Red Star Rising: Spectacular Wines for the Holiday Table

By Len Presutti

The French have a saying that ‘the first duty of a wine is to be red.’ We agree. White wine is nice. Sparkling and Rose can be fun, but when you really want to make a vinous statement, red rules. The best have the complexity, intensity and depth of flavor that are, as Humphrey Bogart playing Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon famously said … “the stuff that dreams are made of.” The following Academy Award winners promise to entertain at any holiday feast, regardless of the supporting characters.

2006 Ch. Meyney

(St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France)
Those of you who do not cellar wine typically have trouble finding wines that are fully mature and ready to drink. The 2006 Ch. Meyney, a left bank Bordeaux from St. Estephe, could be the answer to your prayers. Having personally visited the estate, I can bear first hand witness to the fact that they employ many of the painstaking, labor intensive, quality driven methods that make the classified growths great. The best part, however, is the fact that it is drinking absolutely beautifully right now. Bring on the rack of lamb! The Wine Spectator agrees, saying… “Spicy raspberry and blackberry aromas lead to a full body, with sweet, ripe fruit, subtle silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This wine is all in elegance and finish. Very fine. Best after 2013.” Rating: 90 ­ ★ $55

2010 San Felice Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

(Tuscany, Italy)
A new category of Chianti Classico has just been created (February, 2014) called “Gran Selezione.” It takes the former highest category, Chianti Classico Riserva to a new plane, by raising the bar on minimum alcohol and extract levels, insisting on all estate grown fruit and increasing the aging requirements from 24 to 30 months. One of the first to be released is the 2010 from San Felice, and it is superb. The Wine Spectator bestowed a 92 rating and proclaimed…“Cherry and strawberry flavors combine with tobacco and black tea notes in this well-structured red. Succulent and balanced, with plenty of grip on the finish. Mouthwatering, revealing echoes of fruit, spice and iron. Drink now through 2023.” ­­★ $50

Cleto Chiarli Vecchia Modena Premium Lambrusco

(Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
As regular readers of this column know, at the Presutti household we are obsessed with food and wine pairing. High quality, artisanal Lambrusco is fantastic with the tradition Italian antipasti. Its gorgeous lower alcohol (about 11%) fresh juicy fruit works stunningly well against the salt of olives, cheeses, Prosciutto and Sopressata, as well as the peppery spice of Cappicola. A definite candidate for the food and wine matching “Hall of Fame.” Cleto Chiarli is the oldest producer of Lambrusco, founded in 1860. They are also the first Lambrusco to receive a Tre Bicchieri Award (the highest rating) from Gambero Rosso. This bottling of Cleto Chiarli is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Steve Tanzer of “The International Wine Cellar” is as passionate about it as I, commenting…“Bright red-ruby. Exotically perfumed bouquet evokes red berry preserves, violet and sweet spices. Fleshy raspberry and red cherry flavors are quite primary, picking up cinnamon and vanilla qualities with air. Shows no rough edges and finishes with good clarity and sweet, vibrant persistence. Very elegant for lambrusco and deliciously crammed with clean, sweet red berry flavors that linger long on the aftertaste. Lambrusco doesn’t get much better than this.” Rating: 90 ­­ ★ $15

2011 Opus One

(Napa Valley)
For those looking to pull out all the stops this holiday season, why not go with California’s first growth, Opus One. Originally a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Mouton, this was THE original American cult wine and is still one of the most highly regarded wines in the world. The 2011 also has the added advantage of drinking better early on than most Opus Ones. Antonio Galloni, formerly of Robert Parker’s ‘Wine Advocate, now of Vinous Media (and a fellow Berklee College of Music graduate) enthuses…“The 2011 Opus One may turn out to be one of the surprises of the year. A brilliant, precise wine, the 2011 impresses for its energy. Sweet floral and spiced notes lead to expressive dark red berries, mocha, anise and new leather in a brilliant Opus One. Readers will note the lower than normal presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2011, which is typical for a year in which blenders play an important role. The blend is 71% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec.” Rating: 92+ ­★ $250

2012 Achaval Ferrer Malbec

(Mendoza, Argentina)
Santiago Achaval has become an icon of Argentinian wine in a very short time. He began his winery in 1999, but now makes the Wine Spectator’s top scoring Malbec (from Argentina) of all time. Having met with him at his winery a couple of years ago, I was surprised to find he was utilizing unusual methods in producing these great wines. Where most believe in long, slow fermentations at controlled temperatures, he was using a short, almost violent, high temperature fermentation to great effect. He also has been known to use enormous fans to lower the alcohol of his wines through evaporation. One might argue the methods, but not the results. A good place to start experiencing the winery is through their entry level Malbec. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it a 91 point score, declaring “…a short fermentation … resulted in a very dark-colored, ripe wine with aromas of blackberries, a touch of red fruit, and hints of smoke and spices. It is quite intense. The old vines are always different in the nose and the palate and this feels like an old-vine Malbec, medium-bodied palate, supple, mineral, rounder, velvety, grapy and silkier. Tannin and alcohol are well-integrated and in the background. Drink now-2018. ­­ ★ $32