01438 741177
Short answer. No.
Christmas cards are in the shops already and Xmas is 3 months away.
If you’e buying wines now, you’ve left it too late…
Nearer the time I’ll be checking Cellartracker to see what delights I have in my cellar for a special occasion.
4 Likes
I start buying for Christmas round about August/September as it can be quite expensive and I like to budget a little over the year. I’ve got the Society’s Exhibition Pauillac 2010 in my winerack for Christmas Day, and I’ll probably get a Riesling in October as well.
On a side note, has anyone tried this Pauillac yet, and what are your opinions on it?
1 Like
@leanderle I bought two bottles of the 2012 and drank one last year (the other is still laid down for another year or two) which, despite being probably rather young, was very good indeed. 2010 was a much better vintage for Bordeaux so I can only be envious of you! 
2 Likes
@peterm … If you’re buying wines now, you’ve left it too late…
Not quite sure what you mean? If you want to lay them down?
Too late now to lay them down for 2018 Christmas
My Christmas order is 90% complete.
Back in around 2008 but I am fuzzy about the actual year, I left my order to virtually the last minute, business was my excuse.
Maybe 14 days off the last delivery day, and then severe weather hit the UK and the “FUN” started.
Snow and ice had brought UK traffic to a frozen halt!
There were lorries abandoned up and down the “A” roads and Motorways of the UK full of our wine.
For the Society, hell had just been delivered just before Christmas.
My order of maybe 36 bottles I think ended up in some snowdrift on the A1, but the Society did the order again and I received it with a few days to spare.
The original 36 bottles were then delivered around the 7th January and then sent back to Stevenage, some days later. For those in the Logistics Dept. of the Society, this was the nightmare scenario; but they got through it with enormous credit. I can imagine the many extra hours of overtime being booked by all, in order to do as much as they could for us, the members. And after Christmas attempting to retrieve cases from lorries and members who had twice their requirements. The cost of the bad weather, the extra deliveries and no doubt wine that had gone astray must have been prodigious, but at least in my case - a lesson learned.
Since then my Christmas order is planned with military precision for delivery way before the event. Once bitten…!?! lol
1 Like
I think I might have just found my Christmas red…
… bit young maybe?
4 Likes
Not sure yet what we’ll have on the day itself, but this one will definitely feature at some point during the festivities:
Last year we had a wines from Toro and Calatayud in honour of our guests from Spain (neither of whom is Spanish, incidentally). I’m thinking a Priorat for this year. Or maybe one of Dirk Niepoort 's gorgeous reds - 2011 Charme, perhaps?
3 Likes
Currently thinking of taking delivery of a case of this from storage in the next couple of months for the festive period:
I’m wondering whether I should finally pop my Hermitage cherry this Christmas - if it doesn’t sell out before my next order…!
2 Likes
That’s actually not a bad price as Hermitage goes. The Society ones is the same price but 2014 so much younger. But… I don’t think I’m quite ready for my first yet!
I cannot really comment (yet I will) as my Hermitage experience is limited in both ways (vertical and horizontal)… but a few facts.
(a) This Cuvee is most likely from the Les Grandes Vignes lieu dit with granitic soil, same as the coveted Bessards and as such would be a big wine, one that is not very approachable in its youth (arguably not in its youth any more)…
(b) Drinkrhone is not very complimentary, but tasted in youth…
© Marcel seems to approve in the tasting notes, it may have come around since JLL tasted.
(d) It is as cheap as Hermitage gets.
…one may want to save their cherry for something more remarkable 
or the Exhibition wine for the same price
3 Likes
@szaki1974 I was bought a case of this as a gift this year and popped a bottle a few months back. It was still a bit tight. Plenty of character and great length, but I know I’ll get much more enjoyment in a few years.
3 Likes
Much appreciated! The price range puts this kind of bottle very much in the category of Informed Decisions Only.
It’s the classic cherry-popping dilemma: wait (forever?) for something special, or just go for the first one that presents itself as available…? 
6 Likes
The thought of Christmas. I Generally have a few good bottles over the festive period. Christmas Eve normally involves a Tokaji and Champagne once everyone is in bed. It’s great to sit near the tree contemplating with a nice glass or three.
This year a good variety of Sherry will be open too.
Gluggers when neighbours etc come round will include the Southern Spanish Red and the box of CDR if any left.
Christmas Day will be more society’s Champagne that I stocked up with the offers earlier this year.
I find A good NZ Pinot like Quartz Reef goes well with the Turkey and trimmings. Anything more richer orfull bodied can be a bit too much.
To cap it all off a decanter full of the Crusted Ports over the the week hit the spot too.
1 Like
I purchased this last year and its still sitting in the wine fridge, I’ll have to go and check the year though… can’t remember off hand.
That was the 2010… that’s such a good wine.
1 Like
PLEASE PLEASE Oh Dear God or some Admin delete this thread until at least November… I’m begging here. Has anyone thought what your one superpower would be if you were granted one? You have, haven’t you? Invisibility, Undeniable Attractiveness, Endless Drinking Without Negative Effects. All desirable, yes, but I want Ultimate Admin Rights! DELETE!! Mwahahahahaaaa!
1 Like
Almost certainly it’s going to be Christmas in Altrincham, with No 1 son (only no 1 because he was born 5 years earlier, although on the same date !!!).
Numbers attending not yet finalised…but red wines so far lined up,
Corte Giara, Amarone 2014, Cote Rotie, le Combard, Gilles Barge 2013, fridge door white Pellerin Blanc, pays de Caux, sipping red Domaine Laborie, pays d’Oc…Ha Imight well have consumed most of that by mid November !!
Far too soon to write the wine list yet !
1 Like
