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Firenze bottle.
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Every year many of us struggle to find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones alike. May I suggest the spirited gift of fine wine, aged spirits or even a special beer? Most people do drink, even if only occasionally, and it’s always a good idea to have a good tipple around the house. You don’t have to worry about size or style with spirited gifts – one size fits all. You will find listed below a plethora of gift ideas along with some wonderful things to drink during December and long into the New Year.
Cognac and Armagnac
Jules Beaupre XO Cognac ($40)
This is a great value in XO, or Extra Old, cognac from a venerable producer. Deep coffee and toffee aromas, smooth body and a rich finish distinguish this delicious XO.
George Roullet XO Cognac ($65)
This outstanding 100 percent Grande Champagne (meaning the best and most expensive vineyards) Premier Cru Cognac is aged a minimum of 35 years. It is elegant, flavorful, beautifully balanced and smooth as silk. Exceptional!
Fransac Rare Single 70 Year Old Cognac ($400)
Fully mature flavors and an exquisite velvety roundness characterize this truly ethereal spirit. A bouquet of wood, walnuts, honey and leather lead to flavors of hazelnut, walnut and vanilla. The finish lasts forever!
Tesseron Extreme ($3,000)
This limited edition 1.75L of Tesseron’s oldest cognac is remarkable for its exceptional mellowness and infinitely complex depth. It is a truly great cognac; I just wish I could afford it!
Single Malt Scotch
Glen Torran Malt 1.75L ($50)
This is a medium-bodied Highland single malt with excellent complexity and flavor. Bottled at 8 years old by master distiller Chris Parker, it exhibits wonderful malt characteristics at a very affordable price.
Lombard Teaninich 12 Year Old ($40)
A remarkable value, this distinguished Northern Highlands malt has a light herbal and citrus nose with some smokiness. It is fresh and clean and almost sweet on the palate with hints of toffee, apple and cinnamon. It’s light and soft with a very long, sweet finish.
Edradour 10 year old ($60)
Edradour is produced in Scotland's smallest distillery and is still handmade today by just three men. Equipment used at the distillery has remained unchanged since the day the distillery opened and is only just capable of producing commercial quantities. Only 12 casks of whisky are produced a week, making Edradour single malt a rare pleasure for a fortunate few. It possesses remarkable charm, mild smoke and a very smooth and creamy, nutty, honeyed finish.
Lombard Brora 1982 (21 years old) ($200)
This is a rare single malt. The distillery closed in 1983, and there are almost no bottles left of this delicious malt. Thick and smoky with a pleasing degree of vanilla. Enormous, mouth-filling and with lots of peat and barley flavors; concentrated, sweet, dense and enormously delicious. The finish seems to last forever with a continuation of the stunning peat/barley/grist middle only now with a light spread of raspberry jam. WOW!
Tequila
Dos Manos 100% Agave Añejo Tequila 1.75L ($45)
This is an amazing value in Añejo tequila. Dos Manos Añejo is 100 percent agave aged for a minimum of two years in used bourbon barrels and a hint of sherry wood. This fine Añejo tequila is best served in a snifter or on the rocks and will be enjoyed by small-batch bourbon, single malt scotch and fine cognac aficionados (not to mention tequila lovers!). Dos Manos Añejo is lush and complex with layers of oak, tropical fruit and spice. Compare to Patron Añejo and Don Julio Añejo at half the price!
Herencia Mexicana Anejo ($70)
Herencia Mexicana is a traditionally made tequila that uses 100 percent premium quality, ripe blue agave. The amber color reflects the tequila's great full body, which also comes through on the nose, full of notes of cooked ripe agave, a subtle touch of vanilla and delicate fine wood. On the palate, this shows patient cave aging, evoking agave recently removed from the kiln and a preciously smooth aftertaste.
Beer
Estrella Damm Inedit 25oz ($9)
This is a very special Spanish beer developed by the Estrella Brewery along with Ferran Adrià and Juli Soler from the famous restaurant, El Bulli, outside of Barcelona. Inedit is the first beer specifically created to accompany food. With its delicate, sophisticated bubbles, this beer can handle acidic, sweet and sour foods. It seems almost Champagne like, but with an incredibly rich and smooth taste. Delicious!
Wine
Elderton Command Shiraz 2004 ($100)
This spectacular Shiraz received 98+ points from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, and that makes it a highly desirable gift for wine aficionados. The vines were 104 years old when the grapes were harvested. Its cacophony of aromas includes smoke, licorice, espresso, game and blueberry compote. Layered with complex flavors, this full-bodied wine is thick, rich and totally hedonistic. It’s gorgeous to drink now and will keep improving for another 10 years and provide immense pleasure for another 25.
Lealtanza Miro Reserva Rioja 2001 ($100)
Here is a great bottle of wine that is also a looker. Three different works by Juan Miro decorate the labels. Purchase a three-pack in wood and get one of each. This elegant rioja delivers spicy notes of cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper that ornament the core of cherry and cranberry fruit. It is a joy to drink.
Valpaiole Borgese 2006 ($100)
This is the first vintage of this exceptional Super Tuscan to be imported into the US. Hailing from Bolgheri, with neighbors like Ornellaia, you can be sure that this blend of 50 percent sangiovese, 25 percent cabernet and 25 percent merlot is top-notch stuff. The bouquet begins with layers of minerals, cassis, tar and sweet herbs which lead to massive body and structure in the mouth. Delicious now with breathing and food, three to 10 years in the cellar will allow this beauty to show its true potential. Monumental!
Dominus Napa Valley Red 2004 ($100)
Dominus is the Napa property of famed Petrus owner Christian Mouex. The 2004 is lovely to drink now and exhibits black currant, black cherry and coffee in its bouquet. The luscious mouthfeel includes flavors of black fruits, chocolate and vanilla with silky tannins and a long, lingering finish.
Joseph Phelps Insignia 1995 ($300)
The 1995 is a classic Insignia that is outshining the higher-rated vintages of 1991 and 1994. It’s rich blend of cassis, coffee, black cherry and blueberry flavors are perfectly balanced, the tannins almost completely smoothed out and the finish just goes on and on. The unbelievable richness should hold for another 15 years, but it is truly stunning now at 14 years of age. WOW!
Chateau Pavie 2006 ($300)
Pavie has been making one of the top 10 wines in Bordeaux for over 10 years now. The 2006 is no exception. A huge, concentrated wine with black currants, licorice and subtle background oak. It is built for the long haul and will begin to shed its very ripe tannins in five to 10 years and hold for 30. Spectacular! |
