December Wine Picks

2005 Barone Ricasoli ‘Castello di Brolio’ Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy (508RMB)
Available from Watson’s. Contact: Lily Li. Email: LilyLi@asw.com.hk www.watsonswine.com

The Barone Ricasoli restored his family’s castle and vineyards in the early 1990s and now makes some of the finest Chianti available.

Predominantly Sangiovese, this wine is a gorgeous dark purple-red colour with a lovely nose of red and black cherry fruit, clove spice and subtle, savoury oak aromas. The palate is packed with sour, but ripe black and red cherry fruit, refreshing high acidity and a wonderful tannic structure with excellent length. Very high quality and superb with turkey, duck, goose or other roast birds!

2006 De Bortoli ‘Noble One’ Botrytis Semillon, Riverina, New South Wales, Australia 375 ml (443RMB)
Available from Torres China. Contact: Jenny Zhang. Email: jenny@torres.com.cn www.torreschina.com

Sweet wines are essential at Christmas! May be you have tasted France’s great treasures such as Sauternes from Bordeaux, Coteaux du Layon or Bonnezeaux from the Loire Valley or the wonderful sweet wines of Alsace. But Australia’s Noble One is among the greatest sweet wines available. In its first vintage in 1982 it even beat Chateau d’Yquem in a blind-tasting!

Deep gold in colour, the nose has lovely honey and citrus lemon with the savoury aromas of noble rot (botrytis). A rich, sweet palate with balancing acidity and wonderful length make for a special Christmas treat! Don’t just think to match this wine with fruit or cream desserts. Try with paté, especially foie gras (fatty goose or duck liver). The trick with sweet wines is: never serve a dish that is sweeter than the wine itself (otherwise your delicate ‘dessert’ wine, so-called, will taste unduly sour).