BY CARRIE DRURY
We all have different traditions but one thing is for sure, the holidays are better with wine. For me, Christmas is a moment together with family when all gather around a beautifully set table of delicious dishes. It’s the perfect time for extraordinary wines. My parents have an exquisite wine cellar and Christmas at my parents means Burly Wines!
Burly has been in the portfolio of our family owned distribution company for eight years. McCrorie Family Vineyards is located East of Napa Valley California; the vineyard boasts a climate generally cooler than others in Napa Valley, allowing for longer hang times which promote intensified flavors and layering in the finished wine. Annual production is usually 2,000 cases or less. Did I mention these wines tastes like velvet on your tongue?!
Affectionately known as our “Burly Christmas,” my sisters and I arrive with our families in tow and kick the festivities off, basically a reason to arrive early to enjoy light appetizers with our first wine pairing.
2016 Burly Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from a low-yielding block of grapes and produces an intense wine with aromas of white peach and lemon. At first swirl, stone fruit and pineapple aromas leap from the glass. The palate has rich flavors of lemon meringue which is supported by elegant minerality and lively acidity. The sur lie aging rounds out this wine, creating a broad mid palate and a smooth lingering finish. We enjoy a light charcuterie board of different cheeses; goat cheese and beets pairing well, and my personal favorite with a glass of Sauv Blanc, is a homemade deviled egg.
As we settle at the table to enjoy our first entree of crab cakes with a delicious remoulade sauce, the 2017 Burly Chardonnay with the smell of oak and vanilla and a touch of butter, leap from the glass. The palate has rich flavors of lemon and melon which are supported by elegant minerality and lively acidity with a smooth lingering finish. The grapes for the 2017 Chardonnay were picked early in the morning and came in cold. The grapes were pressed into new oak barrels and cold fermented by native yeast. The fermentation took forty-five days at sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. The wine was then aged sur lie for sixteen months. An exceptional Chardonnay; but we allow ourselves only one glass as we prepare for the main course.
My sister, Annie, does many things well but her prime rib and burgundy mushrooms at Christmas is one I envy and have tried to replicate without success. Even after the wine flows, we can’t get her to give up the recipe. Nevertheless, it is our family favorite and pairs deliciously with the 2016 Burly Cabernet Sauvignon. A striking balance of fruit and a thick viscous mouthful, the 2016 Burly Cab is truly a remarkable wine that will provide years of enjoyment. Aromas of cassis and blackberries meld seamlessly with notes of chocolate, and anise. The rich, plush mouthful, elegantly transforms into sweetness with supple tannins and lovely oak integration. A wonderful mineral note shines through the whole experience. Layered, complex, and lingering, a true wine drinking experience. Wonderful now, this wine will benefit from further bottle aging, reaching its peak in five to seven years but drinkable for ten years.
If you would like to add Burly to your holiday experience you can find it at the following local retailers: Cool Springs Wine & Spirits, Berry Farms Wine & Spirits, Franklin Wine & Spirits, The Bottle Shop at McEwen, Green Hills Cork Dorks, Midtown Cork Dorks, Moon Wine & Spirits and Sperry's Cool Springs.
