The Softer Side of Red Wines: Light and Medium Bodied Reds

Not every occasion calls for a big red wine, nor do lighter options start and stop with white wines. There are plenty of light to medium bodied red options out there to match your mood or meal. 

Let’s take a walk through some of these and cover their unique aromas and flavors, typical pricing, regions, and more.

Gamay

Gamay is the lightest of the reds we’ll cover here. It is the primary grape found in Beaujolais wines. These are known as light and fruity, easy drinking wines. Over 75% of the 90k acres planted to Gamay globally are in the Beaujolais region of France.

Origin: Bourgogne, France.

DNA: Gamay is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc

Notable Regions: Beaujolais, France

Aromas and Flavors: Raspberry, Cranberry, Candied Fruits, Fig, Banana, Pomegranate, Blackberry

Cost: $5 to $400 per bottle

Additional Note: Beaujolais Nouveau is a fruity easy drinker where every new vintage comes out on the 3rd Thursday of every November. This wine is meant to be drunk young. On the other end of the quality spectrum, there are 10 Cru appellations in France where more powerful and ageable versions of Beaujolais are produced - St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, and Côte de Brouilly

Occasional Wine's Favorite Gamay Wine:

2018 Château de La Chaize Côte de Brouilly Lieu-dit 'Brûlhier'

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the 9th most produced grape in the world at 300k acres, but it is one of the world’s most sought after varieties, commanding prices per bottle of nearly $45,000. Sales really exploded following the 2004 hit movie Sideways, perhaps at the expense of Merlot, but it’s always been a stalwart predating even the Roman empire. 

Origin: Europe, somewhere between Northeast France and Germany

DNA: Pinot Noir is over 2,000 years old

Notable Regions: Burgundy, France, Germany (Spätburgunder), Austria (Blauburgunder), California, Australia, New Zealand

Aromas and Flavors: Raspberries, cherries, mushrooms, vanilla, leather, spices

Cost: $5 to $45,000 per bottle

Additional Note: When you hear the term Burgundy it is referring to either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Many of the most famous and most expensive wines in the world are in fact Burgundies, red or white.

On the red side, a Grand Cru Domaine de la Romanée-Conti will fetch over $25,000 per bottle for instance. The Burgundian style of wine making focuses on producing wines that capture all things that the local terroir can offer. As such, the wine represents the whole of the environment from which the grapes were nurtured, harvested, and transformed. This Burgundian style of Pinot Noir, no matter where it might have been produced (France or otherwise), usually produces wine with a bit more body, balance, and earthiness.

Many winemakers outside of France’s Burgundy region (Bourgogne) choose to focus more on the grape itself. This does not impact the quality or age worthiness of the wine, but the aromatic and flavor profiles of these two approaches differ. In the end, it’s all about your palate.

Occasional Wine's Favorite Pinot Noirs:

• 2019 Louis Latour Château Corton Grancey Grand Cru - 98 Points - $220 (Côte de Beaune, Burgundy)
• 2015 Aubert UV Vineyard Pinot Noir - 97 Points - $240 (Sonoma)
• 2021 Flowers Sea View Ridge Estate Pinot Noir - 97 Points - $100 (Sonoma)
• 2021 Roar ‘Gary’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir - 97 Points - $75 (Santa Lucia Highlands)
• 2020 Williams Selyem "Westside Road Neighbors" Pinot Noir - 96 Points - $105 (Sonoma)
• 2021 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir - 96 Points - $100 (Santa Lucia Highlands, CA)
• 2021 Domaine Drouhin 'Laurène' Dundee Hills Pinot Noir - 96 Points - $70 (Willamette Valley)
• 2018 Lange Estate Pinot Noir - 95 Points - $70 (Willamette Valley)
• 2019 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard - 95 Points - $48 (New Zealand)

Grenache

Grenache is the 7th most planted grape in the world (400k+ acres). It goes by many names - Grenache, Garnacha, Garnatxa, Cannonau, Lladoner, Tinto Aragones. It produces lighter bodied wines that are quite approachable, produce fantastic rosés, and serves as a fantastic blending agent, particularly with Syrah and Mourvèdre.

Origin: Aragon, Spain

DNA: Unknown

Notable Regions: Southern Rhône Valley, France, Catalonia, Spain, Paso Robles, CA USA, Provence, France, Southern Australia, Sardinia, Italy

Aromas and Flavors: Ripe red berries, plums, and blood oranges. Hints of leather and/or baking spices are present when wood is used in the winemaking process.

Cost: $5 to $1,600 per bottle

Additional Note:  Grenache is largely a blending grape, except in Priorat, Spain (Garnatxa or Garnacha), or Sardegna, Italy (Cannonau) where it is the star. In the Rhône Valley it is usually the primary grape in their GSMs (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah blend). In California, it plays a prominent role in the regions’ GSMs, but is not always the primary grape. In Provence, it is used mostly to produce rosé wines.

Occasional Wine's Favorite Grenache Wines:

• 2021 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - 96 Points - $49 (Rhône)
• 2020 Clos Erasmus Laurel - 96 Points - $52 (Priorat)
• 2017 Perinet 1194 Priorat Red DOQ - 95 Points - $149 (Priorat)
• 2020 Domaine Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve Cuvée - 94 Points - $49 (Rhône)
• 2019 Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Classique - 93 Points - $55 (Rhône)

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carménère. With over 120,000 acres planted globally, it is perhaps best known as a blending agent with Merlot in Bordeaux’s Right Bank, but it’s no slouch on its own in regions like France’s Loire Valley, Italy, the US, and Chile.

Origin: Libournais, France

DNA: Cabernet Franc is a centuries old grape that has parented several other French stalwarts

Notable Regions (as a single varietal): Chinon and Bourgeill, Loire Valley, France; Tuscany, Italy, Napa Valley, CA, USA; and several regions throughout Chile

Aromas and Flavors: Ripe strawberries, raspberries, green peppers, earth, mineral, dried herbs, pepper

Cost: $5 to $1,200 per bottle

Additional Note: The bell pepper and really a lot of the herbal, vegetal, or savory aromas you’ll likely catch when swirling a glass of Cabernet Franc come from a compound called methoxypyrazine, or pyrazine for short. These are found mostly in Cabernet Franc and other Bordeaux varietals, regardless of where they are grown. 

Occasional Wine's Favorite Cabernet Franc Wines:

• 2019 Vérité Le Désir - 100 Points - $499 (Sonoma)
• 2019 Favia Cerro Sur - 100 Points - $279 (Napa)
• 2018 Gran El Enemigo Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary - 98 Points (Club Subscription Only) (Argentina)
• 2015 Caladan Napa Valley Cabernet Franc - 97 Points - $239 (Napa)
• 2020 Marcelo Pelleriti Signature Cabernet Franc - 94 Points - $19 (Argentina)

Chianti (Sangiovese)

Sangiovese is the most produced grape of Italy. It’s best known by its regional namesake, Chianti, which is on every Italian restaurant menu in the world. Some Sangioveses, like Brunello di Montalcino, can be quite full bodied. Super Tuscans tend to also be aged and produced more full-bodied as well, but most Sangiovese is actually closer to medium bodied. Again, the most notable Sangiovese, the aforementioned Chianti, is a medium-bodied, easy drinking wine that just goes so well with food.

Origin: Tuscany, Italy

DNA: Sangiovese is a cross between Ciliegiolo and Calabrese Montenuovo.

Notable Regions: Tuscany, Italy

Aromas and Flavors: Cherries, tomatoes, coffee, dried herbs, balsamic

Cost: $3 to $300 per bottle

Additional Note: The range in quality across the various Chiantis produced is quite stark. You can find everything from $3 table wine to $300+ age-worthy gems. The sweet spot is more in the $20-$50 range.

If you’re quality conscious, make sure the label says “DOCG,” which is the highest wine classification in Italy. Chianti Classico is a historic region within the larger Chianti region where the rules governing wine making are even more stringent. If you see the word “Riserva,” that is yet another signal of more stringent quality measures.

Finally, starting with the 2010 vintage, Tuscany added an even higher class of wines referred to as “Gran Selezione.” These have even more strict rules, particularly around aging (30 months).

Occasional Wine's Favorite Chiantis:

• 2019 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG - $64
• 2016 Colombaio Di Cencio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG - 96 Points - $59
• 2020 Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG - 94 Points - $39
• 2015 Il Molino di Grace Il Margone Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG - 94 Points - $45

Merlot

Despite the movie Sideways’ impact on Merlot sales in the US, this variety is the 2nd most produced wine in the world at nearly 700,000 acres. Indeed, it is actually the most produced grape in France, and it remains steadfastly one of our absolute favorite grapes.

Origin: Bordeaux (Right Bank), France

DNA: Merlot is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire de Charentes. It is closely related to Carménère, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Taste Profile: Merlots are medium to full-bodied, often known for its soft, velvety texture with flavors and aromas of ripe red, blue, and black fruits, chocolate, herbs, vanilla, wood, and baking spices.

Occasional Wine’s Tip: Merlot is the perfect wine for beginners, given its soft texture and easy-to-love taste. Yet, there are also many Merlots that command price tags of hundreds, even thousands of dollars. On the plus side, because of the Sideways effect on sales, particularly in the US, it’s highly likely you can find a quality Merlot at very reasonable prices at your favorite wine shop.

Occasional Wine's Favorite Merlots:

• 2020 Château Cheval Blanc Saint-Émilion 1st Grand Cru Classé A - 100 Points - $900 (Bordeaux)
• 2020 Château Pavie Saint-Émilion 1st Grand Cru Classé A - 100 Points - $580 (Bordeaux)
• 2020 Château Canon 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion - 100 Points - $230 (Bordeaux)
• 2018 Château La Gaffelière 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion - 99 Points - $150 (Bordeaux)
• 2016 Château Belair Monange Premier Grand Cru Classé - 98 Points - 259 (Bordeaux)
• 2019 Caladan Proprietary Red - 97 Points - $270 (Napa)
• 2019 La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot - 95 Points - $115 (Napa)
• Captûre Merlot - 95 Points - $54 (Sonoma)
• 2016 Avignonese / Campannelle 50&50 IGT - 94 Points - $97 (Tuscany)
• 2009 Twomey Soda Canyon Vineyard Merlot - 90 Points - $72 (Napa)

Honorable Mentions for Light-to-Medium Reds

• Bobal - this is the 3rd most planted grape in Spain after Tempranillo and Garnacha. It’s more fruit forward, soft, and luxurious
• Carménère - a light-to-medium bodied varietal from France’s Bordeaux region, is now Chile’s flagship grape. For a long while in Chile, this one was once thought to be Merlot
• Carignan - referred to as Cariñena or Mazuelo in Spain, is a light-to-medium bodied fruit forward grape from southern France (Languedoc and Roussillon) stands well on its own, but as a blending agent, really makes other wines that much better.
• Mencía is another medium bodied, acidic grape from the northwestern region of Spain and Portugal. Fragrant, tasty, and age worthy.

Sources: Wine Scholar Guild, International Court of Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Jancis Robinson, Wine Folly

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