The Manara 2015 Guido Manara Rosso is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, with smaller parts Croatina and Corvina making up the remaining 10%. All the grapes undergo 45 days of appassimento. The wine is full-bodied and very intense with a 16% alcohol content that powers it from the back. It shows a rich and inky concentration with baked aromas of sweet blackberry confit, smoke and cured tobacco. The first vintage made was 2003, and today 4,000 bottles are released to celebrate Guido Manara, father of the three siblings who currently manage the estate.

This is the bottle you want for that bistro classic of steak frites, with an A1 sauce for an American twist. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Croatina, all air-dried for up to 45 days, the 2012 Guido Manara Rosso ages in French barrique for two years with the residual sugar set at a reasonable six grams per liter. The alcohol checks in at 16%, so you can expect power, along with density, extraction and notes of sweet cherry confit or blackberry preserves. This is a potent but very palatable red blend. Only 3,000 bottles were produced.