We recently asked the Spectator Wine Club’s six merchant partners for their festive wine picks. Here are the 12 bottles they selected, along with links to purchase them:
Esme Johnstone, fromvineyardsdirect.com
— Le Reserve de Leoville Barton, St Julien, Bordeaux, 2004 – £18.95 per bottle
Wonderfully rich claret that is drinking really well now.
— Mas Belles Eaux ‘Les Coteau’, Languedoc, 2005 – £12.95 per bottle
The best red wine to come out of the Languedoc for the last 5 years – rated 91 by Parker, which is an understatement. Perfect with beef, game, venison.
Jason Yapp, Yapp Brothers
— The Crémant de Limoux – £8.95 per bottle
This is an inexpensive and versatile fizz from a Champagne blend that is a failsafe crowd-pleader. I serve it with a splash of Crème de Cassis for a festive “Kir Royale”.
— Saumur Champigny ‘Vielles Vignes’, Domaine Filliatreau, 2006 – £12.95 per bottle
This is a mid-weight Loire Cabernet Franc that really opens out in the glass and is very well-suited to turkey.
Adam Brett-Smith, Corney & Barrow
— Macon Verze, Domaines Leflaive, 2006 – £14.20 per bottle
Gold green in colour, this bio-dynamic wine has a luch, fat-fruited, even succulent nose and palate, but with that charateristic kick of elegance and freshness that lifts the weight of this wine effortlessly.
— Ch Troranoy, Pomerol, 1990 – £75 per bottle
The “half brother of Petrus,” from a fabulous year and now approaching full maturity, this is gorgeous. Ripe, rich, smooth, succulently structured, silky concentration and fine length. The business.
Ben Godfrey, Wheeler Cellars
— Pinot Noir, Cockfighter’s Ghost, Tasmania, 2004 – £12.99 per bottle
This was the hands-down winner at our recent tasting of wines to accompany Christmas dinner. Vibrant and luscious red fruit, with a spicy, gamey character and a savoury, food-friendly texture. Produced by the highly regarded Poole’s Rock estate.
— Sauvignon Blanc, Moa Ridge, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2007 – £7.99 per bottle
A recent arrival, and proof that a little bottle age can work wonders with Marlborough sauvignon. Produced by Lawson’s Dry Hills – leading lights in the region – it has the mouthwatering, lively fruit we’ve come to expect, but with a lovely roundness on the palate. Great value.
Robert Boutflower, Tanners
— Viña Arana Reserva, Rioja, La Rioja Alta, 1998 – £14.90 per bottle
It has to be Rioja Reserva – mellow enough, but with great fruir, a bit of age and the power to cope with turkey, beef, cheese, almost anything apart from the smoked fish. Just the best allrounder out there.
— Château Miaudoux, Saussignac, 2004 – £12.95 per 50cl bottle
Sauternes is a bit pricy, so I’ll be going for a 2004 Saussignac. It’s a bit young, but great value for the price – around £12 for a 50cl bottle. Don’t know if there’ll be Foie Gras to go with it, but I just like a glass of good, sweet wine.
Laura Taylor, Private Cellar
— Champagne Chauvet Brut Blanc de Noirs NV – £15.95 per bottle
With a fine, smooth flow of bubbles, Chauvet’s Brut Blanc de Noirs is rich and elegant, biscuity and refined, so it was no surprise to us when it came top in Jane MacQuitty’s bling tasting for summer fizz. It has been top of our list for the past three years. Offering excellent vaule for monye, this delicious champagne has been receiving a great deal of attention in the press recently – and rightly so. Lovely!
— Bourdeaux Supérieru, Ets J-P Moueix, 2005 – £8.45 per bottle
Where to start with the accolades this wine has been collecting in the past few months? “Impressive, smoky, plummy” (Jane MacQuitty, The Times); “What I’ve enjoyed most this week: full-flavoured, intense, juicy and dark with rich, ripe, rounded fruit and silky smotth tannins” (Johnny Ray, The Telegraph), this is classic claret. Packed in a smart wooden box, it is the perfect present – if you can bear to give it away.
For more from wine-related content – including feature articles by Henry Rymill – head over to the online Spectator Wine Club.
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