Luxurious Wines For The Holidays

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

As we near the end of the year and the holiday celebrations begin, we should take time to reflect on our blessings. Food and wine are secondary to our health, our friends and family, our successes and the laughs that family gatherings bring. It is a time to reminisce – not about the regrets or setbacks, but about the little successes that made us feel good.

Such reflective moments are best joined by good food and wine because an exquisite meal and a glass of wine marries well with the conversation around a festive table. Start a conversation about those favorite memories of the year while enjoying a plate of rich lobster thermidor, a rack of lamb or a seasoned halibut. You deserve it.

For the chef, an elaborate holiday dinner puts skills on display and to an adoring crowd of appreciative guests. Not everyone wants to put the time into a meal and there are simple alternatives, including catered meals. But for those who enjoy spending the day in the kitchen, your time has come to shine.

We like red meat for our holiday dinner. A rack of lamb or a tenderloin can be tossed into the oven with little preparation, saving time to assemble the side dishes and join the crowd. And, red meat allows us to pull aged wines from our cellars. Of course, you may not have that luxury, but there are plenty of full-bodied red wines on the market that, despite their tannins, will pair well with meat.

Here are some of our favorite luxurious wines to make the occasion special and some less expensive wines to accommodate a tighter budget:

Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($85).  Drawing grapes from one of best regions in Napa Valley, this reserve wine is as extraordinary as we expected it to be. BV’s history is rich and long. Smooth and rich blackberry, cassis and currant flavors are accented by generous floral and spice aromas with a dash of cocoa powder Rutherford is known for.

Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Paso Robles 2021 ($60).  One can only hope that Treasury Wines Estates, who bought this iconic winery for a whopping $1 billion this year, doesn’t destroy the quality built by the Daou brothers. This reserve cabernet out performs many Napa Valley cabernets that cost much more. This wine is dense and rich with bountiful aromas of tobacco leaf, plums and blackberries with a hint of chocolate. The flavors dip into the cherry and blueberry notes with a dash of cassis and easy tannins. The producer’s regular cabernet sauvignon is a steal for around $20-25.

Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($200). This is a lot of money for a bottle of wine, but the highly respected producer continues to make one of the best estate cabernets in all of California. Well structured, complex and layered with seductive raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors. Good tannins forecast an even better wine with up to a decade of aging.

Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($325). One of the most sought-after wines that continues to score in the high 90s, this giant blend of Bordeaux grape varieties is so well layered. Dense and concentrated with black fruit and cassis flavors, bold tannins, and hints of cedar, tobacco and dried rosemary.

Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($150). The historic Monte Rosso Vineyard in the Moon Mountain sub-appellation of Sonoma Valley has been with Louis M. Martini since 1938. Now owned by E.&J. Gallo, the vineyard continues to make the same great wines with depth and complexity. Frankly, we were stunned that these wines continue to have the same level of quality today as they did decades ago – although there were some years we wondered if that would ever happen. In the prized Monte Rosso, caramel and bay leaf aromas give way to ripe and juicy cherry and plum flavors. Good acidity too. The producer also makes a more reasonably priced Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon at $55 and a magnificent Lot 1 Cabernet Sauvignon ($255) from choice lots of several Napa Valley vineyards.

Goosecross State Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($90). This Napa Valley producer often flies under the prestige cabernet radar, but a wine like this deserves notoriety. Drawing grapes from three blocks of a vineyard in Yountville, the producer has crafted a luxurious wine with effusive aromas of wild blackberries, coffee and toasted oak, followed by ripe blueberry and currants flavors with a hint of chocolate. Goosecross also makes a full-throttle reserve Holly’s Block cabernet sauvignon ($185) that stands with the best wines of the region.

Stewart Tartan Napa Valley 2021 ($58). This Bordeaux-like blend from the Juliana Vineyard in Pope Valley is better than many wines twice its price. The cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and petit verdot grapes combine to offer a broad array of flavors the come seamlessly together in a complex package. Fresh raspberry and ripe blackberry compote with a dash of spices and a kiss of oak. Stewart is family owned and produces other wines that could command higher prices.

Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($90). This is our choice with our favorite cut of beef – tri-tip seasoned with garlic and rosemary.  Take this off the grill on a winter day and you have a feast for a king. Black berry, cassis and vanilla aromas lead off an expressive array of cassis, black currant and blackberry flavors with a dash of cocoa.

Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($36). Always an easy quaff, this has appeal for its smooth mouthfeel and red fruit character.

Northstar Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2020 ($45). The additional bottle age gives this Washington State wine a rounder, lush mouthfeel. Black cherry and spice aromas with ripe black raspberry and chocolate flavors.

Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2022 ($27).  If you tired of high prices that generally accompany Napa Valley wines, look to Paso Robles for better deals. These wines may not be as structured or as complex, but they often deliver a lot of fruit-forward character. This one has black cherry and plum notes.

True Myth Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2021 ($24). Dark red fruit notes with a dash of pepper and espresso.

Chronic Cellars Sir Real Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2022 ($17). Plum and blackberry notes with layers of cigar box and red currants.

Intercept Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2020 ($20). We really enjoyed this well-made cabernet from Paso Robles. Rich berry fruit notes with a hint of oak makes a very pleasing drink at a decent price.

Wine picks

Cuvaison Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($35). One of the best buys in chardonnay, this one from Los Carneros has balanced acidity with loads of lush peach, melon and apricot flavors, and a dose of spice and oak.

David Bruce Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay 2019 ($49). White peach and apricot notes highlight this oaky chardonnay. Hints of almonds, citrus and butterscotch.

Hahn California Founder’s Chardonnay 2023 ($14). The source for these grapes is broadly spread over California, but for the price, this is a pleasant wine. Citrus and tropical fruit aromas with pineapple flavors and a buttery texture.