Olly Smith —
Wines of the Week
Christmas Day drinks – 4 December 2011—
Phillippe Michel Crémant du Jura 2008 (Aldi, £6.99) Incredible value from a single vintage which has very brisk bright lemony zip to it and fine bubbles.
Taste the Difference Pinot Grigio 2010 (Sainsbury’s, £6.99) Pinot Grigio is a safe bet and this wine from Trentino is a quality sip.
Aspen Estate Pinot Grigio 2011 (Majestic, £4.99) A lemony fresh wine that offers tremendous value for money along with a label that’s presentably modern.
Cuvée Chasseur Pays d’Hérault 2010 (Waitrose, £4.13) A light, fruity red with fragrance, class and award-winning pedigree. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Philipponat Clos des Goisses 2000 (Harrods, £145.00) Incredibly rich with a mineral purity that rattled my very soul, such was its shrill and moreish awesomeness.
Bollinger Special Cuvée (Waitrose, £41.99) Crack it open for a rich, creamy indulgence.
Coates & Seely NV Sparkling Rose (coatesandseely.com, £27.95) An English fizz that delivers a sherbet zap in each and every glass.
Odfjell Orzada Carignan 2008 Maude Valley (Waitrose, £15.19) Think smoke and wild berries – it’s arresting, intense and powerful. Crack it!
Tesco Finest Cotes Catalanes Carignan 2010 (Tesco, £6.99) An alternative version of the Carignan style.
Anakena Single Vineyard ‘Lilen’ Viognier (Majestic, £9.99) If you’re keen on a white, Viognier offers a flavour that rings out like a peal of bells – except instead of bells it’s the taste of peaches and apricots.
M&S Pernard Vergelesses les Combottes 2009 (M&S, £25.00) Splendid Burgundy that is a splash out, but compared to some white Burgundies comparitive value for money.
Taste the Difference 12 Year Old Pedro Ximénez (Sainsbury’s, £7.99) Black, sweet, rich, sticky and utterly gorgeous.
Warre’s Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port (Asda, £9.97) Warming, spicy and with a sweet kick, it balances and contrasts sensationally with a nibble of Stilton.
Taste the Difference Blackcurrant Liquer (Sainsbury’s, £8.99) If you’re sipping into the late afternoon, this is the best drink to revive the palate and pick the pace back up.
15-Year-Old Dalwhinnie (thewhiskyexhange.com, £29.95) This whisky is gloopy rich and intensely bright with a whirl of upbeat kicks.
Ron Zacapa Centenario Rum Sistema Solera (thewhiskyexchange.com, £48.95) Dense and richly mellow with sweetness and depth, it’s a great drink from Guetemala.
Bruichladdich Organic (bruichladdich.com, £36.00) Amazingly creamy and bright, the kind of drink the elves themselves probably sip on the eve of battle.
Delaforce Quita da Corte (Majestic, £17.99) A great chance to taste a mature vintage port – expect dark fruit compote flavours laced with spice.
Rutherglen Muscat (thewinesociety.com, £9.95) Christmas in a glass – glowing amber with the sweet flavour of raisins and the golden hue of a gold medal about it.
Matusalem 30-Year-Old Oloroso Gonzalez Byass (thewhiskyexhange.com, £19.95) This belongs in your line-up because it is world class, a snip at the price and embodies the spirit of Christmas – nut brown, intensely tangy and sweet with a citrus peel kick to the finish.
Quinta do Noval 20 Year Old Tawny (Tesco, £20.79) This is a world of intense dried fruit and nutty flavours with a real sweetness and a burst of upbeat spice.
These recommendations also appear in Olly’s column in Live, The Mail on Sunday. For the full column click here.
All prices, stockists and availability correct at time of going to press.