Casa da Passarella Abanico Reserva 2014, Serra da Estrella
A very moreish medium-bodied wine with tangy savoury dark plum fruits, good acidity, and fine grained tannins on the finish. A slow-burner that improves with each sip. Delightful in every way.
Certainly better with food, roast or grilled lamb would bring the fruit to life and cut through the tannins very nicely.
The Dâo region in the north of Portugal is producing some of the best-value red wines around at the moment. If, like me, you are a fan of more elegant wines that are lower in alcohol, then you should certainly seek them out. The whites can be equally good too. This wine is from one of the historic estates of the region, dating back to the 19th century, being revitalised by a new owner and winemaking team. Abanico is a sub-region of Dâo.
€21 from Grapevine, Dalkey; Clontarf Wines; Redmonds, Ranelagh; Baggot Street Wines.
Terruzi & Puthod Terri di Tufi 2015 IGT Toscana Bianco
This has some apple fruits from the Chardonnay, with quince and peach from the Vernaccia (I am guessing), and a light toastiness from the oak coming through on the finish. A delicious complex crisp medium to full-bodied wine with a solid backbone of acidity.
Try it with richer fish and seafood dishes or white meats.
I wrote about the standard Terruzi & Puthod Vernaccia earlier this year. It is a lovely individual wine. This is their more upmarket version. Made from a blend of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the wine is aged in oak barrels, (30% new, 70% second use) for five months. It sounds like the kind of thing that wouldn’t work, but it does, and very well too. The bottle is very impressive and so too is the wine.
As Irish whiskey came back to life over the last decade, a small group of enthusiasts began meeting in the Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dawson Street, tasting talking and unravelling the secrets of our ancient national spirit.
Together they formed the Irish Whiskey Society. More recently, core members of the group began publishing a new quarterly Irish Whiskey Magazine. I talked to editor Serghios Florides (an Irish man of Greek ancestry).
“It came out of frustration that we weren’t getting a voice and the true story of Irish whiskey wasn’t being told. We are a group of grass-roots enthusiasts who have a passion and expert knowledge. We wanted to share both. There is true camaraderie among whiskey-lovers, a real willingness to share information, although there is always a competitive streak too.”
Florides is excited about the rapid changes that have taken place in recent years. “The last decade has been the most exiting and the most significant since the late 1800s. As all the new distilleries come on line we will see the real styles developing; for the moment, the process of finishing allows a distiller to say something different. I do think we have some very innovative distillers, with the potential to do interesting things.”
For the moment, he sees government legislation as the most serious problem facing the nascent business.
“The Alcohol Bill is the single biggest threat. A distiller really needs to be strong in his home market. Other countries don’t have the same limitations as us and I do worry about the effect it will have.”
I asked the team at Irish Whiskey Magazine to choose their four favourite Irish varieties, including one less expensive blended whiskey.
“The Irishman 17-year-old is a limited edition whiskey from Walsh Distillery. Matured in Oloroso sherry hogsheads, we love its rich sherry finish and the quality of the whiskey used. It is smooth enough to be taken neat, although adding a drop of water opens up the fruit notes. Powers Johns Lane 12-year-old is the epitome of a traditional Irish Pot Still whiskey. It has a superb creamy mouthwatering taste and is incredible value for money. Teelings is responsible for some of the most innovative finishes and have been leaders in the new generation of distilleries opening up around the country. We chose the Brabazon 2 for the more unusual port cask maturation. A hefty 49.5 per cent, this really opens up nicely with a drop of water.”
As for the less expensive tipple, Florides had difficulty making a final decision.
“I would probably go for the Jameson Black Barrel or the standard Jameson. I like the sweetness. It is uncompromising, but heart warming. I also like Bushmills White Label and the Black Bush too.”
Plenty of choice if you intend raising a glass on St Patrick’s Day.
Jameson Irish Whiskey
40%, €25-30
A great go-to, consistent, versatile whiskey. Enjoyable neat, with a mixer and in cocktails. Light, clean and crisp, and well balanced. Fruity notes, sweet, pepper, spice, hints of sherry, vanilla and wood. Stockists: very widely available.
Powers Johns Lane release 12-year-old Pot Still
46%, €63.99
The nose has a beautiful balance of cocoa, dried apricots and orange zest with a touch of candyfloss sweetness; at 46% this feels incredibly soft, yet crisp and mouth-watering. The pot still spice notes come through with hints of marmalade, apples and toffee, leading to a soft musky finish with dark chocolate. Stockists: Widely available from off-licences.
Teeling Brabazon Single Malt Batch Series 2
49.5%, €78
Aromas of cinnamon, honey, and ripe dark berry fruits. In the mouth, the Port influence comes through in a beautifully balanced way. Fruits become softer such as raspberry, dried figs and stewed pears, finishing nicely with dark nutty chocolate notes. Stockists: Teeling Whiskey Distillery; Celtic Whiskey Shop; Dublin Airport and other specialist off-licences.
The Irishman 17-year-old Single Cask
56%, €110
Aromas of ripe soft fruit and dark chocolate. Toasted oak on the palate with juicy sultanas, dark brown sugar and lingering Oloroso sherry on the long finish. Stockists: Celtic Whiskey; L Mulligan Whiskey Shop; Dublin Airport.
Castelli del Duca Secco Isabella 2016 Malvasia dei Colli Piacentini
Lightly sparkling, with aromatic, clean, fresh grapey aromas and light mouth-watering crisp dry fruit.
A very lovely aperitif or party wine and a great alternative to Prosecco.
The Medici family make a range of excllent Lambrusco and a juicy light Sangiovese under the Medici Ermete label. The Castel del Duca estate wines come from the Colli Piacentini DOC, on the western end of Emilia.
A lovely light, juicy, fresh, red wine with beautifully defined crunchy dark cherries – a great glugger at a great price.
Coming in at a mere 12.5% abv, this would be great on its own, or with a plate of charcuterie and some crusty bread.
Good Valpol is one of my favourite wines. Light, juicy and low in alcohol, it refreshes snd invites you to take another sip; and then another, and so on. This may only have IGT status, but, made from the same grape, it is streets ahead of most Valpolicella at this price.
A quite delicious light Soave with a waxy touch, some peach and yellow apple fruits mixing in with marzipan and a lively streak of mineral acidity. Made from biodynamically grown grapes with minimal sulphur, it has a pleasant leesy touch too.
Drink by itself or with lighter seafood dishes. I drank mine with a bowl of spaghetti alle vongole – otherwise known as clams with parsley and pasta.
Soave covers a multitude of sins, and a few bright shining stars. Anything under €10 is likely to be insipid and a little confected; €10-15 should get you a well-made inoffensive crisp dry white wine. Once you go over €15, expect a wine that is still light and refreshing, but with more complex flavours of almonds, lemon zest, summer fruits and even an edgy minerality.
€18.65 from Le Caveau, Kilkenny lecaveau.ie; 64 Wines, Glasthule; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street; Green Man Wines, Terenure; Bradley’s, Cork.
A very smooth elegant concentrated wine with subtle ripe plums and black cherries. Tannin-free, supple and very moreish.
This went down perfectly over dinner with a few close friends. We ate Rachel Roddy’s pot roast lemon chicken with potatoes, anchovy and rosemary, my new favourite chicken recipe.
As with Soave, Montepulciano d’Abuzzo comes in all shapes and sizes. The larger co-operatives to the south produce a mass of inexpensive soft easy-drinking wines. They may lack character, but I find them less offensive than some of the ‘house wine’ alternatives. Once you pay €15 or more, you will find some very good wines, usually still soft and supple but with greater concentration and style – provided the producer avoids over-extracting or using too much oak.
€17.50 from Morton’s Ranelagh; Drinkstore, Stoney Batter; Power, Lucan; The Wine Library, Dun Laoghaire; Martins, Fairview; Coach House Ballinteer; Sweeneys, Glasnevin; Gibney’s, Malahide; Corkscrew, Chatham Street; The Wicklow Wine Co.
First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 10th March, 2018
As the cold weather finally comes to an end, one last look at some full-on red wines guaranteed to blow away any lingering chill. On paper at least, Puglia (or Apulia if you prefer) has a lot going for it; some really good soils for growing grapes; a few interesting local grape varieties; and plenty of warm, dry sunny weather, tempered by cooling maritime winds.
And yet, for too long Puglia was a prime example of the problems that beset many European wine regions; a massive over-production of poor quality wine from large co-operatives, supplied by small farmers relying on handouts from the Italian government or the EU to survive.
Puglia is all about two liquids; olive oil and wine. The region produces nearly half of all Italian olive oil. It is also responsible for 700 million litres of wine, mostly red wine each year – that is over 930 million bottles of wine, although much never gets anywhere near a bottle.
In the past most of it was was distilled into industrial alcohol or used to make vermouth. Many locals would add that a lot was illegally shipped in tankers to be blended into wines from more famous regions further north.
In recent years, great efforts have been made to improve quality. As Puglia shakes off its reputation for huge over-alcoholic wines, we are starting to see more very impressive bottles, as well as a host of inexpensive wines that can compete with Chile, Australia and the Languedoc.
Some producers pick early to keep alcohol levels down – ripening grapes has never been an issue in the hot, sunny summers. Quality producers tend to be found at higher altitudes, where better soils are often found too.
Puglia is a narrow strip of land, some 425km long. It includes the stiletto heel of Italy and runs further up the calf, along the east coast. The two best-known grapes are Primitivo and Negroamaro. Primitivo is better known as California’s Zinfandel. In Puglia, the wine is typically big and powerful and loaded with ripe dark fruits. Those maritime winds help preserve Primitvo’s natural acidity. Negroamaro (the name means “black bitter”) can be equally big, with soft baked red fruits and spice, but generally the wines lack the acidic bite that makes Primitivo so attractive. A third main local variety (there are many others too, as well as international varieties), Nero di Troia, has generated a lot of interest in recent years.
Looking around the multiples, many seemed to concentrate on appassimento wines (see last week’s column) from Puglia. In addition to the wines below, SuperValu offer a decent Primitivo and a Negromaro for €11.99 under the Intrigo label.
Grifone Primitivo 2016, IGT Puglia 13%, €9.99
A very gluggable juicy red wine, with abundant dark forest fruits and a dry finish. One to drink alongside herby braised red meats or spicy Mexican foods. Stockists Spar, Eurospar, Mace and Londis.
Le Vigne di Sammarco, Pimitivo di Manduria 2016 14%, €15.90
Textured, expansive, spice-laden big bold black fruits, with nicely integrated tannins and good length. Match it with grilled red meats; a rib-eye sounds about right. Stockists Wines Direct, Mullingar & Arnott’s, winesdirect.ie
Tenute Rubino Punta Aquila Primitivo 2014, IGT Salento 14.5%, €18.95
An explosion of delicious smooth sun-kissed dark fruits. Rounded and supple, with plenty of power, this should be drunk with rich stews or pasta with long-simmered meaty tomato sauces. Stockists O’Briens
Vibrans Nero di Troia 2015, Caiaffa, Puglia 14%, €20
Brooding full-bodied wine with layer after layer of smooth, ripe dark forest fruits. Robust dishes required here; pasta in a rich tomato sauce, possibly with some spicy n’duja? Stockists: Lilac Wines; DSix; Baggot Street Wines; Corkscrew; Blackrock Cellar; Martins’; Morton’s; McHugh’s; Grapevine; Wicklow Wine Co
First published in the Irish Times, Saturday 3rd March, 2018
There are various ways to boost alcohol in a wine. You can add sugar to the fermenting must, or invest in expensive high-tech machines that increase the concentration of flavour and sugars. But one of the most ancient ways of all has been enjoying a new lease of life. You may never have heard of it, but wines made by the appassimento method have been growing in popularity over the past decade.
The best known passito wine (those made by the appassimento method) is Amarone from the Valpolicella region. Traditionally bunches of grapes were carefully laid out to dry on bamboo mats in farmhouse lofts for several months. These days drying is more likely to take place on plastic trays or steel racks in large temperature-controlled warehouses. This process (used around the Mediterranean to produce sweet wines since time immemorial) increases the level of sugar, and therefore the potential alcohol. Amarone must be at least 14 per cent alcohol content but is often 15-16 per cent. Recioto is a rare sweet version of Amarone. The same region is also responsible for Ripasso, where the winemaker referments a finished Valpolicella on the used Amarone skins.
In the Veneto there has been a dramatic increase in the production of Ripasso wines, and a consequent decrease in lighter Valpolicella. The first ever Ripasso, Masi Campo Fiorin, is widely available for about €20.
Richness
Once confined to northeast Italy, the practice of drying grapes has spread to other parts of Italy, and even as far as Australia and Argentina. As well as increasing alcohol, the process adds body, richness and a smoothness in the mouth. The fruit character changes too. Having spent some time on dried skins, most appassimento wines have subtle or marked flavours of raisins, prunes and other dried fruits. Many winemakers use only a portion of dried grapes to give the wine a gentle boost and add texture.
I cannot claim to be a great fan of these wines; while the occasional glass of Amarone with a few chunks of Parmesan is a nice way to finish off a meal, usually I prefer something lighter. It is not just the alcohol; some qualify as off-dry or even medium-dry wines. Three of the four wines below would have generous levels of residual sugar. However, I am certainly in a minority, as retailers everywhere report buoyant sales.
According to O’Briens’ wine director Lynne Coyle MW, it is all about the style of wine. “In general the wines are very accessible; fruity, with some ripeness and sweetness and they have an overall impression of smoothness in the mouth. They appeal to people discovering red wine but also to people who enjoy the popular Ripasso and Amarone wines; these “me too” wines offer something of this style often at more affordable price point.
Four more ‘me too’ wines to try
Bardolino 2016, Cantina di Negrar 12%, €12.45
The antithesis of the three wines below. Lovely light juicy red cherry fruits, with good acidity and an easy finish. Perfect by itself, with pizza or lighter tomato-based pasta dishes.
Fazzoletto Barbera Passito, Piemonte 14%, €14.95 (€12.95 until March 25th)
Juicy ripe plums and blackcurrants with a smooth rounded finish. It comes with a mini fazzoletto rosso, the scarf worn by Italian resistance fighters in the second World War. Drink with rich pasta dishes – lasagna or braised beef.
First puvblished in The Irish Times, Saturday 24th February, 2018
I have tasted a lot of Chardonnay over the last ten days; at an excellent masterclass on Margaret River, courtesy of Wine Australia, then an even better masterclass on Meursault from the Bourgogne, and best of all, an excellent bottle of Meursault shared with good friends alongside a dish of turbot.
Sadly neither Meursault nor Margaret River have anything to offer under €40, although both can offer reasonable value for money. But as Chardonnay, one of the greatest white grape varieties, is widely planted throughout the wine world, there is no shortage of alternatives. Chardonnay is essentially a white wine trying to be red. It certainly can be one of the richest, most textured white wines, although this depends on where it is grown and when it is picked. For maximum enjoyment, serve cool but not ice-cold.
And so to the question of oak. Many consumers still remember the buttery, oaky Chardonnays of the early 2000’s and are wary of ever trying a glass again. Rest assured that these wines are a thing of the past. The vast majority are now either completely unoaked, or oaked in such a subtle manner you won’t notice it. A Chardonnay made from grapes picked early or from a cool climate (such as Chablis) will be fresh, crisp and dry. To be technical, if the winemaker hasn’t put it through malo-lactic fermentation, aged it in oak barrels or stirred the lees, it will be lighter and fresher still. These days most wines are made from a blend of all of the above to give greater complexity and balance.
Accompanying dishes
The key to enjoying the more full-bodied style of Chardonnay is food. A wine that seems big and powerful on its own provides a perfect backdrop for all sorts of rich fish dishes – prawns, salmon, tuna, black sole or turbot, especially if it has a creamy or buttery sauce. It can also be paired with chicken, pork and cheeses (Comté and Chardonnay is one of my favourite matches).
At times, it can be difficult to work out what style of Chardonnay you are buying, although the back label often has information. This week; four Chardonnays from different parts of the globe, but none from Chardonnay’s hometown of Burgundy. If you want to try the Burgundian version, Jus de Vine in Portmarnock have the excellent Talmard Macon-Uchizy 2016 for a bargain price of €16.99. The Limestone Coast Chardonnay below is completely unoaked and shows fresh, pure Chardonnay fruit. The Begude Etoile and Lucky Lizard both offer a subtle delicious halfway house. The Jordan is the oakiest of the four, but it still never dominates the classic Chardonnay fruit.
Aldi Exquisite Limestone Coast Chardonnay, Australia 2014 14%, €8.49
A fresh, crisp style of unoaked Chardonnay with lime zest and red apple fruits. Nicely textured with a dry finish, this would go nicely with grilled prawns or scallops in a rich creamy sauce. Stockists: Aldi
Jordan Barrel-fermented Chardonnay 2015, Stellenbosch, South Africa 13.5%, €19.95
Subtle oak here, with notes of brioche and toasted hazelnuts, alongside some orange peel, red apple fruits and zesty refreshing lime. Try it with chicken or pork with a creamy pasta sauce. Stockists: Widely available nationwide through independent off-licences including: O’Donovan’s, Cork; World Wide Wines, Waterford; The Wine Centre, Kilkenny; Salmon’s, Ballinasloe; 1601, Kinsale
Very lightly oaked but you won’t taste it. Medium-bodied creamy apple, pear and orange fruits with a subtle note of baked bread. Perfect with chicken dishes, such as roast chicken with a herb stuffing. Stockists: O’Briens
d’Arenberg Lucky Lizard Chardonnay 2015, Adelaide Hills, Australia 13.5%, €22
Very lightly oaked. Succulent, rounded, beautifully textured Chardonnay with seductive mango and peach fruits balanced perfectly by a refreshing acidity. Try it with lightly spiced prawn dishes or salmon fish cakes. Stockists: Grapevine, Dalkey; Donnybrook Fair; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Martins, Fairview; Londis, Malahide
Casa da Passarella Abanico Reserva 2014, Serra da Estrella
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