Showing posts with label Burgundy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burgundy. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux and more

Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux and more

Feature in SuperValu Sale
Final week of SuperVale French Wine Sale
Vaillons La Chablisienne 2011, Chablis 1er Cru, Burgundy, 13%, €20.00 SuperValu French Sale

This is the native land of Chardonnay and this is an excellent expression of the grape, pure and perfect.

Colour is a light yellow and there are complex aromas, including floral and fruit strands. The aromas persist on the palate where you can taste the brilliant purity, the flinty flavours; quite an elegant wine with a long finish. Crisp and mouth-watering, one of the very best in this sale and Very Highly Recommended.

Lorgeril Les Terrasses Viognier 2013, Pays D’Oc IGP, 12.5%, €10.00, SuperValu French Sale

Lovely aromas and a light gold colour. This is one of the winemakers’ “Collection Fruitée” and it lives up to the name. Fruity (peaches, pears), well balanced, fresh and crisp and very refreshing. Recommended.

Bersan Saint Bris Sauvignon 2012 (Burgundy), 12.5%, €12.00, SuperValu French Sale
Colour is light straw, clean and bright, with fruity aromas. On the palate, there is a nice fruity tang, melons and gooseberries to the fore, with good acidity and a crisp dry finish. Recommended.

The area of Saint Bris is unusual; its wines are made from Sauvignon blanc rather than Chardonnay which is grown throughout the rest of Burgundy.

Domaine Balland Chapuis Coteaux Du Giennois Montagnes Blanches 2013 (Loire), 12%, €10, SuperValu French Sale.

This Sauvignon blanc is from Giennois, a little known Loire region and neighbour of the famous Sancerre.

Colour is a light straw and there are inviting fruity aromas. There is a sharp and tingly introduction to the palate, then white fruit flavours (apple, pears, hints of citrus, though apple more prominent on 2nd sampling 24 hours later), all fresh and lively and a good dry finish. Recommended.

Chateau Manon La Lagune, Blaye Cotes De Bordeaux 2012, 13%, €9.00, SuperValu French Sale.

Gironde estuary
This well priced red is a excellent blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30) and Cabernet Franc (10). Many Irish families have holidayed in the Charente campsites close to Royan. Some will have seen the timber hut in the village of La Palmyre selling wines from Blaye which is not too far away in the Bordeaux direction.

A nose of blackcurrant aromas is followed by  refreshing black fruit flavours on the palate, some spice too, with a soft and smooth mouth-feel. Any prejudice I had about Blaye maybe not being good enough because it is in the edge of the Bordeaux appellation geographically, was quickly and pleasantly soothed away, all that before a good finish. Highly Recommended.


Saint Emilion

Les Hauts De Gros Caillou 2012, Saint Emilion, 13%, €14.00, SuperValu French Sale

The wines of Saint Emilion are much better known here than those of Blaye. This is again mainly Merlot (about 65%) and the balance is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red fruit aromas and the colour is a little darker than the Blaye. In the mouth, there are fruity notes galore in this typical Saint Emilion, good acidity too, of course, all leading to a well balanced wine. Young but drinking really well and Very Highly Recommended.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Yummy Duo

Yummy Duo
Caldora Yume Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008, 14%, €20.60, Karwig Wines
They call this “Yummy” in Karwig’s and it is easy to see why. This very dark red has gorgeous aromas of dark fruit (plum, cherry). On the palate it is smooth and fruity, tannins present but close to unobtrusive. This full flavoured lively wine is a delight and a very good example as to why Montepulciano is so popular.
The technical bits:
Grape is 100 per cent Montepulciano, 10 days in skin contact, 10 months in barriques, 6 months in large vats, and 6 months in bottle. Takes a bit of rearing! Worth it though as this is a multi-award winner including silver at Decanter World Wine Awards 2012. Very Highly Recommended.




Domaine Noblet Charvet Pouilly-Fuissé 2011, 13.5%, €20.40, Karwig Wines
Made a mistake when picking up this one – meant to get a Pouilly Fumé. If all errors turned out so well!
This, from Burgundy rather than my intended target the Loire, has a pleasant concentrated bouquet and a colour of light gold with shades of green. This Chardonnay has lively intense white fruits yet a fine acidity, well balanced and with a long finish. Quite a refined wine really and Very Highly Recommended.


The wines of Pouilly Fuissé “are undoubtedly some of the most famous white Burgundies” and the Noblet family is a long standing top producer while Chardonnay is the most popular and most versatile white grape in the world.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Brilliance of Burgundy at Ballymaloe


Brilliance of Burgundy at Ballymaloe


'Burgundy 2009 - A journey through the Villages of Burgundy' with a tutored tasting by Marinette Garnier, winemaker, Maison Jaffelin, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, Tuesday 13th March, 7.30pm €10



Marinette Garnier, born in the heart of Burgundy and, already at 25 years old, has a lot of experience working alongside some of the most famous names in Burgundy, including Domaine Comtes Lafon, Domaine Méo-Camuzet, and on completion of her diploma, at Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils. Marinette is now winemaker at Maison Jaffelin.

Wines for the tasting:

2009 Chablis
2009 Chablis 1er Cru
2009 Bourgogne Blanc
2009 Meursault

2009 Fleurie
2009 Bourgogne Rouge
2009 Pommard
2009 Nuit-St-George
2009 Gevrey-Chambertin

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

CHARD OF AGES

CHARD OF AGES
Chalk this down


Kimmeridgien Chardonnay Bourgogne 2007, 12%, Karwig Wines €15.85

Clean and bright in the unusual shaped bottle with green lime hints on the nose. It tastes fresh, clean and fruity, “younger” than the year suggests (I must pay more attention to age when buying!), with flavours of rounded citrus (that lime again), dry but kilometres away from jaw-locking!

Kimmeridgian refers to the soil type: alternate layers of dense chalk and softer clay encrusted with marine fossils. In the geologic timescale, the Kimmeridgian is an age or stage in the Late or Upper Jurassic epoch or series.
The wine is one of a series of three named after a period in the geologic history of the earth. Brocard also makes a Jurassique and a Portlandien (see photo).  If you want to go deeper, you can dig for yourself at www.brocard.fr.

And while you’re digging why not have a glass or two of the Kimmeridgian, a really well made Chardonnay from its home pays.

Friday, April 1, 2011

BURGUNDY BARGAINS FROM WINE STORE

BURGUNDY BARGAINS

If you read the Twitter-feed today, you’ll see that Chardonnay is making a comeback. But, for me, it never went away and it certainly didn't go away for the winemakers of Burgundy who continued using the grape to make some of the best whites around.

If I have to select just one area from which to choose Chardonnay then Burgundy must be it. And if I have to select just one producer then that will be Olivier Merlin because Mrs Tyrell sternly recommends him and his wines in the Wine Store’s April newsletter.

Chardonnays highlighted include Macon-La Roche Vineuse 2008, Macon-La Roche Vineuse ‘Vieilles Vignes’ 2007, Pouilly-Fuissé 2008 , and also Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Clos des Quarts’.

And it is not just Chardonnays. Pinot Noir and the region’s own Gamay feature here as does a decent discount. Check it out here and don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter for even bigger discounts.

As usual, the newsletter features some upcoming wine events, including one in Dungarvan on May 20th. I think I may have a date with a certain Elizabeth R that day. Pity about the clash. Sorry, Liz!