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The Hundred 2014, McLaren Vale Grenache

The Hundred 2014, McLaren Vale Grenache

IMG_1893The Hundred 2014, McLaren Vale Grenache
14.5%
€25.99

Big and powerful and structured, with lovely bright vibrant red fruits, all cherries and strawberries, with a sprinkle of spice. A serious dangerously drinkable wine to match up to barbequed meats and roasts.

Available from O’Briens; La Touche, Greystones; Green Man Wines, Terenure; Jus De Vine, Portmarnock; Mitchell & Son, chq, Sandycove & Avoca; Wineonline.ie; World Wide Wines, Waterford.

Shiraz and Grenache from McLaren Vale often has this distinctive delicious fresh quality. This wine is made from dry-grown bush vines, many eighty years old. Grown in a cooler sub-region of McLaren Vale, they produce wines with a lovely aroma and succulent round fruit.

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Vale de Capucha Branco 2012, Vinho Regional, Portugal

Vale de Capucha Branco 2012, Vinho Regional, Portugal

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Vale de Capucha Branco 2012, Vinho Regional, Portugal
12.5%
€19.95

An enchanting combination of zesty citrus, grapefruit pith and plump peachy fruits. One of those that gets better with each sip. Just don’t serve it too cold.

I would have this with richer fish dishes, maybe fairly plain cod, hake or black sole.

Available from Mitchell and Son, Gibney’s Malahide, Corkscrew, Redmond’s Ranelagh, 64 Wine, Glasthule.

Pedro Marques is one of the rising stars of Portuguese winemaking. He visited Dublin last year to attend the SPIT tasting (if you don’t know about it, google and make sure you get to the 2016 event) where he showed his amazing wines. The white wines are brilliant, and the reds pretty good too.

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Vale da Capucha 2011, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal

Vale da Capucha 2011, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal

IMG_4472Vale da Capucha 2011, Vinho Regional, Portugal
15%
€20.50

Very restrained with just ripe damson fruits, good acidity and a very attractive mineral core. Great wine with real character.

This has the acidity and tannic structure to cut through fatty meats; grilled duck breast or maybe belly of pork, so long as they aren’t swamped with a sweet sauce.

Available from Corkscrew, Gibney’s Malahide, Redmond’s Ranelagh.

Pedro Marques is better known for his white wines than red (see above), but I tried this red three times over the last six months and was very taken with it. As my tasting note suggests, it was a lovely elegant wine with a slight earthy minerality. I was gobsmacked to find out it was 15% alcohol. So not one to sip while watching TV.

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TWO TOP DROPS FOR THE WEEKEND

Is spring here yet? I am never really a fan of bigger more alcoholic reds, but once the weather starts to warm up a little, I quickly switch to lighter wines. Last weekend I met up with one of my favourite producers of red wines, Matthieu Baudry of Domaine Baudry in Chinon. It was at a tasting organised by the Knockranny House Hotel and Cabot & Co, both based in Westport. It was a brilliant tasting, followed by an excellent dinner (Seamus Commons being one of the best chefs in the country). I also gorged myself on one of the best collections of Rieslings in the country (see www.cabotandco.com) including those of Klaus Peter Keller. The dry Riesling below is excellent, and the Kirchspiel is magnificent. Sadly it costs around €50 a bottle.

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Klaus Peter Keller Dry Riesling 2013, Rheinhessen
€20.99

Light and refreshing but with wonderful piercing concentrated lightly honeyed peach fruits. By itself or with plain shellfish.

Available from Cabot & Co. (www.cabotandc.com) ,On the Grapevine, Dalkey, and No1 Pery Square, Limerick.

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Domaine Baudry Chinon Les Granges 2014
€18.99

Crunchy free-flowing and fresh juicy redcurrant fruits in a lively but very enjoyable wine. Serve it cool, but not chilled, with charcuterie.

Available from Cabot & Co. (www.cabotandc.com) ,On the Grapevine, Dalkey, Listons, Camden St, Donnybrook Fair, Malahide, Red Island Wines, Skerries, Market 57, Westport and No1 Pery Square, Limerick.

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Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo

Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo

IMG_1620Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo
13%
€17.95

Available from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers

Fresh and lively with delectable ripe cherry and plum fruits, a hint of spice and a smooth finish. Dangerously easy to polish off a glass.

Made primarily from Méncia, with a proportion of Alicante Bouschet from various 30-60 year old plots, this is fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep those delicious primary fruits.

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Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo

Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo

IMG_1623Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo
12.5%
€18.50

Available from 64wine, Glasthule, Sheridan’s Cheesemongers

This is an enchanting fruit-filled wine with plump melons and pears as well as a touch of the exotic. There is a lovely lanolin texture on the palate, underpinned by a refreshing mineral streak. Perfect with all kinds of seafood, white meats and salads, but I would fancy it with a few plump scallops. Brilliant wine.

This is made mainly from the Godello grape, with a dollop of Doña Blanca. Godello is the grape behind Valdeorras, another delicious wine from north-west Spain. It is every bit as good, if not better, than Albariño.

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Crazy Creatures Gruner Veltliner 2014, Malat, Kremstal

Crazy Creatures Gruner Veltliner 2014, Malat, Kremstal

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Crazy Creatures Grüner Veltliner 2014, Malat, Kremstal
12%
€18.95

Light, fresh, clean, lean green apple fruits with a touch of spice. Michael Malat suggests it as a breakfast wine; I would say lunch. Perfect sipped solo or with shellfish. There is a series of Crazy Creatures labels, signifying the fun ‘pop and go’ nature of the wines.

The Austrians were in town last week, and I tasted a fantastic array of scintillating white and red wines. The Austrians don’t really do cheap, but they don’t really do bad wine either; there was hardly a dud in the entire tasting. Grüner Veltliner is the national specialty; it ranges in style from crisp and dry to rich and textured. Either way, the wines are great to sip on their own, and are one of the most food-friendly wines of all.

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La Solana 2012, Suertes del Marqués, Valle de la Orotava,

La Solana 2012, Suertes del Marqués, Valle de la Orotava,

Image 1La Solana 2012, Suertes del Marqués, Valle de la Orotava,
13.5%

€27 from 64wine, Glasthule; Clontarf Wines; Baggot Street Wines; Blackrock Cellars; Michael’s, Deerpark; Redmonds, Ranelagh; Black Pig, Donnybrook.

A truly fascinating wine with lifted floral and forest fruit aromas, cool dark fruits and dark chocolate on the palate, a refreshing acidity with a mineral core. The overall impression on the palate is light, fruity and savoury all at the same time. Gorgeous wine.

Do you go head off to the Canaries for a blast of sun? If you do, then on your next visit, I suggest you check out their wines the next time. I was bowled over by some at a tasting last year. This wine, from Tenerife, is made by a modern, family-owned estate from the unknown (outside of the Canaries) Listán Negro grape variety. The vines are 80-100 years old and grown on dark volcanic soils. It is fermented in concrete tanks and large old oak casks to allow the fruit to show through. I featured this wine in the Irish Times last year. Recently I cracked open a second bottle and was still blown away.

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TOP DROP THIS WEEK – TWO WINES FROM TURKEY FLAT

TOP DROP THIS WEEK  – TWO WINES FROM TURKEY FLAT

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I have been enjoying the wines of Turkey Flat from time to time for twenty years now. In the 90’s, they always had a wonderful raw power and concentration, yet were never over the top. They seem to have been tamed a little these days, but they are still excellent classic Barossa Valley wines with real character and depth. The Shiraz is a benchmark Barossa, highly regarded, but also quite expensive at around €45. These two very tasty blends are more affordable.

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Butcher’s Block White 2013, Turkey Flat, Barossa Valley

14%

€21.99 from Ardkeen, Waterford; LaTouche, Greystones; Matson’s, Grange & Cork; Sweeneys, Glasnevin.

Made from a Southern Rhône-style blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, this wine has attractive plump nectarine and peach fruits; it is medium to full-bodied, but not too powerful, and has a refreshing crisp acidity. This would go nicely with grilled white fish, chicken (or turkey!) and lighter pork dishes.

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Butcher’s Block Red 2013, Turkey Flat, Barossa Valley

14.5%

€21.99 from Ardkeen, Waterford; LaTouche, Greystones; Matson’s, Grange & Bandon, Cork; Sweeneys, Glasnevin; Corkscrew, Chatham St.

As with the white above this is a Southern Rhône blend of red grapes; Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro. I am a big fan of Barossa reds provided they are not over-oaked or over-ripe. This wine manages to offer power and body without ever seeming overdone, A lovely rich full-bodied red with ripe dark plum and blackcurrant fruits that with a sprinkle of spice and a solid backbone. It stood up well to Fuchsia Dunlop’s recipe for Szechuan beef stew and grilled lamb chops the following night.

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Ad Libitum 2014 Rioja (White, Organic)

Ad Libitum 2014 Rioja (White, Organic)

IMG_0027Ad Libitum 2014 Rioja (White, Organic)
12.5%
€16.99

Normally I steer well clear of white Rioja; most of it either tastes of nothing, or has been aged in oak barrels, and therefore tastes of oak and little else. There are exceptions though and this is one. It is made from an obscure mutation of the Tempranillo grape by Juan-Carlos Sancha, professor at the University of Rioja, who discovered the grape and planted it in a small vineyard in Rioja Alata. Sancha also produces a very good red made from Maturana, another unknown variety.

This had unusual but very attractive textured fruits, good acidity and a good dry finish. A great price for an wine with real interest. Light enough to drink on its own, but excellent with white fish. I had mine with fried hake in a herb and lemon butter.

Stockists: Cabot & Co, Westport; No.1 Pery Square, Limerick.

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