Christmas Drinks
Ξ December 24th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ A Day at a Time, Tasting Notes, Wine History, Winemakers |
The Christmas and New Year holidays are perfect for experimenting across the range and variety of wine styles; a fine Jerez as an aperitif (or later on in the day as a digestif), delicate sparkling and crisp whites for those seafood appetisers, rich reds for the main meal, something sweet at dessert and a late evening Port for a cheese board – over the hours of a traditional Christmas feast you should be able to find a dish to accompany most if not all of these styles. If you have extended family or friends coming round a good glass will break the ice and help relax the mood, while if it’s just you or close family then all the more reason to find a special bottle or two that has been crying out to be opened.
This year I’m trying a couple of wine styles for the first time, a Palo Cortado sherry and an Eiswein.
Palo Cortado is one of the rarer types of sherry, typically only 1-2% of total production, and is described as a cross between a medium dry Amontillado and an Oloroso. It starts off life intended as a Fino under a layer of flor (the surface layer of yeast which gives the characteristic tang of dry sherry), however if the flor dies then oxidation occurs and further development continues along the lines of an Oloroso (which never gets a covering of flor in the first place).
The one I have bought is an entry level version for £7.49 ($11) made for Waitrose by the renowned Jerez producer Emilio Lustau. 
I haven’t opened it as yet, but from my previous experiences of Oloroso and Amontillado styles I’m hoping for a rich, nutty experience with a salty dry aspect and good complexity – I’ll let you know!
The Eiswein is Pfeiffer’s 2004 Silvaner from Pfalz, which I picked up at the beginning of the year from Morrison’s supermarket for a bargain £5.99 ($12 at the time, closer to $9 now, such is the whim of the international currency market!). Eiswein (and international equivalents such as Canada’s IceWines) are made from late harvest grapes that are picked while frozen on the vine resulting in highly concentrated, sugary juice for fermentation. Unlike Tokaji or Sauternes dessert wines an Eiswein shouldn’t contain any grapes affected by Botrytis, which should lead to a fresher taste profile.
I’ve already opened this one up and can confirm this is definitely sweet! It has a light aroma with some tropical fruit, mainly pineapple, and a bracing acidity on the finish which counterbalances the sweetness well. It lacks the complexity and finish that I love in a good Tokaji Aszu but for the price it is excellent value for money and a solid 3+/5.
I haven’t decided on what else will be drunk over the next 10 days, although I’m tempted to continue with the “try new things” theme and open my Boplass Cape Tawny Port, brought back from South Africa last year. As for the white, red and sparkling, I’m not sure yet, but I’ve plenty to choose from and no doubt I’ll add in reviews of some of them later on this blog.
Unfortunately this year it may not be so much a season of peace & goodwill than a chance to forget all the problems for a few days, as the economy is in depression on both sides of the Atlantic and we are all feeling the effects of the current financial crisis to some extent. I hope you are viewing the problems with concern but not directly affected, however with most businesses feeling the pinch, and too many closing down, then people are naturally reining in their spending to cover the “essentials “ so, for most of us, it is likely that wine purchases will decrease in volume or price. I’ve already started to notice this myself but have made a decision that I’m not going to compromise on quality – times like these need some creature comforts and I would rather spend £10 on a single bottle than buy two £5 ones.
What is likely to happen is that I’ll start dipping into my modest collection more but I’ve realised that as I get older I am enjoying warm memories more than the anticipation of possibilities, so it’s better to enjoy some of the good wines now in times of need than to keep all of them for some uncertain future.
If you have a few nice bottles put away that are ready to drink then you should need no further encouragement to open them up, otherwise, before you realise it, the years have passed and bottles that would have enhanced any situation have remained unopened. This is still the one time of year that you should take what you have and enjoy it – better still, take what you enjoy, and have it.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Greybeard.
