For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two. This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while. I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.
Mick O’Connell is an Irish Master of Wine working for Findlater & Co, a Wine and Spirits importer with some excellent names in their portfolio.
While I’ve accumulated a decent enough stash of mature wines through the years Christmas is all about drinking youthful wines from Burgundy – they just go so well with the food. This year my Christmas day pair will be Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes and Maison Róisín Curley’s St Romain Blanc both from the stellar 2015 vintage.
This will be a year of the micro negociants for me. These are young winemakers trying to craft interesting wines from the most hallowed terroir of all, Burgundy. With the various sales of famous domaines this year for ridiculous sums of cash (Clos de Tart rumoured at approx. €33 million per hectare) being a micro negociant is the only option for a generation of people wanting to create their own Burgundy cuvées.
Róisín is a Mayo native who works in Beaune purchasing fruit and then vinifying them in her own facility. Her St. Romain is fabulous. Linear, precise and mineral with the trademark 2015 lusciousness. It’s perfect Christmas wine – it works so well with Turkey dinner with all the trimmings and arguably even better with Stephen’s Day Turkey & Stuffing sambos!
Andrew and Emma Nielsen are the husband and wife team behind Le Grappin who, like Róisín, are also based in Beaune in the old cellars of Fanny Sabre where Philippe Pacalet also worked. Their premier cru Beaune Boucherottes is focused, bright and pure – a glass or two of this and I can happily pass on the cranberry sauce aspect and get all my tart, crunchy red berry fruit in vinous form.
Maison Róisín Curley St Romain Blanc 2015: RRP €51 from Whelehans, Green Man Wines, 64 wines & Wine Library Dun Laoghaire
Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes 2015: RRP €70 from Green Man Wines
The full series of Wines at Xmas:
- Wines at Xmas #1 – Moscato d’Asti – Sam Logan of WinesDirect
- Wines at Xmas #2 – Champagne Pierre Moncuit – Jérémy Delannoy of SIYPS
- Wines at Xmas #3 – Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir – Carol Smaul of Gin & Griddle
- Wines at Xmas #4 – Ch Phelan Segur 2010 – Phil Green of Phil My Glass
- Wines at Xmas #5 – Charles Heidsieck & Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto – Joe Coyle of Liberty Wines
- Wines at Xmas #6 – Bellavista Franciacorta – Jean Smullen of Movies + Booze
- Wines at Xmas #7 – Antoniolo Gattarina & Pfalz Riesling – Jim Dunlop
- Wines at Xmas #8 – Maison Róisín Curley & Le Grappin – Mick O’Connell MW
- Wines at Xmas #9 – Finca Allende Rioja & Weingut Winter Rheinhessen ‘Kloppberg’ Riesling – Colly Murray of RetroVino
- Wines at Xmas #10 – Conde Valdemar Gran Reserva Rioja & Warre’s Otima 10 Tawny Port – Kerri Judge of Febvre Wines
- Wines at Xmas #11 – Elio Perrone Moscato d’Asti – James Hubbard
- Wines at Xmas #12 – Furlan Rose & Ca’Salina Giorgia -Julia Phillips of Just Perfect Wines
- Wines at Xmas #13 – Mas Coutelou – Alan March of A March in the Vines
- Wines at Xmas #14 – Gere Kopar 2002 – Richie Magnier of A Motley Cru
- Wines at Xmas #15 – Moment of Silence 2015 Blank Bottle & Emilien Château le Puy 2014 – Barbara Boyle MW of WineMason
- Wines at Xmas #16 – Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2014 & Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione Chianti Classico 2013 – Effi Tsournava of Maisons Marques et Domaines & effidrinkswine.com
- Wines at Xmas #17 – Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Pianrosso Brunello di Montalcino – Sorcha Holloway of Away With Wine