Category: Wine Of The Week

Wine Of The Week

Wine of the Week: Astrolabe Southern Valleys Chenin Blanc

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Family-owned Marlborough winery Astrolabe make some excellent Sauvignon Blancs including their Province Sauvignon Blanc and Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The full range made at the winery is significantly more extensive than is available to us here in Ireland, but one relatively new release here is their Chenin Blanc Sec from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys:

Astrolabe Southern Valleys Sec Chenin Blanc 2020

Astrolabe Southern Valleys Chenin Blanc Sec

Chenin Blanc is up there with Riesling as one of the most versatile grape varieties around – it makes great sparkling wine, and still wines that can range from bone dry to intensely sweet. Outside of South Africa it hasn’t had the same press as Riesling, however – how many winemakers outside Europe dream of making a great Chenin compared to dreams of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir? 

Marlborough’s long, cool growing season is perfect for aromatic varieties, and while Sauvignon Blanc is the runaway favourite there it has also been a successful home to Riesling, Grüner Veltiner and others. So why not Chenin?

In the glass this Southern Valleys Chenin Blanc pours a bright straw yellow, something that sets it apart from Marlborough Sauvignon. The nose is fruit driven with notes of apple blossom, orange peel, pink grapefruit and some pip fruit. The palate is all Tarte Normande1, minerals, honey and fresh citrus.

So yes, this wine definitely has some sweetness. It’s labelled as a “Sec” i.e. a dry wine, but dry doesn’t always mean dry. In Champagne, for example, a Sec has between 17 and 32 g/L of residual sugar, with demi-sec above that at 32 to 50. Tellingly, the Astrolabe product page for this wine did have demi-sec in its description before being corrected.

In the end it’s not the amount of residual sugar on its own that determines how sweet a wine tastes, the flavours and acidity profile have a significant effect. I would classify this wine as off-dry, but more importantly as delicious!

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €21.95
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

1That’s an apple tarte from Normandy, you heathens!

 

 

Wine Of The Week

Wine of the Week: Domaine Fournier Pouilly Fumé “Les Deux Cailloux”

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Domaine Fournier are a class outfit based in the Loire Valley’s two most renowned Sauvignon Blanc appellations, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. I really enjoyed their Sancerre Les Belles Vignes when I tried it a year or so ago. I recently tried the counterpart to that wine from the other side of the river:

Domaine Fournier Père et Fils Pouilly Fumé “Les Deux Cailloux” 2020

Fournier Pouilly Fumé Les Deux Cailloux 2020

For those who don’t speak French, “Les Deux Cailloux” just means “The Two Pebbles”, a reference to the stony soils of the area. This makes perfect sense for a river-based wine region!

The wine itself is lemony gold in the glass. It has an expressive nose with juicy, succulent gooseberry and grapefruit drawing you in. These notes follow through to the palate where they are joined by green pepper, smoke and minerality. It’s quite round and supple in the mid-palate – something which elevates it above the simpler wines of the Loire – though there’s no doubting the crisp Sauvignon finish.

This is a well-put-together, gastronomic wine. While it doesn’t offer anything particularly original and might seem similar in style to many other Loire Sauvignons, it is definitely a cut above most of them and well worth a try.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €29.95
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: Deveneys Dundrum; Saltwater Grocery; SC Grocer, Monkstown
Wine Of The Week

Wine of the Week: Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2016

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Kicking off my new Wine of the Week series, here’s a classy modern Aussie Chardonnay that doesn’t break the bank.

Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2016

Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay

The 2020 vintage of this wine was released recently, so I plucked this 2016 bottling out of my wine fridge to see how it was getting on. In fact I reviewed the 2016  Stonier Chardonnay almost three years ago.

As the climate continues to warm, the southern-most wine regions of Australia have moved into focus. The key places for Aussie Chardonnay are now South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, parts of Tasmania, Victoria’s Yarra Valley and Mornington Pensinsula. Coastal exposure is the key to their microclimates, along with any altitude that’s available.

As might be inferred from its name, the Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by water on three sides. Grapes for this wine are sourced from a variety of vineyards across the area. Those from the coolest sites are allowed to go through malolactic fermentation (MLF) to round out the acidity and the remainder have MLF blocked to provide freshness to the blend. Oak is used for maturing a good portion of the wine, but only a small fraction is new – it’s all about texture and body.

At close to six years of age this wine retains the struck-match reductive character on the nose that it had on release. It also has plenty of fruit on offer, largely pineapple with hints of grapefuit and lemon. The finish is long and fresh, with a keen mineral streak thoughout.

Although this wine has been on offer at O’Briens (it is exclusive to them in Ireland) it is well worth the normal full sticker price

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €27.95
  • Source: purchased
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie