Creators Syndicate
I am frequently asked for specific wine recommendations to fit specific occasions. In matters of taste, answering with the appropriate wine is not always easy, for no two palates are exactly alike. You may well present someone a beautifully wrapped bottle of Chardonnay from a wonderful producer only to find out later the person you gifted only drinks red wine.
‘Tis the season, however, and no question shall go unanswered despite the degree of difficulty.
Whether you are taking a wine to a friend or colleague as a thank-you for hosting a holiday event, or simply giving someone a wine as a present because you know of their keen interest in the grape, there are a couple of things to keep in mind, at least for me.
First and foremost, I want to give a gift of extremely high quality without spending so much money it makes the person receiving the gift uncomfortable because they might not have spent an equivalent amount on your gift. Second, I often look for wines that are unusual and intriguing without being bizarre.
I have crafted a wish list that runs the gamut of prices from $14 to $95, with most of my suggestions falling somewhere in the middle. I also tried to have a little something for every taste, with both domestic and imported wines, and sparkling wines, too.
Narrowing the selections was the most difficult aspect of my assignment, for the world is afloat in wonderful wine. I could easily craft a new wish list tomorrow and replace each wine with another selection of equal appeal.
Should you find any of these suggestions to your liking as you do your holiday shopping, do not despair if you can’t find the specific recommended wine. Any competent wine merchant should be able to offer a comparable wine at a comparable price if the wine you desire is unavailable.
With that in mind, I’ve chosen wines that are in national distribution for the most part. And what you can’t find at your favorite wine shop, you should be able to locate online using WineSearcher.com.
Domestic Whites
Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc ($27, Napa Valley) consistently ranks among the finest Sauvignons produced in California. It has plenty of zip and no rough edges. Gifting this wine says you really know your stuff. Zocker Gruner Veltliner ($20, Edna Valley) is one of the hippest new wines from California’s Central Coast. It features bright acidity and minerality and it says you’re hip, too. Morgan Clendenen at Cold Heaven Cellars (Santa Barbara County) makes the most exciting Viognier in California because it has zing, which most domestic Viognier doesn’t. She produces several, ranging in price from $22 to $37, from various “cool climate” vineyard sites. Best way to purchase Cold Heaven is through the website at ColdHeavenCellars.com. The 2010 Migration Chardonnay ($30, Russian River Valley) and Joseph Phelps 2010 Freestone Vineyard Chardonnay ($35, Sonoma Coast) were among the finest Chards I tasted this year, and for Phelps the new vintage may be its best ever.
Domestic Reds
Best way to buy a fab Napa Valley red without spending $100 or more is to go for a Merlot from a top producer. For that I like the 2009 Cakebread Merlot ($54, Napa Valley). This vintage won a gold medal at the San Diego International Wine Competition, but I find it is superb virtually every vintage. But if you must have a Cabernet Sauvignon from a top-notch property, the best option for something special is the 2006 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon ($45, Napa Valley) that’s made from estate grapes farmed on the side of Spring Mountain, overlooking St. Helena. Proprietors Stu and Charlie Smith stubbornly refuse to raise their prices to compete in the status arena with their trendy neighbors. Gotta love how those Smith brothers think. But other Napa Cabs of comparable quality are going to cost a good deal more. If you have Pinot Noir on your mind, three top producers come to mine. Dutton Goldfield (Russian River Valley), Domaine Carneros (Carneros) and Alysian (Russian River Valley) all impressed me over the past year. All three produce numerous Pinots ranging in price from $45 to $60 and you won’t find a clunker in the group. Alysian is the sleeper of the group because it is so new, founded in 2007 by famed winemaker Gary Farrell. The Alysian Pinots, along with those from Calera in California’s Central Coast, are to my mind the most Burgundian in America.
Imported Whites
Burgundy negociant Joseph Drouhin has extensive holdings in the Chablis district, the coldest zone in the Burgundy region. Drouhin’s commitment to Chablis comes through in the wines, which are consistently superb. Chablis (100 percent Chardonnay) may not enjoy the exalted reputation of Burgundian whites from the Cote de Beaune, but the wines are just as good and therefore offer the greatest value. Drouhin Chablis ranges in price from about $20 for its simple Villages Chablis to around $70 for its Chablis from grand cru vineyards. Premier cru Chablis from Drouhin retails for between $30 and $45 per bottle, so there is a good range of pricing throughout the lineup. Both the 2009 and 2010 vintages were superb. No matter which wine fits your pocketbook, you can hardly go wrong. Pazo de Senorans 2011 Albarino ($25, Rias Baixas, Spain) should satisfy the urge for something exotic to gift. Pazo de Senorans is, in my humble opinion, the finest Albarino and has the unique capacity to improve with age (a rare trait for Albarino). Now if you want to gift something exotic and cheap, there’s almost nothing better than the 2010 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina ($14, Campania, Italy). The packaging is very attractive, the wine is minerally and delicious, and it’s oh so easy on the wallet.
Imported Reds
Perhaps the best way to impress a genuine wine aficionado with a gift is to present a bottle of grand cru red Burgundy, because he or she will know that means rare and expensive. There is one exception, and that is the grand cru wine from the Corton vineyard in the Cote de Beaune. Corton is the largest grand cru vineyard in Burgundy and the only grand cru red vineyard in the Cote de Beaune. The most expensive grand cru wines in Burgundy hail from the Cote de Nuits. One of my favorites from Corton, and it’s relatively easy to find, is the 2010 Domaine Latour Corton Grand Cru ($54, Burgundy, France). This was a superb vintage, better even than the very good 2009. Now $54 isn’t exactly chump change, but for a grand cru red Burgundy it is dirt cheap. Or you could turn to Tuscany for a genuine collectible red such as the Castello Banfi 2007 Brunello di Montalcino ($50, Tuscany, Italy). This is a wine that will improve with age over the next ten years, and modestly priced for such a cellar-worthy Italian red.
Bubbles
If you really want to go out on the bubbly, but don’t want to spend more than $100, try a domestic tetes de cuvee. That’s the prestige wine from any sparkling wine house. A tetes de cuvee from Champagne will run close to $200 a bottle. One of the finest domestic versions is the 2006 Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Le Reve Blanc de Blancs ($95 Carneros). It is refined and creamy, as seductive as domestic bubbly gets. For a more affordable sparkler but no less impressive, the 2004 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee ($32, Carneros) is a splendid bubbly for the price, and this is a domestic sparkling wine that you could easily cellar for up to a decade or more. For those Francophiles on your gift list, the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve ($65, Champagne, France) is a remarkably rich and complex non-vintage Champagne that was a gold medal winner at the Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition in September. In a completely different style, the Ayala Brut Nature ($45, Champagne, France) is an elegant non-vintage Champagne that delivers firm structure and minerality. It was a platinum medal winner at the Critics Challenge in May.
Email comments to [email protected]. Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru & @WhitleyOnWine.
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