Christmas Tastings - 2025

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 04-December-2025. 

For the third year running we went to the Bassenthwaite Lake Station food and wine matching event to celebrate the festive season. We learned our lesson from the 2023 and 2024 Christmas tastings and were prepared for the ample snacks provided. We had a filling lunch and then a light snack at home before heading out to Bassenthwaite.

As a reminder, the train is a replica of The Orient Express built for the 2017 version of the film. I was informed that I was sitting in Johnny Depp’s chair. When you look at the poster for the movie and look closer at the fabric design for this chair you can see that it is indeed the very same. Unfortunately the similarities end there says Mary!

As well as buying the carriages of the movie set Simon and Diana obviously also purchased all the contents See [Bassenthwaite Lake Station: Our Story].

There were many Christmas jumpers and Santa hats on display, but the couple on the table next to us definitely win the prize for the best outfits.

Wine, ABV, Country, Supplier & Price. 

• Tasting notes 
• Food Pairing
• Mary‘s notes and star rating

1 Lachetea Cremant de Loire, brut, 12% France £16 Ocado 

• Lively, well structured, persistent effervescence, This Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc blend displays a touch of lemon and berry fruits. Lemon, tangerine, exotic fruits on the nose. Translucent, brilliant, pale yellow. Should cut nicely through the cream cheese. 
• Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Blini 
• Decent acidity, not completely bone dry, light nose and body. ✱

2 Trimbach Pinot Blanc, 13%, France £16 Booths Or Majestic £18.

• Made from Pinot Blanc and Auxxerois, this complex wine spends two years in bottle prior to release. Vinified dry, you'll discover fresh and elegant stone-fruit flavours. Its rich and rounded character makes it incredibly food-friendly. Enjoy as an apéritif, or with fish and poultry dishes. 
• Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Blini  
• Pale yellow; dry, Fuller nose, some spiciness on the nose; fuller body, peachy, good acidity. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Trimbach Pinot Blanc;
Mary - ditto.

3 Belles Lettres Cote du Rhone Blanc, 2024, 13% France £10.50 Booths. 

• A special offering from the southern Rhone region. Grenache blanc is blended with Marsanne and a touch of Clairette to create this refreshing wine with hints of peach and honeysuckle. Should hold its own well with this rich velouté. 
• Parsnip and Chestnut Velouté 
• Pale lemon; slight green nose, some spicy; good body, peachy, lightly oily, decent Length. ✱✱

 4 Wynn's Coonawarra Chardonnay, 13.5% Australia £15.75 Booths 

• Lifted white peach and nectarine aromas, complemented by subtle nut and nougat flavours. Soft stone fruit, citrus and poached pear flavours linger on the fresh, lightly creamy palate. Flavoursome wine for a flavoursome soup! 
• Parsnip and Chestnut Velouté. 
• Very pale; vegetal nose (green pepper?); unoaked, clean, stone fruit, very slightly green, nice texture. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Cote du Rhone Blanc;
Mary - Coonawarra Chardonnay.

5 Leyda Reserva Pinot Noir 2024, 13% Chile £13 Booths. 

• Bright ruby red colour. A fruity nose with strawberries, hints of red cherries and a subtle wild herb notes with a delicate smokiness and tobacco. Refined on the palate, juicy and full of ripe berry flavours, a hint of minerality and refreshing finish. Pinot Noir and turkey? A classic pairing! 
• Festive Turkey Bonbon 
• Light, pale mahogany; strawberry on nose, slight vegetal/herb; soft ripe, berries, slight mineral. ✱✱.

6 E. Guigal Cotes Du Rhone 2021, 14.5% France £15.75 Booths 

• Cotes du Rhone is characteristically supple and smooth, easy-drinking, appealingly fruity and full-flavoured with a twist of sweet spice on the finis, typical of the Grenache Noir and Syrah grapes. This would be at home with all sorts of rich meats and bold vegetable dishes. 
• Festive Turkey Bonbon 
• Dark purple; darker fruit, deeper nose; spicy, peppery, plum, good length. ✱✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Pinot Noir;
Mary - Cotes Du Rhone.

7 Susana Balbio Crios 2023, 14% Argentina £14 Booths 

• A fresh, pure expression of the variety, this superior Malbec displays aromas of violets, cherries ahd spices. Fruity, with balanced acidity on the palate, notes of ripe red fruits and a subtle hint of oak. Hopeful of a perfect pairing with a roast! 
• Roast Beef and mini Yorkie with rich red wine jus 
• Dark purple; light chocolate, caramel? Dark fruit. Plum/damson, some astringency, soft dark fruit. ✱✱✱

8 D'Arrys Original 2020, 14.5% Australia £15.50 Booths 

• Deep, dark and brooding on the nose with delicious notes of black forest gateau. Grenache and Shiraz work well together to create a ripe and generous Australian red. Dark-berry flavours are joined by red-fruit and black olive notes on the finish that vill be fabulous with this rich dish. Wine Champion 2023 on Wine Society website. 
• Roast Beef and mini Yorkie with rich red wine jus  
• Dark mahogany; much softer/sweeter nose, Tobacco, slight vegetal/green pepper?; Spicy, pepper, dark fruit (black/redcurrant). ✱✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - D'Arrys Original;
Mary - ditto.

9 M&S Sweet Ruby Port, 20% Portugal £10 (on offer) Ocado 

• A powerful, rich, full-bodied wine with aromas and flavours of red berries like plums, cherries and strawberries. With balanced sweetness and a smooth, long finish, some tastings show a hint of dark chocolate and some spice which should be perfect with this dessert and strong cheeses. 
• Dark Chocolate and Cherry mousse, 2 Cheeses 
• No notes. ✱✱

10 Barbadillo Pedro Ximenez, 18.5% Spain £17.50 Ocado.

• This Barbadillo Pedro Ximenez Sherry offers an indulgent experience with its rich, sweet flavour profile. Made from sun-dried Pedre Ximenez grapes it boasts a deep, dark colour and intense notes of dried fruits, caramel and molasses. It is a perfect choice for rich chocolate desserts or strong, salty cheeses. 
• Dark Chocolate and Cherry mousse, 2 Cheeses
• No notes. ✱✱

Preferred wine with food:
Mark - Pedro Ximenez;
Mary - ditto.

The two puds and wines went equally well in both combination with both desserts and cheese. The last time I had Pedro Ximenez it was disgustingly sweet. This was much so much better; alcoholic raisin in a glass. As Mary is lactose intolerant they made a separate dessert for her. These are the two puddings.

Replete with fabulous food and wine, it was a short stroll back to The Pheasant for our usual beery nightcap and so to bed.