Christmas Wines

[Mahmoud Ali]

Dinner and wine just before Christmas, with roast duck and then grilled lamb steaks.

The N/V Lanson has no disgorgement date but is likely six or seven years old and is now showing a good deal of complexity and vintage-like character; the 2007 Pancrazi was a bit of a struggle, a bit too leafy and somewhat tannic, but did open up near the end, growing bigger and offering sweeter fruit; the 1998 Banfi Brunello, nice as it was at 20 years of age, was a bit too plush and had us wondering whether it was not entirly an authentic example of Brunello; the Gressier Grand Poujeaux on the other hand was a beautiful example of authentic, traditionally made claret suggesting it needed every bit of its 39 years; the 2005 Santbru from Montsant was still a puppy, had great depth and was a wonderful and tasty example of carignan.

Cheers .................. Mahmoud.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I took these two for Christmas dinner at my Aunt's place:

Christmas2018.jpg

[felixp21]

Christmas lunch at Movenpick Marche, sitting in the middle of the restaurant, ignoring the spoken Chinese surrounding us, and pretending I was somewhere in Austria. Two pints of icy cold German pilsner went down a treat with sausage and potato cake. I love China, but on Christmas day I would rather be pretty much anywhere else on Earth.
Christmas dinner at work, we even had two Santas come along lol. Oh well.

[Luke W]

Started an Arras Rose Sparkling 2005 at 9.30am and then glided onto a Rockford Black Sparkling (2014 disg) - to have with the tappanyaki. After that I needed a sleep but at 7pm the last flat glass of Rockford was divine!

[Mahmoud Ali]

Luke, it is always a treat to find that last glass, no matter how much later, to be still drinking well - especially if flat!

[Luke W]

Luke, it is always a treat to find that last glass, no matter how much later, to be still drinking well - especially if flat!

Very true

[sjw_11]

I was in Shanghai for Xmas, not very Christmassy but lunch at M's on the Bund rescued some sense of Christmas spirit, although I plumped for the salmon instead of turkey (both were excellent). On the wine front, I picked a Woodlands 2016 "Wilyabrup Valley" Cab Sav Merlot which was very nice drinking (best not to think too much about the mark up!). Do recommend M's to those in Shanghai, martinis on their terrace are a particular treat.

Before I left, I had pre-xmas dinner in London with friends- for that we had the GH Mumm Cuvee R Lalou 2002, Rockford BP 2008 and Ch Grand Pey Lescours 2010. The Mumm was OK but a bit oxidative for my taste, the Rockford was drinking very nicely indeed- very true to type and vintage with lots of warm plum flavours, and the Grand Pey was nice but not particularly memorable.

I did take to China a couple of other wines for the festive period- notably the 2016 Guigal La Doriane Condrieu which FelixP so highly recommended and boy is that a cracking wine. I am definitely going to order more. The other one was a South African wine I bought a few weeks ago in Constantia- the Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve 2014 (Cab blend)... very nice wine, but fell a bit apart over 2 days with lots of green elements coming out. Maybe one for earlier consumption.