If you economise with a half bottle of the sherry, the three wines cost pounds 19.35 If you go for a full bottle, the price is pounds 22.20. Simon Loftus of Adnams responded to my brief in a thoughtful and interesting manner: “Christmas is a time for cheerful celebration, not an occasion for drinking your very finest wine with cranberry sauce, crackers, paper hats and silly jokes.” He presented a single list of delicious, affordable, not too heavy wines. Top-End: Guy Larmandier Champagne Cramant Grand Cru, pounds 15.60; Pinot Gris d’Alsace, Bruno Sorg, pounds 7.95; Gevrey-Chambertin, En Motrot 1994, Denis Mortet, pounds 23.80; Churchill’s Douro Bake Tawny Port, pounds 11.60/37.5cl.Adnams (01502 727222). Mid-Price: Ockfener Bockstein Kabinett 1997, Heinz Wagner, pounds 7.30; Chassagne-Montrachet 1995, Henri Germain, pounds 12.90; Chateau Cap de Fouste Muscat de Rivesaltes, pounds 8.80. Budget: Tanner’s Cava Brut, pounds 6.60; Chateau du Grand Moulas, Cotes du Rhone Villages 1997, pounds 7.10; Castillo de Liria Moscatel, Valencia, pounds 4.25. The Champagne in the Top-End list is one of several growers’ that Tanner’s has been buying over the past year or so; worth exploring in detail.
James Tanner, who compiled the list, opines that the Muscat de Rivesaltes “would stand up to Christmas pudding but would go equally well with nuts or blue cheese.” NB: the Chassagne-Montrachet is a red. Top-End: Michel Guilleminot Brut, Blanc de Noirs, pounds 13.87; Monticello Vineyards Chardonnay 1994, Napa, pounds 13.87; Les Hauts-Pontet 1995, Pauillac, pounds 13.87; Tokaji Blue Label 1995, 5 Puttonyos, Royal Tokaji Company, pounds 18.95/50cl.Tanner’s (01743 234500). Mid-Price: Le Grys Sauvignon Blanc 1997, Marlborough, New Zealand, pounds 7.99; Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignon 1996, Sonoma, pounds 8.83; Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 1997, Domaine des Coyeux, pounds 11.77 (or pounds 6.45/37.5cl, marginally cheaper than from Roberson Wine Merchant, above). All the sweet wines here are wonderful, and Les Hauts-Pontet is the second wine of Chateau Pontet-Canet. Budget: Macon-Villages Blanc 1997, Olivier Leflaive, pounds 6.99; Simsberg Pinot Noir 1997, Paarl, South Africa, pounds 6.40; Mavrodaphne of Patras, Cambas, Greece, pounds 5.75. The choice of white Burgundy as aperitif (budget menu) is unusual, but Hugo Rose MW, who made the selection, insists that it’s “fresh and zesty” enough to serve both before and during the meal.
Top-End: Veuve Clicquot Brut NV, pounds 18.95 OR Gosset Grande Reserve NV, pounds 29.95; Chateau Calon Segur, 3eme Cru Classe, St Estephe, 1988, pounds 39.95 OR Chateau Haut Bages Averous 1983, Pauillac, pounds 26.95; Chateau Filhot 2eme Cru Classe, Sauternes 1990, pounds 22.95.
Lay & Wheeler (01206 764446). Mid-Price: Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla, pounds 6.95 OR Blanquette de Limoux Cuvee Princesse de Aimery Brut NV, pounds 7.50; Marques de Murrieta Ygay Reserva 1993, Rioja, pounds 9.95 OR Chablis Vieilles Vignes, Defaix 1995, pounds 9.95 (from pounds 12.95); Louis Roederer Rich Cham-pagne, pounds 12.95/37.5cl. Budget: Castillo de Molina Sauvignon Blanc 1998, Chile, pounds 4.95; Chateau Recougne 1995, Bordeaux Superieur, pounds 6.95; Domaine de Coyeux Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 1997, pounds 7.75/37.5cl. To help with sourcing festive drink, here are the final entries in Drinking By Numbers, a complete set of wines for the Christmas meal in three price categories (up to pounds 20, pounds 20-30, fantasy land).
Warm up those credit cards, folks!
Roberson Wine Merchant (0171 371 2121). Several of the wines are on special offer over the holiday season: those in the Top-End list may represent reductions of around 20 per cent in their extensive Fine Wine offerings The Defaix Chablis is fabulous. “Twelve days to Christmas/Twelve days to Christmas/Plenty of time to do our Christmas shopping.” So goes the song in Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s great musical She Loves Me, and today it’s a case of life imitating art. For example, jelly that is flavoured orange but coloured green will confuse the mind and result in a reduced taste perception Roy Ballam, British Nutrition Foundation.