Celebrate with festive reds to pair with roast and cold cuts

WINE WITH ALISTAIR GIBSON RECIPE OF THE WEEK WITH LAWRENCE MURPHY

Ihave a feeling there are many households with older bottles of claret or red Burgundy collecting dust in a corner waiting for the right moment to be opened. But unless you are having a quiet Christmas then this is not the time, save them for a moment when they can really be appreciated.

My chosen red wines for Christmas lunch would definitely revolve around pinot noir and syrah or Rhonestyle wines.

I think pinot noir works as well as anything with turkey and I tend to look more to New World styles, in particular New Zealand, as they are a little more fruit-forward and more of a match for some of the fruitier flavours on the plate.

has won multiple awards. It comes from a wonderful vintage, the grapes were handpicked and it was then aged in a mixture of new and older French oak. The nose shows dark berry fruit, black cherries, oak spice and some savoury notes. The palate is quite concentrated with more dark fruits and spice and a very satisfying, layered finish. This is very fine wine and would happily match turkey, duck or goose. is made by one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded winemakers, Larry McKenna. When on offer this is a definite Christmas star buy. This is made in a slightly more full-bodied style than the Jackson Estate Pinot Noir, the nose offers richer, riper red fruits with some spice, followed by more red cherry fruit, silky tannins and some bright acidity on the palate before a long finish. Again this would work well with the turkey but would also make a good accompaniment to a leg of lamb. One of this festive season’s best buys is

It is a blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre and made by the owners of Chateau de Beaucastel, perhaps the most renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate of all. It offers warm dark fruits with some spice, dried herbs and savoury notes on the nose, followed by a medium to full bodied mouthfeel with dark, ripe fruits and a nice warm finish. A good allrounder, it would work with roast turkey and cold cuts. Lastly, on Christmas Day we are having roast goose and I will be opening one of my favourite wines of the year,

Reyneke is one of South Africa’s few biodynamic producers and Johan Reyneke and the estate hold a special place in my personal wine journey.

The 2017 vintage is one of the best yet and this is fantastic value given the quality here

The bouquet is almost worth the cost of the admission alone with red fruits, some white pepper, a little savoury edge, violets and eastern spices, followed by a supple palate with more red fruits and a lively, long and elegant finish.