Chile’s newest wines from some of the oldest vines

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 20th April, 2019

“Everyone was going northwards, to Casablanca, Leyda and Limari, so we went in the opposite direction,” says Pedro Parra, partner in Clos des Fous, one of the first companies to make quality wine in Itata. This region, along with neighbouring Bío-Bío and Malleco, are the most southerly vineyards in Chile, a four-hour drive from the main wine-producing areas.

Until recently, Itata had been seen as a backwater, useful only for producing the cheapest jug wines for home consumption. Yet more than 400 years ago, Itata was one of the first places the Spanish missionaries planted vines, essential for religious purposes. In those days it was the humble país grape. They brought the same variety to Argentina where it is known as criolla chica, and California, where it is known as mission.

Until recently it was always dismissed as being of inferior quality. “It will never produce truly great wine,” says Parra, “But it can make a very fresh and beautiful ‘vin de soif”. Along with two other ‘lesser’ grapes, cinsault and carignan, it is an ingredient in the Pour ma Gueule (or ‘for my throat’) below. Incredibly, some of the vines here are 200 years old, making them among the oldest in the world.

Close to the coast, this is a cool-climate region that receives sufficient rain for dry-farmed vineyards, unusual in Chile. Itata was and is a very poor region, inhabited by small farmers who practise mixed farming, with corn, tomatoes, pumpkins and fruit all growing alongside the vines. The vines are completely untrained, and flop along the soil, radically different from the neat manicured rows usually found in vineyards. Poverty aside, it is a delightful region, with picturesque rolling hills and forests. The best soils are granite, “very beautiful soils”, says Parra, a highly-regarded expert in wine geology.

Clos des Fous is not alone in the region. Roberto Henríquez, a recent visitor to Ireland, is a local boy, who travelled the world making wine before returning home to neighbouring Bío-Bío, where he produces some fascinating natural wines. The larger companies, including de Martino, Torres and Concha y Toro also offer wines from the region.

I have written about in glowing terms both white and red wines from Itata before. The reds are light and refreshing with crunchy, cool red fruits; think of a cross between Loire cabernet and beaujolais. The whites vary in style but the muscat-based wines tend to be floral, with succulent crisp dry fruits; well worth trying out if you enjoy sauvignon blanc. For a while Marks & Spencer stocked a very good example for a bargain €15. Sadly this has been withdrawn. But do look out for some of Chile’s newest wines, made from some of the oldest vines.

Clos des Fous “Pour ma Gueule” 2017, Itata valley
14 per cent, €19.99
A blend of cinsault, país and carignan, this is a very moreish, lightly grippy wine with crunchy fresh red-berry fruits. By itself, with cold meats or ham with parsley sauce.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; wineonline.ie; Grapevine, Dalkey, Co Dublin; Martin’s off-licence, Clontarf, Dublin 3

Montes Outer Limits “Old Roots” cinsault 2018, Itata
13.5 per cent, €23.99
Floral, with vibrant mouth-watering pure black fruits, subtle notes of spice, and a sappy dry finish. A very versatile wine that would suit salmon, tuna, cold meats or lighter cheeses.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 4; wineonline.ie; Michael’s, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin

Rivera del Notro 2017, Itata, Roberto Henríquez
12 per cent, €24
A very engaging, gently perfumed “vin de soif” that mixes nicely textured plump orange and pear fruits with a reviving mineral acidity and a long dry finish. By itself or with grilled sea bass or bream.
From Loose Canon, Drury Street, Dublin 2; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Coach House, Ballinteer, Dublin 16

Volcánico País 2018, A los Viñateros Bravos, Itata
12.5 per cent, €22.95
Light and juicy, with captivating dark fruits, an earthy, herbal touch and fine grippy tannins on the finish. With posh sausages served with green lentils.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6; Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2

The perfect wines to go with your Easter roast lamb

First published in The Irish Times on Saturday 13th April, 2019

Easter is my favourite annual festival. The longer, brighter days have arrived, the spring bulbs are in full bloom, and we have the promise of summer and sun ahead – even if they later fail to appear.

Easter is all about hope. It also allows me to indulge in some of my favourite wines. As lamb is one of the most wine-friendly meats of all, this is the time to show off your finest red wines. Tradition would dictate a Bordeaux or Rioja Reserva, but just about any red wine will taste better alongside roast lamb of some kind. However, it is worth trying to match your wine to the kind of lamb you will be serving.

There are few nicer ways to celebrate the arrival of spring than a roast of delicate, pink new season lamb with lots of herbs, served with new potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Easter is late this year, so we may be able to find some asparagus and early salads. Here I would go for a Rioja, but a Crianza or an unoaked Joven in preference to a Reserva or Gran Reserva, or possibly a Cru Beaujolais.

I suspect many of us will be tucking in to a leg of lamb, medium rare, studded with garlic and rosemary. With this, a good Bordeaux, such as the two below, would be ideal, or a Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva. A good Cabernet from California or Australia would also fit the bill nicely.

Lovers of Italian wine should had straight to Chianti Classico – the Isole e Olena, Fontodi or Monteraponi (€30 to €33 from independents), all tasted recently, would make the meal special. I am not a fan of cheap Chianti, though; I would much prefer the Sangiovese below, a much better bet if you’re looking for something less expensive.

You could go for any of the above options, but a lighter, fruitier wine, such a New World Pinot Noir, possibly from New Zealand, or Mencía from northern Spain, would be excellent.

Careful with the mint sauce, though: the combination of sweetness and acidity, especially vinegar, doesn’t do wine any favours. At least make sure you take a mouthful of meat between sauce and wine.

These days we are all familiar with spicier, Mediterranean-style lamb. If you have a vegetarian or vegan to please, serve your lamb with a Lebanese fattoush salad or go Moroccan, with spicy lamb served with roast peppers, aubergines and harissa-spiked hummus. This calls for bigger, spicier reds; think of a Languedoc, a southern Rhône or an Aussie Shiraz.

Château Janoy Bellevue 2017, Bordeaux
13.5%, €10.95 (down from €15.95)
A very enjoyable light, elegant Bordeaux with refined, cool plum fruits and well-integrated light tannins on the finish. Great value for money. Whelehans Wines, in Loughlinstown in Dublin, has the superior 2015 vintage of the same wine for €14.50.
From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Sangiovese 2017, IGT Marche, Cantina dei Colli Ripani (organic, vegan)
12.5%, €14.95 to 15.99
A very happy wine brimming with delicious juicy dark cherry fruits, and a little bit of grip on the finish to make it a perfect food wine. With lighter lamb dishes.
From La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow, latouchewines4u.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6,greenmanwines.ie; the Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny,thelittlegreengrocer.ie; Kellys, Clontarf, Dublin, kellysofflicence.ie; Ardkeen Quality Foodstore, Waterford, Ardkeen.com.

Eggo Tinto de Tiza Malbec 2016, Zorzal
14%, €25
Your Easter egg? Concrete eggs are all the rage in wineries these days; this superb unoaked wine, with its fresh, deep, dark loganberry fruits, would go well with all sorts of roast lamb.
From La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow, latouchewines4u.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin, blackrockcellar.com; Clontarf Wines, Dublin, clontarfwines.ie.

Château Tour Sieujean 2012, Cru Bourgeois, Paulliac
13%, €35
Classic Bordeaux with developing notes of tobacco leaf and black pepper, cool blackcurrant fruits, and a long dry finish. Perfect for that posh Easter celebration.
From Whelehans Wines, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin whelehanswines.ie

The reign of Spain: How to find top-notch, great-value wine

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 6th April, 2019

Spanish Wine Week begins next Monday – spanishwineweek.ie has details of tastings, dinners and other events – but I am not sure that Spain needs any further help from us: its wines appear to be doing very well in Ireland.

I went to a portfolio tasting of the leading Spanish wine importer recently, and as happens every year, I was introduced to a host of new grape varieties, mostly unique to Spain. Not all were brilliant, although most were, but there was an array of unique flavours.

Spain covers all climates and styles of wine, from cool to baking hot, from the lightest, crisp, Muscadet-like freshness of a Txacolí from the Basque Country to the full-bodied Monastrells of Murcia and Valencia. Generally speaking, wines from the cooler Atlantic north tend to be white and light, and those from southern and central Spain red and warming. But vines grown at higher altitudes, or closer to the Mediterranean Sea, can produce very elegant wines, even in the deep south; the Los Aguilares Pinot Noir from Malaga (Celtic Whiskey Shop, €38) is a perfect example.

Spain has plenty of other great indigenous grape varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell and Mencia for the red wines, Albariño, Godello and Xarello for whites. Even Palomino Fino, once reserved for sherry, is now responsible for some excellent table wines. As well as new regions, more established names such as Rioja, Priorat and, best of all, Sherry continue to reinvent and improve themselves.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, Spanish Tempranillo is one of the best value wines in the world, and inexpensive Garnacha is not far behind, But I would suggest increasing your budget a little and go for something from €15 to €25 (or even the €31 wine below). At this price, Spain offers a host of brilliant, unique wines that offer fantastic value for money.

Spanish food has also been on something of a roll in recent years, largely thanks to a group of superstar chefs. Done simply, using the finest raw ingredients, it is one of the great cuisines of the world.

My own dream Spanish feast would start with a glass of chilled fino sherry accompanied by a plate of the finest Iberico ham, some olives, and a few toasted almonds, followed by an Albariño or Godello from Galicia alongside a plate of simply dressed seafood; then a bowl of rice with chicken and vegetables, and a glass of red wine from Valencia. Then on to the main course, grilled lamb cutlets with a glass of the finest Rioja or a lighter red from Ribeira Sacra, either of which would also go nicely with the cheese course.

Finca La Solana Monastrell 2017, Jumilla
14.5%, €9 (down from €13.45 for April) 

A substantial wine with sleek, muscular, powerful dark fruits overlaid with a touch of new oak, and a savoury dry finish. Perfect with grilled steaks or a cocido – Spanish stew with beans, vegetables and various meats, that varies by region.
From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Cucú 2017, Barco del Corneta, Rueda
13.5%, €18

A Verdejo like no other; rich exuberant exotic tropical fruits with a lovely citrus streak. Perfect with all sorts of spring salads.
From Ely 64, Glasthule, Co Dublin, Ely64.com; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Whelehan’s Wines, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, whelehanswines.ie; La Touche, Greystones, Co Wicklow, latouchewines4u.ie; Clontarf Wines, Dublin 3, clontarfwines.ie; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, jusdevine.ie.

Ube Miraflores 2017, Bodegas Cota 45
11%, €23.50

A magnificent delicate wine with clean peach and apple fruits, subtle toasted nuts and a tangy saline dry finish. Choirs of angels sang. By itself or with toasted almonds and/or the best Iberico ham you can afford.
From Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, jusdevine.ie; Martin’s Off Licence, Clontarf, Dublin 3,martinsofflicence.ie; Ely 64, Glasthule, Co Dublin, Ely64.com; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Loose Canon, Drury Street, Dublin 2, loosecanon.ie.

Lomba des Ares 2016, Ribeira Sacra, Fedellos do Couto
12.5%, €31

Made from a host of local grapes, mainly Mencia, this is wonderful wine. Fragrant and floral with refined refreshing cool dark cherry fruits, a nice grip and a lovely smooth finish. With charcuterie of any kind or belly of pork.
From Ely 64, Glasthule, Co Dublin, Ely64.com; Green Man Wines, Terenure, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Loose Canon, Drury Street, Dublin 2, loosecanon.ie.

Mighty Malbecs with a softer side

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 30th March, 2019.

Malbec from Argentina is usually portrayed as the archetypal macho wine: big, powerful and masculine, and a little lacking in subtlety. It has certainly proved a hit with male wine drinkers in this country. Producers from other countries, Chile in particular, have noted jealously that many consumers are willing to pay a premium for such a bottle of Malbec.

However, not every Malbec is the stereotypical oaky alcoholic monster. There were always exceptions, but in recent years there has been a definite move among producers to make more elegant Malbec wines. By picking earlier and planting vineyards at higher altitudes, they can offer wines that are less tannic, less extracted and less oaky, as well as keeping the notoriously high levels of alcohol in check.

The wines are still not exactly shrinking violets, but the change has brought forth a new style, with a seductive fragrance, and wonderful pure dark fruits. While the older style was essentially limited to partnering robust food such as grilled steak, the more modern Malbec is far more adaptable, while still providing a great match to barbequed beef.

Argentina has always been famous for its high-altitude vineyards. It can no longer boast it has the highest vines in the world – according to the Guinness Book of Records, that honour now belongs to Nepal, which has a vineyard at 3,500m above sea level. However, it does have the highest concentration of commercial high-altitude vineyards.

Grapes grown at high altitudes benefit from greater radiation and increased photosynthesis. Combined with cold nighttime temperatures that ensure good acidity, this produces wines with a wonderful depth of fresh pure fruit.

Bodegas Colomé in Salta owns some of the highest vineyards, at more than 3,000m above sea level. They also have vines dating back to 1831 in their remote estate, a three-hour bumpy drive along dirt tracks.

The Amalaya listed below is produced from grapes grown at 1,800m. Meanwhile, the team behind Altos Las Hormigas are planting vines in new high-altitude sites with unique soil profiles. They are now also producing wine in Cahors in southwest France.This is the original home of Malbec, where it was once part of the Bordeaux blend of grapes.

In the past produce from Cahors, where Malbec is known as Cot, could be very earthy and tannic, but these days there are some excellent wines. From independents, look out for wines from excellent biodynamic producer Fabien Jouves, or from the more traditional, but equally good, Clos des Gamots.

As well as the Le Croizillon below, O’Briens have the Osmin Malbec (€13.95) and a very moreish organic Silice (€18.95). There is no shortage of inexpensive Malbec from Argentina, including the Exquisite Argentinian Malbec from Aldi (€7.99), the Alamos Malbec (€15) and the ever reliable Pascual Toso Malbec.

Le Croizillon 2017, Chateau Les Croisille, Cahors

12.5%, €15.95
Delicious, gluggable, bouncy dark cherry fruits with a refreshing acidity. Enjoy lightly chilled with pork, chicken and all kinds of nibbles before dinner. Stockists: O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Amalaya Calchaquí Valley Malbec 2017

14%, €20.99
Soft and supple with delicious, refreshing loganberry and raspberry fruits, rounded off with a touch of spice. To go with empanadas, kebabs or grilled lamb chops. Stockists: Baggot Street Wines, baggotstreetwines.com; wineonline.ie; The Cinnamon Cottage, Cork, cinnamoncottage.ie; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, thecorkscrew.ie.

Altos Las Hormigas Mendoza Malbec Clásico 2018/2017

13.5%, €21.99
Lifted floral aromas and bright, elegant red cherry and raspberry fruits, with soft well-integrated tannins on the finish. To go with grilled foods: beef, pork, chicken or Mediterranean vegetables. Stockists: Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, blackrockcellar.com; The Cinnamon Cottage, Cork, cinnamoncottage.ie; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, thecorkscrew.ie; wineonline.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, greenmanwines.ie

Bodega Colomé ‘Auténtico’ Salta Malbec 2017

14.5%, €41.99
Enchanting aromas of violets and dark fruits. This explodes in the mouth with intense, perfectly ripe dark fruits, balanced by excellent acidity and structured tannins. Keep a few years or serve now with grilled beef or lamb. Stockists: wineonline.ie;  The Cinnamon Cottage, Cork, cinnamoncottage.ie; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, thecorkscrew.ie; Donnybrook Fair, donnybrookfair.ie.