It’s that time of year to celebrate and indulge with friends and family. As we come into the great festive season and have released our full Christmas Banquet Box with Aktar@Home, we felt it only appropriate to create something equally special for your wine needs. Choosing some of our absolute favourite fine wines to create a 5-bottle box that will sort your Christmas day from start to finish for something spectacular for each wine. Starting with an incredible example of English Sparkling, world famous still wines and finishing on one of the most prestigious dessert wines in history!

 

SPARKLING

GUSBOURNE LATITUDE 51 DEGREES NORTH

WINEMAKER : Charlie Holland, Gusbourne

REGION :  Sussex, Kent

GRAPE : Chardonnay 67%, Pinot Noir 33%

VINTAGE : 2016

ABV : 12%

NOTES : Ridiculously good sparkling from England

We have a lot of love at Opheem for Gusbourne. Over the years, like most restaurants, we have sampled all the delights of the impressive English sparkling market but the profile of Gusbourne’s wines left a mark. When they first released their prestige example FiftyOneDegrees North last year, we got a bottle and it blew us away. The winemaker himself put it best for us by saying “There was a time a while ago when people would say ‘You’ll never compete with Champagne’ but gradually, over the years, English wine has delivered.”

Rich and gold in colour with a big presence on the nose; you can smell freshness, touch of yellow stone fruits, bit of nuttiness and depth. Refreshing on the palate with lots of flavours but nothing overpowering. It’s soft peachy notes with ripe apples and soft texture. Sparkling wine as a rule is an easy pairing with Indian food (… any food for that matter, let’s be fair) and it always manages to balance spice perfectly. This goes with everything as tends to be a go to should we have any friends come to the restaurant for something different but something great.

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WHITE

MERRY EDWARDS

 

WINEMAKER : Heidi von der Mehden

REGION :  Russian River Valley, California

GRAPE : Sauvignon Blanc 100%

VINTAGE : 2022

ABV : 14%

NOTES : Vegan

Exceptional, critical acclaimed wine from an incredible wine maker. Enough said really… But there’s more! The legacy of woorld renowned winemaker Merry Edwards is strong. Since 1970, she basically helped d shape the American wine industry. Today, president nicole Carter and winemaker Heidi continue to honour her achievments by maintaining a superb standard of wine with an uncompromising commitment to quality. A single varietal sauvignon blanc showcasing perfect farming in an incredible heatwave of 2022. The delicate flavours and succulent acidity remains. It offers lemon, pineapple, blossoms and citrus zest on the nose before following through with ripe stone fruit, lemongrass and touches of marzipan and honeydew. While very much dry, there is the subtlest of sweetness that keeps everything in check with a silky smooth texture and creme brulee caramel notes. It’s one to be tasted to really understand absolute quality and the nuanced sweet notes bring some spicier madras style dishes into check.

 

 

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ROSE

SANCERRE ROSE, DOMAINE SERGE LALOUE

 

WINEMAKER :  Franck Laloue

REGION :  Loire Valley, France

GRAPE : Pinot Noir 100%

VINTAGE : 2022

ABV : 13.5%

Deliciously fresh rose with complex note offering wild strawberry & kiwi complemented with orange & grapefruit citrus notes. It’s harmonious, complex, balances and fresh with pure fruit from a lovely family producer run by brother and sister Frank and Christine. It’s dry and delicious. Direct pressing result in a delicate rose colour and matured for four months on lees for subtle complexity. Lovely interlude of easy drinking for yourChristmas day.

 

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RED

PURPLE ANGEL

 

WINEMAKER : Aurelio Montes Jnr

REGION :  Colchagua Valley, Chile

GRAPE : Carmenere (92%), Petit Verdot (8%)

VINTAGE : 2020

ABV : 14.5%

NOTES : Vegan

This Carmenere is seen as one of the, if not the, best example from the whole of Chile that now accounts for 90% of the worlds production. Originally a grape famed in Bordeaux and was all but destroyed in the plagues of the 19th century. It was found to be thriving in Chile in recent years. This is an exceptional example. It’s rich crimson red with elegant aromas of blackberry, blueberry, candied fruits and plum. Its rich and has hints of nutmeg, vanilla as well pastry notes. Beautiful well-structured, rich tannins and a long lingering finish with chocolate. It’s beautiful & indulgent red that is complex and requires decanting for sure.

 

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DESSERT

GRAND CONSTANCE

 

WINEMAKER : Boela Gerber, Groot Constantia

REGION :  Western Cape 

GRAPE : Muscat 

VINTAGE : 2018

ABV : 13%

NOTES : Vegetarian

This legendary sweet wine from a legendary producer is remarkably balanced and has allowed us to finish on a high for our wine flight as well as converting any dessert wine haters! Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa and has had some prestigious customers in their history including Napolean, King Louise Philippe and Charles de Gaulle as wel as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. It’s an absolute delight to drink with incredibly balanced sweetness. Aromas of crushed pineapple, apricot, raisins with caramel & honey. The dried fruit and honey follow through on the palate with a soft hint of turkish delight and the natural acidity balances the sweetness beautifully. It’s reputation is so well deserved with a unique character perfect for something special to finish.