STOCKING FOR CHRISTMAS - MAYBE

The risk of buying drinks early for Christmas is that they will have been drunk long before the seasonal festivities start. But it’s a risk worth taking in consideration of acquiring some fine tipples now – and a pretty enjoyable risk anyway, if  realised.

With a long tradition of laying down Port, this offers a sound investment, both at the high end and in more reasonably priced vintages. Time was when young men coming of age inherited a pipe of port laid down for them at birth, and with a pipe cask containing 550 litres of the fortified wine, it provided the basis for one helluver 21st birthday party. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it is no longer legal to sell it by the cask, so a case or bottle will have to do.

Graham’s is a fine old brand, starting life in the capital of port, Oporto in Portugal, in 1820. It has produced some of the very finest vintages over the year and this year, for just the third time since 2000, has declared 2011 to be a vintage year. It was a particularly good one for ripening and harvesting but on a smaller crop, so that wines from this dates are necessarily limited.

As a special treat for a gift or for personal indulgence, such top vintage quality is available from Berry Bros & Rudd around the £240 per bottle mark but there are plenty of other Graham's under £200, starting at just £12.95. Midway is the 30 year old Tawny, a multi-award winning port at £65, above left, and right the 1970 vintage at £150.

Chill port lightly before serving and pour into a reasonably sized wine glass, as one that is too small will not allow the aromas to be fully appreciated.

WICKEDLY RICH TIPPLE

DESTINED to help put on the pounds over Christmas is a new breakthrough in liqueurs that provides liquid chocolate. This wickedly rich drink mixes Baileys, the creamy Irish brand, with Belgian chocolate, to give a seriously indulgent treat for those with a sweet taste.

After sampling a lot of chocolate and tasting a lot of mixtures, Anthony Wilson, son of Baileys creator Steve Wilson, may well have become a touch queasy in his quest for the right  alchemy of alcohol and chocolate. But he persevered and after no less than 839 attempts (ye gods)  proclaimed a successful result.

“The philosophy behind developing Baileys Chocolat Luxe was to create an ambient molten chocolate experience – something that you could pour and drink at room temperature that would have the multi-sensory experience of eating chocolate,” says Wilson. 

“Baileys was the first liqueur to fuse whiskey and cream, and now Baileys Chocolat Luxe heralds a groundbreaking innovation in chocolate – the first time real Belgian chocolate has been fused with alcohol to deliver a real Belgian chocolate experience.”

With an  ABV of 15.7% and over 30g of chocolate in each bottle, it should be a winner for Christmas and will retail at £16.96 for 50cl.

A TROPHY COGNAC

LEAVING such sweetness aside, an award-winning cognac promises a sophisticated finale to Christmas feasting.The 1991 vintage Cognac Frapin not only received a Gold Medal at this year’s International Spirits Challenge but also received the trophy for Best Cognac.

This vintage is from the Multimillisime series from the family-run Chateau Fontpinot, and repeats similar success at this top international competition in 2008 and 2010. The fifth addition to the series, launched earlier this year, has a limited production of just 1,270 bottles, each individually numbered and replicating an ancient cognac flagon, the neck hemmed with cord, and presented in a wooden gift box.

It won’t be available until November and is distributed in the UK exclusively through McKinley Vintners at a retail price of around £245. The gift packing may help to keep it for Christmas.

SPIRITS LIFTED BY NEW CLUB

Keen to improve your knowledge of spirits? Then the Flaviar Club may appeal.

Over the past year it has been sending out tasting packs of 5 spirit samples to members throughout Europe each month, with tasting notes. So successful has it proved that it is now launching Flaviar Deals, backed by $400K seed funding, to provide limited sales of hard-to-find bottles of high quality spirits.

“Many spirits lovers were amazed to discover there is much more to top-notch spirits than whiskies,” said Grisa Soba, founder of Flaviar. “Rums were one of the biggest surprises and a big hit.” For more info go to www.flaviar.com