1996 Château Palmer, Margaux, Bordeaux

The sensuous, generous dollop of 40% Merlot that went into this makes it exquisite and beguiling. Warm, sweet red fruit with a hint of vanilla leads you to a plump, fleshy palate but elegant and sophisticated. It reminds us of a top Grand Cru Burgundy from a great year with purity and grace. Please don't be offended if you read words like "elegant" to mean thin and lacking flavour, as it can often mean in wine terms.

Quite the contrary, this is jam-packed and full of oomph, and the finish is 3 to 4 minutes long. If it is a small Christmas Day or New Year's Eve gathering this year for you (or you are an incredibly generous host/hostess and having the hordes in!) and you want something that will tick all the boxes (and some boxes you hadn't even known you had), you won't be disappointed, and you will certainly have a very happy Christmas.

Berry Bros. & Rudd