THE WINE CELLAR Fizz for your New

Taking alcohol-free sipping to new heights

It took over 180 prototypes to perfect this alcohol-free ‘gin’ with its faithful juniper taste From being the designated driver to having already enjoyed enough booze to last you until next Christmas, to a nagging sense that alcohol is responsible for your winter blues or expanding waist... or just because you’re determined to adhere to dry January. There are a number of reasons to go alcohol-free on New Year’s Eve, but none better than this stunner from Sipsmith, with its faithful juniper flavour and the zesty freshness of its botanicals. n £22.50 / 70cl / <0.50% ABV, See www.sipsmith.com.

The Wine Cellar

IT’LL BE A HAPPY NEW YEAR INDEED THANKS TO A FINE TRIO OF SPARKLING WINE, PLUS A HEAVYWEIGHT RED... AND WE’VE SOMETHING NICE FOR DESIGNATED DRIVERS, TOO!

“PLEASURE WITHOUT CHAMPAGNE IS PURELY ARTIFICIAL...” Oscar Wilde

Wine of the Month

Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Napa Valley £35.99 / 75cl / 15% ABV

Careful with this one, for although Louis Martini’s Cab Sav looks deceptively ordinary, it’s a bit of a beast, weighing in at a full-bodied 15%. With flavours of black plum, blackcurrant and vanilla that are great with red meat it’s a cracking high-end choice, though you’ll probably want to go a little steady whilst enjoying its oak, vanilla and tobacco. If the result of the special relationship between the UK and the US is the availability of this, super wine, we’ll roll out the stars and stripes any day. Available from majestic.co.uk. n

Celebrating Robert Burns

1. It’s sparkling in every sense. Chapel Down wines have become one of the best British wine brands, and their Reichtensteiner/Rivaner blend is a good way to see off 2021, £27 / 75cl / 12% ABV.

2. Our mid-market choice is Pol Roger, which as we all know was the tipple of choice for Winston Churchill. A little more costly than Moët or Tattinger, but worth the extra in our opinion, with a fresh acidic taste and good mousse, £46 / 75cl / 12.5% ABV.

3. Pushing the boat out? Good show. Opt for this then. It’s a 2012 vintage of Bollinger, made exclusively from Grand Cru rated grapes ideal for welcoming in 2022 with friends, £105 / 75cl / 12% ABV. 25th January 2022 will see thousands of haggis-worshippers the length and breadth of the UK pretend to be Scottish for one evening, as a flimsy excuse to drink whisky. If the incentive is this, we’ll join them too. From Speyside, and aged for 25 years, it’s a sherry-matured single malt which has lots of dark fruit and oak spice. Barley, gingerbread, and nuts, it’s slightly smoky but also thoroughly enjoyable. ‘Slàinte! as they say.

£129 / 70cl / 43% ABV, houseofmalt.co.uk.

n Our featured wines are available from the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated.

rob has put this in - my suggestion for a filler