Cahors and its Marvellous Malbec. And an Argentinian Gem

Cahors and its Marvellous Malbec

And an Argentinian Gem

A meander of the Lot

This little piece was originally intended to put the spotlight on the under-rated Malbecs of Cahors (France), often regarded as the home of the grape. I had picked up two excellent examples, one organic, in Bradley’s, North Main Street. And then along came the outstanding Bousquet (also organic), from Argentina, where Malbec has found a new and very agreeable home. To read more about Cahors, check out this article in wine-searcher.com

Cahors was famous for its “black wines” even before Bordeaux became established as a producing area. It has had its problems, including phylloxera in 1883-1885. There was a rebirth for Malbec with the founding of the Parnac Coop in 1947. But trouble again in February 1956 when frosts wiped out almost all the vineyards of the region, which thus needed to be replanted en masse. In this replanting, Malbec became more dominant than it had been before. Cahors was awarded AOC status in 1971. Most of the vineyards are planted close to the River Lot as it winds its way west.

While Argentina led the major Malbec breakthrough in the United States, Cahors also made big strides there, once the Americans were informed that it was Malbec in the bottle! Quality Malbec too as you can see from the two below. Next time, you see Cahors on the label, have confidence!

Domaine Bousquet Malbec Reserve 2012 (Tupungato Valley, Mendoza, Argentina), 14.5%, €18.80 Mary Pawle

Colour here is a deep violet, close to black and there are intense jammy dark fruits on the nose. The palate is full of flavour, dark fruits, even a hint of coffee, very intense, strong but not at all heavy, excellent acidity and amazing length. A more mature number than either of the Cahors and Very Highly Recommended.

The blend here is Malbec (85%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5), Merlot (5) and Syrah (5). Aged in French Oak for 10 months. They say it is ideal with red meats,sauces, cheeses and pasta dishes.

Got lost up in this area, even the Sat Nav got confused!

Chateau Leret Malbec Reserve 2012 (Cahors, France), 14.5%, €16.95 Bradley’s Offlicence

This is a favourite in Bradley’s, a rich wine, intense, tannic, with great mouthfeel. Merlot and Tannat figure in the blend (up to 20% between the two possible). A wine to keep and when opened to enjoy “with game and complex dishes”.

This has a ruby red robe (well supported - love those Google translations!).The mix in the aromas is of black and mainly red fruits, jammy. There is a lovely balance of juicy fruit (some spice) and good acidity, fine tannins are gentle in the mix, and it all ends in long dry finish. Highly Recommended.

In 1947, a few growers founded this cooperative in Parnac. Their goal was to revive the Malbec , the grape of Cahors. They succeeded and were still going strong a few years back when I called.

Chateau du Cedre 2012 (Cahors, France), 13%, €18.95 Bradley’s Offlicence, Le Caveau

Another excellent wine from the land of the Lot. The blend here is Malbec (90%), Tannat (5) and Merlot (5). It has spent 22 months in a mixture of Troncais oak (⅓ rd new) and the winery is certified organic by Ecocert. Would you like to see what the certificate looks like? Check here.

This purple wine has aromas of dark fruits, some savoury notes too in there. Dark fruit too on the palate, ripe, rich and rounded, yet this medium-bodied wine, thanks to a lively acidity, has a youthful engaging aspect. Highly Recommended.

By the way, if you've bought a lot of this, don’t worry. Stored correctly (at 10/15 degrees and with an air moisture of at least 70%), the winemaker will “guarantee the quality of this cuvée for the next ten years”. Just saying.

Still lost

International Sauvignon Blanc Day. Three To Try Next Friday

International Sauvignon Blanc Day

Three To Try Next Friday

The beautiful Chenonceau chateau in the Loire area
(but on the Cher River, a tributary of the Loire)

Sauvignon Blanc, possibly now the world’s best known white grape variety, has its annual day in the spotlight this coming Friday when International Sauvignon Blanc Day will be celebrated. We have three examples, all highly recommended, for you to try.

The “secret” of Sauvignon Blanc, known to connoisseurs for decades as the grape used in Sancerre in the Loire, was blown apart by the winemakers of New Zealand, of Marlborough in particular, whose fresh and lively style caught the attention of the world and, unlike the French, the Kiwis used the grape variety on the front label. Suddenly, we all knew a grape variety!

“The Kiwis made it famous” says one of the three well-known personalities discussing the white grape on a short video on YouTube; check it out here. Not one of them has a bad word to say about it:

“Great wine for beginners”;

“World’s most honest wine”;

“Refreshing”;

“Goes extremely well with soft cheeses:;

“Safest white wine to order from a wine list”.

If you want know more about the grape, read Jancis Robinson and the experts at Wine-searcher.com .

We don't have any for you from New Zealand but they are easily found. We do have a Southern Hemisphere offering, with an Irish connection, and two from the Loire area. Neither of the two is from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé but both are nonetheless very interesting and excellent wines.

Guy Allion Domaine Du Haut Perron Sauvignon 2014 (Touraine AC), 13%, €14.55 Le Caveau

Touraine is the catch-all AC along much of the Loire valley but under it you’ll find many excellent wines, including this one. If it had Sancerre on the label, you could add another tenner to the price. Great value for money here and well worth a try. Their viticultural methods are “resolutely organic and sustainable”.

Its light yellow colour is pure and bright. In the aromas you’ll find white fruit (apple, pear), herbaceous notes, even nettle. No shortage of flavours, including citrus, on the fresh palate, where it is supple and vibrant, a sharp mineral edge, all combining in a good finish. Highly Recommended.

They say it is a wine to drink as an aperitif, with asparagus, seafood, or fish with a slightly creamy sauce or White butter.

I say try it with a simple Goatsbridge Smoked Trout salad or with Pan-fried Chicken Breast from the Chicken Inn cooked with apple and white wine (this one!).

Elgin Ridge 272 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (South Africa), 14%, €21.95 Bradley’s. (see also Le Caveau)

There is an Irish connection here. Cavan woman Marion Smith (Ballyjamesduff) is co-owner with husband Brian and the vineyard is certified organic. They are also the owners of the largest herd of Dexter cattle (a native Irish breed) in the area. You’ll also see Dorper sheep, Peking duck and chicken all keeping the vineyard in check.

The name comes from the fact that the vineyard is 282 metres above sea-level, “the ideal height to create cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc in the Elgin Valley”.

Colour is light gold, with a great clarity, and white fruits are to the fore in the aromas. On the palate, you get those white fruit flavours, citrus taking the lead now, lively acidity, a mineral edge there too and a good finish. A lovely refreshing wine, great with food, and Highly Recommended.

Frantz Saumon Montlouis-Sur-Loire Sauvignon 2014 (Vin de France), 11.5%, €17.95 Bradley’s (see also le Caveau)

This natural wine is made from manually harvested organic grapes and not your usual Sauvignon Blanc, even that little bit different to others from the Loire in both aroma and palate. You’ll notice it at first sniff: it is not overly aromatic at all, though you may find citrus and pineapple. It is also low in alcohol. Only indigenous yeasts are used and the use of sulphur is very restricted.

Colour is an inviting light gold, really bright, with microbubbles on the glass. It is pleasant and tingly on the palate, with notes of gooseberry and grapefruit, excellent acidity, all followed by a good finish.

Producers recommend trying this delicious wine with “simply prepared fish dishes”. It is well worth a try and Highly Recommended. And don't worry, it is not that far away from your normal Sauvignon Blanc!

Taste of the Week. Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider

Taste of the Week

Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider

This is one of the best ciders I have ever tasted and is our Taste of the Week.

Made in County Meath by Mark Jenkinson, it has a rich amber colour, micro-bubbles constantly rising in the glass. The aromas are impressive too, redolent of the orchard. And on the palate there is a very pleasing concentration of real flavour and then a lovely dry finish.

Mark makes it in small batches in the heart of the Boyne Valley from 100% fresh pressed Irish apples. Each 1000 litre batch is unique and may vary slightly.

Keeving is not the easiest to explain as “it is more intuitive than an exact science”. But Mark gives a good run-down here. Crucially, it preserves the “lovely apple aromas and the rich flavours of the fruit and results in a robust yet smooth cider, complex and full-bodied with a bittersweet twist and a long dry finish.”

Briefly, Keeving means it is not filtered, not pasteurised, and not sweetened. The fruit sugars are naturally retained as are the intense apple flavours and aromas from the original must.

Hope that doesn’t sound too complicated. To put it simply, the result is a terrific drink with an ABV of 5% and is very highly recommended. Well worth a try. I got mine, a 75cl bottle, in Bradley’s for €9.95. See also Le Caveau who distribute it.

Wines From California. Serious. Cheeky. And Over Here.

Wines From California. 
Serious. Cheeky. And Over Here.

California Wines – Less is More is the title of a Wine Event in Ballymaloe next month and here, by way of introduction, are three wines from the Golden State. Two are reasonably serious players, the other not serious at all!

Still on the lookout for Californian wines, so let me know if you have a tip!

Joel Gott Chardonnay (California) 2013, 13.8%, €14.99 Bradley’s, Cork.

This has a bright golden colour, micro-bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass. Aromas of white fruits, blossoms too. Fresh and fruity on the palate, tingles as it spreads its lively acidity, all combining in a really long finish. This elegant wine is unoaked and Very Highly Recommended.

The grapes come from three different counties of California; from Monterey (which enhances the acidity) and from Sonoma and Napa (for better concentration). It is all stainless steel after that with some time sur lies to “improve viscosity”.

The Gott family have been making wine in California for five generations and are also well known for Gott’s Roadside where you can get “great burgers and milk shakes” according to Wines of California which itself has Joel's recipe for Fish Tacos (paired with Sauvignon blanc). Watch out too for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Alakai (a red blend).

See the maker’s short video on the Chardonnay here.  

Wilson Vineyard The Crusher Chardonnay (Clarksburg) 2011, €16.90 Karwig Wines

Another with a bright golden colour, tints of green too. Aromas of white fruit, blossoms, even hints of herb. Great mix of fruit on the fresh palate, nicely restrained though, beautiful rounded mouthfeel, enough acidity to balance and a long engaging finish.

This well balanced wine is “a perfect candidate for a bevy of dishes. Try pairing with halibut with lemon butter atop of rice pilaf or a delicious vegetable stir-fry with soy sauce”. There is, by the way, a small percentage of Viognier included.

The Crusher, from Clarksburg (beginning to emerge on the wine scene), captures the freshness of this world-class growing region, and is Very Highly Recommended.

Barefoot Merlot (California), 13.5%, €10.00 O’Donovan’s Off Licence

“Wine tastes better in a tee than in a tux” is the motto, one of them anyway, for Barefoot who pride themselves on making wines “free from the tyranny of all wine snobbery”.  Jennifer Wall, their winemaker since 1995, is best known in-house as Pinky Toe and, with some 2,000 medals to her credit, Pinky is quite a success story. Barefoot is part of E & J Gallo since 2005.

Merlot, of course, is also quite a success story in California. In 1990, 15,205 tons of Merlot were crushed here and that had risen to 282,300 by 2014. In the US overall, consumption figures for the grape are 2.8 million cases in 1990, 18 million in 2014.

This Barefoot is a fun wine with 76% Merlot and 24% other red wines. The Merlot grapes were harvested from select vineyards in The Central Valley, at the mouth of the Sacramento Delta, a location which provides beautiful warm days and cool breezy nights that foster ideal weather conditions for perfect fruit ripeness.

Colour is purple and there are red and dark fruit aromas (mainly plum, cherry). This medium bodied wine is smooth and warming, full of raspberry and blackberry flavours, mild tannins, well balanced too and with a decent finish. It is an easy-drinker, good value and Recommended. One half of the house is more inclined to make that Highly Recommended, so I used my casting vote! It is versatile too and Barefoot say it may be served with beef, poultry, pasta (with tomato sauce), cheese and dessert.

Merlot. And Barefoot friends

My Nicely Judged Australian Trio. Not Full-on At All.

My Nicely Judged Australian Trio

Not Full-on At All

Top wine writer, Hugh Johnson (he’ll be in Ballymaloe for the Lit-fest) has noted how Australian wine has changed from "full-on" to "nicely-judged". Reckon I’ve got a trio of the latter here. Enjoy!

Chris Pfeiffer in Cork

Pfeiffer Carlyle Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, 14.5%, €19.85 Karwig Wine

First, a geography lesson. The Pfeiffer winery is located in the parish of Carlyle in the Rutherford Glen area of Victoria in Australia. I met Chris Pfeiffer in Cork a few years ago and he is very proud of his area and of its wines and named this wine after his parish. You may read about Chris in Cork here.

This purple Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent. The nose is a strikingly rich mix of red fruits and violets. The palate too is rich, concentrated and smooth, hints of sweetness and then a long and slow finalé. Best in the parish? The wine-making neighbours, 40 miles or so away, may have something to say about that! But this is a lovely wine and Very Highly Recommended.

Pfeiffers are well known for their stickies (sweet wines). The Wine Atlas of Australia suggests that Christopher’s Vintage Port is the one of the best. Interestingly, the Pfeiffer website doesn't mention the word Port, diplomatically calling it Christophers VP.

With David Bryson (left) at a Cork tasting

Morambro Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Padthaway (Australia), 14.5%, €23.40 Karwig Wines

The Bryson family established Morambro Creek in 1994 and their signature wine, according to James Halliday, is the Bryson Barrel Select (Shiraz, Cabernet). They also own the Jip Jip Rocks and Mt Monster vineyards, both also in Padthaway.

I met David Bryson (5th generation) in Cork in 2013 and, as it happens, had a taste of this very wine. David said it is selected from a small number of outstanding barrels each vintage. Traditional wine-making and minimal processing feature strongly in the making of “this Cabernet derived from our estate vineyard”.

The nose, typical of the area, is fragrant and more expressive than the Carlyle. It also has a purple colour. On the palate, it is superb, lush and intense, some spice too. The tannins are fine and soft. The power and smoothness is a delicious delight and the finish is persistent. Overall, a great balance. It impressed two years ago and impressed again the other night. Very Highly Recommended, for sure! You'll probably notice that it comes in a rather heavy bottle!

Padthaway, on the Limestone Coast, is the area in which you’ll find the vineyards that David and his brothers, Paul and Andrew, look after. Their parents, Clive and Elizabeth, built the wine business up over the past half century before handing over to their three sons. Since 1851, five generations of the Bryson family have been involved in agriculture in the area.

Katnook Founder's Block Chardonnay 2012 €17.99 (down now to 15.95) Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork

The recent Australia Day tasting in Dublin illustrated once again how the country’s Chardonnay has found redemption in recent years. Once big and brash and off-putting (remember the ABC!), now it is much more subtle and so much the better for it. And Katnook is a splendid example of what you can expect nowadays.

Katnook had quite a selection on the Findlater stand in Dublin but I had already bought my own Chardonnay in Bradley’s, thanks to the advice of their Michael Creedon. A small proportion has been barrel fermented, then matured on its lees for six months and the wine is made “in a fruit forward style for everyday drinking”.

With its subtle oak tones from the barrel fermentation, its good concentration and long finish, this is an elegant solution if you want a well-made well-priced Chardonnay. And even better value now with two euro off. Katnook is, like Deakin Estates, owned by Spanish Cava producer Freixenet.

It has an attractive straw colour with white fruit aromas (peach and nectarine) evident. There is a smooth flow of white fruit onto the palate, a rich mouthfeel, those oak hints too, good acidity, balanced all the way to the the end of the lingering finish. Highly Recommended.

See blog post from the Australia Day Tasting in Dublin here

Taste of the Week. Wicklow Blue Cheese

Taste of the Week

Wicklow Blue Cheese

Try this with a glass of Sauternes!

A delicate hand crafted creamy blue made using pasteurised cows milk and vegetarian rennet. This exceptional cheese has claimed gold, silver and bronze awards and has recently won Best Irish Cheese in the World, The World Cheese Awards Dublin 2008, alongside acclaim from food writers.

This is how the Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese describe their Wicklow Blue, our Taste of the Week. The soft cheese is deliciously creamy, slightly tangy and salty. Indeed, the blue element is moderate, not high and, quoting from the recent Sheridan’s book on cheese, may well provide a path into the category “for those who find the traditional blue cheeses a little too strong”.

This beautiful cheese is fresh and flavoursome and has won a string of awards, both at home and abroad, and is used by top chefs. Be sure and check out their other cheeses as well, particularly the companion Wicklow Bán.

I bought my Wicklow Blue in Bradley’s but Wicklow Farmhouse Cheeses are widely available, including in the main supermarkets. Check stockists here.

Pairing tip: Try it with a glass of Sauternes!

M. Chapoutier. Poet of the Rhone

M. Chapoutier. Poet of the Rhone.

Enjoy. Don’t Over Analyse.

The M. Chapoutier motto is Fac et Spera - do and hope. Two words that sum up all the patience and daring that this art demands: patience in relation to nature which presides; daring for the winemaker, who observes, chooses and assists.The wine will be the faithful expression of this alchemy.

This winery and negociant business is situated in the Rhone area (and with vineyards further afield, including Australia). “Our own vineyards and the single vineyards that we select from are cultivated either organically or biodynamically.”

Michael, who introduced labels in Braille for his wines in 1999, is very much his own man as you can see from the numerous videos available on-line. I have  a short-list below and the first one is probably the best.

Lovely 2011 drive through the vineyards after coming down
 from a misty Mt Ventoux. Wish I was there now!

Michel, a terroir lover, is the current man but the family have been making wines for over two hundred years and there are other M. Chapoutiers in and coming into the business. I’ve read that If you are a Chapoutier baby, your first name will begin with M!

To give you an idea of Michel’s character, before you check the videos, I have a few quotes below. In one of the videos, you’ll hear him say that it was the English who added the H to Ermitage! Some of his wines are named Ermitage.

“I will not use the power of death (herbicides, pesticides, other -ides) but I will use the power of life.”

“Two people talk about love, the poet and the gynaecologist. I prefer the poet.” In other words, don't overanalyze as you may take the fun out of wine.

“It is very easy to concentrate a wine but it is gross….. Stuff fragrance…”

Quite a man. And quite a wine-maker too, one of the big names of the Rhone, according to Larousse. He makes beautiful wines and I enjoyed a few of them recently.

Chapoutier links:

Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0RHYFT0PNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUXb8hb-buA

http://belleruchewines.com/michel/

No shortage of choice when I sat down
for lunch in Gigondas in June 2011

M. Chapoutier Gigondas (AOC) 2014, 14%, €25.95 Bradley’s

According to M. Chapoutier, texture, flavour, length and body are more important than fruit, much more important than fragrance. “Stuff fragrance,” he emphasises in one of the videos above. Reckon he followed his own advice here with this Rhone gem, though there is no shortage of aromas in this bright and healthy looking ruby wine, an attractive mash of red fruit (strawberries mainly) on the nose.

It is strikingly fresh on the palate, superb body with no shortage of flavours, acidity light and effective in the balance, and the finish goes on and on. Chapoutier makes wine to go with food and this is just one excellent example. A classy wine and Very Highly Recommended.

Grenache is the main grape here, with Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre playing the supporting roles. A part of the wine is aged in oak casks before being blended with the other part. This wine is then aged from 12 to 16 months before bottling.

The village of Gigondas was a winegrowing area up until the time of the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the XXth Century. As a consequence of the disaster, Gigondas chose to turn towards olive growing. However, following the " Black Frosts " in 1956 which destroyed the greater part of its olive trees Gigondas reverted to winegrowing, re-implanting high quality vineyards- and which nevertheless had to wait until 1971 before gaining A.O.C. acknowledgement.

M. Chapoutier Rasteau (AOC) 2013, 14%, €19.95 Bradley’s

Colour of this blend of Grenache and Syrah is a quite a deep crimson. And there are rather intense aromas of very ripe fruit, also a little pepper. Generous fruit and some spice too on the palate, juicy in a light manner, lively acidity, well balanced and an excellent warm finish. Highly Recommended.

Rasteau is one of the Crus of the Cotes du Rhone; it is allowed use just the village name on the label and is a step up on the AC Cotes du Rhone Villages named village, two steps up on AC Cotes du Rhone Villages and three steps up on the AC Cotes du Rhone! Other villages on a par with Rasteau include Gigondas, Vinsobres and Vacqueyras. Rasteau and the neighbouring Beaumes de Venise also make a fortified wine, a red one in the case of Rasteau.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone (AOC) 2014, 13.5%, €14.95 Bradley’s

Garnet is the colour of this blend of mainly Grenache and Syrah. Aromas are mainly red fruit (cherry), some spice too. On the palate, you get that fruit again, a lovely drift of spice, good acidity, fine tannins too. An excellent and rather complex example of a very well made Rhone wine, at a level close to higher applications, and Highly Recommended

The vineyards of the red Côtes du Rhône “Belleruche” covers 4 departments (Drôme, Vaucluse, Gard and Ardèche) on different soils (clay and calcareous alluvial deposit terraces, clay…) giving to the “Belleruche” an extraordinary richness and complexity.

Also available in white.

Arriving in Beaumes de Venise

M. Chapoutier Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (AOC) 2012, 15.5%, €17.95 (37.5cl) Bradley’s

Vin doux naturel (vdn), or naturally sweet wines, have a long history. Like port, a spirit (in this case, a neutral grape spirit), is added before all the sugar has been converted to alcohol. Chapoutier also makes a similar wine to this in Banyuls in the Languedoc. Both are intended to “prolong the pleasure of a good meal”.

Colour is a light (and bright) gold and the attractive aromas are of candied fruits and there are also floral notes. The aromas continue strong in this well balanced wine. There is no excessive sweetness here, no cloying stickiness. Light and lovely and Very Highly Recommended.

The grape by the way is Muscat petit grains. Beaumes de Venise is quite a small place, in the shadow of Mont Ventoux. I have happy memories of a visit there. I had just come down from a grey drizzle on top of the mountain and a temperature of about six degrees. Down in the valley as we drove towards Beaumes it rose to the mid twenties.

We had a tasting in a shop in the village and a friendly lady was very generous when she poured the golden liquid into your tasting glass. There was no spittoon! And so we had to cut our tasting mission short but got back to the nearby villages, including Gigondas and Vacqueyras, a few days later.

Other

La Bernardine Chateauneuf du Pape 2013, €39.95

Les Meysonniers Crozes Hermitage, €21.95 See my recent review here. Very Highly Recommended.