Jonathan Rogers from The Solent Wine Experience looks at dessert wines for Christmas.
One of the first wines I tried when I was much younger was a sweet wine from Monbazillac. I remember trying this golden coloured liquid which to me tasted like what heaven would taste like if it was in liquid form. That wine was the reason why I got into the wine trade.
Some of the best and most expensive sweet wines come from the Sauternes region of Bordeaux and the most sought after wine in the world is Chateau d'Yquem. This can cost in the region of £500 upwards for a 37.5cl bottle. Its neighbour Monbazillac, which is in the Dordogne region, also produces some world class sweet wines albeit slightly cheaper then that of the Sauternes region.
The grapes are left on the vine for longer so that they become infected with Botrytis. This 'fungus' causes two different types of infections; grey rot which is a result of wet and humid conditions and noble rot which is a result of drier weather following on from the wetter conditions. This is the 'rot' that is needed for sweet wine production as it removes all the water from the grapes leaving more concentrated solids such as sugar and fruit elements. The resulting wine is very reminiscent of honeysuckle.
Generally these wines pair much better with desserts but they can also marry up to cheeses and some pâté. Here are a couple of classics for your Christmas dinner.
Chateau Les Sablines Manbazillac
37.5cl £7.49 Waitrose
This beauty is a bargain. Rich honeyed fruit with delicate sweetness and a long finish.
Hungary 50cl £19.99
Majestic
Another famous sweet white this time from Hungary. Orange hints on the nose balanced with hints of cinnamon and figs. Glorious!
Jonathan Rogers is proprietor of local wine school and tasting events company The Solent Wine Experience.
wwwthesolentwineexperience.co.uk