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Morgon ‘Les Charmes’ 2014, Bret Brothers

Posted by on June 9, 2016
<strong>Morgon ‘Les Charmes’ 2014, Bret Brothers</strong>

DSCF6709Morgon ‘Les Charmes’ 2014, Bret Brothers
€35 from Wines Direct, Mullingar & Arnott’s, Dublin.

Superb wine; fragrant, forward aromas of strawberries with an earthiness; light on the palate with intense

I would drink this with a plate of really good charcuterie. Salami and Beaujolais make a great match. But a pâté en croute sounds perfect.

I had a memorable visit to the Bret Brothers a few years back. They make a range of excellent age worthy white wines from their vineyards in the Mâconnais. This is new to me however; a red wine from the Beaujolais region. As with many of their wines, it is made from biodynamically grown grapes. Morgon is one of the top ‘crus’ of the Beaujolais, producing wines that can taste very like Pinot Noir when aged; and it is worth ageing the wines of Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent. This wine is expensive, but well worth it.

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Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2013, Barossa Valley

Posted by on June 3, 2016
<strong>Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2013, Barossa Valley</strong>

WoodcuttersSemillonTorbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon 2013, Barossa Valley
13.5%
€24.95 from O’Briens

This is an unusual but very enjoyable wine. In the past, Dave Powell’s white wines were very full-bodied and oaky (I quite liked them), but he seems to have toned down the oak a bit and possibly picked earlier to get a fresher more balanced style.

This has delicious floral and toasted almond aromas, medium-bodied waxy lemons and honey on the palate and a bone dry finish. I would happily lay down a few bottles, as I suspect it will age for another five years. Right now, I would drink it with grilled and barbecued fish or chicken dishes.

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Cheverny ‘Rouillon’ 2015 Clos de Tue-Boeuf

Posted by on June 3, 2016
<strong>Cheverny ‘Rouillon’ 2015 Clos de Tue-Boeuf</strong>

ImageCheverny ‘Rouillon’ 2015 Clos de Tue-Boeuf
12%
€22.95 from Blackrock Cellars, 64wine, Glasthule & Le Caveau, Kilkenny.

Not many wine geeks will have heard of Cheverny. It is one of those very obscure appellations of the Loire Valley. The white wines are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Arbois, Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc. The red is also a blend, of Gamay and Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.

Thierry Puzelat is one of the leading exponents of natural winemaking in France. His wines are made with no added yeasts and little or no sulphur. When they work, I find them spectacularly good, although I have tasted a few very barnyardy examples in the past. This was delicious, a refreshing fruit-filled wine with redcurrants and raspberries and a fine elegant acidity and an earthy touch. Serve cool with all sorts of pork and chicken dishes.

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Domaine Saumaize St. Véran ‘en Crèches’ 2014

Posted by on May 26, 2016
<strong>Domaine Saumaize St. Véran ‘en Crèches’ 2014</strong>

Saumaize-Saint-Veran-en-Creches-bottleDomaine Saumaize St. Véran ‘en Crèches’ 2014
13%
€23 from Grapevine, Dalkey; Cabot & Co, Westport

A very satisfying wine with delicious plump fresh fruits that unfurl slowly on the palate, with a crisp mineral edge. Fermented and aged in cement and stainless steel tanks so no oak flavours; just pure ripe fruits. Drink with seafood or chicken dishes. I suspect this would go very nicely with cod or hake with a buttery sauce.

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Barbera d’Asti L’Avvocata, Coppa 2013

Posted by on May 26, 2016
<strong>Barbera d’Asti L’Avvocata, Coppa 2013</strong>

ImageBarbera d’Asti L’Avvocata, Coppa 2013
13.5%
€19 from Morton’s, Galway; Grapevine, Dalkey; and Cabot & Co, Westport.

Apparently the owner is a lawyer, hence the name. The wine is certainly not too serious or weighty though. This is a delicious bouncy wine brimming with juicy ripe blackcurrant and dark cherry fruits. Smooth and succulent, perfect drinking for the summer months. I would drink it with pretty well any meat dish, including chicken, risotto, tomato sauced, cold meats or gnocchi.

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Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Elim, South Africa

Posted by on May 14, 2016
<strong>Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Elim, South Africa</strong>

Image 2Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Elim, South Africa
13.5%
€28 from Blackrock Cellar; Donnybrook Fair, Malahide; On the Grapevine, Dalkey

This appeared in the Irish Times a few weeks ago, but in case any of you missed it, this is a great wine from one of the leading young producers in South Africa. Normally the words Sauvignon Blanc and oak are enough to send me into despair, but with this wine it works and works brilliantly. Delicious mouthwatering peach fruits, with a wonderful creamy texture.

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Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 200, Azienda COS, Sicily

Posted by on May 14, 2016
<strong>Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 200, Azienda COS, Sicily</strong>

DSCF6556Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico 200, Azienda COS, Sicily
13%
€30 from www.cabotandco.com; No. 1 Pery Sq.Limerick; Market 57, Westport; Grapevine, Dalkey; Corkscrew, Chatham St.; Red Island, Skerries ; Listons, Camden St..

This has been one of my favourite wines for a decade or more, and also featured in my book this year. I drank a bottle last weekend, and was fighting with my wife over the last few drops. Frappato and Nero d’Avola are both indigenous Sicilian grapes; The COS single variety Frappato is good, but this blend of the two grapes is wirth the few extra euro. Soft smooth strawberry and plum fruits overlaid with dark chocolate. Wonderful wine.

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Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 2007

Posted by on May 5, 2016
<strong>Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 2007</strong>

IMG_4795Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 2007
Around €45-50 from independent wine shops – I got mine fro €40 from La Touche in Greystones.

Light and elegant, with intense honeyed fruits, a strong mineral streak and a bone dry finish. A mere 12.5% in alcohol, but packed with flavour. Drink with crab or other shellfish.

A wine that may seem expensive but I still reckon it is a bargain. The wine pictured beside it, Clos Sainte Hune, a great wine made by the same producer, from a single vineyard, costs well over €100 a bottle if you can find it. Cuvée Frédéric Emile is made from two grand cru vineyards, although it doesn’t say it on the label. To me, it is one of the great wines of Alsace. It lasts forever too; I am hoarding the last few bottles of a case of 2002 – a brilliant wine.

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Gloire de mon Père 2014, Tour des Gendres, Bergerac

Posted by on May 5, 2016
Gloire de mon Père 2014, Tour des Gendres, Bergerac

gloryGloire de mon Père 2014, Tour des Gendres, Bergerac

€22 from Le Caveau, Kilkenny, Green Man Wines, Terenure, 64wine, Glasthule and other leading independent wine shops.

Smooth elegant wine with ripe blackcurrant fruits, a touch of spice and a long dry finish. Serve it with roast red meats.

Luc de Conti has long been a shining beacon in Bergerac, an underrated region next door to Bordeaux. I am a big fan of the Tour de Gendres ‘classique’ (see above) his entryish level red that sells for around €15. However for €7 more, you can buy the Gloire de mon Père, and glorious it is too. A blend of 50% Cabernet sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Malbec, this is a Bordeaux lookalike of the very highest quality; except if it came from Bordeaux it would cost a lot more.

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Cesconi Olivar, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Trentino 2012

Posted by on April 21, 2016
<strong>Cesconi Olivar, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Trentino 2012</strong>

IMG_4684Cesconi Olivar, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Trentino 2012
13.5%
€32.99 from La Touche Wines, Greystones; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6; Wineonline.ie

The Cesconi wines generally combine rich almost opulent fruit with a lovely clean nervy acidity. It is a very attractive balanced style of wine that goes well with food but you can happily drink them solo. I tried this in La Touche Wines, my local wine shop. This wine is a single vineyard blend of Chardonnay (40%) Pinot Grigio (40%) and Pinot Bianco (20%). It has luscious apricot and peach fruits, some subtle spice and a fine crisp acidity. Nicely mature. Try it with chicken or possibly creamy white fish dishes.

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