jcoulter > wrote in news:kbeub7$g29$1@dont-
email.me:

> Christmas eve...

We drank our only bottle of Wind Gap Pinot Noir Woodruff Vineyard 2008 on
Christmas Eve, to go with a veal roll (stuffed with dried apricots, plums,
etc). Very, very good, and totally opposed to my idea of a California Pinot
Noir, because it was bone dry, only 12,3% alc, with a very low colour and
really spicy on the nose. An excellent and very interesting wine that I was
very happy to put on the table on such a night. Only 440 bottles produced


> Christmas day...

For us, it was La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 1978 which I double decanted
at home before going to my in-laws. Very bright colour, with a lot of old
church notes, incense and excellent balance in the mouth. No fruit, and I
think I would rather drink such a wine 10 years earlier.


>
> And speaking of Spanish. my best Christmas present (we don't really do
> givts so much anymore) was a bottle of Cardenal Mendoza Brandy de Jerez
> Solers Gran Reserva from Romate. this brandy is smooth but the really
> nice thing is that the underlying wine is evident - in the finish you
> can taste the Sherry and it is velvety smooth to boot. . .

Brandy de Jerez should be about the aging in old Sherry casks (typically
Oloroso). Some people love it, some people hate it.

I am glad you are drinking to help the Spanish Balance of Payments!!!

s.