Match of the week

Roast turkey and Chivite Coleccion 125 reserva 2001

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on December 26 2011 at 14:56

A bit of a departure with the turkey this Christmas - a magnum of Chivite Coleccion 125 from Navarra we unearthed in a cellar sort-out the other day. It's based on Tempranillo with a proportion of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon - I'm not sure what the percentages were that year - but was probably at the optimum moment for drinking - the fruit still bright but super-smooth and beautifully in balance.

I know I tend to recommend other options with turkey but this hit the spot perfectly coping with a rich spicy stuffing and bright, sharp cranberry sauce.

What made it work? Three main things, I think: the level of alcohol (13.5%) - not too alcoholic but powerful enough to take on the many different flavours on the plate, pure, intense but in no way cloying fruit and smooth, integrated tannins. And a magnum is always fun.