Spoil yourself this Christmas

he festive season calls for a little indulgence – either to thank friends, family and colleagues for their help and support over the past year, or just to pat yourself on the back for making it through another calendar cycle. Everyone deserves a bit of pampering, so here are some special wines either to give as a gift or to sip in style.

I love the packaging of the Waterkloof Circle of Life White Blend 2016 (R160). It’s so stylish, yet still rooted (excuse the pun) to the good-practice philosophies of this organic, biodynamic estate. The blend is mainly sauvignon blanc, with some chenin and a touch of semillon, naturally fermented in tanks and huge concrete “eggs”, which allows for fabulous integration of flavours and gives the wine a beautiful texture. It’s a great gift with a great story, perfect for anyone who cares about the environment and our relationship with the land. The price of the De Grendel Rubaiyat 2015 (R350) might not make sense for everyday drinking, but it actually over-delivers on that price if you’re simply looking at quality. It’s a Bordeaux-style blend featuring cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot and cabernet franc. The four varietals are in keeping with the name: Rubaiyat is another name for a quatrain, or four-line verse of poetry. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a collection of poems by the 11th-century philosopher, astronomer, mathematician and ardent wine-lover, and each successive vintage features a different quatrain on the label.

What would holidays be without bubbles? The Jacques Bruére Blanc de Blanc 2011 (R195) comes from an oft underrated estate and offers outstanding quality at a very modest price. It’s 100 % chardonnay and has spent a whopping 84 months on the lees. These dead yeast cells give a wonderful toasty richness and roundness to the wine, which makes the perfect foil for the lively acidity. Pop the cork and celebrate!