Portuguese Pair Show Quality and Value

Portuguese Pair Show Quality and Value

The inspiration for trying this Portuguese pair, well at least the red, came from Jancis Robinson’s The 24 Hour Wine Expert. She has a page of Obvious and Alternative wines. In one pairing the obvious is Bordeaux red, the alternative is red from Portugal’s Douro. 

Spotted this Esporão in Karwig’s and, though it’s not from the Douro exactly, thought that it would fit the bill. Then I saw the white and thought if they can make a good red, they should be able to make a good white. The white is good and the red is quite superb and would leave many from Bordeaux in its wake.

Esporão Reserva Red Alentejo DOC (Portugal) 2013, 14.5%, €26.65 Karwig Wines

First things first. This is a gem and Very Highly Recommended. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragones, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trincadeira.

It has a deep red colour. And there are concentrated aromas of ripe red fruits and that follows through to the palate. Here you find a dense concentration of flavours, spice too, firm tannins, along with a long satisfying finish.

Esporão Reserva White Alentejo DOC (Portugal) 2014, 14%, €20.90 Karwig Wines

This deft combination of fruit and acidity is based on a blend that includes Antao Vaz, Arinto, Rouheiro, and Semillon. The fruit is picked early in the morning and it has seen “partial ageing” for 6 months in French and US oak. They call it “a wine for special occasions” and it is indeed very good and Highly Recommended.

You notice the bright light gold colour with tints of green. Aromas are of soft white fruits, with peach and grapefruit flavours on the almost creamy palate. The oak is well integrated. Fruity and mineral-y and, though not exactly bone-dry, this is a well balanced wine with a long finish.

Superb Sherry. And A Tasty Crianza

Spanish Gems

 

Zuleta Fino, Jerez (DO), 15%, €9.15 Karwig Wines

Speaking of Fino and the other drier styles of Sherry, Jancis Robinson says: “Most of them are still ridiculously underpriced.” This Highly Recommended bottle (37.5cc) is one of them, great value at Karwig’s. Try it as an aperitif, with tapas, with sushi or (if not a purist!) mix it fifty fifty with 7 Up, both ice-cold, add ice and fresh mint leaves.

The Zuleta has a light straw colour with “delicate floral, almond, and yeasty aromas and flavour”. It is crisp, soft, and dry on the palate. They recommended that you serve it very well chilled. And a tip: store after opening, tightly corked and refrigerated it will keep for up to a week.

Monte Toro Selection Crianza, Toro (DO) 2007, 14.5%, €16.20 Karwig Wines

This Highly Recommended red is from Toro, an area in the north west of Spain that produces ripe full bodied reds. It is 100% Tempranillo, the grape known locally as Tinta de Toro. This Crianza has spent 12 months in barrel (fifty fifty US and French oak) and 24 months in bottle before release.

It was worth waiting for. Colour is a dark red with hues of purple. The nose speaks of fruits, echoes there too of toast and vanilla. It is full bodied, silky, intense and savoury, and Highly Recommended

Northern Whites. Double Delight.

Northern Whites

Double Delight

On the Loire

We’ve got two excellent whites for you to consider this week. One is a Riesling from Germany’s Rheingau and the other is a Sauvignon Blanc from the little-known Menetou-Salon appellation in the Loire valley.

Germany’s greatest variety, Riesling, is first documented in the Rheingau in 1435. Don't think Carl Ehrhard has been there that long but he has built up a great reputation and our selection is a lovely example.

Menetou-Salon is a village at the eastern end of the Loire Valley wine region. Wine-searcher.com says it is “forecast by many to be a potential rival for the famous Sancerre appellation (its immediate north-eastern neighbor), Menetou-Salon is rapidly establishing its reputation at an international level”. The reputation is being built on two varieties: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Carl Ehrhard Rüdesheim Riesling Kabinett Feinherb 2015, Rheingau (Germany), 11.5%, €18.60 Karwig Wines

A few words:

Kabinett: a wine made from fully ripened grapes of the main harvest, one level lower than Spätlese.

Feinherb: off dry.

This light gold 100% Riesling has lots of mini-bubbles clinging to the glass. There are white fruit aromas and the intense fresh fruit flavours (apple, citrus) make the tongue tingle at the start before rolling deliciously on. That tingle is the acidity keeping all that lively lovely fruit (with its hints of sweetness) in balance, right through to the excellent finish. Carl Ehrhard never leaves one down and this is Very Highly Recommended.

Just to let those of you worried about the whiffs of diesel from some Rieslings know, there is not a trace of fumes here!

Jean-Max Roger, Morogues, Le Petit Clos 2014, Menetou-Salon (AOC), 12.5%, €21.55 Karwig Wines

This is a classic Loire Sauvignon blanc, on a par with neighbouring Sancerre where Jean-Max also farms. It is elegant and restrained and the perfect partner for “the bounty of the seas,..... Also a good match for white meats and goat’s cheese”. The fruit comes from 5 hectares of vines in Le Petit Clos vineyard. In this steep south-facing slope, grape quality is the season long target.

This light gold wine has pleasant herbaceous aromas, citrus hints too, and these follow through on a fresh and lively palate, superb balance and long finish. Dry and crisp, with lots of character, this excellent Sauvignon Blanc is Highly Recommended.

A Superb French Chardonnay. And Meet Karwig’s Italians

A Superb French Chardonnay.

And Meet Karwig’s Italians

Château Martinolles Chardonnay Limoux (AOC) 2014, 13.5%, €19.65 Karwig Wines

A superb wine from an intriguing historical Languedoc area. The Saint-Hilaire monastery actually used to adjoin the property, and it was there in 1531, that the method for making sparkling wines was discovered.

The fruit, one hundred per cent Chardonnay, is hand-harvested from old vines and is aged for 9 months in oak barrels (one-third new and two-thirds aged), a mixture of French and American oak. It is light gold in colour and you should find white fruits (quince and particularly lime) in the aromas. It is very impressive on the palate, intense in flavour and with a balancing acidity, elegant with a long finalé. A very pleasant surprise indeed and Very Highly Recommended.

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina (DOCG) 2013, 13%, €23.50 Karwig Wines

This a bright ruby from the organic vineyards of Selvapiana. Ripe red fruits in the aromas. On the palate, it is vibrant, ripe and juicy, some spice too, tannins just about in play, a refreshing acidity. It is medium to full bodied, rather elegant, lively and long, rather moreish and Highly Recommended. Try it with pasta, steak and pork chops.

Rufina is one of the sub zones of Chianti. The usual advice is to buy your Chianti from Chianti Classico, the name given to wines from the original historic boundaries. But Wine Folly writes: Both Chianti Classico and Chianti Rufina are likely to be of higher quality, since they are made in smaller quantities from distinct historical areas. This Rufina certainly underlines that point.

Caldora Colle dei Venti Pecorino, Terre di Chieti (IGT) 2015, 13%, €16.70 Karwig Wines

Okay. I haven't lost my marbles! I am talking about a wine, not the famous sheep's cheese of Italy. The Pecorino grape is so called because a bunch resembles a sheep’s head. That’s the winery's story. Another is that the bunches are a favourite treat for the sheep. Wine-Searcher.com says: Pecorino cheese is, coincidentally, a surprisingly good food match for Pecorino wine.

Making wine from native vines is a “point of pride” for Caldora. This hilltop vineyard overlooks a beach (Lido Riccio); on the summer nights, the fresh sea breeze allows a thermal range “fundamental for the complex aromatic structure of the wine”.

Color is quite a light straw yellow. White fruit aromas, herbal hints too, even a slight whiff of liquorice; fresh and crisp, dry and minerally, with excellent acidity and a  persistent finish. Recommended.

Conte Loredan Gasparini Cabernet Sauvignon, Montello E Colli Asolani (DOC) 2014, 13%, €17.25, Karwig Wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted vine in the area of Montello, a small hill 30 miles north of Venice. Half of this is aged in big oak barrels, half in stainless steel.

The colour is purple, deep and dark and there are blackcurrant aromas with hints of herb. Straight away on the palate you'll notice its freshness, its fruit flavours and then that lovely acidity (food is a welcome accompaniment here!). Tannins are fine and the finish is lengthy. This warm and soft wine is Highly Recommended.

Across Northern Spain. On A Red Wine Trail

Across Northern Spain

On A Red Wine Trail

Checking out the Garnacha in Rioja

Let’s take a trip across the north of the Spain and sip a few red wines. We start in Penedes, near Barcelona on the east coast, in the country of the Catalans, and head west to the Basque country (País Vasco).

Maybe you've been to Barcelona. Sitges perhaps? Then you won't have been very far from the vineyards of Albet i Noya. You’ll no doubt have heard of the bulls running and other crazy goings on in Pamplona. Those of you seeking a something a little quieter may well have headed to Santacara, the location where our Marco Real wine comes from.

And if you’ve made it to that vineyard in Navarra, then head west for about an hour and you’ll arrive at Hacienda Grimon which is pretty close to Logrono, the capital of the political area known as La Rioja. The wine area is simply Rioja. Let’s go. Vamonos (Spanish) or Goazen (Basque). Warning: translations by Google!

Albet i Noya Tempranillo, Penedes (DO) 2014, 13%, €14.50, Mary Pawle Wines

Violet is the colour of this Catalan wine and there are subtle aromas of dark and red berries. It is young and juicy and gorgeous, strawberry and raspberry flavours now, good acidity with fine tannins and a dry finish to enjoy.

In Catalonia, at least on the Spanish side of the mountains, Tempranillo is known as Ull de Llebre. This too is on the bottle along with quite a few other Catalan words! You’ll have no doubts about the place where the Albet i Noya wines are made.

Neither will you have any doubts but that they are passionate about their organic wines; they been a pioneer since 1978. “We never measure the effort according to the difficulty. All that matters is the end result and that will only ever be optimal if the whole process is meticulous from the roots up.”

“We believe in what we do and how we do it.” And, so do I! This is one of their basic wines and is Highly Recommended.

Marco Real Finca Corraliza de los Roncaleses, Navarra (DO), tinto 2014, 15%, €15.50 Karwig Wines

Colour of this tinto (red wine) is purple; you’ll note the legs are slow to clear from the glass, a sign that there’s high alcohol here! For the second time, firstly some time back with the 2012 and now with the 2014, I find it hard to agree with the “floral” aromas noted on the label. Seems to me to be more like dark fruit. There you go!

There is quite a body here, fruit and spice plus matching acidity, well-balanced (considering the high ABV), fine tannins and a good long finish. Smooth, elegant and refreshing and Very Highly Recommended. Note the suggested serving temperature below.

Winery info: Wine made with grapes that are hand-picked from the best Garnacha vines, owned by the Belasco Family, at “Corraliza de los Roncaleses” in Santacara. Upon arrival at the winery the grapes are manually selected and then alcoholic fermentation takes place at 23ºC followed by a long maceration of 20 days to endow the wine with optimal finesse and elegance. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 5 months. Recommended serving temperature: between 12 and 14ºC.

Hacienda Grimon Rioja (DOC) Crianza 2013, 13.5%, €17.45 Le Caveau

This wine, produced using organic principles (no herbicide, no pesticide, fertiliser is sheep manure and the fruit is hand-harvested), comes from a little known corner of Rioja Alta. It is a 100% Tempranillo, according to the label (other sources suggest a small proportion of Graciano); it has been aged in French and American oak for 14 months (much longer than the regulation six) and there is a pay-off.

It has quite a dark colour, between violet and purple, with aromas of dark fruit, hints of spice. On the palate, there is an immediate appreciation of the soft attack; the wine is smooth and rich, some pepper, fine tannins; balance is perfect thanks to the fresh acidity and this close to full bodied wine is Highly Recommended.

Three Rivers. Three Reds. Rhone. Dordogne. Piave.

Three Rivers. Three Reds

Rhone. Dordogne. Piave.

The arena in Arles

Vines need water and no surprise then that so many of the world's best known vineyards are planted on the banks of rivers. You’re all familiar with the spectacular pictures from the Douro and the Rhine, both World Heritage sites. Two of the rivers below, the Rhône and the Dordogne, will be well known to you. I suspect that not may be the case with the Piava.

The Rhône is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland, passing through Lake Geneva and running through southeastern France where it splits into two near Arles - its delta encloses much of the Camargue - before entering the sea. It is 812 kilometres long.

Monbazillac, one of the sweet wine areas on the Dordogne.

Venice

The Dordogne is a river in south-central and south-west France. The river and its watershed was designated Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 2012. It flows generally west about 500 kilometres through the Limousin and Périgord regions before flowing into the Gironde, its common estuary with the Garonne in Bordeaux. It flows through many vineyards, including those of Bergerac and Bordeaux, and there is much to see in terms of history (e.g. Castelnaud) and prehistory (Lascaux for example) in the area.

The Piave is the baby of these three. It begins in the Alps and flows southeast for 220 kilometres into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice. There is a cow's milk cheese with the same name and the river is known too for the Battle of the Piave (1918), the decisive battle of World War I on the Italian Front.

The Rhone

Pierre Amadieu Côtes du Rhone (AOC) Grande Réserve 2011, 14%, €16.00 O’Donovan’s Off Licences

This well balanced wine, a blend of Grenache and Syrah, has a violet colour, the legs slow to clear. Blackberry and plum more than red berries feature on a somewhat muted nose, hints of clove too. It is smooth, concentrated and spicy, tannins are silky, acidity not too obvious, but it is well balanced overall, a powerful palate but not short on finesse and with a very pleasing finish.

The grapes are grown different soils, clay and limestone for the Grenache, pebbles and gravel for the Syrah. The fruit used is a “very careful selection”. Harvesting is manual and the wine is matured for six months in oak barrels. A good result! Very Highly Recommended.

The Dordogne

Feely La Source Vin de France 2011, 13%, €23.50 Mary Pawle Wines

Saussignac, like neighbouring Monbazillac, is perhaps best known as an area that produces sweet wines. And it is here that Sean and Carlo Feely produce organic wines that are not sweet! Their vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic. Hand-crafted from old vines, this wine is aged gently for 18 months in French oak barrels. It is handpicked, basket pressed, with indigenous yeasts; it is unfined and unfiltered.

Colour is a deep purple. Plum is prominent in the aromas. Quite a depth of flavour (including plum), nice bit of spice too, concentrated and well balanced and the finish is good too. This 2011 blend is Merlot (80%) and Cabernet and is Highly Recommended.

The Feely suggests an Irish (Wine-Geese) connection to this Bergerac vineyard and there is. Read about it here. By the way, if you are in the area, why not visit Chateau Feely; it is just 75 minutes from Bordeaux and 15 from Bergerac. If you can't make it to Saussignac, maybe you'd like a little share in the vineyard? Details here.

The Piave

Conte Loredan Gasparini Malbec Colli Trevigiani (IGT) 2015, 12.5%, €18.30 Karwig Wines

Colour here is a fairly intense violet and red fruits feature in the aromas. Rich flavours on the palate plus a good input of spice, excellent acidity too. Tannins are fine. Very smooth and approachable and then a good long finish. Very good indeed and Highly Recommended.

While this particular wine is labelled IGT, the winery has been cultivating Malbec for the past fifty years as part of their DOC Venegazzu. They say it is ideal as an aperitif (I can vouch for that!), with fried food and red meat.

Taste of the Week. From Arbutus Bread

Taste of the Week

From Arbutus Bread

While buying my favourite Medieval sourdough loaf, not the best looking babe in the bakery, from Arbutus Bread at Douglas Market last Saturday, I spotted a knobbly knuckly cake. “What’s that?”

The young assistant quickly replied: “It is made with croissant dough, apple, cinnamon and sultanas.” “Okay. I’ll have one.” And that delicious one is our Taste of the Week.

It costs €4.50 but we got quite a few slices out of it. It is delicious on its own and we found two ways to enhance it.  The first is to serve it with custard or vanilla sauce (as they call it in Vienna, according to Rick Stein on one of his long weekends). This gives you an really high class bread pudding. You can add butter if you like!

And the second is to match it with a rosé. This is the time of the year for the pink. And one of the best is a long standing favourite at Karwig Wines, the Domaine Houchart Côte de Provence (2015). I tried that pairing at Monday’s BBQ and it worked a treat.

Three Rouge Pour Vous!

Three Rouge Pour Vous!

Today we feature three lovely reds, including a bargain Pinot Noir from the Ardeche of all places. Not too far away from the Ardeche, comes the “poetic” La Cantilene from the little La Liviniere appellation in Minervois. And then a dash across Provence and into Italy for Mary Pawle’s soft and gorgeous Valpolicella import.

La Boussole Pinot Noir Les Grandes Cotes (Pays D’Oc, IGP) 2014, 12.5%, €13.45 Le Caveau

Colour is a bright ruby and the aromas feature strawberries. It is medium bodied, smooth and juicy. Light fruit flavours much in evidence as is a lively acidity, a little spice and an excellent fruity finish. Very Highly Recommended and great value too.

Winemaker Claude Serra employs, among other things, low yields and “a ruthless approach to quality control” to ensure a wine that reflects the variety and its terroir. And that terroir is in the Ardeche region of western Provence. The fact that it’s a cool-ish area helps the Pinot Noir.

By the way, if you ever have the good luck to be in the area, try the clafoutis! And try everything else as well. All with a glass or two of this Pinot, a very good food wine. Bon Appetit!

Chateau Sainte-Eulalie “La Cantilene” Minervois La Liviniere (AOC) 2013, 14%, €22.50 Karwig Wines

“Eulalie was a good girl

She had a beautiful body, a soul more beautiful still.

The enemies of God wanted to overcome her,

They wanted to make her serve the devil.”

From the heart of the Minervois, from an area called La Liviniere, Karwig Wines in Carrigaline bring you this superb red, a blend of Syrah (55%), Grenache (20) and Carignan (25). La Cantilene (881 AD) is the first romanesque poetic work, stanza above.

Close to Canal du Midi, north east of Carcassonne, north west of Beziers, Laurent and Isabelle Coustal run “an outstanding estate” and are one of the leading producers, respecting nature including the environment. For instance, their 2006 warehouse has its temperature controlled by a geothermal system rather than an energy hungry air conditioner.

La Cantilene has dark fruit aromas, notes of toast. Warm fruit flavours, vanilla notes, some spice too, fine tannins and a decent finish too from this full and rich wine. Recommended for game, grilled red meat and cheese. And the wine itself is Highly Recommended.

The wine area La Liviniere has a reputation for producing some of the finest red wines of the region. Read more here.

Fasoli Gino La Corte del Pozzo, Valpolicella (DOC) 2014, 14%, €20.20 Mary Pawle Wines

Corvina and Rondinella, often seen in the Amarone blend, are the grapes in this vibrant red. And indeed, a portion of these grapes is dried for 15-20 days ‘to increase the proportion of sugar and aromatic contents”. Ten to twelve months later, the two portions are blended. Harvesting is by hand and it is Vino Biologico  (organic). Highly Recommended.

It is a bright ruby. It has red fruit aromas plus some vanilla. All follow through to the smooth and balanced, rich and soft, palate experience. Suggestions for pairing include: pasta, rice; also good with grilled red meats and medium mature cheeses.

Beaujolais Wines, De première classe

Beaujolais Wines 

De première classe

Many of us were introduced to Beaujolais through the much marketed Nouveau. Decades ago now, I remember seeing one half of the local Roches Stores (now Debenhams) front window absolutely packed with colourful bottles in November. And the hype was inescapable with all kinds of contrived races set up to be first with the Nouveau in Cork or Ireland.

And that Nouveau is is still going strong all around the world. So too is the region itself, though it might not have the gravitas of Bordeaux or neighbouring Burgundy. There is a continuity of quality here, almost a guarantee of it if you move up a step or two to the Villages or to one of the ten crus.

Read all about the May Beaujolais Masterclass in Cork here.
And three more (different) Beaujolais, including two crus, here

Chateau du Chatelard Beaujolais Villages, Cuvée Les Vieilles Vignes 2013, 12.5%, €15.95 Karwig Wines

Colour is ruby and the aromas, not very intense, are of strawberries and raspberries. On the harmonious palate, you meet the expected fruits, fine tannins, the typical acidity (good for food) and a decent finish. At a recent masterclass in Cork, Liam Campbell said that Villages may be better value than the basic Beaujolais. This perfectly balanced bottle is the proof and Highly Recommended!

It is produced from old vines (up to 85 years old) and is hand-harvested. I came across some sediment, so decanting is advised. Liam also mentioned that low tannin wines may be served at lower temperatures, between 13 and 15 degrees, and his favourite pairing is with tuna steak. The producers recommend “the cuisine of spring and summer”, listing white and red meats, charcuterie and cheese. Over to you!

Chateau du Chatelard Cuvée Les Vieux Granits Fleurie 2013, 13%, €20.30 Karwig Wines

Gorgeous carmine colour catches the eye and red fruits lead the aromas, quite beguiling overall. The harmonious palate features red fruits mainly in a delightful balance of fruit and acidity, gentle tannins too, elegant and silky all the way to a superb finish. Highly Recommended.

Fleurie is one of the ten Beaujolais crus and this is made from hillside vineyards of old pink granite and is hand-harvested. They recommend trying it with white and red meats, cheese, even chocolate desserts.

Baronne du Chatelard Cuvée Les Pentes Brouilly, 13%, €19.25 Karwig Wines

Brouilly is the largest and most southerly of the Beaujolais crus and this bottle, from plots located at the heart of the appellation, has more going for it on all counts, except perhaps for acidity, than the Fleurie. If I had to pick one of the three, this would be it. But no problem with either of the other two.

It has more to offer in colour, aroma and is better on the palate with a longer finish. It will suit those who like a little more presence in the mouth. Colour is an intense ruby and then come big fruit aromas (berries and plums), vibrant fruit flavours, a hint of minerality and good finish. This elegant medium bodied wine, with rounded tannins, is Highly Recommended.

Serve, they say, at 14-16 degrees with roasted meats in sauce, poultry, and cheeses. I noticed some sediment, so do decant.

Tomorrow, watch out for another three from Beaujolais, including two crus.