Category: Opinion

Opinion

Wines at Xmas #9 – Colly Murray [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Colly Murray took the plunge into the wine trade and set up RetroVino in 2009.  Since then he has added dozens more boutique producers to his portfolio and has recently branched out into Sake.

Allende Rioja 2009Located in the hill town of Briones in Rioja Alta, Finca Allende led by Miguel Angel de Gregorio marries the old and the new, by embracing traditional grape varieties and ageing them in French oak.  The principal cuvée is this 100% Tempranillo aged for thirteen months in predominantly French oak.

It is serious and lively on the palate with power and great balance; broad and flavoursome combining fruity freshness and the elegant structure and finesse of a wine that is suitable for ageing.

We usually cook a roast lamb on Christmas eve and this is the perfect compliment.

Finca Allende Rioja 2009 (14.0%): RRP 28 from The Corkscrew, Mitchells CHQ and Drinkstore Stonybatter

 

winter riesling kloppberg ggWith young winemaker Stefan Winter at the helm, Weingut Winter has experienced a real breakthrough in the last decade. The talented winemaker from Rheinhessen has enchanted with individual wines whose minerality and cleanliness simply inspire. Stefan has managed to get his winery into the circle of German Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) and brought Weingut Winter to the top of Germany’s quality wine production designation.

The Riesling ‘Kloppberg’ is a Großes Gewächs (Great Growth) wine: a top-level, dry wine from a designated VDP site.  It has a vibrant elegance, complexity and ripe white fruit flavours, before finishing dry with mineral notes. This is my Christmas day wine to partner with the main event – the turkey dinner.

Weingut Winter Rheinhessen ‘Kloppberg’ Riesling 2015 (13.0%): RRP €40 from The Corkscrew

 

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #8 – Mick O’Connell MW [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Mick O’Connell is an Irish Master of Wine working for Findlater & Co, a Wine and Spirits importer with some excellent names in their portfolio.

Roisin Curley Saint-RomainWhile I’ve accumulated a decent enough stash of mature wines through the years Christmas is all about drinking youthful wines from Burgundy – they just go so well with the food.  This year my Christmas day pair will be Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes and Maison Róisín Curley’s St Romain Blanc both from the stellar 2015 vintage.

This will be a year of the micro negociants for me.  These are young winemakers trying to craft interesting wines from the most hallowed terroir of all, Burgundy.  With the various sales of famous domaines this year for ridiculous sums of cash (Clos de Tart rumoured at approx. €33 million per hectare) being a micro negociant is the only option for a generation of people wanting to create their own Burgundy cuvées.

Róisín is a Mayo native who works in Beaune purchasing fruit and then vinifying them in her own facility. Her St. Romain is fabulous. Linear, precise and mineral with the trademark 2015 lusciousness.  It’s perfect Christmas wine – it works so well with Turkey dinner with all the trimmings and arguably even better with Stephen’s Day Turkey & Stuffing sambos!

le grappin les boucherottes beaune premier cru 2015Andrew and Emma Nielsen are the husband and wife team behind Le Grappin who, like Róisín, are also based in Beaune in the old cellars of Fanny Sabre where Philippe Pacalet also worked.  Their premier cru Beaune Boucherottes is focused, bright and pure – a glass or two of this and I can happily pass on the cranberry sauce aspect and get all my tart, crunchy red berry fruit in vinous form.

Maison Róisín Curley St Romain Blanc 2015:  RRP €51 from Whelehans, Green Man Wines, 64 wines & Wine Library Dun Laoghaire

Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes 2015: RRP €70 from Green Man Wines

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #7 – Jim Dunlop [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Jim Dunlop is a canny Scotsman who is seemly always on holiday somewhere – though that somewhere is usually a wine region whether in the Pfalz, northern Italy or the Canaries.

Antoniolo Gattinara 2006Many say Barolo or Barbaresco are the only wines that matter with regards to Nebbiolo but to the north of the Tanaro River and the Langhe, in Piemonte, there lies the Sesia River where both Gattinara and Ghemme are produced.  The wines here are more delicate and balanced than some of the forceful wine produced in the Langhe. This 2006 offering by Antoniolo is, for me, the top of the pile at Gattinara.  A classic red with a fantastic balance in the mouth, liquid velvet and so soothing – just right for a winter’s evening dinner.  This wine ages well, maybe for 10 to 15 years.

Antoniolo Gattinara DOCG 2006 (Piemonte, Italy): Purchased at Winery but similar offerings can be purchased from Tannico UK (Ave Price in UK: £20 to £30)

Riesling Rural trocken Weingut Heinrich Spindler PfalzFor me I always have a decision as to what is my favourite Riesling area, the top two being the Mosel or the Pfalz.  Recently my thinking is to prefer the more rounded style of the Pfalz compared with the austere style of the Mosel.  This offering from Spindler (based at Forst on the Weinstrasse near Deidesheim in the Pfalz) is just gob smacking amazing.  If anything, the 2015 harvest produced a better balance than the 2016.  Loads of Granny Smith on the front of the palate but huge soft fruit with balanced acidity at the rear of the palate and the finish goes on forever.

Heinrich Spindler Pfalz Riesling Trocken 2016 (12.0%): Purchased at the Weinhaus in Kallstadt, but similar offerings can be purchased from The Wine Society (Ave Price in UK: around £11)

 

 

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #6 – Jean Smullen [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Jean Smullen has been involved in the Irish wine trade for 26 years, including education, organising generic tastings for multitude of bodies, and communications through newspapers, TV and her radio spot on “Movies and Booze”.

This Christmas I will be drinking something fizzy from Italy that isn’t Prosecco! Franciacorta is a DOCG in Lombardy where they use French grapes to make sparkling wine using the traditional method (second fermentation in bottle The region’s reputation has been built on their outstanding bottle fermented sparkling wines. Franciacorta is Italy’s largest producer of metodo classico sparkling wines.

Remontage in Franciacorta.jpg

The different types of Franciacorta are distinguished by different dosages of liqueur de tirage added after disgorging.  For example, Franciacorta Satèn is a style unique to the region.  This blanc de blanc is made from (mostly) Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco.  A Brut dosage of sugar less than 12 g/l is added and the resultant wine has less atmospheric pressure (4.5 vs the standard 6.0 atm); this means that this unique sparking style has less mousse and a softer finish.

Alma Gran Cuveé Brut

 

Bellavista Alma Cuvée Brut RRP €45.99 at: 64 Wine; Donnybrook Fair, Green Man Wines, Jus de Vine, Terroirs, The Corkscrew, Mitchell & Son, The Wine Centre (Kilkenny), Baggot Street Wines, Clontarf Wines, and Searsons Wine Merchants.

This is made from 80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Nero, and is a world class sparkling wine, on a par with Champagne, it simply says quality.  The blending process is the key to this wine and hinges on the quality of the Reserve wines they use.  One of the characteristics I found in sparkling wine from Franciacorta is a lovely floral aroma of white flowers, this has that but on the palate it has a soft subtle finish and a lovely gentle mousse.  Bella Vista means “beautiful view” in this case it also means beautiful wine!

 

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #5 – Joe Coyle [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Joe Coyle is Head of Sales for Liberty Wines Ireland, a wine importer with an impressive portfolio with great coverage of Italy, NZ and Australia in particular.

At Christmas I like to serve a mix of tried-and-tested favourites alongside new wines that have excited me through the year.

CH Brut reserveA firm favourite that I always go back to is the dangerously drinkable Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve.  Charles Heidsieck is one of the most awarded Champagne houses, and it’s not hard to see why.  With at least five years on the lees and 40% reserve wines in the blend, their flagship Brut Réserve is rich and complex.

The nose is characterised by complex pastry aromas, with an opulent combination of ripe apricot, mango and greengages, dried fruits, pistachio and almond.  The palate begins with a silky-smooth sensation, developing into ripe fleshy apricot, melon and enticing plum pastry notes and delicate spice.

There is perfect balance of freshness and generosity.  Plus, the story of Charles Heidsieck, the original Champagne Charlie, includes Atlantic crossings, American high society, Mississippi swamp jails, political intrigue and financial windfalls.  It never fails to entertain!

Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Red 2014This year, my most exciting discoveries have come from Portugal.  Like Liberty Wines’ traditional stronghold in Italy, Portugal has dozens of native grape varieties to explore, from Alvarinho and Loureira in Vinho Verde through the Touriga Nacional based wines in the Douro and Dao to the intriguingly minerally white wines made from Enruzado in Dão.

The flavour profiles of these native grapes varieties are as diverse and exciting in Portugal as they are in Italy.   Perhaps it is this affinity, or just a search for originality and diversity, that drew us to Portugal. I’ll be serving Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto 2015 with dinner this year, its juicy red berry notes and subtle vanilla making it the perfect match with Christmas turkey.

 

 

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV: available at around €65 at O’Briens and independent wine merchants.

Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto 2015: available at around €19.99 at J.J. O’Driscoll Cork, Clontarf Wines. Wine Online

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #4 – Phil Green [Guest Post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Phil Green is a wine blogger in his spare time under the moniker Phil My Glass, but spends his weekdays as a wine consultant to restaurants and is also currently representing Champagne Perrier-Jouët.

Dreaming of a Red Christmas

Christmas is my favourite time of year.  Not only because of visiting family, time off work and eating more food than you could fit in a supermarket trolley, but also because it’s a great excuse to open one of my bottles of wine that I’ve been keeping stored away.  This year I’ll be cracking into one of my Château Phélan-Ségur 2010 bottles that has been giving me the glad eye all year.

Phelan Segur 2010Château Phélan-Ségur takes its name from original owner, Irishman Bernard Phelan, who acquired Domaine le Clos de Garamey in 1805 and Ségur de Cabernac in 1810. These estates were combined to create Château Ségur de Garamey.  The estate was passed on to Bernard’s son, Frank Phelan in 1841 when Bernard passed away, and Frank renamed the estate as Chateau Phelan Segur.

The reputation of this château exceeds its placing in Bordeaux’s rankings.  Not included in the original classification of 1855, the wine was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 2003 and has been rated highly by critics such as Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson.

Situated in the commune of St Estèphe on Bordeaux’s left bank, the wine shows the trademark power of a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from this area of Bordeaux. The style of the chateau is to be fruit forward and have a good balance of oak.  The last time I tasted this was about 2 years ago and I’m very interested to see how it has developed in a couple of years in the bottle, especially from a great vintage such as 2010.

Wines such as this deserve to be enjoyed with friends and family and be enjoyed slowly over the course of the evening and I will be looking forward to enjoying my bottle on Christmas day!

Château Phélan-Ségur 2010: available from McHughs at €70 (14.0%)

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Wines at Xmas #3 – Carol Smaul [Guest post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Carol Smaul is the talented lady behind Gin & Griddle, a food and drink blog which won Food Review Blog of the Year 2017 in the Irish Blog Awards. 

This Christmas we will be in California – LA, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs – before finishing in Seattle.  So there’s no doubt the wines we will be drinking and enjoying over Christmas and New Year will be from the US.  We both love Californian wines, the big Cabernet Sauvignons, bold and smoky Zinfandels, lighter Pinot Noirs and buttery Chardonnays, all typical of the region.

Cali Wines SB at CaliWineFair
Californian wines at the California Wine Fair in Dublin

As we’ll be in Southern California we hope to try homegrown wines from Santa Barbara wine country as much as possible. In Santa Barbara, we plan to do the Urban Wine Trail, sampling wines from local wineries in the town.  We’re excited to discover new wines from this region and will certainly be buying a few bottles to enjoy over the rest of our holiday.

Au Bon Climate Pinot NoirCalifornian wine can be a little more challenging to locate in Ireland than its European counterparts, but it is definitely possible, once you’re willing to pay a little more (excise and tax have not been kind to US wine in Ireland).  Places such as Searsons, Baggot Street Wines, Blackrock Cellars and O’Briens have reasonable selections and always ask in your local off licence or wine shop, particularly if they import their wine.

One of our favourite wines from the Southern California region is from Au Bon Climat, Pinot Noir. It would be a great choice for Christmas, an intense yet light red, with lots of character, earthy and fruity; an ideal accompaniment to the Turkey & Ham.  The Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Noir is currently in stock in Baggot Street Wines, priced at €37 (abv 13.5%).

 

 

 

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Wines at Xmas #2 – Jérémy Delannoy [Guest post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Jérémy Delannoy is the Director of SIYPS (Sommeliers In Your Pockets), a new online wine retail business in Ireland that offers sustainable wines from boutique producers. 

MoncuitWhen it comes to Christmas we all love Champagne, especially French people like me.  As far as I can remember, in my house Champagne has always been part of Christmas celebrations.  Bubbles contribute to the magic of Christmas time.  In my family, we would enjoy Champagne before and also after our meal.

Here in Ireland it’s not easy to find a good Champagne from a small producer. I do believe this is the perfect one we are all looking for.  Champagne Pierre Moncuit comes from the ‘Côte des Blancs’ subregion of Champagne.  Made with 100% Chardonnay, as one would expect from a Champagne from this particular area.  The south facing slopes give this Champagne a stunning creamy flavour, a soft and tender texture, with a beautiful subtle hint of apple.

Based on this, I would recommend starting the celebrations with this champagne. Champagne Pierre Moncuit “Cuvée H. Coulmet” would make an ideal match with prawns, or with any kind of nibbles.  It will certainly help make a memorable moment while celebrating with friends and family. I am definitely looking forward to opening this bottle on the 25th with my Irish family before we even start dinner. If not before…

Champagne Pierre Moncuit “Cuvée H. Coulmet”: €43 from SIYPS.ie (12.0% abv)

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Opinion

Wines at Xmas #1 – Sam Logan [Guest post]

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For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

First up is Sam Logan, Copywriter & Social Media Editor of Wines Direct, a family wine wholesale and retail business in Ireland.

Bera Moscato d'Asti 2015When it comes to Christmas, I’m a bit of a Grinch.

I always feel coerced into taking part in the season. Somehow, I always emerge from the season of carols, crowds, and cards with no more than my normal quota of comfort and joy.

Bah Humbug!

However, something I really love about Christmas is that food and drink take centre stage, and normal standards of restraint and decency are temporarily suspended.

Our modern Christmas holidays have their origins in the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia. And the Romans didn’t mess about when it was time for a party. Saturnalia seems to have been a solid week of feasting, including all the fun of non-stop carnivals, gambling and an inversion of social norms.

I do my best to pay homage to the Romans, and my personal Saturnalia always starts with a special, late breakfast on Christmas morning. To classic scrambled eggs on toast, I add a layer of Alpine cheese (this year it’ll be Schnebelhorn or Neufenen) and top it all with Ed Hick’s Bacon Jam. Christmas comes but once a year after all.

Now, this is all very rich and savoury, so I’m going to enjoy it with a glass of Bera Moscato d’Asti 2015. Moscato d’Asti is a wonderful combination of sweetness and sparkles, with enough crisp acidity and blossom aromatics to keep it from becoming cloying. This Moscato d’Asti is a great example of the style with vibrant stone fruit, honey and citrus flavours. It’s delicate, effervescent and absolutely perfect with salty, savoury food. Conveniently, it’s also very low in alcohol at just 5% ABV.

With the spotlight on Dinner, Christmas Breakfast usually gets neglected. I like to start my festivities as I mean to continue and, for me, Bera Moscato d’Asti 2015 is the perfect start to Saturnalia.

Bera Moscato D’Asti 2015: €18.95 from Winesdirect.ie, Wines Direct Shops in Mullingar and Arnotts, Dublin 1

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Opinion

Alsace Wines in Lidl Autumn French Wine Sale

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As in previous years Lidl Ireland are having a French wine sale this autumn, starting on 25th September.  “Sale” means different things to different people – here it doesn’t mean price reductions on existing lines but rather a limited release of certain French wines which aren’t all sale all year round.

The wines come from several different regions including Bordeaux, Rhône valley, the Loire, the Languedoc and Burgundy; but of course I have chosen to focus on my favourite white wine region of the world, Alsace!

Jean Cornelius Trio

Disclosure: samples kindly provided for review

Jean Cornelius Alsace Sylvaner 2016 (12.0%, €8.99 at Lidl Ireland)

 

Jean Cornelius Sylvaner

Sylvaner is often looked down upon as one of the poor relations in Alsace, though that has much to do with grape farmers being paid for quantity rather than quality – Sylvaner can produce high yields but becomes dilute and lacking in flavour.  In the hands of a good vigneron it can produce good wines, though it’s more of a quaffing wine than one for contemplation.

This Jean Cornelius 2016 is a great introduction to the grape, if you didn’t know it before. It’s clean, unoaked and dry, which are all normal for Sylvaner in Alsace, despite misconceptions about the bottle shape (don’t mention the “L word”!) If you like Riesling and Pinot Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay then give this a try, as it sits somewhere in the middle of them flavour-wise – there’s a touch of apple and a touch of citrus, making it great for shellfish, subtle fish dishes or as an aperitif – went great with green olives!

 

Jean Cornelius Alsace Pinot Blanc 2016 (12.0%, €8.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Jean Cornelius Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc is the great all-rounder of Alsace; it’s fruity and supple, rarely austere (which Riesling can be) but not as exotic as Gewurztraminer (see below) or its sibling Pinot Gris. In fact there’s a trick which Alsace producers can use – other grapes!  Now they can’t just put any old grapes in, but a dash of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (without skin contact of course) or Auxerrois is permitted.

Crunchy apple and pear are the key flavours here.  As the wine warms a little in your glass it goes from Granny Smith to Golden Delicious, but always finishes dry and crips.

 

Jean Cornelius Alsace Gewurztraminer 2016 (12.5%, €7.99 (50cl) at Lidl Ireland)

Jean Cornelius Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer – more easily shortened to Gewurz – is very different from most other grapes.  It’s highly aromatic and has a distinctive exotic perfume that can divide drinkers (a true “Marmite grape”).  Due to the ease with which the variety produces sugar it is often made somewhat sweet – on the listing I received this wine is described as moelleux i.e. sweet, but it isn’t classified as either Vendange Tardive or Sélection de Grains Nobles which are the Alsace terms for certain classes of sweet wines.

And on pouring this revealed itself to be a typical Gewurz – rose petals and Turkish delight.  There’s a little fruit sweetness which adds to the round flavours in your mouth, but it finishes perfectly dry – in fact there’s even a little acidity on the finish, something which isn’t always associated with Gewurz.

 

These wines won’t set the world alight, but they are a great introduction to the wines of Alsace and are good representatives of their varieties.