(Manfred Klimek / WELT am SONNTAG)
Red wine is under immense pressure. The reason for this is that young people – often, and somewhat misleadingly, referred to as Generation Z – have less interest in wine than previous generations; not even the many trendy and, indeed, still emerging wine bars around the world can hide this fact. One thing is clear: the successful narrative of wine culture, which has also embraced fashionable aspects over the last 40 years, cannot be sustained amidst the upheavals of our times. Whilst white wines remain relatively stable worldwide and rosé wines have even seen enormous gains over the past five years or so – particularly amongst women – red wines are currently completely out of fashion. This is also down to the narrative surrounding red wine culture, which is often characterised as masculine and high in alcohol. Yet the crisis facing red wines – still the premier category of winemaking culture – also has its advantages: this year, highly sought-after red wines of the calibre featured in our list are costing significantly less than in previous years. Could luxury red wines actually be becoming affordable again? Here is our selection of red wines for Christmas 2025.
Ramon Bilbao Rioja Crianza 2022: an uncomplicated Rioja that won’t overwhelm anyone at Christmas and will please everyone. And one we’re happy to enjoy an extra bottle of. ‘Crianza’ means ‘the young category’. However, in the Spanish red wine-making tradition, this implies at least two years’ ageing in the cellar – with six months’ mandatory ageing in oak barrels, usually second-use barriques. Clean cherry fruit, gentle vanilla from the toasting, a hint of coconut and soft tannins. Fresh enough for turkey or duck, spicy enough for roulades. A modern classic with a distinctive character and surprisingly good structure for this price range. A wine that shows why Rioja is consistently regarded as a safe bet: rounded, warm, approachable – and yet more than just a Christmas tradition. A wine for every season.
Ramon Bilbao: Rioja Crianza 2022, for €8.35 at www.conderwines.de
Max Ferdinand Richter Pinot Noir 2023: the first of two remarkable Mosel Pinot Noirs, vinified with a delicate touch and impressive clarity. The winemaker exports a large number of these – which, compared to Riesling, are few in number – to the US, where this Pinot Noir, as a decent glass of red wine, is currently replacing many more expensive, unremarkable Burgundies from France in upmarket restaurants. The red fruit is crystal clear, with aromas that are quintessentially Burgundian, yet with that Mosel lightness in the tannins that makes it dangerously easy to drink. Delicate, precise, unpretentious – an ideal accompaniment to festive starters and light meat dishes. This Pinot Noir demonstrates that Constantin Richter is not only capable of producing perfect Riesling, but can also craft red wine with surprising finesse. Always present: a delicious hint of the slate terroir’s minerality.
Max Ferdinand Richter: Pinot Noir 2023, available for €18.50 at www.maxferdrichter.de
López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Cubillo Crianza 2017 is Rioja and Tempranillo as only Heredia makes it: a Crianza which, like all Tondonia wines, has been allowed to mature in the cellar in the bottle for many years. This is almost a unique selling point in the wine world and also indicates that this traditional estate has sufficient capital to be able to afford such bottle ageing. The Cubillo is, of course, vinified in the traditional manner – never an experiment – with a delicate oxidative character and a rich, elegant patina. Ripe red fruit, leather, black tea, a hint of smoke, a touch of cedar wood, and an almost perfect, appetising acidity – a wine that seems to have stepped out of time, but in the best possible way. Cubillo is the gateway to the world of Tondonia, and even here the house’s grandeur is already evident. Perfect with roasts, game or goose. A Rioja with soul and, for this price, incredible festive elegance. Needs an hour’s aeration before drinking.
Lopez de Heredia: Vina Tondonia Cubillo Tinto Crianza 2017, for 19.90 at www.gute-weine.de
Lungarotti Montefalco Sagrantino 2020 showcases Umbria’s largely unknown yet truly perfect red wine variety, Sagrantino, as a statement wine: dark, robust, underpinned by a tannic structure capable of eclipsing even Piedmontese Barolos. Lungarotti reins in the variety just enough to make it easy to drink, without toning down its power. Black berries, graphite, dark chocolate – a powerful Christmas wine for hearty dishes. Anyone who knows and understands Sagrantino loves it for precisely this uncompromising character.
Lungarotti: Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2020, available for €34.99 at www.wir-winzer.de
Paul Achs’ Pinot Noir Reserve Selection P 2022 is one of the most elegant Pinot Noirs in Burgenland. This is also down to the winemaker and his love of red Burgundies, which he cultivated even when the variety was still considered a hard-to-market exotic in Burgenland. Delicate cherry fruit, cool minerality, silky length. Nothing loud, nothing over-extracted, everything perfectly balanced. The P-Selection harbours French ambitions, yet bears a distinctly Pannonian, warm signature. Festive, refined – a Pinot for the quiet, contemplative moments on Christmas Eve. Requires two hours’ aeration in a carafe.
Paul Achs: Pinot Noir Reserve Selection P 2022, for €47.90 at www.bremer-weinkolleg.de
Markus Molitor Pinot Noir*** Graacher Himmelreich 2019 is the second interesting Pinot Noir – better known in these parts as Spätburgunder – from the Moselle and is 100-Parker-point winemaker Molitor’s substantial and successful experiment in producing great red wines in this predominantly white-wine region: an aristocratic, profound Pinot, cool, structured, with delicate oak notes and already a dramatic length on the palate. Molitor vinifies Pinot Noir with the same meticulous precision as all his white wines, and you can taste it: clarity, depth, calm. A wine for grand Christmas evenings and, at the same time, a collector’s wine with a promising future. Needs at least two hours’ aeration.
Markus Molitor: Pinot Noir Graacher Himmelreich 2019, for €128.00 at www.ludwig-von-kapff.de
Château Le Gay 2001 in a magnum (1.5 l) showcases Pomerol at its peak of ripeness and inner tranquillity from a thoroughly underrated vintage that reliably guarantees great, elegant aged wines: velvety texture, warm dark fruit, truffles, cedar, and even a hint of that slightly damp horse-saddle note on the nose, for which older, traditional Bordeaux wines are particularly renowned. In the magnum, the wine is exceptionally harmonious and surprisingly youthful. Le Gay 2001 demonstrates just how beautifully Merlot can age: dignified, deep, without a trace of fatigue. A great Christmas wine that speaks of elegance, time and long bottle ageing. Act fast: there are only a few bottles left. Important: do not decant; instead, pour directly from the bottle, opened 30 minutes beforehand.
Château Le Gay 2001, magnum, for €220.00 at www.trinkreif.at
Les Forts de Latour 2005 is very close in flavour to the first wine, Château Latour. The reason for this is the perfect 2005 vintage, which is now at its peak: tremendous structure, immense precision and the typical Latour dignity. Blackcurrant, graphite, tobacco leaves, great, formidable elegance. Pauillac in all its serious, majestic splendour. Grand in the glass, dignified at the table, yet a source of immense pleasure. A Christmas wine for those who regard Bordeaux as the supreme discipline. Needs two hours’ aeration. An affordable luxury.
Château Latour: Les Forts de Latour 2005, for €245.00 at www.vintage-grapes.com
Leroy Bourgogne Rouge 2018 possesses an intensity rarely found in this category. No wonder: Leroy is one of those time-honoured cult winemakers of Burgundy whose bottles are allocated to merchants. This Bourgogne Rouge is one of the estate’s simplest wines – and yet it is brimming with greatness. Darkly spicy, concentrated, yet silky, rich in extract and full of tension. A Pinot Noir that makes other red wines from the region, even those from renowned vineyards, seem like supporting actors. Pure concentration, aristocratic aromas: a festive wine that needs no grand cru to deliver greatness. Needs two hours’ aeration.
Leroy Bourgogne Rouge 2018, for €294.00 at www.bottle-hero.de
Joseph Drouhin Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru 2021 is the epitome of Pinot elegance and legend. One of the finest, most distinguished and greatest red wines in the world: delicate red fruit, cool black cherry, a hint of bay leaf, chiselled acidity and a length that turns the moment into a time of contemplation. The 2021 vintage is slender, classic and purist – a vintage that prioritises terroir over power. A Christmas wine for the highlight of the festivities: sublime, concentrated, unforgettable. Open at lunchtime and decant.
Joseph Drouhin: Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2021, for €882.57 at www.perbaccowine.de