A rich red with intense flavors earth, black cherry and cracked pepper, and maybe a hint of licorice or blueberry. A full-bodied, sinewy red with dark fruits; blackcurrants, blackberries, superripe cherry, plum, chocolate and mint flavors.
“Rich” is subjective. To me these wines have intense fruit flavors,
often with generous helpings of earth and spice. While these flavors
might be found in lighter wines, they are found in much greater
concentration here. And
concentration is a key word here.
Ripeness of the grape and intensity of flavor are directly related, so
grapes grown in warm climates with lots of sun (think Australia) are
more likely to produce rich reds than, say, grapes grown in Canada.
Tannin (one of the acids found in wine that leads to that great
"puckery" reaction) is more likely in richer wines, and alcohol levels
are also often higher here.
Two varietals produce wines that are almost always called rich:
Cabernet Sauvignon and
Zinfandel.
Average tasting notes for Cabernet are loaded with fruity adjectives
like black berry, black cherries, raspberries, and plums. Interesting
Cabernet adds chocolate, coffee, mint, and even bell pepper, all bound
together with a firm seam of tannin. My Zinfandel notes are filled with
words like black cherry, coffee liqueur, licorice, and herbs.
But if you like rich reds, don’t stop here…
Many reds from
Southern France fill the bill.
Cotes du Rhone,
Chateauneuf du Pape,
Gigondas, and others offer charcoal, pepper, earth, black cherry and herb flavors. "Rhone Style" blends with
Grenache,
Mourvedre and
Cinsault fall into this category.
But don’t stop here…
Shiraz (Syrah) brings flavors of blackberries, black currants, an intense purple color, and hints of black pepper, creosote and spice.
But don’t stop here either…
Malbec,
the French grape adopted with enthusiasm in Argentina, is often a
gorgeous combination of quality and affordability, and offers what many
people consider to be the epitome of rich flavors, Chocolate, Coffee,
cherry, and earth.
Petite Sirah
is one of my favorite varietals. Most wine stores only have a few in
stock, but pick one up and see what you think (This is not to be
mistaken for Syrah, which is a different grape). At its best, Petite
Sirah has opulent, jammy cherry and plum fruit flavors, along with
cloves and other spices.
But keep going…
Nebbiolo is the backbone of the famous
Barolo
wine of Northern Italy, a wine famous for its dark color and rich
flavors of berries, spice and violets; and it's ability to improve for
years in the cellar. Sadly these wines tend to be expensive, and rarely
fall into the Tasting Times price limits. Nebbiolo is also grown
outside of Italy.
But keep going…
Cabernet Franc from warm climates bring flavors of violets, raspberries, and blackcurrants.
But wait, there’s more…
Rich flavor characteristics can also be found in warm climate
Pinot Noir from California. Some of these Pinots will be a better value than the Cab grown in the next vineyard. And
Merlot from warm climates (think California, Australia, and Chile) is rich by any definition.