A Holiday Wine Weekend

I arrived at my family's mill house around 7pm, and we all had a good time relaxing and catching up. I opened two wines to start us off. After these wines, we moved on to Yeungliing because it had been a long drive. The 2007 Chateauneuf showed incredibly well and was really popular with my parents.

• 2009 VINTJS Chardonnay Chalk Hill 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill

  (12/23/2011)

  My mother really enjoyed this chardonnay, which was good because that’s why I brought it. This has become my girlfriend’s go-to chardonnay because of its fresh apple fruit, butter, and hint of oak. It’s a bargain wine, but it over delivers, and everyone enjoyed drinking it before dinner. My mother was thrilled to learn this was a ten dollar Trader Joe's wine.

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• 2007 Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (12/23/2011)

  This wine is a bold purple color in the glass. The nose explodes with plum fruit, ink and violets. The nose really opened up with air to show a range of complex aromas, which makes me think this wine needs some time in the cellar to fully develop its aromas. The palate is plush with dark fruit, but enough acid to keep it balanced. Gushing plum and cherry fruit is matched with dense, grippy tannins. My dad and I both really liked this wine. It seems to have the density of tannins and fruit to age for a very long time. I've poured several 2007 Chateaneuf du Papes for my father, and he loves them, this one in particular.

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This was quite possibly one of the most diverse group of wines I've tasted in a very long time. I tracked down some fun wines and my mother, father, sisters, brother and cousins had a blast tasting through this wines and debating them. People were intrigued with each wine, and the range of flavors and styles was great.

• 1983 Lambert Bridge Chardonnay Sonoma County 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  (12/24/2011)

  I brought this wine to the tasting because it's a Sonoma chardonnay from my birth year. I had no idea whether this wine would be exhausted, dead, or delicious. It turned out to be a surprisingly good wine. Golden apple color with some amber. The nose is a medly of almonds, lemon oil, green apple, and some slightly oxidized aromas. The palate surprised me with its vibrancy and liveliness. Lemon and sea shell aromas are matched with chestnuts, toast and some banana peel. Everyone loved this wine, but the acid was a little high for some. For a California wine this old, the acid is stunning. I can't believe this wine is still going so strong. Delicious.

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• 2010 Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Ried Hasel 88 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

  (12/24/2011)

  This wine was a hit with everyone. It went well with a variety of sharp cheeses, olives and cured meats on Christmas eve. Flowers and lemons on the nose, some grapefruit. Fresh fruit, bright acid and a creamy mouthfeel make for a balanced experience. Sib and Jeff liked this one a lot, and said it was their favorite white wine of the weekend.

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• 2006 Wine Man Saperavi 90 Points

  Georgia, Kakheti

  (12/24/2011)

  This is a great expression of the saperavi grape. I've had many vintages of this wine, and it is always really unique and delicious. My dad knew this as saperavi before I told him what I'd poured him. It's just so unique that once you smell and taste it, you'll always remember it. The aromas are an exquisite mix of orange rind, incense, cowhide and smoked olive. The palate shows strong cherry and cranberry fruit, big tannins, and hints of rhubarb and grape skin. The finish is lovely. My dad said this tied for his wine of the weekend. I was really happy that this turned out, considering I brought this bottle home from Ukraine in 2008 and have been holding on to it since.

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• 2007 Finca Sobreño Toro 87 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

  (12/24/2011)

  Even though this wine is only $15, it is a great wine and a serious crowdpleaser. I was both surprised that so many people loved this wine and not surprised, because toros are great wines to pour for new wine tasters. Vibrant ruby color in the glass. The nose showes tobacco, smoked berries, blueberry. What an energetic nose. The fruit feels fat, but the tannins are strong enough to keep it all balanaced. I love the lamb, cherry and coffee grind flavors of this wine. I brought this wine for my dad, as he is a lover of Spanish wines. He was raving about this wine.

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• 2006 Domaine Menada Mavrud "Trinity" Reserve 91 Points

  Bulgaria, Thracian Valley

  (12/24/2011)

  I was excited to taste this Bulgarian wine from the mavrud grape, as I've enjoyed Bulgarian mavrud before. My father brought this exciting wine back from a recent trip and it was a blast to open it on Christmas Eve. The nose showed red currants, rose petals and sour cherries. The palate starts of really bright and zesty with currant fruit and cranberry and lots of acid. Then it transitions into a darker wine with gritty tannins. The currant fruit, dried leaves and iron flavors are just delicious, highlighted with chocolate shavings and plum pits. This wine is very mysterious. It is as delicious as it is strange. But it is cleary well made, and if anyone is interested in trying a mavrud wine, this is a stellar interpretation.

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For Christmas Dinner I opened four wines, two that I brought and two more Bulgarian wines from my father. The Australian wine had a lot of fans, but it was clear that the Todoroff cabernet was a wine to remember. I was so impressed with these wines and had a great time talking about them with my family.

• 2007 Domaine Menada Gewürztraminer "Trinity" 88 Points

  Bulgaria, Thracian Valley

  (12/25/2011)

  My father brought this gewurztraminer back from Bulgaria, and I really liked this interpretation of the grape. This wine is light gold in color. Aromas of lychee, brie rind, and something that reminds me of green olives. The aromas are really unique. The palate is light and steely in style. It starts off with a shot of grapefruit rind, followed by a rush of minerals and quinine. Very dry and bracing on the palate, with a finish showing cheese rind and a strong quinine flavor. This wine begs for oysters or shrimp or even pate. My dad and I loved discussing and sipping this wine, and my mother was a big fan too.

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• 1997 Grant Burge The Holy Trinity 91 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa

  (12/25/2011)

  I brought this wine down for the family tasting because in 1997 my father was at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and I thought this would be a good tribute to him. The wine sang beautifully. Ruby color, kind of cloudy in the glass. Aromas of strawberry jam, red plum, stewed fruit compote. The aromas really developed with air to show more dried flowers and earth. The palate is full of gushy fruit, lots of acid and grippy tannins. Cranberry, dried rose petals, toast, smoked fruit flavors on a long, savory finish. We all enjoyed this wine while playing board games and discussed its changing aromas and flavors over the course of an hour. Truly beautiful wine. It is made from nearly equal amounts of grenache, syrah and mourvedre.

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• 2007 Todoroff Wine Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Thracians' Mystery 93 Points

  Bulgaria, Thracian Valley

  (12/25/2011)

  Wow, I am thrilled about this cabernet. Yes, it's from Bulgaria, but you would be a fool to dismiss this wine. My father brought it back from a trip to Sophia, and decided on this bottle after tasting many Bulgarian wines and asking locals for advice. What he brought back is a world-class cabernet. I have never tasted an Eastern European red with this kind of potential. It's a vibrant purple color in the glass with thick ruby legs. The aromas of vanilla, currant, cinnamon toast and cola are intoxicating. It really reminds me of Napa Valley cabernet on the nose. The palate is seductively smooth, rich, but so balanced. There's some hedonistiic currant fruit, but this wine maintains an old world mystique with its flavors of sea salt and olive brine. It has the tannins to age for a very long time. This is a gorgeous cabernet that really made me think twice about cabernet's potential in Bulgaria. It was my wine of the weekend and several other people's as well. Amazing!

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• 2009 Andean Vineyards Malbec Route 40 84 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza

  (12/24/2011)

  At this point of the night, I wanted something to just pour for people as they settled down for the evening. This was a good wine for that purpose. It's plummy, fresh and lively with a delicious mouthfeel. Not a bad wine for less than $10.

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