The jolly holiday season is here which means only one thing: Christmas is just days away. Now is the time to start commencing your festive preparations before all the good stuff is gone – and this applies to wine more than anything else. When it comes to ordering your wine, at Château de Pommard our golden rule is this: if the Christmas tree is up, then the wine orders for Christmas Day tipples must be in with your chosen producer or domaine.
With the most wonderful time of the year fast approaching, and with only a few days left to order your Christmas wine, our Burgundian-born Wine Advisors and good friends Loïc Lamy and Simon Mahieu have taken the time out of their busy Wine Experience schedules to recommend their Seven Wines of Christmas 2017. Naturally, this is expert advice. Simon and Loïc, both WSET-trained wine professionals, not only know wine inside and out, but they also love the opportunity to share their wine knowledge with wine lovers.
Simon and Loïc, with their finely-tuned senses and palates, are experts at food and wine pairings, so we’ve asked them what they’ll be serving their family and friends to accompany their yuletide feast.
Prepare for your appetite to be well and truly whetted…
The Seven Wines of Christmas: Expertly chosen to enhance your festive feasting
1. Amazing Aperitif:
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 13
“A beautiful bouquet and magnificent balance.”
Simon: “The perfect wine to start a festive event or party with friends and family is always Chardonnay. And this Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 13 is exquisite. Produced from a blend of two plots, Clos Saint-Jean and Les Macherelles, in Chassagne-Montrachet, a classic and revered Chardonnay appellation, this Premier Cru boasts a beautiful bouquet – white flowers, exotic fruits and a fresh finish that lingers eternally, leaving a lasting impression. It has magnificent balance and complexity too. This wine will get any celebration started in style – I promise!”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Christmas Chardonnays: Chassagne-Montrachet 2013, Ladoix “Les Gréchons” 2013 and Meursault 2013
2. For Starters:
Ladoix “Les Gréchons” Premier Cru 13
“It hits all the right notes.”
Loïc: “With everyone sat around the Christmas Table and the family together – it’s ready to dine on wine. The perfect wine to match this magical moment, is Ladoix Premier Cru 2013. It hits all the right notes – Buttery and mineral-ly with the first sip and a salty finish. Located on the top of the famous Hill of Corton, this “Les Gréchons” Premier Cru has become a firm favourite of wine lovers and a perennial bestseller at Château de Pommard. On my Wine Experiences, the Ladoix is often everyone’s favourite Chardonnay. I’m never surprised. For a complementary starter, Smoked Salmon is thoroughly recommended – the buttery texture of the wine works in favour of the good fats in the salmon. Delicious.”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Burgundy Boys: Simon Mahieu and Loïc Lamy
3. The Main Event:
Échezeaux Grand Cru 2014
“A mythical wine for a magic moment.”
Simon: “The main course, the centre piece of any Christmas Day meal, is always Roast Turkey with Sage and Onion Stuffing, or some variation on a theme. The ideal wine for not only the main meal, but also for roasted Turkey, is Échezeaux Grand Cru 2014. A mythical wine of the Côte de Nuits, located next to the revered Romanée-Conti and the cherished Clos de Vougeot. This famous Grands Crus vineyard is is located above the village of Flagey-Échezeaux, and is responsible for dividing the legendary vineyards of Vougeot and Vosne-Romanée. Échezeaux is comprised largely of bajocian marls with pebbles creating a vivid kaleidoscope of earthly colors, similar to that of Simone’s terroir in Clos Marey-Monge. The Grands Crus that spring from this place are famous for their very elegant tannins, smooth and delicate texture and lots of finesse. If the chef cooks the turkey a little too dry, don’t worry, the Échezeaux Grand Cru 2014 will make everything alright….”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Grand Cru Échezeaux: A conversation starter
4. Help Yourself to Seconds:
Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012
“This is the 2012’s moment: the perfect maturity for this Christmas.”
Loïc: “The Mighty Pinot Noir of Clos Marey-Monge is, of course, Clos Marey-Monge Monopole, and the 2012 vintage is now at the perfect age and maturity for this year’s Christmas. This magnificent wine boasts a brilliant bouquet – black fruits, game, undergrowth, caramel, peony, poppy, dried rose. It’s all there, if you take your nose on a hunt! The long finish is equal parts spicy and mineral, and nothing less than absolutely mouth-watering. Clos Marey-Monge Monopole is an ideal pairing for red meats, but for this Christmas feast, I’m pairing the wine with a French side dish, and a family favorite, called Feuilletés Saucisses – in English this is a variation of Pigs in Blanket – no Christmas table is complete without it! The saltiness of the sausage and bacon is complemented by the spicy-sweet hit of Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2012, especially if a decent dollop of Dijon mustard is involved too.”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Wine Advisor: Simon and Loic discuss their Christmas wine pairings
5. Almost Full:
Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2008
“A classic vintage – highly-acclaimed.”
Simon: “Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2008 was a highly-acclaimed, highly-prized and highly-collectible vintage – classic Emmanuel Sala, and one of his first vintages at Château de Pommard. For this year’s feast, and for those who like their meat more moist, sticky and sweet, the 2008 will pair perfectly with the Christmas Baked Glazed Ham, or festive gammon joint, cooked in maple syrup, apricot jam, sugar and lots of Christmassy cloves. The long-cooking of the ham (seven hours minimum) will nicely complement with the evolution of tannins and awaken the truffly aromas. A complex and elegant wine – Clos Marey-Monopole 2008 is a great way to bridge your main course with dessert.”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
A Christmas Cracker: No Christmas is complete without Clos Marey-Monge Monopole
6. The Last Bite:
Meursault 2013
“With Burgundy….it’s possible to go back to whites after drinking reds.”
Loic: “Most people can’t imagine Christmas without Mince Pies. They go together so well. I can’t imagine eating a mince pie in Summer! To ensure you enhance the rich, crumbly pastry and dried fruit and spicy flavors from the mince pie, I recommend Meursault 2013, a Chardonnay from the “Vireuils” plot, planted in the high slopes of Meursault’s hills, with its fruitiness and roundness, and aromas of white peach, pineapple, roasted almonds and Bourbon vanilla. There is an intensity of aromas that comes with the great whites of Burgundy that make it possible to go back to whites after drinking reds, so please do try this at home and let me know what you think!”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Just down the Road: Meursault Chardonnay is a Château de Pommard favorite
7. A Sweet Treat:
Vivant Micault 2014
Simon: “Before the family leaves the table, there is still one course to be served – if you’ve saved enough room, that is – Christmas Pudding! Thankfully, Vivant Micault 2014 is the wine that will save this part of the day, with its juicy red fruits (red cherry, blackberry and raspberry) and spiciness and freshness, pairing well with the nutty, spicy and dried fruity flavors of the pudding.”
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Vivant Micault 2104: Fresh and juicy – the result of the vines age being around 30 years’ old
For more wine and food recommendations, head here.
Great Pairing: Loic Lamy and Simon Mahieu outside Château Vivant Micault
(To ensure your wines reach you in time for the Holiday Season please book by December 11th (rest of Europe) and France, December 13th.)
Perfect Pinot: Échezeaux 2014, Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2008 and 2012, and Vivant Micault 2014