The Seventh Day of Christmas Means New Year’s Eve…
… and of course New Year’s Eve means celebrating with Champagne or some other form of sparkling wine. I could make tons of recommendations for inexpensive sparkling wines to serve tonight, especially if you’re hosting a soiree with a cast of thousands, but since the emphasis in this sequence of “The Twelve Days of Christmas...
The Fifth Day of Christmas with Champagne and Sparkling Wine: Cremant d’Alsace
Remember, readers, that the focus of the 2011-2012 series of “The Twelve Days of Christmas …” is on Champagne and other French sparkling wines. Remember, also, that since this project began I have not repeated a label, so every sequence brings new recommendations. For this day, December 29 — also the Holy Day of Thomas...
The Fourth Day of Christmas with Champagne and Sparkling Wine: A Grower’s Champagne
Among the hottest items in the hipster world of wine are “grower” or “farmer” Champagnes, that is, Champagnes made by a person or family who also grew the grapes rather than bought the grapes from other sources. The contrast is between that bucolic, artisan’s ideal and the large, established firms that purchase tons of grapes...
The Second Day of Christmas with Champagne and Sparkling Wine
Here we are, Boxing Day, which features (or used to), in the United Kingdom and related countries, the post Christmas distribution of largesse to servants, customarily not one’s own but the servants of one’s friends. This is also the Feast of Saint Stephen — when the snow lay all about, deep and crisp and even...
McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Brook Chardonnay 2010
Margaret River, Western Australia. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A35.I first tried this two months ago, at the cellar door, a 30ml taster which reminded me of blood orange and pith, though of course it tasted of much more and any suggestion of o...
Tramin Winery, Alto Adige, Italy
Tramin Winery, Alto Adige, Italy
It’s a rather dramatic building; vibrantly painted struts form abstract shapes with the windows reflecting the forested mountains behind. The Tramin winery nestled under these crags overlooks a flat, almost featureless plain that folds on down to a river. The only thing one can see as the land stretches away...
Damn, This Was Good! (9)
The series of “Damn, This Was Good!” posts focuses on terrific wines that made a great match with whatever we were eating that night. In this case, the wine was the Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Réserve de Vaudon 2008; the dish was the Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Ragout with Herbed Dumplings, from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s...
Pierro Chardonnay 2009
Margaret River, Western Australia. Chardonnay. 14%. Screwcap. Approx $A65.The quality and appeal are obvious, but even so, I'm not sure I'd want to drink something like this too often; big bones and dangerous curves, it's delicious, but only in small d...
Lake’s Folly Chardonnay 2010
Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A60.Fleshy and slightly sweet, it tastes uncoiled and abundant. Flint and peach skin, a prickle and bustle to the nose along with haystacks and spiced oak. Broad, rich and sweeter than...
Mountadam High Eden Chardonnay 2009
Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 14%. Screwcap. Approx $A35.Like the previous iteration this has a similar emphasis, with plenty of weight, depth and creaminess. It's rapidly becoming a stylistic outlier with its malolactic curves and fuller pro...
Biltmore 2006 Chateau Reserve Blanc de Blancs
Hello Friends,
Why reserve your bubbly just for special occasions? The special occasion is when you remove the cork, hear that wonderful popping sound, watch the tiny bubbles dance, and enjoy the wine. Sparkling wines don’t have to be overly expensi...
Domaine Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots 2005
I had my doubts. The fill was good, but the capsule was stained and surely my anticipation would be met with disappointment. . .My concerns were unfounded. The wine was superb, and fresh. Flint and struck match; curry leaf, peach skin and stone. Wonder...
