Sunday Business Post, Ideas for a corking Christmas
Ideas for a corking Christmas
Tomas Clancy, Sunday Business Post, 29th November 2009
Whatever your budget, there’s a wine out there for your Christmas table, and to give as the perfect gift. Here is a roundup of the best on offer across different price ranges.
Meyer-Fonne, Riesling, Vignoble de Katzenthal Vin D’Alsace 2007 (90)
Meyer-Fonne is the epitome of a bespoke Alsace producer - a family-run winery founded in the 19th century and still run by the same family, working the same land. Precision is the word that comes to mind when tasting this riesling. It is not tart, as so many modern rieslings are, but rather it is mellifluous, with a touch of ripe apricots, honey and a dash of lime marmalade.
A perfect Christmas wine, ideal chilled with a hard, tart cheese.
Tomas also recommended one of our all time favourite port:
Niepoort Colheita 1995 (93)
As a gift, port can be slightly tricky - give something solid and classic, like a vintage port, and it might be mistaken for an LBV at a fifth of the price. A much easier way to give port is to head away from the dark side to the tawny port rebels, and that path almost immediately leads to Dirk van der Niepoort, the man who made port lively and hip.
This is a vintage tawny port, which is a rarity, and is a magical wine that will last open in the fridge all Christmas.