The true spirit of the holidays always finds its way to the table. It's in the easy warmth of filling someone's glass, the lingering conversations, and that wonderful feeling when the laughter comes as easily as the next pour, and the night just... settles in.
With that feeling in mind, our team has put together The Big Bottle Guide. It's a shortlist of five big bottles we genuinely adore, picked for their ability to turn a simple dinner into a shared memory worth savouring.
A flagship Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley by 00 Wines, crafted from premium sites like Shea, Hyland, and Chehalem Mountain vineyards. The 2022 vintage is vibrant and elegant, with aromas of red cherries, raspberries, blackberries, hazelnuts, mushrooms, and spices. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity, fine tannins, and a long, nuanced finish featuring earthy and savory notes. Highly rated (91-96 points), it's a refined, age-worthy expression of cool-climate Pinot Noir.
A Blanc de Blancs Champagne (100% Chardonnay) from grower-producer Crété Chamberlin, sourced from Grand Cru villages Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côte des Blancs. The 2018 is a generous, solar vintage with no dosage (Brut Nature), no malolactic fermentation, and stainless steel aging for purity. It offers crystalline minerality, ripe fruit generosity, and precise terroir expression from old vines (some dating to 1953). Elegant and structured, ideal for those seeking unadorned Chardonnay finesse.
deg. Feb 2023
Iconic red from the historic Avril family estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône. Primarily Grenache with Mourvèdre, Syrah, and others, from old vines and organic practices. The 2021 vintage emphasizes elegance and freshness over power, with aromas of red/black fruits, raspberries, cherries, dried herbs, pepper, and truffles. Full-bodied yet balanced with smooth tannins, vibrant acidity, and a savory finish. A classic, age-worthy wine known for complexity and longevity.
Biodynamic Chardonnay from the Bret Brothers' Domaine de la Soufrandière in the Mâconnais, Burgundy. This special cuvée comes from 70+ year-old vines in the top "Les Quarts" site, where natural millerandage (tiny, concentrated berries) yields intense flavors. Compact and mineral-driven with waxy texture, ripe fruit, and high concentration. The 2022 balances elegance with warmth, offering precision, depth, and aging potential—considered one of the finest terroirs in Pouilly-Vinzelles.
A flagship white from Domaine Comte Abbatucci in southern Corsica, blending rare indigenous varieties (including Vermentino, Brustiano/Biancu Gentile, Rossola Brandinca, Riminese, Carcajolo Bianco, and others) rescued from extinction. Biodynamically farmed on granite soils, aged in demi-muids on lees. The 2014 vintage offers powerful aromas of white fruits, citrus, buttery notes, and Mediterranean herbs. Rich yet fresh on the palate with creamy texture, vibrant acidity, minerality, and exceptional length — a complex, age-worthy icon of Corsican heritage.
