Tasting Events

Wine Review: Four Festive Treats from O’Briens

If there is any style of wine that we automatically think of during the colder months, it’s Port. Like dogs, Port is not just for Christmas: it can be enjoyed at any time of the year. But there is something to be said about our drinking choices being informed by the seasons, even if those seasons aren’t as marked in Ireland as in continental climes.

That being said, as any WSET graduate will tell you, “Port-style” is shorthand for a fortified wine where grape spirit has been added during fermentation to stop the sugars turning into more alcohol, thus preserving some of the natural sweetness from the grapes. This method is used in many other places, both in Europe and further afield.

Here are four sweet wines from O’Briens that are all worth a try:

Smith Woodhouse 10-year old Tawny Port

Smith Woodhouse 10 year old Tawny Port bottle shot

So we start our quartet with an actual Port, from Oporto. Next year Smith Woodhouse will be celebrating its 240th anniversary, but it remains an under-the-radar producer, despite being part of the renowned Symington Family portfolio. The lack of brand recognition is actually good news for drinkers as Smith Woodhouse wines tend to represent great value for money.

Like most Ports this is a blend of local varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão, each of which bring something different to the blend. After fermentation has begun, premium grape spirit is added to stop fermentation. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 10 years in old oak barrels, without topping up, so the ingress of oxygen can magically transform the wine over time. That magic turns ripe fresh berry flavours into dried fruit notes, with an assortment of nuts and burnt caramel. The tannins and acidity haven’t faded away over the decade so they provide a firm structure for the fruit and nuts.

Such a nutty and funky wine, a real pleasure.

  • RRP: €34.95 for 750 ml (current down to €31.95)
  • ABV: 20.0%
  • Source: O’Briens press tasting
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie (currently out of stock online)

San Felice Vin Santo del Chainti Classico 2014

San Felice Belcaro Vin Santo 2014 bottle shot

The origins of Vin Santo are disputed, but it has long been established thoughout Italy. Chianti is home to the best examples, which tend to be more oxygen-influenced than in other regions. Unlike the great majority of Ports, Vin Santo is made with white grapes – in this case Malvasia and Trebbiano – which are air-dried for three months to concentrate sugar and flavours. The shriveled grapes are pressed ever-so-gently so that harsh compounds are not extracted from the skins, and then the juice is transferred to small oak barrels for a slow fermentation and maturation.

The finished wine is rich but balanced, with acidity offsetting the sweet dried fruits (think sultanas rather than raisins), nuts and mixed peel. I’ve tried some Vin Santos before which missed the mark, but this is simply delicious!

  • RRP: €22.95 for 375 ml (current down to €19.95)
  • ABV: 15.5%
  • Source: O’Briens press tasting
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie (currently out of stock online)

Gérard Bertrand Maury Tuilé 2010

Gérard Bertrand Maury Tuilé 2010 bottle shot

Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) could be seen as France’s answer to Port, though they tend to be a little lighter than their Portuguese cousins, whether Muscat-based whites or Grenache-based reds. The AOCs are mainly found in the Rhône, the Languedoc and its neighbour Roussillon. Along with Rivesaltes and Banyuls, Maury is one of three red Roussillon appellations. A variety of styles are made, mainly depending on the length of maturation in barrel (“Tuilé”, giving a brick- or tile-red colour) or in demi-johns exposed to the sun “Rancio” which are lighter still.

This example is a Tuilé made by southern superstar Gérard Bertrand. Although regulations demand a minimum of 75% Grenache, this is 100% late-harvested Grenache Noir. Pneumatic presses are used for their gentle touch, with grape spirit added to arrest fermentation. Maturation is in oak barrels for a year then in bottle for another year before release, so it is somewhere between Ruby and Late Bottled Vintage in Port terminology.

Although made in a similar way, this is lighter in both alcohol and structure than most ports; the latter due mainly to the relative softness of Grenache compared to the Port varieties. This does make it more approachable, and it’s the perfect partner for chocolate! The fruits here are stewed rather than dried, so it’s a fresher style – sup away!

  • RRP: €25.45 for 750 ml (current down to €22.95)
  • ABV: 16.0%
  • Source: Sample
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Bethany “Old Quarry” Tawny NV

Bethany Old Quarry Tawny NV bottle shot

Although table wines have been made in Australia for centuries, fortified wines were the mainstay of the industry for much of its history. Given the (ab)use of terms such as Burgundy and Claret, it’s no surprise that sweet fortified reds were known as Port down under. The varieties used weren’t those of Portugal, however; the Rhône favourites of Grenache and Shiraz were favoured.

Bethany is a well-established producer in the Barossa Valley, in the heart of South Australia. In fact, the village of Bethany was the first settlement in the Barossa after Silesian immigrants moved there in 1842. The Schrapel family trace their roots in the area back to 1844 and planted the first vineyard there just eight years later. Fifth generation brothers Geoff and Robert set up Bethany Wines in 1981, with the sixth generation Tania now also in the business. The winery and cellar door lie within the former quarry which the Schrapel family operated up to the 1930 – hence the name of this wine and also their “Blue Quarry Wines” range.

Of course nowadays the “P-word” can’t be used on the label, but “Tawny” is perfectly acceptible. And indeed this is Tawny in style, with ten years of maturation in old oak barrels giving complex notes of dried fruits and nuts. It’s a rich wine, but well balanced and approachable, and for me the spicy Shiraz just add that extra dimension.

  • RRP: €24.95 for 750 ml
  • ABV: 18.5%
  • Source: Sample
  • Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie (currently out of stock online)

 

 

 

Opinion

Frankly Wines Top 10 Sweet Wines of 2015

I love sweet wines, whether with dessert, instead of dessert, or at any time I fancy them. They can actually pair well with savoury dishes of many types, depending on their prominent flavours, richness, acidity and sugar levels.  For example, late harvest Gewurztraminer from Alsace is amazing with foie gras, and off dry to medium wines often work well with exotic Asian fare.

There are several methods of making sweet wines, the simplest being to leave the grapes on the vine while they continue to produce sugars, and harvest them later.  A further step is to allow noble rot (botrytis cinerea) to attack the grapes and dry them out, thereby concentrating the sugars.  Other traditions involve sun or air drying to reduce water levels.

Whichever way is used, balance is the key, particularly the balance between sugar and acidity.  This means that even lusciously sweet wines can avoid being cloying, which is usually a turn off.

Here are ten of the sweet wines which really impressed me in 2015:

 

10. Berton Riverina Botrytis Semillon 2013 (€9.99 (375ml), Aldi)

Berton_Botrytis_Semillon-500x500

I first tried a Berton wine from Coonawarra, my favourite red wine region of the world.  It was perhaps a little less fruit forward than some from the area but had the most pronounced spearmint aromas that I’ve ever encountered in a wine (for the avoidance of doubt this is a positive for me!)

The Riverina area in the middle of New South Wales is an irrigated bulk wine producing region, and is where many of Australia’s inexpensive bottles (and boxes!) are produced. Due to humidity close to the major rivers it is also a source for excellent botrytis style stickies (as the locals call them), including the fabulous De Bortoli Noble One.

Semillon’s thin skins make it particularly susceptible to noble rot – which is why it is so successful in Sauternes and Barsac – and so it proves in Berton’s version.  I’m not going to claim that this has the intensity of Noble One but it does a damned good impression – and at a far lower price.  Amazing value for money!

9. Miguel Torres Vendimia Tardia “Nectaria” Botrytis Riesling 2009 (€19.99 (375ml) Sweeney’s of Glasnevin  and Carry Out Off-Licence in Ongar, Dublin 15)

2015-09-15 18.04.56

Familiarity with Spanish or another romance language reveals that this is a Late Harvest style, with the addition of Botrytis characters.  It was one of the stand out wines of the Chilean Wine Fair – though being different in a sea of Sauvignon, Carmenère and Cabernet probably helped.

As you may or may not know, Miguel Torres wines are the Chilean outpost of the Spanish Torres family’s operations, with quality and value both prominent.  The key to this wine is the streak of acidity cutting through the sweetness – the hallmark of a great Riesling dessert wine.  

8. San Felice Vin Santo 2007 (€19.49 (375ml) O’Briens)

Vin Santo

As someone who generally likes Italian wine and has a soft spot for sweet wines, I’ve nearly always been disappointed by Vin Santos I’ve tried. I don’t think my expectations were too high, it’s just that the oxidative (Sherry-like) notes dominated the other aspects of the wines.

This is different – perfectly balanced with lovely caramel and nut characters.  It’s made from widely grown grapes Trebbiano Toscano (75%) and Malvasia del Chianti (25%) which aren’t generally known for their character, but it’s the wine-making process that makes the difference.  Bunches of grapes are dried on mats to reduce water content then pressed as normal.  After fermentation the wine is aged five years in French barriques then a further year in bottle.   A real treat!

7. Le Must de Landiras Graves Supérieurs 2004 (Direct from Château)

Le Must de Landiras

White Graves – particularly those from the subregion of Pessac-Léognan – are in my opinion the most underappreciated of all Bordeaux wines.  Even less commonly known are the sweeter wines from the area – and to be honest the average wine drinker would be hard pressed to know when there’s often no mention of sweetness on the bottle, they are just “expected to know” that “Graves Supérieures” indicated higher sugar rather than higher quality.

Being close to Sauternes shouldn’t make the production of sweet wines a surprise, but then few people carry a map around in their head when tasting!

Simply put, this is probably the best sweet Graves I’ve ever had.  See this article for more details.

6. Longview Epitome Late Harvest Riesling 2013 (€16.99, O’Briens)

2015-10-15 13.34.30

Riesling in Australia is nearly always bone dry and dessert wines usually use Semillon for late harvest styles or Rhône varieties for fortifieds, but when done well they can be sensational.

This was such a hit at the O’Briens Autumn Press Tasting that two other of my fellow wine writers picked it out for recommendation, namely Richie Magnier writing as The Motley Cru and Suzi Redmond writing for The Taste.  Imagine the softness of honey with the fresh zip of lime at the same time – something of a riddle in your mouth, but so moreish!

5. De Trafford Straw Wine 2006 (€29.50 (375ml), Kinnegar Wines)

de trafford strawwinelabel00-1_m

In its home region of the Loire, Chenin Blanc comes in all different types of sweetness, with and without botrytis.  Its natural acidity makes it a fine grape for producing balanced sweet wines.

David Trafford picks the Chenin grapes for his straw wine at the same time as those for his dry white, but then has the bunches dried outside for three weeks before pressing. After a very long fermentation (the yeast takes a long time to get going in such a high sugar environment) the wine is matured in barriques for two years.

I had the good fortune to try this delicious wine with David Trafford himself over dinner at Stanley’s Restaurant & Wine Bar – for a full report see here.  Apricot and especially honey notes give away the Chenin origins, and layers of sweetness remain framed by fresh acidity.

 

4. Pegasus Bay Waipara “Encore” Noble Riesling 2008 (~£25 (375ml) The Wine Society

2015-08-14 20.40.35[

This is the gift that keeps on giving…I bought my wife a six pack of this wine a few years ago, as it was one we really enjoyed on our honeymoon tour of New Zealand, and she is so parsimonious that we haven’t finished them yet!

This is in a similar vein to the Epitome Riesling but has more botrytis character – giving a mushroom edge, which is much nicer than in sounds – and additional bottle age which has allowed more tangy, tropical fruit flavours to develop and resolve.  A truly wonderful wine.

See this article for more details.

3. José Maria da Fonseca “Alambre” ® DO Moscatel de Setúbal 2008 (€6.45, Portugal)

2015-06-20 13.23.19

I had been meaning to try a Moscatel de Setúbal since a former colleague from the area told me about it.  A holiday to the Algarve provided the perfect opportunity, and I found this beauty in the small supermarket attached to the holiday complex we stayed in – at the ridiculous price of €6.45!

Moscatel / Muscat / Moscato is one of the chief grapes used for dessert wine around the Mediterranean – and can make very dull wines.  This is by some margin the best I’ve tasted to date!   I’m sure most people would swear that toffee had been mixed in, the toffee flavours are so demonstrative.

See this article for more details.

2. Chateau Dereszla Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2006 (€38.95 (500ml) The Corkscrew)

Château Dereszla Tokaji

Tokaji is one of the great sweet wines of the world – in fact it’s one of the great wines of the world full stop.  It’s usually a blend of a normal grapes and botrytised grapes in differing proportions, the actual blend being the main indicator of sweetness.

Apricot and marmalade are the first things which spring to mind on tasting this, though time has added toffee and caramel notes.  This is the sort of wine that I would happily take instead of dessert pretty much any time!

See this article for more details.

 

1. Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2013 (Liberty, from good wine merchants)

2015-09-17 15.06.48

I first came across this wine at Ely Wine Bar on my wife’s birthday a few years ago.  After a filling starter and main course neither of us had room for dessert, but fancied something sweet; Ely is a treat for winelovers as it has an unrivaled selection of wines by the glass, so like a kid in a sweetshop I ordered a flight of different sweeties for us to try:

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All four were lovely but it was the Ben Ryé which stood out.

At a later trade event put on by Liberty Wines, I noticed that this was one of their wines open for tasting.  With a room full of hardened trade pros (and myself) it was amusing to notice how many people just dropped by the sweet and fortified for a drop of this!

My mate Paddy Murphy of The Vine Inspiration also covered this wine.

 

Don’t forget to also check out Frankly Wines Top 10 Fizz of 2015 and Top 10 Whites of 2015!