The Best Red Wines to Gift 2022
From cabernets to pinot noirs, we've rounded up the best red wine gifts the red wine lovers in your life will love to drink.
Some of the best red wines one can gift are those that age beautifully over time, so the recipient can store them away to open whenever they please. Some of the best wines for aging include Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Rioja, which are are high in tannins and acidity, as these components help the wine to develop complex flavors and aromas over time. These wines are known for their ability to develop and improve over several years, sometimes even decades. It's important to store these wines properly in a cool, dark place to ensure that they age well. With this, here are our favorite red wines to gift this year:
The Prisoner Red Wine Blend
The Prisoner Red Wine Blend is one of the most recognized red blends and was inspired by the wines first made by the Italian immigrants who originally settled in Napa Valley. It incorporates Zinfandel with the unlikely mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Charbono and features notes of ripe raspberry, blackberry, pomegranate, coconut, and a lingering vanilla flavor. Enjoy this dark red wine with grilled meats or on its own. Makes a great luxury gift for Grandma, too.
Stags' Leap Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This cabernet has cocoa powdery tannins that are polished and fresh. On the palate, juicy cassis, black currant and blackberry are supported by hints of delicate red rose, brown butter and bittersweet chocolate, giving this Cabernet a rich depth and complexity. Medium to full body and a long, caressing finish. Builds beautifully at the end. So delicious now, but will develop nicely in bottle. Real 2018 character. Top vintage. Try after 2024.
Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Father and son John and Doug Shafer have been working together since 1983 in the Stags Leap district. There tradition and novelty come together, the fusion of one complete generation (the father's) with half of the other (the son's). Flavors of cedar, chocolate, and dried herbs, followed by rich, juicy flavors of blackberry, smoke.
My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is more elegant and focused, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, redcurrants, green tobacco, and cedary spice. I love its texture, it has ripe, polished tannins, plenty of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish, all while staying in a relatively compact, and again, elegant package. As I’ve written in the past, it would cost three to four times the price from Napa. It’s worth noting the change in appellation from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo County, which probably allows for a wider range of fruit.
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee 2019
Spicy aromas of crème de cassis, toasted herbs, pepper and roasted meat on the nose. Big, rich and full-bodied on the palate, with a long, lingering finish.