A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours. Equally impressive is the winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, who relaxes after work by cycling or playing football, or, more unusually, bull wrestling! Having worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines, his credentials for making this rich, old vine Portuguese red are second to none. For maximum enjoyment, decant and serve with a rich beef casserole.

Save the vines and enjoy a gorgeous, rich red! Poggioreale used to be an important wine village in Sicily. It was where Dino Taschetta grew up, like generations of his family before him. After an earthquake reduced Poggioreale to ruins in 1968, a new town was built further down the hill and the vineyards above the village, the highest and oldest in Sicily, were then neglected for decades. Now, with many of the island’s oldest Nero d’Avola vines grubbed up, there’s even more reason to treasure what’s left. Dino recently returned to the family estate and began to restore the vineyard. His first vintage was 2017 and he was in urgent need of a customer. Our Buyer tasted the wine and reserved it all. A year later, we’ve returned for more.

Big Red El Bombero has been a top choice with customers for many years. And in seriously good vintages, like 2012, winemaker Javier Domeque crafts a sophisticated Gran Reserva version using the pick of the crop from his oldest vines. To qualify for Gran Reserva status, the wine was aged in oak for three years with further time in bottle prior to release. It's made entirely from Garnacha, an important component of many full bodied Spanish reds, and also of Châteauneuf du Pape from neighbouring France. At 14% vol, it's a touch less powerful than El Bombero itself but full of rich berry flavour and with delicious spicy complexity from American oak. The 2011 is perfect right now. Just decant for an hour and serve with roast shoulder of lamb.

Saracosa is inspired by the ‘Super Tuscans’ – a style first developed in the 1970s. These wines kickstarted the region’s renaissance and became some of the most exclusive and expensive in the world. Saracosa is from the Barbanera family estate, where half the vineyards are in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, and the remainder just beyond. In the 5-Star 2017 vintage Saracosa’s old vines delivered exceptional concentration. Dense, dark cherry and chocolatey tones make this a serious choice for pasta with pork ragù or bistecca alla fiorentina (steak with cannellini beans in tomato sauce).

We used to think that Sofia Barbanera's regular Saracosa was intense. And then she upped the ante, with this lavish, luscious, silky smooth Saracosa Governo. A limited-edition luxury version of her already indulgent ‘Super Tuscan’, Governo uses an ancient Tuscan method of allowing a portion of the grapes to air dry for a period of time, dialling the flavour concentration way up. Italy’s top critic, Luca Maroni, has long been a fan of the Saracosa reds, and this one is no exception – he has rated both the 2016 and the 2017 vintagehere a stunning 98 points! English wine writer Oz Clarke is also smitten by Governo’s many charms, calling it “indulgent and exotic”. One taste and we think you’ll fall in love with it too.

Bright, intense ruby red in colour, Tasca Regaleali Nero d'Avola is full flavoured with notes of sour cherry, mulberry, blueberry and vanilla. Herbaceous spice such as sage add further complexity leading into a beautifully balanced red wine.

Giodo La Quinta Toscana IGT La Quinta comes from younger vines (7-12 years old) and spends 12 months in 700-2500 ltr oak barrels. It is a brilliant wine; if ever there was a wine with the Carlo Ferrini stamp on it, the La Quinta would be it. Its vibrant, pure and elegant; it is the pure essence of Sangiovese.