My Favourite Festive wines from Dunnes Stores

First published online in The Irish Times, Friday 16th November, 2018

These are my favourite wines from a Recent Dunnes Stores press tasting.

Bastide Neuve Rosé 2017, Pays d’Oc
12.5%, €10.50
Not quite as good as Dunnes’s Château de Berne rosé (€16.50) but not as expensive, either. Light, refreshing, crisp rosé, with subtle red-cherry and redcurrant fruits. A nice party wine or with chicken or prawn green curry.

Levalet Marsanne Viognier 2017, Pays d’Oc
12.5%, €9.50
Clean and fresh, with plump, ripe peach fruits, some citrus, and a soft finish. Great value party wine or with nibbles.

Rapaura Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Marlborough
13%, €11.50
I have featured this wine before. It offers classic Marlborough Sauvignon flavours, with intense aromas of gooseberries and lychees, and ripe exotic fruits on the palate, cut through with fresh lime zest. Perfect party wine, or with herby seafood dishes.

Pulpo Albariño 2017, Rías Baixas
13.5%, €15
Fresh, lightly floral aromas, and very attractive zingy clean fruits; a lovely mix of lemon peel and peach. Perfect with shellfish, prawns, scallops or mussels.

Rapaura Springs Pinot Noir 2016, Marlborough
13.5%, €17
A stylish, nicely  scented Pinot Noir with smooth, juicy, pure dark fruits. Light, with a rounded finish, this would go nicely with breast of duck, chicken, or tuna or salmon steaks.

Costero Pinot Noir Reserva 2017, Leyda Valley, Chile
13.5%, €12
Masses of vibrant, juicy red cherries, with hints of spice. Fresh and very moreish; great value for money.

Clos Malverne Reserve Pinotage 2014, Stellenbosch, South Africa
14.5%, €14
Big, powerful wine with rich, rounded plum fruits underpinned by toasty notes of roast coffee. Some firm tannins on the finish. Try it alongside a barbecued steak.

San Pedro 1860 Carmenere 2015, Maule, Chile
14.5%, €16
Rich, ripe dark fruits with plenty of spice.  Concentrated and long, with plenty of oomph. Pair with red meat, grilled or roasted.

Lombard Champagne NV, Grand Cru, Côtes de Blancs, Brut Nature
12.5%, €45
Made only with Chardonnay, this is a very superior, bone-dry champagne, with elegant, mineral green-apple fruits, a touch of brioche, and good length. Ideally, you would lay it down for a year or two, but it’ll also be good now, with nibbles or fish dishes.