Cono Sur Want Your Recipes! Superb Prize

Cono Sur Want Your Recipes!

Superb Prize

Duck is regularly mentioned as a match with Pinot Noir. Not too sure about geese though!

Cono Sur Single Vineyard (No. 21 Viento Mar) Pinot Noir, Chile 2012, 14%, for availability - see below

St Antonio, west of the capital Santiago and very close to the ocean with a climate ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is where this excellent wine comes from. You may know that Cono Sur are running a recipe competition, with a fantastic prize of a trip for two to Chile.

They are asking for your ideal dish to match with either their Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc or this Pinot Noir. Closing date is Monday 11th of August and you may see all the details here .

To see my recipe attempt and extensive tasting notes on both the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir, please click here . I guess not all of you are interested in creating a recipe but I can heartily recommend that you take a look at these two wines as both are top notch.

I enjoyed a bottle of the Pinot during the week and it is going straight on to my Top Wines for 2014. Colour is mid ruby and the pretty intense aromas hint of red berries. Concentrated is the word on the label and every appropriate indeed. Smooth too, warm with spicy notes, with silky soft tannins and a delightfully long finish. One of the best Pinot Noir I’ve come across recently and Very Highly Recommended.

Availability: Cono Sur Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are available exclusively in the on-trade and specialist off-licences such as O’Briens Wines, nationwide; Mitchell & Sons, Dublin; Redmonds of Ranelagh, Dublin; Sweeney's of Glasnevin, Dublin; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Dublin; Bradley's of Cork; O’Driscoll's of Cork.

Sauvignon Blanc Still Sings

Sauvignon Blanc Still Sings

Marlborough New Zealand

Very recently, one of Ireland's top wine writers admitted that he had been avoiding Sauvignon Blanc for a few years despite never really disliking the variety. But now he is back and enjoying one of the most popular of what are termed the “international” varieties.

Many of us, including myself, my motto being variety is the spice of life, regularly try the lesser known grapes. But it would be a mistake to totally ignore the internationals. By coincidence, I've been trying a few Sauvignon Blancs recently. Last summer, enjoyed some terrific ones in the Loire area but the three here are from Chile and New Zealand’s Marlborough (where the variety does particularly well).

First though, there was an example of why our aforementioned writer and indeed anyone with a wee bit of wine knowledge may be turned off and that bottle came as a gift that had been bought via a supermarket offer. It was a Chilean but had so little to offer, no discernible aromas, very little flavour, no finish worth talking about, that it was poured down the sink with some gusto.

Viento Monte, Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Chile, 13%, €10.30 Karwig Wines

That Chile can produce decent Sauvignon Blanc and at a very good price is well known and indeed well illustrated by this bottle. It has a pale yellow colour with green highlights and an intense aroma of citrus, green apples and the typical (maybe a little less than normal) hint of grass. On the palate it is crisp and refreshing, quite a light mouthfeel and a very fresh finish. Recommended. I'm told their Chardonnay is also excellent. Must try that soon!

Greyrock Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2012, 12.5%, €13.80 Karwig Wines.

Greywacke is getting much attention recently but, for a tenner or so less, this Greyrock is well worth a try. By the way, they also produce a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc!

This 2012 still example is light gold, again with green tints and the nose has that fresh grassy element. On the palate, it is fresh and fruity with a mouthfeel that is both intense and lively, very refreshing,almost bubbly, and then a good dry finish. Highly Recommended.

Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2011, 13%, €18.99 Wine Alliance stockists

Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship grape of New Zealand, accounting for the majority of the harvest in Marlborough where it grows best. And this Little Beauty is one of its best!

Little Beauty’s Fleur McCree was at a tasting in Cork last year and told us that the different blocks around the vineyard ripen at different times yet the intense fruit is preserved and there is “a build-up of layers of flavour to enhance the experience. Mango, Passion fruit at the start followed by Citrusy flavours mid-palate and then basil at the back of the tongue”. Really top notch, distinctive (somewhat more refined than your usual SB from here), and Very Highly Recommended.

* Note that you are now more likely to find the 2012 version of Little Beauty in the shops.

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Bodegas Torres, probably best known here because of their Vina Sol and Sangre de Toro labels, is the largest wine company in Spain and exports to 140 countries. They also run wineries in Chile and California.

Their Brand Manager Marta Delfa will be in town next week. Bradley’s Off Licence on North Main Street is the venue for a two continent tasting. There’ll be a rosé and white from Chile and two reds from Spain.

It is an interesting line-up and I’m really looking forward to tasting the Ibericos, their first wine from La Rioja, their most recent regional venture in Spain. See more about Torres wines on You Tube (links at bottom).

Details:

Venue: Bradley’s, 81/82 North Main Street, Cork.

Date: Wednesday November 6^th.

Time: 3.00pm to 5.00pm.

The wines:

Torres Ibericos Rioja Crianza Spain

Ibericos is Torres' first wine produced in Spain's most famous wine region, Rioja. Deep red cherry colour. On the nose it reveals notes of black ripened fruits and spicy aromas (cocoa and nutmeg) from the wood. Silky in the mouth with pleasant tannins. Long and spicy aftertaste. Tomas Clancy of the Sunday Business Post gave Ibericos 89 points and found it a "Polished, glossy and vibrant Tempranillo, bursting with blackcurrant and leather, rounded out with modernist tannic grip. Pitch perfect for drinking now". Accompanies roasted meats, stews, Iberian charcuterie and cured cheeses.

Torres Celeste Crianza Ribera Del Duero Spain

Made entirely from Tempranillo, rich, full bodied style, brimming with fruit and colour. Intense blackberry colour. Spicy and intense nose, with liquorice and black pepper hints on a base of well ripened fruits (blackberry and cherry). On the palate, very fruity at first with ripened tannins, also persistent and full bodied. Owing to its fruity and tannic characteristics, this wine pairs well with a great variety of meat dishes including roasts and small game.

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)

This unwooded Sauvignon Blanc is a lively dry elegant refreshing style showing a lovely combination of green apple flavours supported by ripe tropical fruits. Zesty, clean finish.

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé (Chile)

Fragrant and floral, with a temptingly fruity sensuality. On the palate the wine is voluptuous, with a silky texture and the sort of fresh, fruity body (blackcurrant, cranberry, redcurrant) that only Pacific Cabernet Sauvignon rosés can offer. Delicious with cured sausages, meat pies and many pasta dishes. The perfect wine for sweet-and-sour Chinese dishes.

See more about Torres wines on You Tube (links below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKZDUw1STOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xSbIXbOcnE

White Weekend

White Weekend

Gareth York of Mont-Marcal

Mont Marcal, Penedes 2010, 12.5%, €8.49, Curious Wines.

This is a lively little gem. The initial feel is almost creamy and then you note the lively fresh citrus fruits, though with sufficient acidity. An excellent wine from the Catalonia area and so well priced. Recommended.

Use it as an aperitif or with fish and salads. Got that off the label! The labels are really well designed. They are not large but give all the necessary information (in a few languages) in a clear and precise way.

The grape varieties in this wine are Xarel-lo, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay and the producer website is www.mont-marcal.com

Santa Digna, Fairtrade Chile, 2010 Gewurztraminer Reserve, 13.5%, €8.99, Bradley’s Off Licence.

Information on the Fairtrade bit, which I haven’t seen before on wine, is here www.fairforlife.net. The producer is the famous Miguel Torres and the web address is www.migueltorreschile.com

Nose here is aromatic, floral. Quite a pleasant flavourful mouthful with an excellent dry finish. Full bodied with those tropical fruits prominent yet it finishes dry. Well balanced and fair trade to boot and a good one to start with if you haven’t tried Gewurz before.

Ideal for shellfish (particularly recommended for oysters) and most fish dishes. Good price. Recommended.

Tinpot Hut, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (NZ), 13.5%, €16.99, Bradley’s Off Licence.

This superb wine has a colour of pale straw with an exotic aromatic nose. The palate says great! An immediate thumbs-up. A mouthful of fabulous flavours from the Beautiful Country, exotic to the North Atlantic palate, and blessed also with a terrific finish.

Marlborough is indisputably, I think, the top standard for New World SB and this Tinpot  is one of the best from the region. Well done to Fiona Turner (right) whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Electric a few months back. Congrats too to Liberty Wines for supplying us with such a gem. A bit pricier than the others but Highly Recommended!

The Week in Wine

THE WEEK IN WINE

Straccali Chianti Classico DOCG 2007, 13.5%, €13.95, Karwig

 

Colour: Ruby Red

Nose: Intense, of red fruit.

On the palate, it is fresh and fruity, slight spice, tannins relatively prominent. It is well balanced, medium bodied, lively and with a persistent finish. Unfortunately, I started this off on the cool side, can happen on the colder days here, and it took a while to win me over but it certainly grew on me as it warmed up! Recommended.

It turned out to be a good week on the wine front. On a visit to the L’Atitude Wine Cafe on Union Quay, I came across two outstanding reds on their extensive list. Both come under the Fruity with Attitude heading.

First up was the 2008 Cat Amongst the Pigeons, Cabernet Sauvignon, from Australia’s McLaren Vale and then I enjoyed the 2008 Massaya Classic (Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) from the Lebanon.

Not too bad on the home front either where I continued to work my way through the reds of Provence. The first, La Citadelle’s Les Artemes 2007 from the Luberon, is available in this country from the Wine Store.

I don’t think the second is; I bought it in the small town of Vauvert on the edge of the Camargue. It is Noble Gress 2005, Costieres de Nimes. I think there is value for Irish importers in the region.

It was a good week too for Enniskeane born Brother Kevin Crowley, founder of the Capuchin Day Centre in Bow Street in Dublin, who has been named the Santa Rita 120 Local Hero 2012  for his phenomenal work in helping homeless people.

The Santa Rita 120 Local Hero Award competition is run by the premium Chilean winemakers to find local heroes who make a real difference in their local community, such as hard working volunteers, individuals who work tirelessly to make their community a safer place and inspirational heroes who always seem to put others before themselves. 

As the Santa Rita 120 Local Hero 2012, Brother Kevin wins €10,000 for The Capuchin Day Centre as well as the trip of a lifetime for two to Chile, the home of Santa Rita wine.


And John McDonnell, the face of Australian wine in Ireland, also enjoyed a great week at Pro-Wein where Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago was given the Winemakers’ Winemaker Award by the Institute of Masters of Wine and the drinks business. 

KNOW A LOCAL HERO?

Only FIVE days left to nominate your local hero and honour someone who deserves recognition

for the great work they do in your community

Enter them in the 2012 ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition and they could win €10,000 for their local community and the trip of a lifetime to Chile

Closing date for entries: 17 January 2012

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for the outstanding work they do in your local community? A hard working volunteer, someone who works tirelessly to make your area a safer place or a local who is simply an inspirational individual who always seems to put others before themselves?

If you do know someone who has made a real difference to your local area,

you have only five days left to enter them in the ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition which is being run by Santa Rita, the premium Chilean wine makers and the leading Chilean wine in Ireland.

The winning ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ will receive €10,000 to spend on their nominated piece of community activity, as well as a trip of a lifetime for two to Chile, the home of Santa Rita wine. Their nominator will also receive a trip for two to Chile.

Last year’s ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ was Joe Browne, founder of the Cystic Fibrosis charity Build4Life, for his phenomenal fundraising efforts to build a Cystic Fibrosis Unit at Cork University Hospital. Joe set up Build4Life after his son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and in the last four years, the charity has raised an astounding €2.2 million.

To nominate someone for the 2012 ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ award, simply pick up a nomination form in your local supermarket, pub or off-licence or

log onto facebook.com/santarita120.

The Santa Rita 120 label, which is the winery’s most popular line of wines, pays homage to the 120 brave Chilean men led by Irishman Bernardo O’Higgins who found refuge in the cellars of Santa Rita while fighting for independence in 1814. Bernardo, whose father was from Sligo, later went on to become the first head of the Chilean independent republic. Today the same cellar is used to age Santa Rita’s 120 label wines, which were created to honour those 120 heroes.

To tie-in with the ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ competition, Santa Rita also have a collection of limited edition wines called ‘Héroes’.

The ‘Héroes’ range consists of a 2009 Malbec from Valle de Maipo and a 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay from Casablanca Valley. The collection was created last year by renowned Santa Rita 120 winemaker Carlos Gatica to celebrate the launch of the Heroes campaign in Ireland and has received many great reviews since.

Sally-Anne Cooney, General Manager of Gleeson’s incorporating Gilbeys, which distributes Santa Rita wine in Ireland, says:

“Last year, the Chilean nation showed us how people in everyday life can be heroic. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, the Chilean nation united and acted as one to successfully rescue the thirty-three trapped miners.

“The ‘Santa Rita 120 Local Hero’ award is aimed at recognising the fantastic work that ordinary people do in Ireland every day. We are calling on everyone to nominate their local hero - someone they think deserves this prize. We’re really looking forward to hearing their heartfelt, inspiring and selfless stories. To us, these people are exactly that – a hero.”

The Santa Rita 120 range has an RRP of €9.99 and is available from all good stores nationwide.

The Santa Rita ‘Heroes’ collection: 2009 Malbec RRP €9.99  /  Chardonnay RRP €9.99 and is available in O Briens and Spar stores nationwide.

*Both the winner and the nominator must be over 18

YALI MERLOT FROM CHILE

YALI NATIONAL RESERVA, MERLOT, MAIPA VALLEY, CHILE, 2010, 13.5%, €12.99 TESCO, €9.99 COSTCUTTERS AND CARRY OUT.


This is a darkish red with a healthy sheen. On the nose, there are red and black fruits, including plum, and also a hint of vanilla. It is full flavoured with an immediate impact on the sensors, fresh and medium bodied, dry and well balanced with a pleasant spicy finish.

Ideal at 16-18°C, this wine is a perfect match for semi-mature cheeses, pasta and grilled meats.

Quite likeable, in fact. And the distributors list other considerations that you may like. Vina Ventisquero are committed to good environmental practices. The bottle is lightweight; transport emissions are offset via Climate Care and Yali, named after nearly conservation area, have a partnership with Birdwatch Ireland.

If you want to give it a go at a bargain price, you’ll find it as part of the December Meal Deal in Tesco which means you’ll get main course, side dish and dessert plus a bottle of Yali from €12.00. Sales Director Americo Hernandez is very pleased with the success of Yali here: “There are five wines n the range, all single varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Chardonnay, available at Carry Out and Costcutters, plus Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc which are also stocked by Tesco. In line with Vino Ventisqueros objectives, Yali wines trend towards lower alcohol. This allows the fruit potential to be more fully expressed in fresh, exceptionally well balanced wines, honest to their varieties.”

SAUVIGNON BLANC: KIWIS OUST CHILE CHAMP

M & S SAUVIGNON BLANC, LIMARI VALLEY (CHILE) 2008, 13.5%, €13.99


I chased this one down because it was a Decanter Regional Trophy winner for a Sauvignon Blanc at less than ten pound sterling.

Colour was very pale and the nose was herby and grassy, green fruit. On the palate, there is a good balance of fruit and acidity. It is tingly and refreshing, savoury too, with a fine dry finish.

Other Regional Trophy winners I found to be quite impressive but there was a tinge of disappointment here. Nothing at all wrong with the M & S offering, I hasten to add, but it was unlucky to follow an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc, a 2010 Neudorf from the Nelson area.

The Chilean might have won on price – the NZ comes in around the twenty euro mark – but was otherwise outclassed. By the way, the Neudorf didn't figure at all in the Decanter list from New Zealand.

The New Zealand edge is further underlined by the fact that Decanter awarded their two international Sauvignon Blanc trophies to the Kiwis. Waimea Estates (Nelson), also available at M&S, took the honours in the under £10.00 category while Vavasour (Awatere Valley, Marlborough) won the over £10.00 trophy.

A nod is as good as a wink. And I've given you three!

A DRY PX

A DRY PX
Marks and Spencer PX2010, Elqui Valley, Chile, 13%, €10.49, 4 stars




Hit the jackpot, well a small one, when I dropped into Marks and Spencer (Cork) yesterday and bought myself a bottle of their PX 2010.

I had been looking out for a half bottle, thinking the wine was a dessert type. But no, the Pedro Ximenez comes from the Elqui Valley in north of Chile and is quite a dry white. It has an ABV of 13% and costs €10.49 for a full size bottle.

The colour is a pale honey and the nose is pleasantly aromatic. It is fresh, fruity and yes dry, with an easy going mouthfeel; very refreshing with an excellent finish. Well worth the money and an instant favourite in this house. Four stars.

It won a Gold in the White section of Chile in the recently published Decanter World Wide Awards. Marks also have another Decanter regional winner: their Sauvignon Blanc from the Limari valley 2008. I also picked up a bottle but haven't tried it out yet but am looking forward to it!

TOP NOTCH SANTA RITA RESERVAS

FIRST CLASS SANTA RITA WINES

Carlos (right) and yours truly at Isaacs

Carlos Gatica, Chief Winemaker with Santa Rita, the second biggest wine producer in Chile, was in Cork yesterday and brought a strong line-up to the Gilbeys Wine Tasting Lunch at Isaacs.

Many of you will be familiar with the Chilean winery’s 120 series and Carlos referred to the story (with a strong Irish connection) behind the 120 and you may read more on that here.

Santa Rita’s current mission though is to “educate” their Irish sellers, including hotels and restaurants who were well represented here, in an effort to broaden the appreciation of the better Santa Rita wines and particularly their reservas.

The introductory handshake was a very pleasant concentrated white: the Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2010. This was accompanied by a selection of tempting tapas.

Could have happily stayed with those tasty bites but move on we did and Carlos then presented their 2009 Gran Reserva Medalla Real Chardonnay,

This has quite an intense bouquet and is a well balanced wine with silky texture and went down well with a warm salad of Marinated Chicken, smoked bacon and rustic potatoes.

Now it was on to the steak and the first of the reds. This was the superb Pehmén Carménère 2007 made with grapes from an old vineyard in the Apalta Valley. Aging is in 100% French oak barrels for 18 months. Really liked this flavoursome persistent wine.

The cheese made its appearance as it was time for the piece de résistance: a vertical tasting of the classic Casa Real. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon “seeks to obtain the maximum expression of the Alto Jaheul terroir”. New French oak barrels are used.

Many of you will know that vertical tasting means tasting the same wine from different years. The vintages at Isaacs were 2007, 2002 and 1999. The still young 2007, marginally higher in ABV @ 14.5%, was of excellent quality, the fruit concentrated after a good year, but was overshadowed by the other two.

The very elegant and concentrated 2002 (14.4%) was perhaps my favourite. Well balanced with ripe flavours and tannins, it has a full body and “a sleek finish”.

No vote was taken but the number one choice was the 1999 (4.3%), an “opulent” wine from an “opulent” year. The winemaker’s comments covered it all: "As a terroir concept, the 1999 vintage has been undoubtedly considered as the maximum expression of a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon to date.”

Maipo Valley

Interesting to note that Santa Rita has a presence in six wine areas of the country, allowing it to grow many different kinds of grape and expand its portfolio. Some of their areas are north of Santiago de Chile, some to the south (Carlos lives in Curicó), some are close to the coast, others in the foothills of the Andes. The valleys are Limari, Casablanca, Leyda, Rapel, Maipo and Apalto.

Credit to Gilbeys for putting on this excellent event “the first of many around the country”. Well done also to Carlos for his descriptions and humour and for bringing such a stunning selection to Isaacs.

KINSALE'S WINE MUSEUM

KINSALE’S WINE MUSEUM

At Desmond Castle

St Patrick sipping!

In the church of St Patrice in Rouen (France), there is a 16^th century stained glass window* showing the Irish patron saint having a glass of wine at Tara in 433 while the High King looks on anxiously. Maybe it’s the King’s glass?

On the 17^th of October, 1710, Jonathan Swift wrote to Stella from London: “I dined today with your Mr Sterne ...and drank Irish wine”.

In 1780, John Windham recalled visiting Cork city: “There are no hackney coaches but there are plenty of chairs or sedans. ...These vehicles are extremely convenient for the followers of Bacchus who has a great number of votaries in this city.”

These anecdotes show that there has been a long association between wine and the Irish so it is no surprise that the Irish went abroad some of them became involved in the trade. The most recent example I came across is the late Michael Lynch in Argentina’s Mendoza.

Loads of similar info is in the Wine Museum in Kinsale’s Desmond Castle. Maybe not the efforts of Michael Lynch, but virtually every other Irish connection, certainly before 2000 when the museum was set up, is very well covered indeed and great credit here goes to Ted Murphy, the Corkman who put it all together.

Many of you will know of the Cork family Hennessey who ended up in Bordeaux, the very same family whose name still appears on Ireland’s most popular cognac (brandy). But did you know that we were also involved in the sherry trade? Terry, for example.

The French connection is strong (and getting stronger in places like Provence and the Languedoc) but the Irish were also involved in wine in America, Cronins and Foleys in California for example.

And not just North America. Some of you may be familiar with the popular Chilean wine: St Rita 120. In the early 19^th century, freedom fighter General Barnardo Higgins (father from Sligo) and 120 of his men (including General John McKenna, another Irishman) took refuge in the St Rita cellars during the battle of Rancagua. The wine is named in their honour.

Many many connections and loads of interesting facts and also some memorabilia. I could go on and on but, in fairness to Mr Murphy, I think anyone interested in wine should take a trip down to Kinsale and take your time as you wander through the two rooms that make up this museum. Highly recommended and the admission at three euro wouldn’t buy you a glass of wine in any of the town's restaurants.

The three euro will also get you into the castle which was originally built about 1500 as the Kinsale Customs House, one of its tasks being to collect a tax based on the tonnage and quality of the wine. In 1497, the English king granted the local Earl of Desmond the right to take one cask from every shipment for himself!

Occupied by the Spanish during the Siege of Kinsale in 1601, the most famous event in the castle’s history came in 1747 when 54 prisoners died in a fire. Most of them were French seamen and the castle later became known as the French prison.

·          There is a reproduction (photo above) of the window in the museum, donated by the Irish John and Eithne Lagan of the Xanadu Winery (Margaret River, Aus.). By the way, I love their Next of Kin wines (available via Bubble Brothers).