the ultimate Christmas Wine Gifting Guide
Whether you're sharing a special vintage, gifting a bottle as a thank you or seeking the perfect present for a host, there?s no better gift than a beautifully chosen bottle of wine But with so many wines to choose from ? and so many subjective opinions ? what should you buy for loved ones at this time of year? Rebecca Pit cairn offers some top tips for choosing the perfect bottle for the festive season.
Classic Wine Mixed Case
A mixed hamper of wines from the classic regions of France The ideal gift to yourself or anyone that likes a good drop
With a history which stretches back beyond Roman times the French have learnt a thing or two about wine making, and without getting too dewy-eyed, we think you can taste some of that history and romance in every bottle
This case includes one bottle each of Picpoul, Chablis, Viognier, Côtes du Rhône, Pays d'Oc, and Claret
Rioja Gift Set
Wine has been made at Hacienda el Ternero since 1077, a heritage the winery is proud of Unlike most Rioja (which is matured in American oak), this winery choose to age their wine in new and 2nd year French oak for a softer, more approachable style
Why gift wine at Christmas?
It?s thoughtful?
Wine is more than just a drink ? it represents celebration and good times The right bottle can carry deep meaning, especially when chosen thoughtfully It can be personal, luxurious and heartfelt and it will undoubtedly be received better than a pair of socks!
It?s
versatile?
From colleagues to close family members, wine is a gift that can be tailored to suit a wide range of relationships. A fine vintage is ideal for a long-time friend or partner, while a playful sparkling or off-beat wine makes a great office
Secret Santa
It?s timeless?
Wine can be enjoyed immediately or saved for a special occasion in the future Depending on the wine, recipients can open the bottle with friends and family this Christmas or savour the experience in months or years to come
Portuguese Lovers Gift Set
For claret lovers look no further than our Luxury Claret Gift Set Containing one bottle each of Château Bechereau and Château des Demoiselles presented in a luxury clasped, silk-lined, wooden presentation case
Côtes du Rhône Gift Set
The Rhône is known as "La Capitale des Amoureux" - "The Capital of Lovers"; so it's no wonder that we lust after their wines And whoever receives this beautiful gift set, two French wines presented in a wooden case, will be enamoured with you
How to choose the right bottle for the right person...
Selecting the right wine gift can be tricky, but a little thoughtfulness goes a long way so have a think about that person and what they might like, as well as why and when they might open the bottle.
What wine do they like?
Do they prefer red, white, or rosé? Are they into full-bodied, bold wines or do they lean towards light, crisp varietals? If you know their tastes, it?s easy to find something they?ll love If not, you can? t go wrong with a classic crowd-pleaser A Sauvignon Blanc like PF Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (1) from South Africa, is a great all-rounder, while a Beaujolais, such as Dom aine de Fournelles Côt e de Brouilly 2022 (2), with its soft, approachable tannins will charm the most delicate of palates
What occasion is it for?
Yes, you?re gifting wine for Christmas but consider the context in which the recipient might open the bottle A sparkling wine is great for a celebration or drinks with friends, a bold red for a romantic night in by the fire and an aromatic white makes for a great foodie wine
What is their personality like?
If they?re a connoisseur, they might appreciate a bottle from a winemaker that uses interesting wine techniques, such as Dom aine Michel Magnien, Marsannay "Mogot t es" 2019 (3) from Burgundy, which is matured in clay jars, oak barrels, and terracotta amphorae A more casual wine drinker might enjoy a popular brand or an easy-going wine that?s perfect for entertaining, such as Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve 2023 (4), from Devon For the adventurous type, try giving them a wine from a lesser-known region ? perhaps a Portuguese red blend such as Quint a de Foz de Arouce Red 2020 (5), from the Beira Atlântico region
PF Sauvignon Blanc 2021
WO Stellenbosch
Fresh guava, passion fruit and green apple
Domaine des Fournelles Côte de Brouilly 2022
AOCCôte de Brouilly
Elegant and crunchyto charm everypalate.
£17.10 Any 6 mix | £1900 Single
Domaine Michel Magnien "Mogottes" 2019
AOCMarsannay
Auniqueand rarewinefrom Mogottesmonopole
£5220 Any 6 mix | £58 00 Single
Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve 2023
Devon, England
White peach, sweet apricot and a subtle spice.
£14.85 Any 6 mix | £16 50 Single
£16.20 Any 6 mix | £18 00 Single 1 2 3 4 5
Qunita Foz de Arouce Red 2020
IGP Beira Atlântico
Concentrated notesof red berryfruitsand resin.
£19.80 Any 6 mix | £2200 Single
Say
it with sparkles...
Champagne
Fizz is synonymous with the festive season, after all, there aren? t many days when it?s acceptable to drink Champagne for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A bottle of Champagne is an instantly recognised and generous gift
English Sparkling Wine
English sparkling wine is giving
Champagne a run for its money ? thanks to our similar geology and climate. A local fizz, made using the traditional Champagne method, makes for a thoughtful present
Other Classic Sparklers
Drift a little further off the beaten track and impress friends with Cava from Spain, or Alta Langa from Italy Both are made using the
traditional Champagne method and often use indigenous grapes
Crémant
For free thinking friends choose Crémant over Champagne It has all the elegance of its better known sibling, it's made in the same way, and often with the same grapesbut it's less obvious, one for those in the know
6 7 8 9 10 11
6. Champagne Gérin et Fils
Blanc de Blancs
Seduceswith itsfreshnessand notesof whitefruitsand flowers.
£45 Any 6 mix | £50 Single
7 Huxbear Classic Sparkling 2018
Fresh green appleand hintsof
biscuit Exceptional value
£24.75 Any 6 mix | £2750 Single
8. Henners Brut Rosé NV
ClassicEnglish red fruit flavoursincludingraspberries, redcurrantsand rhubarb
£39.15 Any 6 mix | £4350 Single
9 Famille Gueguen
Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs
Notesof pear, apple, and almonds, with floral and spicy touches.
£23.85 Any 6 mix | £26 50 Single
10. Gran Ducay
Brut Nature Cava
Light floral notes, citrus, ripe white peach, pineapplewith a nuttyfinish.
£1125 Any 6 mix | £1250 Single
11 Giribaldi Alta Langa Pas
Dose' Riserva 2015
Burstson to thepalatewith crisp, drylemon Elegance and grace comewith classicpastry notes.
£3500 Any 6 mix | £3150 Single
the charm of Claret at Christmas
Henry Jeffreys explores our enduring love affair with Bordeaux at Christmas
In our family Christmas was always the time to enjoy a nice spot of claret, though my grandfather didn? t always get it right I remember him turning up in the late 1990s with a bottle of Mouton Cadet 1982 (RRP at the time around £5) that he had been saving for a special occasion. So he might not have known a lot about wine but he did know that it had to be Bordeaux at Christmas
But nowadays the hegemony of claret has been challenged on one hand by its old rival Burgundy and on the other by stronger wines from the Rhone or the New World It?s thought that these sweeter tasting reds go better with the bird, the ham, sprouts and redcurrant jelly than dry old Bordeaux
It?s not just at the Christmas table, however, Bordeaux is decidedly out of fashion everywhere Wine lovers have decamped in spirit if not in practise to Burgundy Pinot Noir is the grape de jour Talk to winemakers from Spain to Australia and they will tell you that they are inspired by Burgundy - even if they?re working with Grenache or Cinsault The Burgundian
Everyday Claret
Château Buisson-Redon 2021
AOCBordeaux
Honest right bank claret Lovely ripe cassis fruit and plenty of it with some warm wood spice, and cigar box Very approachable The palate is medium-bodied and structured with round, warm fruit and a velvety finish
£12.15 Any 6 mix | £1350 Single
philosophy of small parcels, gnarly-handed vignerons, and tiny production is the in thing
Bordeaux in contrast seems stuffy and patrician with all those pompous chateaux and grand estates turning out hundreds of thousands of bottles. This isn? t helped by the owners who dress in immaculate tweeds from Cordings in Piccadilly and shirts from Jermyn Street Not very natural wine Meanwhile the stereotypical claret customers are City boys in pin-striped suits
At the top end, the first growths like Lafite and Latour, while still fabulously expensive have been eclipsed on the investment market by Champagne, Barolo and in particular Burgundy A Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos St Jacques from Armand Rousseau that would have cost you £50 twenty years ago will now be closer to £2,000 That?s for one bottle
This demand for these highly limited production wines has increased prices right across Burgundy as people trade down to more affordable bottles But while Burgundy is scarce, Bordeaux isn?t, so the boom
Good Mid-Range Claret
Château des Demoiselles 2015
AOCCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
On the nose there are delicate red fruit aromas with a touch of rich vanilla creaminess This character follows through to the palate where the lusty flavours are held together by velvety tannins and a nicely rounded finish
£15.75 Any 6 mix | £1750 Single
Château Bechereau 2019
AOCLalande de Pomerol
Half of this full-bodied claret is fermented in stainless steel before ageing in barrels for 12 months, the other half is fermented in oak This combination creates a balance of black fruits, toasty notes and sweet spice
£16.99 Any 6 mix | £18 88 Single
at the top hasn? t touched the lesser chateaux
Allowing for inflation, the price of good quality Cru Bourgeois like Chât eau Lilian Ladouys or Chât eau Carcanieux has changed very little in the past 20 years
As well as being expensive, Burgundy is still, despite vast improvements in viticulture, winemaking and global warming, unreliable At best for under £30 a bottle you?ll get something fruity and fun, or more likely it?ll be something thin and under-ripe Burgundy can be tricky to age, too I?ve had wines that taste nice young and then go into their shell for ten years or more Dumb doesn? t begin to describe it Nobody wants a sulky Burgundy at Christmas - how do you explain that to your guests?
In contrast, buy a good Cru Bourgeois, a classification for the best wines of the Medoc that didn? t make it into the 1855 classification, from a good vintage like 2015, 2016, or 2019 and you?re not going to be disappointed. Decant and drink now or keep for five or ten years and you?ll have something
Grand Cru Classe de Graves
Château de Fieuzal 2014
AOCPessac-Leognan
The wines of Château de Fieuzal have a distinct allure that is inseparable from the place from which they are grown Fieuzal has the intriguing ability to hold one?s attention, by combining flavour and feeling; the senses and the sensual
The bouquet is pure and elegant, with a deep violet colour and bright reflections There are subtle notes of cherry, raspberry and forest fruits. The mouthfeel is delicate and silky with pleasant tannins and tension on the finish
£51.75 Any 6 mix | £5750 Single
Second Wines
Château Paveil de Luze 2018
AOCMargaux
A soft and alluring style of claret which is spicy and perfumed on the nose and opulent on the palate This is classic elegant Margaux wine with great finesse and character, with redcurrant flavours and a soft silky finish
£35.99 Any 6 mix | £3999 Single
Le Haut-Médoc de Haut-Bages Libéral 2015
AOCPauillac
A fine and elegant introduction to the wines of this 5th Grand Cru Classé estate The style is fresh, fine, linear and supple, and more subtle than you might expect for such a warm year
£15.75 Any 6 mix | £1750 Single
La Réserve de Léoville-Barton 2020
AOCSaint Julien
A classic 'left bank' nose of smoky blackberry fruit and pencil lead, the palate is rich and rounded with assertive tannins, ample fruit and well integrated oak
£49.50 Any 6 mix | £5500 Single
superlative as a reward for your patience
Happy hunting grounds for good mid-range Bordeaux include lesser known bits of the Medoc like Moulis and Listrac But even famous communes like Margaux can turn up some value like Paveil de Luze Second wines from well-known estates like Sarget de Gruaud Larose or La Reserve de Leoville-Bart on can also be worth trying offering some of the magic of the main label but cheaper and they mature more quickly
If you like the velvety merlot-heavy taste of Pomerol or St Emilion then try lesser known right-bank communes like Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac or Cotes-de-Castillon Plain old AOC Bordeaux in a warm vintage like 2015, 2019 or 2020 is world away from the thin golf club clarets I remember from my youth In fact, Bordeaux is so much riper and jollier than it was in the past It can give the Rhone a run for its money in opulence making it good choice to accompany turkey with ?all the trimmings?A phrase that Jonathan Meades describes as the ?three most depressing words in the English language.?
Cheaper wines from Bordeaux can and should be drunk young Don? t be like my grandfather and keep an ordinary wine for 15 years, it?s not going to get any better The best wines, however, do benefit from time in the cellar In fact, a remarkable transformation can occur to even the most aloofly aristocratic claret After five or ten years, it starts to become progressively spicier and more hedonistic I?ve had Medocs that after 10 years in bottle start to taste like Chateau Musar from Lebanon Mature Bordeaux doesn? t taste stuffy at
Cru Bourgeois
Château Carcanieux 2015
AOCCrus Bourgeois du Médoc
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Ripe cassis fruit, oak spice and a leafy note to the ripe tannins Gently feral and showing a hint of maturity, the finish is long and spicy with a lingering, fruity core
£19.80 Any 6 mix | £2200 Single
all Underneath that rather buttoned up exterior, claret knows how to swing
So when buying wine to drink at Christmas, or any time of the year. Ignore fashion, forget about image, follow your head and go for Bordeaux I?ll leave the last word to a great philosopher and claret lover, the late Roger Scruton who writes that after trying other wines we will always ?crawl home like a Prodigal Son and beg forgiveness for our folly. Claret extends a warm and indulgent embrace, renewing the ancient bond between English thirst and Gascon refreshment??
Classed Growth
Château Batailley 2017
AOCPauillac
Cassis on the nose, this is polished and textured, layered with liquorice and coffee beans, with smoked, burnished oak flavours that help elongate the palate Batailley is an extremely drinkable fifth growth Pauillac that delivers over the medium to long term, and this is an enjoyable and approachable wine
£67.50 Any 6 mix | £7500 Single
Château Lilian Ladouys 2019
AOCSaint-Estèphe
An abundance of tart cherry, blueberry notes, and a reassuring firmness on the palate Quite muscular in style with good oak on the long finish The stoney Saint-Estèphe character shines through with added richness
£3420 Any 6 mix | £38 00 Single
Château Haut-Marbuzet 2018
AOCSaint-Estèphe
Classic Bordeaux - autumnal, oaky, with aromas of black cherries and smoky coffee A backbone of ripe, dark fruit and a proper tannic structure The underlying style of Saint-Estèphe is evident.
£58 50 Any 6 mix | £6500 Single
Christmas Claret
Luxury Claret Gift Set
For claret lovers look no further than our Luxury Claret Gift Set Containing one bottle each of Chât eau Bechereau and Chât eau des Dem oiselles presented in a luxury clasped, silk-lined, wooden presentation case
the Class of '24
Dan Farrell-Wright reveals his favourite wines from 2024
Is there a wine whose siren song you cannot resist? Languishing in the cellar its haunting beauty whispers to you, insisting on being opened.
As a wine buyer, I taste a lot of wines (a tough job I know, but this is the cross I chose to bear) I?m looking constantly for sustainable wines that offer good value and good taste In simple terms, wines I would pour a second glass of There are 350 in our portfolio, all good, but inevitably some bottles shine a little brighter than others So, here are the bottles that kept whispering to me in 2024, gently suggesting I pour a second glass?
1Famille Descombe "Pierres Dorées" Beaujolais Blanc 2022
AOCBeaujolais
£1755 Any 6 mix | £1950 Single
Beaujolais BIanc is relatively unknown outside the Beaujolais region White wine represents just 5%of the regions output, most of which never leaves France
My introduction came at a Beaujolais masterclass in Paris From the first taste I was hooked, I knew this was a wine I had to bring home.
The vineyard is in the area known as Pierre Dorées (golden stones) due to the underlying bedrock: limestone. The nearby buildings, built from local stone, glow in the sunshine and remind you of Tuscany
The wine is made by Francois Descombe, his sister Marine and her husband Kevin They are the fifth generation to work the vineyards, which are now certified organic and adopt agroforestry practices, In the winery, Francois fermented 50%of this wine in concrete eggs This produces lees stirring, bâtonnage in French, which adds a rich texture It has subtle flavours of peach stone, white flowers, and a wonderful minerality which brings to mind the far more expensive wines of the nearby Côte Chalonnaise
2
PF Ruby 2017
WO Stellenbosch
£1799 Any 6 mix | £1999 Single
If you love claret, here's something you need to try, a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from Peter Falke in South Africa The quality of fruit grown in Stellenbosch is insanely good Combine this with inspired winemaking by Werner Schrenk and you're in for a treat
Werner has aged this wine in French oak barrels and then given it a few years to mature in bottle Its palate of red fruits, raw cocoa and hints of cinnamon and cloves is drinking beautifully now
4
Famille Gueguen
"La Vigne de 1975"
Chablis 2022
AOCChablis
£26 55 Any 6 mix | £2950 Single
Every year the compilers of Le GuideHachette, aka the French wine bible, taste 35,000 wines
This year Gueguen's La Vigne de 1975 was awarded a highly acclaimed Coup de Coeur, placing it in the judges top ten I can understand why
This has all the hallmarks of a premier cru Chablis without the accompanying price tag. Powerful, tense, silky, rich, honeyed - this is a wine that is hard to pin down, yet all the more alluring for it
3
Domaine Maby "Prima Donna" Tavel 2023
AOCTavel
£17.55 Any 6 mix | £1950 Single
Pale Provence rosé is so 2023! Here's the full-bodied, fullflavoured antithesis to fashionable pinks. Don't be put off by the colour, this is a dry wine with lots to offer
This comes from opera loving Richard Maby's organic vineyards in the Southern Rhone Valley, with similar soil to neighbouring Chateauneuf du Pape It has powerful aromas of red berries and citrus fruit Concentration and silky tannins make this a magnificent wine for gastronomy
5
Domaine de Mont Joly Cuvée 8545 2019
AOCBeaujolais-Villages
£26.99 Any 6 mix | £2999 Single
This is not the Beaujolais- Villages you are expecting Young winemaker JB Bechvillier has crafted something exquisite from old vine Gamay aged for 21 months in oak barrels
The old vines are naturally low yielding giving concentrated and powerful fruit The ageing has added layers of complexity There are aromas of blackberries, plums, coffee and liquorice, which follow through to an intense palate This is a wine to savour and enjoy!
6
Connoisseur "Le Cheval Marin" 2022
IGPCôtes de Gascogne
£10 35 Any 6 mix | £1150 Single
This was my wine of the summer Ok, so maybe there was no summer, but pouring a glass of Le Cheval Marin is like pouring a glass of instant sunshine
Winemaker Elizabeth Prataveira is an alchemist with the indigenous grapes of Gascony This blend of Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng has layers of intrigue which belie its modest price The palate is an elegant melange of acacia flowers, ripe peach, grapefruit and pineapple
8
Riverview Crouch Valley
Pinot Noir 2021
Devon, England
£35.55 Any 6 mix | £3950 Single
As the driest and warmest county in England, Essex is building a reputation as the best place to grow grapes for still wines. The Crouch Valley is being touted as England's premier cru Riverview is lauded as making the best wines in England Victoria Moore, writing in The Telegraph, described it as, "the best English Pinot Noir "
The palate reveals delicate floral notes with lifted aromas of strawberry, red currant and cranberry A wine destined to be paired with Christmas lunch
7
Florensac Picpoul de Pinet
Selection "Patience" 2021
AOCPicpoul-de-Pinet
£1799 Any 6 mix | £1999 Single
Picpoul but not as we know it This is a new style which, as the name suggests, requires patience. This has the DNA of Picpoul - zippy acidity with a sea salt kicker - but six months on lees has added texture, depth and complexity The palate shows peaches, pears, preserved lemons and the slightest hint of bacon rind This is a wine that demands gastronomy - lobster thermidor, anyone?
Given time it will evolve into something sublime Its unsurprising that it was awarded the medal for Best in Show at last years Sud de France Top 100 Competition
9
Cava Particular Garnacha
Blanc de Noir NV
DO Cava
£16.65 Any 6 mix | £18 50 Single
Cava has a bad rep of late Regarded by much of the drinking public as a simple, cheap, and cheerful fizzinformed drinkers know Cava is a traditional method sparkling wine closer to Champagne than Prosecco
For this wine Jesús Prieto, Juan García and Javier Domeque have made a Blanc de Noir (white wine from black grapes) using 100% Garnacha It begins with aromas of roses and raspberries The palate is rich and creamy with notes of toasted almond, baked apple pie, soft red fruits It ends with a long, lingering, aromatic finish
10
Filare Italia
Prosecco Extra Dry NV
DOCProsecco
£9.99 Any 6 mix | £1110 Single
Prosecco is not my drink of choice, prone to sweetness and a lack of flavour This example from the banks of the Tagliamento river in Friuli is different
As a Christmas party starter, apéritif, or even the base for a cocktail, this is perfect The palate is a refined and elegant blend of pear, apple and acacia flowers
Did I mention that this was a purchasing decision by Mrs F-W?
As I said, refined and elegant
12
Finca Sophenia Estate
Reserva Malbec 2021
Uco Valley, Argentina
£2115 Any 6 mix | £2350 Single
Pub wine lists, supermarket shelves, fancy wine bars Argentinian Malbec is everywhere. Why?It's reliable Full-bodied, balanced, fruity, it will never let you down
This example from the award winning Finca Estate is a step up from the reliable everyday Lionised by James Suckling, Tim Atkins, Robert Parker and Decanter the high altitude has delivered notes of blueberries, plums, and cherries all complimented with baking spices, cocoa and vanilla A modern great!
11
Domaine Chatelain Harmonie Pouillly Fumé 2022
AOCPouilly Fumé
£22.95 Any 6 mix | £2550 Single
Everyone loves Sauvignon Blanc Often regarded as a variety from New Zealand, the original (and arguably best) expressions come from the villages lining the banks of the Loire: Sancerre, Touraine, and Pouilly-sur-Loire
Domaine Chatelain is one of the great estates of the Loire, run by Jean-Claude Chatelain and his son Vincent Their flinty soils give this wine a distinctive smokey note, hence fumé, alongside notes of flower blossom, herbs, and grapefruit An ideal partner to Crottin de Chavignol goats cheese
13
Huxbear Orange Bear 2021
Devon, England
£15.30 Any 6 mix | £1700 Single
As a style orange wine is increasingly popular and features here in my vain bid to appear both cool and relevant - oh, it's also utterly delicious
It is a wine made from white grapes, not oranges, which has enjoyed extra time on the grape skins. This skin contact imparts tannin, texture, and flavour The robust palate has notes of stone fruit (think peach and nectarine) with a touch of vanilla Ideally suited to salty Christmas snack foods like crisps, salted nuts, and pretzels
Krohn
Vintage 2003
Coming from Krohn, a port house more famous for its wood-aged tawnies, makes this quite special The floral spicy nose, has a haunting Turkish delight fragrance It's drinking beautifully now £49.50 mix 6
Port: to every thing there is a season?
Henry Jeffreys knows there's no better way of keeping the winter cold out than a small glass of port in the evening.
Imagine in the days before central heating how comforting port would have been. The funny thing is that when it first started to be shipped to England, nobody liked port very much It was originally brought in as a replacement for claret which the government was taxing heavily due to England being at war with France. A substitute was found from our oldest ally, Portugal A thin red from Oporto - a city with a damp climate - which was closer to vinegar than wine by the time it reached England No wonder there was a poem by Richard Ames that describes the new wine as ?spiritless and flat?and ends: ?but fetch us a glass of any sort, Navarre, Galicia, anything but port ?
Things improved when enterprising merchants began searching the Douro Valley, where the summers were baking hot and dry Nowadays there?s a charming little train you can take but in 18th century it was a major expedition taking weeks through rugged mountains braving bandits and wolves Coming back was even more dangerous, casks were mounted on little boats which had to navigate treacherous rapids It was worth it, however, because the wine was much more to English tastes, strong and dark - a kind of proto-port had arrived
Though it was often fortified these early wines would have been largely dry. The turning point came with the 1820 vintage which was so full of sugar that it didn? t ferment properly leaving the wines sweet It was such a sensation that winemakers began routinely adding brandy during fermentation to stop the yeasts and to make something like the sweet port we now know.
The other milestone was the discovery of how well port aged in bottle If you were a local squire you might buy a pipe (145 gallons/ 550 litres) and get your butler to bottle and bin it in the cellar. It was noticed that this sweet, powerfully tannic wine mellowed into something sublime Port inveigled its way into British culture like no other wine Writer, gourmand and
grandfather to Tom Parker-Bowles, P Morten Shand wrote: ?A properly matured port is rightly considered unequalled as the test of the pretensions of a county family to proper pride, patient manly endurance, Christian self-denial, and true British tenacity.?
Too bloody right! There is no finer wine, in my opinion, than a long-aged vintage port At one point these wines commanded the same prices as first growth claret but port is no longer fashionable. Which is great for the customer Prices have barely shifted in 20 years meaning that you can buy mature vintage port for £50-£75 a bottle Not expensive for wines of this quality Just remember to stand the bottle up for a day or two before serving and decant off the sediment - you?ll probably lose about a glassful.
As well as ?proper?vintage wines, port houses offer second labels from a specific year usually from a single quinta (estate) These have the advantage of being much cheaper and mature faster than the vintage releases Again these will need decanting
Don? t overlook LBV (late bottled vintage) portwines from a single year which are aged for around six years in wooden vats and then bottled The quality is increasingly high, offering proper vintage character at a fraction of the price If you have the patience LBVs will also improve from cellaring They start out bold and pungent but can develop that red fruit and baking spice note that I love in an old vintage port
My wife?s favourite, however, is tawny port These are aged in oak pipes which aren? t filled right to the top Consequently the wines mature with oxygen contact developing quite different flavours to bottleaged wines. Think cherry jam, walnuts and orange peel with an acidic tang to balance out the high sugar content These don? t need decanting and they taste best lightly chilled Whereas a vintage port should be drunk within four or five days of opening, a tawny will last for weeks or even months Though they tend to last about a night in our house.
And what to eat with port? Stilton is the classic option but hard cheeses like Comte and cheddar work brilliantly, too I find chilled tawnies have an affinity for salty cured meats like jamon Iberico or sauscisson sec And there?s nothing better with bitter dark chocolate than a young vintage port So here?s to cold weather and another glorious port season!
Quinta de Val da Figueira 10 Year Old Tawny
A superb aged tawny is the most elegant, quality port one can buy and, as a result of its long ageing in barrel, it keeps better than vintage port once the bottle is opened One of the very finest 10 year old Tawnys in the Douro It is amber in colour and is rich, smooth and aromatic There are spicy aromas with underlying tones of figs and nuts
£3355 Any 6 mix | £3750 Single
Krohn LBV 2017
Deep ruby colour with spicy black fruit aromas The palate has vibrant plum and blackberry characters layered with more spice, fresh acidity and firm tannins. A full and rich style with impressive length
Perfect with blue cheeses, a decent mature cheddar or a slab of dark chocolate
£1980 Any 6 mix | £2200 Single
Krohn Lágrima White Port
Lágrima (meaning 'angels tears') is the sweetest style of white Port An intense yet elegant sweet wine with notes of caramel, honey, and nut - all balanced by fresh acidity and leading to a long and appealing finish Drink chilled as an aperitif, or with fruity desserts It has been filtered, so won't need decanting - once opened it should 'keep' and be enjoyable for a few weeks
£18 00 Any 6 mix | £20 00 Single
Classic Christmas Day Selection
I'm unabashedly traditional when it comes to Christmas. I want wines that are celebratory and instantly recognisable - think Champagne, Chablis, Sancerre, Claret, Morgon and Sauternes The Classic Christ m as Day Select ion has all the favourites to ensure Christmas lunch goes off without a hitch!
to order from Wickhams last date for delivery in time for Christmas is 22 December
easy, simply visit: w ickham w ine.co.uk or call 01803 467 547
Everything is carefully packaged using completely biodegradable materials and delivered within one to two working days by courier
