CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest#2. Wines, Spirits and Beers. Pinot Noir a little off-colour? You need Rubired.

CorkBilly’s Drinks Digest

Wines, Spirits and Beers

Recent arrivals at Bubble Brothers

“In the last few weeks we've received wines from the grand cru champagne house of André Clouet, a sublime organic Nero d'Avola, a bold Spanish red from Toro and too many more to fit in here.” More info online. 

Christmas at The Franciscan Well

“We are gearing ourselves up for the Christmas holidays here in the Well! 

Once again we will be turning our award winning beer hall into a winter wonderland. Through out the month of December we will have live music, cocktails & hot drinks from the MONK cocktail bar (as well as a new seasonal menu ) and Christmas markets! 

The market will run on Saturday the 8th and Saturday the 15th of December from 1-6pm. They will be run by local artists who will be selling original handmade gifts such as hats, cards, ceramic pieces, wooden cheese boards and much more! Admission is free.” More info on their Facebook.

Christmas Gin Festival

The Revolution Bar, John Street, Waterford.

November 30th from 8.00pm

Check the bar’s facebook page for tickets.

“as with Harvest Festival we have invited some of the best Gin Companies in the Country to showcase their products for you. Your Ticket will entitle you to a lovely Gin Glass (to take home). 4 Gin & Tonics of you Choice. We will also have some nice Christmas drinks to try. ALL GIN COMPANIES WILL HAVE BOTTLES OF GIN FOR SALE FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS PRESENT.”

Heart of Spain 1st birthday 8th December 

Lebanon’s Massaya 

I met Massaya’s Sami Ghosn in Cork a year years back, not long after he had returned from the US to help revive the family vineyards. You’d think the family would have enough on its plate with the uncertainties of the region without worrying about the future of the planet. But they do and they do something about it:

“For years now we have been treating our waste water, we have made our compost, recycled waste, encouraged our team to reduce their carbon footprints, given preference to local producers, chosen ingredients and material that were as natural as possible, planted our kitchen garden, planted bamboos to recycle water, prioritized organic treatments of vineyards, reduced to minimum the use of sulfur, oxygenated water for use in irrigation, and followed the moon calendar to filtrate and bottle our wines.” For more on the remarkable Massaya vineyard, read here   

Rioja

The Rain in Spain. 

There was a late Late Harvest in Spain for 2018 following an early on in 2017. Ripening was delayed and picking times have turned out to be the major headache of the vintage. But it wasn’t the same all over the country. Terrific insight here  from Spanish Wine Lover with no less than eight stories from around the country.

Labels Battle as California winemaker used labels that carried the Oregon AVA. Then there’s the Rubired concentrate that gives Pinot Noir more colour!!

The Feds have stepped into the middle of a simmering battle over wine provenance by ordering a California winemaker to change labels that carried the Oregon AVA, even though the wines were made in Lodi. Read more here. 

Nomad Wine at Spit Cork. The Pick of Burgundy.

Nomad Wine at Spit Cork
The Pick of Burgundy

Julian (Bubble Brothers) and, right, Michael (Bradley's of Cork)

Nomad Wine has for the past decade been known as the Burgundy specialists in Ireland. Jérémy Delannoy, who joined founders Thierry Grillet and Charles Derain in 2016, told me that they have expanded into “lesser known regions of France” and that was evident on their stand at Spit Cork. But Burgundy lovers need not fret. They travel there each year to taste the new vintages. With both the founders in the restaurant business, they are strong on food and wine pairings.

Vermentino from the Languedoc is perhaps an unexpected wine on the list but the Domaine Provenquire IGP Pays D’Oc 2016 caught my eye. Very pale yet very enjoyable with the “creaminess” typical of the variety.

Some Beaujolais Chardonnay ends up, quite legitimately, as Burgundy and it is rare enough to find a Beaujolais white in Ireland. Here’s a good one to try: Domaine des Nugues Beaujolais Village 2016, moderate fruity aromas, fresh and pure on the palate, with an impressively long finish.

Jérémy pointed me in the direction of Domaine Goisot, first to their Bourgogne Aligoté 2016. Green highlights in the light gold colour, a melange of floral and fruit in the aromas, also on the palate, a little spice too, well balanced with a long finish. 

Welcome to Nomad

But the big surprise from this producer was the Saint Bris “Exogyra Virgula” 2015, the surprise being that the grape variety was Sauvignon Blanc, a really different and very interesting expression of the grape. Citrus and floral on the nose continue on to the palate where you’ll also note some spice. Drink it young. 

It goes well with seafood, shellfish, fish, calf sweetbreads, cheese soufflés, goat cheese, Comté, Emmental, Munster and Roquefort cheese. By the way, both Goisot wines have a recommended serving temperature of 12 to 13 degrees.

Perhaps my favourite white here was the Jurançon Sec La Part Davant 2015 by Cavin Larredya, a blend of Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbou. Peach aromas, but also floral, continued on the velvety palate all the way to a long and satisfying finish.

Then I moved from the south west foothills to the Rhone for the first of reds: Domaine des Lises Equinoxe Crozes-Hermitage 2016. a delicious Syrah, ripe black fruit and lingering finish.

From there it was Burgundy and Pinot Noir all the way, starting with Les Tilles 2014 by Domaine Jacques Cacheux, a striking amalgam of red berry fruit and then a long finish. “Drink now or in another year,” advised Jérémy.

Soon he was pouring the Domaine Raquillet Mercurey Vieilles Vignes 2016. Not too much to say here: beautiful fruit, beautiful body, beautiful finish.

Back a year now to the Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutiere 2015 by Domaine Bachelet Monnot. This is a classic Burgundy with expressive aromas, great depth and texture, fresh acidity and so very well balanced, superb finish as well.

Hard to beat that but Nomad had just the ticket: the biodynamically produced Vosne-Romanée Les Chalandins 2014 by Domaine Jacques Cacheux. Dark fruits on the nose, elegant and silky, complex, one sip to paradise. Great way to end my “visit” to Nomad!

Many of the Nomad wines are available via SIYPS online.

Last week, one hundred bottles of “wine without make-up” were up for tasting in the River Lee Hotel thanks to the combined efforts of four Dublin wine companies. Spit, as it as the combination is called, consists of Winemason, Nomad Wine, Vinostito, and Grapecircus and virtually all the wines were organic. And there wasn't a dud among them. To read our account of the Vinostito stand, please click here . Also at Spit Cork Winemason and Grapecircus.

Celebrating international Tempranillo Day?

Celebrating international Tempranillo Day?

In Rioja, you may well hear familiar accents

If you ever find yourself in Rioja searching for Tempranillo, don't be surprised if you hear familiar accents in the bodegas. I was there a few years ago and at each of the three wineries visited in one afternoon, I was greeted by someone who had learned their English in Ireland, two in Dublin and one in Cork.

Rioja vineyards seen through the glass of Bai Gorri.
The receptionist here had learned her English in Cork. Doubcha by gorri.

Vinasperi Rioja (DOC) Crianza 2012, 13.5%, €15.15 Wines Direct

Celebrating international Tempranillo Day? Here’s a duo of bottles to help, one from Rioja Alavese and one below from Alta. Alavese is the most northerly of the three Rioja sub regions; the others are Alta (to the South West) and Baja (to the South East). 

This light bodied dry red is said to be a good example of the “modern style of Rioja”, a very pleasant one at that. It is quite a dark red and has pretty intense dark fruit aromas. And attractive fruit flavours also feature on the plum-y palate, barely a trace of tannins, just light and juicy, very approachable with a persistent finish. Highly Recommended.

Bodegas Gran Martinez Gold Selection Rioja (DOC) Crianza 2013, 13%, €17.30 Bubble Brothers (this bottle bought at Cinnamon Cottage).

This is a medium red colour with cherries and raspberries in the aromas and on the palate too where you'll also notice smoothness and power, vanilla and spice, fine tannins and a decent finish. Delicious and a touch more serious than the Vinasperi and also Highly Recommended.

The fruit comes from 40 year old vines; it spends 12 months in French and US oak and they recommend pairing it with roast lamb or beef.

Tempranillo, indigenous to Spain and used in the great Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines, is planted in 500,000 acres of the world’s vineyards, making it the fourth most planted wine grape, and that would be enough to celebrate.

Until recently, this noble grape’s entire acreage was almost all grown in Spain. But things have changed. Tempranillo today is grown in many more countries including the United States, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, France, Portugal, Turkey, Canada, China, Thailand, and more.

You’ll notice a Crianza sticker on these bottles and other coloured stickers on other bottles from Rioja. Here’s the key:

The green label (cosecha) indicates less than one year in oak, less than one in bottle.

The red label (crianza) indicates 1 year in oak, 1 in bottle.

The burgundy (reserva) indicates 1 year in oak, 2 in bottle.

The royal blue (gran reserva) indicates 2 years in oak, three years in bottle.

The periods are mimimum.

* 2017 Australia Day Tastings will be held in London on the 24 January at a brand new venue, B1 Bloomsbury Square, in Edinburgh on 26 January at The Balmoral Hotel and in Dublin on 30 January at the RHA Gallery.

California Trio. Zin, Zin and PN

California Trio

Zin, Zin and PN

Zinfandel now has a birth cert. Until only recently, it was California's "mystery grape" because its origins were unknown. 

DNA fingerprinting has confirmed that Italy's Primitivo and Crljenak Kastelanski, an ancient Croatian variety, are genetically identical to Zinfandel grapes. However, differences in vine vigor and cluster size separate Zinfandel from its genetic twins, and further differences in cultivation, terroir and winemaking combine to give Zinfandel its own particular flavor profile with a truly American name, history and style. On wine labels, U.S. regulations require that Zinfandel and Primitivo be identified separately. Read more...

California Wines – Less is More is the title of a Wine Tasting  in Ballymaloe next week (9th) and I’d bet that a Zin or two will be featured.

Clos du Val Napa Valley Zinfandel 2013, 14.5%, €29.95 O’Brien’s

From the very first sip, there was no doubt but that this Zinfandel was going to get a Very Highly Recommended. The drinking was spread over two days: it just got better.

Color is a rich purple and the vibrant aromas are not at all shy: dark frit and more. It is magnificent on the palate, with its warming mouthfeel, full of red fruit flavours, vanilla too, some spice as well, fine tannins. It is rich and full bodied, elegant and refined, with a lingering finish. And, yes, Very Highly Recommended. 

The wine is produced in California but the the food match was made in Douglas. I bought the wine in O;Brien;s there and paired it with a gorgeous Pork and Prune Terrine from On the Pig’s Back. On the second day, it went very well indeed with mousaka. 

Clos du Val was started by John Goelet in 1970 and it was quality from day one. Wines of California, an excellent recent book on the area, particularly recommends their reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) and the Carneros Reserve Chardonnay.

Dancing Bull Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, California), 14%, €10.00 on offer and widely available.

This is a wine for the barbecue, before during and after. A fun wine. Pretty good fun though and Highly Recommended. Generally, it seems that a fun wine in California is well removed from a poor wine.

Rioe fruit notes, particularly strawberries, dominate the aromas.No shortage of fruity flavours on the palate and there are vanilla notes too. Intense enough with traces of spice and pretty good length as well. Small amounts of Petite Sirah and Tempranillo have been added “for increased intensity and dark fruit characteristics”. Most of the Zin fruit comes from Lodi, the self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.

Lodi has some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California, many dating back to the Gold Rush of 1849. Lodi’s wine industry continued to flourish through Prohibition, thanks to farmers who maintained their crops for legally sanctioned “home winemaking.” Today, Lodi is Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year and a leading producer of California’s top varieties. However, with over 100 varieties now in production, Lodi offers a vast portfolio of diverse and interesting wines, all of which thrive in the region’s Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool nights. More on Lodi here.

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2013, 13.5%, €18.00 Bubble Brothers

Pinot Noir hasn't the best of reputations on the vineyard: capricious, a prima donna. But this is a delicate delight, Californian by birth but strong traces of a Burgundian accent, and is Highly Recommended. Cooperage: 40% new French oak, 60% neutral oak. The winery recommends pairing it with porcini and cremini mushroom risotto or roast rosemary chicken.

It has the typical light red colour, cherry to medium garnet. There is a beautiful red fruit nose, cherries plus berries. Fruit flavours follow through on the vibrant palate, restrained spice, fine tannins too, a lovely balance to this easy-drinking medium-bodied beauty and an excellent finish to boot.

Some 40,000 acres of Pinot Noir are now grown in California, well up on the 25,000 acres of 2004. Its popularity, according to the Wines of California, “is due to the general trend towards lighter, higher-acid food-friendly wines”. This lively Gladiator is certainly one of them, a good juicy one at that.

I bought this one from Bubble Brothers in the English Market and got good advice from Paddy. Must also say that the company's website is excellent, giving good detail on a big range of wines from around the world.

In Argentina. Malbec Reigns In The High Vineyards.

In Argentina. Malbec Reigns

In The High Vineyards.

Argentina, the world’s fifth biggest wine producer (World Atlas of Wine) and well known for its high altitude vineyards (the highest in Salta at over 2,700m), took its time before making its mark on the world stage. Quality, as it is so often, was the key to the breakthrough in recent decades and their Malbec gained a huge reputation in the USA. Not too hard though to find Argentine wine here and I came across quite a good selection locally.

Argentinians are very proud of their Bonarda and, with close to 45,000 acres of it, it is second only to Malbec (76,000). In the whites, Torrontes is their signature grape with some 26,000 acres. Chardonnay, on 16,000 acres, is the most popular of the European whites grown here.

As a matter of interest, there is also a La Rioja in Argentina. It is in the foothills of the Andes located at 1,700m above sea level and is the oldest wine region in the country.

Bodegas Salentein, Portillo Malbec 2013, Mendoza, 14%, €11.99 Bradley’s Off-Licence

Fruit and freshness in a delightful bottle from Mendoza’s Uco valley. Open the screw cap and, as you pour, you’’ll notice a purplelish colour. Aromas are of dark fruit, especially plum. Its impressive flavour and rich softness on the palate make this a welcome addition to the table (especially if you have grilled meats) and, at this price, it will also find a welcome in your wallet.

The Uco valley is named on the label but the estates are high up, located between 1050 and 1700 metres, the winery itself is in the foothills of the Andes. Dutch owned Salentein is noted for its Malbec and this well balanced effort is Highly Recommended.

Bodegas Salentein, Portillo Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Mendoza, 12.5%, €11.99 Bradley’s Off Licence

This excellent Sauvignon blanc is also called Portillo, after a pass in the Andes that is a gateway into the high altitude Salentein vineyards. It is a 5,000 acre estate with 1124 acres of vines. While Torrontes is by far the most widely grown white grape in the country, the Uco Valley is highly rated for Sauvignon blanc and producers Fournier and Salentein are noted as two to check in Evan Goldstein’s Wines of South America.

Colour is a light gold with tints of green. White fruits abound in the aromas and on the palate. It is fresh and crisp, very approachable with a decent finish and Recommended.

Las Moras Reserva Malbec 2013 (San Juan, Argentina), 14%, €13.50 Karwig Wines

Speaking of their reservas, Las Moras say: “This is where we get serious.” The wine has been aged in French and American oak for 12 months. Big aromas of ripe fruit greet you as you sniff this. Smooth and fruity, with very good aftertaste, illustrates why Malbec, from Argentina mainly, has taken the US by storm. This is an excellent one to get us into the game and not a very expensive one either. It has an elegant balance between fruit and wood and is Very Highly Recommended.

San Juan, La Rioja and Mendoza are all areas in the the wine region of Cuyo, a region that produces ninety per cent of Argentinian wine. Here, Las Moras are highly regarded producers. This Malbec is a gem but their Black Label Syrah is stellar according to The Wines of South America. They also produce the well oaked Dadá that was quite a hit at the Our Table event in Cork a few weeks back.

La Puerta Reserva Malbec 2010 (Famatina Valley, Argentina), 14%, €17.99 Bubble Brothers

The Famatina Valley is in La Rioja, the vineyard at a height of about 1,000m. Thirty per cent is aged in oak for 6 months and then blended with the 70% that has been raised in stainless steel “achieving greater balance between the oak and the fruit”.

This intense red coloured wine has aromas of ripe fruit, hints too of smoke. It is another excellent Malbec, smooth with rich plum flavours and a long lingering finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Valla de la Puerta, an estate of some 750 acres, produces premium grape varieties and, according to the Wines of South America, is also well known for turning out some of Argentina's finest olives, peaches and plums.

All White. All Right.

All White

All Right

Mas des Bressades Cuvée Tradition Costieres de Nimes (AOP) blanc 2013, 13.5%, €14.99 Bubble Brothers

Costieres de Nime, once part of the Languedoc wine region, is now part of the Rhone area. This particular vineyard is between Nimes itself (where denim, de Nimes, was first made!) and Avignon. I was in the region three years ago and noted that the wines, the whites in particular, were quite good and good value as well.

This Tradition (they also do a Cuvée Excellence - might try that next!) is a blend of Roussanne (50%), Grenache blanc (30), Marsanne (10) and Viognier (10). Color is a light honey, bright and translucent. Aromas of white fruit and blossom are quite intense. Exotic fruits for sure but excellent acidity as well. Lovely stuff from initial sip to that long finalé.

The winemaker Cyril Marès set out to maximise fruit and aroma (back label) and I reckon he did well. It is a terrific blend and Highly Recommended.

Velenosi Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (DOC) Classico 2013, 12%, €16.15 Karwig Wines

Colour here is a beautiful light yellow with greenish hues, and apparently this is typical of the variety. The aromas are quite intense, a mix of floral, fruity and herbal. It is full, with strong agreeable fruit flavors, persistent, and well balanced, with a pleasant finish. Pleasant all round actually and Highly Recommended.

Marques de Riscal Verdejo Rueda 2014, 12.5%, €13.99, widely available including O’Brien’s nationwide and SuperValu nationwide.

This is one of my favourite grapes. Just loved the nose here, intensely aromatic, fruity and herby. You get a mouthful of super flavour, the heady fruit and herb scents still there in the initial burst and longer and then a gorgeous finish. Crisp and fresh, it is just the job for the months ahead, indoors or outdoors, on its own or with your favourite salad. One of the more scented Verdejos, this is Very Highly Recommended.

Three Excellent Whites. Fifteen Euro Each.

Three Excellent Whites

Fifteen Euro Each.

Masi Masianco 2013 (Venezie IGT), 13%, €14.99 Bradley’s

This is a blend of Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo (grown mainly in NE Italy). It is also a blend of freshly picked and semi-dried grapes. Masi say they are experts in “enhancing aromas and tastes using lightly semi dried grapes”. This appassimento leads to a higher concentration of fruit and it seems to work well here.

There are excellent white fruit and blossom aromas and the colour is light gold with a green hue. This is Pinot Grigio plus, with character and concentration, a lip drying acidity and an impressive finalé. Well worth a try and Very Highly Recommended.

Pedra da Agua Albarino 2013 (Rias Baixas DO), 12.5%, €15.20 Karwig Wines

From the green corner of Spain, facing the wet Atlantic and with Portugal to the south, this wine is Very Highly Recommended. It is sharp and tingly with beautiful white fruit flavours, brilliant acidity and a refreshing fresh and clean finish.

I don't take much notice of back labels that talk about local legends rather than the wine. This one though may be different. It mentions a rock in the depths of Galicia and

“......a trail of saline minerals

Arriving fresh and pure.”

May be something in that yarn.

May well be some of those minerals in this wine.

Cuatro Rayas Viñedos Centenarios Verdejo 2012 (Ruedo DO), 12.5%, €14.99, Bubble Bros.

Colour is a medium gold with greenish hue, many microbubbles. It is fresh and powerful on the nose, “a varietal characteristic” I’m told! Quite a mouthful of flavour - melon, citrus, herb (fennel). No shortage of acidity either. It is well balanced, with a little spirtz (those little bubbles earning their keep) and the citrus notes continue right through the long finalé. Refreshing and Very Highly Recommended.

Verdejo is the historic grape of Rueda and the fruit for this was picked from vines with an average age of 80 years, some of them over 100 years. This wine is found in top restaurants in the Basque area and the producers are sponsors of Real Valladolid soccer club. Valladolid are second division, the wine is first!

High-end Burgundy Wines at Zamora Evening. Excellent Matching Food As Well

High-end Burgundy Wines at Zamora Evening

Excellent Food As Well

Edouard Leach (left) and Billy Forrester.

Zamora got its wine events off to a great start with a superb Burgundy tasting event at the new Academy Street venue last Monday.

The top end wines, three white and three red, came via Bubble Brothers and Maison Francoise Chauvenet who were ably represented by Edouard Leach. And Edouard’s task of showcasing the marvellous Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of the region was made all the easier by the matching food served up by the Zamora kitchen under the direction of Pat Browne of Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Burgundy, unlike Bordeaux, is a land of small plots. There are some 3,500 growers with an average 6 hectares. Once it was the the negociants who dominated but now 1000 growers bottle themselves. As the growers go for more control at the end of the operation, so the negociants seek more control towards the start.

In the meantime, Maison Francoise Chauvenet brings together grapes from various parcels and makes some brilliant wines and those on show at Zamora were made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

First up was the Marguerite de Bourgogne Chardonnay (2013). This is the signature house blend of wine from four Cotes de Beaune vineyards. Edouard said it sets the style and is drinking perfectly now. This was matched with A salad of Jerusalem Artichokes with smoked almonds and preserved lemon dressing. Simple, but an excellent match. We were off to a very good  start indeed.

And it got better. The kitchen delivered their Carrigcleena Duck Liver Paté with crostini to pair with the Pouilly-Fuisse 2013. Edouard: “This is considerable step-up. The fruit is more concentrated and it goes well with the paté.” Chauvenet themselves say this is the undoubted king of the Maconnais region and Edouard emphasised that the quality here is down to a very deliberate low yield policy.

Fish

Our next visit was to the small village of Puligny-Montrachet, one of the places in the famous triangle near Beaune. “There is a huge demand for the triangle wines”,  Edouard said. “This 2012 is slowly opening up and, in two or three years time, it will be even better, will have attained full complexity.” Not bad as it was though and a serious partner with the House smoked Salmon and Hake, served with seasonal greens, roasted red and yellow peppers and a black garlic aioli.

Now we were on to the reds. Would they match up? Would they what? Billy Forrester of Bubble Brothers introduced the first, the entry level Marguerite de Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2013. He was very proud of it: “A wonderful old world Pinot Noir. Delicious.” He must have been proud too of the matching dish: Boeuf Bourguignon with Kale and scallion champ potato. We could have been in Lyon!

Boeuf Bourguignon

Edouard was somewhat puzzled by the fact that the next wine, the Mercurey 1er Cru (2013), was not so popular in Ireland. Mercurey is the best red wine village in the Cote Chalonnaise, between Beaune and Macon and “this is a huge seller in France, Belgium and Holland. It is quite soft, nice and generous.” And went well with the soft and mild Buche de Chevre.

Both the kitchen and the wine company came up with a terrific finalé. Zamora’s final contribution was an Organic Rhubarb Bread and Butter Pudding, with compote and softly whipped cream. A dessert delight.

And the final wine was a very serious one: Nuits-Saint-Georges 2011. Edouard advised: “This needs time. It is still relatively closed, needs more age”. And speaking of age, he had some advice if you are thinking of keeping a few bottles of this. “Pinot Noir is very fragile, can lose everything if kept too long. If you have a case, use one bottle every year!”.

Though, nowadays, quite a few areas around the world are making excellent Chardonnay and  far fewer areas Pinot Noir, you will still hear that Burgundy is the spiritual home of both. Don't think there were too many arguing with that after this particular evening.

Cheese

The partnership between Bubble Bros and Maison Chauvet is a relatively recent one but is has started well with the promise of other excellent wines to come. Currently, there is ten per cent off the Chauvenet wines. So do keep an eye on their website for all the latest news from Burgundy. And also for news of further wine evenings at Zamora.

• By the way, I always thought that Cotes d’Or meant golden slope or golden hillside. But I just read in The Finest Wines of Burgundy by Bill Nanson that it is actually  a contraction of Cote d’Orient - East-facing Hillside. I could have asked Edouard had I read that before the evening!

Dessert