The Christmas Wine Festive Season

We drank these wines over the Christmas period and some of them were exceptional value for money, especially the Champagne.

Louis Jadot, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru (2008)

On Christmas Eve my wife cooked some hake which was gently spiced and it was jolly good too. She thought that a good bottle of white Burgundy would go down well with it and she was right of course. The wine tasted of nuts, apples and citrus fruits  with vanilla spice and oak. It was concentrated and complex and had a long length on the palate.

It had all the qualities of a good wine. I do not like wines with a heavy taste of oak but this one was subtle enough for my palate. The smokey taste went well with the fish. 

 I have seen it priced at around £30 a bottle. I cannot remember what we paid for it in France but the price would have been much lower. I am not prepared £30 for wine of this quality. It is good wine but it is not outstanding. For this price I expect something better, even from Louis Jadot who is one of my favourite négociants.

http://www.thewinereserve.co.uk/store/white-wine/louis-jadot-chassagne-montrachet-1er-cru/

Château Chevrol Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol 2001

We drank this wine on Christmas day 2012 with some rib of beef from the English border with Scotland . The beef was cooked to perfection. I was not disappointed , in fact I was very pleased. The wine was fully mature and ready to drink. It displayed all of the qualities of a good Bordeaux from the Libornais area.. This wine, is from Lalande de Pomerol not far from its more illustrious neighbours in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion

It was still full of concentrated fruit but with tannin which had now softened. It had retained its complexity and had long length on the palate. I do not know where I bought the wine but it was possibly in France. If you can still find a bottle then I recommend that you snap it up and drink it now with some good food. It is not outstanding wine but it is very good.

http://www.chevrolbelair.fr/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux_wine_regions#The_Libournais

Côtes du Rhône red  Vidal-Fleury 2010

I bought this wine from Majestic near Sevenoaks Kent  upon the recommendation of the Sales Assistant. It was well recommended. It had all the qualities of a good Côtes du Rhône red at £8.74 a bottle. We had a small party  just after Christmas and everyone enjoyed the wine with a roasted ham.

I looked at some of the reviews on Majestic's website  to see that one reviewer said that he would not advise buying this wine. He must have had a bottle which was faulty perhaps it was corked or oxidised. This wine was of very good quality and represents very good value for money.  If you get a bad bottle then I am sure that Majestic will give you  a refund if you return it in good time. It merits four stars in my estimation. The press review is spot on.

http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/product-is-06275

Mâcon Villages Blanc 'Les Roches Blanches' 2011 Louis Jadot

We also drank this wine at our party. I bought it from Majestic at the same time as the Côtes du Rhône red -as I said I always like to drink Louis Jadot wines and could decide for myself.  I bought half a dozen bottles at a discount for £47.94. This represents excellent value for money even in England. I preferred this wine to the  Premier Cru above;  it had the taste of the nuts, apples and citrus fruit without the oak.

The wine is more versatile as it went down well on its own and with the roasted ham and dessert. I also preferred the price. This is good quality wine that shows no pretension. I recommend  it.  On the Majestic scale I give it 4 stars too. The press review is interesting but perhaps a little over the top.

http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/product-is-04117    

Daniel Le Clerc Cuvée Gabin Non Vintage Champagne.

My brother- in- law found this champagne for us. It is a prize winner from the Aube region of Champagne. It is matured in oak. The oak, however, is very subtle and just lends a slight flavour of spice.  It is exceptionally good value for money and great for a Christmas party. If you are ever in the Aube why not pay them a visit and buy a case or two ; you will not be disappointed.

They also produce an excellent and cheaper NV Cuvée Brut Tradition. On the Majestic scale both of these wines would be 5 star in terms of value for money.

http://www.champagne-daniel-leclerc.fr/fiche-2-1-Cuvee_Gabin.html

http://www.champagne-daniel-leclerc.fr/fiche-3-1-Cuvee_Brut_Tradition_.html