Chan, Group Sommelier for Southern Sun Hotels; ‘12C is kind of the sweet spot for chilled red wines; there’s better fruit definition, brighter freshness, crunchier tannins; overall a much more pleasurable glass of red wine.’ He noted, after tasting outside where the temperature was 29C, that as the wine’s temperature rose, it developed more nuances. Miguel also confirmed; ‘This summer, we will be serving all red wines, even by the glass, chilled. Ultimately, the consumer will have the final say.’

Many other chillable reds were mentioned by friends; Greg Sherwood MW suggests De Toren’s Délicate a merlot, cabernet and malbec blend, described on their website as; ‘elegant red blend that combines red’s seductiveness with the undeniable drinkability of white.’ Christo le Riche chips in with their Le Riche Richesse, a five-way cabernet blend, including juicy merlot and cinsaut and Spider Pig’s cinsaut-cabernet blend, The Black Pig. Frequent English visitor, Lisa Harlow has enjoyed a chilled Great Heart Red blend, mainly syrah and cinsaut. Rascallion’s Ross Sleet was inspired to create his Rhône-style blend after living in Tanzania, where the heat and humidity required red wines to be chilled. For something really different, Wine Menu’s Corlien Morris urged me not to forget Pilgrim Wines Bastardo do Castello (aka Trousseau).

I’m sure there are others – please suggest any you’ve enjoyed in the comments – but I hope even talk of chilling reds, will inspire experimentation from wine lovers and restaurateurs alike.