Memorable wines for Christmas Eve Celebration Dinner
We hosted son Alec and his family for Christmas Eve celebration dinner. Linda prepared prime rib of beef with mashed potatoes, broccoli & rice casserole with crescent rolls and gravy.
I pulled from the cellar a couple of wines that have special memorable significance for all of us. We visited and toured each of the Chateaux and tasted their wines, including these, during our Rhône Provence Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Experience back in 2019, as featured in these blogposts:. A visit to Château La Nerthe and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We hold in our cellar more than a decade of vintages of these producers’ labels.
For a mini-horizontal tasting, both wines were from the same 2016 vintage for a comparison tasting of two wines from the same region, appellation, type and of course, vintage.
As mentioned above, we have visited this Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer a couple times over the years including with Alec and Vivianna back in 2019.
This was rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck, 93 points by James Suckling and Wine Spectator, 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast.
We've been fans of Vieux Télégraphe since the eighties and our visit there was a highlight of our trip to the appellation back in 1998 as well. We hold a dozen vintages of this wine spanning three decades. Back in 2020, I wrote about this vintage release, This is the best Vieux Télégraphe I recall ever experiencing.
Joe Czerwinsk
of The Wine Advocatewrites that the 2016 La Crau is undoubtedly one of the top vintages of this wine and rated it 96 points; Vinous gave it 93-95 points.
We've been fans of Vieux Télégraphe since the eighties and our visit there was a highlight of our trip to the appellation back in 1998 as well. We hold a dozen vintages of this wine spanning three decades. Back in 2020, I wrote about this vintage release, This is the best Vieux Télégraphe I recall ever experiencing.
Consistent with earlier tastings, this was bright garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely integrated and well balanced, polished bright expressive fruits of black raspberries and black cherries with hints of cranberry and pomegranate accented by notes of anise, Chambord and spice, turning to velvety tannins on the lingering finish.
RM 95 points.
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