The 12 Wines of Christmas (part 2)
We've already explored half of the wines that we know will make the perfect Christmas tipples for you, but with just under two weeks to go, read on to find out what we recommend for Christmas pudding pairing, toasting in the New Year and more!
The Seventh Wine of Christmas...a delight alongside Christmas Pudding
If you like the sound of Christmas Pudding in wine form, look no further: Father Grand Tawny from Penfolds is exactly that! Fragrant and fresh with oak complexity. Toasted nuts, chocolate, raisin plum fruits, clove spice and a distinctive aniseed lift.
Exhibiting sweet fruitcake flavours, obvious wood aged complexity and concentration. The finish is fresh with a wonderful balance and lingering intensity and provides the ultimate ending to Christmas Day dinner.
The Eighth Wine of Christmas...for New Year Cheers
The most elegant of the three Champagne Barons de Rothschild Champagnes, Blanc de Blancs is the epitome of celebratory fizz.
The nose reveals a creamy note of lemon meringue, white peach and blanched almonds with a velvety palate and fine and luxurious mousse.
There’s a natural richness of creamy Chardonnay that is evident and a fleshy full-bodied finish.
We can’t imagine a more spectacular way to ring in the new year and treat your special guests in sparkling style.
The Ninth Wine of Christmas...it simply wouldn't be Christmas without a Bordeaux
It wouldn’t be right not to uncork a bottle of Chateau Clarke - the first wine of the estate - at some point over the Christmas season.
Classy, deep purple in colour with great tension through the palate and easily one of the best vintages Château Clarke has ever produced.
The wine opens up wonderfully in the glass with juicy, plush and vibrant black cherry fruit flavours, and tannins that are fine and well balanced.
Oozing festive spirit, this luxurious Bordeaux is certainly high up on our wish list this year.
The Tenth Wine of Christmas...a thank you gift for the most marvellous of teachers
Forget the chocolates, mugs and scarves this year - Château Paradis Casseuil is the teacher gift to end all teacher gifts.
Beautiful, deep crimson-purple colour. Intense, complex nose, combining scents of spices and ripe fruit with subtle oaky notes. Full, rich and balanced on the palate, this wine has a fresh, aromatic finish.
We can’t think of a more wonderful way to show gratitude to your little one’s teacher this Christmas.
The Eleventh Wine of Christmas...the sweetest of endings to a delicious feast
Château Rieussec: there’s no better way to end a festive feast on a high!
With a delicate golden colour and soft green glints, the intense nose has tremendous aromatic richness. Initial notes of citrus zest are followed by lemon tart, and then toasted notes reminiscent of freshly baked brioche.
The palate offers mandarin zest and candied orange, enlivened by a touch of star anise which underscores the wine’s aromatic freshness.
Dense and rich, the palate has good length with a pleasant hint of bitterness on the finish.
A truly resplendent addition to the Christmas table. With this iconic bottle on the table, there is little need for any other table décor!
The Twelfth Wine of Christmas...paired beautifully with the Boxing Day gammon joint
When Christmas day proceedings draw to an end and we turn our attention to the much-anticipated Boxing Day gammon joint, we instinctively reach for Le Merle Blanc from Chateau Clarke.
With a touch of citrus peel and jasmine that leans towards lemongrass and slightly richer creamier notes from the judicious oak interaction, the palate is clean and expressive with tension balanced by rich fruit and a delicate toasty savoury note.
This rare and truly beautiful Bordeaux Blanc boasts freshness, depth and both aromatic and textural complexity, perfectly matched with a scrumptious glazed gammon…
So, there you have it, the hand-picked selection of festive wines for the most wine-derful time of year from our wine elves. Let us know if you give any of our recommendations a go – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Merry Christmas, one and all!
Team Waddesdon Wine