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THREE MORE CHRISTMAS WINES ON WEDNESDAY

Posted by on December 6, 2023
THREE MORE CHRISTMAS WINES ON WEDNESDAY

Three more great wines this week that I couldn’t fit into my Irish Times articles, but they would certainly go down well with turkey, duck, beef, mushrooms or whatever Christmas dinner you are cooking this year.

Crozes Hermitage La Matinière 2021 Ferraton Père & Fils
12.5%
€23.95/18.45 from O’Briens.

Smooth ripe blackcurrant and cassis fruits with a light touch of oak. This is made in a very seductive style and seems more powerful than the 12.5% advertised on the label. Not one for keeping but this would go very nicely with Christmas dinner – turkey, beef or goose.

I am just back from an excellent trip to Crozes-Hermitage, where I tried lots of exciting wines, both red and white, and mostly very reasonably priced. I didn’t visit Ferraton, who are owned by Chapoutier, but I tasted this recently and thought it offered great value for money at €18.45.

Stonier Pinot Noir 2020, Mornington Peninsula Australia
13.5%
€29.96 down from €34.95 from O’Briens

Medium-bodied with fresh sweet/sour morello cherry fruits and a nice savoury touch on the finish. We enjoyed it with venison steak, but this would go with most Christmas dinner options.

The Mornington Peninsula, an hour’s drive from Melbourne, is a very popular weekend destination for Melburnians. As well as wineries, attractions include great beaches, restaurants and hot springs. Winewise, it is known for producing very high-quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Sancerre Rouge Silex 2021 Domaine Delaporte
13%
€39.95 from Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown, Whelehans.ie.

A delicious soft Pinot Noir with velvety dark cherries and cassis and a smooth tannin-free finish. It has just enough acidity to maintain freshness and elegance. Another wine to enjoy with whatever Christmas dinner you are serving.

As Burgundy increases in price, Pinotphiles are looking elsewhere for value. Red Sancerre has improved hugely in recent years, possibly due to climate change, but also because some growers are taking it very seriously.

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The Irishman Legacy Irish Whiskey.

Posted by on December 5, 2023
The Irishman Legacy Irish Whiskey.

I was sorry to miss the preview in St. Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny but delighted to receive a bottle of The Irishman Legacy, a single malt aged in barrels from Château La Nerthe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The first known record of distillation in Ireland dates back 700 years to The Red Book of Ossory, which is kept in St. Canice’s. It is believed to have been written by the bishop shortly after his arrival from the Papal residence in Avignon, hence the connection to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Pope’s summer residence.

The Legacy is currently available exclusively through the ten members establishments of The Kilkenny Whiskey Guild and The Loop for €75 and will go on release elsewhere in 2024 to celebrate the 700th anniversary.

Creamy and rich with a medley of peach, blackcurrant and morello cherry fruits, a touch of caramel, backed up some subtle toasted nuts and leather. A lovely whiskey.

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Wine on Wednesday

Posted by on November 29, 2023
Wine on Wednesday

This week three great wines I have enjoyed recently, but don’t have a slot for in The Irish Times before Christmas.

Calibre 12, 2020 IGP Aveyron, Caveau du Mas

€19.50 From Terroirs, Donnybrook

A supple, vibrant medium-bodied red wine with juicy fresh dark fruits, a savoury peppery note and a rounded finish. A bargain for less than €20. Abv 13% Biodynamic

Made from a blend of Syrah, Gamay and the local Fer Servadou, this comes from the Aveyron, a wild sparsely populated region in South-West France.

Rubio 2020, San Polo, IGT Toscana

Concentrated pure dark cherries and blackcurrants; some well-integrated firm tannins that call out for food. This opened out nicely over an evening and went very well with our venison steaks.

€23-25.95 from Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown; Blackrock Cellar; Higgins, D14; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Redmonds, D6; Pinto Wines, D9; Wineonline.ie.

From one of the top estates of Montalcino, a very attractive unoaked Sangiovese that offers a touch of Brunello at an affordable price. Abv 13.5% Organic.

Beaujolais Lantignié Pierre Bleue 2021 Frédéric Berne

€24.95 from Worldwide Wines, Waterford; wineonline.ie

Classic, delicious Beaujolais with lively crunchy dark cherry and blackberry fruits and a nice easy finish. A true vin de soif. Perfect solo or with cold meats, cheeses etc. Abv 12.5%

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SPOTTSWOODE WINERY. CLASSIC NAPA VALLEY CABERNET

Posted by on November 8, 2023
SPOTTSWOODE WINERY. CLASSIC NAPA VALLEY CABERNET

Spottswoode Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
A very elegant style of Napa Cabernet with cool well-balanced black cherry and blackcurrant fruits, some spicy new oak, and lingering dry tannins on the finish. Very drinkable now but will keep up to five years.

€95 – 115 a bottle from Clontarf Wines, Clontarf; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Whelehan’s Wines, Loughlinstown.

Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
This has more structure than the Lyndenhurst and greater concentration too. Restrained blackcurrants and dark fruits, some toast, but more a spiciness, and a firmly dry tannic finish. Classic Napa Cabernet to lay down for five years – or more.

Tiny quantities available. Try the importer Harshal@carringtonwine.com for details.

I have always had a great love for classic Napa Valley Cabernet. Today many of the wines are supercharged, overripe, sweet and over alcoholic. Not at Spottswoode, one of the great traditional Cabernet producers. I would rate them alongside those of Cathy Corison – her wines are no longer imported I think, although you may find the odd bottle in Neighbourhood Wine and other independents. Spottswoode make only three wines; a (very good, atypical) Sauvignon Blanc, the Lyndenhurst Cabernet, made from a mix of younger vines and bought-in grapes, and the Estate wine. The Cabernets are both Bordeaux blends, made in a traditional style. This means earlier picking (useful in 2020 when they had harvested prior to the fires that swept through Napa), producing wines that are lower in alcohol with good structure and ageing potential.

The Novak family moved to Napa form San Diego in the early 1970’s. “My father wanted to live in a rural environment. He was also tired of being a G.P. and wanted to do something else”, Beth Novak, Spottswoode CEO told me. He looked for somewhere large enough to raise his five children and allow his wife to enjoy her passion for gardening. They sold their grapes to other wineries for the first ten years but began bottling their own wine in 1982. Spottswoode was one of the first estates in Napa to go organic (in 1985) and are now biodynamic, solar-powered, B Corp certified, and a member of International Wineries for Climate Action.

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Smaug The Magnificent 2021, Blank Bottle

Posted by on November 1, 2023
Smaug The Magnificent 2021, Blank Bottle

A blend of Roussanne (35%), Verdelho (25%), Grenache Blanc (17%) and Grenache Gris (13%) this is a very seductive wine with orange peel, restrained tropical fruits, herbs and grilled nuts. A sort of Southern Rhôneish blend that really works very well.

€40-42 from Redmond’s, Ranelagh; Drinkstore, D7; Franks, D2.

Pieter Walser of Blank Bottle makes as many as fifty wines a year, most of them once-off. Each is made in small quantities from a huge variety of grape varieties sourced from all over the vineyards of South Africa. It sounds like a recipe for chaos, but it works. Obviously a talented winemaker himself, Walser has a small team of viticulturists and winemakers who work and advise growers who own plots that interest him. He refuses to put grape varieties on the label, and most of the wines are blends of two or more grapes. Every wine has a story, and a standout label too.

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Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago

Posted by on October 4, 2023
Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago

123%abv, €57.99 from Red Nose Wines; Skerries; Corkscrew, D2; Blackrock Cellar; Ely Wine Store, Maynooth; Wineonline.ie

wineonline.ie; and other independents.

This is a very seductive elegant fresh Pinot with crunchy spicy dark cherry and blackcurrant fruits. It has good acidity and very fine tannins. You could keep it for a few years, but the mouth-watering pure fruits are irresistible right now. This was one of my highlights at the Liberty tasting earlier this week.

Central Otago is one of the world’s most southerly vineyards. It is the coldest and the driest region of New Zealand with very hot summers and bitterly cold winters. While Central, as it is known locally, produces very good Riesling and Chardonnay, it made its name with Pinot Noir. The best Pinots have intense pure fruit and a silky elegance, and age very well too.

Burn Cottage is one of the most respected estates in Central Otago. Founded in 2002 by the Sauvage family, the 24 hectares of vines have been organic/biodynamic from the start. The winemaker is Ted Lemon, famous for producing excellent Pinots at Lottorai in Calfiornia.

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Gérard Bertrand Cigalus

Posted by on September 27, 2023
Gérard Bertrand Cigalus

Cigalus Blanc 2022,
14.5%
€39.95 from O’Briens

Youthful, with lots of lemon zest, rich apricot and peach. Just starting to develop. There is nice grip, subtle toasty oak, hazelnuts, and plenty of body. Nice citrus length. I would keep it 3-5 years when it will take on a rich creamy texture and opulent ripe stone fruits.

Cigalus Rouge 2021
14.5%
€39.95 from O’Briens

Sumptuous ripe dark fruits with subtle mint, dried herbs, and dark chocolate. Complex with polished tannins, and a freshness throughout. Very drinkable now but it will certainly develop further in the next few years.

Every wine has a time and place. I wouldn’t drink the Cigalus Rouge every day, but when I am in the mood for a big rich voluptuous red wine, it certainly hits the spot. I suspect the new oak has been toned down a little in recent years, but it is still opulent, spicy and very well-made. I have tried it twice in recent days and really enjoyed it on both occasions.

I have always really enjoyed the Cigalus Blanc, especially when it has a few years age. I have a dwindling mini-collection going back ten years. When I had dinner with Bertrand some years ago, I was pleased to see he shared my taste, serving a ten year old Cigalus Blanc with some Mediterranean red prawns. A memorable combination.

Over a short period of time, former rugby player Gérard Bertrand has built up an impressive array of estates almost exclusively in his native Languedoc. He now owns sixteen domaines spread out over the region, as well as a recent acquisition in Cahors.

He bought the 75 hectare Domaine de Cigalus in 1995. It is a large single plot located close to Narbonne in the Corbières region. Farmed biodynamically (as are most of his estates) he has planted a wide range of grape varieties, including Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet France for the red wine, and Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for the red. Each variety is vinified separately, with a portion fermented and aged in new oak.

The Cigalus wines were originally sold as his flagship wines, although they may have been overtaken by Clos d’Ora, in Minervois and the Clos du Temple Rosé, marketed as the most expensive rosé wine in the world.

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Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2022, New Zealand

Posted by on September 20, 2023
Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2022, New Zealand

€65 from Morgan’s Wines, 64wines, Glasthule, Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown and Clontarf Wines.

Fresh citrus blossom aromas, with a touch of oak; gorgeous mineral-driven lemon and lime zest with green apples and some rich fruit too. Linear with a distinctive saline finish. Not unlike a top Puligny-Montrachet with its racy acidity and structure. A brilliant wine, but one for the long haul. 18/20

Over the last few decades, the Brajkovich family has established Kumeu River as one of the world’s great producers of Chardonnay. The Brajkovich emigrated from Croatia in 1937. After a few years, they established what is now Kumeu Estate in West Auckland. Today the thirty-hectare estate is run by the third generation of the family. During the 1980s, Michael, Milan, and Paul began moving towards producing high-quality wines made from Chardonnay. Unable to expand further in Auckland due to high real estate prices, the family purchased some vineyards in Hawke’s Bay in 2017. 

Kumeu River produces a range of excellent Chardonnays, including four single vineyard wines, a delicious traditional method Crémant and a very good Pinot Noir. I have twice taken part in blind tastings where most experienced tasters present, including myself, believed the Kumeu River wines to be fine Burgundies!

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Two Great Wines From Rioja

Posted by on September 13, 2023
Two Great Wines From Rioja

Two Wines on Wednesday this week, both from the Rioja 100Km of Diversity tasting last week.

Phinca Hapa 2020, Rioja Blanco, Bodegas Bhilar

Deep in colour with peaches and tangy orange peel on the nose. Both flavours continue on to the palate, blending in perfectly with opulent apricots, lime zest, and a strong mineral element. A fascinating and original wine.

#39.95, currently on offer at €25 from Searsons, Monkstown, www.searsons.com until the 24th September.

Bodegas Bhilar was set up in 1999 by David Sampedro and his wife Melanie Hickman. He is from the Rioja Alavesa, she from Hawaii. Today the vineyards are biodynamic and they specialise in small batches of single vineyard wines. The minimal intervention sustainable winery is built partially underground with concrete fermentation tanks. It is “off grid” using solar power.

There has been a lot of excitement about a new generation of Viura-based white wines from Rioja. This wine certainly fits into this category. The single vineyard Phinca Hapa is a blend of 82% Viura, 12% Garnacha Blanca and 6% Malvasía, fermented on the skins and then aged in large oak foudres.

Cantos de Valpiedra 2019, Finca Valpiedra Rioja Crianza

This is a very attractive smooth mature wine with elegant dark fruits, a subtle spiciness and tobacco. Medium-bodied, tannin-free and supple, this modern style Rioja offers very good value for money.

€21 from JNwine.com, Theallotment.ie.; The Vineyard, Belfast; The Vintage Wine Merchant, Antrim.

I would try this with white meats with a bit of flavour; roast pork or herby grilled chicken.

Finca Valpiedra is a single vineyard estate set up in 1994 by the well-known Martínez Bujanda family of Rioja. It has been part of the Grandes Pagos organization since its inception. The vineyard is relatively big, some 80 hectares close to the Ebro River in Rioja Alta. There is an excellent Reserva white wine fermented and matured in French and American oak, an unoaked Petra de Valpiedra, and the flagship red Finca Valpiedra Reserva. The Cantos de Valpiedra is the Crianza and comes from select stonier parcel of vines on the estate. It is made from 100% Tempranillo and aged for twelve months in 70% French and 30% American oak.

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PRANZEGG CAMPILL 2019, VINO ROSSO

Posted by on September 6, 2023
PRANZEGG CAMPILL 2019, VINO ROSSO

Pranzegg Campill 2019, Vino Rosso

€40 From 64wine, Glasthule

Full of energy with piquant pure fresh dark cherries, plums and brambles. It has a mouth-watering twist of acidity that makes it a great food wine, and a light earthiness. Elegant, with a mere 12%abv.

We enjoyed a bottle of this delicious vibrant wine last weekend with salad and plainly roasted chicken. However, I suspect the vibrant acidity would give a perfect ‘cut’ to richer meat dishes.

There are times when I receive a sample of natural wine and breathe a deep sigh. While I am very much in favour of low intervention and have tasted many brilliant wines, I hate light fizzy acidic anemic red wines or even worse, wines there taste more of barnyards than fruit. So, I put off tasting this sample for a week or more, which was wrong of me. If you still need proof that low intervention wines can sing, then the Pranzegg Campill will provide ample proof.

Martin Gojer and his wife have a small vineyard in the hills above Bolzano in the South Tyrol. They farm on biodynamic lines, producing tiny quantities of white and red wines. Some of the vines are trained traditional pergola fashion.

This wine is made from the Vernatsch grape, otherwise known as Trollinger in Germany, where it is the fourth most planted variety, or Schiava in Italy. It originates in Trentino / South Tyrol.

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