Tag: André Goichot

Opinion

Wine Review: Whites from the 2023 SuperValu French Wine Sale

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The 2023 edition of the SuperValu French Wine Sale is upon us. As last year, some German wines are included, specifically those from producer Albert Glas. This post will cover five of the white wines which are among the 40 included in the sale which kicks off on Friday 1st September. They hail from the Loire Valley, Burgundy and the Pfalz.

Albert Glas Black Label Riesling 2022

Albert Glas Pfalz Black Label Riesling 2022 Bottle Shot

Weingut Albert Glas was founded in Essingen (in the Pzalf, around 30km north of Alsace) by Herr Albert Glass in 1958. It remains a small family winery run by Albert’s grandson Dominik. Dominik uses his grandfather’s traditional techniques wherever possible as they have proven effective for quality winemaking for several decades.

The Black Label indicates the firm’s top quality level. The grapes for this Riesling are hand picked from two westerly facing vineyards on loess and loam soils. An eight hour cold soak lets a few of the phenolics into the juice. Fermentation and maturation take place in a mix of stainless steel and barrels made from Pfalz oak.

Unistakeably Riesling on the nose, this radiates lime and floral notes. The palate is juicy and fruity, with citrus joined by yellow fruits. There’s plenty of texture, too. While this would be a versatile food wine, it’s damned delicious on its own.

  • ABV: 12.5 %
  • RS: 5.1 g/L
  • RRP: €12 down from €20
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

La Perrière Coteaux du Giennois 2022

Coteaux du Giennois is a lesser-known AOC from the Central Loire Valley. Whites are made from Sauvignon Blanc and reds from Pinot Noir and Gamay, and like other below-the-radar appellations the wines often represent good value for money. The trip from Gien to Saget La Perrière’s HQ in Poilly-sur-Loire takes around 45 minutes by car but double that in a truck; 90 minutes would be too long for grapes to be easily transported without spoiling so they are pressed at a facility close to the vineyard and the must travels down in a tanker.

The wine is pale in the glass, with striking varietal aromatics: white flowers, grass and gooseberry. The palate adds grapefruit to the mix and a good dose of acidity – it’s tangy and fresh. This is an easy drinking wine that would keep for a few years if necessary. Serve with a goat’s cheese salad or nibbles at apero time.

    • ABV: 13.5%
    • RRP: €12 down from €16.89
    • Source: sample
    • Stockists: SuperValu stores

La Perrière “Mégalithe” Sancerre 2017

La Perrière Sancerre Megalithe 2017 Bottle Shot

So now we have a wine from the most prestigious appellation in the Loire Valley, and one which is the original spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc: Sancerre. But this is not just any Sancerre, it’s the flagship white wine from La Perrière. They have three levels of Sancerre; firstly the classic – in white, rosé and red – made with grapes from all three Sancerre terroirs. Above that are specific parcels from specific soil types, Silex (flint) and Caillottes (pebbles).

Mégalithe is made from the best grapes available from south-east facing sites on silex soil. All harvesting is by hand and pesticides and herbicides are kept to a minimum. After pressing, 40% of the juice is fermented in new 300 litre Allier oak barrels and 60% in stainless steel. Vinification lasts eight to ten months, with regular lees stirring, after which the wines are bottled and stored in La Perrière’s limestone caves for around two more years.

The aim is to make a concentrated, gastronomic wine that can easily age a decade. At the Prowein wine fair earlier this year the team showed Mégalithe 2003 which was still fighting fit, despite being from a very warm year. Production amounts to only 3,000 to 4,000 bottles per year.

So how is this mega wine? Right now this 2017 is à point. It pours lemon in the glass with perhaps a little more depth of colour that is associated with Sauvignon. The nose has citrus but also a touch of leesy funk and stony notes. It’s a real pleasure on the nose but the palate is where the action is really act. This is a tangy, generous and complex wine. It’s worth the normal €33 but at the offer price of €25 it’s worth trading up if you don’t normally spend this much.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €25 down from €32.99
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

André Goichot Saint-Bris 2022

André Goichot Saint Bris 2022 Bottle Shot

André Goichot entered the wine trade just after World War II. Something of an opportunist / entrepreneur, in a time when glass bottles were in very short supply, Monsieur Goichot collected empty wine bottles from wherever he could, then washed and refilled them. The firm has expanded and evolved over the decades, and in 2017 stopped buying wine in bulk and instead buying grapes and must. It has also bought its own vineyards, including 35 hectares in the Côte Chalonnaise in 2016.

A third Sauvignon Blanc, but this time from Burgundy. Wait, Burgundy? Yes, in the north of the region, close to Chablis, the village of Saint-Bris has long been a Sauvignon stronghold. In a similar situation to the Coteaux du Giennois above, the grapes for this wine are pressed in Saint-Bris and the must is transported by tanker for vinification in Beaune. 2022 saw both frost and hail in Burgundy, battering yields. Demand remains high, so everything is selling out quickly.

Whereas the Giennois is very green, this Saint-Bris adds some softer fruits to the mid palate. There’s some texture, too, after eight to ten months spent ageing on fine lees. There’s a light bitterness too, adding a savoury edge and keeping the fruit in check. For me this really needs food at this stage, though it might have softened up after another six months in bottle.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €10 down from €18
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

André Goichot Chablis 2021

André Goichot Chablis 2021 Bottle Shot

Chablis is such a distinctive style that it’s regularly showered with praise by those who aren’t even fans of “Chardonnay”. Most AOC Chablis is unoaked, with varying amounts of oak used for Premier and Grand Cru wines according to the tastes of the producer. This is the case here, with stainless steel used for fermentation and ageing. Bàtonnage was performed over seven months to add structure and texture.

The 2021 vintage was devastated by frost which hit in early April; up to 85% of production was lost, though the white grapes which did survive made some good wines. This bottle proves that wisdom. It has the usual Chablis characteristics of citrus and flintiness, but added to that is a restrained ripeness which can be lacking in the Yonne. Now, we’re still not talking about Meursault here, and the regulation bright acidity is present and correct, but riper orchard fruits add another layer. I’ve been lucky to taste Goichot Chablis many times over the years, and I think this is the best vintage I’ve tried.

  • ABV: 13.0 %
  • RRP: €16 down from €24.99
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

Conclusion

There are no bad wines in this group, but there are clear winners: the Albert Glas Riesling at €12, the André Goichot Chablis at €16 and the Mégalithe at €25. I will be heading to my nearest SuperValu store to snag a few of each…and perhaps a few of the other Albert Glas wines which are also in the sale.

Opinion

Super Value Xmas Wines 2020 part 1

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I’m a big fan of the smaller wine importers and distributors in Ireland and the independent wine shops where many of their wines are sold.  Neither of these roles is easy or that well paid, but require a passion for wine.  The other part of wine retail is the supermarkets and multiples who have higher quantities but lower priced offerings.  The challenges here – especially in supermarkets – are very different.  Wines have to be very commercial – which I use in a factual and not derogatory sense – as wines have to mainstream and meet customers’ expectations rather than being quirky or unusual.  They often have to have attractive packaging and offer very good value for money – there’s no hand-selling like in an indie – and they have to sell.

The Irish supermarket that strikes the best balance for me is SuperValu and its head of wine Kevin O’Callaghan.  I write about their wines frequently for two main reasons:

  1. I taste a lot of their wines (which are usually samples, and are disclosed as such)
  2. Their wines nearly always offer great value for money, especially when on promotion

And, just as for all retails and importers who send me samples, if I don’t like a wine I just don’t mention it.

In addition to the noted price reductions SuperValu also offer €10 off any six bottles from Thursday 26th November to Wednesday 9th December.  Below I review some of the “Classic Christmas Wines” that Kevin has selected for their Xmas promotion.

Disclosure: all bottles were kindly sent as samples, but opinions remain my own

André Goichot Chablis 2018

I reviewed this vintage back in September of this year and liked it; if you like Chablis or clean, dry but fruity whites, then this citrus and green appled wine is definitely worth a try.  Great for seafood or as an aperitif.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €19.66 down to €15.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores and supervalu.ie

Guy Saget Sancerre 2018 

I also reviewed this wine in September, but I think it’s showing even better with a few more months.  The mid-palate has some particularly tasty tropical notes, along with gooseberry and just a little grassiness.  At the regular price of just under €20 this Sancerre is very good, but at €15 it is a real bargain.  Just don’t drink it too cold!

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €19.66 down to €15.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores and supervalu.ie

André Goichot Fleurie 2018

Another wine from the Goichot stable, but this time a Cru Beaujolais.  Fleurie is one of the lighter Crus, and it shows in this wine which is quite pale in the glass – I could read print through a tasting sample.  The nose has both fresh and tinned strawberries, with a touch of black cherry reminding me of Ski yoghurts in an ’80s flashback.  The strawberries are also prominent on the palate, but with a hint of spice in the background.  There’s a nice texture and fresh acidity to this wine which make it very quaffable.  This isn’t the best Fleurie I’ve ever tried but at €12 on offer it’s a great mid-week quaffer to have on the wine rack, or with cold cuts over Xmas.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €14.66 down to €12.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores and supervalu.ie

Rémy Ferbras Vacqueyras 2018

Vacqueyras, for those who don’t know it, is a southern Rhône Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre (GSM) blend which offers a bold fruity red wine in the vein of Châteauneuf du Pape but at a lower price.  Grenache gives easy drinking red fruits, Syrah gives pepper, spice and more savoury notes while Mourvèdre gives grip, perfume and meaty aspects.  The precise ratio between the three components depends on what style the winemaker is looking to achieve.

The nose on this wine is all about the fruit; blueberry, wild strawberry and tinned strawberry.  These notes continue through onto the palate where black fruits and herbs also appear.  The finish is quite dry which made me think there there’s a good proportion of Syrah and Mourvèdre in the blend; subsequent investigation revealed there to be 20% and 10% respectively which fits my observations.

This is a reasonable effort.  I don’t think I’d buy it at full price but the significant reduction puts it into the “worth a try” category.

  • ABV: 14.0%
  • RRP: €20.65 down to €14.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores or supervalu.ie

Vivaldi Ripasso 2018

The Ripasso style is a half way house between normal Valpolicella and Amarone, made by pumping Valpolicella wine into a tank which was used for fermenting Amarone, after that wine has been pumped out leaving the gross lees (mainly grape skins) behind which still have some fermentable sugars left.  The end wine has a little more alcohol and (usually) a little more residual sugar than the plain Valpolicella.

This example from Vivaldi is made from three classic local grapes: Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella.  For real wine geeks (such as myself) it is interesting that the initial fermentation was at 25°C – 28°C whereas the subsequent fermentation was carried out at just 15°C.  Maturation was in wood before bottling.

That last sentence is important; for me the (unspecified) wood had an important influence on the wine, adding creamy vanilla and toasty notes to the bright cherry fruits from the grapes.  Residual sugar is 8.5 g/L which is mainly perceived as extra body and roundness rather than sugariness.  It’s the velvety texture which will appeal to most about this wine, though the downside is not quite as much freshness as I’d like myself.  It’s definitely worth a try at the normal price of €15.65 but it’s an absolute steal at 6 for €40!

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €15.65 or case deal of 6 for €40.00 from 17th to 20th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores

 

Opinion

SuperValu Christmas Wine Selection Reds

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One of the best things about wine retail – from the customer’s point of view – is that the bargains are available before rather than after Xmas, so if you want to choose a few nice bottles for yourself, buy a few gifts or just stock up in anticipation of thirsty visitors, now is a great time to do it.

Here are some of the SuperValu reds which I’d be very happy to sup this yuletide.

Disclosure: samples were provided for review

André Goichot Mercurey 2013 (12.5%, €22.99 down to €15.00)

mercurey

I’m a fan of the André Goichot range, which is predominantly white Burgundy, but also includes this Pinot Noir from Mercurey in the Côte Chalonnaise.  It’s a light wine (for NZ fans think Marlborough rather than Central Otago) than needs a bit of air to come out of its shell, but once it does the aromas are stunning.  Relatively high acidity and moderate tannins mean that this might well be the crowd pleaser to go with most dishes at the Xmas table.

Castellani Arbos Sangiovese 2013 (13.5%, €12.99 down to €10.00)

castellani-arbos-sangiovese

Cheap Chianti is rarely a bargain as it tends to have the tannin and acidity typical of the area without its usual bright cherry fruit and hence being unbalanced or even unpleasant. If you’re on a budget and like the flavour of Chianti’s Sangiovese grape then far better to avoid paying a premium for the Chianti label and go for a less fancy one with lots of tasty wine behind it!

Nugan Estate Alfredo Dry Grape Shiraz 2013 (15.0%, €19.99 down to €15.00)

nugan-estate-alfredo-dried-grape-shiraz-2013-coa

Drying grapes before pressing to increase flavour and sugar concentration isn’t a new technique (it’s the secret behind Amarone afterall) but it is still less than common in Australia.  Here it’s used to add extra berry-tastic richness to supercharge this Shiraz named after the winery’s founder, Spanish emigré Alfredo Nugan.  Like many Amarone wines there is a hint of sweetness on the finish but it works well with the rich character of the wine.  For those of you who like blue cheese I reckon this would be a real treat!

Lady de Mour Margaux 2012 (13.0%, €34.99 down to €20.00)

lady

Margaux is one of the most famous parts of Bordeaux, helped by having one of the top ranked producers with the same name (Château Margaux) and being easy for English speakers to pronounce (I’m only half-joking there).  Margaux wines are typical left bank blends but with generally a bit less Cabernet Sauvignon than the other famous villages such as St-Estephe and Pauillac.  They are considered to be somewhat feminine and elegant, so a wine called “Lady” is definitely on the right track!  This is a refined, classy wine with dark berry fruit and complex layers of graphite, tobacco and cedar – and a steal at €20!