Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut

Variety: Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: Penedes
Vintage: non vintage (purchased in 2007)
Alcohol content: 11.5%
Residual sugar: n/a
Acidity: n/a
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: pear, apple, biscuit
Taste: green apple, green pear, lime, biscuits, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: pate from duck liver
Overall score: 84
Price: CZK 200
This was amazing sparkling wine for the price. If I remember correctly  I got it for less than CZK 200 and for this price it is shocking price/value ratio. Somehow the bottle finished really quickly:). It does not have the complexity of some Champagnes it is more breezy, with excellent lively acidity similar to green apple accompanied by pear and biscuit tones. Also it does not cost 4 - 5 times more like most of non vintage Champagnes do!!. I should have one more bottle in the cellar so I look forward to have some occasion to open it:)

Vinařství Pavlov Pinot Blanc 2003 Výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Pinot Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: quite expressive, ripe citrus tones, juicy mango
Taste: yammi, yammi, yammi, ripe citrus fruits, medium body, very drinkable, pineapple, hint of bread, round, smooth, excellent balance
Recommended food pairing: poultry, even lighter dishes of pork
Overall score: 86
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
This was the second bottle for Xmas dinner and it was significantly better than the sauvignon blanc. Very complex and nicely drinkable wine:)

Vinařství Pavlov Sauvignon 2003 Výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Moravia, Mikulov sub-appellation
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: canned gooseberry, minerality
Taste: medium body, round, canned gooseberry accompanied by nice combination of acidity with hint of residual sugar
Recommended food pairing: fish
Overall score: 4+6+11+6+6=83
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Heavier style of Sauvignon Blanc, not that expressive and fruity as new world types, it is rather mineral and rounder with matured tones in it, higher acidity and slight residual sugar helped the bottle to survive 6 years of cellaring. This was the first bottle of wine for Xmas dinner (after Champagne of course).

Gosset Champagne Excellence Brut - 200ml bottle

Variety: 42% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir (all from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards) and 13% Pinot Meunier including 24% reserve wines from two vintages
Country of origin: France
Wine appellation: Champagne
Vintage: non vintage
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Color: golden
Bouquet:  walnuts, biscuits, matured Emmenthal cheese
Taste: complex, bottle aged (probably because of small bottle), canned mirabelle, biscuits, long finish
Recommended food pairing: marvelous as an aperitif
Overall score: 85
I got this small bottle of Champagne about a year ago. Given the small bottle and 1 year storage the color was very nice golden and the bouquet was very nutty with expressive biscuit taste. It was very nice start of Xmas dinner though :)

Lobkowiczké zámecké vinařství Ryzlink rýnský 2000 Výběr z hroznů

Variety: 100% Rhine Riesling
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Wine appellation: Bohemia, Litomerice sub-appellation (under the old classification it used to be Roudnicka appellation)
Vintage: 2000
Alcohol content: 14.12%
Residual sugar: 8.4g/l
Acidity: 6.6g/l
Color: deep golden
Bouquet: deep, dry apricot, linden tree honey, orange peel
Taste: full body, dry apricot, orange marmalade, concentrated dry fruits, long finish
Recommended food pairing: matured cheese
Overall score: 90
Price: gift

Stopper: cork

This was completely fantastic wine. I got this bottle as a present in 2004 and was keeping it for special moment.We opened it at the end of Christmas dinner and later vacuumed it and finished it yesterday in the evening before New year. I really enjoyed this wine. It had everything in it, full body, concentrated taste, bottle maturity and slight residual sugar, which was not too high and perfectly complemented the expressive taste and higher alcohol. (extract was 26.5g/l).

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2002

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2002
Alcohol content: 13.0%
Color: golden
Bouquet: overripe peach, pineapple, going towards honey, vanilla
Taste: medium to full body, very round, smooth, melon, dry pineapple, pear, orange, vanilla, medium to long finish
Recommended food pairing: turkey roll stuffed with pear
Overall score: 86
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
Very interesting comparison to 05, which we tasted just before this one. This is completely different league. immediately the nose is much more expressive with overripe fruit characteristics and nicely integrated vanilla. This continues in the taste, which is big, round, smooth and reminiscent of dry fruit with nicely integrated oak. Also the finish is much longer. Unfortunately this was the only bottle I had (found it when organizing my cellar :)

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay 2005

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Country of origin: Australia
Wine appellation: South Eastern Australia
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol content: 12.5%
Color: straw yellow
Bouquet: peach, green melon
Taste: light to medium body, melon, canned pineapple, lime, hint of nutty oak, at the end slightly higher acidity, medium finish
Recommended food pairing: pasta with cream sauce, turkey, chicken
Overall score: 83
Price: CZK 199
Stopper: cork
This Chardonnay is more round and slightly less fruity than the 2007 tasted here. Although same score they are different 2007 is more approachable with lively fruit and not that well integrated oak like in this 2005, which is rounder. I was surprised of the acidity there, which given its age still was quite visible and made it nicely refreshing. I supect it must have been artificially added :)).