Top reds for Christmas | Wine with Alistair Gibson

There are so many flavours and distractions around the festive table that sometimes the wine can get lost and maybe not quite so appreciated by all around it, but maybe this year after the past couple of years we’ve all experienced it’s

time to push the boat out a little? So with that in mind here are my Christmas red wines for this year, starting off with a the perfect all-rounder, great value wine.

The Society’s Claret 2020 (The Wine Society £6.95) has been made for over a quarter of a century by one of the great old names of Bordeaux, Maison Sichel. This is an unwooded, merlot-based Bordeaux that must be one of the best value, everyday red wines available anywhere. There are dark red fruit and some earthy notes on the nose, followed by more dark red fruits, fresh acidity and just a little grip from ripe tannins. To me this is all about simple pleasures in a very undemanding style, a good wine to pull out on Boxing Day with cold meats and pickles.

Tesco Finest The Trilogy Malbec 2018, Mendoza (Tesco £12) is made for Tesco Bodegas Catena one of the best producers in Argentina. It is an absolute cracker at this price and would be perfect, ticking all the boxes for Christmas Day lunch with all the trimmings. It is very dark in colour with a nose that leaps out of the glass with plums, chocolate, spice and vanilla, the palate is big and bold with layers of rich fruit and silky tannins, before a long finish. It really is a big Christmas jumper of a wine, warm and cosy and will comfortably work with any roast you are serving.

My two Christmas stars when it comes to red wine start with Yalumba ‘The Signature’ 2016, Barossa (Majestic £37.99 or £33.99 as part of a mix-six, Waitrose Cellar £33.99). This cabernet sauvignon shiraz blend is an iconic Australian wine, and each vintage it is dedicated to a notable individual within Australia’s oldest family producer, Yalumba. This vintage is dedicated to Louisa Rose, Yalumba’s head winemaker and this is a wonderful release of this wine, it is classic Barossa. There is cherry, blackberry, spice, tar and a touch of mint on the nose, followed by a multi-layered, broad palate with fine tannins and a long, long finish. I’d decant this at least an hour before lunch, then after lunch I would take a glass and sit in front for the fire – a wine of contemplation.

Pinot noir is a natural partner to turkey and Beaune Premier Cru 2016, Louis Jadot (Waitrose £32.99) would work very nicely. Made by one of the most respected names in Burgundy, this is a wine of great purity and elegance. The nose is very perfumed with notes of violets, dark fruits, coffee and some savoury, almost truffle-like aromas, the palate is medium bodied and very elegant, with velvety tannins and great persistence on finish. A real Christmas treat to enjoy amongst all the festivities.

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

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