Happy Holiday Case: Part Three – After Dinner Reds

 
So, you’re sitting there in front of a ravaged dinner table of turkey bone piles and gravy trails, and as the teapot boils, someone mentions dessert. Pumpkin pie, chocolate torte, bread pudding. But, with the pinot and syrah gone, what’s there to drink next?

After Dinner
Cabernet sauvignon is widely considered too big for traditional holiday dishes, but there’s something about cabernet at the very end of the meal, after drinking from lightest to darkest wines, that just feels right. Katnook 2006 Founders Block Cabernet from Coonawarra, Australia is an elegant choice. It’s a pretty wine with ripe black and blue fruit, and notes of violet, pine needle and eucalyptus. Firm structure and enough acidity to sip solo. It’s a good segue way to dessert, and if there’s a cheese platter, it’s a friend indeed.

Dessert Wine
The 7 Deadly Zins is a lusty wine that is dessert in a glass. Ripe, jammy fruit punches you in the face while 14.5% alcohol soothes the impact. Its massive body is plush and pillowy, and the blue and purple fruit connects with any dessert that has equally strong body and flavours. Chocolate has got to be one of the Deadly Zins. Number 2, behind alcohol, I expect. But zinful or not, consuming chocolate with this stuff is like heaven.

Gift Red
I think the kinds of wines most people are happiest to receive are good fruity reds they can drink with dinner. Unless I know my friend has a taste for the peculiar, I shoot for blends. Stone Paddock 2007 Scarlet from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand is the kind of wine I would be happy to give – as well as get. It’s luminous blend of merlot, cab, cab franc, and malbec. The Raspberry, blackberry and plum fruit is bright and candied, with a whiff of violet and tobacco – perhaps from the cab franc. Notes of forest floor lead to a long spicy finish. If that’s not impressive enough, tell the giftee it won a gold medal at this year’s San Francisco Wine Competition. Aw, you shouldn’t have.

Party Red
I was blown away by the Lammershoek 2005 Aprilskloof Red-Red Wine, Swartland, South Africa, which may or may not be inspired by the UB40 song of the same name. Check out the components: pinotage , zinfandel, cab sauvignon, merlot, grenaché, shiraz, viognier, carignan. It’s like varietal free association, but it works. Really smooth on the palate, generous red, black and purple fruit, and some earth, briar and spice. Great with barbeque, chocolate or just sipping.

Your Happy Holiday Case is now complete. Have a juicy and delicious holiday!

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