Fellow Wine Lovers,
Well folks, to paraphrase, it’s beginning to look a lot like last Christmas….
Which is not at all where we expected to be when we all sacrificed our plans in December 2020, all for the greater good. Plus, here in London, we’ve finally reached another ‘world-beating’ milestone, where Omicron is most deeply imbedded and case rates are highest and rising fastest. Clearly, the fact that the Houses of Parliament and all its law abiding inhabitants are based here is pure coincidence, nonetheless high fives all round – mind my arm though, it’s a bit sore after the booster.
But my God, aren’t we bored of this? At a time when we should be gearing up for festive fun and frolics we are instead spending all our time worrying about the prospect of getting ill which is no way to lead a life and if we don’t get Covid then we’ll get sick with something else and become a nation of psychosomatics.
Anyway, let’s move on. There’s nothing good in the news to talk about, any sport that is still going on actually isn’t, due to illness, and we are praying for rain in Adelaide as The Ashes already hangs in the balance and we’re only on Day 6 of the 25!
So, let’s bury our heads in the sand and transport ourselves to a parallel universe where all is tickety-boo. In such a universe, Wayne is Global President of Everything and as such has decreed that the sun should shine every-day and all rain should take place between the hours of 2am and 5am. In this utopian idyll there is also no disease, hangovers have been outlawed and the idea of Christmas being cancelled would never cross anyone’s mind. I have to say, if you like it here, vote for Wayne.
In Utopia you still have to make some decisions but happily you only have to make interesting and fun ones – right now the decisions revolve around what you should drink next week and what to give your nearest and dearest to enjoy.
How about some suggestions from the Global President of Everything? As mentioned last week, Alex has been busy putting together some interesting selections which I think might not have successfully attached to everyone’s email so here they are again:
THE CHRISTMAS MIXED CASE – £100 (including tasting notes)
- Lété-Vautrain 204 Brut NV, Charly-Sur-Marne, Champagne, France
- Hugel Classic Riesling 2019, Alsace, France
- Flametree Chardonnay 2020, Margaret River, Australia
- Paddy Borthwick Paper Road Pinot Noir 2020, Wairarapa, New Zealand
- Chateau Haut Barrail 2016, Cru Bourgeois Medoc, Bordeaux, France
- Monte del Frá Tenuta Lena di Mezzo, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2018, Veneto, Italy
RED SELECTION FOR CHRISTMAS – £100 (including tasting notes)
- ‘The Chocolate Block’ 2020, Swartland, South Africa
- Embers Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Margaret River, Australia
- Petit Clos Pinot Noir 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand
- Le Corti Chianti Classico 2018, Tuscany, Italy
- Sottano Selección Blend 2019, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
- Altos Ibéricos Parcelas De Graciano 2015, Rioja, Spain
FRENCH REDS FOR CHRISTMAS – £150 (including tasting notes and gift box!)
- Chateau Haut-Beychevelle Gloria 2016,Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
- Chateau Relais de la Poste ‘Cuvée Malbec’ 2014, Cotes de Bourg, Bordeaux
- Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune du Chateau 1er Cru 2018, Burgundy
- Domaine Belleville Mercurey ‘Les Perrières’ 2018, Burgundy
- Domaine Lafond Roc-Épine Lirac 2019, Rhône
- Domaine Treloar ‘Tahi’ 2013, Côtes du Roussillon
If any of these sound like they might solve a few last minute gift problems then just drop us a line and we can put a case together for you, whilst stocks last!
As we’re now only 8 sleeps away from the big fella’s birthday we’ll be opening a couple of bottles of the good stuff…
Sylvain Dussort Bourgogne ‘Cuvée des Ormes’ 2018 – £21.99
This is the estate’s flagship wine, with the grapes hand-harvested from vines between 35 to over 60 years; the wine is aged for 12 months in barrels on the lees. The wine is racked off once and assembled in a single vat before bottling. This takes place at between 16 and 18 months, depending on the vintage. Delicate, rich and elegant, with good length, we reckon in a blind tasting it would easily be mistaken for a Meursault. Awesome value for money, we always think.
Domaine Belleville Mercurey Les Perrières 2018 – £27.99
We’re big fans of this estate, their quality is evident in both reds and whites. This is from 40 year old vines on a stony sloped rock outcrop, one of the finest terroirs for Mercurey. Blackberries and a touch of spice on the nose. The palate is juicy with again those dark fruit characters, a touch of spice from the barrel and a mere hint of mushroom rounded off with fine tannins and a lovely long finish.
Quinta de Val da Figueira 10 Year Old Tawny – £26.99
A rich amber hue as you’d expect from 10 years in barrel. Medium intensity aromas of dried fruits, caramelized orange peel and slightly balsamic whilst on the palate it has a medium to full body, crisp acidity with hints of dried apricots and figs. A lovely, long and spicy finish make this a bit of a treat for everyone!
And of course, the Foxdenton Estate Christmas Liqueur – £23.00 – will also still be open, so plenty to tempt the taste buds with, especially when you add in all the other whiskies and gins we always have open – come on, it’s Christmas, have a taste!
Finally, a bit of admin – below are our opening hours for the next few weeks:
Saturday 18th December 11am – 7pm
Sunday 19th December noon – 3pm
Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd December Noon – 7pm
Friday 24th December 10am – 5 pm
Saturday 25th – Tuesday 28th December CLOSED
Wednesday 29th December – Friday 31st December Noon – 6pm
Saturday 1st – Wednesday 5th January CLOSED
Thursday 6th January Noon – 7pm
That’s quite enough from us for now, back to work you lot!
Cheers
Prancer and Dancer