Best Dessert Wines for Christmas
Best Dessert Wines for Christmas
“CHRISTMAS PUDDING, WE’VE GOT COMPANY!”
THE HAY WINES CHRISTMAS WINE LIST (PART 4 OF 5)
Every year, around the end of November, we used to host our Annual Portfolio Tasting at the fascinating medieval Ledbury Market House.
A fantastic event, where more than 80 different products are put on tasting.
A fantastic event, where our customers have the opportunity to try the best wines for Christmas, selected by our own team of Sommeliers.
A fantastic event, where everyone has an interesting, fun and educational tasting evening.
This year, clearly, things are going to be different, and we will not be able to do all that.
For this reason, we have decided to put together a selection of our most recommended wines to have during the festive period.
Our festive wine selection will show you everything you might need for Christmas, from sumptuous Barolo, to fine Champagne.
Let us continue our journey… what are the most luscious and best dessert wines for Christmas for the Hay Wines Team?
Best Dessert Wines for Christmas: France
Cabidos, St. Clement Petit Manseng Doux (was £15.49 – now £12.99)
A very good aperitif, which can also match seafood such as scallops and lobster, and all white meat, for example turkey with cranberry sauce. It also goes well with aged hard ewe’s milk cheese.
Domaine Ancienne Cure, “Jour de Fruit” Monbazillac (£9.29)
A wonderfully rich sweet wine made from low yields of late-harvested, botrytised, Semillon (90%) and Muscadelle (10%). It has flavours of marzipan, orange peel and spices.
Best Red Wines for Christmas: Italy
Guerrieri Rizzardi, “Costeggiola” Recioto di Soave (£20.49)
Light gold in colour with a lovely fresh, expressive nose, with perfumes of white flowers, almond blossom and a touch of citrus. On the palate it has great balance between rounded, ripe fruit and a fresh, clean acidity. It is long and fragrant, with the characteristic almond pastry notes on the finish.
Best Dessert Wines for Christmas: Ports
Fonseca, Bin 27 (was £14.49 – now £12.99)
Sweet and macerated fruit on the nose, initially with a little confectionery and violets, nevertheless very traditional with plenty of fruit, a moderate substance and a gently creamy midpalate. There is plenty of peppery grip, good acidity and a very firm structure.
Taylors, 10 Year Old Tawny (was £25.99 – now £22.49)
An exceptionally fine old tawny blend, aged for an average of 10 years in oak casks. Elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking. Excellent with soft cheeses such as brie, and a superb dessert wine, particularly with dishes made with coffee or almonds.
Fonseca, Guimaraens 2004 (was £29.99 – now £25.99)
This big and vibrant port shows excellent notes of dark and ripe, cherry, plum and damson fruit notes. It is the second wine of the renowned Fonseca House and the wine is from an undeclared but very good vintage. Enjoy this robust port with strong rustic cheeses.
Croft, Pink Port (was £11.69 – now £9.99)
Attractive floral notes underline the pungent, aromatic raspberry fruit aromas. The palate is full of deliciously ripe cherry and raspberry fruit flavours with lovely nuances of honey and grapefruit. Produced from Douro red grapes through an innovative technique which extracts fresh, fruity flavours and delivers a subtle and delicate pink colour.
Best Dessert Wines for Christmas: Sherries
Hildago, “La Gitana” Manzanilla (was £9.49 – now £8.99)
Plenty of flor character on the nose, with a salty cashew nut edge. Bone dry on the palate, very fresh and tangy, with flor nut and herb flavours. Perfect with nuts or olives and a great introduction to dry sherry.
Hildago, “Triana” Pedro Ximenez (was £16.49 – now £14.99)
The wine has aromas of raisins and prunes and an opulently sweet taste of figs and treacle. Served slightly chilled, Pedro Ximenez of this quality can either be served on its own as a luxurious after-dinner drink, or as a dessert wine. Try with chocolate puddings, at Christmas or even poured over rum and raisin ice cream!
Best Dessert Wines for Christmas: Other Fortified Wines
Bila Haut, Banyuls (was £17.29 – now £13.99)
The soil and the unique climatic conditions provide a perfect breeding ground for Grenache that transforms itself into a rich, sumptuous fortified red with coffee, mocha and toffee notes.
Zuccardi, Malamado Malbec (was £18.99 – now £15.99)
A port style wine, made in Mendoza – Argentina, red purple colour of medium intensity, with light brown hues due to its ageing. Immensely concentrated, ripe plums, black fruits marmalade, dried figs and nuts. A rich, complex wine with final spicy notes like cinnamon, toasted almonds and leather.