I must admit, I’m quite partial to the little luxuries in life. So, for me, Christmas is a hedonistic delight of delicious food and delectable drinkies. Forget less is more…more is more!
Christmas morning should involve Champagne. If you’re up particularly early with the wee ones to see if Santa has been, you can always add some freshly-squeezed orange juice. It’s definitely worth splashing out on the good stuff, and one of my favourites is Bollinger. It’s a wonderfully rich style of fizz and it just feels like decadence in a glass. Bollinger Special Cuvée NV Champagne (Majestic, £47.99 or on a limited offer at time of writing in a mixed six pack at £34.99). If you fancy a wee bit extra or if you have friends round, Majestic also list the magnums (equivalent in size to two standard bottles) at £99.99.
I normally have a white Burgundy with Christmas lunch. We’ll be enjoying the Meursault Blagny Premier Cru Chateau de Blagny Louis Latour 2017 (Inverarity One to One, £49.99). This is an exceptional wine from the eleventh generation of the Latour family. It has more than enough character to stand up to turkey with all the trimmings. It also partners scallops, monkfish and lobster particularly well.
If you’d rather have a red, look no further than the Brunello di Montalcino Casanova di Neri 2014 (Inverarity One to One, £53.99). From the south of Tuscany comes this wonderful varietal Sangiovese. It’s rich, dark and lush and should be reserved for special occasions, or if you’ve made a nice lasagne.
Of course, you’ll need a port for later in the day. You should really try a bottle of the No 1 Crusted Port (Waitrose, £19.99). Crusted port is a relatively old fashioned style of fortified wine that you don’t often see on the supermarket shelves anymore. It will need decanted and should be consumed within a week of opening. That shouldn’t present too much of a problem at this time of year.
And you’ll be needing a dram to round off the evening. The Glenallachie 12 year old (Inverarity One to One, £58.99) is my late night tipple of choice at the moment. The malt has been finished for about eight months in a pedro ximinez sherry cask, which imparts depth and complexity to your glass. I think it even tastes a bit like Christmas.
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