10 Fantastic Full Bodied Red Wine Bottles (Tasting Notes, Prices)

by Elaine Lau

Looking for the best full bodied red wine bottles to buy this year?

Full bodied red wines are known for their rich mouthfeel (mouth-coating density) and beautiful, complex flavor profiles. They have 13.5% or more alcohol content and high tannin levels.

You’ll find these robust flavors in a French Bordeaux, a coveted super Tuscan, a Californian Cabernet blend, and more.

In this article, we’ll discover how a full bodied red wine is different from light and medium bodied red wines, and the 10 best full-bodied red wine bottles to buy in 2024. We’ll also reveal some interesting facts about full bodied reds.

Which is the Most Full-Bodied Red Wine?

The most well-known full-bodied red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon.

But it’s not the only heaviest-bodied red out there.

Here’s a quick list of the different red wine grape varieties used to produce full bodied wines:

How is Full-Bodied Red Wine Different from Light and Medium Bodied Reds?

Based on alcohol content and tannin levels, there are three different red wine types - light, medium, and full bodied.

Let’s see how full bodied reds differ from light and medium bodied wines:

1. Light Bodied Red Wine

A red wine with an alcohol content of 12.5% or lower is a light bodied wine. It also has lower tannin levels than a medium or full bodied wine.

Light bodied red wines include:

Pinot Noir
Schiava
Gamay

The light- to medium-bodied wines are:

2. Medium Bodied Red Wine

A medium bodied red wine has an alcohol content ranging from 12.5 to 13.5% and higher tannin levels than a light-bodied wine.

The notable red medium bodied wines are:

Merlot
Tempranillo
Nebbiolo
Carignan
Barbera
Nebbiolo
Cabernet Franc

The medium- to full-bodied wines are:

Sangiovese
Zinfandel
Grenache
Tempranillo
Mourvedre

3. Full Bodied Red Wine

Any red wine with more than 13.5% alcohol content and a rich mouthfeel is a full-bodied red wine.

Wines like these come under this category:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Syrah
Durif or Petite Syrah

10 Best Full-Bodied Red Wine Bottles to Buy in 2024

Here are 10 exceptional full-bodied red wine bottles for 2024:

1986 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Mendel Malbec
2003 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel
1999 Switchback Ridge Peterson Family Vineyard Petite Sirah
2004 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri
Barbeito 'Conceito' Ruby Port, Portugal
1999 Abadia Retuerta P V Petit Verdot Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon
2009 Longview The Piece Shiraz
2014 Baker Lane Vineyards Sonoma Coast Cuvee Syrah

1. 1986 Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon ($49)

This is a dry, well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon - one of the best red wine options for a full body. It offers a fruit-forward palate with delectable blackberry, black currant, and plum flavors.

The Napa Valley Cab Sauv has a delightful finish with a taste of cherries, chocolate, and spice.

2. 2014 Mendel Malbec ($22)

Made from the Malbec grape variety, this Argentinian full bodied wine is bright and deep red with striking violet tints.

This oak-aged dry red wine presents strong impressions of dark fruit notes on the palate.

3. 2003 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon ($38)

This Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark-hued, bold, dry red wine with a velvety, long finish.

Pour it out to taste delicious blackberry fruit, cherry, and chocolate notes with hints of vanilla.

4. 2012 Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel ($70)

Here we have a beautiful, full bodied wine made from the Zinfandel grape variety with complex black and red fruit tasting notes.

The sweet red wine has a high alcohol content of 15.4% with a long and smooth finish.

5. 1999 Switchback Ridge Peterson Family Vineyard Petite Sirah ($172)

This Peterson Family Petite Sirah is a dry red wine with high tannins. The red wine has a jammy taste with a fruity blueberry, blackberry, and plum flavor.

6. 2004 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri ($379)

This prestigious Italian wine (super Tuscan) is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc red blend aged in French oak barrels.

The Sassicaia wine is smooth with tantalizing plum, chocolate, and dark cherry notes.

7. Barbeito 'Conceito' Ruby Port, Portugal ($34)

This Ruby Port is a dessert wine with medium acidity, a prominent spice aroma, and a long finish. The sweet red wine has tasting notes of raisins, dried figs, cherries, and plum.

8. 1999 Abadia Retuerta P V Petit Verdot Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon ($111)

Here’s one of the best red wine bottles produced from the Petit Verdot grape variety with dominant spice notes of pepper, licorice, and cinnamon.

The Spanish red wine features a ripe red fruit flavor, floral aroma, and a refined finish.

9. 2009 Longview The Piece Shiraz ($106)

This full bodied Shiraz from Australia’s Adelaide Hills is a bold varietal wine with balanced acidity and medium tannins.

It offers intense black fruit flavors and oak, vanilla undertones.

10. 2014 Baker Lane Vineyards Sonoma Coast Cuvee Syrah ($33)

This Sonoma Coast Syrah is one of the best full bodied wines with spicy black fruit, red fruit notes, and baking spice, oak, and vanilla hints.

The red wine also has medium acidity and firm tannins.

Interesting Facts About Full-Bodied Red Wines

Here are some fascinating facts about full-bodied red wines:

What are the Best Foods to Pair with Full-Bodied Red Wines?

Pair a full-bodied red wine with hard cheeses and red meat dishes to enjoy its intense flavor and high alcohol content.

You can also complement this gorgeous wine with burgers, cheesecakes, and Italian dishes.

How Do Winemakers Make Full-Bodied Wines?

The grape seeds have a higher tannin concentration among the different components (skin, fruit, and seed) in wine grapes.

Darker grapes with tannin-rich seeds and vibrant fruit flavors undergo prolonged fermentation to produce full-bodied red wines.

This process involves an initial fermentation followed by a secondary, malolactic fermentation. The second stage increases the wine’s lactic acid concentration, making it thicker, creamier, and fuller.

Aging the wine in an oak barrel generates extra tannins that add fullness to the wine.

In the case of sweet wines, the sugar content also affects the body structure. During winemaking, fermentation is stopped early to prevent the complete conversion of grape sugars to alcohol. This residual sugar in the wine (3 to 4 grams/liter) increases its viscosity and enhances its body.

Raise a Glass of Delicious Full-Bodied Red Wine!

There is a vast selection of full-bodied red wine options to choose from. You can easily find bold, well-structured, full-bodied red wines if you keep an eye on the alcohol content on the bottle labels.

But if you’re looking for collectible red and white wine bottles, visit the Vinovest website. They‘ll help you find, store, and sell authentic fine wine labels from around the world!