For many wine drinkers the brighter evenings are the sign to break out the rosé. Summer doesn’t appear to have arrived yet here in Ireland, but rosé sales are already booming. At family-owned chain O’Briens Wines they are out in full force, with a 25% off promotion:

O'Briens Rosé Display

Here are brief notes on two from that selection which have an Irish connection, though perhaps a little tenuous…

Domaine de l’Ostal Rosé 2020

Domaine de l'Ostal Rosé

Domaine de l’Ostal is the Languedoc outpost of the JM Cazes group, named after Jean-Michel Cazes who ran the group for over 30 years until he handed the reins over to his son Jean-Charles Cazes in 2006. L’Ostal is a large estate, with 150 ha in total of which 60 ha are under vine and 25 ha are olive groves. I am a big fan of their Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin which punches well above its weight.

The Domaine de l’Ostal rosé is a 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes from the coolest part of the estate. The grapes are cold pressed to preserve aromas and freshness, and to reduce extraction of colour and flavour from the skins. The result is a lovely pale pink wine with fresh red fruit aromas – raspberry, redcurrant and strawberry – plus pomegranate. On the palate sweet red fruits are to the fore, but the finish remains crisp.

This is an easy-going and appealing rosé which will be a real crowd pleaser come barbecue time.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €11.96 down from €15.95
Source: sample
Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Irish connection: the JM Cazes family also own and run Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac which was of course founded by Irish émigré Thomas Lynch.

Laurent Miquel Les Auzines Alaina Rosé 2020

Laurent Miquel les Auzines Alaina RosE

Laurent Miquel is the eighth generation of winemaker in his family, but he initially opted for a professional career in the automotive industry. The family calling eventually won him over and, after studying oenology in Montpellier, he returned to the land. His father Henri was a great innovator in his time, especially planting so much Syrah in the 1970s.

The Miguel family bought the Cazal Viel estate in 1791, and although it had been used for viticulture by its previous custodians its poor fertility meant that wine was a small part of the estate for many years. This was added to by Laurent’s purchase of Château Les Auzines in Corbières in 2009.

Les Auzines is situated on a rocky plateau at 350 metres above sea level. As well as being Laurent’s family home it is the source of three wines; Alaina Albariño, Alaina Rosé and Cuvée Les Garrigues.

The Rosé is a typical Languedoc blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 30% Cinsault. Fermentation at low temperatures and ageing are carried out in steel tanks to preserve aromas and freshness.

When poured the wine is very pale in colour, not too far from water white, as is the fashion these days. The nose shows delicate citrus and light red fruit aromas. The palate is fruity but balanced. Gentle red fruits hint at sweetness without sugariness, and there’s some texture there too. The finish is fresh, but it does not take you down a mineral-only path, and is certainly not austere.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €12.71 down from €16.95
Source: sample
Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Irish connection: Laurent Miquel’s wife Neasa is Irish!

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Tasting Events

French Fancies

May 19, 2016 admin

Here are brief notes on a few of my favourite French wines from the O’Briens Wine Fair that are included in their current French Wine Sale – but hurry, it ends at midnight on Tuesday 24th May!

Domaine Begude Etoile 2014 (13.0%, €19.95 down to €15.96)

Domaine-Begude-Etoile

3 months lees (fermentation yeast) stirring then 12 months maturing in older oak give buttered toast aromas and flavours. Serve it blind to a Burgundy snob!

Domaine Chanson Meursault 2014 (13.5%, €46.45 down to €37.16)

Chanson-Meursault

Rich, cosseting, sumptuous, round, mellow – still young, but very approachable already – unlike some oak monster Meursaults which need half a decade to be drinkable.

Borie de Maurel Belle de Nuit 2013 (14.5%, €26.45 down to €21.16)

Borie-de-Maurel-Belle-de-Nuit

100% Grenache. Very pure fruit, not heavy at all (especially given it is 14.5%). Tastes fresh, mineral and natural. Different but very good!

Borie de Maurel Cuvée Sylla 2013 (14.5%, €37.00 down to €29.60)

Borie-de-Maurel-Cuvee-Sylla

Big, powerful, rich, fine, smooth, blueberries and blackberries – you get the picture, this is a mightily impressive wine. It’s just starting to show some development and come out of its shell, but this 100% Syrah will still be mighty fine in to 10 years’ time.

Borie de Maurel Cuvée Luna 2014 (13.0%, €16.45 down to €13.16)

Borie-de-Maurel-Cuvee-Luna

Alive in your mouth! Super smooth, though tangy. Warm red and black fruit. Quite new world in style – polished!

Cave Saint-Desirat Syrah 2013 (12.0%, €14.45 down to €11.56)

Cave-Saint-Desirat-Syrah

This is a northern Rhône Syrah, close to St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage in quality and style. Very umami – so perfect for a barbecue!

Gerard Bertrand Cigalus Rouge 2014 (15.0%, €38.95 down to €31.16)

GB-Cigalus-Red

A seven grape blend of Bordeaux varieties and local Languedoc favourites. It combines power with freshness – quite a feat. An excellent wine which showcases what the Languedoc can do.

Laurent Miquel Les Beauchamps Syrah 2015 (13.5%, €14.95 down to €10.00)

Beauchamps

Vivid purple in the glass! Rich and smooth with cherry and blueberry fruit and savoury tannins on the finish.

Opinion, Single Bottle Review

Frankie’s Single Bottle Review #2 – Château du Donjon AOC Minervois Blanc 2014

August 12, 2015 admin

Minervois is one of the names I remember from when I first got into wine as an impecunious student living in France for a year. Back in 1993 the appellation was still less than ten years old, and the wines were a small step up from the Vin de Pay d’Oc bottles on nearby shelves, but they were noticeably different from Bordeaux, Chinon and the like.

I was recently given a sample of Minervois to taste by the folks at Molloy’s Liquour Stores (an Irish off licence chain) so I thought I’d do a quick recap on some facts the Minervois delineated area:

One of the biggest wine areas within the Languedoc-Roussillon region with around 15,000 ha under vine.
Of this around 5,000 ha grow grapes for AOC wines, with the rest mainly Vin de Pays..
Historically, the region’s capital has been the village of Minerve
In addition to the main AOC Minervois there is also the longstanding AOC Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois (a vin doux naturel from the north east of the Minervois area) and the more recent AOC Minervois – La Livinière.
AOC Minervois covers 61 communes (villages, 16 in the Hérault and 45 in the Aude)
Maximum yields are 48 hl/ha
AOC regulations require the wine to be blended, so single varietals are necessarily Vin de Pays.
The vast majority of production is Red (84%) with some Rosé (13%) and a little White also made (3%)
The main grapes for red and rosé are Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre
The main grapes for white are Grenache, Bourboulenc, Maccabeu, Marsanne and Roussanne

Château du Donjon AOP Minervois Blanc 2014 (€12.95 Molloy’s)

So to the wine itself. And the first surprise for me, given my experience, was the colour – a rare Minervois Blanc! Before doing a bit of research I hadn’t even known about the whites, shame on me. The producer’s name translates as “Castle of the Keep” rather than directly relating to dungeons, but it’s pretty cool anyway.

Their Minervois Blanc is a blend of Vermentino and Roussane. Vermentino originally hails from Sardinia, though is also known as Rolle in the South of France, as Favorita in Piedmont. Roussane is well known in the Rhône and the rest of Southern France.

This is a fairly straight forward wine with lots of citrus and stone fruit, plus pleasant herb notes. It has good acidity which make it refreshing on a summer’s day, and could partner well with seafood or salad. Perfect for a summer picnic!

Tag: Minervois

Wine Review: Les Auzines Alaina Rosé and Domaine de L’Ostal Rosé