Madregale Terre Di Chieti, a well-balanced blend of traditional regional grape varietals

Madregale Terre Di Chieti (IGP) 2022, 13% ABV

RRP: €13.50. Stockists: Stockists:  64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

a well-balanced blend of traditional regional grape varietals

This Madregale red is a mid-ruby colour. The aromas consist mostly of red fruit. The palate has fresh and fruity flavours of red cherry, featuring typical Italian acidity (they make their wine to go with food). It is easy to drink, making it good company on a summer patio or even in a warm winter room. Highly Recommended.

The label tells us this  “Red wine is made from a well-balanced blend of traditional grape varieties from our region”. Importers Le Caveau confirm: it is “a light-bodied blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Although it is easy-drinking, simple, and fresh, this wine offers serious quality for an entry-level option. With only 5g/l of residual sugar, there is no attempt to cater to international palates. It's honest and refreshingly drinkable.”

It is produced by the award-winning Cantina Tollo, one of the biggest and best co-operative wineries in the Abruzzo region, covering 3,200 ha owned by 800 farmers.

Both this Rosso and its Bianco counterpart are terrific house wines. Watch out for them in restaurants! These two are excellent, simple, quaffable wines and good value to boot.

Terras Gauda Abadía De San Campo Albariño. "a very juicy and fresh wine"

Terras Gauda Abadía De San Campo Albariño Rías Baixas (DO) 2022, 12.5%

RRP: €20.95. Stockists:  64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

a very juicy and fresh wine.

This bottle is bursting with brio, is fresh and fragrant, and immediately engaging. The colour is a clean green-tinged yellow with definite citrus traits on the nose. The palate is filled with citrus and mineral sensations. Yet it is very well balanced, with quite a persistent and pleasant finish. Excellent overall, it shows the magnificent qualities of this increasingly popular grape. Very Highly Recommended.

Aging is not recommended. Or is it? You will see some experts, such as Hugh Johnson, giving this the DYA designation, meaning drink youngest available! The producers concur. 

But there is at least one contrary opinion. Finest Wines of Rioja (2011) debunked a “popular misconception” that these wines are meant to be drunk within one year of the vintage. “..a quality Albariño, bottled during the first spring after harvest, with a balanced structure relying on fresh acidity and a good mineral character, will be at its best after its second spring and will continue growing in bottle for some years.”

Le Caveau tells us it works brilliantly when served with tuna steaks. It is also ideal with seafood, shellfish (Percebes!), fish... “or almost anything coming out of the Atlantic.” The winery recommends serving it at a temperature between 10°C and 12°C and adds that it can also be enjoyed with Asian cuisine. It is best appreciated chilled on a hot summer day.

Thought to be related to Riesling and presumably brought by Cluny monks to 12th century Iberia, via France, the relatively recently fashionable Albarino grape is now mainly associated with Rías Baixas in northwestern Spain.  It is also grown in neighbouring areas in Portugal where it is spelt as Alvarinho. Indeed, recent studies suggest it is native to Galicia and Portugal.

Time you met the big, bold seducer. Pasquale Petrera ‘Fatalone’ Gioia del Colle Primitivo .

Pasquale Petrera ‘Fatalone’ Gioia del Colle (DOC) Primitivo Riserva 2020, 16% ABV

€23.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Time you met Fatalone, the big, bold seducer.

The colour, emblematic of the grape, is an intense ruby. As expected, the aromatics feature ripe dark fruit (black cherry, plum). The flavours, dark fruits again, are forward, and the smooth and velvety palate experience also includes spice notes. It is full-bodied, rich in minerality and freshness, and has an extended finish with an almond aftertaste (typical of the Primitivo grape in this area).

The winemaker suggests pairings such as strongly flavoured dishes like pasta with gravy, roasted beef, game, and grilled meat, as well as fish and aged cheese. The Riserva is also particularly pleasant with dark chocolate sweets. Best served at 18°- 20°C.

Importers Le Caveau: ‘Fatalone’ means seducer in the local dialect and well-named as it is a perfect balance of smoothness, freshness and minerality. It spends 12 months in wine stainless steel tanks, 12 months in Slavonic oak 750-litre-casks with the application of music therapy to optimise the spontaneous micro oxygenation process and improve the fining of the wine, then finished by 6 months in bottle.”

According to Wine-Searcher.com, Primitivo probably arrived in Puglia (where you’ll find Fatalone) from the coastal vineyards of Croatia (just across the Adriatic Sea). “It is still grown there today, under various tongue-twisting names including Tribidrag and Crljenak Kasteljanski. In the early 19th century, the variety was introduced to the United States, under the name Zinfandel.”

Le Caveau 2025 Spring Tastings.Superb wines, Masterclass on Terroirs Project, new wines from Kilkenny

 Le Caveau 2025 Spring Tastings

Superb wines. 

Masterclass on Terroirs Project. 

New wines from County Kilkenny.

Pascal Rossignol and team, celebrating 26 years in business, put on a brilliant Spring Tasting in Cork’s old Apple Market last week. There were superb wines to taste (as always), and in addition, Dario Poddano (Les Caves de Pyrene) conducted a Masterclass on the Terroirs Project. And there was a bonus surprise when Aoife McCan took me through some of the excellent wines now being produced by Kilkenny’s Triskelion Vineyard.

Sean Kerin (well experienced in wine in the Rhone, the UK, and his native Australia) and Irishman Philip Little are behind Triskelion. They have two small south-facing vineyards in Piltown, planted in 2018 with Regent, Rondo, Seyval Blanc, Richensteiner, Sauvignon Gris, and Bacchus. It seems that the “secret to success” for Triskelion (and other Irish wine hopefuls) lies in the fact that the vines are a mix of different hybrids and PIWIs (the German acronym for fungus-resistant grape varieties).

Aoife started me with their Pet Nat, then a white and a rosé. What a beautiful trio of surprises, all really good and so encouraging for the future. The white is a blend of Seyval Blanc, Bacchus and Richensteiner with a small amount of Sauvnignier Gris ( along the lines of an Alsace Gentil). The red - and that too is superb - is a blend of Rondo, Regent, Dornfelder and a small amount of Pinot Noir.

The wines are produced solely from their own grapes, all grown outdoors in County Kilkenny, where they are also bottled. I understand they are not on sale yet, but do watch out for them!

From The Tasting - A Shopping List

My favourite white was the Femme Soleil, while the Foillard Morgon topped the reds!

I used the main tasting as a “scouting mission” for the next 12 months or so. I was rather selective as I sipped, and I’m sure that there were other excellent wines in addition to the dozen below, which will form the basis of my next shopping list!

White:

1 - 2023 Cuvée Cantalouette BLANC, Tour des Gendres, Bergerac (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, SAVAGNIN)

2 - 2023 Bourgogne Aligoté, Maison Ambroise, Burgundy

3 - 2023 Chenin VDF, Famille Mosse, Loire

4 - 2022 Montlouis Minérale+, Frantz Saumon, Loire

5 - 2023 Femme Soleil, Cyril Fhal, Roussillon (Grenache Gris)

6 - 2018-21 Y`a Plus Qu`a, Kumpf et Meyer, Alsace (Multi-vintages, Sylvaner, Auxerrois)

Red:

1 - 2022 Gamabumba Gamay, Domaine des Fables, Savoie

2 - 2023 Beaujolais Villages, Alex Foillard

3 - 2023 Rouge Lux, Marie et Vincent Tricot, Auvergne (Gamay d’Auvergne)

4 - 2020 Chénas Coup Double, Paul-Henri Thillardon, Beaujolais

5 - 2022 Morgon Corcelette, Jean Foillard, Beaujolais

6 - 2022 Fleurie, Jean Foillard, Beaujolais

The Terroirs Project

Grandparent and grandchild

The Terroirs Project, led by Les Caves de Pyrene and supported by Le Caveau, was conceived to make delicious and affordable wines from sustainable and organic practices in the vineyard and by means of low-intervention, chemical-free winemaking.

 

Dario Poddano says: “We’ve collaborated with some of our favourite growers from around the world, focusing intently on the quality of the grapes and emphasising light-touch vinification in order to bring out the best expression of terroir from each respective region. “

 

All of the wines that make up the Terroirs Project are:

• Made from organically farmed fruit
• Naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts
• Made with minimal or zero sulphur
• Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

We’ve highlighted a few of them on the blog in recent weeks, such as Caminante,  Fratelli Felix (an ideal introduction to orange wine)  and Brich. Read all about the project here. 

Those New Labels - more volume / fewer lines

This year, the hard reality of the new labelling law, specific to Ireland, is sinking in. Pascal Rossignol of Le Caveau has nothing against the consumer being provided with extra information but says, “These regulations are highly impractical for small-scale wine producers, who now have to create back labels for each cuvee, each size bottle and will have to do so at every vintage change.”

 

“We are no longer able to share allocations from overseas (New World) with our UK friends at Les Caves de Pyrene and have delisted almost 20 wineries, with more to come next year. The wines were sent to London before making their way to Ireland; it’s simply not possible to open all these cases and label them. We will need to reduce the range from our existing producers, more volume / fewer lines might become the new reality of the Irish wine scene, unfortunately,"

 

But Pascal is positive, as he usually is. “All is not gloom; in 25 years, we weathered a boom, a recession and a pandemic, so we will face this new challenge and keep going the best we can. I am back from a recent trip to France, where I met with dozens of artisan producers at Natural wine salons, including Clandestine, Ardèche, Pénitentes, Il Etait Une Fois and La Dive. All our producers are going to be with us on this and print these back labels. Resilience!”

 

Say Hola to Caminante Tempranillo, a serious crowd-pleasing Tempranillo.

Caminante Tempranillo, Vina Albizu (Rioja Alavesa), 13.5% ABV

€21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A serious crowd-pleasing style

This is a seriously palate-pleasing Tempranillo that is brimming with fresh ripe red cherry flavours and hints of blackberries, and also a slight touch of pepper. The aromas, too, feature those red and black fruits. And there’s a refreshing acidity to this unoaked wine that also boasts a lengthy finish. Quite “a real find”, as importers Le Caveau put it, and this easy-drinker is also very well priced indeed. Highly Recommended.

Le Caveau tell us it is produced by Viña Albergada, a respected Rioja producer. The fruit for the wine comes from vineyards planted within the Rioja Alavesa appellation. Yet the bottle doesn't carry the Rioja stamp. In fact, all you’ll see is that it is a Product of Spain. All this because, even though it is from Rioja, it is made a little outside the rules of the appellation. Once you take a sip though, you’ll know it’s a good one!

Pairing tips.  

Delicious on its own, served slightly cool, and with barbecued meats and tapas.

Angiolino Maule, La Biancara, Masieri Garganega Veneto. A simple wine without frills but lively and mineral

Angiolino Maule, La Biancara, Masieri Garganega Veneto (IGT) 2022, 11.5%

€21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A simple wine but lively and mineral, without frills

Straw yellow is the colour of this organic white from the Veneto region of northwestern Italy. The aromatics have delicate citrusy notes. The big “hello” comes on the palate, where a tart lemon and lime combo more or less ambushes the drinker. The acidity balances the fruit, and a lingering finish follows, which is always a good sign.

The producers sum it up well: It's a simple wine but lively and mineral, without frills. I agree and am happy to give it the Very Highly Recommended tag.

La Biancara was established at the end of the 1980s, when pizza makers Angiolino and Rosamaria Maule bought a small plot of land, about six hectares, in the hills of Gambellara. Since then, they have worked to develop their personal idea of wine: a wine created by the exaltation of nature, without chemical interferences in the vineyard or in the cellar, to obtain the highest expression of terroir in every bottle. 

A few years back, at a Veneto Masterclass in Dublin, Dario Poddana (Les Caves de Pyrene) praised the Maule family and said they were at the forefront of the natural wine movement, and not just in Italy.

Masieri is made (mostly) from Garganega grapes. Vino Italiano, which praises the vineyard (as does the World Atlas of Wine), says it could be argued that the (white) wines are purer expressions of Garganega than those of neighbouring Soave. Garganega is thought by some to be related to the Greco (another Mediterranean grape that I like) of southern Italy.

Check the Le Caveau list for other wines from this marvellous wine-making family.

Casina Bric 460 Mesdi Rosso, from a place that “respects nature in every aspect.”

 Casina Bric 460 Mesdi Rosso Serralunga D’Alba 2023, 14.0% ABV

RRP €21.15. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

from a place that “respects nature in every aspect.”

From a hilltop farm in the hamlet of Vergne, close to the more famous Barolo commune, comes this superb wine produced from 100% Nebbiolo fruit. Quite a medley of aromatics includes red berries, roses, and herbs. Can be described as earthy! And so it continues on the palate, all those flavours plus a touch of liquorice, maybe chocolate,  right through a lingering finish. 

This Nebbiolo is a power-packed wine that is fresh and fruity with moderate tannins and a balanced acidity. Piemonte makes some super wines, and the Mezdi is an ideal and well-priced introduction to the area.

Importers Le Caveau say it is excellent with roasted butternut squash, wild mushroom risotto or Gorgonzola cheese. “Just the job too for grilled rib eye”, according to Brigid O’Hora’s new no-nonsense book “The Home Sommelier”. “The wine we drink every day at lunch paired with piatto di pasta or with a selection of salami and cheese,” say the producers.

In a nod to Piedmont's history and to portray the wines at their best, Casina Bric uses the Poirinotta bottle, which dates back to the 1700s. This bottle used to be produced near the village of Poirino, just a few kilometres from Turin, but it was later abandoned in favour of other containers from nearby France.

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Check out our Top 2023 Wines here.

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Check out the Good Value Wine List here

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• This post is part of a series on Italian wines made from native grapes and produced by usually small or medium-sized organic wineries. Taking some “guidance” here from the recently published VINO. They mightn’t always net the hat trick, but I hope to score two from the three each time. I have quite a few lined up, but I’m happy to consider any suggestions or help. #OrganicItaly
• See our expanding list (with short reviews, prices and stockists) of #OrganicItaly wines here