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There’s something about Christmas that makes us feel we should be behaving rather traditionally. People who drink Australian Shiraz all year, because that’s what they like, suddenly feel that the only way to celebrate is to have a good bottle of claret and that if they serve anything other than Chablis 1er Cru with the starter, guests will think they’re unsophisticated. As I said last week, the M&S Christmas Claret takes some beating and at £6.99 you can please Great Uncle Sidney and still afford to buy something you enjoy yourself. If Uncle Sidney is a raging snob, just decant the wine and tell him it’s something special. It’s from the 2003 vintage and so is riper in style and you might even enjoy it yourself.
You don’t have to go mad and spend a fortune, but adding a little to your normal budget is perfectly reasonable – I’ve been telling myself this for years. Our favourite wine, by a fraction, was Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2005, which is £7.49 from Somerfield. It smelt of mint and eucalyptus, and had quite forward tannin, rich mouthfeel and a chocolate finish. I wouldn’t drink this by itself because the tannin is on the structured side of balanced but with Christmas lunch, or stilton, it would be great. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Barossa Shiraz 2005 is a very reasonable £6.99 and is an old favourite of this panel, being reliably good, year on year. It’s quite a dark colour and smells, typically, of blueberry and vanilla. The taste is fruity, rather than baked and it finishes with coffee.
Duncan MacGillivray, Devil’s Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 is £9.99 from Majestic, or £8.99 if you buy 2, until 4th Feb. This was my favourite. It smelt of raw blackcurrant, blackcurrant Tunes and some mint. The taste was very mintily typical of Aus Cabernet, reminding Karen of menthol. Leasingham Magnus Shiraz 2005, is £7.99 from Somerfield or £8.99 from Thresher, which becomes £5.99 on their 3 for 2 offer. It’s minty and herbal, with a spicy finish.
However, if you do want to push the boat further into the middle of the pond, these are some of the New World Reds I’d be buying. Chateau Musar 2000 Tesco, at £13.99. It has a beautifully frail and decomposing smell. Gentle and very evolved in the mouth. Sainsbury’s also sell it. Don't buy this to keep; it's teetering on the brink of perfection and death.
Errazuriz "The Blend" 2005 is £14.99 at Waitrose and smells just like over ripe apricots with stunningly buttery oak. It’s very fragrant and vanilla oaky. Stoneleigh Pinot Noir 2005 is 10.49 or 9.99 on offer from Thresher/Wine Rack and £8.49 at Waitrose. It has a very attractive, smokey bacon smell and a dry, but attractively smoky. Matahiwi Pinot Noir 2004 from Oddbins is £8.99 and also has a fabulous Pinot smell with some mint. Heady, perfumed and delicious. Last, and certainly not least, Meerlust Merlot 2003 is £16.99 at Waitrose and has a beautiful, beautiful smell. Really stunning. Spicy, evolved and savoury. Warm at 14% but yum, yum, yum.