Turkey, tick. Brussels sprouts, tick. Cheeseboard, tick. With the countdown to Christmas beginning in earnest, it’s time to make sure everything on your festive to-do list is in order. And let’s not forget the wine! If you’re looking for something elegant, versatile and with the bonus of being organic, look no further. Here are three great wines that will work for just about every festive occasion. Cheers! 

Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon Chardonnay Village 2022 (organic) 

Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon is a 25-hectare estate with terroir ideal for the production of top-quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are grown organically and handpicked at optimum ripeness. This is a balanced and complex wine with a textured mouthfeel reflective of 75% of the cuvée being aged on lees for eight months and 20% of the final blend undergoing malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine sparkles pale gold in the glass and leads onto a nose ripe with peach, lemon, fresh banana and delectable pastry notes reminiscent of lemon tart. The palate reveals discreet woody notes with hazelnut and dried banana. A showcase for the Languedoc’s capacity to make top end Chardonnay, this is a vivacious, fresh and harmonious wine which would serve as a perfect all-rounder during the Christmas feasting period.  

How to serve: A versatile serve, this wine would work equally well with a light, pre-Christmas grilled fish supper; a goat’s cheese, pear, pecan and watercress salad served at a lunch time gathering for friends or on the Christmas lunch table as a worthy partner to a traditional turkey roast. 

Available in the UK for £19.99 or £17.99 as part of a mixed case of six from Majestic Wines 

Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon Pinot Noir Village 2019 (organic) 

Located in the Languedoc but with its wine-making approach firmly rooted in Burgundy, Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon blends grapes from a selection of top plots to produce its exceptional ‘Village’ cuvées. This wine is cultivated on plots at higher altitude than is usual in the Languedoc, lending the grapes the benefit of fresh night temperatures and sunny days. A selection of the Pinot Noir for this blend comes from 12-year-old vines facing North in a hot basin, which allows a slow ripening of the grapes and leads to balance in the wine. To ensure freshness, 60% of the wines were aged at a low temperature in stainless steel for nine months while the remaining 40% of the blend was aged in three- to four-year-old barrels for six months. All the grapes are grown organically. Displaying a beautiful cherry colour in the glass, the nose evokes summer gardens and hedgerows, with red berry notes mingling with peony and rose and married with the warmth of ginger. Belying its southerly location, this elegant wine charms with a fresh, yet round palate lifted by liquorice and white pepper. Elegant and long, this is superb Pinot Noir for festive fine dining.  

How to serve: Arguably there is no better red wine for the Christmas season than a versatile Pinot Noir and this example will stand out with style at any festive occasion. Pour for drinks party guests to sip with antipasti platters, enjoy at the table with roasted game birds or partner with a comfort food winter risotto with mushrooms and a drizzle of truffle oil. 

Available in the UK for £19.99 or £17.99 as part of a mixed case of six from Majestic Wines 

Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon Pinot Noir ‘Solaire’ 2017 (organic) 

Grapes for the ‘single vineyard’ wines from Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon are selected from the estate’s best plots in the Vallée de l’Aude and reflect the intrinsic character of their terroir. This wine is named after the plot Solaire, a 17-year-old vineyard sited on northerly facing land with clay soil. Following full malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in one- to three-year-old oak barrels for nine months. The result is a beautifully deep coloured wine with a savoury, earthy quality with notes of the forest floor, peat and a floral fragrance. This initial woodland character develops into an altogether richer, fruitier aroma with raspberry liqueur, ripe cherry and hint of dark chocolate. Balanced to perfection on the palate, this wine is full bodied yet elegant, with a generously silky mouthfeel with notes of rhubarb and a hint of liquorice. 

How to serve: A wine for fine dining over the festive season, this is the perfect match if serving red meat at the Christmas table. With a depth and richness of flavour which belies its elegance, this wine would happily partner a rare roast beef fillet or an Ottolenghi-inspired Middle Eastern lamb feast. 

Available in the UK for £18.99 or £13.99 as part of a mixed case of six from Majestic Wines 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here