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Finca Resalso 2014, Ribera del Duero, Emilio Moro

Posted by admin on April 7, 2016

Finca Resalso 2014, Ribera del Duero, Emilio Moro
13.5%
€19.95

Tasted more like 14% or even more to me, but a very good polished wine with smooth dark fruits, very subtle oak, a bit of real power and good length too. Nice wine. Went very well with our Armenian chicken, stuffed with walnuts, prunes and sumac.

Available from Redmonds, Ranelagh; Deveneys, Dundrum; The Coachhouse, Balinteer; Higgins, Clonskeagh; Sweeneys, Glasnevin; Clontarf Wines; O’Driscoll’s, Cahirsiveen; Donnybrook Fair; Holland’s, Bray; Fresh, Canal St.; No.21, Cork; 1601, Kinsale; Joyce’s, Galway.

Tags: Cassidy's Wines, Emilio Moro, Resalso, Ribera del Duero, Spain Red Wine, Tempranillo, Tinta del Pias, Tinto Fino

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Ch. Plaisance 2013, Fronton

Posted by admin on March 31, 2016

Ch. Plaisance 2013, Fronton
12.5%
€18.90 from Green Man Wines, Terenure; 64wine, Glasthule; Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer St.; Sheridan’s Cheese shops.

Light bouncy refreshing dark fruits, with no tannins on the finish. Perfect with a plate of charcuterie and mild firm cheeses. In the summer I would serve it very lightly chilled.

Fronton is another wine that I love. One of my happiest French holidays was spent in a gîte near Najac, close to both Cahors and Fronton, two of my favourite wines. The Ch. Plaisance (not to be confused with a St. Emilion château of the same name) is made from 50% Negrette (a local grape) and Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Gamay.

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Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2012, JJ Prum

Posted by admin on March 31, 2016

Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2012, JJ Prum
10%
€34.50 from 64wine, Glasthule.

If you fancy giving yourself a real treat, chill a bottle of this wine, sit down in the garden and slowly sip and savour with a friend. Pure essence of peachy Riesling with honeycomb and fine zesty acidity. Sublime wine.

J.J. Prum is one of the legendary producers of the Mosel and Germany, producing a string of brilliant sweet and medium-dry wines. Mosel Kabinett is one of the great wine classics, where refreshing acidity meets fine delicate fruits to produce perfectly balanced sipping wine. I admit to having drunk an entire bottle one evening many years ago. The name may be long and confusing to some, but Graach is the town, Himmelreich the vineyard, translated as Kingdom of Heaven) Kabinett the level of sweetness (or original must weight to be technical) and Riesling, of course, is the wonderful grape variety. Enjoy!

Tags: Germany, JJ Prum, Kabinett, Mosel, Riesling, WineMason

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Viognier de Rosine 2014, IGP Collines Rhodanniennes

Posted by admin on March 23, 2016

12.5%
€33.95

A thrilling combination of peach and pineapple fruits, a touch of ginger and plenty of balancing acidity. Elegant and perfectly formed.

Expensive but worth every last cent. Stephane Ogier is one of the most talented winemakers in the Northern Rhône, responsible for some exquisite Côte Rôtie and Condrieu. This is actually one of his less expensive wines, from a single 3 hectare estate planted by Ogier in 2000, situated between Côte Rôtie and Condrieu.

Available from Searsons Wine Merchants, Monkstown; Baggot Street Wines; La Touche, Greystones; 64 Wine, Glasthule; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; The Drink Store, D7; The Wine Shop at One Pery Square, Limerick.

Tags: Les Collines Rhodannienes, Northern Rhone, Stephane Ogier, Tindal & Co., Viognier

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Spiga 2009, Ribera del Duero, Bodegas y Viñedos O. Fournier

Posted by admin on March 23, 2016

14.5%
€31

Full-bodied with intense ultra-smooth dark fruits and plenty of structure. There are some dry tannins on the lengthy finish. A very impressive wine to partner with robust lamb dishes.

O. Fournier is a unique company. Founded by José Manuel Fournier in 2000, it has wineries in Spain (Ribera del Duero), Chile (Maule & San Antonio) and Argentina (Uco Valley). All produce very high-quality wines. They have a different winemaker for each country, with one overseeing the entire operation. There is a distinct house style – I would say smooth and concentrated with clean ripe fruits. Well-made, very seductive wines.

Available from Quintessential Wines, Drogheda, www.quintessentialwines.ie

Tags: O.Fournier, Quintessential Wines, Ribera del Duero, Spiga, Tinta del Pais

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Schlumberger Pinot Blanc Les Princes Abbés

Posted by admin on March 17, 2016

Schlumberger Pinot Blanc 2013, Les Princes Abbés
12%
€18.95

Light and fresh but with very moreish juicy melon and pear fruits, and a nicely rounded finish.

Perfect as a posh aperitif, with fish or maybe an Alsatian onion tart.

Available from Searsons, Monkstown, www.searsons.com

I bumped into Séverine Schlumberger recently, at the portfolio tasting held by Tindal & Co. We had great fun doing a masterclass on Riesling together in Ballymaloe House a few years ago. Much of this family-owned estate is now farmed biodynamically. I have been enjoying a range of Pinot Blancs from Alsace over the last year, and featured several in my wine guide. They seem to have improved a lot in recent years and make for very good easy-drinking refreshing wines with lovely rounded fruits.

Tags: Alsace, Les Princes Abbés, Pinot Blanc, Schlumberger, Searsons Wine Merchants, Tindal & Co.

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The Hundred 2014, McLaren Vale Grenache

Posted by admin on March 17, 2016

The Hundred 2014, McLaren Vale Grenache
14.5%
€25.99

Big and powerful and structured, with lovely bright vibrant red fruits, all cherries and strawberries, with a sprinkle of spice. A serious dangerously drinkable wine to match up to barbequed meats and roasts.

Available from O’Briens; La Touche, Greystones; Green Man Wines, Terenure; Jus De Vine, Portmarnock; Mitchell & Son, chq, Sandycove & Avoca; Wineonline.ie; World Wide Wines, Waterford.

Shiraz and Grenache from McLaren Vale often has this distinctive delicious fresh quality. This wine is made from dry-grown bush vines, many eighty years old. Grown in a cooler sub-region of McLaren Vale, they produce wines with a lovely aroma and succulent round fruit.

Tags: Australia, Grenache, Liberty Wines, McLaren Vale, The Hundred

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Vale de Capucha Branco 2012, Vinho Regional, Portugal

Posted by admin on March 11, 2016

Vale de Capucha Branco 2012, Vinho Regional, Portugal
12.5%
€19.95

An enchanting combination of zesty citrus, grapefruit pith and plump peachy fruits. One of those that gets better with each sip. Just don’t serve it too cold.

I would have this with richer fish dishes, maybe fairly plain cod, hake or black sole.

Available from Mitchell and Son, Gibney’s Malahide, Corkscrew, Redmond’s Ranelagh, 64 Wine, Glasthule.

Pedro Marques is one of the rising stars of Portuguese winemaking. He visited Dublin last year to attend the SPIT tasting (if you don’t know about it, google and make sure you get to the 2016 event) where he showed his amazing wines. The white wines are brilliant, and the reds pretty good too.

Tags: Arinto, Lisboa, Portugal, Vale da Capucha, Viosinho, White Wine, Wine Mason

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Vale da Capucha 2011, Vinho Regional Lisboa, Portugal

Posted by admin on March 11, 2016

Vale da Capucha 2011, Vinho Regional, Portugal
15%
€20.50

Very restrained with just ripe damson fruits, good acidity and a very attractive mineral core. Great wine with real character.

This has the acidity and tannic structure to cut through fatty meats; grilled duck breast or maybe belly of pork, so long as they aren’t swamped with a sweet sauce.

Available from Corkscrew, Gibney’s Malahide, Redmond’s Ranelagh.

Pedro Marques is better known for his white wines than red (see above), but I tried this red three times over the last six months and was very taken with it. As my tasting note suggests, it was a lovely elegant wine with a slight earthy minerality. I was gobsmacked to find out it was 15% alcohol. So not one to sip while watching TV.

Tags: Aragonez, Lisboa, Pedro Marques, Portugal, Red Wine, Touriga Nacional, Vale da Capucha, Wine Mason

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TWO TOP DROPS FOR THE WEEKEND

Posted by admin on March 6, 2016

Is spring here yet? I am never really a fan of bigger more alcoholic reds, but once the weather starts to warm up a little, I quickly switch to lighter wines. Last weekend I met up with one of my favourite producers of red wines, Matthieu Baudry of Domaine Baudry in Chinon. It was at a tasting organised by the Knockranny House Hotel and Cabot & Co, both based in Westport. It was a brilliant tasting, followed by an excellent dinner (Seamus Commons being one of the best chefs in the country). I also gorged myself on one of the best collections of Rieslings in the country (see www.cabotandco.com) including those of Klaus Peter Keller. The dry Riesling below is excellent, and the Kirchspiel is magnificent. Sadly it costs around €50 a bottle.

Klaus Peter Keller Dry Riesling 2013, Rheinhessen
€20.99

Light and refreshing but with wonderful piercing concentrated lightly honeyed peach fruits. By itself or with plain shellfish.

Available from Cabot & Co. (www.cabotandc.com) ,On the Grapevine, Dalkey, and No1 Pery Square, Limerick.

Domaine Baudry Chinon Les Granges 2014
€18.99

Crunchy free-flowing and fresh juicy redcurrant fruits in a lively but very enjoyable wine. Serve it cool, but not chilled, with charcuterie.

Available from Cabot & Co. (www.cabotandc.com) ,On the Grapevine, Dalkey, Listons, Camden St, Donnybrook Fair, Malahide, Red Island Wines, Skerries, Market 57, Westport and No1 Pery Square, Limerick.

Tags: Bernard Baudry, Cabernet France, Cabot & Co, Chinon, France, Germany, Klaus Peter Keller, Knockranny House Hotel, Red Wine, Rheinhessen, Riesling, White Wine

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