Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Supervalu Christmas Wine Sale Features Bordeaux and Burgundy. And So Much More.

Supervalu Christmas Wine Sale Features Bordeaux and Burgundy. And So Much More.

Château Haut Breton Larigaudiere, near Margaux


A huge selection in the annual Christmas Wine Offering at Supervalu. Their wine expert Kevin O’Callaghan: “There is something for every wine lover and curious customer alike. Whether pairing with fish, meats, or a delicious cheese, the selection of excellent offers this season ticks every box.”


And, speaking of boxes, they have two case deals on offer. The first (on now until December 30th) features Barão de Vilar Reserva (2018), velvety and fruity with an elegant finish and will cost you €50 euro, down from the RRP of €89.00. Believe it or not, you can save another tenner by buying between November 26th and December 9th and taking advantage of the “buy any six bottles and save an additional €10.00” offer.


Later in the month, watch out for the second case offer. Here the temptation is the Italian Vivaldi Ripasso (2018), aromatic, full bodied, soft and warm, the temptation enhanced by the asking price of €40.00 instead of €94. You just gotta love Signore O’Callaghan. You’ll have to be on your toes for this one - it is short lived: from December 17th to 20th.


Faced with a sample of what’s on offer, I went for a couple of classic areas for the reds, two from Bordeaux and one from Beaujolais. Very happy indeed with the trio below. See the post on the best of their white wines here.


Lady De Mour Margaux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €25.00 (34.42).



Deep ruby colour. Red Berries on the nose, touch of vanilla too. Super-smooth blackcurrant,  elegant palate, terrific body and texture, harmony reigns between fruit and smooth tannin, persisting all the way to the impressive finalé. Impressive all round actually.


Margaux is, of course, one of the prime areas of Bordeaux and it is nearby in Soussans that you’ll find Chateau Haut Breton Larigaudiére, the producers of this blend where the lead player Cabernet Sauvignon is supported by Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc. It has been aged in oak for 10-15 months. This one may be kept for 5 to 10 years according to the advice on the label.




Lacombe-Cadiot Bordeaux Supérieur (AOC) 2018, 14%, €13.00 (15.73)



Dark ruby colour. Ripe black fruits lead the aromatics. The fruit more than holds its own on the palate, a touch of spice too, fresh, clean and elegant, smooth tannins and a persistent finish.  Pretty much the perfect Supérieur, underlined by the fact that this very vintage was recently awarded 97 points by Decanter.


A Bordeaux Supérieur of exceptional quality according to Supervalu, echoing the “remarkable Bordeaux Supérieur” from the producers who come under the De Mour wing, the same group responsible for our very fine Margaux above.


The grapes, again Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, come from Macau, also in the Medoc and just a few minutes drive from Larigaudiére where the Lady de Mour fruit is grown. From Supervalu’s Signature Range, their food pairing suggestions are red meats and rich white meats, also great with cheese


Andre Goichot Fleurie (AOC) 2018, 13%, €12.00 (14.66) 




Fleurie is perhaps the best loved and also one of the very best of the Beaujolais area’s ten crus.  I’m quite a Fleurie fan and always look forward to opening a bottle and this was no exception.


It is mid to dark ruby in colour. Cherry scents are prominent when you nose it and on the palate it is deliciously fruity with a hint of spice and, importantly, a refreshing acidity that helps create harmony, right through to the finish. 


Medium bodied, it is soft and easy drinking, not a blockbuster or anywhere close to blockbusting, but it has character enough to pair well with a wide range of lighter dishes. The label recommends hard and soft cheeses and classic roasts, be it red or white meat. Worth a try also with spicy food.


In Cork in 2018, Jamie Goode said there is lots of excitement worldwide about Gamay. He maintained the trend towards lighter wines is also helping as Beaujolais can come up with lighter styles that are still complex and he would use the masterclass to demonstrate that and also the diversity within the region.


Fleurie, like all ten crus, is in the north east of the Beaujolais region. Here, the Gamay grape thrives on the granite soil. The crus that produce the flagship wines are: Chiroubles, Saint Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent. Not everyday, you can try out a cru for 12 euro!


More Reds For You

We wrote about the whites here last week. Aside from the case offers above, there are some other noteworthy reds too by the way, from Spain, France and Portugal.


There are a couple of serious contenders from Rioja and both have been favourites in Supervalu for a few years. You’ll enjoy the warm cherry flavours of the superb Pago De Labarca AEX, a 100% Tempranillo, made from “exceptional” grapes. 


Kevin describes the Finca Labarca Gran Reserva as “one of the most serious wines in our collection”. Rich and smooth on the palate, it is indeed something of a blockbuster. The AEX is €20.00 (22.62) while the Reserva is €15.00 (19.66).


More superb fruits feature in the Vacqueyras Remy Ferbras €14.00 (20.65). From the Rhone, “this little brother to Chateauneuf du Pape” has “all that great taste”, lovely and lush in the mouth.


Some terrific wines, and very well priced, are coming out of Portugal these years. The Fado Friendship 2018, down from €13.76 to €10.00, is one very good example. If you like your reds a bit lighter the Rioja, then this, with its soft texture and its smooth fruitiness, is well worth a try.


Have you enough to be going on with? And by the way, don’t forget those case offers, especially that time limited Italian one. And do check out the post on the best of their white wines here. Actually, I;ve just made it easier for you by adding it below....


Part 1:

Supervalu's Wine Santa has been busy, blending quality and value in the run-up to Christmas.



Kevin O’Callaghan, Supervalu’s wine expert, has wines galore “from across the globe” reduced in their Christmas offering. “A harmonious blend of classic and modern wines with some household names and unmissable prices”. Offers are available from November 26th to December 30th or until stocks last.


It was wines from the classic areas that caught my eye, Sancerre and Chablis in the whites, Bordeaux and Beaujolais in the reds. Let us start with the whites (reds next week!). The Sancerre got the biggest thumbs up around here!


Guy Saget Sancerre (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €15.00 (19.66)


From the Ambassadeur de Loire, this Sancerre has a very light straw colour, clean and bright. Aromas are the regular suspects of grass and herbs, and nettles which seem to led the charge here. This is of course 100% Sauvignon Blanc and this Loire version is precise and refreshing, less pungent than its New Zealand counterpart (none the worse for that), a very satisfactory drink right to the dry finish.


Food pairings suggested are: grilled fish, Crottins de Chavignol (goats cheese), tandoori chicken skewers, sushi and sashimi. More than likely you won’t get the Chavignol around here but Ardsallagh or St Tola will do just as well.


Supervalu say: The mission of the Guy Saget brand is to demonstrate to the highest level Saget Le Perrière’s intention to unravel the extreme complexity associated with the Loire Valley vineyards. A complete collection of the finest Loire will seduce you, thanks to their authenticity and accessibility.


It’s a mission that they take seriously.  The Guy Saget portfolio embraces around thirty appellations, all of them showing hallmark Loire features. These include Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre, Chinon, Vouvray and Muscadet : 

- Dry whites : Muscadet, Muscadet-sur-lie,... 

- Medium sweet whites : Vouvray… 

- Sweet whites : Coteaux du Layon, Quarts-de-Chaume... 

- Dry rosés : Rosé de Loire, Touraine Rosé... 

- Medium sweet rosés : Cabernet d'Anjou, Rosé d'Anjou... 

- Reds : Chinon, Anjou, Saumur Champigny... 

- Sparkling wines : Crémant de Loire, Touraine sparkling wines...

No wonder he claims the title of Ambassadeur de Loire on the label of this excellent Sauvignon.


I made a superb Kir with this and the Wexford Cassis from the Blackwater Distillery in West Waterford, the ratio about six to one.



Andre Goichot Chablis (AOC) 2018, 12.5%, €15.00 (19.66)



Always a frisson of excitement when a glass of Chablis is offered.


This 2018 doesn’t let the side down. Far from it. A light gold colour, pristine. Apple and pear feature in the pleasant aromas. It is, of course, made from nothing but Chardonnay grapes and it is strikingly crisp from first taste, carrying some lovely white fruit flavours, maybe a touch of lime as well, as it spreads across the palate, clean, precise and harmonious, like a Bach partita, right through to the finalé.


No wonder Supervalu declare that it is “the classic partner to seafood and white meat dishes”. It is indeed but this characterful wine, rich and elegant, can effortlessly stand on its own.


Founded in 1947, Andre Goichot, headquartered near Beaune, are both negociant and producer, meaning that they buy wines from different areas and producers and also make wine from their own vineyards.



Abellio Albariño Rias Baixas (DO) 2019, 12.5%, €10.00 (13.76).



Made entirely from hand-harvested Albarino grapes, this Spanish wine, from the Rias Baixas area, has a mid-gold colour. Quite rich aromas of white fruit, apple and pear, and also peach. There is a striking refreshing minerality on the palate where the same fruit flavours shine through fresh and crisp.


The Albarino grape is a distinctive Northern Spanish variety. Its refreshing characteristics make it very versatile with fish and particularly with seafood. Often recommended for Asian also.


Albarino, more modern than classic in terms of its history in Ireland, is most readily associated with the Rias Baixas region which is named after the long-ish Atlantic coastal inlets (or rías) that characterise the landscape here in Galicia in north-western Spain. The grape is also prominent in nearby northern Portugal where it is known as Alvarinho. This Abellio is a favourite of mine. And also a favourite of Supervalu’s wine-buyer Kevin O’Callaghan who was involved in the attractive label design.


Don’t forget your case offers!

We will feature the reds in the next post on this sale but do note that they have two case deals (both red) on offer. The first (on now until December 30th) features Barão de Vilar Reserva (2018), velvety and fruity with an elegant finish and will cost you €50 euro, down from the RRP of €89.00. Believe it or not, you can save another tenner by buying between November 26th and December 9th and taking advantage of the “buy any six bottles and save an additional €10.00 offer”.

Later in the month, watch out for the second case offer. Here the temptation is the Italian Vivaldi Ripasso (2018), aromatic, full bodied, soft and warm, the temptation enhanced by the asking price of €40.00 instead of €94. You just gotta love Signore O’Callaghan. You’ll have to be on your toes for this one - it is short lived: from December 17th to 20th. 

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Check out this distinctive Basque wine. And a Bordeaux gem!

Check out this distinctive Basque wine.

And a Bordeaux gem!

Getaria memorial to Elcano

Ameztoi Getaria Txakoli (DO) 2018, 10.5%

€18.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny


Very little colour in this Highly Recommended Basque wine. And nothing too bold in the nose either, though the subtle salinity and modest fruit provide a hint of things to come. Nothing backward about the lively minerally palate, its tart green apple fruit, that trademark petillance and that unmistakable vivid acidity, though the acidity in this one is markedly less severe than you’ll find in other examples. 

A tumbler of freshly poured
Txakoli in Hendaye


The bubbles, by the way, don’t hang around too long but you can get more of them if you pour it the Basque way, that is from over shoulder height and into a sturdy tumbler held or stood at waist height - you’ll also see them pouring cider in this way. If you try pouring into a normal wine glass from that height, you’re looking for an accident!


Located near the Basque Country fishing village of Getaria between San Sebastian and Bilbao, Ignacio Ameztoi’s vineyards are cut into incredibly steep terraced slopes overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic.

Balenciaga house in Getaria


Here the native grapes Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza are trained in high trellises; they are not weeded and no chemical sprays are used. Hondarribia is the first Spanish town you meet after leaving Hendaye (the last town in the south west of France) and crossing the Bidasoa River. Zuri means white and Beltza means red.

Getaria vineyard


Txakoli is regarded as the perfect companion to salted anchovies or tuna in oil. By the way, Ameztoi blend the red and the white to produce what I’ve read is a very interesting rosé. The USA is the leading market for the company.


Juan Sebastián Elcano, featured on the label, was from Getaria and is famous for completing the round the world voyage that Magellan began. There is a sturdy memorial to him in the middle of the village. This picturesque, and busy, place is also the birthplace of fashion designer Balenciaga and there is a museum here in his honour.



Chateau Tire Pé Bordeaux (AC) 2018, 13%,

 €16.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny



This organic 100% Merlot pours a dark ruby.  Ripe black and red berried fruit in the fairly intense aromas. And the same fruit features strongly on the palate, some spice too and an excellent acidity. The wine is a lovely harmonious Bordeaux, easy and fruity, easy to drink, easy to enjoy. 

Not so harmonious on the hill of Tire Pé back in the day when the horse was the main “engine” of the farm. Apparently, the working horses would pass wind under the effort of climbing the hill, on their way back to the farm. A different kind of aromatics!

Hélène and David Barrault purchased Tire Pé in 1997 and have been farming organically since 2008 (certified since 2014).They have created a little garden of Eden, where wild grass, insects, birds and small wild animals live among the vines. They regard this Merlot as an everyday wine, “to drink in its youth”. No wood used here, ageing is 8 to 12 months in concrete.

Very Highly Recommended. This one will be going straight on to my Good Value Wine List  which is steadily growing! 

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Delicious Duo From The Blaye Countryside By the Gironde Estuary

Fine Red And White Duo From Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Les Cousines” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2017, 12.5%, Mary Pawle Wines

Colour of this one hundred per cent Merlot is mid to dark ruby. Raspberry along with plum and black cherry are among the aromas (hint of clove too) and also appear in the mouth. Quite smooth and rounded and a fair bit of acidity too makes this a lively and flexible companion at the table. Soft tannins and a soft finish as well. This easy drinking wine, aromatic and fruity, is Very Highly Recommended. A great match with lamb dishes.

Blaye wines, as if they aren’t deemed good enough, are often forgotten about when discussing Bordeaux. It's all too easy to consign an area to the also-rans with a generalisation. Yet, as Clive Coates said in his Wines of Bordeaux (2004), “Generalisations..can be quickly exploded by samples”. And Les Cousines is both a sample and an excellent example of the very good in this particular area.

Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours “Le Blanc Bonhomme” Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux (AOC) 2018, 13.5%, €24.90 Mary Pawle

I tend to like my Bordeaux whites better if there’s plenty of Semillon in the blend and that is the case here, fifty/fifty with Sauvignon Blanc. The classic Bordeaux white will contain at least 25 percent Sauvignon Blanc, to ensure a certain aromatic freshness. For a richer style, a higher proportion of Semillon is used. Muscadelle is the third possible grape in the blend but many Bordeaux whites do not include it.

Bright straw is the colour of this biodynamic wine. Modest aromatics with delicate floral notes. Nothing shy about the flavours though with a ripe citrus spearheading the rich progress on the palate, excellent mouthfeel too. Persistent fruity finish too, drier towards the finalé. Well made (it has been 40% barrel fermented), well balanced, delicious and Highly Recommended. 

Well done again to Guillaume Hubert and his team here. And, speaking of recommendations, the suggested food pairings are Foie gras ravioli, marinated trout, cooked cheeses.
If you’re among the many Irish that have holidayed in or near Royan, then you’ve probably come across the wines of Blaye on sale in markets and so on on that side of the Gironde estuary. Blaye has a gentle rolling pastoral landscape while neighbouring Bourg  is more hilly.

The vineyard has been biodynamic since 2000, pruning in double guyot, spontaneous winter grassing, tillage in spring. Treatments combining Bordeaux mixture in small quantities with herbal teas such as horsetail and nettle are used.

Monday, April 20, 2020

Chateau Turcaud Keeps Coming Up Trumps in Bordeaux. Check out this convincing double, one red, one white

Château Turcaud Keeps Coming Up Trumps in Bordeaux
Check out this convincing double, one red, one white


Château Turcaud Entre-Deux-Mers sec 2018, 13.5%, €15.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This Grand Vin de Bordeaux is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Semillon (35). Best served well-chilled. You’ll also notice a Terra Vitis stamp on the label, meaning that the vineyard is run on “sustainable viticulture” principles.

You'll note a good depth of yellow in the colour with aromas of pineapples and citrus, some blossoms too. On the palate, it is more intense, more assertive than the nose alone, with a lovely wave of mainly citrus fruit flavours, an excellent mouthfeel, well balanced and with a good finish. Very Highly Recommended.

This delightful wine is at its best as an aperitif or with marinated salmon, foie gras, fish terrine, scampi, scallops, lobster, fish in a sauce, white meat, and most cheeses. It can benefit from decanting a half hour to a full hour before the meal, and is ideal served chilled but not too cold. Generally at its peak after 2 to 5 years.

Maurice Robert bought Château Turcaud in 1973. Nowadays it is run by Stéphane and Isabelle Le May (Maurice Robert’s daughter). I climbed to the top of the famous local Abbey Le Sauve Majeure and, from the 159th and final step, had a great view over the surrounding countryside. I didn’t know then the view included the immaculate vineyards of Caveau Turcaud.
View from the 159th step!

Château Turcaud Merlot Cabernet Bordeaux (AOC) 2015, 13.5%, €15.80 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

“.. an unhappy vintner will make a closed wine, a wine difficult on the palate; and a vintner in love will make an open wine, one that changes as it rolls around your mouth and then gets better as it slides down your throat.” 
Looks like the winemaker at Turcaud, under the shadow of the splendid ruins of Abbaye de La Sauve-Majeure, must have been in love during this vintage. Must check with Stéphane next time he’s in Ireland!
This lovely Bordeaux blend has a beautiful garnet robe. The nose is fresh, blackberry and red fruit, smoky notes and some spice too. Fresh and fruity too on the palate, all in harmony though, rounded tannins. And that harmony continues in the long finish. Quite a finalé for an entry level wine. An excellent wine at an excellent price and Very Highly Recommended.
Chateau Turcaud recommend pairing it with full-flavoured meats such as rib of beef, game, duck breast, and strong cheeses. and say it is best decanted one hour before the meal. This blend of Merlot (mostly) and Cabernet may be enjoyed even when quite young thanks to its intrinsic fruitiness, and can benefit from being served slightly chilled.
* The opening quote is from Death in the Vines by M. L. Longworth.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

A Couple of Grand Wines from Bordeaux. Pomerol and Lussac-Saint-Emilion.


A Couple of Grand Wines from Bordeaux.
Pomerol and Lussac-Saint-Emilion
plus news from Supervalu and Tindal
I got some excellent views over the Saint-Emilion vineyards from the top of the
 Bell Tower of the Monolithic Church 


This beautiful Château Franc-Maillet Pomerol red wine is a blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%) and 2015 is regarded as a very good year in the area. Try with game stew, a rib of beef, mushroom dishes or middle-aged cheese.

It is a deep ruby, a little lighter at the rim, legs slow to clear.  Aromas are opulent, and complex, cherries and blueberries, vanilla too. Smooth and with a great depth of fruit, some spice too and the tannins have quite a grip, a strong character overall, fresh and forthright all the way through to the sumptuous and lingering finish. Would be nice to try this again in four or five years time!

This family-owned estate are noted for consistently producing a classic expression of the Pomerol terroir and this is no exception. Very Highly Recommended.

The Pomerol vineyard, with Saint-Emilion to the east, is barely ten minutes away from Lussac but those nine kilometres mean that the price is more than doubled! Why? The World Atlas of Wine: “What grows here is the gentlest, richest, and most instantly appealing of red Bordeaux.” Much of this has to do with the terroir and the producers and the Pomerol wines are always expensive. 

Don’t despair though. Lalande-de-Pomerol is just to the north and produces excellent wines. Just read there that the Wine Buff (with shops in Ireland and one in Saint-Emilion in Rue de Marché) sells La Faurie Maison Neuve at just over 30 euro. Note to myself: should be worth a try!

* Watch out also for offers. I got my Pomerol for €42.00 in O'Briens Wine Fine Wine Sale in December.

Château des Landes Lussac “Vieilles Vignes” Lussac-Saint-Emilion (AOC) 2014, 13%, €19.35

This “Vieilles Vignes” is a blend of old vines Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%),  and Cabernet Franc planted on limestone and clay soils in Lussac. Lussac (where Merlot is the dominant variety by far) is the most northerly of the St Emilion satellites. 
The other three satellites of St Emilion are Montagne, Puisseguin and St Georges. 

“At their best, the wines from these areas are every bit as good as a Saint-Emilion grand cru,”  wrote Clive Coates in 2004.The four satellites are allowed append the coveted Saint-Emilion to the village name.

Colour of the 2014 is a deep dark ruby. Dark (plummy) aromas, quite intense, drift of spice. Rich and harmonious on the palate, mid to full bodied, flavours of lighter (red) fruit, vanilla, fresh acidity, rounded tannin, and a lingering finish. It may well be from one of the satellites (not always highly regarded), but this is well-made, well-balanced, and well worth seeking out. Very Highly Recommended.

Château des Landes is family owned with three generations of experience, located right in the heart of the appellation, 50 km northeast of Bordeaux. “Only a small quantity is produced, vinified and then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. The resulting precious wine is consistently rated highly at all competitions. Serve at 18°C as a meditation wine, or pair with roast game, vegetable dishes with creamy sauces or aged cheese and nuts.”  

A very small of amount of sediment noted. So you may wish to decant. While removing sediment is the usual reason for decanting (old wines in particular), you’d do well to decant young wines, even those under screw cap. Indeed, the current edition of the World Atlas of Wine declares “.. experience shows that it is usually young wines that benefit most”.  

When decanting young ones, give them plenty of air (by using a container that maximises aeration). That will really wake them up and you’ll have a better experience. Even a few minutes of aeration makes a huge difference in the aroma and flavour of a wine. When your decanter, fancy or plain, is not in use, be sure to cover the opening with a cover (eg muslin) to keep the dust out. And don’t ever use soap to wash it out.

For the current Supervalu offers (including a tempting Gigondas wine of the month) and a Barolo opportunity from Tindal, please click here.