The
Holidays – a blur of parties, gifts, stress, bad drivers, and other things. So
let’s simplify the gift giving process (enough with S’well bottles, gift cards,
and Blue Apron) let’s focus on six top-notch liquid gifts for your loved one,
for yourself, your neighbor, pastor, UPS driver, or whomever. Life is short, so
drink well.
The
Three Wise Wines
Under
the radar and around since their first vintage in 1984, Canard is one of those
incredible finds. Canard sacrifices big yields for smaller grapes and greater
concentration of flavor due to their dry farm approach. Located on the
Silverado Trail they craft a rich and voluptuous Cabernet with vibrant black
cherry, raspberry, black and huckleberry, with shrewd notes of cinnamon,
vanilla, nutmeg and black pepper spice - a perfect balance of oak, fruit and a
mild but proper acidity. This is a seamless wine that reflects exactly how dry
farming can change the complexity of a wine. ($125, canardvineyard.com)
Ram’s Gate 2013 Pinot
Noir Bush Crispo Vineyard
Located
in Carneros, Ram’s Gate is crafting exceptional wines, though this vineyard is
Russian River Valley. The nose is super ripe black cherry that gives way to
rich luscious hedonistic black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry, acidity and
a joyfulness in simply drinking this wine because it's just so damn good. And
that is the X factor: a wine that tastes so good that you want to drink it
three ways hard, fast and continuously. But do savor this wine – in fact it
makes you stop whatever you're doing when you take the first sip and say, damn,
I need to pay attention to this. What stands out is the dark rich vibrant
fruit, more so than the oak treatment. ($70, ramsgatewinery.com)
Duckhorn 2012 Rector
Creek Vineyard Merlot
Duckhorn
has always been at the forefront of Merlot, even when it wasn’t popular they have
continued to show how the grape could excel. Rector Creek, located just north
of Yountville produces powerful Merlot grapes grown on alluvial soil. With
velvety smoothness, this Merlot exudes blackberry, black cherry, a wee bit of
plum, a hint of cedar, allspice and a mild acidity, which compels this wine
forward. Merlot’s softer side and its food-friendly nature shine through with
this compelling wine. ($95, duckhornwine.com)
The
Three Wise Spirits
Hennessy VS Limited
Edition Cognac
Hennessy
has been making Cognac for 250 years and I had the great fortune to visit them
firsthand in early 2015. Twice distilled, Cognac (actually a brandy) has
reached mythic heights in part because the aging process can take decades. Wine
is distilled into eaux du vie, which is then distilled a second time and aged.
The VS Limited contains more than 40 different
eaux-de-vie, aged up to eight years. This smooth refined Cognac offers a bite at the
end, but it is full of spice, cedar and amber notes from the oak casks, a
slight floral nose with violets and rose petal and a caramelized nut note. It’s
smooth, sweet, mature and complex, as Cognac should be. ($45, hennessy.com)
Jonnie Walker Select
Series Rye Cask Finish
The first iteration in the Johnnie
Walker Select Cask series (traditional whiskies finished in different casks
than they were aged in) is a rye cask finish which brings together a blend of
whiskies aged for 10 years in new American oak barrels and then finished
in older American rye barrels, or casks. Light malt, vanilla, and honey slowly
infiltrate the palette and then there is the noticeable oak. Yes the rye is evident
but most noticeable is the sweet peat and smoke that permeates all around
followed by sugared almond, citrus, soft resin and a spicy, floral finish.
($45, jonniewalker.com)
Teeling Irish Whiskey
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