Before anyone steers you away from ‘jammy’ Nero d'Avola or ‘funky’ natural wines, bear in mind that wines like COS's Pithos Rosso exist to set their prejudices straight. With seven months of skin contact in amphora, it offers complex brambly scents with violet, lavender and grilled herbs, then an intense, ripe and tangy mouthful of plum, black cherry and a squeeze of blood orange, leading to a long, balanced and gastronomic finish. Soft textured, precise and poised, this is seriously classy stuff. (JB)