Wines for Christmas Presents

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Wines for Christmas Presents
       We’ve all taken a bottle of wine to present to a hostess. It’s a fine idea, and with some thought, this is a particularly appreciated gesture over the holidays.  You can be sure that, unlike another sweater, a well chosen wine present isn’t going to languish in a drawer. It will be drunk, with good thoughts about the donor if you’ve given the matter some consideration.         It is of course a jungle out there, in wine retail land. Given the continued weak dollar, good French wines have climbed in price, some outragously. The odd result is that price is no longer an accurate range of a vintage year, if it ever really was. You could even be paying more for wines from a lesser vintage than you would for older wines that your retailer bought when the dollar was worth more. So let’s try and suggest some wines for Christmas giving, at a range of prices. There won’t be a point scorecard in sight. Just a wish to share some good wines.           Starting with the classic situation of a present for the hostess, try something creative. Put together a festive basket with a bottle or two, and a copy of my book,  Shepard’s Guide to Mastering French Wines ($15.95 on Amazon.com). With a handsome bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 by Duboeuf, you’ve spent just $25. Feeling a bit more upscale? Add a bottle of Pol Roger nonvintage Brut champagne instead, and you’ve spent $50.  The variations are many. At the same price level, a tribute to your good taste (and that of your hostess), would be shown by choosing a bottle of Louis Michel 2003 Chablis premier cru Vaillons or Montee de Tonnerre. (And if you can still find any of the superior 2002 Chablis vintage, put away a bottle or two for your own Christmas present.)          Wines by the case or half case say that you value the recipient. I keep hinting for a mixed case of Georges Duboeuf Domaines Beaujolais ($110). Just pick out the wines with your retailer. A dozen fine summer wines will be greatly appreciated when it’s barbecue season again. But why wait until the summer? Try a flavorful case of good red Chateau Michel de Montaigne 1998 from the St. Emilion region, for $125. You can also find some tasty white Burgundy wines for around $100-$125 a case. Try Duboeuf’s St. Veran from 2003, or his Macon Villages.           One traditional way to cushion yourself from wine price shock is to buy the wine as a futures contract. Many wine retailers now offer this service. You buy the wine in advance, having read what is offered about the vintage and the wine regions, and you take delivery a year or so later. By that time, if the vintage has lived up to its promise, it will probably cost much more than you paid for it. Also, by giving a futures certificate, you give present pleasure and future anticipation, while saving the strain of lifting the case of wine yourself!           Here are two suggestions for wine futures purchases, from retailers that I know. High on my list would be a case of 24 half bottles of 2003 Carbonnieux Blanc, a very well regarded white Bodreaux blend of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, for $299. Match that with a case of 24 half bottles of Chateau Poujeaux from the Medoc for $319. You’ll have dozens of occasions to savor your purchase, and enjoy matching the white and the red wines for different courses in the same meal, precisely as the French do.          Why not mix your own six pack of Burgundy or Bordeaux? It’s quite a challenge to come up with good wine values in today’s inflated market, but with care it can still be done. Here are my suggestions, with per bottle prices noted. The Bordeaux costs $171 and the Burgundy $186, and each contains excellent wines of good value. Your own retailer will not have every wine, of course. But that shouldn’t stop you from consulting him or her, saying that you want to buy a mixed half case of nice wine from a certain region, and specify your budget. The result will surely please the recipient as a thoughtful gift.           Here are some suggestions for a mixed half case of Bordeaux. The 2001 Sauternes vintage is said to be exceptional, and some of it is still available at reasonable prices. I would suggest two bottles of Bastor Lamontagne ($30), one to taste and enjoy now, the other to save for several years, as you determine that THIS is the year you start your wine cellar. That good intention made, you’ve earned a treat. I would suggest a 2000 Plantiers du Haut Brion ($30), the second wine of the pricey Chateau Haut Brion Blanc. Tasting that wine would be a real occasion. For red wine, 2000 Chateau Chasse Spleen from Moulis ($27) is always highly regarded, and 2000 was an exceptional Bordeaux year. Try three bottles, and space out your tasting. One bottle soon, then a second in six months, and a third after a year. Keep notes. This is Alexis Lichine’s tip for wine enjoyment, and it is first rate.          My mixed half case of Burgundy might include a magnum of 2000 Bosquet des Papes ($48). This fine Chateauneuf du Pape from a superior year counts as two bottles. Try serving a magnum, and you’ll appreciate the oohs and ahhs! It makes a very festive occasion. Serve it with a white Chateauneuf du Pape 2001 from Vieux Telegraphe ($30), and you have created a memorable occasion, that your guests will talk about with pleasure for a long time. All right, so its the Rhone, not technically Burgundy. These wines are worth it! More traditionally, pick a bottle of 2003 Jadot Vosne-Romanee ($40). Add a Jayer-Gilles 2003 Hautes Cotes de Nuits ($33). For a white Burgundy, a Vincent Girardin Puligny Montrachet 2003 Vieilles Vignes ($35)…
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