It’s official! The holidays are upon us in full force and we have armed you with some great wines for this most festive of months. Planning on attending a dinner party and need to bring a “Wow” red?  We’ve got you covered with the Duckhorn Decoy, a delicious and nutritious (red wines are good for you) red blend from Napa Valley.  Should you need to bring some celebratory bubbly to a New Year’s Eve bash, we’ve picked out a great sparkler to ring in the new year with a POP! The Roederer Estate Brut Rose is everything a Brut Rose should be and more.

NV Roederer Estate Brut Rose Anderson Valley, Ca.

As with most rosés primarily made with more Pinot Noir than Chardonnay, the Roederer Estate Rosé is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. For color, the winemaker prepares a small portion of Pinot Noir with extended maceration and adds about 5 percent to the blend before secondary fermentation, imparting a subtle salmon tinge. Both the 60/40 blend and the addition of the small amount of red wine create a charming wine of discreet finesse.

As with all Roederer Estate wines, the Brut Rosé is comprised of 100 percent estate-grown grapes. Oak-aged wines from the Estate’s reserve cellars are added to the blend, creating a multi-vintage cuvée in the traditional Roederer style.

aromas: strawberries, apple, orange zest, honey comb and cherry blossom

palate: light, slightly tangy and refreshing; rose petal and lemon with a creamy texture and long finish

2007 Duckhorn Decoy, Napa Valley, Ca. 

Since its inaugural vintage in 1985, Decoy, Duckhorn Vineyards’ sister label, has taken an important place in the Duckhorn family of wines. Like the wines of Duckhorn Vineyards, Decoy is produced from classic Bordeaux varietals. With a new composition every vintage, this unique red is blended from a changing combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to create an engaging Napa Valley red wine.

The wine’s label features a decoy carved by Richard “Fresh-Air Dick” Janson (1872-1951) during the 1930s. Janson was a premier carver whose decoys are the most recognizable of all Pacific Coast carvings.

nose: plum, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, black cherry, cassis, clove, cinnamon, deep earth, slight herb, licorice

palate:  slight pepper, plum, currant, berries, dark baked cherries, chocolate, slight herbiness with more pronounced licorice, good gripping tannins rich and a smooth finish