Christmas 2025

Bosham, E Dulwich, Muswell Hill
Tasted Wednesday, December 24, 2025 - Friday, December 26, 2025 by NickA with 52 views

Flight 1 - Christmas Eve dinner (4 Notes)

  • NV Pol Roger Champagne Brut Réserve 87 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/24/2025)

    TWS 150th anniversary edition, disgorged 04/24. Cannot fathom why this NV is always so bad when the Pol vintage/prestige wines are frequently so good. Very sweet (to the extent that 'muggles' commented on it), relatively uninteresting apple-driven fruit, forgettable finish. Drinkable, but so is Prosecco. Two bottles drunk with consistent results.

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  • 2019 Cave des Vins de Sancerre Sancerre Les Marennes 88 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

    (12/24/2025)

    Pretty savoury at this stage, although retains the compensating acidity. Not a great deal of Sauvignon typicity (although there might once have been). Pleasant enough to accompany seafood.

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  • 2019 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill 91 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu

    (12/24/2025)

    Good stuff - very classic, straight-down-the-line Chardonnay. Well-judged flinty reduction, good concentration of limey fruit, a touch of salinity. Felt balanced and detailed, though perhaps slightly less generous than I would like. Great with salmon and leek pie.

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  • 2015 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio 88 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    (12/24/2025)

    So soft and anonymous - barely made an impression. Not too overworked (despite its elevage in tonneaux) or showing any heat, but also no Sangiovese character (perhaps the 5% Cab Sauv is the culprit here). OK to swill down with cheese, but surely should be better than that.

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Flight 2 - Christmas Day (5 Notes)

  • 2012 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut Millésimé 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    (12/25/2025)

    Sharp like a Granny Smith, and seemed barely ready. Crisp, racy and bracing - there's some finesse here, but a hell of a lot more acidity. A nice pick-me-up for Christmas morning!

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  • 2017 Rudolf Fürst Schlossberg Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 92 Points

    Germany, Franken

    (12/25/2025)

    This was big, oaky and very perfumed when I tried it back in 2020, and it has now absorbed its elevage and become something much sleeker (and arguably less exciting). Now rather fine-boned, with an earthy side and the fruit like pomegranate and cranberry rather than anything sweeter or richer. Long, structured finish. Performed well with the goose!

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  • 1997 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

    (12/25/2025)

    The last of my father's full case, purchased EP for £240. Just about hanging onto its perch, and certainly still offering pleasure and interest. Almost entirely tertiary (there might be some cherry fruit lurking underneath), with an earthy, exotic perfume like fenugreek as well as notes of mud, leather and truffle. Bright acidity and barely any finish. The aromatics made it interesting enough to sip on its own, contemplatively.

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  • 1974 Gérard Bertrand Rivesaltes Legend Vintage 93 Points

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Rivesaltes

    (12/25/2025)

    100% Grenache, but sources seem to differ as to the proportion of rouge, blanc and gris; the wine now is a deep but clear and bright tawny. It also drank like a (pretty sweet) mature tawny Port, full of rancio, raisins and other fun things like zippy spice and sweet orange blossom. Long but not especially concentrated or intense. Great to sip with a cheeseboard.

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  • 2017 Ridge Geyserville 89 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

    (12/25/2025)

    A recent 2019 of this was expressive and in a great place, so I was surprised at how underwhelming this bottle was. Reticent to show even its dark berry fruit, although that did come out to play towards the end of the bottle, as did some dusky flowers. Not flawed, also not exciting.

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Flight 3 - Boxing Day lunch (2 Notes)

  • NV Egly-Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Tradition Brut 91 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    (12/26/2025)

    Disgorged 2021 (so principally 2016 base) and still remarkably fresh. There's barely any dosage so you're exposed to the full force of this vinous, concentrated wine. Intense and relatively savoury, still feeling so youthful, zesty and vital. A serious wine - probably too serious for the occasion, really.

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  • 2011 Marcarini Barolo La Serra 87 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (12/26/2025)

    What a sad tale over my three bottles: delightful in 2022, enjoyable in 2023, old and mute in 2025. Not sure what happened with this one, as it didn't seem corked, nor much of anything at all. Cool-toned, reticent, faintly smoky. Air didn't help coax it out; we had no way of telling whether a better glass would have, but it seems unlikely.

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Flight 4 - Return home (2 Notes)

  • 2019 Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ-Canet 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

    (12/26/2025)

    Loved this EP and delighted that my first bottle has delivered on that early promise (and its character hasn't changed that much, either - see my note from Dec 2020). Effortless, impeccable balance. Herbal, penetrating nose. On the palate there's bittersweet stone fruit and something richer, like the filling from an egg custard tart. Finally, there's a long, mineral finish, again with bitter fruit and a richer aspect, reminiscent of lemon curd. Class in a glass!

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  • NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Palo Cortado 92 "Pata de Gallina" 92 Points

    Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

    (12/26/2025)

    500ml bottle. Had been in my understairs cupboard for 2.5 years and I fear the less than perfect storage caused a loss of intensity as there was a hole in the midpalate. The nose seemed fine (if not especially complex), focused on espresso and heavily grilled nuts, and those attributes were reprised on the long finish, but there was a jarring, odd lack of concentration in between. There's touches of acetone, deck varnish and dark caramel, too. Very easy to enjoy.

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