Turkey Wines

If you say it slow enough you can almost feel yourself procrastinating. If you've been reading this column for the last month or so you won't need today's picks but if for some reason you've put off that trip to the wine shop and well, procrastinated, you best clip out today's page and immediately head for the closest wine shop.

I toured a few government stores earlier this week and it wasn't pretty. There were empty shelves, frazzled clerks, customers clutching lists and wandering aimlessly down aisles in search of wine. There will be some restocking but it's impossible to keep up with the traffic at this time of the year so just relax when you enter the store and be prepared to look for alternatives.

As to how you can you maximise your experience in wine shops today and tomorrow, in the hours leading up to Christmas day and for that matter the fast approaching New Year's Eve, you must have a plan.

If you are looking for dinner wines and you ask for some help the clerk should know if you plan to serve turkey, ham, beef, fish or if the dinner is for vegetarians.

Always have a price in mind - $10, $15, $25, $35, this let's the expert focus a certain level of wine. If you want a chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon even better. The more information you can give the clerk the easier the search. If you prefer a particular style of wine such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Châteauneuf du Pape, Barolo or Chianti be sure to say so.

Now here are some last minute suggestions for all you procrastinators. Chosen first because they are tasty and more important because to best of my knowledge you may still be able to locate a few bottles, at least until everyone reads this column.

We begin with the Peller Estates Syrah Private Reserve 2004 from the Okanagan Valley. It opens with smoky, gamey notes mixed with pepper, mocha, coffee, blackberry hints and a touch of menthol. The entry is round, dry and supple with cedar, smoky, savoury, mocha/coffee flavours flecked with mineral, and boysenberry fruit. Solid, drinkable if slightly oaky style, but with real syrah character. Try with turkey or a lamb leg.

Cuatro Pasos Mencia 2004 hails from Bierzo in north-eastern Spain. Lovers of the drier, Old World red will appreciate the smoky, spicy, saddle leather, barnyard, pruny nose of the mencia (pronounced menTHEE-ah) grape. Its dry tart and slightly tannic on entry but there is bright cherry, pruny, peppery, cardamom notes mixed with mineral, leather, smoky, coffee flavours. It has fine flavours but needs food to tame its dry youthful tannins or cellar it for another two to four years.

The latest Cono Sur Viognier Limited Release 2006 is back and the Colchagua valley white is a ridiculously good buy at $10.88. This is great bottle for ham or turkey with its scented floral, lime, mineral, mango, honey nose. It's rich but elegant with moderate acidity and fabulous spicy, ginger, orange peel, honey and mineral flavours. The finish is clean with a touch of citrus rind bitterness. Fine solid, fresh style and really fine value. How do they do it?
I stumbled onto the Ricossa Antica Casa Barbera d'Asti 2004 from Piedmont, Italy last expecting a typically high acid tight red wine but alas global warming has added some ripe, rich, soft textures and an extra dollop of vanilla, coffee, black cherry, licorice and smoky fruit flavours. A ripe style with some oak and supple tannins. Excellent value in what is a bit of California in Piedmont.

It's been a watershed year for South America in this market, particularly Argentine malbec and more lately for organic wine from Chile. Here's two final bird picks but they are versatile enough to be enjoyed with a host of different meats.

The Fincas Don Martino Violetas Malbec 2003 comes from the heart of Mendoza's prime vineyards at Agrelo. Look for intense black cherry, orange peel, white pepper, leather, garrigue, spicy flavours. It's rich and warm with fine intensity and balance and youthful grapey notes in the finish. Serious malbec.

Coyam is another discovery, this time from Chile. The 100 per cent organic red blends syrah, cabernet sauvignon, carmenère, merlot and mourvèdre from the Colchagua Valley. The nose is open and packed with mint, black cherry and pepper all flecked with floral, cardamom, coffee notes. The flavours are smoky, menthol, black cherry, briar, coffee, poultry spice and vanilla flavours. A big smooth modern savoury red that should stand up to the bustle of Holiday meals. Good value.
 

PELLER ESTATES SYRAH PRIVATE RESERVE 2004, OKANAGAN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Price $19.99
UPC 00048162011526
Score 87/100
Remarks Will be good with turkey or a lamb leg.

CUATRO PASOS MENCIA 2004, BIERZO, CASTILLA-LEON, SPAIN
Price $17.99
UPC 08414825337364
Score 87/100
Remarks Bright cherry, pruny, peppery, cardamom notes.

CONO SUR VIOGNIER LIMITED RELEASE 2006, VALLE DEL COLCHAGUA, RAPEL, CHILE
Price $10.88
UPC 7804320405407
Score 87/100
Remarks Delicious, ginger, orange peel, honey and mineral flavours.

RICOSSA ANTICA CASA BARBERA D'ASTI 2004, PIEDMONT, ITALY
Price $14.99
UPC 851241000577
Score 88/100
Remarks Italian red with California ripeness and weight. Good value.

FINCAS DON MARTINO VIOLETAS MALBEC 2003, AGRELO, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Price $28.99
UPC 784890006662
Score 89/100
Remarks Well done. Serious malbec.

COYAM 2004, VALLE DEL COLCHAGUA, VALLE DEL RAPEL, CHILE
Price $24.99
UPC 7804320081496
Score 90/100
Remarks Big warm, organic red with great fruit and a smooth savoury finish.