Wine Focus for December: Wines We Love for the Holidays

Some notes from the past few days of holiday celebrations:

2010 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (12/25/2014)
Enjoyed with Christmas prime rib dinner. This will be a fabulous wine in a few years. Needs a couple hours in a decanter to come alive. Classic Muga. I think the 2010s will be better than the past couple of vintages, but not as approachable at first.

2012 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/25/2014)
This was slightly spritzy initially, and much drier than I expected. Sitting at 9% abv, this is the leanest Auslese I have ever had; it drinks more like a Kabinett! So delicious as a table wine; it was delicious with broccoli ham casserole. There was a bit of honeyed apricot note with a steely mineral frame. Will hold my remaining bottles for a few years to see how this develops. Such a phenomenal value.

2006 Dr. Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/24/2014)
Drank from a 187ml. Oxidized; lots of cidery notes. Not undrinkable, but not what it should be. Hopefully the larger format bottles will have a longer life. NR (flawed)

2012 Maison Angelot Gamay Vin du Bugey - France, Savoie, Vin du Bugey (12/22/2014)
Goofy label but happy wine. Classic juicy Gamay with an herbal undertone. Excellent value.

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[Jenise]

This will no doubt roll some eyes, but....

My mom had terrible taste in wine, and my dad was indifferent. Growing up the only bottles I remember seeing around our house were Mateus rose and Gallo Hearty Burgundy. But once a year during the Christmas holiday, my mom insisted on cramming all us kids into the Volvo station wagon and taking what felt to us like a 17-day trip to Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville. She loved the huge barrels, the goofy tour, and most of all...the Holiday Spiced Wine. She always made my dad splurge and buy half a case at the gift shop, and for the next several weeks right through New Years she had a glass a night. Hot, cold, mulled. She loved it all. And she made sure we did too.

So now, goofy as it is and as horrid as it tastes, every year I pull my trenchcoat collar up and my fedora down and lift a bottle of it off Liquor Barn's display then rush it to the cashier before anyone recognizes me.

Then I go home and drink it, and it's officially Christmas.

(And then I open a Sauternes or a Port and beg baby Jesus for forgiveness.)

No eye rolling here! What a charming tribute to your mom. You're a good man, Charlie Brown. Alas, my mother did not drink and my father's taste in wine was fairly unschooled--a jug of Cribari chianti was invariably in the cupboard and for what seemed to my child brain like months at a time, though maybe he went through it faster than I realized. (He did have a drink most evenings, though usually gin, bourbon or scotch on the rocks.) Unfortunately, nothing about the wine--or him--there to celebrate.

[Jenise]

At our neighborhood wine club dinner, I served Michelle Brut Rose (by Chateau Ste. Michelle), Piper Sonoma Brut, and Halyard sparkling wine. The Michelle because I could get it at employee cost pricing, $6 per bottle, the Piper Sonoma because I remembered it as one of the better Sonoma NV's and I could get it for about $13 which was $3 a bottle less than Gloria Ferrer and some others, and the Halyard because I picked it up from Last Bottle under $20 per. When you're serving 70 people, cost matters.

One of the other knowledgeable champagne aficionados (a guy who REALLY loves champagne and buys the good stuff for his large cellar) and I compared notes throughout the bubbly service. Re the Michelle, we were both pretty surprised at how good it was (I had tested a bottle so I thought so, but I wouldn't have even tried it if someone familiar with it hadn't insisted I do so): in particular, it really was 'Brut'. Dry, no residual sugar, no bitter aftertaste. In Washington state it has no equal at the price.

The Piper Sonoma was as good as I remember it being, possibly even more so. And the Halyard, which we served last, shocked my friend because all those toasty brioche and baked apples flavors were California, not France.

This year we had Christmas dinner at our daughter's place and they provided some vinous surprises to go with traditional Christmas fare. The English bubbly was only my second of this increasingly respected breed; the previous was from the prestigious Nyetimber which I thought would have given a blanc de blancs from Chapagne a good run for its money, were it not for IMO over-dosage. Vin jaune with foie gras is counter-intuitive but I enjoyed the combination.

With smoked salmon and crab zakouskis -

NV Chapel Down Reserve Brut exclusive Marks & Spencer - England, Kent (12/25/2014)
Served as a surprise. Nice bubble. Quite champenois nose with white fruit and a dash of cream and biscuit. Lively medium bodied palate with bright acidity, minerals and a slightly perfumed floral element in addition to the aromas already noted. Finesse. Good apéritif bubbly.

2006 Drappier Champagne Millésimé Exception - France, Champagne (12/25/2014)
It followed on the lively Chapel Down M&S exclusivity and immediately showed fuller body, greater roundness and density of fruit (mainly Pinot Noir, I guess) with richer and more complex aromas. This is more a food wine. Very good.


With foie gras d'oie -

2002 Caves de la Muyre Château-Chalon - France, Jura, Château-Chalon (12/26/2014)
This is a full throated Château-Chalon with the typical oxidative aromas, medium/full body and good density of fruit. Time should bring more finesse. Unusually, in my experience, it was paired with foie gras d'oie and, IMO, it had a cutting edge which complemented better the fat of the goose liver than the more conventional pairing of Sauternes or port. Good.

With stuffed capon -

2006 Château Haut-Bages Libéral - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/25/2014)
I think that this is in an aromatically closed phase. The nose showed some plum fruit notes with touches of still undigested oak. The medium bodied palate showed decent density of substance and structure on entry and mid-palate with good acidity but was inexpressive and only replayed the few aromas from the nose. It seemed to tail off towards the finish but that could change if the aromas open up and complexify. Some unfinished business here, I guess. Meanwhile quite good.

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A question about foie gras - Is it only a memory in the USA? I read that consumption of foie gras is banned in some US states and is boycotted elsewhere. Boycotts also seem to be on the increase in the UK and in many EU countries production of foie gras is banned. Here in France during this festive season foie gras has been visible on sale everywhere but animal rights campaigner, Brigitte Bardot, is leading a campaign against it which is attracting increasing support. (Yes, it is the same BB who starred in Roger Vadim's erotic films in the late 50s and 60s.)

[Jenise]

Tim, I don't think consumption is banned--well, maybe it is in restaurants in California, possibly elsewhere too but California seems to lead the way on these things--but nothing stops a person from buying and serving it at home, if you have a source. And there are a number of sources.

A question about foie gras - Is it only a memory in the USA? I read that consumption of foie gras is banned in some US states and is boycotted elsewhere. Boycotts also seem to be on the increase in the UK and in many EU countries production of foie gras is banned. Here in France during this festive season foie gras has been visible on sale everywhere but animal rights campaigner, Brigitte Bardot, is leading a campaign against it which is attracting increasing support. (Yes, it is the same BB who starred in Roger Vadim's erotic films in the late 50s and 60s.)

It is banned in California, but I'm not aware of any other states with such a ban. The main commercial producer is Hudson Valley in NY, (as Sonoma, I assume cannot produce them any longer) but our restaurant gets foie gras from a small producer in Minnesota called "Au Bon Canard". It is run by a French family and their production is literally less than 1% of the huge commercial operations. I'm sure there are other small foie gras farms in the USA as well.

TN: 2004 Keith Tulloch Semillon Botrytis Hunter Valley (350ml).

Screwcap, $26 Cdn, cellared five yrs. Went well with pumpkin pie, Portuguese custard tarts and creme caramel.

Deep amber color, explosive aromas of dried figs, spice, barley sugar, freshly opened marmalade.
Initial entry is at its peak now, dried fruits, caramel, "allspice" from across the table. Naturally sweet, not that oxidized, wonder if enough acidity but maybe hidden with all that goes on here. Lengthy concentrated finish , perfect with the desserts. Tasted again overnight, did not show as good as day 1.
Think I will be drinking my other recent semillons from Elderton a tad earlier.

2007 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Bucher Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA

13.9% abv. I took this to an annual Christmas party. It had dark cherry/purple fruit notes. Last year I took the Williams Selyem Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir to the same party and it showed some Christmasy spices (nutmeg and cinnamon). This wine had less of those spicy notes and maybe some pepper or Asian spices. I finished the bottle at home the second evening and it tasted rather flat--clearly less fresh than the first evening. I preferred the Ferrington Vineyard Pinot from last year.

Cockburn's Aged 20 Year Porto Wine. 500 ml. bottle. 20% abv. Bottled in 2012, I opened this early but will have some left for a New Year's Eve drink and for New Year's Day. Pretty amber color. The label speaks of cedar wood and crystalized fruits. I note the cedar along with prunes and figs and a hint of caramel toffee. Once again the Cockburn Tawny seems drier than Taylor or some other brands. I do feel some warmth from the 20% alcohol.

Some good bottles for a New Year Eve dinner with family.

With zakouskis of crab and pâté -

NV Autréau blanc de blancs brut grand cru champagne Champagne - France, Champagne, Montagne de Reims, Champagne (12/31/2014)
This was a slight disappointment. It was lively with fresh fruit, good acidity and rather over exuberant fizz but lacked the subtle elegance which I expect from a grand cru blanc de blancs.

With crayfish chowder - (recipe of Fernand Point modernised by Paul Bocuse)

2010 La Maison Romane Chablis Grand Cru Valmur - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (12/31/2014)
This was WOTN for the rest round the table but I did not fully share the enthusiasm. First sniff and sip immediately revealed a medium bodied Chablis of great character with stony citrus fruit, lively moreish acidity, good length and an underlying fruity roundness. However on some later sips I detected a faint unattractive pastiness on the finish which somewhat spoilt my appreciation. Was this a reaction to elements of the pairing, a crayfish chowder made with several herbs, or a trace of TCA? My usually TCA trigger happy wife did not complain nor did the heel-taps this morning give any hints of it.

With locally fished lobster -

2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (12/31/2014)
This was more seamless than the Valmur '10 which preceded, perhaps less full of character, but more perfect. Medium/light body with all its elements of citrus fruit, stony minerals, bright acidity and underlying roundness beautifully focussed and singing in unison with hints of lovely secondary development which is so beguiling on mature (pox free!) Chablis. Very good.

With and after a nicely light chocolate dessert created by a local pâtissier.

NV J.W. Burmester Porto 10 Year Old Tawny - Portugal, Douro, Porto (12/31/2014)
On leaving the wine shop, I was wondering why this tawny was so expensive but on opening it I knew why. It was delicious with slightly deeper colour and fuller body than often with tawny and was perfectly focussed with ethereally sweet fruit, beginnings of secondary flavours and enough acidity and grip on the long finish to leave a completely uncloying after-taste. Very elegant and very good.

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Nice notes and sounds like a great dinner.

Let me finish off my contribution of holiday wines with those of New Years day when the main course consisted of a tender and tasty doe fillet in a port source.

NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Montagne de Reims, Champagne (1/1/2015)
A dependably delightful Blanc de Blancs in the not bone dry category. Medium/light bodied but round with gentle bubble, slightly creamy white fruit, discreet minerals, some biscuit and very elegant. Very good.

1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/1/2015)
Not so big as much CndP but more elegant with beautiful dark fruit showing good depth and length and infused with herb, balsamic touches and hints of forest floor and was supported on the finish by resolved tannins. Very good.

2000 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (1/1/2015)
I have an outstanding memory of a bottle of this (but cannot find a TN) and was expecting it to "beat" the Beaucastel '99 which preceded but it didn't. It took some time to open up but when it did the fruit seemed brighter than the Beau's. This was a suave and polished CndP with full/medium body, rich fruit, good ripe tannic structure and decent length showing notes of sweet cherry and plum, hints of leather, touches of chocolate and enough pepper and spice to provide local character. The Beau had more depth and secondary development. Very good.

1996 Château de Malle - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (1/1/2015)
Delicious. Medium bodied and strongly botrytised with notes of apricot, rich toffee and marmalade but marvellously freshened by lively acidity, which prevented any suspicion of cloying and got me stretching for the bottle to refresh my glass. Very good.

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