Bordeaux wines that don’t cost a fortune

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 16th November, 2018

As one of the best-known names, Bordeaux can command a premium price for its very top wines. Sadly these days, a bottle of the very best classed-growth Bordeaux costs hundreds of euro, out of reach for most of us. However, less expensive Bordeaux can offer great value for money, and ranks as one of the great food wines.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you drink it with Christmas turkey (the tannins can clash with both turkey meat and cranberry sauce), but, judging from sales over the festive period, most of the country disagrees with me.

When it comes to a roast of beef or lamb, though, Bordeaux is hard to beat. If you are catering for vegetarians and vegans, roast red peppers, mushrooms (great with many red wines) and cheese dishes all go well with red Bordeaux.

Most retailers bring in a selection of Bordeaux for the Christmas season, so here we present a round-up of the best on offer from budget busters to the very finest.

For those on a budget, SuperValu has the ever reliable Chateau Pey Latour (€9 on promotion), and 64 Wine the very attractive fruit-filled Chateau Canon La Foret (€14). Lidl has Chateau Carpena Côtes du Bourg (€9.99), which I marginally preferred to its Côtes de Bourg, Chateau les Graves de Cau (€8.99). Dunnes Stores has Chateau Darzac and Chateau Bois Pertuis (both €12.50).

Moving up in price, Molloy’s Liquor Stores has an ambitious new range of Bordeaux, from €18.95 to €33; my pick of the bunch was the €24.95 Chateau Moulin Borie (see below). O’Briens Wines can always be relied upon to have a good selection; this year my star picks include the fine elegant Chateau Mauvesin-Barton 2014 (€25.95), the soft-maturing Chateau Rolland de By (€28.95) and the fruit-filled Chateau St Marie (€15.95). Among its excellent selection of Bordeaux, Terroirs in Donnybrook has two organic wines, the supremely elegant margaux Chateau Mille Roses 2015 (€39.50) and the very attractive Les Demoiselles de Falfas 2016 (€24.50).

As might be expected, Mitchell & Son is not short on options when it comes to Bordeaux; I would certainly be happy with a bottle of Chateau La Justice 2015 (€21.95) or, at a less elevated price, Cuvée des Abeilles 2015, Chateau d’Auzanet (€14.95) and Grand Bateau Bordeaux (€16.95). If you fancy visiting Bordeaux, Mitchells will be running a wine trip there next summer; see mitchellandson.com for details.

Whelehan’s in Loughlinstown is another good source of Bordeaux. From its tasty selection, Chateau le Crock 2010 St Estèphe (€45) is a seriously good wine, and I was very taken with the Chateau La Fleur Pourrot 2012 St Émilion Grand Cru (€35).

Bordeaux de Gloria 2016, Bordeaux
12.5%, €19.95
A very attractive elegant bordeaux with blackcurrants and a touch of spice, finishing on a lightly tannic note. Roast lamb or beef.
From La Touche, Greystones, latouchewines4u.ie; Grapevine, Dalkey, onthegrapevine.ie; Deveney’s, Dundrum; Higgins, Clonskeagh; O’Driscoll’s, Cahersiveen, Co.Kerry; Grape & Grain, Leopardstown Inn, leopardstowninn.ie; Londis, Malahide; Drinkstore, Manor Street, Dublin, drinkstore.ie

Chateau Moulin-Borie 2015, Listrac-Moulis
13.5%, €24.95
Ripe, smooth and sophisticated with concentrated red fruits overlaid with spice, and well-integrated tannins on the finish. Try it with a roast of beef.
From Molloy’s Liquor Stores, molloys.ie

Chateau Lamarsalle 2014, Montagne St Émilion, Biodynamic
13.5%, €28
Delicious vibrant claret, loaded with ripe damsons and blackberries, a good backbone of tannin and excellent length.  A great match for roast beef, lamb or a rare steak.
From 64 Wine, Glasthule; Ely Wine Store, Maynooth, elywinebar.ie

Chateau le Puy Barthelemy 2011, Côtes de Bordeaux, Francs Biodynamic
13.5%, €135
Forward, ripe dark fruits, some undergrowth and a long dry finish. Supremely elegant and long. With an aged fillet of beef.
From Green Man Wines, Terenure, greenmanwines.ie; Redmonds, Ranelagh, redmonds.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, blackrockcellar.com; siyps.com

Wine secrets: what’s really in your bottle?

First published in The Irish Times on Saturday 3rd November, 2018

It seems strange that a bottle of Coca-Cola must print the ingredients used to make it, whereas a bottle of wine does not. Somehow the wine business, along with beer and spirits, has largely managed to avoid telling us what is contained within. Back labels tend to have flowery descriptions, food recommendations and maybe a little marketing blurb, but very little information on how the wine was actually made. As well as adding the health warnings, maybe the Government might like to insist that a few key ingredients are included.

 Additives and treatments are not always a bad thing; most of us do not want to drink faulty wine, and mass-produced wines do require greater intervention. Even at the very highest level, producers of luxury wines are not above using treatments that improve the finished product. Additives of some sort go back more than 5,000 years, to the very start of winemaking.

The most common is sulphur dioxide, the one ingredient that is listed on a wine label. It was first introduced by the Romans, and most winemakers consider it an essential anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial agent. Levels used are fairly low, and have dropped hugely over the last few decades, ranging from a minimum of 10 parts per million/ppm (sulphur being a by product of fermentation) to the EU legal maximum of 150ppm (parts per million) for red wine, 210ppm for white, and 400ppm for dessert wine. By comparison, raisins and other dried fruits can contain anything from 500ppm to 2,000ppm.

Other additives and processing aids include sugar (to add fizz to sparkling wine or increase alcohol); concentrated grape juice to sweeten; tartaric or ascorbic acid to add acidity; yeasts to get the fermentation going; nutrients such as diammonium phosphate to keep them working away; wood chips, enzymes and malolactic cultures.

Add in fining and filtering agents such as egg whites, isinglass, polyvinylpyrrolodine (PVPP), bentonite, gelatin and casein and lastly water – permitted in some countries to lower alcohol – and wine begins to look slightly less natural. There are also procedures such as reverse osmosis, micro-oxygenation and spinning cones.

Jamie Goode and Sam Harrop, in their book Authentic Wine, give the example of the Co-op supermarket chain in the UK, which lists all ingredients on the back label.

A Sauvignon Blanc has the following ingredients listed: Grapes, acidity regulator (potassium bicarbonate), preservative (potassium meta bisulphate), copper sulphate. Made using antioxidants (carbon dioxide, nitrogen) yeast, yeast nutrient (diammonium phosphate). Cleared using bentonite, filtration pectinolytic enzymes.

Should we be worried about all of these additions? Possibly not; the overall standard of winemaking is higher than ever, and the use of sulphur lower. But although it might remove some of the romance of wine, I think we have a right to know how our wine is made, however unpalatable that might be.

Bellow’s Rock Shiraz 2016, Western Cape, South Africa

14%, €9.95

Rich powerful spicy dark fruits, with a nice seam of acidity running through. Great value at €9.95. With grilled or barbecued red meats.

Stockists: O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Saint Mont 2016, Plaimont, France

13%, €13.30

Medium-bodied with lovely waxy apple fruits, a hint of pineapple and a dry finish. Intriguing and delicious. With creamy chicken dishes.

Stockists: Marks & Spencer, marksandspencer.ie.

Vermell 2016, Celler del Roure, Valencia Organic

13.5%, €17

Gloriously vibrant fruit-filled wine with herbs, liquorice and so much more. Perfect with a roast chicken.

Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule, 64wine.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, blackrockcellar.com; Baggot Street Wines, baggotstreetwines.com; Clontarf Wines, clontarfwines.ie; Drinkstore, Manor Street, D7, drinkstore.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, greenmanwines.ie; Searsons, Monkstown, searsons.com; Martin’s Off Licence, Fairview, martinsofflicence.ie; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, jusdevine.ie; World Wide Wines, Waterford, worldwidewines.ie.

Etna Bianco 2016, Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Organic

12.5%, €25.95

Floral, refined, elegant wine with fresh tangy peaches and apple, and a light creaminess. The perfect posh aperitif or with grilled brill, a wonderful delicate fish.

Stockists: 64 Wine, Glasthule, 64wine.ie; Deveney’s, Dundrum; World Wide Wines, Waterford, worldwidewines.ie; Mitchell & Son, CHQ, Sandycove, and Avoca, Kilmacanogue & Dunboyne, mitchellandson.com; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, thecorkscrew.ie; Grapevine, Dalkey, onthegrapevine.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, greenmanwines.ie; Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, blackrockcellar.com.

Pinot noir: the perfect autumnal wine

This article was first published in The Irish Times Saturday 27th October, 2018

There is something distinctly autumnal about pinot noir; the earthy, leafy forest-floor aromas of a mature wine, the soft, ripe mellow fruits, even the whiff of wood smoke at times. It also goes so well with all sorts of game birds, rabbit and venison that come into season now.

Pinot noir was once the holy grail of most winemakers. It was famously fussy to grow, and equally difficult to fashion into a drinkable wine. It was also very expensive, whether from its home territory in Burgundy or elsewhere.

Yet many winemakers seem to have overcome these difficulties as most retail outlets now have a selection from around the world, often at very affordable prices. Chile probably leads the way for decent inexpensive pinot, followed by New Zealand.

Recently, various retailers have started selling very drinkable Romanian pinot noir for about €10. O’Briens is the latest with the Wildflower Pinot, €8.95 for November and December.

The Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania make Australia’s finest pinot noir, but sadly at a higher price; O’Briens has the Stonier Pinot Noir for €23.95 for November and December. California and Oregon produce some exquisite pinots, sadly at even higher prices; see Jus de Vine, Deveney’s and 64 Wine for these. You can also find very high-quality pinot noir from Germany, but mostly over €20, one exception being the very tasty Palataia Pinot for €14.80 (Marks & Spencer).

For many years, the rest of France struggled to produce decent pinot noir. Not any more; the Loire, Alsace, Limoux and the Languedoc all offer good wines, often at very affordable prices. O’Briens has the delicious juicy Begude Pinot Noir (€16.95) or at entry level, Aldi have the light Roussellet (€7.49). From the Loire, look to the soft ripe La Petite Perrière from SuperValu (€9 on promotion) and Whelehan’s in Loughlinstown has the vibrant la Roncière Pinot Noir 2015 for €17, alongside other great pinots from around the world.

Value for money

But back to Burgundy; I have written here before about how prices for the top wines are rocketing. Recently however, I have come across a number of very reasonably priced Bourgogne rouge. By reasonable, I mean about €20, but both the wines below offer real value for money. The most interesting tend to come from the best domaines of the Côte d’Or.

Burgundy Direct (burgundydirect.ie), as the names suggests, has an expertise in the area; their list contains many gems. Elsewhere you will find the Bourgogne Rouge Domaine J. C. Regnaudot for €21.95 in many independents.

Pinot noir is one of the most food-friendly grapes of all. Lighter versions go well with chargrilled salmon, tuna or roast Mediterranean vegetables. Medium-bodied wines, including most Burgundy, will make a memorable partner for the above-mentioned game birds, baked ham or a mushroom risotto.

Domaine de Mandeville Pinot Noir 2017, IGP Pays d’Oc 
13%, €13.30
Smooth ripe red cherry fruits with an attractive earthy touch. Try it with game pie.
Stockists Marks & Spencer, marksandspencer.ie

Domaine de Brau Pure Pinot Noir 2017, VDP d’Oc Organic/Vegan
14%, €16.60 
Herbal aromas, medium-bodied with dark cherry fruits and a pleasant earthy touch. A very attractive wine and very good value too. Try it with chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce.
Stockists Clontarf Wines, clontarfwines.ie; Urru, Bandon, urru.ie; Scally’s, Clonakilty, Supervaluclon.ie; Connemara Hamper, Connemarahamper.com; Quay Co-op, Cork, quaycoop.com.

Bourgogne Rouge 2015, Domaine Maurice Charleux 
13.5%, €18.95
Lively refreshing brambly blackberry and red cherry fruits; smooth, concentrated and ripe. Lovely wine and great value for money. With a grilled breast of duck or roast mallard.
Stockists Burgundy Direct, burgundydirect.ie

Bourgogne Rouge 2016, Domaine de la Vierge Romain, Machard de Gramont 
13.5%, €20.95
Very seductive smoky spicy dark cherries with good acidity and a smooth long finish. Try it with roast game birds.
Stockists Karwig Wines, Carrigaline, karwigwines.ie; The Vintry, Dublin 6, vintry.ie; The Cinnamon Cottage, Cork, cinnamoncottage.ie.

The best wines for your Sunday lunch

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 13th October, 2018

Growing up, I always loved a family Sunday lunch. It didn’t really matter that we spent much of the time arguing with each other; I liked the sense of occasion. My tasks always included taking out the “good” tablecloth and crockery, and for especially auspicious lunches, creating curls of real butter.

My dad, a French teacher, was unusual at the time, in that he enjoyed wine. On a teacher’s salary, he couldn’t afford it very often but once a month, he would go to the local off-licence and buy either a bottle of beer, or more often, a bottle of Nicolas Vieux Ceps, which came with a handy plastic cap, or sometimes a bottle of Lutomer Riesling from what was then Yugoslavia and is now Slovenia.

These days, drinking wine in the middle of the day makes me drowsy and unable to drive, However, every now and again, the family unites for a celebratory traditional Sunday lunch, a roast with all the trimmings, and more often than not, we will enjoy some wine.

A special occasion deserves good wine; unless you have a very large family, this is the time to spend a few euros more on your wine. They are your own flesh and blood after all.

Roast beef or lamb are among the most wine-friendly foods of all. The traditional accompaniment would be a Bordeaux, preferably from the Médoc, but a Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia, the US or Chile should also have the tannic bite that works so well with red meat. Rioja Reserva is a classic match for lamb and I would recommend paying €15 or more, as some of the cheap Rioja Reservas are not great – far better to go for a Rioja Crianza instead. Alternatively, you could go Italian and serve a Chianti Classico or a Barolo.

You can serve either red or white wine with roast chicken or pork. In fact, a good roast chicken will provide the perfect backdrop for your finest wine, red or white. I generally go for a red wine, these days frequently a Pinot Noir, a Mencía from Galicia, or a warming Côtes du Rhône, the latter a good match for most Sunday roasts.

You can drink Pinot Noir with salmon, but I prefer a white wine and a rich Chardonnay from Burgundy or elsewhere is probably best, but you could experiment with Grüner Veltliner or Viognier.

If there are vegetarians at the table, try to cook something that will match the wine you are serving – roast mushrooms, stuffed aubergines, red peppers and pasta bakes all go well with the above mentioned Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja Reserva or Chianti. Roast root vegetables and cauliflower cheese are often better with white wines, or why not try a rosé?

Château Sainte-Marie Réserve 2016, Bordeaux Réserve
13%, €17.95 down to €15.95
Medium-bodied, supple and smooth with concentrated sweet blackcurrant fruits, a hint of vanilla spice, and ripe tannins on the finish. Perfect with roast beef or lamb. From O’Briens, obrienswine.ie

Les Deux Cols Alizé 2016, Côtes du Rhône  
13.5%, €17.95
A very restrained elegant wine with ripe dark forest fruits, olives, herbs and black pepper, and a subtle acidity to bring it to life. With roast pork or chicken. From Searsons Wine Merchants, Monkstown, searsons.com; 64 Wine, Glasthule, 64wine.ie; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, jusdevine.ie; Ely Wine Store, Maynooth; Donnybrook Fair, donnybrookfair.ie; Lilac Wines, Dublin 3, lilacwines.ie; Green Man Wines, Terenure, greenmanwines.ie; Redmonds, Ranelagh, redmonds.ie; The Cinnamon Cottage, Cork, cinnamoncottage.ie; Drinkstore, Manor St, Dublin 7, drinkstore.ie; Martin’s Off-Licence, Clontarf, martinsofflicence.ie; Whelehan’s Wines, Loughlinstown, whelehanswines.ie; J. J. Fields, Skibereen; Deveney’s, Dundrum; La Touche, Greystones, latouchewines4u.ie

Mâcon-Charnay 2015, Jean Manciat   
13.5%, €22.95
Lovely rich ripe pure apple fruits, balanced perfectly by a seam of refreshing citrus acidity. With salmon, roast chicken or pork. From Searsons Wine Merchants, Monkstown, searsons.com; Cashel Wine Cellar, Cashel; Sweeney’s Wines, Glasnevin, sweeneyswines.ie; Martin’s Off Licence, Clontarf, martinsofflicence.ie; Donnybrook Fair, donnybrookfair.ie

Château Mauvesin Barton 2014, Moulis-en-Médoc 
13% €28.95-€30  
Classic, elegant claret with a lovely fragrant nose, and smooth blackcurrant fruits that glide across the palate, finishing dry. With roast beef or fillet steak. From Searsons Wine Merchants, Monkstown, searsons.com; O’Briens, obrienswine.ie