WTNs: Classy Christmas Drinking

Christmas eve is always a hectic day for me with our annual -20% sale at the bookshop. Though stressful enough for the staff, our customers seem quite stressed, too - which can result in some memorable situations. Today, one of my regulars, a high official in some ministry or other, when asked how he will spend his Christmas, said: "in the regular Finnish way. First, I'll drink a bottle of Vodka, then I'll chase after my family with an ax." A joke, I'm sure, but I'm still dreading the news tomorrow morning.

Or the following scene: Man steps into the bookshop, and begins soliloquy: "So. I need a present. [Looks around, surprised by his surroundings.] Perhaps a book. For a woman. Women read these days, right? [I might be imagining, but I thought he muttered "Outrageous!" under his breath.] What do women read? Nothing too difficult. Sell me something for a woman aged 54."

After work, I needed a drink. So I opened some classy wines for our family's Christmas lunch-dinner-breakfast eat-a-t(h)on:



Thus far, it's all Slovenian. First an outstanding Čotar Malvazija 2005, AFAIK, the most recent bottled vintage. And lovely it is. Orange. A wonderfully fragrant, Orval-like aroma with a touch of brett (rare in a white wine, in my experience, and also rare in an "orange" wine); earthy, yet vibrantly fruity with a lovely rosewater aroma. Dry, mineral, wonderfully crisp. But also dense and rich though only 12,5% abv. Some might say that this is unpleasantly lean on the palate for such a flamboyantly expressive nose, but I love it.

I recently posted on our red, Čotar Teran 2007, but I have to say it again: fuck me this is good. Only 11% abv, but with lovely purity of exuberant fruit and also lactic/sour and delightfully high in acidity. Unbelievable depth and complexity for something so superficially light.

A couple more interesting wines will follow tomorrow...

[David M. Bueker]

So people say crazy things in book shops just like in wine shops! I can understand why a glass of orange wine might have been in order!

a touch of brett (rare in a white wine, in my experience, and also rare in an "orange" wine)

Really? We had a tasting in October of 30-40 orange wines (I forget the exact number) and at least half of them showed brett.

I know in some respects the skin contact is supposed to stabilize these wines (against oxidation), but perhaps the 'natural' leanings leave some folks open to brett.

Christmas continued with one awesome red and a disappointingly ok Sherry.

Cornelissen Contadino 7 i.e. the 2009. Ironically for a natural wine, the colour really doesn't look natural, but rather bright and fake like some soft drink. Lovely nose, red berries, volcanic; slightly fizzy palate, deliciously tannic, deep and rich, but fruity and friendly, too.

Though not a conventional wine by any means, it was well received - as were the Čotar. I wonder if next Christmas I should get less challenging wines? Nope. Considering how quickly these were imbibed, I will again buy freaky, funky wines. Freaky, funky, shite seems to go down well with friends and relatives. I've taught them well!

The Delgado Zuleta Monteagvdo Oloroso was a bit of a disappointment. It had a roasty malted aroma like a Porter; it was dry and rich and malty. It wasn't intense, rapier-sharp and exciting. But intense, rapier-sharp and exciting is how I like my Sherries!

Really? We had a tasting in October of 30-40 orange wines (I forget the exact number) and at least half of them showed brett.

I haven't had as many orange wines, but none of the (all too few) others I have had have been obviously bretty; a couple others have been borderline. Since I like brett, I must find more of these!

Since I like brett, I must find more of these!

From memory, 2008 Red Hook Jamesport Vineyard Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Long Island (Probably hard to track down in Finland, but it was full of brett), 2007 Tedeschi Pignoletto Spungola Bellaria (compared to some of the others this was a mild offender), 2007 Giardino "Gaia" Fiano (this one was absolutely ravaged by brett), 2007 Dinavolo Malvasia (this was also overflowing with brett), all the La Biancara wines are prone to brett, we opened several bottles of the same cuvee at that dinner and they often showed various funky elements. That said, when there is no brett the Biancara wines are absolutely lovely to my taste.

Since I like brett, I must find more of these!

From memory, 2008 Red Hook Jamesport Vineyard Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Long Island (Probably hard to track down in Finland, but it was full of brett), 2007 Tedeschi Pignoletto Spungola Bellaria (compared to some of the others this was a mild offender), 2007 Giardino "Gaia" Fiano (this one was absolutely ravaged by brett), 2007 Dinavolo Malvasia (this was also overflowing with brett), all the La Biancara wines are prone to brett, we had several cuvees at that dinner and opened several bottles of each and they often showed various funky elements. That said, when there is no brett the Biancara wines are absolutely lovely to my taste.

Of course the thing with brett is that it doesn't affect all bottles the same way. So it's hard to predict. But if you're a lover of brett, the easy thing is probably just to buy a bunch of natural wine and keep it in warm storage conditions.

Of course the thing with brett is that it doesn't affect all bottles the same way. So it's hard to predict. But if you're a lover of brett, the easy thing is probably just to buy a bunch of natural wine and keep it in warm storage conditions!

Sell me something for a woman aged 54

So, what did you choose to sell him, intended to fit a woman aged 54?
/A

[Jenise]

Otto, you are working again at the bookshop? Christmas angst aside, that must be good for you.

Freaky, funky, shite seems to go down well with friends and relatives. I've taught them well!

You certainly have.

Really? We had a tasting in October of 30-40 orange wines (I forget the exact number) and at least half of them showed brett.

I haven't had as many orange wines, but none of the (all too few) others I have had have been obviously bretty; a couple others have been borderline. Since I like brett, I must find more of these!

My expierence is similar to yours, Otto. But then it perhaps makes sense that orange wines might be more susceptible to Brett (increased phenolics, and often lower SO2). If you find Bretty ones, I'd love to know!