Christmas and New Year drinking thread 2021

[PHarvey]

Right here’s my Line-up. Just got back from my 7 hr 111 shift and decanted the CNDP and opened the fizz. Brief hiatus whilst the veg and the pigs in blankets cook.

Hindleap is a BdB from Bluebell in Sussex just up the road from Nyetimber.
CNDP bought EP in 2009 now retails at a stupid price. Hope it’s still got its mojo.
The stickie is an insane late harvest petit manseng picked frozen in January, but thawed before pressing hence not strictly an ice wine. Designed to go with the pud.

Happy Xmas all

[Rafa]

We are exhausted looking after the boys but I’m managed to cook a wellington and dauphinois potatoes for Christmas dinner.
The wine, what can I say
Lively, earthy, good acidity, good fruit, leather, smoked meats , forest floor
A knockout at 26 years old and it will hold for a few more not doubt
Hope all are having a good time !

[PHarvey]

Gazin - great choice; very very close; in fact neighbours, to Petrus yet the relative prices tell it all; enjoy

[Brocklehurstj]

@Rafa

but I managed to cook a wellington

That’s a great looking wellington. You must have been very happy carving into that.

[Tim1012]

That’s some outstanding Wellington cookery right there.

[Jimmybob]

Final line-up here: Bucks fizz (with cheapo prosecco, I don’t waste the good stuff on OJ); glass of Nyetimber when the prosecco ran out; Jean-Baptiste Rully 1er cru with the turkey; now a restorative alcohol-free beer while I contemplate port, here shown nestling next to the resting bird:

The Rully, a contender for wine of the year and certainly the wine I’ve drunk most of this year, was a great match for the turkey, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, port gravy etc etc

Edit - we’ve also squeezed in a quick Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - I will need a looooong run tomorrow to work all this off.

Jim

[Antony-FB0B5]

Here’s my Christmas day line up: outstanding Aligoté from the de Moors in Chablis, salty, mouthwatering expression of Burgundy’s second white grape from one of the best new producers in the region (buy on sight, they sell out straight away); Viña Cubillo, makes me excited to try the bottle of Tonodia i’ve got stashed away; and finally a port that is decanted as I type.

Will a vintage port like that need a good length of time in the decanter? I’m quite new to port.

Merry christmas everyone.

[Inbar]

We celebrated Christmas Eve with the daughter yesterday – a lovely evening, of which the wine highlight was this beautiful Austrian Pinot Noir from Bründlmayer:

Lots of tertiary notes on both nose on palate (wood-smoke, dank forest floor, mushrooms), coupled with still very bright red berries (cranberries, raspberries) all dancing delicately on the palate. It was a perfect match for the wild mushrooms and goat’s cheese parcels – a real union of flavours and textures!

This evening, just me and the other half. We had a lovely long walk in the very atmospheric and foggy local woods, and soon will be taking the porchetta out of the oven. The smell is just wonderful…

To drink: this delicious Langham Rosé NV – which is just as excellent as I remember it from the tasting back in August:

All Rhubarb, wild strawberries, pink apples, Lipton ice tea and sourdough – an accomplished sparkling wine with good structure and lively bubbles. It will accompany a fig and smoked duck breast salad - an Angela Hartnett recipe I love.

For the main event – a Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle (2016) which, based on first glass, is even better than I remember from the tasting we had there last month:

This should (hopefully) be a perfect match for the pork with its apple strudel notes, spice (cinnamon, stem ginger), waxiness and long, luxurious finish.

Some Sauternes will feature later with dessert and possibly Palo Cortado with the cheese – just hope there’s some room left!

Merry Christmas to everyone in this lovely community, and hope as many of you as possible got to celebrate with your loved ones this year!

[adbdorset]

Outstanding Wellington @Rafa …not to mention the wine!! Merry Christmas

[Olfactme]

Merry Christmas All !

[StephenH]

How was this? @Olfactme

[Andrew20]

Venison Wellington was really good despite pastry wobble yesterday. Went very well with chateau Peyrabon 2009.

Happy Christmas all

[Olfactme]

We decanted an hour before, initially disappointed, was one dimensional with acidic musty cranberry note, but half way through the turkey, the fruit burst open. Nose of fleshy plums, cooked raspberries,.dried cranberries and white pepper. Palette still had the tart cranberry, but now supported by plums, almond and strawberry. If you have a bottle decant for 1.5-2.0 hours.

[StephenH]

Thanks for the notes, really impressed at how well its showing still. I have a few 1997s which I’m not sure will have traveled as well as your 98 but I’ll open one soon and find out. Merry Christmas.

[Embee]

@rafa. beautiful pictures and what @Brocklehurstj said about the Wellington !

@NickFoster, couldn’t help but think of you today so I’m glad to read you had your mum to support you during such tough and difficult times. Cheers for the notes on the wine though as I too bought a bottle

As I’m on my Todd and still compos mentis. And before I splodge out and listen to some music, this here today. Food first…

…the game roulade ( bacon wrapped pheasant and wood pigeon breasts with wild boar stuffing ) was a piece of proverbial to cook. The parboiled sprouts fried off in duck fat and honey glazed fennel seed carrots weren’t exactly hard work either. The gravy was made with chicken wings and guinea fowl stock yesterday. Sorted !

A posh Burgundy is nearly always the main Xmas indulgence here and is still on the go…

…from an average vintage so the experts say. Anyway, still a youthful bright medium ruby colour. Light to medium in body but with considerable depth of savoury flavour. Primary red berry and red cherry fruit is still very much evident but integrated oak spices and a light touch of sous bois, on both nose and palate, provide subtle complexity. Refreshing acidity and light, but still grippy, tannins provide lovely balance and an all too easy to drink structure. I can’t help but think this still has more to give so will broach bottle 3, of 6, this time next year.

All that said, Thursday’s ‘Ferrous’ Pinot 2014 from Kooyong, which was less than half the price, was still the more memorable wine !

Oh, I must mention that I was really touched by the kindness of my Latvian neighbours who invited me over for Xmas dinner earlier today. Along with the gifts from friends opened this morning their kind offer really did help make my day something special. Long live human kindness !

[szaki1974]

Best laid plans and all… we managed to have these two today.

The Riesling was very good and a definite rebuy for future family occasions. Dry, but balanced by he sweetness if the fruit. Feather light, but enough complexity. Everyone liked it.

The Kadarka was also going down easy. Low intervention philosophy and ageing in amphora could be a recipe for disaster, but it was very attractive. Colour is very pale as expected. Burgundian nose with a bit of mushroom and forest floor. Delicate on the palate, perfect mix with the food that really did not need anything heavy.

[Rafa]

@Brocklehurstj @Tim1012 @adbdorset @Embee thanks for the kind words
I must say it was very tasty and even the 2 year old ate a ton of it

[Sally]

I’m staying aby myself in an isolated cottage on the west coast. I cycled in the six miles late last night with just the essentials (laptop, clean underwear, steak and salmon) however amongst my presents was a sake set so it made sense to have smoked salmon and pickled cucumber with sake as a starter, steak bernaise with the cacik and a wee glass of pedro ximinez to finish.

[Claret1961]

With turkey and all the trimmings, we had the Burgundy which we always enjoy. Cheeses needed a step up which was achieved with the Chateauneuf and the last bottle of a favourite Sauternes matched the Christmas Pudding.

[Robin63]

Wrapping up the day with cheese and Madeira.

Tawny centre and rim. Rich, nutty nose. Christmas cake, brandy butter, figs. Rich palate. Acidity remains fresh. Sweet. Caramel and butterscotch. Fig. Walnut. Long finish. Initially delicious but faded quickly. Had sat in my cellar for a good few years.