Month: November 2025

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Five Interesting Italian Wines from O’Briens

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Despite the huge amounts of uninspiring Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, a little bit of looking will turn up some Italian whites which are actually interesting. Here are three table whites, a big red and a sweet white wine that are all interesting and worth a try – especially while on offer:

Mucchietto Organic Soave 2023

Mucchietto Soave bottle shot

Soave used to be best known as the cheap-and-not-that-cheerful cheap Italian white wine available in supermarkets and corner shops. A few have kept the flag flying for quality wines in the area, but thankfully many more are available these days. This one comes from Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, or just Pasqua for short. Among their many wines I have always had a soft spot for their 11 Minutes Rosé, one of the few rosés I will buy for myself.

Made from 100% Garganega, this is made in a clean but aromatic style. Those aromas are peach, nectarine and melon, notes that continue onto the palate. There’s plenty of zippy acidity, and a hint of minerality which keeps the fruit from getting ahead of itself. A great example of Soave.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €14.49 down from €16.95 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Rizzardi Lugana 2023

Rizzardi Lugana bottle shot

Guerrieri Rizzardi is a family-run winery in the Veneto with roots back to the first half of the seventeenth century. As well as the more famous areas of Valpolicella, Soave and Bardolino, they also make wines in the Lugana region around Lake Garda. The local grape here is a version of Trebbiano, though a little more flavoursome than other types.

The grapes for this bottling are sourced from twenty five year old vines – not old, but getting towards middle age – which gives added concentration of flavours. Another arrow in the winemaker’s quivver is extended ageing on fine lees (mainly dead yeast cells from fermentation) which gives a creaminess to the wine’s texture. There are also floral and fruit notes here, with citrus and subtle apricot. Overall this is nicely done, a fresh and engaging wine that’s worth a try.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €16.99 down from €21.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Cusumano Alta Mora Etna Bianco 2022

Cusumano alta mora etna bianco bottle shot

As Monty Python once said, “And now for something completely different”. This wine is made in one of most southerly of all Italian wine regions, but at altitude and on the side of a volcano – and hence on distinctive volcanic soil. It’s a monovarietal, made wholly from the local Carricante grape. In contrast to many Italian white varieties, including the two above, is that it is naturally deep yellow in colour, which increases with ageing.

This wine just has so much character! It is broad, tangy and interesting, full of contrasts. There’s orange peel and herbs, minerality and lemon, great freshness and tangy acidity. Among all the fruit there’s also a smokiness which comes through from the volcanic soil. All these elements weave a magic spell leaving the drinker entranced and enhanced. This wine is also one that gains in complexity with ageing, so don’t be afraid to tuck a few away.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €22.99 down from €26.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Musella Amarone Riserva 2017

Musella Amarone Riserva bottle shot

I’d forgotten how good Amarone could be. When I first discovered Amarone many years ago it was a real show-stopper, but there are mainly lesser bottles around these days which, although certainly not bad wines, do the area a disservice in their mediocrity.

As with most wines, it’s the producer as well as the appellation that is key. Musella is one of the top “Amarone 13” producers, a family-run outfit and organic too.

This is (natch) a powerful wine, coming in at 16.0%, robust in flavour and texture as well as alcohol. But that’s not the full story, as it is also smooth and well-balanced, with fine tannins and acidity a counterpoint to the dried black and red fruits. With eight years on the clock it’s nicely aged and singing well.

  • ABV: 16.0%
  • RRP: €43.99 down from €57.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

San Felice Belcaro Vin Santo 2016 (half bottle)

San Felice Belcaro Vin Santo bottle shot

Another rapid change of direction, enough to give you whiplash, moving to an oxidative style of sweet wine from Tuscany. Vin Santo is a traditional style of sweet wine made from air-dried white grapes. The drying allows water to evaporate, and hence leaves highly concentrated sugars and flavours. Once pressed, the wine is matured over several years in small oak barrels; oxygen getting into the barrels gives a “rancio” character to the wine, not unlike a tawny Port in nature, though obviously very different in style.

It’s that oxidative aspect which is most obvious on the nose, but the palate is rich yet restrained. With nuts and candied fruits, this is very much a winner for Christmas fare, and – so I understand – even with some cheeses.

  • ABV: 16.5%
  • RRP: €19.99 down from €25.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Conclusion

The first two whites are nice, but the Etna Bianco is amazing, and that’s the one that I will be picking up several of for myself – with perhaps a couple of Amarone for some relaxed supping in front of the fire.

 

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Three German and Austrian wines from O’Briens

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Now it might seem a little disrespectful to both countries’ great wine-making traditions, but there is some continuity between the two in terms of grape varieties and wine styles. There are differences, too, and those are what add to the world’s delicious vinous tapestry.

Here is a fine trio of white wines in tall, fluted bottles that I tried at the O’Briens press tasting:

Lingenfelder Bird Label Pfalz Riesling 2023

Lingenfelder Bird Label Riesling bottle shot

Although Alsace-nerds know about the Franco-German border moving several times to bring Alsace within each country, it’s lesser known that the Pfalz was annexed by France for a time under Napoleon. The Lingenfelder family have grown grapes in the Pfalz for centuries before Napoleon’s time, and centuries since, reaching thirteen generations with current winemaker Rainer Karl Lingenfelder. Their wines are divided into two distinct ranges. Estate wines focus on the main four varieties grown on Lingenfelder’s own vineyards, being Riesling and Scheurebe whites plus Dornfelder and Pinot Noir reds. The Creature range consists of six approachable varietal wines, each named after a local wild animal.

And this little Birdie is 100% Riesling, made in a rich and juicy style. It’s highly aromatic, with tropical and mouth-wateringly fresh and juicy peach, pear and red apple. There’s a little residual sugar here too, but that balances the acidity and the finish is still nice and crisp. This is a delicious wine and a real crowd-pleaser.

ABV: 10.5%
RRP: €14.99 down from €17.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Rabl Grüner Veltliner Löss 2024

Rabl Grüner Veltliner Löss bottle shot

Weingut Rabl also have a storied history behind them, dating back to 1750. The family farms around a hundred hectares around the town of Langenlois in the region of Kamptal, with a focus on sustainability. In the hands of Rudolf Rabl Jr they have received recognition for both the quality of their wines and their commitment to sustainability.

This bottle – with its pair of umlauts – represents an example of both Austria’s signature grape and a typical soil type. Löss (or Loess in English) is a mixture of sand and silt and a small proportion of clay, usually formed by winds over millennia. It is very fertile and can produce wines on the richer side.

Due to Grüner’s moderate acidity this is a gentle wine, mineral yet fruity; grapefruit and gooseberry along with yellow plum, framed by a mineral edge. An excellent introduction to the grape for those who haven’t tried it before.

ABV: 12.0%
RRP: €15.99 down from €19.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Robert Weil Rheingau Riesling Trocken 2022

Robert Weil Riesling Trocken bottle shot

Back to Germany again, this time in the more northerly region of the Rheingau. Riesling is the king here, with three quarters of all plantings being that noble variety. Weingut Robert Weil has taken this even further, with all of their vineyards being planted to Riesling. Their lands amount around a hundred hectares around the family winery, all farmed sustainably.

On the nose this couldn’t be anything other than Riesling, intense fresh lime infused with herbs. It’s intense enough to clear your sinuses!

Although this wine is labelled as “Trocken”, or “Dry” in English, it has such juicy fruit that it tastes just a smidgen off-dry. It’s fresher than a mountain top, with all manner of citrus and crisp orchard fruits. This isn’t an introduction to Riesling, it is Riesling!

ABV: 12.0%
RRP: €25.99 down from €30.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Conclusion

These three wines are all great, but quite different in character. If I was opening a bottle for casual wine drinkers, I’d plump for the bird, but for wine enthusiasts it would have to be the Robert Weil; even though it’s more expensive it represents excellent value for money.

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3 Superior Sauvignons from O’Briens

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Sauvignon Blanc makes very popular easy-drinking wines across the globe, but in the right places and in the right hands it can make serious and interesting wines.

Here are three from O’Briens, one from Bordeaux which is a blend, and two from opposite sides of the Loire River.

Domaine de Bel Air Pouilly-Fumé 2023

Domaine de Bel Air Pouilly Fumé bottle shot

You don’t have to be a Fresh Prince to drink this wine, though you may end up feeling fresh if you imbibe too much! OK, I’ll lay off the dad jokes now.

Pouilly-Fumé is less well known than its competitor across the river, but can produce some excellent wines. Its soils have consistently more flint than Sancerre which gives a typical wine more smokey (“fumé”) characteristics. And of course, less renown often means a lower price tag for the same quality, and I’m all for that.

Domaine de Bel Air covers 14 hectares and is farmer sustainably by the Maroy family. The grapes for this wine come from vines planted on three different soil types (stoney “caillotte”  limestone,  marly “terre blanches” limestone and flint). This blend of origins gives the wine a complex palate – citrus, orchard fruit and smoky mineral notes. It has a little more flesh than a Sancerre, making it a rounder and less lean wine. This is a great example of Pouilly-Fumé!

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €21.99 down from €25.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Château Villa de Bel-Air Graves Blanc 2023

Chateau Villa Bel Air Blanc bottle shot

The Graves region of south west Bordeaux has actually been making quality wine for far longer than its northern neighbour the Médoc, primarily down to the later being naturally swampy and therefore unsuitable for viticulture. For centuries since the draining of the swamp, Graves – including its premium sub-region of Pessac-Léognan – have played second fiddle to their northerly neighbours. But this lack of recognition is a bonus for wine lovers who can find well made wines at good prices. As this wine itself shows, that includes white wines; Graves is the main source of premium dry wines in Bordeaux.

Château Villa Bel-Air has origins in the 1700s and lies on gravel soils in the centre of the Graves region. It’s a blend of the two most important white varieties in Bordeaux: Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Sémillon (35%). The grapes are only part of the story; fermentation in oak and maturation on fine lees give roundness, richness and complexity to the palate. It doesn’t result in a buttery mess, however, as the acidity from the Sauvignon gives freshness and balance.

On pouring, the oak is noticeable on the nose, though likely very few of the oak barrels were new as there is restraint in their power. There’s fruit there, too, with citrus and light melon notes. The palate is lovely and round, with green and yellow fruit intermingled with oak notes.

The Pesac-Léognan sub-region was created for good reason, but this is a Graves that would be worthy of that label in terms of quality. Even staunch Burgundy fans owe it to themselves to try this wine.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €21.99 down from €25.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Henri Bourgeois ES-56 Silex Sancerre 2022

Henri Bourgeois Sancerre ES-56 bottle shot

Domaine Henri Bourgeois is a standout producer from the central Loire. Among the many wines made by the Domaine, this Sancerre is a real standout. The grapes are sourced solely from vines grown on silex (flint) soils which were formed 56 million years ago, known as the Eocene period, giving this bottle its name.

After picking and pressing, part of the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks (to retain freshness) and part is fermented in Tronçais oak barrels. the young wine matures on fine lees – which are stirred periodically – for seven to eight months.

The nose is intensely mineral and smoky, and really couldn’t be anything else. The palate also has delicious smoky notes, with a tang from the oak as well as a citrus tang from the fruit itself. The oak ageing and lees stirring add lots of texture to the wine, making it quite savoury in nature.

At three years from harvest this is already opening nicely, but should continue to evolve for another five to seven years. It’s definitely not for the casual drinker, and is carries a premium price, but is an amazing example of what can be done with the grape.

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €33.99 down from €43.99 in the O’Briens December Fine Wine Sale
  • Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Conclusion

While having a grape in common, these wines are entirely different in style. The Pouilly-Fumé is unoaked and straight forward, though very tasty. The Graves is more complex and even better value. The Sancerre is an amazing wine, one of the best I tried at the O’Briens tasting, and it’s the one I will be picking up for myself.