Festive Drinking 2025

[nac]

It's December. We're drinking. What's not to like?

Once again it's time to share what we're imbibing now and planning to across the coming weeks of enforced jollity.

Some of us kicked this off on Monday 1st with...
Gusbourne, Brut Reserve, 2020 and then a 2021 (as we needed a 2nd glass, which wasn't as good)
Zind Humbrecht, Clos Saint Urbain "Rangen de Thann", Riesling 2005
Peter Michael, "L'Apres Midi", Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (which was a bit past it - possibly an iffy bottle)
Jaboulet, Crozes Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert" 2005
Jaboulet, Hermitage "La Chapelle" 2005
Tignanello 2005
La Rioja Alta, "904" Gran Reserva Rioja 2005
Ridge, Petite Sirah "Dynamite Hill" 2005
Warre 1970
Croft 1966
Cockburn 1970 (Blenheim Palace stock)

And you?

[nac]

...and have to do it again tomorrow. Annual get-together with ex- work colleagues. [one was ill and one not drinking, so some bottles saved]

We are having:
Something Gusbourne
Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2017
Chateau Cissac 2009 (magnum)
Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Muga, "Prado Enea", Gran Reserva Rioja 2006
Klein Constantia "Vin de Constance" 2012
Warre 1975
Devesa White 1973
Churchill Club Tawny

Will report back.

[MigSU]

I had a nice dinner yesterday at Kraneman's Quinta do Convento. Standouts were their 30yo and a 2015 LBV. Kraneman are unfortunately often overlooked but their tawnies are excellent, in my opinion.

[winesecretary]

A very well deserved glass of Edouard Delaunay’s Aligote 2023 Vignes du Professeur Feuillat. It has been a hell of a week. This is a very nice wine indeed with a decent decant, and sensibly priced too.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I fancied a glass of red wine last night. First bottle to hand was a bottle of Meerlust Rubicon 2016. Delicious, but still rather young.

[Glenn E.]

For a wine-focused party tonight, a magnum of 1977 Smith Woodhouse VP.

This is a fairly large party - usually 40-50 people through the night - but most of them are wine drinkers. A few of us bring Port, and we're slowly converting the others. I've brought magnums of 1977 Gould Campbell the last few years, so thought I'd mix it up a bit tonight. But not too much!

[Rummy]

Had some friends over for my birthday, felt like opening some sweet wines.

[MigSU]

Those are some very nice wines. Surprised to see a Quinta das Bágeiras there, they're not very well known wines outside of Portugal but they are excellent.

[Rummy]

Those are some very nice wines. Surprised to see a Quinta das Bágeiras there, they're not very well known wines outside of Portugal but they are excellent.

Discovered them earlier this year, very glad I did, great wines indeed.

[Andy Velebil]

Those are some very nice wines. Surprised to see a Quinta das Bágeiras there, they're not very well known wines outside of Portugal but they are excellent.

Discovered them earlier this year, very glad I did, great wines indeed.

They make some fabulous wines. Glad you discovered them. They age very well.

[nac]

...and have to do it again tomorrow. Annual get-together with ex- work colleagues. [one was ill and one not drinking, so some bottles saved]

We are having:
Something Gusbourne
Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2017
Chateau Cissac 2009 (magnum)
Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Muga, "Prado Enea", Gran Reserva Rioja 2006
Klein Constantia "Vin de Constance" 2012
Warre 1975
Devesa White 1973
Churchill Club Tawny

Will report back.

Warre 1975 was really very good. Had a 4 hour decant and showed well.

[nac]

Nice things over the last few days:
Murrieta Castillo Ygay Grand Reserva Especial 2004 - lovely but cork was a disaster; exploded into a million pieces
Leoville Las Case 2003 - yum
Vougeraie Gevrey Chambertin “La Justice” 2008 - double yum

Now starting to consider what to have Xmas Day.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Still thinking about what to open at Christmas but drank a bottle of Uva Mira Cabernet Franc 2017 this evening. Still way too young - but I won’t be around when this hits its peak.

[MigSU]

Uva Mira? Damn, there goes one potential name for my wines. I should have dibs, though, one of those words is my surname.

[Bertie3000]

A few drinks with friends last week:
Domaine Evremond - nice, but nothing special
Nyetimber - Tillington 2014 - lovely English sparkling with a richness not usually found in English wines
Ken Forrester - Dirty Little Secret 5 - I really like this SA Chenin but very unusual and does not taste like your standard Chenin.
By Farr - Farrside 2022 - lovely Pinot Noir. So easy to drink.
Roagna - Barbaresco Montefico Vecchio Viti 2009 - still far too young. Needs at least another 5 years.
Orma - Aola de Orma 2021 - Cab Franc from Bolgheri - too young but I love the freshness in this. I am sure it will get better but really enjoyable now.
Fonseca 1985 - never had a bad bottle of this. Perfect way to finish an evening.

[mcoulson]

Yesterday I enjoyed a W63 with some friends ... and it was jolly nice ....

[Alex M]

Langoa Barton 2005 last night. Excellent wine - ready to drink.

Lynch Bages 2000 and Sandeman 1966 tonight.

[MigSU]

Today for an impromptu late lunch at Porto's Casa da Música we had , amongst other things, a Vale da Figueira 10yo, a Fonseca 1985, and the remnants of a Vallado 50yo that I had the luck to enjoy a couple of days ago. Non-Port standouts were the quite electric Quinta do Regueiro Maturado em Barricas 2016 (a serious wine from one of the more serious Vinho Verde producers) and a very taste bottle of Quinta do Vesúvio 2016.

[Alex Bridgeman]

At lunch today, my host opened the following bottles just because he could:

Krug NV Edition 171
Nyetimber Tillington Vineyard 2016
Dom Perignon 2015
Pol Roger 2002 Cuvée de Réserve
Kongsgaard 2022 Chardonnay
Mullineux Granite 2014 Chenin Blanc
Trimbach Riesling 2015 from Frédéric Emile
Quiñón de Valmira 2016 from Alvaro Palacios
Volnay les Caillerets 2015 from Benjamin Leroux
Monsanto Il Poggio 1995
Kusuda Syrah 2010
Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva 2010
Chateau Montrose 2005
PMG 2018
Cossart Gordon Bual 1987
Taylor 1977

[jdaw1]

At lunch today, my host opened the following bottles just because he could:

How many people were at the lunch?

[nac]

Beaucastel 2010
Croft 1975 - wasn’t expecting much, but really quite good

[Alex Bridgeman]

At lunch today, my host opened the following bottles just because he could:

How many people were at the lunch?

We were 12.

[Justin K]

Dinner tonight with friends, nothing special but an almost complete run of Portuguese wines:
Xisto Ilimitado (Douro white)
Altano (Douro red)
Lidl Barossa Shiraz (surprisingly good)
Taylor’s 1970 (had to sacrifice a half glass as had nothing else open to make gravy) always reliably excellent
Midleton Very Rare 2001 (couple of glasses)

[mcoulson]

Had a croft 55 and a Fonseca crusting 73 yesterday evening as a minor buntingford emergency with help from a couple of friends.

The croft got better and better the crusting started a bit alcoholic then turned out nice but collapsed by the end of the evening

[winesecretary]

After another very busy week the festive season started emphatically with a dinner party yesterday evening.

Guy de Forez Les Riceys Cote de Bar Brut
Leclerc Briant Brut Reserve
Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Perrieres 2020 Domaine Agnes Paquet
Chateau Leoville Barton 2002
Jurancon 2018 Grappe d’Or Domaine de Montesquieu
Cote Rotie 2019 Domaine Bernard Burgaud
Warre 1963

Everything sang which was brilliant

[mcoulson]

Warre 1963

That was from the batch we got ?

[MigSU]

This is a lot of festive drinking.

Yesterday I had a festive lunch and a festive dinner but I forgot do document what we drank. Most of us were producers so there were lots of soon-to-be-released wines, mostly unlabelled.

[winesecretary]

@ mcoulson - it was

[Alex Bridgeman]

Camel Valley Vineyard Brut 2019 to celebrate reaching the Saturday before Christmas.

[MigSU]

Camel Valley Vineyard Brut 2019 to celebrate reaching the Saturday before Christmas.

Congratulations on the milestone.

[winesecretary]

Right. Last proper day of work of the year done. Barolo Mosconi 2020 (Anselmi) consumed with the pennette puttanesca and afterwards. Aerien and almost Burgundian. Very attractive.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Friends round for dinner this evening resulted in the opening of bottles of Hundred Hills Prelude 2018, Campo Viejo Rioja Crianza 1998 and Dow 1963.

[Bertie3000]

At the weekend:
Vina Tondonia Rjoja 2013 (white). I really enjoy white Rjoja at the moment and this one was excellent.
Vina Real Grand Reserva 1970. Bought from The Wine Society this year to drink with 2 x 1970 friends. Very drinkable to me but some found it too old.
Remelluri Rjoja Reseva 2009 - a little young but so drinkable.

[Bertie3000]

I bought a cheap case of old low/medium fill port bottles last month at auction. No provenance, nothing. I just thought it would be an interesting experiment to try a few over Xmas and see how many survived. I opened the first last night - a mid level Harvey’s 1954 (identify clear from capsule and cork). The three of us all concluded it was very nice drinking, still had some fruit left and had a lovely long and sweet finish. The port was at its best after maybe 90 minutes but did not really drop off over the 3 hours it was in the decanter for. Chances are the next bottle I open will not be as enjoyable!

[winesecretary]

Yesterday featured

- a half of deep red fizz from Paul Bara (NV but with some bottle age - properly red fruited champagne- Bouzy Rouge in fact).

- Fleurie 2021 Julien Sunier - smashable but forgettable

- SaintJoseph L’Instinct Domaine Jolivet 2020 - satisfying ferrous

- Savigny les Beaune Aux Grands Liards 2022 Domaine Simon Bize 2022 - ravishingly pretty fruit

And a slightly disappointing Warre 1970, the aromas not bursting from the glass as they usually do. Will revisit tonight.

[Andy Velebil]

Whitwams Millennium Port. (A Christiano Van Zeller and Dirk Niepoort collaboration back in 1999). Pretty spectacular.

[nac]

22/12 - Frog's Leap, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - very drinkable, nothing spectacular

Last night (23/12) - Bonneau du Martray, Corton 2009 - really rather good, but not ready yet

Tonight (24/12)
Gusbourne Rose 2019
Vega Sicilia, Valbuena 1999

Mid shoulder OBV 1950 being opened (just for me)

Tomorrow (25/12)
Bollinger, La Grande Annee Rose 2004
Olivier Leflaive, Bourgogne Les Setilles 2023
Sassicaia 2007
d'Yquem 1999 (1/2)

[Alex Bridgeman]

…Harvey’s 1954 (identify clear from capsule and cork)…

Just for information, Harvey’s 1954 is actually a full Graham blend. A small parcel (2 pipes, I think without checking my notes) of it was made. One was kept by the Symingtons for a child born in 1954 and one sent to Harvey’s as they (or maybe one of their biggest Port customers) also had a child born in 1954.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Traditionally, I am the house chef on Christmas Day so I spend most of Christmas Eve preparing. This year I have decided to prepare by opening a bottle of Warre 1966. (Which is lovely!)

[mcoulson]

I'm out with friends tomorrow so like Alex am preparing by opening a W77 which is not quite as yummy as W66 but is not to be sniffed at ...

[jdaw1]

And I’m having a lovely Warre 2000: first bottle from an OWC, more cellar time needed.

Out of politeness nobody will ask about the bacterial Martinez Eira Velha 2000, which was meant to pair with the W00 for a mini-horizontal, but likely tomorrow will be cleaning the drains.

[Andy Velebil]

…Harvey’s 1954 (identify clear from capsule and cork)…

Just for information, Harvey’s 1954 is actually a full Graham blend. A small parcel (2 pipes, I think without checking my notes) of it was made. One was kept by the Symingtons for a child born in 1954 and one sent to Harvey’s as they (or maybe one of their biggest Port customers) also had a child born in 1954.

You sure on the Symington’s? They didn’t own Grahams in the 1950’s.

[winesecretary]

Today

Bourgogne Rouge 2011 Domaine Henri Audiffred (declassified village vosne romane? Tasted like it)

Quentin Beaufort 2015 champagne, 100% Pinot Noir, disgorged 2020. Mad (unsulphured?) biodynamic cuvée of 1721 bottles, fully ready and rather good.

Malartic Lagraviere 1978 with the roast chicken but proving even better on its own. Perfumed, lovely, about 11%.

[Alex Bridgeman]

…Harvey’s 1954 (identify clear from capsule and cork)…

Just for information, Harvey’s 1954 is actually a full Graham blend. A small parcel (2 pipes, I think without checking my notes) of it was made. One was kept by the Symingtons for a child born in 1954 and one sent to Harvey’s as they (or maybe one of their biggest Port customers) also had a child born in 1954.

You sure on the Symington’s? They didn’t own Grahams in the 1950’s.

Whoops! I should have said “…one was kept by the Graham’s family…”

But then they’re all related anyway!

[nac]

Tonight (24/12)
...
Vega Sicilia, Valbuena 1999

Tomorrow (25/12)
Bollinger, La Grande Annee Rose 2004
...

Valbuena, with Jose Pizarro's Castilian Suckling Lamb, was utterly gorgeous. Possibly the best Vega Sicilia I've had.

Bollinger LGA Rose very good but disappeared too quickly so a Pol Roger Rose 2002 pressed into action. Marginally better than the Bolly. Enjoying it right now.

[winesecretary]

That Pol Rose 02 is an absolute belter, though…

Have dispatched a St Aubin 1 er Cru Murgers de Dents de Chien 2020, Domane Henri Prudhon, with a chicken and bacon salad. A very expensively oaked Chardonnay, possibly a little less expensive oak would have made it better Chardonnay and less vulgar as a drink.

Warre 1970 has finally come round with Christmas cake and Lincolnshire poacher. Some nice cherry pie notes. I was right to just leave it.

[winesecretary]

Verdelho 1934, Henriques and Henriques. This is absolutely tremendous wine. One of the five great verdelho vintages of the C20th that are ready to drink (1905, 1934, 1954, 1966, 1971) and possibly the best.

Edited, after some thought and some Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonerre 2021 Domaine Samuel Billaud, and then another bottle of Leoville Barton 2002, showing rather younger than last week, to delete 1914 and add 1971. 1914 was wonderful for Bual but not in the top rank for Verdelho.

[winesecretary]

The luncheon cold roast rib of beef was served with a miraculously preserved Chateau Fonreaud 1966, which took a while to flower as it came up to room temperature, but then showed lovely red fruit and (predictably) fully resolved tannins. The impromptu half bottle of Warre 2000 just evaporated somehow. I’ve had 46 halves of this now and other than the three sacrificed to the cork god they have all been splendid lush early drinking.

[winesecretary]

After some strenuous strimming in the orchard, and a snooze, Puligny Montrachet 2021, Domaine J-M Boillot was good with the spiced cod with lentils but on its own is just a bit too creamy for my liking.

[winesecretary]

Some Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is currently cutting through our very heavy colds nicely (14.6%). It is in truth wonderful wine. Yes full and rich but the tannic balance is admirable.