Wines for the Festive Season
What does a vision of Christmas mean to you? Is it the smell
of the tree, the glitter of the lights and the rustle of wrapping paper? A time
for friends, family, old and young - new toys to play with, old stories retold
again and again. Maybe it's the aroma of the turkey in the oven, a time for bling
and parties, with good wine, good spirits and hearty cheer. I'm dreaming of
Christmas. The presents. The arrival of family and friends. The food and wine. The
specialness of it all.
But this vision of the festive season can be fraught too.
What to buy? Whose turn is it to have Aunt Mabel? What about the excess and the
expense? Is the turkey burnt and have the sprouts gone to mush. And there's still
nothing on the telly. What to do with leftovers and hangovers?
While I can't advise you about how to cope with any of those
dilemmas I can suggest some delicious wines to enjoy throughout the entire
festive period without wear and tear on the nerves. And never forget that a well-chosen
bottle of wine always makes a much appreciated gift.
Think first about apéritifs. One word should be at the top
of your shopping list - Sherry. Let's get this straight, Sherry is not just for
old codgers, so go to the back of your cupboard and throw away the half empty
bottle of Aunt Mabel's dank and sickly sweet cream sherry left over from last year.
Sherry is cool - just ask the Spanish - and comes in a wide range of styles, so
try a Fino or the more delicate Manzanilla. Both are bone dry, pale white wines
made by a fascinating process that allows yeast to grow on top of the wine in
the barrel during maturation. It's this yeast (called flor) that imparts the moreish tangy and briny taste and makes it
so good when served well-chilled, perhaps with a bowl of olives or with nibbles
and cheese. They can be conveniently bought in half bottles and once opened
will keep for a week in the fridge. They are always are best drunk when freshly
bottled, look out for bottles released within the last 12 months - the L number
on the label shows the date.
For celebrations there is nothing better than a bottle of fizz.
There are good and inexpensive fizzy alternatives to Champagne here that
are perfect for parties and New Year revelry. However, if you plan to be alone with
your special one then really it has to be Champagne, the ultimate romantic indulgence.
You could spend a small fortune on vintage wines or luxury prestige cuvées, but
these are best left to mature further over the years ahead. Instead, my choice
would be to look for a top-notch non-vintage Champagne from a famous house that
will add grace to your table. The run-up to the festive season is the time to
buy, with plenty of attractive discounts available.
Christmas dinner meanwhile is usually the largest and most
elaborate meal of the year. Regardless of the meat chosen for the centrepiece, (duck,
goose, chicken, beef, pork, lamb or game are all viable alternatives to
turkey), this is a meal that's a minefield for wine matching. Just think of all
the various ingredients; cranberry sauce, chestnut stuffing, horseradish,
mustard, bread sauce, sausage meat, bacon, chipolatas and various vegetables
including essential Brussels Sprouts. These myriad flavours combine to challenge
any wine. In order to cope you need wine companions with power and vivid flavours.
White wines need to be full-bodied, fruity and voluptuous.
In this category, the role is played to perfection by new world Chardonnay, especially
as there is no other grape that has quite the affinity for a lick of
judiciously introduced oak. The best producers from California, South Africa
and Australia manage to integrate oak and wine perfectly, giving the wine
additional backbone and complexity while preserving balance and elegance - no
mean feat. Avoid those cheap and unpleasantly woody versions that rely on the
addition of oak essence or chippings for their oak flavour rather than use real
barrels.
For a red wine, look for power, bold fruit and soft smooth
tannins to cope with that riot of food flavours. For me, big red Zinfandel from
California hits the spot every time, closely followed by the indigenous reds
from Italy's hot south - Primitivo (which is Zinfandel), Nero d'Avola and Negroamaro.
Australian Shiraz, especially the big bruisers from the Barossa, follows
closely behind.
If you still want to show off a prized pedigree bottle of
red wine, for example from Bordeaux or Burgundy, then consider serving your
roast meat of choice simply dressed, just with herbs and a few vegetables -
that will allow the more subtle and complex potential of the wine to be fully
appreciated. I would still prefer a new world Pinot or Bordeaux-blend with
Christmas dinner.
Inevitably, there are the leftovers. A wine that seemed
great with Christmas dinner often fails to deliver with cold cuts the next day.
With the exception of rare beef with Burgundy and Bordeaux, tannic reds are
best avoided. I've found lighter and fruity reds such as Beaujolais, Barbera
and Dolcetto work well, while for goose, nothing
beats an off-dry German Riesling. Sauvignon Blanc remains my weapon of choice
against bubble and squeak!
Finally, it's time to pass the Port. Here's a stereotype:
Port is red, alcoholic, drunk after meals, good with Stilton cheese or classic
Christmas pud. It's enjoyed mostly by ancient men with gout, smoking stogies in
leather-backed armchairs, hidden inside a room from which women are barred. And
then there's all that decanting palaver. All quite enough to turn you into
Rowley Birkin QC. Here's another stereotype: Port is either cheap 'n' rough
Ruby, or else the good Vintage stuff is hugely expensive and needs years of
cellaring. Thankfully, there is a great alternative - Tawny Port. This is a
versatile drink with youth appeal that needs no decanting. It's
gender-inclusive, sold in chic bottles at nice prices and brilliant with nuts,
cheeses, puddings, chocolate, dates and coffee, or just on its own. A perfect
after-dinner drink, Tawny is also good as a long drink when topped up with ice
and lemonade!
So if you follow some of these ideas this Christmas you'll
encounter some great wines guaranteed to add a little pizzazz to your seasonal enjoyment.
As for me, relaxing at home in a state of well-fed contentment in front of a
blazing fire is the festive experience I crave the most.
Have a cool Yule.
Wines for the twelve days of Christmas
- González Byass, Tio Pepe, Fino Sherry, Jerez,
Spain. NV. 15%
This world-famous wine remains hugely underrated. Pale coloured,
with a classic brine and almond nose, it tastes fresh and full-flavoured.
There's a citrus zip and it is very, very dry, leaving a cleansing and
refreshing impression with a salty more-ish finish. There's more body here than
with many a Fino and it has a little less briny tang than a Manzanilla, hence
it makes a fine introduction to the style. Serve chilled, nothing works better
with a bowl of olives or cheese and nibbles. It's also a wonderful alternative partner
for crab and oysters.
Widely available,
at around £9.00 for a full-sized
bottle (halves available), including supermarkets.
- Champagne Pol Roger, Brut Réserve, NV. Champagne, France. 12%
Also known, for obvious reasons, as "white foil", this
non-vintage Champagne defines the Pol Roger house style. Pol Roger was always a
favourite of Sir Winston Churchill, a rich blend of 30 different base wines sourced
from at least two vintages. It contains equal parts of all three Champagne
grape varieties; Pinot Noir gives body, Chardonnay brings elegance and Pinot
Meunier adds freshness. This is a rounded and crisp wine of considerable depth,
thanks to the wine spending three years on the lees before being given a
further 6 months maturity pre-release to appeal to the "English" palate.
Drinking well over the next five years or more, you'll find blossom, green
apples, brioche, stone-fruits, nuts and a lick of honey in harmonious
proportions.
The Wine Society £27.50, currently on seasonal offer at £23.00
- Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough,
New Zealand, 2008. 13.5%
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a superstar in the wine world.
This icon single-handedly established the swift rise of an entirely new wine
region in 1985 and at the same time created the only truly new wine style of
the last 30 years - some achievement. The 2008 vintage has all the usual Cloudy
Bay hallmarks; tropical aromatics of passionfruit and pineapple with an added
twist of tomato leaf. The palate combines this with a little green gooseberry,
olive and zesty citrus notes. Above all else there's that rapier-like
incisiveness and excellent concentration - and maybe just a touch of Semillon
added to round it out. Despite the price, Cloudy Bay remains benchmark Kiwi
Sauvignon; a number of competitors have caught up in the quality stakes but
no-one else sells out in a matter of weeks from the vintage release - and the
2009 (happy 25th anniversary) is out now. It will keep but in my
opinion it's always best when drunk young.
Berry Brothers and Rudd 18.75
- Vergelegen Chardonnay, South
Africa. 2008. 13.5%
Always a favourite South African producer, Vergelegen provides
a rich, buttery and creamy Chardonnay with skilled wine making. Aged and partially
fermented in French oak barrels, this is a pale green/gold wine that is capable
of matching a wide range of food; particularly roast poultry - turkey, chicken
and guinea fowl. While the reinforcement of oak treatment showing up as toasty
notes, it still manages the trick of being elegant and balanced. There's good
control of alcohol and acidity, a refined stone-fruit and citrus palate, flinty
minerality and a long dry finish. Drink now and over the next 3-4 years.
Majestic £9.36
- Planeta, Cometa Fiano, Sicily, 2008.
14%
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is the
cradle of Italian wine but until recently it made mostly undistinguished plonk.
However, over the last twenty years there has been a huge improvement in wine
quality. Planeta, family-run and established in 1985, are in the vanguard of
this revolution. Cometa is made entirely from the white Fiano grape, grown at
Menfi on the western side of the island. Fiano is native to mainland Italy's
Campania region yet it reaches its apogee here and makes a great alternative to
Chardonnay. Straw yellow with green tints, it has a lovely peach-fruit aromatic
quality with additional nuances of citrus, white flowers and thyme. The palate
shows a honeyed richness and peach stone minerality. Full bodied and balanced by
just enough fresh acidity, there's even a tangerine and pine nut quality there
too. A gorgeous mouthful now but this white wine is capable of improving for a
decade. Once again received the top 3 glasses award from Gambero Rosso.
The Wine Society £20.00
- Le Clos Jordanne Single Vineyard Pinot
Noir, Ontario, Canada, 2006. 13%
Le Clos Jordanne is based at Jordan Village on the Niagara
Peninsula in Ontario in Canada. Launched only in 2006, it's owned by the
Canadian Vincor company and Jean-Charles Boisset of Burgundy - the first
Burgundian investment in Canada. Their goal is to create wines that can rank with
the worlds finest. Their talented winemaker is Thomas Bachelder, who employs
Burgundian wine making techniques to make a round and rich, slightly decadent
wine with a perfume of violets and rose petals. Cherry fruit is mingled with
blackberry and orange zest along with hints of cedar and spice. There's good
depth and silken elegance with a savoury finish. A delicious wine that will be at
peak until 2013 or so. Truly, this is the taste of Niagara - it's up there with
some very serious Pinot - be amazed, be very amazed.
Liberty Wines £24.95
- Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel,
California, USA. 2006. 14.5%
Ravenswood's Joel Peterson is a notable champion of
Zinfandel and makes a range of different Zins that over deliver for the price
and this example sits in the middle of the range. His motto is "no wimpy
wines"! Buxom yet well proportioned, it's a classic full-bodied red made from 84%
Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah and 2% Carignan that is given 18 months maturation
in French oak. It's those ancient Zin vines that bring scent, complexity and a
sumptuous palate, with vivid blueberry and plum fruit to the fore. Despite the
alcohol level all is balanced, while bright acidity, soft tannins with brown
spices and a long smoky finish complete the impressive package. Drinking well
yet capable of improving over say 3-4 years, when leather and balsamic notes
will appear. Make sure the label says "old vines" rather than the regular Lodi
bottling.
Majestic £9.49
- Peter Lehmann, Stonewell Shiraz,
Barossa Valley, SE Australia, 1997. 14%
Shiraz is Australia's gift to the world and the classic
version comes from the Barossa valley. Peter Lehmann is a legend there and Stonewell
is the flagship wine that is capable of considerable longevity - it isn't
released until it's five years old. This older and now hard to find 1997
example really demonstrates how Shiraz can age beautifully. In the glass, the
blackish garnet colour is a herald of the opulence to come. The rich velvet texture
embraces intense dark fruits, backed by brown spices, hints of gingerbread and soft
smooth tannins. There's considerable heady power and now secondary leather and
game flavours are developing, though there's a decade or more ahead yet. A
timely reminder that big bold Aussie's really do improve with age!
Corney & Barrow £27.99
The 2003 is £29.99 at Waitrose while the 2004 is £28.00 at
the Wine Society. Both are drinking now but are so much better with a few years
bottle age.
- Niepoort, the NiePOoRTland twins:
Tawny Dee and Ruby Dum Port. NV. Both 20%
Fun for Christmas: a pair of Ports in convenient half
bottles that are based upon the Alice in Wonderland Tweedle Twins (they come complete
with suitable graphics stencilled on the bottle). Tawny Dee is, ahem, tawny port, while Ruby Dum is...you
get the picture. The tawny is a fading brick red/amber colour, with walnut
aromas and hint of dried figgy fruit. A luscious texture and warming finish
complete the package. The ruby is deep red colour
and features a big hit of cherry and plum fruit before youthful fire takes
over. They are not designed to be complex, but what's not to like? They offer
great humour in the Dirk Niepoort tradition plus good after dinner drinking.
Moreover, the pair make a smashing gift for any wine-lover. There's a pair on
my shelf.
Campbell's of Leyburn, £7.49
each (available separately)
But, I hear you ask, there's not twelve wines here. So drink
some of them twice!
