A delicious trio for the Christmas tree
When that big, ruddy-faced elf (he didn’t get those red cheeks from not drinking) stuffs himself down the flue, those of us who imbibe hope he has something special from the wine and spirits realm in that bottomless bag of his.
Perhaps a bottle of great rose Champagne to go with the turkey or maybe some Sauternes to compliment the pudding.
When the dust has settled and it seems like there cannot possibly be room for more, a glass of Cognac aids the digestion and puts the final touch on a great meal.
Here are three special alcoholic treats that would be equally at home under the tree or at the table.
Pierre Paillard Brut Rose Champagne (France) — $63
Pierre Paillard is a grower/ producer, meaning that the family owns their vineyards rather than purchasing grapes from the hundreds of growers in Champagne who supply the large houses, such as Moet and Veuve. Because they can control all aspects of the production — from the vineyard to the bottling — the quality is typically very high and the prices are often very reasonable.
Here is a great example of this phenomenon, a lovely rose at a very reasonable price (by Champagne standards). It is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with lots of minerality and notes of crushed wild strawberries. People tend to serve sparkling wines before a meal but the rose style works well with food (especially turkey).
Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2009 (France) — $68
The now-legendary 2009 vintage was great for red wines but also for the late-harvest sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac. The wine offers a rich array of dried fruits, honey and almond paste offset by vibrant acidity. It is a spectacular sweet wine that is delicious now but capable of aging for 20 years or more. The classic pairings would be with pate or blue cheese but it would also go nicely with fruit tarts, puddings and apple pie.
Tesseron Lot 76 Cognac (France) — $176 There’s no shortage of good Cognac in the market but Tesseron is something special. The house is owned by Alfred Tesseron, a name most would associate with the illustrious Chateau Pontet-Canet in Bordeaux. The family also owns vineyards in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac where they produce small lots of high quality Cognac. It offers notes of plums, figs, and chocolate with a long, warming finish. This remarkably smooth cognac is well worth searching out, the perfect finish to a great meal.