Christmas Season Wine Picks - What are yours?

[David M. Bueker]

Lost of fun wining and dining to come over the holidays. Not exactly sure what all the wines will be, but so far I am sure a few things will get opened:

2004 Pfeffingen Scheurebe Spatlese
2005 Strub Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Spatlese***
Krug NV
1993 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
1998 Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
2003 Mugneret-Gibourg Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Feusselottes
2002 Betz Cabernet Sauvngnon Pere de Famille
1990 Bollinger Grande Annee

Luis Pato Sparkling Baga.
`97 Gould Campbell VP.
`05 Le Curio Grenache.
`07 Pinot Gris Gibbston Estate NZ.
`96 Schloss Schonborn Estate Riesling.

Not big wine fans where I am going.

[David M. Bueker]

Plus it's so cold up by you all the wine will freeze Bob.

Good one David. That `96 Riesling is an interesting wine, I tasted it last month when rep in town.

I'll look for a 10 or 20-year Cockburn Tawny Port to open New Year's Eve. Christmas will be at my sister's in Iowa (travel by air permitting) and my brother-in-law will probably have some Australian wine on hand. If I get a chance to wine shop while in the area, I may gift them with a Pinot Noir.

I have some Glenora Brut (Finger Lakes) that I may open between now and the New Year and also a Cockburn Ruby Porto.

[James Roscoe]

I have the opportunity to get the Taittinger NV at well south of $30. It seems like a steal and a good wine for the season. Any thoughts?

Christmas dinner with my family is usually a pretty consistent affair. They're not that into wine and I am charged with bringing wine, so I look for strong QPR and usually buy Muscadet for white and then whatever value red wine catches my eye, which is pretty much the same plan I follow for Thanksgiving!

For the other holiday meals, there are no set wine plans. It all depends what other people open and what catches my eye at Chambers St. And there is usually a lot that does! (Although I am in a Morgon mood which seems Christmasy enough)

James, I'm picky about Champagne but I do like the Taittinger. Sounds like a good deal.

We plan to definitely open these three:

1999 Muller Spatlese Wiltinger
2000 Clos du Marquis
1998 Anselma Barolo

I would like to open a vintage champagne on New Years Eve, but I always get PO'ed when I see people chugg the stuff like crappy plonk.

I really dislike picking in advance. I will probably be drinking some sparklies and some reds. Otherwise, the main reason I keep a couple of hundred bottles in my house is so I can go down to the basement and play with them and choose what looks good to me at that particular moment. That's why in the "What are you drinking for Thanksgiving" thread, I responded about an hour before dinner, because that's when I picked. I know that isn't organized enough but it speaks to the subtext of my life.... "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Glenn

I would like to open a vintage champagne on New Years Eve, but I always get PO'ed when I see people chugg the stuff like crappy plonk.

Well, every wine has its place!

Haven't given it any thought yet, but on reviewing my TNs for the year, I'm struck that there really haven't been any stunning 'prestige' reds - i.e. none have punched much above expectations. The highlights have rather been wines that matched the quality of the big guns, yet at much more modest prices. Hence might go hunting in the cellar for something to offer the wow factor.

regards

Ian

With encouragement from our offspring we are doing Goose for Christmas again this year. We will baste it with N/V Whiskers Blake Tawny Port, and make gravy out of the drippings. With dinner we will start with 2004 Tobin James, James Gang Reserve, Cabernet Franc and back it up with 2007 Oops Cabernet Franc/Carmenere Voluptus Beauty. Maybe we’ll sip any leftover Port with cookies.

A special day for us, not only Christmas but the birthday of a dear, dear friend who will be visiting. The two wines currently planned for Christmas eve dinner, both in magnum formats.

Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage, la Chapelle, Rhone, 1953
Louis Latour, St. Viant, Les Quatre Journaux, 1953.

Best
Rogov

I've just begun to think about it. Betsy is in CA helping with an ill aunt, so until she gets back and starts compiling a menu, it's mostly speculation. I'm not used to doing much thinking about Christmas- for something like 16 of the last 19 years, I've done a "party on the streets" that got me home about 3 AM Christmas morning. And about half of those times I flew out sometime between 6 AM and noon. Mostly Christmas Day is a blur to me. But this year I'm doing the prep and letting other handle the party, so we're doing 2 Christmas dinners- one on the Eve, one on the Day.

On Christmas Eve we're thinking of doing a variation on the Italian-American Feast of 7 Fishes (though no one there has any Italian heritage to my knowledge). Obviously more whites, though at least one attendee prefer reds. I'm thinking a Champagne to start, a couple of Italian whites (maybe an "orange" wine as Betsy tends to like them), a red or two for those that prefer.

On Day we have 10 people, a goose, and lots of other food (I know geese don't go as far as turkeys, but think couple of people will just nibble or pass altogether). So Champagne, probably mature Bdx for the goose (maybe 70 Canon and 79 du Tertre- not a geeky crowd, so probably something I have several of), etc. Maybe I should do a Baby Jesus as a thematic bottle?

Best so far has been a '97 Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino.

Norm

I'm thinking for Christmas Eve, 04 St. Innocent Shea, 05 Chamirey Mercurey, and some chenin and riesling to be named later.
Pierre Peters BdB for the bubbles.

Christmas is by tradition a Bordeaux affair at my parents house. They have been receivers of some generous gifts from a friend who collected Bordeaux in the 70s and eraly 80s, unfortunately not always picking the winners. So, we had a lot of mediocre or worse from the likes of Mouton, Ch. Margeaux, etc.. but there were also some beauties. The supply is running out now, so we may have to get one of the last beauties, the 66 Haut-Brion, which was quite superb a few years back, even though la Mission would have been a smarter buy in those days - not to speak of Latour-Haut Brion...

Peter

Hi, Peter! Wishing you a Froehliche Weinachten!! (excuse the lack of umlauts)

Visiting some friends in Florida over New Year's, and packed them most of a shipper to take down in advance, so my work is all done:

2002 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest (France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru)
1995 Gosset Champagne Celebris Brut (France, Champagne)
2000 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
2005 Domaine de la Pépière (Marc Ollivier) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Vieilles Vignes Clos des Briords (France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine)
2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer)
1996 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut (USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley)
2000 Les Tourelles de Longueville (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)
1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
2001 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer)

Expect to have a lot of fish and shellfish, so lots of whites.
Might mosey on into a wine store while there too I suppose

Christmas dinner with other friends is a tradition and I usually bring Bordeaux. Need to get on that!
Charles

Hi, Peter! Wishing you a Froehliche Weinachten!! (excuse the lack of umlauts)

here is the umlaut version for you: Fröhliche Weinhnachten!

Peter

2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer)

I guess that is 10 years too early. Or twenty.

Peter

Charles,

I think that you may be early on the '01 Prum Auslese. We opened one in June. While it was quite good, I think the overwhelming acidity will make it very nice around 2015, or beyond. Definitely give it at least an hour in a decanter to allow the acid to blow off.

PS: What Peter said. I didn't see his note until I had alread written mine.

[David M. Bueker]

Whole bunch of stuff in a freind's fridge for an impromtu holiday dinner (of whatever we could find around her house). There's Rieslings back to '83, some Sleight of Hand and Esterlina reds & bubbly as well. We may get buried by the snow, but at least we'll be pickled for it.