The Kaleidoscope of Wine – how’s your palette?

July 20, 2015 admin

Being a bit of a geek (in wine, but other things as well) and possibly with a few ADHD tendencies, I’m a sucker for patterns and lists. On my recent holiday in Portugal I started jotting down the different colours associated with wine, whether often used in descriptions, grape names or something else, and came up with A LIST.

Now, this is only from my own thoughts, so I’ve very happy to add any suggestions that you may have (leave a comment or send a Twitter message).

And did I mention I’m partially colourblind? That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it…

So, in alphabetical order…

Amber

A WSET term for a deep dark gold colour, often apt for aged / oaked / sweet wines.
Georgian Amber Wine is made in the traditional way in clay pots (a bit like amphorae) called Quevris which are buried underground.

Black

As a general rule, the grapes that make red wine are black, not red.
Some always have black as part of their name – e.g. Pinot Noir – where there are different versions of the grape in different colours.
Some black grapes don’t usually need the suffix “Noir” as they are far better known than their siblings, unless a comparison is being made – e.g. Grenache is assumed to be the black version (as opposed to Blanc or Gris), but sometimes it is annotated as Grenache Noir.
The famous Black wine of Cahors which is a deep, dark, opaque Malbec blend.
The definition of Black Wine according to the motto of the Domaine Le Bout du Lieu: “If you can see your fingers through the glass, it’s not a Cahors.”
Pinot Meunier is sometimes known as Schwarzriesling – literally “Black Riesling” – in Germany!

Blue

Blau is of course German for “blue”, so this variety commonly found in Austria is a blue Frankish grape, evoking Charlemagne and his empire.
In Hungary the grape is known as Kékfrankos, which has the same literal meaning but sounds like a Greek ailment.

Blush

A term used to describe Californian rosé, especially the sweetish stuff made from Zinfandel.
What any self-respecting wino does when drinking the above wine (miaow!)

Brick

Obviously a shade of red, it’s usually connected to older red wines

Burgundy

For some reason Burgundy as a colour only ever refers to the region’s red rather than white wines.
Quite well established as a colour outside of the wine world…I bet few garment wearers think of Pinot Noir…

Champagne

The oft litigious organisation that represents Champagne, the CIVC, don’t like Champagne being used as a colour when not directly connected to one of their member’s products.
However, it’s probably too late, the cat is out of the bag for describing a silvery-goldy colour – and to be honest, should they really complain if it’s an Aston Martin?

Claret

The well known term for red Bordeaux wine.
However, the term actually originates from Clairette, a dark rosé style wine still made in Bordeaux (and was actually how most Bordeaux looked back in the day).
Now often used to mean wine- (or blood-) coloured.

Garnet

A WSET approved term for a mid shade of red, in between Ruby (another gemstone) and Tawny.

Gold

Burgundy's Côte d'Or — Burgundy’s Côte d’Or

Mature and / or sweet white wine is often described as gold, particularly Tokaji.
Burgundy’s heartland subregion of the Côte d’Or is literally the “Slope of Gold”.

Green

Vinho Verde Map (Credit: Quentin Sadler)

While “green wine” might not sound that pleasant a concept, it is of course the literal translation of Vinho Verde from northern Portugal.
By extension, used as a term for certain flavours which either invoke youth or the taste of something green (e.g. asparagus in Sauvignon Blanc)

Grey

Mid coloured grapes such as Pinot Gris (yay!) or the Italian equivalent Pinot Grigio (boo!)
Vin Gris (literally “Grey Wine”) is the term used for a white(ish) wine made from black grapes.
Often has a little more colour than a Blanc de Noirs, e.g. the Gamay-based AOC Côtes de Toul from Lorraine.

Orange

Quite a trendy type of wine at the moment, basically making a wine from white grapes using red wine methods, particularly lots of contact between the juice and the skins – different but interesting.
Orange Muscat is a variant of the ancient but popular Muscat family
Also a wine growing town in New South Wales, Australia, whose symbol is an apple – go figure!
In fairness, orchard regions are often good for making wine.

Pink

David Bird (author of Understanding Wine Technology) makes a valid point asking why we use the term rosé in English when we say red and white quite happily instead of rouge and blanc.

Purple

While reading a book on Port I came across a new colour category of grape: Roxo
Many grapes – and actually many wines – look quite purple, but Portugal is the first country I have seen to actually have a recognised term for it.

Red

Obviously the huge category of red wine as a whole.
Tinta / Tinto, the Portuguese and Spanish words for red (when applied to wine) is used for many grape varieties and their pseudonyms, including Tinto Aragon and Tinta Cão.
One of the few grapes in French to have red in its name is Rouge du Pays, also known as Cornalin du Valais or Cornalin.
However, without Red Wine would faux-reggae band UB40 have been so popular? Everything has its downsides…

Ruby

A bright shade of red, usually signifying a young wine.
A style of Port, often the least expensive, bottle young and so retains a bright red colour.
The grape Ruby Cabernet is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan, though usually included in cheap fruity blends.

Tawny

A light shade of red, tending to brown, usually signifying an older but not necessarily fully mature wine
A style of Port which has usually been aged in wood rather than bottle, with colour fading over time.

White

White wine, of course, which covers a multitude of grapes and styles
White grapes (well many of them are of course more green than white) particularly those whose name includes white (in English or any other language) to distinguish them from darker coloured siblings, e.g. Pinot Blanc / Pinot Bianco / Weissburgunder.

Yellow

Of course the Jura’s famous “Vin Jaune” (literally “yellow wine”) leaps to mind here.
Ribolla Gialla (thanks Jim) is the yellow version of Ribolla, generally found in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy and over the border into Slovenia.

Opinion, Tasting Events

This Summer’s BBQ Wines #3 – and #4!

July 17, 2015 admin

Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne

A white for summer barbecues – though to be honest there’s no bad time to drink this tasty, versatile wine. Crisp, dry and fruity, it’s great for quaffing on its own or with lighter food. It has more going on that virtually any other wine you can get for the same price.

Where is Gascogne?

Gascony is in South west France, and is now generally thought of as the area below Bordeaux. As a larger historical region it included Bordeaux’s Medoc peninsula and the Basque Country of the Pyrenees. Culturally, it was the literary home of d’Artagnan (perhaps Dogtanian as well, I’m not sure) and Cyrano de Bergerac.

Map of SW France (from www.winesofsouthwestfrance.com)

Beverage wise its most famous product is Armagnac, the other quality grape brandy which is lesser known than Cognac. But now its undistilled wines are increasingly popular.

Here are a couple I’ve tried and enjoyed recently:

Domaine de Maubet IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 (€14.99, Honest 2 Goodness)

This is a blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc (proportions not given) and weighs in at a very lunch-friendly 11.5% abv. For a Vin de Pays it has remarkable concentration, with lemon and grapefruit keeping it fresh and some tropical notes adding another dimension. There’s no sign of oak – and nor should there be, the fruit is allowed to express itself.

Venturer IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 (€6.99, Aldi)

No the price is not a misprint / typo / mistake! Again this is a very fruity, easy-drinking style of wine. It has far more character that you’ve a right to expect for this price tag – and it comes with a handy screwcap so there’s no synthetic cork you normally get with less expensive wine.

The blend is 80% Colombard, 20% Gros Manseng giving citrus and a touch of melon. At this price you can fill your fridge!

Background info

The region’s viticultural borders now align with those of Armagnac, across the three departments of Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne. In the Gers the production volumes are approximately: 91% white, 8% red and 1% rosé wine. This is very atypical for the southwest of France, because in neighbouring departments mainly red wine is produced (e.g. Madiran). Around three quarters of production is exported.

The white grapes of Côtes de Gascogne are:

Colombard is the mainstay of the area, sometimes seen in cheaper blends from California, South Africa and Australia, but at its best here

Ugni Blanc is used for Armagnac production, and even more so for Cognac production (the other side of Bordeaux). It also features in Italy under the name Trebbiano (yuck!)

Petit and Gros Manseng are traditional grapes of SW France, particularly Saint-Mont and Jurancon.

Muscadelle, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are of course the three white grapes permitted in white Bordeaux wine.

Len de l’El (aka Cavalier, prominent in AC Gaillac) is a rarity.

This Summer’s BBQ Wines:

#1 – Bellow’s Rock Coastal Region Shiraz 2013

#2 – Château Michel Cazevieille Origine 1922 AC Saint Chinian 2012

#3 – and #4! Domaine de Maubet IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 & Venturer Côtes de Gascogne 2014

#5 – Byron Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2012

#6 – Lot #01 Mendoza Malbec Cabernet 2013

Information, Opinion

Celebrating Bastille Day: Champagne Drappier

July 14, 2015 admin

They say a picture call tell a thousand words. This might be true, but I’d say a glass of wine could tell even more.

Earlier this year I was invited by my friends at The Corkscrew Wine Merchants to attend a tasting of Champagne Drappier at Saison Restaurant in Dublin. My account of the event is in the new Issue 7 of Glass of Bubbly Magazine:

Glass of Bubbly Magazine Issue 7 (front cover)

Here’s a sneak peek at the Drappier article:

Drappier Article in Glass of Bubbly Magazine

Whilst tasting through some of Drappier’s fabulous range, it struck me that some of their choices are actually commercially quite risky. Producing the Brut Zero Sans Souffre (neither dosage nor SO2 added) depends upon a fastidious approach to quality, including an almost draconian approach to hygiene.

The grapes have to be perfectly ripe, but not overripe, so that fruit flavours can shine without the addition of sugar.

The grapes have to be perfectly healthy so that there is minimal chance of spoilage which sulphur would normally prevent. Only own estate fruit is used for this Cuvée

Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) is allowed to proceed so that the acidity is softened and has less need of sugar for balance.

Extended lees ageing gives the Champagne character, but also helps to preserve it for longer and also lessens the impact of no dosage.

All of these factors have to be in perfect tension. Here is my first attempt at an infographic capturing this relationship.

Opinion

This Summer’s BBQ Wines #2

July 12, 2015 admin

On we roll with a summer, of sorts, here in Ireland. Here’s an outstanding bottle of wine from Sweeney’s in Glasnevin, that I tried recently which calls, nay demands, a barbecue.

Château Michel Cazevieille Origine 1922 AC Saint Chinian 2012

Michel Caze Vieille AC Saint Chinian 2012 — Château Michel Cazevieille Origine 1922 AC Saint Chinian 2012

As is the norm for the Languedoc this is a blend, but only has two components – Syrah and Grenache – which are both considered well suited to the area. (Carignan is also still grown in the area and can be very average if overcropped).

Michel Cazevieille created Origine 1922 as a homage to his grandfather Paul who set up in Cazedarnes at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then the family has gradually expanded their holdings so that today they have 22 hectares of vines across plateaus and clay / limestone hills.

Lots of deep black fruit framed with a touch of tannin and spice, and a smokey character that would pair so well with barbecue marinades. The alcohol is quite high at 14.5%, though not uncommon for such a southerly location, but it comes across as richness rather than heat. It’s a well balanced wine.

If you’re not familiar with Saint Chinian (there are so many Saint- wines in France that confusion sometimes reigns), it’s in the central part of the Languedoc, an arc stretching from just above the Spanish border on the eastern side of the Pyrenees, around the Mediterranean past Montpellier:

Map of Languedoc wine regions (from wine-pages.com)

And the best bit about this wine? It’s only €12.99, what a bargain!

This Summer’s BBQ Wines:

#1 – Bellow’s Rock Coastal Region Shiraz 2013

#2 – Château Michel Cazevieille Origine 1922 AC Saint Chinian 2012

#3 – and #4! Domaine de Maubet IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 & Venturer Côtes de Gascogne 2014

#5 – Byron Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2012

#6 – Lot #01 Mendoza Malbec Cabernet 2013

Information, Opinion

Essential Wine Accessories (that won’t break the bank) – Part 3

July 6, 2015 admin

If you’re a budding wine drinker (or you know one) looking to ensure you have the most essential wine accessories, but without laying out big bucks, this is the right guide for you.

PART 3 – Something to drink the wine out of – glasses

Although you could drink wine out of almost any kind of drinking vessel, glass is pretty much the best material for your …erm… glass known to man. Coffee mugs and polystyrene cups can hold liquid, but nothing beats the real thing. So, now we’ve established the material, it’s time for a fairly fundamental statement:

The type of glass you use makes a significant difference to how a wine smells and tastes.

As you’re reading a wine blog I’m assuming that this is of some importance to you. Here is a summary of the important characteristics of a good wine glass:

Format

A proper wine glass needs to have a stem by which it can be held. This ensures that any chilled white wine isn’t heated up too quickly by a grasping hand and the bowl isn’t smudged with fingerprints (which makes examining the wine much more difficult). Of course, if you want to put it down on a flat surface then it will also need a foot to rest on.

Thickness

It’s far more pleasant to drink from a thin wine glass than something which could double as a coffee mug. A cleaner edge means that you have precise control over how much you pour into your cakehole – which is a good thing, surely.

Clarity

The glass should be transparent, not coloured, and not etched. Being able to see the wine properly is an important part of evaluation and appreciation.

Shape

A good glass needs a wide bowl with a narrower rim so that the aromas are gathered within the glass rather than evaporating out into the ether. It also means that when the glass is swirled to get the wine in contact with air, the wine stays in the glass…

Volume

Swirlability also depends (in tandem with shape above) on the capacity of the glass – it’s a lots easier with a bigger glass. Many wines, particularly reds and / or oaked wines, need space in the glass to breathe, so they are better if the glass isn’t too full. A bigger glass means a reasonable pour without filling it too high.

Let’s start by naming and shaming a few different types which you should avoid if looking to acquire some glasses:

1. Paris Goblet

The standard vessel of many French restaurants – those without at least a Bib Gourmand at least. They fulfil the very basic task of holding wine, but don’t hold enough and no good for swirling.

2. Tumbler

What am I, a fecking peasant? Tumbler’s are fine for water and water of life, but not for wine.

3. Champagne Flute

Traditional Champagne flutes are dead. Flutes might look pretty, but they aren’t that great for anything other than basic Prosecco or Moët. Anything I serve at home with a high Pinot content or significant ageing gets put into a white wine glass as a minimum, or even a (larger) red wine glass.

Now, I do have a few Riedel flutes, and they’re are wider than most, so they’re not too bad for the basic stuff.

4. Champagne Coupe

Supposedly made in the shape of a famous French woman’s breast (though the story varies), the coupe is great for making Champagne towers, but not for drinking the stuff – the aromas dissipate too quickly and so do the bubbles.

5. Cut Crystal

Waterford crystal by John Rocha. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really pleasing on the eye, worth of display in a cabinet, but it’s about as much use as a chocolate fireguard when it comes to appreciating wine. The lip is too thick, the pattern interferes with examining the wine and the lack of a decent bowl shape means if you swirl a wine you’ll probably end up wearing some of it.

6. INAO/ISO tasting glass

This might be a surprise for some, but although “official” tasting glasses are de rigeur on most wine course and at some trade tastings, they’re actually too small for many wines. As an example, when I was tasting a subtly oaked white Louis Jadot Burgundy earlier this year, the oak was over-emphasised by the ISO glass.

At bigger pro-events the tasting glass of choice is usually the Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico/Riesling, a significantly larger glass.

So, if you are on a budget, what sort of glass should you go for?

There are several high quality glass manufacturers, and many of them make different ranges which get more and more wine-specific and correspondingly more and more expensive!

But if you’re on a budget these are out of reach. I would suggest you could do with something cheap and cheerful such as this:

Even better would be something with a taller bowl, such as this:

If you drink quite a lot of white wine as well as red, then it’s worth getting some slightly smaller ones for white so that the wine doesn’t warm up too much – important for sweeter wines, for example.

Riedel Sommelier and Zalto glasses belong in another post entirely…

Part 1 looked at something to open bottles with

Part 2 looked at something to pour the wine into

Information, Opinion

In Praise of Co-operatives – Part 1 – Setting the Scene

July 1, 2015 admin

The greatest wines on earth aren’t made by co-operatives. Whether your preference is for Claret, Barolo, Burgundy or Champagne, co-operatives aren’t ranked in the upper echelons of each region’s producers.

Way down the quality scale, a lot of ordinary wine is made by co-operatives – owned by a multitude of producers who can’t afford their own vinification and maturation space and equipment – who make wine to suit growers’ yields and production decisions rather than quality.

It’s often the lower common denominator type of wine – it follows the DO / DOC / AOC regulations and is somewhat faithful to variety and terroir, but it’s just a bit ordinary. Dilute, but rarely bad. Humdrum. Boring! (There, I said it!)

Acknowledging all of the above, this series aims to highlight the better co-operatives…those which, if they don’t hit the heights, certainly make wines in the top quartile of quality, that are both interesting and value for money. The better co-operatives are becoming increasingly skilled not just at wine-making but also at marketing specific bottlings designed to look and taste every bit as distinctive as the individually produced competition.

The worst co-operatives play almost exclusively with subsidies and politics. Co-operatives are at their strongest in areas where wine’s selling price is relatively low and where the average size of individual holdings is small, although co-operatives are also quite significant in Champagne and there are several in the Médoc, for example. The majority of wine co-operatives were formed in the early 1930s in the immediate aftermath of the Depression.

As you will see, most of the co-operatives covered in this series are in Europe, specifically France.

The former is down to ownership patterns, particularly those jurisdictions that have Napoleonic inheritance laws (splitting properties equally between children of each generation). With a growing population this can result in vignerons (and other farmers of course) owning smaller and smaller land holdings to the point where, unless the land is in one of the very best appellations, there isn’t sufficient economic scale to justify making, bottling and maturing wine on the property.

This leaves a “grape farmer” with restricted choices – sell his or her grapes to a négociant or join a co-operative. The first usually carries lower risk, though certainly lower income. The second has the potential for a little more control and a share in the surplus.

And why will this series focus on France? The simple reason is that I am far more familiar with French wine than that of any other European country!

Some of the forthcoming articles in the series:

Part 2 – Produttori del Barbaresco (Piedmont)
Part 3 – Jacquart (Champagne)
Part 4 – La Chablisienne
Part 5 – Cave de Turckheim (Alsace)
Part 6 – Le Mesnil (Champagne)

Opinion

Essential Wine Accessories (that won’t break the bank) – Part 2

June 17, 2015 admin

If you’re a budding wine drinker (or you know one) looking to ensure you have the most essential wine accessories, but without laying out big bucks, this is the right guide for you.

PART 2 – Something to pour the wine into – decanter

Decanters are a statement and the centrepiece of every wine aficionado’s dining table. Showing off aside, there are two main reasons to decant a wine:

1. To separate the wine from its sediment

If a wine – particularly red wine – is mature, it might well have developed some sediment. It’s perfectly harmless, but can taste unpleasantly crunchy, and looks quite unsightly.

Sediment is usually the sign of a well-made wine that hasn’t been fined or filtered too much; these techniques remove tiny solid particles that might eventually fall out as sediment, but they also take out some of the flavour compounds which made a wine so enjoyable.

Vintage port is a great example of a wine that throws a sediment. It’s usually bottled quite young and not opened until after a few decades. Look at this contraption:

Turning the handle slowly tilts the bottle, and hopefully the sediment is visible from the light of the candle, so you can pour the wine but stop it just before the sludge.

Sediment is far less common with white wine, and usually comes in the form of white crystals. Again these are natural and not harmful – they are tartrate crystals, and their occurrence is often due to a positive quality decision by the winemaker.

2. To let the wine breathe

Here are two statements for you to evaluate, true or false:

A: Virtually every wine will benefit from some time to breathe

B: Simply opening a bottle is a perfectly fine way of letting the wine breathe

Whaddya think?

Well it is all down to opinion, but I reckon that A = True and B = False

As a general rule, the younger the wine the more time it needs to breathe properly. This allows chemicals in the wine to react with oxygen in the air and hence aromas and flavours are unlocked. Tannins taste softer, so young red wines really do benefit.

And as for just opening a bottle of wine to let it breathe, so little of the wine comes into contact with air that the effect is almost negligible over a few hours. If you don’t have any sort of decanting device to hand, then just pour a glass and that will speed things up!

A word of caution for older wines – if fully decanted, which might well be desirable if they have thrown a sediment, they will go out of condition if left for too long. I have experienced something similar at vertical tastings where wines have been poured out well in advance of tasting, and some from the last millennium were already deteriorating.

So, if you are on a budget, what sort of decanter should you go for?

I would argue that a simple glass jug will do a fine job, without costing the earth. So how about this:

Less than 5 Euros/Pounds/Dollars etc – and stackable!

Now, if you want to take a bottle of wine to a dinner party or BYO restaurant, but also want to decant it to show it at its best, what do you do? Double decanting is the answer! So you’ve poured the wine into your glass jug / decanter, and want to get it back into the bottle without spilling.

The budget wine accessory you’re looking for is a Stainless steel funnel:

Part 1 looked at something to open bottles with

Part 3 will look at something to drink the wine out of…

Opinion

Essential Wine Accessories (that won’t break the bank) – Part 1

June 14, 2015 admin

If you’re a budding wine drinker (or you know one) looking to ensure you have the most essential wine accessories, but without laying out big bucks, this is the right guide for you.

PART 1 – Something to open the bottle – Corkscrew

Of course if you only ever drink screwcapped wine then you won’t need a corkscrew, but although some great wine is available with a tin lid there’s still lots out there that isn’t.

DO GET one (or more) of the following:

1. A foil cutter

Using one of these is quicker and safer than a knife for cutting the foil off bottle tops. It’s also somehow more satisfying. Not expensive so grab a few!

2. A waiter’s friend

There’s a reason this has its name, it’s probably the most efficient and easy to use design, but compact enough to slip into a pocket. Sometimes has a bargain extra crown cap opener as well.

3. A waiter’s friend with double hinge

For long corks where a regular waiter’s friend just can’t reach, this is just the ticket. Also, for delicate corks that threaten to break when they are slightly bent on opening, the double hinge lets you minimise this.

4. A waiter’s friend with foil cutter

The best of 1 and 2 above! What’s not to like? This is actually my favourite design, I have about a dozen around the house.

DON’T GET any of these:

5. Screwpull

Yes these look(ed) delightfully trendy, and gadgety, and …well…blokey, but it’s heavy and cumbersome, and it’s just total overkill. As for the ones attached to a bar, don’t get me started…

6.Twin wing lever with solid core

This just destroys the cork so it might not even get back into the bottle, never mind be relatively airtight to serve as a stopper for a day or two. Unfortunately they are fairly commonplace. There are versions which don’t have a solid core, but to be quite honest they still look crap!

If you have a favourite, or you disagree with any of the above, leave a comment and let me know!

Part 2 will look at something to pour the wine into…

Tasting Events

Build – A little more from WineMason

June 12, 2015 admin

My article in the latest edition of The Taste gives some of my recommendations from the WineMason portfolio tasting I attended many weeks back. Here are a few more fresh whites which I loved but didn’t have room for on The Taste:

Eichinger Grüner Veltliner “Wechselberg” Kamptal 2013 (€23, 64 Wine, Redmond’s)

A step up from an entry level summer style of Grüner, this has more weight, more flavour and more interest. The nose gets you first – nectarine and peach – followed by a fruit explosion in your mouth. This wine has sweet fruit but isn’t sugary, as linear acidity provides something for it to lean on.

If you’ve only tried junior Grüners then you owe it to yourself to try this style!

Max Ferd Richter Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Auslese Cask 77 Mosel 2005 (€40, Redmond’s, 64 Wine)

Whereas its younger brother had dessert apples, this is a desert island wine, just spectacular. It’s far from cheap, but it offers great value. Auslese means “selected harvest”, so you know the grapes were picked when perfectly ripe. In the Mosel, this means they will still have refreshing acidity and lots of flavour. Now almost ten years on from harvest, this specially selected cask still has freshness but has developed more mature notes such as marmalade, peach and apricot. Lip-smackingly good!

Thanks again to Ben, Barbara and the WineMason team for an excellent tasting!

And of course, the title above was partially inspired by this favourite from the 80s:

The Housemartins – Build

check out Norman Cook’s basslines!

Restaurant Review, Tasting Events

New Trafford

June 9, 2015 admin

New Trafford: De Trafford & Sijnn Winemaker’s Dinner @ Stanley’s, Dublin

Last month I had the pleasure to attend a fantastic Winemaker’s dinner at Stanley’s Restaurant in Dublin. Regular readers may remember a previous dinner event I attended there with Yves Cuilleron and his wines. On this occasion it was the wines of David Trafford, co-hosted by importer/distributor Dr Eilis Cryan, the lady behind Kinnegar Wines of Galway.

David was originally an architect – with a few clues in the names and designs of his wines – but felt compelled to make wine in such an amazing land as Stellenbosch. Many years later, he set up Sijnn in a hamlet down near the coast.

This tasting featured wines from both wineries, plus a starter from another Kinnegar producer:

Aperitif
Thelema Méthode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2011

For those not familiar with the term, Méthode Cap Classique (or MCC for short) is a traditional-method sparkling wine from South Africa. Thelema are much better known for their excellent still wines, particularly their reds, but this is a serious effort.

As the Blanc de Blancs name suggests this is 100% Chardonnay. Fulfilling the same requirements as vintage Champagne, it was (second) bottle fermented and left on the lees for three years. It was disgorged in Sept/Oct 2014 and given an “extra-brut” dosage of 3.2 g/l.

It’s a lovely fresh, citrus style, perfect as an aperitif at this time in its life. With a few more years it should mellow out so that more mature fruit develop and the acidity softens a little to let the bready characters from time on the lees show through.

Amuse Bouche

One of the things that great chefs can do is challenge your preconceptions. The amuse bouche had radish which I don’t particularly care for, but with crab it was just heavenly.

Marinated scallops, cucumber, bergamot, fois gras butter

I love scallops, but I’m no fan of cucumber – I’ll pick it out of salads and send back a G&T that someone has stupidly infected with cucumber. However, I have now become a convert of cucumber and mint soup – it was served in a mini tea cup on the side and was just divine!

De Trafford Chenin Blanc 2012 & Sijnn White 2012

Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape, capable of playing several different roles, though always with its trademark high acidity. Personally, I prefer it when it has either (1) a bit of oak, (2) a bit of age or (3) a bit of sugar; without these it can be too simple or too harsh for my taste.

David Trafford has been making Chenin for twenty years. As with all his wines only wild yeast is used for his De Trafford Chenin, and then around 15% is matured in new oak barrels. Bingo! The oak adds a bit of roundness and texture, but it’s not an overtly oaky wine – it’s still fresh. Malolactic fermentation is blocked by adding a dash of sulphur and the low cellar temperature.

The Sijnn White is also Chenin based, but as well as 20% oak maturation, it also has another trick up its sleeve: Viognier! Around 16% of the blend is Viognier which gives stunning aromatics and a tempting texture. I now have to add a fourth type of Chenin to my list!

Guinea fowl, green asparagus, black bacon, carbonara jus

There were no weird surprises here as I’m a fan of guinea fowl. It was tasty and succulent, with lots of additional interesting flavours from the accompaniments. Asparagus and green beans provided a contrast against the richness of the meat.

De Trafford Elevation 393 2010 & Sijnn 2010

For many attendees I expect this was the main (vinous) event of the evening.

Elevation is De Trafford’s flagship red. As the 2010 is such an approachable, ripe style it has been released ahead of the 2009 which needs more time to mellow out. This is partially due to the blend of the 2010 which was a third each of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Shiraz – there is usually a higher proportion of Cabernet in the blend which makes it a little more austere.

Although definitely fruity, the Elevation had more of a savoury aspect than many Australian Cabernet blends, for example. South Africa really does straddle the boundaries of Old and New World.

The Sijnn Red was an altogether different blend, mainly a cross between the Rhône and the Douro: Syrah 41%; Touriga Nacional 27%; Mourvèdre 18%; Trincadeira 10%; Cabernet Sauvignon 4%. And funnily enough, both of these influences were apparent in the finished blend – the spice, blackberry and blueberry of the Rhône were joined by the plum and prune of the Douro. It’s quite a big wine, but totally delicious.

A fantastic wine geek fact that David gave us was that Mourvèdre needs more vine age than most other varieties before it begins producing quality fruit in reasonable quantities.

Rooibos tea custard tart, guava sorbet

This was so tasty that I barely managed to take a snap before wolfing it down! You may recognise rooibos as a South African speciality – it’s a herbal tea, though often taken with milk and sugar down there.

De Trafford Straw Wine 2006

This might be something of a mystery for many – a straw wine? The name is a translation of Vin de Paille – pronounced “van de pie” – which is the French term for this style of dessert wine.

It starts as 100% Chenin Blanc grapes, picked at normal ripeness. The grapes are then dried outside on mats for three weeks, partially in the shade and partially in the sun. The must takes a whole year to ferment, followed by two years maturation in 225L barriques (60% French and 40% American).

The finished product has a high 230 g/L of residual sugar, but with a streak of Chenin acidity it remains balanced and far from cloying.

Thanks to David, Eilis, Morgan, Stephen, Patrick and all the staff at Stanley’s for a wonderful evening!

Amber

Black

Blue

Blush

Brick

Burgundy

Champagne

Claret

Garnet

Gold

Green

Grey

Orange

Pink

Purple

Red

Ruby

Tawny

White

Yellow

Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne

Where is Gascogne?

Domaine de Maubet IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 (€14.99, Honest 2 Goodness)

Venturer IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2014 (€6.99, Aldi)

Background info

This Summer’s BBQ Wines:

Château Michel Cazevieille Origine 1922 AC Saint Chinian 2012

This Summer’s BBQ Wines:

Format

Thickness

Clarity

Shape

Volume

1. Paris Goblet

2. Tumbler

3. Champagne Flute

4. Champagne Coupe

5. Cut Crystal

6. INAO/ISO tasting glass

1. To separate the wine from its sediment

2. To let the wine breathe

1. A foil cutter

2. A waiter’s friend

4. A waiter’s friend with foil cutter

5. Screwpull

6.Twin wing lever with solid core

Eichinger Grüner Veltliner “Wechselberg” Kamptal 2013 (€23, 64 Wine, Redmond’s)

Max Ferd Richter Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Auslese Cask 77 Mosel 2005 (€40, Redmond’s, 64 Wine)

New Trafford: De Trafford & Sijnn Winemaker’s Dinner @ Stanley’s, Dublin

Aperitif Thelema Méthode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2011

Amuse Bouche

Marinated scallops, cucumber, bergamot, fois gras butter

Guinea fowl, green asparagus, black bacon, carbonara jus

De Trafford Elevation 393 2010 & Sijnn 2010

Rooibos tea custard tart, guava sorbet

De Trafford Straw Wine 2006

Aperitif
Thelema Méthode Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2011