The perfect wines for the festive season
Christmas is coming and we have a wonderful selection of Laithwaites wines to help ease you into the holiday period. Elevate your entire festive season with these spectacular French wines
Published 28 November 2025 12:40pm GMT
With Christmas parties and the festive period soon upon us, we have selected a quintet of Laithwaites wines for the festive season. They happen to be all French, from producers with whom Laithwaites has had a long association, and who make consistently good wines year after year.
These include a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, a Champagne, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône Valley, a Cru Bourgeois from the Médoc and, for that special occasion, a double magnum of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux.
Champagne Decelle Frères Brut NV, 12 per cent ABV, £19.99
Currently on offer at half-price, this excellent-value bubbly is made by the Gyéjacquot brothers, Cyril and Frédéric, whose father Michel and uncle Daniel founded the winery back in 1970. Their holdings have expanded to cover seven municipalities in the Aube department of Champagne.
The brothers are passionate about sustainability, with their vineyards being awarded in 2019 the Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) Level 3 certificate (the highest possible, being measured by environment performance indicators). This cuvée is 90 per cent Pinot Noir with the balance being Chardonnay. It spent a year on the lees, giving it some biscuity characteristics to go with its apple, pear and citrus notes.
Domaine Michel Thomas Sancerre AOC 2024, 12.5 per cent ABV, £19.99
This fine Loire Sauvignon Blanc is made by Michel Thomas’s son, Laurent, in the commune of Sury-en-Vaux, 6km north-west of the town of Sancerre. It has been a best-seller for Laithwaites ever since the company started importing the Thomas family wines two decades ago. Their sloping chalky vineyards, which are meticulously farmed, benefit from a perfect aspect and produce crisp, fresh white wines with flinty minerality.
Despite the challenge of rainfall in June and July in 2024, that was 2.5 times the norm, Laurent Thomas has crafted a beautifully balanced wine with concentration and length. Drink with seafood, goat’s cheese or fish salads.
Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC 2022, 15 per cent ABV, £27
This classic Châteauneuf blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre was launched in 1958 by Félicien Diffonty with the blessing of the then Pope, John XXIII. The family still sends a case of it every year to the Vatican. Félicien’s son Jean-Marc now makes this powerful, full-bodied yet harmonious wine from old gnarly vines with very low yields.
Herbal, spice and candied orange aromas give way to ripe cherry notes on the palate. Ripe with huge concentration, its notable freshness and fine well-integrated tannins balance its 15 per cent alcohol. Drink with rich meats or game dishes
Château Ramage La Batisse, Haut Médoc AOC 2014 Cru Bourgeois, 12.5 per cent ABV, £27
Laithwaites’ Bordeaux buyer, Jean-Marc Sauboua, has such a strong relationship with the château’s owners that he has first call on vintages when they hold them back. This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon needed time to mature but is now ‘à point’ and a delight.
Medium in weight with soft tannins, it shows some discreet new oak and attractive floral aromas with a hint of tobacco. On the palate, there are notes of plums, blackberries, cherries and walnuts. An elegant wine, it has a long finish. An ideal accompaniment for roast beef, lamb, charcuterie or, on Christmas Day, roast turkey.
Château La Clarière, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux AOC 2022, 14.5 per cent ABV, £120 (3-litre double magnum)
A favourite of Tony Laithwaite’s, whose love affair with wine started when he was taken in and mentored by the château’s owners when he was a student in the 1960s. In 1980, he was offered the chance to buy the estate and share its exceptional Bordeauxs with the world – a mission he has accomplished, given the many awards that have followed. Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is a competitively priced red wine appellation that sits immediately to the east of neighbouring St-Émilion, sharing its soils, hills and exposure.
Predominantly Merlot, it is generously perfumed with black fruits, notably plum, and fine spices. Older vintages have won numerous awards, including the Paris Lauréat Prix d’Excellence (twice). Low yields, rigorous sorting and skilful use of some of the best new French oak for ageing have all combined to contribute to the high quality of this label. Drink with roasted and grilled meats, such as duck, pork or chicken, as well as certain Asian dishes.