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Get
all the evaluations for
the December
Release National Post Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist Saturday, December 14, 2002 The countdown has begun – eleven, ten, nine, … it is almost here. And yet most of us are still struggling – will that be white or red with the big feathered one. Ok, we might include rosé – even if it is made by mixing a little red with your white.
For those who celebrate the twelve days of Christmas, the Duboeuf 2000 Beaujolais Cru twelve-bottle case at mere $179 might be the perfect answer. It features all ten cru along with a bottle of everyday Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages. I can hear it now; does the Duboeuf Brouilly or Saint-Amour go best with that little roasted partridge-pear combo? Who knows, who cares? For many, Pinot Noir is a good foil for turkey. The first problem is finding one, which has enough fruit. The second is price. Good Pinot Noir is never cheap. Recognizing these two shortcomings, I give a thumb’s up to the rather charming but mature and accessible Kenwood 2000 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir at $29.90 (or $15.95 per half bottle). The expressive nose shows very ripe, slightly sweet, spicy, dried cherries. On the palate, look for rounded, spicy, medium bodied, gently cedary, ripe plum cherry purée flavours.
Two Italian grappa are also on the hit list. The first Mazzetti d’Altavilla Grappa Classica is almost cheap ($25.55 for 500 ml) and certainly cheerful. The fruity, grassy, sweet ripe pear eau de vie nose is followed up by bright, slightly spicy, ripe dried pear flavours. The absence of any harsh, peppery notes should bring a smile to your lips. Ditto for the pricier ($59.95 for 700 ml) gift tube packaged Po Di Poli with its sweet, spicy, grassy, candied pear nose with Kirsch eau-de-vie notes. It also excels on the palate with just off dry, Kirsch and spicy lychee flavours. For those who don’t want tempt Santa with tipsy-inducing spirits; I have been told that he likes a small glass of Port with his cookies. And what better a deal than the surprisingly delicious Newman’s Celebrated Port from the house of Martinez Gassiot. Make sure you hide the bottle because once the creamy, sweet, slightly raisiny, plum purée flavours hit Santa’s lips; he is going to want more. Worse yet, if he sees that you only paid $14.45 a bottle you could be labeled a cheapskate and he might not come back next year! Indeed, if you feel coerced into serving something more extravagant, then perhaps a splash of the deep amber-coloured Grand Marnier Cuvée Du Cent Cinquantenaire 1827-1977 ($199.90) might be order. The spicy,
sweet tangerine/Seville orange marmalade flavours along with subtle
hints of caramelized fine old Cognac go a long way.
Thanks for your support and all the best for the holiday season.
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Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada
2004 |
Bottom
line, we need something that is fruity, perhaps jammy, but with good
refreshing acidity and not too much tannin. So you can forget about most
Bordeaux and Italian reds. From 
From
Australia and at less than a dollar more, the smoky, sweetish,
strawberry pie and rhubarb crumble nose of 
Moving
on to the real thing from Burgundy, only two of the four new listings
make the cut. This first is a repeat order of the previously recommended
More
youthful and slightly more intense, the 
Naturally,
