Six Christmas gifts for wine lovers that you will want to keep for yourself
- From bottles of Bordeaux to a show-stopping champagne, these presents are sure to make the receiver smile
Often, the best gifts we buy for others are the ones we’d be happy to receive ourselves. So here are a few ideas for the wine lovers on your shopping list – and I hope everyone keeps in mind that sharing is caring.
1 At the top of the list is, of course, champagne, and one that is bound to make the recipient smile is Bouzy, from Duval-Leroy’s Précieuse Parcelles series. This vintage champagne – 2007 – is pure pinot noir and goes well with roast turkey or duck. Only 3,960 bottles were produced and it is worth seeking out. HK$980.
Available from EMW Fine Wines.
2 For a crowd? Prosecco! One of the best – and oldest – is by Italy’s Carpenè Malvolti. Founder Antonio Carpenè was the first to introduce prosecco as a sparkling wine, at the 1873 International Expo in Vienna. HK$144-HK$155.
Available from Sino Vantage Asia.
3 If the wine lover is into reds, eschew the obvious burgundy and bordeaux and instead try a trio from Sonoma, California, in the United States. Vérité wines, a labour of love from winemaker Pierre Seillan, come in three versions: La Muse, which is merlot based; Le Désir, a cabernet franc-dominant wine; and La Joie, a cabernet sauvignon. Seillan’s 2008 vintage is outstanding (two received 100-point scores and the third 99 points, from leading wine critic Robert Parker Jnr before he retired). HK$2,900-HK$18,400.
Available from Omtis Fine Wines.
4 If your giftee wants only bordeaux, but you can’t afford the first wines from the classified growths, try a second wine – the unsung bargains from Bordeaux’s top chateaux. A five- to eight-year-old second wine can be a lovely drop once decanted. Interesting second wines include: La Reserve de la Comtesse, by Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande; Clos du Marquis, by Château Léoville-Las Cases; and Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild. Prices vary.
5 A warming cognac is always welcome during the cooler months. This year, the house of Camus has introduced XO Elegance, which is made from all the crus of Cognac – Borderies, Petite Champagne, Bons Bois, Grande Champagne, Fins Bois and Bois a Terroirs. The cognac has a spectacular spectrum of flavours – honeyed ginger, candied fruit (apricot and citrus peel), with a bit of vanilla toasted almonds and hazelnuts. HK$2,060.
Available from Wine’n’Things.
6 A slightly retro gift is a sleek metal hip flask. For an even more extravagant gift, pair the flask with a bottle of single malt whisky such as Macallan. HK$495 and up.
Flasks are sold at The Armoury, Landmark Atrium, Central, and Town House, Prince’s Building, Central.
