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.
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%
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.
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.
Ten great buys from the Mitchell & Son autumn wine tasting yesterday – white, red, sweet and sparkling. Prices are retail.
Pet Nat Rosé. Fresh, light, clean strawberry and redcurrant fruits. €16.95 Seriously good Crémant de Limoux. Fresh orchard fruits, lightly creamy with plenty of cleansing acidity. €27.95
Stylish elegant green apple and pear fruits, with a subtle creaminess. Very moreish. €38.95 One of three tasty wines from Geyerhof. Fresh and racy with vibrant pear and apple fruits, a spicy touch, and a crisp dry finish. Delicious. €20.95Meyerhof Hofstudien Grüner Veltliner 2022. Biodynamic. Fresh and lively with a lovely weight of green fruits and ginger centre-palate. Elegant and dry. €25.95White flower aromas, concentrated peach fruits with a firm mineral backbone. €25.95A delightful delicate Zweigelt with rose petal aromas, and elegant, juicy strawberry and redcurrant fruits. Biodynamic. Very good value at €20.95. Spicy plums and dark cherries with nicely integrated tannins adding structure. Well-made wine and good value at €16.95. Organic.Classic Côtes de Nuits with crunchy dark cherry and blackberry fruits, good acidity and light tannins. €35.95From a lesser-known appellation, this offers seriously good value. Barley sugar, honey, beeswax and pineapples. Sweet but with very good balancing acidity. A steal at €18.95
Spit is one of my favourite tastings of the year. Sadly there is no longer an evening session open to the public, but all of the wines featured below are available through independent retailers and online shops. For Spit, four of our best importers come together for a few hours, each offering around twenty of their wines – making a manageable number of wines to taste. I tasted ten wines from each, plus a few more that I couldn’t resist. Below, four of my favourites amongst many.
Thomas Carson of Terre de l’Elu, Anjou
TERRE DE L’ELU, ANJOU I have always been a fan of Loire Cab Franc and was delighted to come across Thomas Carson of Terre de l’Elu in Anjou who clearly shares my enthusiasm. While his Chenin was excellent and he had possibly the best Pineau d’Aunis I have ever tasted, it was the l’Aiglerie Cabernet Franc that was the star for me.
L’Aiglerie 2019, Anjou, Terre de ‘Elu Smooth refined red summer fruits with herbs and a touch of lead pencil. It has a long savoury finish and a lovely lightness and elegance throughout.
The team in Vinostito have been singing the praises of Domaine des Deux Clés for some time but I never really got the wines until now. Florian Richter had five of his wines on show, each one exceptional. I have chosen the Roussanne, the most expensive wine, but I would be happy to drink any of them.
Deux Clés Jeux des Clés Blanc 2022, IGP Made from thirty year old vines, from a vineyard at three hundred metres, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in Burgundy barriques, this is very refined and beautiful wine. A pure Roussanne that balances richness and texture with a fine acidity, and lovely length. The allocation for Ireland this year is 60 bottles.
€31 from Green Man Wines, D6W, 64Wine, Glasthule.
DOMAINE GRAMENON
A long-time favourite producer of mine, this domaine produces authentic, pure wines with a wonderful soft elegance and seductive charming warmth. Although almost all are labelled mere Côtes du Rhône, they are as good as any in the southern Rhône. It is possible that they might improve with age but they are all instantly drinkable now and never last long in my house. Mère et fils Gramenon have been to the forefront of the low intervention, biodynamic movement in the Rhône Valley.
The La Sagesse is very Grenache with delicious complex sweet strawberry fruits that are never overly ripe or heavy, with a touch of spice. Rich and silky with excellent concentration and length.
€39 from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers and MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Cork.
DOMAINE FABIEN TROSSET, SAVOIE
Chloé Trosset
Fabian Trosset and his wife Chloé run this small domaine in Savoie, in the foothills of the French Alps. As you might expect, vineyard exposure is important in the cool climate. The wines have a wonderful vibrancy freshness and delicacy. Trosset is best-known for championing the red Mondeuse grape, but it was two white wines that impressed me most at the tasting. While his more expensive Petite Arvine is exceptional, so too is the Les Cerisiers below.
Chignin Bergeron Les Cerisiers 2022
Gold in colour, this Roussanne explodes with vibrant rich pineapple, peach and apricot fruits underpinned by cleansing fresh acidity. Succulent and fleshy with good intensity of flavour. This is great wine.
Landing at the airport of Catania you are immediately aware that you are in the shadow of Europe’s most active volcano. A thick layer of dark grey dust still carpets the car park, evidence of a recent eruption that closed the airport for a few days. In the background a whisp of white smoke emanates from the top of the massive Mount Etna. The inhabitants in bustling Catania seem unperturbed.
Etna is 3,500 metres high, towering over the surrounding area. Vines have been grown here for centuries, mostly by families to make wine for their own use. Until recently the wines of Etna were unknown outside the area, although Marco de Graze of Tenuta delle Terre Nere argues that the wines were highly prized in the 1920’s. Things have certainly changed now. Over the last two decades these have become some the most sought-after vineyards in the whole of Italy.
The constant eruptions over millennia have created a unique patchwork of sites for growing vines. There is sandy volcanic ash, pebbles, rocks and solid lava. Add in some hot Mediterranean sun, a huge range of altitudes (including some of Europe’s highest vineyards) and you have an exciting, if complex range of terroirs to grow grapes. The sandy soils and relative isolation of Etna mean that there are plenty of century old pre phylloxera ungrafted vines.
Vineyards are terraced to avoid erosion and most vines are grown a l’alberello a bush vine grown up a single wooden stake to keep it upright in the constant winds. The vineyards form a crescent from north, down the eastern slopes to the south. In general the south is warmer and the wines a little riper, while the north and eastern slopes are cooler. However, elevation also plays a huge part, and a high-altitude southern vineyard can produce very crisp elegant wines.
The initial excitement surrounding Etna was all about the red wines, particularly those made using the local Nerello Mascalese grape. Some of the red wines are certainly impressive, but for the last few years, it is the white wines that have been receiving increased attention.
While there are some plantings of Catarratto, as well as Trebbiano and the local Minella, it is the indigenous Carricante that is proving the real star, a wine with the potential to vie with Italy’s greatest white wines. The wines typically have good floral aromas, a racy acidity, elegant stone fruits and a marked saline finish. While most are attractive in their youth, they age beautifully for five years or more, showing extra depth and complexity.
In this blog I feature four white wines, all available here in Ireland.
Alta Mora Etna Bianco 2020, Cusumano
Maturing nicely, taking on a little richness, with good intensity of fruit, lots of lemon peel and a lightly saline finish. Nice wine. 100% Carricante. 12.5% abv
€24.95 from O’Briens
Pietrodolce Etna Bianco 2021 12.5% €29.95
Michele Faro of Pietradolci
Medium-bodied with bright pear and nectarine fruits shot through with lemon zest. This shows some maturity, with a richness of fruit and touch of honey. 12.5% abv
€29.95 from Green Man Wines, D6W; Corkscrew, D2; Barnhill Stores, Dalkey; Neighbourhood Wine; Theallotment.ie; Thenudewineco.ie.
Tenuta di Terre Nere, Bianco 2022
Made from a blend of 70% Carricante, 20% Catarratto, 5% Grecanico, 5% Inzolia, all old vines. Fermented and aged in stainless steel with a gentle pressing. Bright and nervy with lime and fresh peaches, and a nervy mineral backbone. This has a real elegance and good persistence. The single vineyard Santa Spirito 2022 (Corkscrew, Harry Street, €52) is a step further upwards in quality. 12.5% abv
€30-32 from Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; The Corkscrew, D2; MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Cork; Deveney’s, Dundrum; Mitchell & Son, D1 and Sandycove; Green Man Wines, D6W.
Benanti Etna Bianco 2020
Made from 100% Carricante, this is showing some nice maturity with toasted almonds, lemon zest, apple and pear fruits. Lively and light (12% abv), there is a subtle salinity on the lengthy finish. 12% abv
€32-34 from Honest2Goodness, Glasnevin; Baggot Street Wines; Clontarf Wines.
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.
Posted by John Wilson on October 3, 2023The Roter Hang vineyard.
Earlier this year I was taken on a brief trip to Germany by Generation Riesling where we visited a number of member wineries. It was a great visit, and I tasted plenty of very high-quality wines.
Generation Riesling was set up in 2006 as a means of making German wine more accessible to younger consumers. The 540 wine producers are all under thirty-six years old – apparently you receive a thirty-sixth birthday card bidding you farewell – and part of a new generation making fresh, modern, dry wines, marketing themselves using innovative methods, including lots of social media.
People who know me will be aware that I have always been a big fan of German wines, Riesling and Spätburgunder in particular. The trip certainly reinforced that and reminded of how good German Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) can be too. Several smaller importers import some of the finest German wines into Ireland, while the multiples also offer some very good less expensive wines. Obviously German wines sell.
None of the wineries are available in Ireland, although I understand one will shortly arrive and others are in discussion with distributors. So, this article may, for the moment, be of greater interest to our wine importers. However, I do believe that German wines will soon become an important part of every wine importers portfolio.
WEINGUT BARON KNYPHAUSEN, RHEINGAU
My first visit was to Baron Knyphausen in the Rheingau. Founded by the monks in Kloster Eberbach back in 1141, the estate has some fine vineyards including Grosse Lagen in Eberbacher Macrobrun and Hohenrain. It is currently owned and run by Frederik Baron Knyphausen. The estate has been organic for some time and will gain certification next year. They have sixteen hectares of vineyards planted with 75% Riesling, 10% Pinot Noir, as well a small amount of Red Riesling, a mutation of Rhein Riesling.
There is a very good modern visitor centre, restaurant and shop with an Enomatic tasting machine. The estate also has a ten-bed hotel with several apartments and outdoor concerts are held throughout the summer.
I met and tasted with cellarmaster Arne Wilken. I started with a very good alcohol-free Riesling, a sparkling Riesling and several other wines. The highlight was an excellent rich and full-bodied Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2020. This a very good estate.
www.knyphausen.de wein@baron-knyphausen.de
WEINGUT EGERT & WEINGUT RUSSLER
Sophie Egert & Tatjana Russler
The next visit was a more relaxed affair, chatting and tasting with two female winemakers in the sunshine followed by a leisurely walk in the vineyards.
Sophie Egert runs Weingut Egert with brother Max and her parents. The nine-hectare estate is in Hattenheim, one of the famous wine villages of the Rheingau. The estate has an impressive portfolio, with holdings in 8 Große Lagen and three 3 Erste Lagen, including vineyards in Oestricher Lenchen and Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen. It is made up of 90% Riesling, 7% Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and 3% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Tastings can be arranged, along with food, and there even a couple of guest rooms available to rent.
We started with “Viel Gebubble Riesling Sekt” a very stylish sparkling wine made by friends Sophie and Tatjana together, before moving on to two very good Rieslings, the best of which was the Nattenheimer Nussbrunnen 2020 GG. This is obviously a star estate making very high quality wines.
Tatjana Russler works in the family owned and run Friedel Russler estate. They farm 10 hectares planted with 7 different grape varieties, mainly Riesling. They are certified organic as of last month. Instead of a Riesling I tried an unusual but very good Chardonnay Grauburgunder blend, made Tatjana told me, ‘because I’m special!” The wine was pretty special too.
Incidentally Grauburgunder aka Pinot Gris is having something of a moment in Germany at present. While in the past some were quite sweet, most these days are fresh and dry, more North of Italy than Alsace.
www.weingut-egert.de egert@weingut-egert.de
www.friedelrullser.de mail@friedelrussler.de
WEINGUT STEITZ
Fritz Steitz Germany
Fritz Steitz is one of the rising stars of his generation. From a modest winery and house in the Rheinhessen, he fashions a range of wines, all good and some exceptional.
This is a family business, with 15 hectares of vines in the Rheinhessen and Nahe regions. Steitz did a degree in Business & Economics, and then a masters in Sports Management (when he worked for the Bundesliga) before studying winemaking in Geisenheim. He took over from his father. who he told me, had worked long and hard to build up the business. Much of the sales are still direct to the public. Steitz loved growing up here and loves working in the winery. He wants to offer the same opportunity to his daughter, now two years old.
Here I tasted a range of wines including a Grauburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Spätburgunder, St. Laurent, and two Kabinett style Riesling. However, the standouts for me were a delicious fresh crisp Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) Quarzit and two single vineyard dry Rieslings; the Paradis 2021 from the Nahe and the Mandelbaum 2020 from the Rheinhessen.
I also tried a sweet red, made from the Regent grape, a throwback to earlier times and still popular with some of their private customers.
Viktoria Bretz is a lively, dynamic winemaker. She is the tenth generation of her family to make wine in Bretz. Prior to that the winery in the village of Bechtolsheim, was part of a monastery. The estate is relatively large, forty hectares and they buy in grapes too and produces a large range of wines.
“We are your winery next door”, Viktoria tells me, “with something for all the family. We are down to earth, our wines are well-made and well-priced.” I would have to agree. I tasted a very good sparkling wine, and a number of clean fresh well-made white wines that would work very well on the Irish market.
WEINGUT STENNER
I had a dinner and tasting with Malenka Stenner of Weingut Stenner that evening. Very much a family affair. Malenka works with her father and brother Niklas. This is a go-ahead winery making very good wines, but also using some very innovative marketing ideas.
Stenner have developed a unique wine mosaic they use on their labels, explaining the flavours and style of each wine. Based near the city of Mainz, they produce a bewildering array of wines, covering all styles and price points. As well as wine, they make a range of spritzers, Norbert Nuss – a hazelnut flavoured liqueur, and Heidi Himbeer, a raspberry liqueur. They are also part of the Twin Wineries project that twins producers in Haifa and Mainz. They work with the Israeli Vortman winery distributing their wines in Germany.
While the Rieslings were good here, my favourites included the excellent 2021 Bodenheimer Mönchspfad Pinot Blanc and the spicy opulent Bodenheimer Grauburgunder 2021.
www.weingut-stenner.de info@weingut-stenner.de
WEINGUT GRÖHL
This is another star producer. Brother Johannes and sister Franziska Gröhl run a small estate from their winery in Weinolsheim with their parents. The family has been here since 1625. Franziska explains that her grandfather had eleven siblings, so the estate became very fragmented. Her parents inherited two hectares which they have now built up to 25. They have vineyards here and in Nierstein and Oppenheim, two better-known nearby sites. Their holdings include sought-after plots in Pettenhal, Hölle, Herrenberg and others. Johannes makes the wine (he was awarded Young Winemaker of the Year by Falstaff last year). They will be certified organic next year.
I tasted a range of excellent wines here, including the sparkling Cuvée Brut Nature, some classic Riesling Trockens and Kabinetts, and a Sauvignon Blanc. However, the highlights were three single vineyard wines, the Weissburgunder Hölle 2021, the Riesling Pettenthal 2021 and the Riesling Trocken Roter Hang 2021.
The Roter Hang, or ‘red hillside’, is a steep vineyard that runs back from the Rhine between Nierstein and Nackenheim, The exposure changes and the iron rich red soils vary as you move along. As a result, there are seven different single vineyards within the Roter Hang, all highly regarded and very much sought-after.
The Gröhl wines are now imported into Ireland by Carrington Wines.
www.weingut-groehl.de info@weingut-groehl.de
WEINGUT GEHRING
Gina Gehring Germany
Gina Gehring is the fourth generation of Gehring involved in the wine business, but her father was the first to concentrate solely on wine. Previous generations were coopers providing barrels to wine producers. Her father moved out of the family premises in old Nierstein in 2001, and built an impressive winery, visitor centre, restaurant and caravan park out amongst the vines. He also bought vineyards, including parcels in Ölberg, Hipping and Pettenthal in the Roter Hang. The estate is 80% white and 60% Riesling. They also grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Frühburgunder. They hope to be certified organic in two years’ time.
I tasted a range of wines (with some very good food) and enjoyed all. Highlights included a very good sparkling wine, a Riesling Roter Hang 2022, and a Grauburgunder Bildstock 2020.
