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Saint-Véran La Côte Dorée 2020, Domaine Guerrin

Posted by on August 24, 2022
Saint-Véran La Côte Dorée 2020, Domaine Guerrin

This week a delicious Chardonnay from Burgundy available exclusively from Whelehan’s Wines. This has a lovely richness, with peaches and dried apricots alongside some subtle toasty oak; there is plenty of citrus acidity to keep it fresh and it finishes well. Good value for money.

€28 from Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown whelehanswines.ie.

We enjoyed ours with salmon baked in foil with butter, lemon and dill, but this would go nicely with most salmon, turbot and black sole dishes as well as creamy fish pie. Vegetarians should try it with cauliflower cheese, sprinkled with toasted almonds to complement the oak.

Saint-Véran is a part of the Mâconnais region in the south of Burgundy, a source of reliable inexpensive white wine; we in Ireland are very familiar with Mâcon-Lugny and at a higher level, Pouilly-Fuissé. Generally, the wines here offer great value for Chardonnay-lovers. The region is now starting to reach its full potential with some high-quality wines. I have generally found the various Pouillys (Fuissé, Vinzelles, and Loché) to be superior to Saint-Véran but this is one of the exceptions.

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`Catalò` Catalanesca 2020, Sorrentino

Posted by on August 10, 2022
`Catalò` Catalanesca 2020, Sorrentino

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.

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Valtuille 2020, Vino de Villa, César Márquez, Bierzo

Posted by on July 27, 2022
Valtuille 2020, Vino de Villa, César Márquez, Bierzo

I am a big fan of Mencía and this is a great example; a lovely, elegant wine with real style – and at a great price too.

€20.86 from WineSpark.com

Aromatic, with wonderful pure refreshing juicy dark fruits; a welcome little bit of grip from the whole-bunch fermentation, and good acidity. It all comes together nicely in a dangerously drinkable, free-flowing wine that will brighten up your dinner. Drink it cool, not chilled and decant if possible.

The grapes come from two plots of vines in the villages of Valtuille. It is made from 85% Mencía, 15% Alicante Bouschet and other local varieties. 100% whole-bunch pressed and then aged in oak casks for a year.

César Márquez is a nephew of Raúl Pérez, one of the leading winemakers in North-West Spain. Márquez was introduced to winemaking by Pérez, and having worked in the family wineries and elsewhere, has now started a project of his own. The results are impressive to say the least. As well as this wine, WineSpark.com has the lighter and fruitier Parajes de Bierzo for a bargain €16.92.

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Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2019, Stellenbosch

Posted by on July 22, 2022
Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2019, Stellenbosch

If you are a fan of white Burgundy, then this Chardonnay from O’Briens is well worth trying out. It’s not exactly cheap but compares very favourably in price and quality with many Chardonnays from Burgundy or California.

€26.45 from O’Briens

Medium-bodied and textured with mouth-watering peach fruits, citrus peel, subtle hazelnuts from the oak-ageing, and a fine mineral streak. Lively and full of flavour, this would go nicely with most chicken and richer fish dishes. We drank ours with a traybake of chicken thighs with lemon, but I suspect it would be even better with chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce, or salmon with loads of butter.

Delheim is a family-owned winery based in Stellenbosch close to Cape Town. They supply O’Briens with a range of very well-made, keenly-priced wines, including two great Chenin Blancs and a Pinotage Rosé. The sur lie is whole bunch pressed and fermented in 500 and 225 hl. French oak barrels, 15% of them new. It is then aged on its lees for nine months. 13.5%abv.

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Côte de Brouilly 2020, Cuvée Mélanie, Daniel Bouland

Posted by on July 15, 2022
Côte de Brouilly 2020, Cuvée Mélanie, Daniel Bouland

A beautifully rich smooth Beaujolais with dark cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruits. The acidity is there but you hardly notice it given the concentration of ripe fruit. The finish is long and rounded. Serve lightly chilled with charcuterie, semi-hard cheese or chicken dishes. I bought this for €24.95 from Grapevine – Onthegrapevine.ie

 

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Silice 2017, Ribeira Sacra

Posted by on July 24, 2019
Silice 2017, Ribeira Sacra

Seductive, perfectly ripe soft sweet/sour dark cherry fruits; light, svelte and soothing. This is a lovely bottle of wine. I defy anyone to dislike it.

 

Try this with pork dishes – pork chops with mushrooms?

 

I have featured many wines from Ribeira Sacra over the last few years; here the Mencía grape, sometimes blended with other local varieties, produces wines with a thrilling purity of fruit and delicate balance. In fact there are probably less than half a dozen really good producers, but we can expect this to expand in the next few years. This one was new to me, but I will investigate further.

 

 

€23.95 from Searsons, Monkstown, searsons.com; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, jusdevine.ie; Deveney’s, Dundrum; Eleven Deli, Greystones; Drinkstore, D7, drinkstore.ie.

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Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay 2016, Sta. Rita Hills, California

Posted by on July 24, 2019
Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay 2016, Sta. Rita Hills, California

White flower aromas, subtle fresh lemon and peach fruits, interwoven with light oak; this is a brilliant subtle Chardonnay with great complexity and character. I loved it.

Treat yourself and drink it alongside grilled black sole with maître d’ butter.

This formed part of a brilliant trade tasting put on by importers Wine Lab and Findlaters; more to follow. Following trips to San Francisco, I was always frustrated that the excellent wines I tasted there were not available back home in Ireland. It was partly down to cost, but more a lack of volume; California is a large state and can mop up most of their own boutique wines. Now we have a string of fine small producers including Sandhi, one of the most sought-after producers of all, and a source of some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir you will find – anywhere. Expensive but a match for fine white Burgundy.

 

€50 from www.stationtostation.ie – see their website for a great offer of wines from California and Oregon.

 

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Rouge-Gorge 2016, Coteaux du Loir Domaine de Bellivière

Posted by on July 19, 2019

This is an, engaging and utterly charming, lightly aromatic wine, with elegant redcurrant fruits and light tannins on the finish. It has good acidity, giving it a lovely freshness and an attractive subtle earthiness. There is a wonderful purity of fruit that draws you back to the glass time after time. Well, it did me anyway.

We drank it with our weekly roast organic chicken, often the perfect match for any wine, red or white. Serve it very cool; I chilled ours in the fridge for an hour. It then warmed up as we drank it.

The vineyards are farmed biodynamically. Eric Nicolas uses natural yeasts and minimal intervention in his winemaking, fermenting in large barrels in his tufa caves. That probably makes this a natural wine, although it bears little resemblance to many that I have tasted. Over the last decade, Nicolas has built a reputation as one of the finest white winemakers in the Loire valley, crafting some sublime dry, medium and sweet wines from the lesser-known appellations of Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir. Try his sublime Vieilles Vignes Eparses (€48) if you get the chance. All of the white wines are made from Chenin Blanc. Pineau d’Aunis is, as the labels tells us, an unusual local red grape variety, a close relative of the Chenin Blanc.

€39 from SIYPS.com; Ely 64, Glasthule, Ely64.com.

 

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Clima 2016, Vale da Capucha IG Lisboa

Posted by on July 19, 2019
Clima 2016, Vale da Capucha IG Lisboa

Delightful fresh medium-bodied white with textured ripe nectarines, and a crisp saline dry finish. Dangerously moreish.

Grilled mackerel or sardines.

Made from a blend of three Portuguese varieties, Gouveio, Fernão Pires and Arinto, this is one of many excellent white wines now coming out of Portugal. Vale de Capucha, run by the youthful Pedro Marques, is one of my favourite producers in Portugal for both red and white wines.

 

€20 from Lilac Wines, Dublin 3, lilacwines.ie; The Wine House, Trim; First Draft Coffee & Wine, Dublin 8, Firstdraftcoffeandwine.com;

 

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Two for the weekend

Posted by on June 7, 2019

This week, two wines I enjoyed during a three day visit to East Cork. Along with Colm McCan of Le Caveau, I gave a talk on religion and wine (a fascinating subject) in Cloyne Cathedral. If you ever visit East Cork, take a few minutes to visit this hidden gem, a lovely church with a fascinating history. We tasted the Viré-Clessé below, as many vineyards in the region were first planted by the monks in Cluny.

The following morning, I gave a talk and tasting on Spanish wine to the students at Ballymaloe Cookery School. I thought the Camino Real stood out against some pretty serious competition.

 

Viré-Clessé 2016, Les Pierres Blanches, Domaine André Bonhomme

Gorgeous generous textured apple and pear fruits with a lovely crisp mineral streak, finishing dry. Lovely pure unoaked Chardonnay.

This would go nicely with chicken dishes – either roast or in a creamy tarragon sauce.

I have been a fan of the Bonhomme wines for many years; they drink well young and age very well too. In the sea of indifferent wines found in the Mâconnais, they stand out as special – and very well priced too.

€22.95 from Le Caveau, Kilkenny, lecaveau.ie; Listons, Dublin 2, listonsfoodstore.ie; Ely 64, Glasthule, Ely64.com; Blackrock Cellar, Blackrock, blackrockcellar.com; MacGuinness Wines, Dundalk, dundalkwines.com.

 

 

 

Camino Real 2017 Ribera Sacra, Guímaro

Lightly aromatic with seductive perfectly ripe dark cherry fruits, a spicy savoury edge and a freshness, an elegance that draws you back for another sip. Delicious wine.

A seared breast of duck, or maybe belly of pork.

Pedro Rodríguez is one of the rising stars of Ribera Sacra, a region that has been receiving huge interest in recent years, for the amazing scenery as well as the unique wines. Made primarily from ancient Mencía vines clinging to the slate soils on vertiginous slopes sweeping down to the river, the wines can be spectacularly good.

 

€26 from Green Man Wines, Dublin 6, greenmanwines.ie; Ely 64, Glasthule, Ely64.com; Redmonds, Dublin 6; Redmonds.ie.

 

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