Thanksgiving wines and "The One"

I love the holidays. More specifically, I love holiday dinners because they provide the perfect occasion to bust out some very special wines. Some very big special wines.

For Thanksgiving dinner last night at a friend’s house, I showed up with a magnum of 2002 Hartwell Merlot as well as (750 mL size) bottles of 2006 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Failla Pinot Noir, and 2005 J Brut (more on that wine next week!). We started with the biggest bottle on the table—a 3L that another guest brought.

As the cork was pulled from the Jeroboam (the equivalent of four 750 mL bottles) of 2007 Hartford Family Winery “Hailey’s Block” Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, I grabbed a glass. But not just any glass.

That’s when I was introduced to “The One.”

I thought it was a Burgundy glass until I inspected it more closely. It turned out to be Andrea Robinson’s design that she debuted a few years ago, a glass that she created to showcase all types of wine equally as well. She dubbed it “The One”, making the case that varietal-specific stemware is unnecessary.

The Hartford Pinot Noir was absolutely scrumptious—and The One wine glass showed it well. It offered mouthwatering aromas of bright cherry and sweet earth. The palate was rich, vibrant, and smooth with black cherry, vanilla, and pepper. The finish was long and clean with lingering notes of red fruit and spice. It paired particularly well with the semi-firm cheeses we nibbled on while waiting for the turkey to finish cooking.

When the 3L bottle was empty, we opened the 2002 Hartwell Stags Leap District Merlot. I was pleasantly surprised by this tasty wine; it was certainly in its prime. It packed a powerful punch with bold flavors of black plum, mixed berries, and cocoa. The black plum dominated the back-palate and the wine finished on a sweet, chocolatey note. Tannins were smooth but persistent, probably from the addition of a little Cabernet Sauvignon. This Merlot was a nice complement to the dark-meat turkey and although it was a very different wine from the Hartford Pinot Noir, it also showed very well from The One glass.

I have to admit that having one type of wine glass would make things easier--especially for entertaining purposes. Maybe I'll put The One wine glasses on my Christmas wish list...

This holiday season, I am thankful for friends and family, my readers, and my fellow wine lovers. I hope all of you had a terrific Thanksgiving dinner. What wines did you open? I’d love to hear what you paired with the turkey. Please post a comment below or on my Facebook page. Cheers!