La Tremenda Bodegas Enrique Mendoza 2018, Alicante
Elegant refreshing ripe dark fruits with a savoury note of black olives, and a light toasty spiciness. There is a lovely juicy fleshy quality to the fruit. It finishes with some well-judged dry tannins.
A good medium-bodied all-purpose wine that would go well with both red and white meats as well as Mediterranean vegetables. Keep it local and drink alongside one of those lovely paella-style rice dishes.
€19.95 from Lotts & Co, D4; Nectar Wines, Sandyford; Barnhill Stores, Dalkey: Martins Off Licence, D3; Redmonds of Ranelagh, D6; The Corkscrew, D2; McHugh’s Off Licence, D5.
Enrique Mendoza is based in Alicante in south-east Spain. He was one of the first producers in the modern era to concentrate on making quality wines. Starting out with international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, more recently he has turned his attention to Monastrell aka Mourvèdre a variety that is indigenous to the region. As I mentioned in a previous blog on Bodega El Cèrron in Jumilla, some producers in Murcia and Alicante are looking to make lighter, more elegant wines from Monastrell. Mendoza certainly falls into this category. As well as several excellent single vineyard wines, he makes La Tremenda, his entry-level wine. Made in stainless steel and then aged briefly in oak barrels, it offers great value for money.
I have tasted the wines of Herbert Zillinger three times over the last year or so. On each occasion I have been blown away by them. I met Zillinger briefly at VieVinum, the biannual showcase Austrian wine fair. He came across as modest and unassuming but very assured when talking about his wines.
Zillinger is based in Weinviertel, a large area in north-eastern Austria, better known for producing decent everyday wines, usually made from Grüner Veltliner. The Zillinger wines are anything but everyday. He and his partner Carmen farm biodynamically in deep loess soils. They work naturally, adding only a small amount of SO2. Zillinger are members of respect-BIODYN, a group of biodynamic producers in Austria, Germany and elsewhere, including some of the very best estates. The results are spectacular. As he writes on his website “we don’t compromise. We create unique wines, wines with a profile, structure and ‘USP”. I am a big fan of Grüner Veltliner from Kamptal; these wines are different but every bit as good.
Wine Mason is the Irish importer. They list four of his wines. I see from his website he produces over a dozen, all in small quantities.
Neuland Grüner Veltliner 2021, Weinviertel Tight and closed at first, but then explodes with flavour; layers of textured ripe green fruits, lots of ginger spice, and a dry finish. 17/20
€26 from Barnhill Stores, Dalkey, Co. Dublin; TheAllotment.com; Lilith, Dublin7; La Touche, Greystones; MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Cork; The Wine Pair, Dublin 8; SIX, Dublin 6.
Horizont Grüner Veltliner 2021, Weinviertal Intense ripe peaches and apricots, with spice aplenty, a very mineral backbone and long finish. Gorgeous wine. 17.5/20
€29-31 from Redmonds, Ranelagh, Dublin 6; La Touche, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
Radikal Grüner Veltliner 2019, Weinviertal Rich, powerful and exotic with intense honey, pineapple chunks, some herbal notes too. Lingering finish. A sensational wine that will develop further. 18/20
Irish green entrepreneur Dr. Eddie O’Connor has acquired Château Tour des Termes in Saint-Estèphe, one of the leading communes of Bordeaux. He purchased the estate from the Anney family, who have worked on the estate for five generations. O’Connor’s first move was to appoint Julien Brustis as Director General to work with Christophe Anney on a smooth transition.
O’Connor, a wine afficionado, commented “I have always wanted to own a vineyard in Bordeaux, the world’s greatest wine producing area. Building on what has been achieved by Christoph Anney and his forebears we intend to create a sustainable vineyard which copes in the best way possible with global warming”.
O’Connor has been working in the sustainable offshore wind energy sector since developer of offshore wind in the Irish and North Seas since 2003 and Onshore wind in the Irish and North Seas since 2003 and further afield in Chile and the U.S. since 1992. He has dedicated his career to decarbonisation of energy supply using the Supergrid.
Every now and again you come across a producer that might be special. I met Hungarian winemaker Zoltán Heimann on a visit to Dublin last year. He is obviously a very bright and capable winemaker, and he is making some fantastic wines.
The Heimann winery was established by his parents, his mother making the wine and his father, also Zoltán, involved in the viticulture. They are based in Szekszárd in the southern part of the country, red wine country I am told. Zoltán studied winemaking at Geisenheim, Montpellier and Bordeaux before returning home.
The family has a passion for Kadarka and Kékfrankos, two indigenous grape varieties. Zoltán senior has been working with the local university to produce better lower-yielding clones of both varieties to improve the quality of their grapes.
Kadarka has a long history in Hungary, and was an important constituent in the legendary Bull’s Blood/ Bikavér. Handled carefully, it can produce mouth-watering fresh wines with crunchy dark fruits.
Kékfrankos is the Hungarian name for Blaufränkisch, a variety grown all over central Europe. There are several leading proponents in Austria producing great wines. The wines are typically low in alcohol, medium-bodied, with pure fresh fruits. I love them.
I tasted three wines from Heimann and was blown away by them. All had an amazing purity, lively acidity, and perfectly ripe fruits combined with a beguiling freshness.
Hungary has been making great wines for decades now; we just don’t see them here in Ireland. The Heimann wines, along with some from other interesting Hungarian producers, are imported by Balázs Rakamazi of Vinifinesse. JN Wines also import wines from the Sebestyén winery also in the Szekszárd region.
Kadarka Szekszárd 2021, Heimann
Fresh reviving red fruits and morello cherries with nicely balancing acidity and a touch of spice. A lovely vin de soif. 16/20 €26.75 – €26-28.
Kékfrankos 2018 Heimann
Dried rose petals, leafy developing leafy smoky notes with red fruits and a mineral bite. 16.5/20 €26-28
Kékfrankos Bati Kereszt 2019, Heimann
This is a seriously good wine; lovely fresh nose, dark fruits, plums and blackcurrants and floral notes; the palate has the same bright, ripe, rounded fruits and a chalky dry finish. Classic Kékfrankos / Blaufränkisch. 17.5/20 €35-37
The Heimann wines are available from the following outlets: The Corkscrew, D2; 64Wine, Glasthule; Blackrock Cellar; Clontarf Wines, D3; Pinto Wines, D9; Pete’s Provisions, D5; Elm Epicurean, D4; Margadh, D13; Provender Stores, D8.
How often have we heard the description ‘modest, quietly spoken and lets the wine do the talking’ only to meet a brash, overly confident winemaker? One of my very best trips ever was to Beaujolais with the late Tomás Clancy in 2016. We spent three or four wonderful days visiting many of the great producers of the region including Jean-Paul Brun. I had been enjoying the wines for years, so it was a pleasure to meet him, all the more so because he was genuinely modest and let us taste the wines in peace, only answering questions when asked, having given us a brief introduction to his domaine. Even the signage (see above) was modest. The wines then and now are wonderful, always light in alcohol, pure in fruit and full of character. At a recent Wines Direct tasting, I tasted five of his wines, each one a charmer. All are available exclusively from Winesdirect.ie and their shop in Mullingar.
Beaujolais Blanc 2021 Domaines des Terres Dorées, Jean-Paul Brun Delightful lively Chardonnay with lightly textured orange peel and green apples. €23.35
Roussanne Blanc Jean-Paul Brun Vin de France 2021 Made from vines planted in the Beaujolais region. Creamy, with a seductive rich texture and apricot fruits. Very moreish. Organic. €24.75
Côtes de Brouilly 2021 Domaine des Terres Dorées, Jean-Paul Brun Textbook Beaujolais; fresh slightly grippy zippy red cherry fruits, good acidity and a supple finish. It has a wonderful diaphanous quality. An unputdownable vine de soif. Organic. €26
Moulin-à-Vent Domaine des Terres Dorées 2021, Jean-Paul Brun Wow! An amazing concentration of slightly savoury refreshing juicy dark fruits. Seemingly light, but it has genuine structure that calls out for little ageing. Lovely wine. €29.25
Morgon Côte de Puy 2021 Domaine des Terres Dorées, Jean-Paul Brun
Another stunner. Restrained, elegant yet concentrated with a lovely mineral backbone and slightly chewy tannins. Gorgeous now but will certainly keep and improve. Organic. €32.70
Quite delicious with easy smooth dark fruits, a lick of dusty leather, spice and black pepper. This has a lovely soft subtle ripeness and the tannins are light at this stage.
A present from my sister who lives in California, and knows I am a fan of Anthill. The winery is better known for their Pinot, but the Syrah, from a cool-climate vineyard a few kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, is equally good.
Anthill Farms are imported by Winemason and I see Mitchell & Son has the 2016 vintage for €48.95.
Just back from one of the tasting highlights of the year: Spit! This is a group of four of our finest small importers who come together twice a year to show their wines. One is primarily Spanish, one Burgundian, another Italian, and one Austro-German-Portuguese, but all have a selection from various parts of Europe and South Africa.
Below, a few of my favourites, but there were many, many more.
This article was first published in The Irish Times, Saturday 17th September, 2022
It is one of the most widely planted grapes, capable of producing high-quality wines, so you might expect it to be celebrated worldwide. Yet, until recently, Grenache, or Garnacha, was seen as a source of cheap everyday wines. It is only over the past decade that things have changed.
The Spanish claim Garnacha as theirs, although it is widely planted in the southern Rhône and Languedoc where it is a big ingredient in blends, the most famous being Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Garnacha likes sun and a dry climate to ripen fully. It has thin skins and so is generally pale in colour, with light tannins. It can have high levels of alcohol, giving it a sensation of sweetness even though it is dry. It has travelled to other warm regions, including Australia and South Africa.
In Spain, it took a small group of winemakers, including the duo from Commando G featured here, to rediscover the potential of Garnacha. The granitic soils of the mountainous Sierra de Gredos region are responsible for some sensational wines, usually made from gnarled, ancient untrained vines. Fragrant and ethereal, the wines are often compared with Pinot Noir. Producers in Australia and South Africa are now also making far brighter, more elegant wines. As well as the wine featured here, look out for the Willunga 100 McLaren Vale Grenache (€20) and John Duval’s Plexus (€37-€40) a masterful blend, both from independents.
Other regions in Spain, such as Calatayud and Campo de Borja, produce large quantities of generous gluggable warming wines; perfect for drinking alongside rich stews on those cooler autumnal evenings.
As suggested above, powerful Garnacha partners rich stews, braises, daubes as well as vegetarian tomato and bean casseroles well. However, the lighter more elegant style goes well with cauliflower or macaroni cheese, as well as pork dishes.
Tesco’s Finest Old Vine Selection Garnacha 2019, Campo de Borja
14%, €12
Full-bodied and rounded with plum and dark cherry fruits. Enjoy with a bean and tomato stew (with or without chorizo).
From: Tesco
Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache 2019, Samuel’s Collection
14.5%, €25.95
Enticing, sweet, ripe red cherries and strawberries with a savoury touch. Roast pork or a miso roast aubergine.
This is one of the most enjoyable white wines I have tried in a long while. It has that delicious mouth-watering natural acidity shared by many of the whites from Campania as well as being full of interesting complex flavours. Relatively deep in colour with herbs, yellow fruits and on the nose. The palate is deceptively rich and full of flavour while still being light and refreshing; cool peaches and other stone fruits, minerals and almonds. Try it with light pasta dishes or salads.
€26.99 from Ely Wine Store, Maynooth; Redmonds of Ranelagh, D6; Pinto Wines, Drumcondra, D9;
Wineonline.ie
The current enthusiasm for rediscovering old forgotten grape varieties has uncovered a host of really great varieties responsible for some unique and exciting wines. With some however, you quickly realise why they were discarded in the past. This is the first time I have come across Catalanesca, but if the wine above is any indication, it has a real future in Campania.
For decades, the Sorrentino family has been growing vines in the unique fertile volcanic soils found on the southern slopes of Mount Vesuvio. They specialise in local varieties, including Caprettone, Coda di Volpe, and Falanghina for white wines and red varieties such as Aglianico and Piedirosso. And the aforementioned Catalanesca.
We had my parents-in-law around for dinner on Saturday and as they are fond of Burgundy, I opened up two bottles, plus a Pinot from the Loire Valley.
Pernand-Vergelesses, Les Belles Filles, 2015 J.C. Ramonet
A delicious medium-bodied pure Chardonnay with subtle spice, and very good acidity. Lightly aromatic, with mouth-filling peaches but not over-ripe nor in the least bit clumsy.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015, Sylvain Pataille
This was a lovely glass of wine: perfumed and elegant, with pure ripe dark cherries, just enough acidity and very good concentration. I suspect this will continue to improve, but a joy to drink right now. Around €30 from independents. Imported by Vinostito.com.
Sancerre Rouge Maulin Bèle 2017, Domaine André Vatan
A very different structure to the Bourgogne (both are Pinot Noir) with softer fruits; ripe dark cherries, a lovely juiciness and very good concentration. Lovely wine, perfect with roast pork. Available for €24.50 from Whelehan’s Wines, Loughlinstown, whelehanswines.ie
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