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Keller Riesling Trocken 2013, Rheinhessen

Posted by admin on September 1, 2016

Keller Riesling Trocken 2013, Rheinhessen
€21.99 from Grapevine, Dalkey and Cabot & Co, Westport

A wine that dances across the palate; light and fragrant, free-flowing and fresh. A mere 12% in alcohol, it gently explodes with fruit.

Drink by itself or with light white fish dishes.

Klaus Peter Keller is one of Germany’s finest winemakers. Based in one of the less fashionable regions of the country, he still manages to produce a series of unbelievably good dry and sweet wines. This is his entry-level dry white, a steal at around €20.

Tags: Cabot & Co, Grapevine, Keller, Keller Riesling Trocken 2013, Rheinhessen

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Arpège de Marsau 2010, Côtes de Bordeaux, Francs

Posted by admin on September 1, 2016

Arpège de Marsau 2010, Côtes de Bordeaux, Francs
Available for €14.95 down from €19.95 from O’Briens

Rich smooth blackcurrant fruits, with a touch of spice and a nicely rounded finish. Relatively full-bodied for a Bordeaux, this is a nice wine and very good value at less than €15.

Drink with roast red meats. A leg or shoulder of lamb would be a lovely weekend treat.

Ch. Marsau is one of the leading properties in the Côte de Francs, now renamed Côtes de Bordeaux, Francs. It is one of the value areas of Bordeaux when compared to nearby Saint Emilion and Pomerol. I have many happy memories of mature grand vin of Ch. Marsau. This is a more approachable version.

Tags: Arpege de Marsau, Ch. Marsau, Cotes de Bordeaux, Francs, Merlot, O'Briens

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Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc, Alsace

Posted by admin on August 11, 2016
Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc, Alsace
€17.95 from O’Briens

Lively and fresh, a perfectly formed combination of pure apple and pear fruits with a lovely lingering finish.

We drank it as an aperitif (with tortilla chips, possibly not the best match), but also with some very fresh plain boiled prawns – delicious.

Every now and again you come across a wine that everybody likes; both the wine geeks and those who just want to drink a nice glass of wine, and everyone else in between. This is one such wine. Having tasted it myself, I tested it out on a gang of half a dozen or more friends before a casual dinner recently. Without being asked, they all raved about it. Why? It is light but full of flavour and it has a perfect balance of fruit and acidity. It is not cheap, but if you are looking for a failsafe aperitif, this is certainly an option.

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Tags: Alsace wine, O'Briens Wines, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Blanc Kritt

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Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2014, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Posted by admin on August 11, 2016
Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2014, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
€28 from Marks & Spencer

This is a seriously good Pinot Noir. Light and juicy with piquant dark cherries and plums, very good concentration and nice length. Refreshing, but it has some depth too.

I drank it with roast duck (also from M&S) with my own version of petits pois à la française. Delicious.

I told the story earlier this week about how I first heard of this wine through my former scout leader. I have heard a lot about (aboot?) Pinot Noir from British Columbia, but very rarely had the chance to try it. In style this wine has a certain similarity to Central Otago, but is a little lighter. Pricewise, it stacks up well against the competition from New Zealand, Burgundy, Germany and elsewhere in the New World too.

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Tags: British Columbia, Marks & Spencer, Meter Family Pinot Noir, Meyer Family Vineyards, Okanagan Valley

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Primo de Conti Rouge 2014, Bergerac
Posted by admin on August 4, 2016
Primo de Conti Rouge 2014, Bergerac
13.5%
€16 from Marks & Spencer

Lovely elegant just-ripe blackcurrant fruits with cigar box and cedar wood, finishing with some well-judged tannins. So much better than most Bordeaux at this price.

Perfect with a dinner party roast of lamb, beef, or pork.

Luc de Conti and his family have been producing excellent wines, both red and white for many years, under the Tour des Gendres label. Based in Bergerac, right beside Bordeaux, they use similar grape varieties, grown biodynamically. Their wines over-deliver every time. This is a cuvée produced for Marks & Spencer.

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Tags: Bergerac, Luc de Conti, Marks & Spencer, Primo de Conti, Tour Des Gendres

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Domaine Houchard Rosé 2015, Côtes de Provence
Posted by admin on August 4, 2016
Domaine Houchard Rosé 2015, Côtes de Provence
13.5%
€16.95 from Gibney’s, Malahide; The Wine House, Trim; Drinkstore, Stoneybatter; Nectar Wines, Sandyford; Grapevine, Dalkey; Karwig Wines, Carrigaline.

Not much on the nose, but lovely pure strawberry fruits on the palate. Medium-bodied and textured, you could drink this on its own, but we found it even better with food.

Rosé is a great food wine and this one is no exception. Drink with summery Provencal salads, including tomatoes, tapenade and anchoïade and all sorts of summer vegetables. Herb-scented fish dishes would do very nicely too.

Houchard is owned by the Quiot family, proprietors of a number of estates further north in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Ventoux. Made from a blend of four grapes (Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah), this wine is richer, with more fruit than most Provence rosés. We enjoyed it immensely in sunny West Cork.

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Tags: Cotes de Provence, Domaine Houchard, Drinkstore Stoneybatter, Grapevine, Karwig Wines, Provence Rosé, rosé wines

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Domaine des Ardoisières Argile 2015
Posted by admin on July 28, 2016
Domaine des Ardoisières Argile 2015, Vin des Allobroges St. Pierre de Soucy
€30 from Blackrock Cellar; 64wine, Glasthule and Jus de Vine, Portmarnock.

Light (12%) pristine subtle green fruits, with a wonderful crisp mineral acidity running through. Delicate and complex, almost like eating snow. Delicious.

Light seafood dishes or simply on its own. It will develop nicely in the glass.

Made from a blend of 40% Jacquère, 30% Mondeuse Blanche (both varieties local to the Savoie) and 30% Chardonnay. Ardoisières is a recently-founded biodynamic estate with two single vineyards planted with local red and white varieties.

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Tags: Argile 2015, Domaine des Ardoisieres, Jacquere, Mondeuse Blanche, Savoie

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Domaine René Favre & Fils, Humagne Rouge 2014, Valais, Switzerland
Posted by admin on July 28, 2016
Domaine René Favre & Fils, Humagne Rouge 2014, Valais, Switzerland
€32.50 from Searsons Wine Merchants in Monkstown

Lifted fragrant aromas; peppery with cool redcurrant and cherry fruits, good acidity and a lovely long linear dry finish. Lovely wine, not unlike a (very good) Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.

I would probably decant this, or keep it a year or two, and try it with white meats, pork in particular.

Humagne is an obscure variety grown in the Valais region of Switzerland and the Val d’Aosta in northern Italy. Brothers Mike and John Favre are responsible for this and few other intriguing wines, both red and white, that I tasted. All should arrive into Searsons in the very near future.

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Tags: Humagne, René Favre, Swiss Wine, Valais

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Trimbach Riesling Réserve 2010
Posted by admin on July 21, 2016
Trimbach Riesling Réserve 2010, Alsace
€23 from Donnybrook Fair and Jus de Vine, Portmarnock.

This is a glorious maturing Riesling with complex honeyed toasted fruits and a steely backbone that brings a pleasing austerity. It is completely dry, light in alcohol (13%) and offers great value for money.

This would go perfectly with chicken, pork or shellfish.

I have indulged my love of Alsace Riesling to the full over the last few weeks. First on a trip to Strasbourg with Lidl (they bring us to France every year to taste their new French selection), and then several tastings of the wines available here. I even succeeded in drinking a glass of Clos Sainte Hune, one of France’s greatest white wines while over there. This Riesling Réserve was new to me, and really stood out in my tasting. It is well worth the premium (€4) over the standard Trimbach Riesling. Having said that, Donnybrook Fair have the latter for a very competitive €15.99. Both a great wines.

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Tags: Donnybrook Fair, Gilbets, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, TRIMBACH, Trimbach Riesling

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Guardoilvento Etna Rosso DOC 2014, Sicily
Posted by admin on July 21, 2016
Guardoilvento Etna Rosso DOC 2014, Sicily
€26 from Sheridans Cheesemongers and Mitchell & Son, chq, Sandycove and Avoca, Kilmacanogue.

A wonderful wine full of the warm herby earthy aromas of the sunny Mediterranean combined with some elegant fresh dark fruits. Very delicious.

Drink with red meats. I enjoyed mine with some spicy Moroccan barbequed lamb.

I am writing an article on the wines of Etna for the Irish Times, and this formed part of a great tasting – it is only one of a number of brilliant wines. It is made from 100% Nerello Mascalase a local grape that has been all the rage for a few years now.

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