Christmas Eve Dinner (1997 Pride Merlot, 1999 Canon La Gaffeliere & 2001 Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl)

I had Christmas Eve dinner with my girlfriend and her parents. Her mom cooked a great dinner that included one of the juiciest turkey breasts I've ever had. It came with a cranberry based gravy. As sides, we were served excellently cooked North Atlantic Cod and spinach crepes. As already mentioned with the dessert wine, the cheesecake with candied red cherries turned out too sweet for the wine I brought.

• 1997 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Drank at my girlfriend's parent's home for Christmas Eve.
  
  This didn't show as well as other times. In part due to the poor glassware it was served in and almost certainly for the year it spent in very hot climatic conditions since last year when I left it at my parent's home. But it wasn't defective nor cooked. It lacked a bit of fruit expression but performed other wise similarly to past ocasions. Black fruits and a slight vanilla note. Full bodied and dense, this wine continues to have great texture, low acidity and a fine finish. This continues to be the most consistent Merlot producer in california for under $50.

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• 1999 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Had at Christmas Eve with my girlfriend and her parents.
  
  The wine was not served in the proper glassware and despite that fact, still impressed me aromatically. Beautiful dark ruby color. Then, what gets me from excellent Bordeaux, an attractive, complex nose of scorched earth, chocolatey mocha and black fruits that don't take over the wine. In the palate it offered a very nice medium to full bodied texture, very soft tannin and a tiny dash of acidity that eleveated the senses. This is an excellent wine form an un heralded vintage.
  
  This wine is a fantastic food companion and proves that excellent wine can be made even in poor vintages.

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• 2001 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 91 Points

  France, Alsace

  Drank with my girlfriend and her parents during Christmas Eve.
  
  This wine suffered by been served as a dessert wine with a very sweet cheese cake with candied red cherries. It just didn't have enough residual sugar to be paired with as sweet a dessert. I'd be surprised if this has over 100 grams per liter of RS. Irrespective of that, this is an excellent wine that shows a beautiful nose of quince and spicy botrytis. Medium bodied and offering excellent acidity and a slight bitterness from noble rot, this wine has paired better with disehes such as fois gras or bone marrow.

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This was a quiet Christmas Eve for a change. I am accostmed to more tumultuous gatherings, but it turned out nice. I was asleep by 3 AM, which is kind of early for such a date.