We’ve already looked at some great value whites, and now it’s time to look at some great value reds from O’Briens.

Wildflower Pinot Noir 2022

Wildflower Pinot Noir bottle shot

As I mentioned previously, the whole Wildflower range is pretty good. This Pinot Noir is a light, easy-drinking style. There’s a blast of red and black berries on the nose, with just a touch of spice and sous bois.

The palate is fruit forward, with fresh raspberry and strawberry fruits, and just a touch of bramble. The tannins are soft and silky, preventing jamminess, but keeping it an easy-drinking wine.

Pinot Noir is known as being very particular about its growing conditions, but Wildflower have cracked it.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €9.49 down from €14.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Wildflower Merlot 2023

Wildflower Merlot bottle shot

The Wildflower Merlot is again an easy drinking, varietally-typical wine from Romania’s Viile Timisului region.

This time the fruits range more into the darker end of the spectrum, with purple plums and blackberries. It’s soft and inviting, with hints of chocolate on the finish.

This is the perfect wine for sipping in front of an open fire and ignoring the weather outside.

ABV: 13.0%
RRP: €9.49 down from €14.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Cidade Branco (White Town) Alentejo 2023

Cidade Branca Alentejo bottle shot

From Romania we now move to the far west of Europe with this hearty red blend from the Alentejo in Portugal. The name of the wine is taken from the nickname of the town of Estremoz, whose buildings are built with white marble.

The wine itself is a blend of local varieties Alicante Bouschet, Aragonês and Touriga Nacional. I say local, though Aragonês does appear in many other Portuguese and Spanish regions under different names, the most well known being Tempranillo!

Despite the chunky 14.0% alcohol this is an un-oaked, juicy, approachable style of wine. The nose shows lots of fresh red fruits, which feed through to the palate. There, they are joined by hints of liquorice and fine tannins, making this a proper grown-up wine.

Try this with lamb or beef to show it at its best.

ABV: 14.0%
RRP: €8.99 down from €13.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Belles Eaux Mistral Syrah

Belles Eaux Mistral Syrah bottle shot

Compared to Pinot Noir, Syrah can shine in a wider variety of climatic conditions, particularly with respect to sunshine and temperature. At its boldest in hot locations such as Australia’s Barossa Valley, it can also shine in cooler and windier places such as the northern Rhône. Belles Eaux Syrah is from the Languedoc, and using its ABV as a guide it falls a little closer to the Rhône style.

Despite being an easy-drinking style, this is a proper Syrah. There are lovely red berry fruits on the nose and the palate, but also light notes of the grapes typical spice and pepper, and just a little black olive. These savoury touches make it very food friendly, though it doesn’t need food. According to the good folks at O’Briens this would be great with cheeses, but I’d have to defer to them on that one.

ABV: 13.5%
RRP: €10.00 down from €15.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

JP Ramos Alentejo Reserva 2023

JP Ramos Reserva Alentejo bottle shot

Another wine from the Ramos family, this time with their name front and centre. This blend introduces a new grape to this post: Trincadeira, which is apparently “difficult to grow, and is sensitive to rot”. I’m no expert on the climate of the Alentejo, but I expect it is dry enough for rot to be a minor issue. The other main grape is our friend Aragonês, with a small amount of Syrah added for complexity and depth.

If the White Town is a grown up wine then this is even more senior. The fruit is even more concentrated and there’s more body and spice – possibly from some ageing in oak, though I wasn’t able to confirm that. The array of fruits include raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, red and black cherries and plums. Although the mid palate is a little jammy, there’s still enough tannin and acidity to keep everything well integrated and balanced.

For me this is well worth the normal price, and a veritable bargain at the promotional offer.

ABV: 13.5%
RRP: €10.99 down from €15.95 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Conclusion

Any of these wines would be a great buy, especially at the offer prices, so it’s hard to pick just one. I’ll pick two then: the Wildflower Pinot Noir if you fancy something light, or the JP Ramos if you fancy something a bit more substantial.

Single Bottle Review

Wine Review: Porta 6 Lisboa Red 2019

November 11, 2021November 11, 2021 admin

Porta 6 – literally “Door No. 6” – is produced by Vidigal Wines which is headquartered in central Portugal. They produce a substantial number of different wines made in Lisbon (from 450 hectares) and across the country: Tagus, Douro, Alentejo, Dão, Beiras and Vinho Verde. Vidigal is majority family owned and run by António Mendes who has transformed the company’s operations since he took over around 25 years ago. Vidigal export 90% of their production to over 30 countries; Porta 6 is one of their key wines available in Ireland.

Porta 6 Lisboa Red 2019

Porta 6 Lisboa Red

Porta 6 is an everyday-drinking style red wine made from traditional Portuguese grapes: 50% Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), 40% Castelão and 10% Touriga Nacional. It is available in traditional 750 ml glass bottles but also in 1.5 litre and 3.0 litre bag-in-box formats – great for parties and lowering the wine’s carbon footprint by making for a lighter package to transport.

On pouring it’s nearly opaque black in the glass, with a bright purple rim. The nose is fantastic with ripe red and black fruits: think blackberry, black cherry, plum, redcurrant and cranberry, along with some exotic spices. Perhaps it’s just the coming season (no I’m not going to say the “C word”) but it’s almost like smelling a mince pie just before you take a big bite.

In the mouth it is smooth, with a whole winter fruit salad (if such a thing exists…and if it doesn’t, it should) hitting your mouth on the attack. The fruit slips away as you swallow it, leaving some fine grained tannins and a dusting of spice. There’s lots of pleasing fruit in this wine but no jamminess.

This is not a vin de garde or a highly complex one, but with oodles of fruit presented nicely and decent balance, this is worth stocking up on, especially at €10!

ABV: 13.5%
RRP: €12.95 or €10.00 when on offer
Source: sample (1.5 litre box)
Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Tasting Events

Alan Tay Jo at Sweeney’s

May 24, 2014 admin

Sweeney’s in Glasnevin (Dublin) have just started listing several new Portuguese wines brought into Ireland by importer Kevin O’Hara. Kevin was in the shop today showing the wines which were all from the Alentejo, hence the post title *cough* Alan Tay Jo which is a rough approximation of the pronunciation. It is the largest wine producing region of Portugal and occupies pretty much all the southern half of the country except for the Algarve.

Just as in other European countries there are appellation laws, so some bottles here have the DOC Alentejo mark, equivalent to AOC in France. For producers wishing to use more foreign grapes not permitted by DOC laws (e.g. Syrah) there are the more forgiving regulations of Vinho Regional Alentejano . I can understand why Portugal would like to preserve its heritage and not have it swept away by a Tsunami of Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, but equally having international grapes in the blend does serve as an introduction to Portuguese wines for those intimidated by the unknown.

Officially, these are two different quality levels, but the reality is that one particular VR might actually be superior to a DOC – the producer isfar more important. You may notice that, very handily for producers, the 2 labels look quite similar – something that Italian Super Tuscan and French Vin de Pays producers might well envy.

With the major disclaimer that I was tasting with a head cold, here are three of my favourites from today:

Pato Frio DOC Alentejo 2012

This is the new house white of Michelin-starred L’Ecrivain in Dublin, chosen by their Sommèliere Martina Delaney. One of my favourite “everyday” whites Provia Regia has been the house white for the last nine years so it comes with high expectations.

Made with 100% indigenous grape Antão Vaz, this is crisp and refreshing with zingy citrus. It would be delightfully fresh on its own (a great aperitif) or with seafood in particular.

Herdade do Sobroso Sobro Tinto Vinho Regional Alentejano 2011

Made in the cork-producing heartland of Sobroso, this is a blend of Aragonez (Tempranillo in Rioja), the red-fleshed Alicante Bouschet (from the Languedoc in France), Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

And it’s a beast! But in a good way! Full bodied with dark black fruit, chocolate and spice, this would stand up to barbecued meat or be a lovely winter warmer. It had three months in American barriques to soften out the edges. Great value.

Herdado de Rocim Vinho Regional Alentejano 2010

This was an altogether more serious wine, smooth and voluptuous in the mouth. Again it is a blend of Portuguese and international grapes – Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet.

This is gentler and more refined than the Sobro with subtle crunchy tannins balancing the red and black fruit. Claret fans should definitely give this a try – far more wine for the money than is usual from Bordeaux.

Tag: Aragonez

5 Value Reds from O’Briens