Wilson on Wines

Did I drink all of those? A weekend’s consumption.

Posted by admin on April 6, 2016

Did I really drink all that? Sort of – I was assisted by my better half, and I didn’t finish everything. That is my excuse anyway. A few interesting wines, and Fernet Branca of course.

Fernet Branca
I always see Fernet more as an away drink. I have consumed it late at night in hotel bedrooms, over breakfast, and as a midday digestif on various wine trips. I dusted off my bottle for an article in the Irish Times last Saturday, and enjoyed a small glass after dinner one night; I love it, but I am definitely the only one on the house! If you haven’t tried it, it might be best to order one in a bar first; it is not to everyone’s taste!

Cava Aliguer Brut Vintage 2012,
11.5%

I have been drinking a lot of nice cava recently, including this lovely floral wine with very moreish apple and pear fruits. Around €23 from Sheridan’s Cheese Shops.

Pinot Noir La Roncière 2014, André Vatan, Vin de Loire
12.5%
€14.95 from Whelehan’s

For a long time, Sancerre was one of the few parts of France other than Burgundy attempting to make red wine from Pinot Noir. Red Sancerre has got a whole lot better, but is always quite pricey. This wine, made by one of the leading producers of Sancerre (white and red) is very pleasant and offers pretty good value. Light refreshing red fruits with an earthy edge. Serve cool with all sorts of summer salads, cold meats and chicken dishes.

Sin Palabras 2014, Rías Baixas, Castrovaldés
13%
€19.95 from 64wine, Glasthule and Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown.

A fine crisp dry Albariño, with subtle pear fruits. Lighter and fresher than many other Rías Baixas.

Kalkundkiesel 2014, Claus Preisinger, Weinland, Austria
12%
€22

A low/no sulphur wine, made from a blend of Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay. The quality of fruit is very different, with hints of apples and barley-sugar, with a crisp mineral acidity. Interesting and enjoyable wine.

Gran Cerdo 2014, Spain
€14.50

A natural wine made in Rioja with very low levels of sulphur. It certainly tastes different, with funky, barnyard aromas, raised acidity, and soft strawberry fruits. Not for everyone, but worth it for the back label alone which reads ‘ dedicated to the bank executives that denied loans to us on the basis that wine is not a seizable asset. One day, these greasy and sweaty corporate suits will find that the best things in life cannot be impounded’.

Stockists: 64wine; Baggot St Wines; Blackrock Cellar; Fallon & Byrne; Corkscrew; Le Caveau; Donnybrook Fair. Listons; World Wide Wines; Green Man.

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

Tasted more like 14% (or 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.

Treintamil Maravedíes 2013, Bodega Marañones D.O. Viños de Madrid
14.%
€19.95 from many independents, including 64wine, Glasthule and Whelehan’s, Loughlinstown.

Really not sure about this wine. I like Fernando, the winemaker at Marañones, and have certainly enjoyed his wines in the past. He seems to be going on a new route with a different style to his wines. This still has some of the lovely crunchy elegant Garnacha fruit that I have come to expect, but alongside it there is a slightly funky oxidative touch – not quite sure how to describe it. I still like the wine, but not as much as before.

Weisser Burgunder Trocken 2014 Dr. Deinhard Pfalz
12%
€17.95 from the Corkscrew, Chatham Street, Dublin.

Every now and again, a bottle gets lost in the pile of wines I have to taste (I know, tough life). This was sent to me several months ago by The Corkscrew in Chatham Street, one of Dublin’s best wine shops. Weisser Burgunder is Pinot Blanc in France, Pinot Bianco in Italy, where it makes wines ranging from anonymous to pleasantly fruity. This was one of the latter. Clean and refreshing with light pear fruits and a snappy dry finish.

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Fernet Branca

Posted by admin on April 3, 2016

First published in the Irish Times, Saturday 2nd April, 2016

Nothing can quite prepare you for your first hit of Fernet-Branca. Mine came over breakfast, courtesy of a Danish colleague, who assured me it was the only way to start the day. I thought he was trying to poison me. Fernet-Branca is dark, mysterious and bitter. Very bitter. Drunk neat, it is dry, medicinal, sharp and herbal, like a slap across the face.

I once read a memorable description of Fernet Branca as “like waking up in a foreign country and finding a crowd of people arguing in agitated thorny voices outside your hotel window”.Italians like this sort of thing; witness the popularity of Campari, cima di rapa and other bitter brassicas, and liquorice. They treat Fernet-Branca and other bitters as a digestif. A small glass at the end of a meal is said to ward off indigestion and promote well-being. Elsewhere, there are those who swear it is the perfect antidote to a hangover, but that is probably because it tastes like a severe punishment, and temporarily dulls the senses.

Fernet-Branca was invented in 1845 by Bernardino Branca. His company, Fratelli Branca Distillerie of Milan, is still run by the Branca family. As with so many drinks, the recipe is a secret, but the company website tells us it has 27 herbs from four continents, as well as spices and roots. This includes aloe from Sri Lanka or India, and chamomile from Italy or Argentina. It is aged in old oak barrels for a year prior to bottling.

Fernet-Branca is hugely popular in the bars of San Francisco where bartenders apparently start their shift with a shot, and sometimes continue throughout the evening.

The most popular cocktail is the Bartender’s Handshake, Fernet and ginger ale, sometimes drunk one after the other. But it is Argentina that consumes the greatest quantity of Fernet-Branca, some 25 million litres each year, usually as a Fernandito or Fernet con Cola.

It is even available in pre-mixed cans. On a recent visit to a trendy Buenos Aires nightspot, bartenders were offering all manner of Fernet-based cocktails. I tried one and returned to my Malbec.

Throughout its history, Fernet-Branca has been marketed as having curative properties, in the 19th century as a treatment for anxiety and fever.

Early labels claim it “benefits the stomach, promotes digestion, strengthens the body, overcomes cholera, reduces fever, and heals those suffering from nervous weakness, lack of appetite, sickness or tapeworms; suitable for use as a preventative measure for all those who are obliged to reside in damp and infectious conditions. May be taken at any time of the day as required, undiluted or mixed with water, soda water, wine, coffee, vermouth, or other beverages”.

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Posted in: Beer & Whiskey, Irish Times

Custoza 2014, Zenato

Posted by admin on April 1, 2016
Custoza 2014, Zenato.
12.5%
Available for €14.95 from Searsons, Monkstown.

Fresh textured white with pear fruits and good cleansing acidity. Great served solo or with lighter seafood and salad dishes, possibly a prawn salad of some sort.

Custoza, a lesser-known neighbour of Soave, can be more reliable, possibly because there are fewer producers who have to try a little harder. They use the same grape varieties, mainly Garganega, sometimes with a little Trebbiano, to make attractive crisp refreshing white wines.

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Tags: Custoza, Garganega, Italy, Searsons Wine Merchants, Trebbiano, White Wine, Zenato

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Dao Jardim da Estrela 2014, Carlos Lucas
Posted by admin on April 1, 2016
Dao Jardim da Estrela 2014, Carlos Lucas
13%

Available from Clontarf Wines; Browns, Portlaoise; JJ O Driscoll, Ballinlough; O Learys, Cootehill; Hole in The Wall, D7; www.quintessentialwines.ie Quintessential Wines, Drogheda, for €12.95.

Lovely soft juicy blackcurrants and red cherries. Refreshing and ripe, with no tannins. Ideal everyday wine with all kinds of red and white meats. A stuffed filet of pork or bacon with parsley sauce both sound good.

I like Dao. When properly made, it is light and refreshing with very tasty dark cherry and plum fruits. There are expensive versions, and some of these are very good. But most are incredibly cheap given the quality and offer great value. These are very food friendly wines that won’t break the bank; perfect for a wet Wednesday. This one is made from three local grape varieties, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo) and Alfrocheiro.

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Tags: Alfrocheiro, Dao, Jardim de Estrela, Portugal, Quintessential Wines, Red Wine, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional

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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!

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

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Radikale Radical Brew
Posted by admin on March 31, 2016
Radikale Radical Brew
6.6%

This article was first published in the Irish Times, Wednesday 30th March, 2016

I featured the delicious Belgian-style Radikale Rubenesque last September, and gave a brief mention of the Radikale Curious Ale, a beer that had been made in collaboration with Blackwater Distillery in Cappoquin. When I say collaboration, they added the botanicals used for the very tasty No.5 gin instead of flavouring hops. “I really the liked the Blackwater gin”, says Alain Dekoster, the Belgian behind Radikale, “and just wondered what would happen if I used the botanicals to make beer. We didn’t know what to expect, but it really exceeded my expectations.” Customers liked it too; it was voted fourth best beer by Beoir members in 2015. The name of the beer has now changed, due to legal threats from a UK beer company, to Radical Brew.

This is a rye beer, giving it a nice spiciness. You certainly get the juniper, plus a few other herbs, but the main flavour is hops. When I tried it at the RDS last year, I wasn’t that gone on it, but I really enjoyed sipping this one evening last week. Dekoster hopes to finish his new brewery later this year, and have a few new beers ready for the RDS beer festival.

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Tags: Alain Dekoster, Blackwater Gin, Irish Craft Beer, Radical Brew, Radikale

Posted in: Beer & Whiskey, Irish Times
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Easter Weekend – the wines
Posted by admin on March 29, 2016
It was my birthday on Easter Sunday, so I felt justified in opening up a few nice elderly bottles from my stash.

El Grano Chardonnay 2013, Chile
13.5%
€15.90 from 64wine, Glasthule; Baggot Street Wines; Green Man Wines, Terenure; Blackrock Cellar; Le Caveau, Kilkenny.

An organic wine made by a Frenchman who set up in the Curico Valley in Chile. Gerard Maguire in 64wine, Glasthule first put me on to this wine. It is a delicious plump Chardonnay, with great purity of fruit and a lovely freshness.

Miro Traminec 2013, Jeruzalem, Slovenia
13.5%
€20.99 from Cabot & Co., Westport or On the Grapevine, Dalkey.

Miro came over for the Knockranny Wine weekend, and put on a fascinating tasting of his wines. Included was a Traminec, or Gewürztraminer. I am guilty of ignoring this grape, mainly because I grew tired of the overblown aromas, flabby fruit and residual sugar that you so often find. Miro’s version however was lovely; lightly aromatic, spicy nose; soft textured lychees on the palate and good length. A charming wine to sup by itself or I suspect it would go nicely with Chinese or Thai food.

Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut Nature Champagne
12%
Around €60.

We didn’t open up the bottle of Bollinger in the picture above for various reasons. The Brut Nature, has no residual sugar, unlike most Champagnes that have 9-12 g/l. It showed in the bone-dry, austere finish. I loved it, but others were a little less sure. It didn’t stop us polishing off the bottle before dinner though. Light crisp apple and brioche with an elegant bone dry long finish. Nice wine.

Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 2002, Trimbach, Alsace
12.5%
The current vintage costs €50 – 60 a bottle.

One of my favourite white wines, and this bottle, the last of a case I bought, was superb. Elegant and restrained, with perfectly mature fruit. Toasty, nutty and honeyed, with plenty of acidity, I could have sipped it all evening. Despite the price (around €50) I still believe this is one of the best value white wines. It is made from several Grand Cru vineyards, and is less expensive and more consistent than most grand cru white Burgundy.

Villa de Corullón 2001, Bierzo
14%
Around €65 a bottle.

This had been stashed away for the best part of a decade. As I had just finished a tasting of Bierzo, I thought it might be nice to try a mature version. It certainly didn’t taste ten years old with sour cherries, plums and a strong mineral streak. Good length. The leftovers were nice the following day too. Nice without every bowling me over.

Ch. Canon 1990, St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé
13%

I bought this around fifteen years ago; elegant and maturing with an attractive leafiness and some restrained plum fruits. It still had some tannins on the finish. Opened out nicely and went very well with my roast pork. Very good rather than excellent.

Ch. Coutet 1989, Barsac
13.5%

Rich marmalade and honey fruits, with a tangy long sweet finish. Very tasty, lacking the complexity to be really great, but a very nice wine.

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Tags: Barsac, Bordeaux, Ch. Canon, Ch. Coutet, Chardonnay, El Grano, Frederic Emile, Laurent Perrier Brut Nature, Méncia, Miro, Riesling, Slovenia, Telmo Rodriguez, Traminec, TRIMBACH, Villa de Corullon

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Galway Hooker Sixty Knots India Pale Ale
Posted by admin on March 24, 2016
First published in the Irish Times online, Wednesday 23rd March, 2016

Galway Hooker Sixty Knots India Pale Ale
6.5%

Galway Hooker was one of the first craft brewers in the country, set up in 2006 by cousins Ronan Brennan and Aidan Murphy. Murphy is very happy with the boom in new craft brewers. ‘It’s a funny kind of thing; the competition elevates the whole craft beer market so it is mostly positive. The more beers, the more momentum we all seem to get.’ Originally set up in Roscommon, they moved to a bigger new brewery in Oranmore two years ago. ‘It is certainly a lot more comfortable’ says Aidan.

Sixty Knots was launched about a year ago, and is now a permanent fixture, alongside the original Irish Pale Ale, Stout and Amber Ale. ‘Basically we were trying to produce a traditional India Pale Ale with high alcohol content and a high level of bitterness (it has 60 ibu). It is a little bit different from other Irish IPAs in that it has a combination of the punchy citrus of American hops combined with the earthy spiciness of European hops’. Sixty Knots certainly has a lively bitterness, but it is very nicely underpinned by pine resin and a broad maltiness.

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Tags: craft beer, Galway Hooker, Ireland, Irish Times, Sixty Knots

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Pinot Grigio 2015 Roberta Fugatti, Trentino
Posted by admin on March 24, 2016
12%
€14.15

Lovely fresh textured melon fruits with a zesty acidity and a crisp dry finish. Brilliant inexpensive all-purpose wine.

If only all Pinot Grigio tasted like this. Our shelves are full cheap mawkish versions that seem to satisfy a demand for wine that tastes of very little and therefore won’t offend. I have been following the Fugatti for a few years now – it is proof that you can make good Pinot Grigio at a reasonable price.

Available from Sheridan’s Cheese shops; 64wine, Glasthule; Blackrock Cellar; Rua Deli, Castlebar; Ashe’s of Annascaul.

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Tags: Italy, Pinot Grigio, Roberta Fugatti, Trentino, White Wine

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