Archive for Top Drop
Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo
13%
€17.95
Available from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers
Fresh and lively with delectable ripe cherry and plum fruits, a hint of spice and a smooth finish. Dangerously easy to polish off a glass.
Made primarily from Méncia, with a proportion of Alicante Bouschet from various 30-60 year old plots, this is fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep those delicious primary fruits.
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Brezo de Grégory Pérez 2014, Bierzo
12.5%
€18.50
Available from 64wine, Glasthule, Sheridan’s Cheesemongers
This is an enchanting fruit-filled wine with plump melons and pears as well as a touch of the exotic. There is a lovely lanolin texture on the palate, underpinned by a refreshing mineral streak. Perfect with all kinds of seafood, white meats and salads, but I would fancy it with a few plump scallops. Brilliant wine.
This is made mainly from the Godello grape, with a dollop of Doña Blanca. Godello is the grape behind Valdeorras, another delicious wine from north-west Spain. It is every bit as good, if not better, than Albariño.
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Crazy Creatures Grüner Veltliner 2014, Malat, Kremstal
12%
€18.95
Light, fresh, clean, lean green apple fruits with a touch of spice. Michael Malat suggests it as a breakfast wine; I would say lunch. Perfect sipped solo or with shellfish. There is a series of Crazy Creatures labels, signifying the fun ‘pop and go’ nature of the wines.
The Austrians were in town last week, and I tasted a fantastic array of scintillating white and red wines. The Austrians don’t really do cheap, but they don’t really do bad wine either; there was hardly a dud in the entire tasting. Grüner Veltliner is the national specialty; it ranges in style from crisp and dry to rich and textured. Either way, the wines are great to sip on their own, and are one of the most food-friendly wines of all.
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La Solana 2012, Suertes del Marqués, Valle de la Orotava,
13.5%
€27 from 64wine, Glasthule; Clontarf Wines; Baggot Street Wines; Blackrock Cellars; Michael’s, Deerpark; Redmonds, Ranelagh; Black Pig, Donnybrook.
A truly fascinating wine with lifted floral and forest fruit aromas, cool dark fruits and dark chocolate on the palate, a refreshing acidity with a mineral core. The overall impression on the palate is light, fruity and savoury all at the same time. Gorgeous wine.
Do you go head off to the Canaries for a blast of sun? If you do, then on your next visit, I suggest you check out their wines the next time. I was bowled over by some at a tasting last year. This wine, from Tenerife, is made by a modern, family-owned estate from the unknown (outside of the Canaries) Listán Negro grape variety. The vines are 80-100 years old and grown on dark volcanic soils. It is fermented in concrete tanks and large old oak casks to allow the fruit to show through. I featured this wine in the Irish Times last year. Recently I cracked open a second bottle and was still blown away.
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I have been enjoying the wines of Turkey Flat from time to time for twenty years now. In the 90’s, they always had a wonderful raw power and concentration, yet were never over the top. They seem to have been tamed a little these days, but they are still excellent classic Barossa Valley wines with real character and depth. The Shiraz is a benchmark Barossa, highly regarded, but also quite expensive at around €45. These two very tasty blends are more affordable.
Butcher’s Block White 2013, Turkey Flat, Barossa Valley
14%
€21.99 from Ardkeen, Waterford; LaTouche, Greystones; Matson’s, Grange & Cork; Sweeneys, Glasnevin.
Made from a Southern Rhône-style blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, this wine has attractive plump nectarine and peach fruits; it is medium to full-bodied, but not too powerful, and has a refreshing crisp acidity. This would go nicely with grilled white fish, chicken (or turkey!) and lighter pork dishes.
Butcher’s Block Red 2013, Turkey Flat, Barossa Valley
14.5%
€21.99 from Ardkeen, Waterford; LaTouche, Greystones; Matson’s, Grange & Bandon, Cork; Sweeneys, Glasnevin; Corkscrew, Chatham St.
As with the white above this is a Southern Rhône blend of red grapes; Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro. I am a big fan of Barossa reds provided they are not over-oaked or over-ripe. This wine manages to offer power and body without ever seeming overdone, A lovely rich full-bodied red with ripe dark plum and blackcurrant fruits that with a sprinkle of spice and a solid backbone. It stood up well to Fuchsia Dunlop’s recipe for Szechuan beef stew and grilled lamb chops the following night.
Ad Libitum 2014 Rioja (White, Organic)
12.5%
€16.99
Normally I steer well clear of white Rioja; most of it either tastes of nothing, or has been aged in oak barrels, and therefore tastes of oak and little else. There are exceptions though and this is one. It is made from an obscure mutation of the Tempranillo grape by Juan-Carlos Sancha, professor at the University of Rioja, who discovered the grape and planted it in a small vineyard in Rioja Alata. Sancha also produces a very good red made from Maturana, another unknown variety.
This had unusual but very attractive textured fruits, good acidity and a good dry finish. A great price for an wine with real interest. Light enough to drink on its own, but excellent with white fish. I had mine with fried hake in a herb and lemon butter.
Stockists: Cabot & Co, Westport; No.1 Pery Square, Limerick.
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Señorío de Cuzcurrita 2008, Rioja
14%
€20.99
Exclusive to Wines on the Green, Dawson Street, D2.
This was a standout wine in a recent Rioja tasting. The importer tells me that is from a single old vineyard (planted 1970) surrounding a medieval castle (take a look online). They also tell me that is cheaper here than in Spain, surely a reason to go out and buy it. I enjoyed it over three evenings and it showed no sign of tiring. Great wine.
This is gorgeous, mature, fascinating wine; ripe, sweet perfectly ripe strawberry and dark fruits laced with a soft, dusty earthiness and a definite minerality. A little oak on the finish and good length.
Stockists: Wines on the Green
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Ch. Pey-Bonhomme Les-Tours 2012, Blaye – Côtes de Bordeaux
13%
€19
This was a really enjoyable wine, classic Bordeaux, with clean blackcurrant fruits, a seam of acidity running through, and a light dry tannic bite on the finish. I had mine with a roast shoulder of pork (Tamworth, from ethicalpork.com, excellent) and it was very good. I suspect it would be even better with lamb.
Available from Green Man Wines, Terenure; 64Wine, Glasthule; Fallon & Byrne, Exchequer Street; Clontarf Wines; Mortons, Ranelagh.
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Pikes “Hills & Valleys” Riesling 2014, Clare Valley, Australia
€17.50/£11.75
10.5%
I reconnected with Clare Valley Riesling yesterday at the Wines of Australia Tasting in Dublin. They had a delicious mature Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 1999 at the masterclass. Back home I opened a bottle of this lovely light Riesling from one of the better producers in the region. Light, fresh and crisp with lime zest and green apple fruits, finishing dry. A nice aperitif, or even better with crab. The price drops to €15.75/£10.58 if you buy a case from jnwine.com. Also available from The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, D2,
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Leave a Comment (0) →We drank these two wines for dinner last night, both from lesser-known regions.Both were very good.
Burja Bela 2010, Vipava, Slovenia
Lovely complex ripe fruits, softly textured with a touch of orange peel and a savoury finish with good mineral acidity.
I first came across this wine at a Slovenian wine tasting in Dublin a few years ago; I think it was actually the same vintage. Primož Lavrenčič of Burja estate is a believer in natural wine, made with as little intervention as possible. He farms biodynamically and uses only local grape varieties. In this wine he blends 30% Rebula, 30% Malvasia, 30% Riesling Italico, and 10% Zelen. Despite, or possibly because of its age, the wine is drinking beautifully. Not cheap though at €27.50 – certainly from Sheridans, and probably Green Man Wines in Terenure, they being very keen on natural wines.
De Martino Viejas Tinajas Cinsault 2014
D.O. Secano Interior/Colemu, Chile
A very interesting and enjoyable wine; a strange mix of red cherry and canned strawberries with an earthy note, and some light tannins on the finish. 13% alcohol and almost Beaujolais-like at times in its weight.
This is made from unirrigated old vines down in the Itata Valley in Chile. It was part of a tasting of wines from this region for a forthcoming article in the Irish Times. It sells for €17.99; I am still waiting for a list of stockists.
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