Where Santa Bags His Reds.

Where Santa Bags His Reds.

At Karwig's

André

Domaine André Brunel Sommelongue 2011, 14% abv, €17.05 at Karwig Wines

I reckon old Santa could well be calling to Karwig Wines in Carrigaline any day, not delivering, but stocking up on his reds for his many customers. Could well be picking up a few whites as well.

This is one versatile red that might top his list for Christmas dinners. You could drink it with practically anything: roast chicken, pork belly, garlicky sausages, grilled lamb - and, of course, the Christmas turkey. And also with the cheese course.

André Brunel is already well known as the producer of a top class Chateauneuf du Pape on his Les Cailloux estate. This Sommelongue may well be labeled as an ordinary Cotes du Rhone but you’ll find it better than many CdR Villages and on a par with quite a few Crus. Very Highly Recommended.

It is a blend, of Grenache (85%), Syrah and Mourvedre, grown without chemical fertilizers and harvested by hand. Aromas are of dark fruit, especially plum, and with hints of liquorice. It is rich and spicy on the palate, more red than dark fruit here. It is drinking well now; indeed, while it may age for a few years, it is intended to be drunk young. So now’s the time. Happy Christmas.

Gran Passione Rosso 2013 (Veneto IGT 2013), 14%, €13.95 Karwig Wines.

This is another very popular red wine in Karwigs. Indeed, they ran out of it a while back but got new stock in about two weeks ago. This is a great wine for roasted red meats, for game dishes and excellent too with mature hard cheeses. Read my take on it here.

Indeed, Karwig’s are quite strong on Italian reds, many of them well priced. Casale Vecchio Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009, is another that I enjoyed earlier this month and you’ll find the details here. Just make sure you get there before Santa!

Jingle Bell Rhone. Two for the red stocking

Jingle Bell Rhone

Two for the red stocking

Fountain in memory of a local troubadour
at the entrance to Vacqueyras

Remy Ferbras Vacqueyras 2013 (Rhone, France), 13.5%, €10.00 SuperValu.

Colour is ruby red and cherries stand out in the inviting mix of aromas. There is a great balance between lively fruit and spices plus a hint of liquorice, impressive blend, full bodied and rounded and a good bottle to have on your table at this time of year. Very Highly Recommended.

Regulations governing the AOC allow the use of up to 22 grape varieties but the three main ones in Vacqueyras rouge are Grenache (at least 50%), Syrah and Mourvedre, hence the term GSM wine,often tossed about by experts to the confusion of us amateurs.

Vacqueyras is one of eight villages in the Southern Rhone that has its own name as the AOC name. The others are Rasteau, Vinsobres, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Lirac, Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape and all eight are regarded as Crus.

The village itself is small and tree lined. Indeed, when I called there a few years back, the canopy of leaves had the centre in deep shade in the early afternoon. Looked a bit unreal.

Vines in the Southern Rhone

Chateau Goudray, Seguret Cotes du Rhone Villages 2012, 15%, €10.00 SuperValu

This is another of the Rhone’s GSM wines (we’re learning fast!). Minimum ABV for Seguret is 12.5% so this is comfortably above that! Hillside Seguret, like Vacqueyras, is a village in the Southern Rhone but, unlike its neighbour, is not allowed to go solo on the label. It can only append its name to the more general Cotes du Rhone Village labels, a step down on going solo but a step up on the basic Cotes du Rhone.

This too has an inviting fruity aroma and a ruby colour. Another very handy one for the Christmas, it is fruity, spicier than the Vacqueyras, well rounded, well balanced (no hint of that higher alcohol), dry, and with a decent finish. Could be an interesting match-up with that new local spiced buffalo by Eoin O'Mahony in the English Market. Again, Very Highly Recommended.

The World Atlas of Wine says that Seguet develops quickly. You've been warned!

Winning Grenache from a Solera in Gigondas

Winning Grenache from a Solera in Gigondas

Saint Cosme Little James Basket Press, Non Vintage Red (Vin de France), 13%, €15.99 (12.79 August) at Curious Wines

The Rhone cased Chateau de Saint Cosme (est. 1570), a negociant-vigneron, uses the Solera blending technique, usually associated with sherry, to produce this excellent non vintage Grenache.

Unlike a vintage wine, Little James “is a permanent creation of a solera, which gets more and more complex every year with an irresistible crunchy fruit”. The typical bottle has fifty per cent of the current vintage and fifty per cent from wines of the previous decade.

There are aromas of darker fruits (plum and cherry for me) and some pepper in this dark red wine. On the palate, you'll find lots of fruit and that pepper again and great flavours all the way through the long finish. “A winner” according to Robert Parker. Very interesting and Very Highly Recommended.

Happy Day! Dining in Gigondas

SUPERB RHONE WINES AT HAYFIELD EVENT

HAYFIELD MANOR HOTEL WINE SOCIETY

The Menu

Aperitif:  Cotes de Provence, Domaine Houchart 2010

Pan Fried Bantry Bay Scallops, Tomato and lime salsa, Beetroot Jelly, Caper and Sultana Dressing served with a Chateauneuf du Pape white, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret  2009. Famille Quiot.

Orchids Home Smoked Breast of Duck, Duck liver and Foie Gras Parfait, Fruit Bread, Orange Dressing served with a Cotes du Rhone  Villages Sablet, Chateau du Trignon 2007, Famille Quiot.

Seared Loin of Venison, Confit Yam, parsnip, Parsley..... served with a Chateauneuf du Pape, Cuvee Exceptionnelle, Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2006, Famille Quiot.

The Cheeses (Cooleeney Farmhouse, French Brie, Bandon Vale Vintage Cheddar, Cahill’s Farm Irish Porter Cheese) served with Chateau du Trignon Vacqueyras 2007, Famille Quiot.

Baked Cheese Cake with Warm Tropical Fruits...served with a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Chateau du Trignon 2008.

Jean-Louis

This was the promising menu ahead of last night’s first Wine Dinner of the Hayfield Manor Wine Society . The promise was indeed delivered, thanks to the superb wines, introduced with wit and inside knowledge by Jean-Louis Smyl of the Famille Quiot, and thanks to the superb food prepared by Executive Chef Graeme Campbell and his team. And a big merci also to Sandra Biret-Crowley, the sommelier at the hotel, who worked so hard to bring the whole event together.

Yours truly with sommelier  Sandra

Started in the bar with a  big welcome from Joe and Marcus of KarwigWines and soon an introduction to Jean-Louis who told me the family has five vineyards in the general area. It was from the most southerly of these, Domaine Houchart, that the aperitif came from, a lively and fresh 2010 rosé.

More introductions followed as we moved from the bar to the Vine Wine Cellar and our tables and here Jean-Louis told us about their white Chateauneuf, made from Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette and Roussanne. Very supple and with quite a decent finish and a pleasing match with the excellent scallops.

Now we were on to the Smoked Breast of Duck, embellished by well chosen accompaniments and further enhanced by a splendid Cotes du Rhone Village from the highly regarded village of Sablet, set in the hills, and a big favourite of Jean-Louis.

And then came a high point of the evening. The Venison was superb and the wine match was made in heaven, well made in Domaine du Vieux Lazaret actually. This was a Cuvee Exceptionnelle, not made every year. They decided to make one in 2006 and we benefitted from the choice last evening. Inviting aromas, soft and round on the palate, no shortage of spice as you might expect with Grenache and Syrah to the fore, and a long finish.

The village of Vacqueyras is one of the eight crus of the southern Rhone and it was the family’s Chateau du Trignon that the 2007 came from and it proved a terrific match for the line-up of cheeses.

Beaumes de Venise, another small village, is just down the road and here our wine journey for the evening would finish.  Quite a decent red is produced here but we were treated to the well known AOC Muscat Beaumes de Venise, a sweet end to a sweet evening as it went down very well indeed with the Baked Cheese Cake.

TWO GOOD ONES FROM THE RHONE

TWO FROM THE RHONE

DOMAINE DES RICHARDS PLAN DE DIEU COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES 2009, 14.5%, €8.00.

Bought this bottle after a tasting at the producer’s shop in the pretty village of Beaumes de Venise. Spent part of the morning on top of a foggy Mont Ventoux (6 degrees), seeing (through gaps in the cloud) the sunshine in the valleys below (26 degrees). It stayed fine as we drove through the Dentelles to Beaumes. It was a good sunny day and this turned out to be a good buy.

The grape variety mix in the area is Grenache 50%, Syrah and /or Mourvedre 20% minimum and other grapes authorised in the appellation 20% maximum.

In appearance it is a rich red while the nose finds a rich mix of ripe red fruits and local herbs. This is a big wine on the palate, warm and full bodied with the fruit and spices. It is an excellent mouthful, not at all shy and the team of tannins keeps it all well balanced.

This particular bottle was put to good use with some excellent local products - see the previous post.

VIGNERONS BEAUMES DE VENISE CRU DES COTES DU RHONE 2009, 14.5%.

Beaumes is one of the 8 Crus of the Southern Rhone and has been so since 2005. The grape mix here is slightly different from the Plan de Dieu and is: Grenache 50%, Syrah 25%, Mourvedre and other varieties authorised by the Appellation 20% maximum and white grape varieties 5%.

This was another very enjoyable holiday purchase that reached Ireland but didn't last for too long! It has a very rich red colour with a quite a nose of red and black fruits and spice. The palate is somewhat smoother than the Plan de Dieu and it is full bodied and well balanced with some excellent work form the smooth tannins.

Another fine example from the Rhone and a little step up on the Plan de Dieu.

HAYFIELD MANOR WINE SOCIETY EVENING

Hayfield Sommelier Sandra Biret - Crowley

HAYFIELD MANOR WINE SOCIETY EVENING

The Rhone valley is synonymous with terrific wines and the area will feature strongly at the Hayfield Manor Wine Society Dinner in November. Enjoyed my trip down there that this summer, stopping at such iconic wine villages as Gigondas, Rasteau, Vacqueyras and at Chateauneuf de Papes itself. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing Jean Louis Smyl of Famille Quiot at the Hayfield.

And I’m not the only one. The hotel’s Paul O’Connell: “We view wine as a vital part of the Hayfield Manor experience, and the superb cellar kept by our Sommelier Sandra Biret - Crowley, is a source of delight for experienced wine buffs and enthusiastic amateurs alike.

Among the carefully selected vintages from some of the great names of the wine world you’ll also discover plenty of bottles that carry less prestige but provide their own special virtues, plus some intriguing wines you may never have encountered before.

Enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge of wine, or amateurs who simply love sampling new and exciting vintages, will relish the specials wine events that are a regular feature in Hayfield Manor. Our exceptional suppliers regularly host events that offer an informal but informative exploration of the world of wine, especially some of its less well know delights, with plenty of entertainment to be enjoyed along the way.

Rhone vineyard

We are also happy to offer exclusive events for groups, so if you’re looking for a corporate event or employee incentive evening with a difference, here’s the solution.”

The first Hayfield Manor Wine Society evening will be held on November 10th with a program of exceptional wine dinners compiled by Sommelière Sandra Biret – Crowley and Jean Louis Smyl of Famille Quiot (Rhone Valley).

This special four course wine dinner begins at 7.00pm with aperitifs and an introduction to the region’s wines. Dinner is € 79.00 per person and includes a 5 course menu specially created by the Executive Chef, Graeme Campbell, to complement the 5 different wines. To book please call 021-4845900 or email events@hayfieldmanor.ie