Small Gully The Formula Robert's Shiraz 2020, South Australia, Australia: This Shiraz is a deep, brooding red that showcases a rich, bold house style. It delivers waves of blackberry compote, dark chocolate, cracked pepper, and warm spice that unfold in slow, confident layers. The palate is full-bodied and plush, with velvety tannins coating the palate and a long finish carrying a touch of smoky cocoa. It’s big, bold, and demands attention, the diva of the table with both power and polish. I’d score it 93 points out of 100 for its concentration, structure, and impressive sense of place. This is boutique, hands-on winemaking at its finest, a multigenerational effort led by father-and-son team Stephen and Joe Black, who focus on small-batch ferments and gentle handling to preserve depth and character. Named after the original vineyard site located in a small valley dip on the Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley, the wine reflects its origins with confidence. This pairing works because the wine’s bold fruit can stand up to intense heat, its alcohol adds a warming sensation that complements rather than fights the spice, and those peppery tannins echo the black pepper in the cheese, creating a seamless spice bridge. Drink: 2022-2026. 142935 15.90% D 750 mL  $19.95 Score: 91/100. November 22, 2025 Best Value Red Wine. Heavenly Hamburger Wine Full Review

Phantom Creek Estates Kobau Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2022, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia BC V.Q.A., Canada: This bold Phantom Creek Cabernet Franc is exactly like that little black dress that makes you feel like you can conquer anything. It is classic, powerful, and always appropriate. A premium BC wine, it showcases the absolute best of Okanagan Valley winemaking. Their commitment to quality means you get concentrated dark fruit flavours, beautifully structured tannins, and the kind of complexity that rewards slow, thoughtful savoring on long winter nights. The wine offers bold character and full body, delivering layers of blackberry, dark cherry, licorice, and cedar. Velvety tannins coat your palate without overwhelming it, achieving the perfect balance between power and elegance. Its depth and intensity make it an ideal companion for fireside gatherings, whether you are hosting friends or enjoying quiet solo moments of reflection. At $72, it is worth the splurge, tasting like it is twice that price, perfect for giving an extra-special bottle or treating yourself this season. Supporting Canadian wineries during winter also means you are enjoying wines made to complement the seasons you experience, not a Mediterranean climate halfway around the world. These particular grapes have earned their stripes. Phantom Creek survived a devastating frost last year that would have made lesser vineyards pack it in. But this is the True North, where we do not quit just because nature tried to cancel us. These vines looked at minus twenty and said, “Is that all you have got?” And that, my friends, is what makes us Canadian. Drink: 2025-2028. 14.80% D 750 mL  $72.00 Score: 96/100. December 14, 2025 Full Review

Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019, Veneto D.O.C., Italy: Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella from Italy is a profound, luxurious red and perhaps the ultimate winter warmer. It opens with intense aromas of black cherry, blackberry compote, and dried plum, layered with notes of baking spice, cocoa, and hints of leather and tobacco. The palate is full-bodied, dry, and opulent, with rich, concentrated fruit framed by velvety tannins, balanced acidity, and 15% alcohol that gives it depth and resonance. Serve it at room temperature to fully appreciate its layered complexity. It’s crafted using the ancient appassimento method, where grapes are partially dried for several months, concentrating their sugars and flavours into a rich, velvety elixir. The Tommasi is intensely concentrated with notes of dried cherry, fig, mocha, chocolate, and warming baking spices that evoke Christmas pudding and holiday indulgence. The grapes basically go through their own spa retreat before becoming wine. Very luxurious. It’s like the ghost of Christmas desserts past, present, and future all showed up in your glass at once. Fascinating fact: Amarone is made using the traditional appassimento method, and Tommasi’s family has been perfecting this technique for generations in Valpolicella’s Classico zone. This wine has outstanding aging potential and will evolve beautifully over 10–15 years, gaining deeper tobacco, leather, and savoury nuances. Drink: 2022-2026. 356220 15% D 750 mL  $53.95 Score: 96/100. December 6, 2025 Top Rated Red Wine. Best Beef Wine Full Review

La Vite Lucente 2019, Tuscany I.G.T., Italy: From Tenuta Luce, La Vite Lucente 2019 is a dry, full-bodied, smooth and vibrant Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon red wine blend with dark cherry, dark berry, plum, dried herbs, smoky spice and mochanilla flavours silky, smooth on the palate. The wine was aged 12 months in French oak barriques. Drink or hold. Pour with aged hard cheeses. Drink: 2022-2028. 747030 13.50% D 750 mL  $34.95 Score: 93/100. January 21, 2022 Top Rated Red Wine. Harmonious Hard Cheese Wine Full Review