La Stoppa’s Elena Pantaleoni. I wish my wines to live for many years

La Stoppa’s Elena Pantaleoni

I wish my wines to live for many years

Elena Pantaleoni is part of the “Triple A” movement; you’ll see the sign on some of her wines. What's it all about? Mostly, it is against the standardisation of wines, the dumbing down, the loss of variety, of personality, of terroir, of local grapes, of character. Agriculturists, Artisans, Artists.

Essentially, it is Elena and her equivalents in Italy, in France, in Spain, in Portugal, wherever, who are up against Big Food, Big Drink. It is for nature. Natural Resistance is a film in which Elena had a leading part. And it is not just wine. The monopolising influences are everywhere, in all sectors. So wake up, get up, get out and support your local food and drink producer. Otherwise, some boring day in the future, breakfast will be Tablet 1, lunch Tablet 2, dinner Tablet 3; interchangeable. And your wine will be white or red. No variety.

Triple 'A': AGRICULTURISTS Only who cultivates directly the vineyard can build a fair relationship between man and grapevine, and obtain healthy and mature grapes through exclusively natural agronomical interventions. ARTISANS Artisanal methods and capabilities are required to carry out a viticultural and oenological productive process that does not modify the original structure of the grapes and of the wine. ARTISTS Solely the “artistic” sensibility of a producer, respectful of his own work and his own ideas, can give life to a great wine in which the characteristics of territory and vine are exalted.

Read, a little, more on the subject here.

La Stoppa Trebbiolo 2013 (Emilia rosso IGT), 13%, €19.95 Le Caveau

This certified organic natural red is a blend of Barbera (60%) and Bonarda (40%) and thereby hangs a tale.

For twenty years, La Stoppa estate had been growing mainly international grapes but, in 1996, Elena Pantaleoni and winemaker Giulio Armani decided to concentrate on the Italian grapes Barbera and Bonarda.

Elena: “I wish my wines to live for many years; so that when selected, they can be enjoyed for their colour, their taste and their bouquet.”

Colour here is a vibrant medium red. Aromas are fresh and  rather complex and include red and darker berries, vanilla hints, spice too. On the palate, it is light, fruity, simple, some spice too, a very refreshing acidity, lively, lovely and juicy; good on its own or with food. A wine for all seasons and Very Highly Recommended.

I met Elena for the first time at a recent lunch in Good Things in Skibbereen and she told me that they also make a frizzante version of the Trebbiolo, an everyday wine that, helped by its pleasant acidity, goes well with the local cuisine. The name Trebbiolo, she told us, comes from a local river valley.

Elena (1st left, 1st row) at lunch in Good Things, Skibbereen.

La Stoppa Malvasia Dolce Frizzante, Emilia (IGT) 2015, 7%, €18.95 Le Caveau.

And that same valley produces the fruit, the Malvasia di Candia, for this unusual moderately sweet bubbly wine. Unusual to me anyhow. Single fermentation is via the Charmat method (also used in Prosecco). Note that the ABV is just 7%.

Note too the beautiful golden colour. Not that many bubbles. It is frizzante, not spumante! Easy drinking (not a hint of cloying), moderately sweet, honey and fruity and a good finish. This lightly sparkling beauty is a must try, perhaps with a nougat by Miena, maybe with some poached/grilled fruit such as peaches. Recommended.

La Stoppa Ageno, Emilia (IGT) bianco 2011, 13.5%, €31.95 Le Caveau

The Malvasia pops up here again and is indeed the major component in the blend for this rather amazing orange wine. Ortrugo and Trebbiano, both white grapes, also contribute. The wine is called after the founder of La Stoppa Estate, a man from Genoa. It is produced using an old traditional winemaking method, where the grapes are macerated on their skins (indigenous yeast, no added sulphur) for up to a month, or more, to create an orange wine. It is rich in colour, tannic and complex.

That colour is quite amazing. In addition to the maceration, it also helps that Ortrugo tends to orange in any case. The aromas are complex. For a second or two, I thought I was on a cider as I detected an autumnal orchard mustiness.

For all the intense colour and complex aromas and initial sweetness, this rich and elegant wine is definitely dry with a tannic finish (you notice it as your lips dry!). Made in the traditional manner, aged for a year in large barrels and two years in bottle, it is unique and Very Highly Recommended.

"The first Ageno was first produced in 2002 so we do not have a long experience of this wine,” said Elena in Skibbereen and she recommended serving it at 15 degrees.

That unique quality is exactly what Elena wants for this wine, for all her wines. She spends a lot of time on the road selling her wines. She knows La Stoppa will makes its mark and succeed if it has a strong identity. She and winemaker Giulio have certainly achieved that with this trio.

See also: Meeting Elena from La Stoppa in Good Things Cafe Skibbereen

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Côtes Du Rhone. Two to try!

Côtes Du Rhone

Two to try!

Mont Ventoux dominates the area and it wasn't too pleasant on top when I arrived

A Little History

The roots of  Côtes du Rhone go back to the 17th century though it was not until the middle of the 19th (both banks now planted!) that the plural came to be used. Finally in 1936, the reputation was formally recognised, and the Appellation officially made its debut on 19th November 1937.

The Mistral wind - Ventoux is the windy mountain - is both renowned and feared in Provence and was at its worst in 1956. Wind speeds of 100kph and temperature of minus 15 degrees crucified the area. The olive trees perished in their 1000s but the vines proved more resistant. After that, the farmers bet on the winners!

No less than 22 varieties are allowed in the AOC but often just three - Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre - are used. Others that may figure are Cinsault, Carignan, Bourboulenc, white Grenache., Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier.

Grenache, which offers fruitiness, warmth and body, is resistant to wind and drought, so most red wines of the southern C-d-R are Grenache based. In the AOC, it must be a minimum of 40% Grenache. Both the excellent wines below are well above that minimum.

Santa Duc Les Vieilles Vignes,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2012, 14%, €15.60 Le Caveau

The average age of these old vines is 40 years. Colour is between medium and dark. It is slightly cloudy but, don't worry, this is natural as the wine is unfiltered. Jammy red fruits feature on the aromas. The smooth and full palate shows big ripe fruit flavours, tannins at play here but with little bite, good balance;  longish finalé and Highly Recommended.

The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The mix will vary from year to year. The fruit comes from the Rhone villages of Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Seguret and Rouaix and the wine is technically a Côtes du Rhone Villages in everything but name. Production is organic.

Chateau de Bastet Terram,  Côtes du Rhone (AOC) 2014, 13%, €15.20 Mary Pawle Wines

No herbicides, no pesticides. This is both organic and biologique and the blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. And note that the recommended serving temperature is 14 degrees, quite appropriate as this is a delicious summertime CdR!

Colour is ruby, the liquid attractively bright in the glass. Jammy red fruits on the nose and then lively red fruit flavours on the palate, a nice light spice too, rounded tannins, fresh acidity but well balanced for sure. Very clean and accessible and Very Highly Recommended.

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.

Twisted Kinsale. You Send Me!

Twisted Kinsale. You Send Me!

Halibut and Lobster Risotto. Mains

When Sam Cooke released Twistin’ the night away back in the 60s day, the B side was You Send Me. The titles might well sum up Twisted in Kinsale. Cooke’s Twist was new and, in Kinsale, Spanish Head Chef Guillermo Carrión Garcia has put a new twist on the menu and, well, it sends me!

Don’t know what It sends me means? This is what the Urban Dictionary says: It describes a feeling of love so deep, it takes you to another world.

Twisted is a Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Kinsale, opened by Maushmi Arun and Christophe Moreau over 12 months ago. Started as Tapas and Wine but evolved into a full scale restaurant and the tapas are large, doubling as starters. I think one would be called ración in Spain.

Octopus starter

So let's start on the new summer menu in this long, narrow place, with its casual decor of sides of wine boxes on some wall surfaces and also its big black wall with the Specials chalked up and also the names of the international team.  

They have a tempting cocktail list. And a really classy wine list, much of it organic and available by the glass. If you're looking for white, Bodegas Menade Verdejo or Cuvee de Conti Semillon and Muscadelle from Bergerac are excellent. On the red side, I was delighted with the Massaya Classic Red (Lebanon) and the Volubilia rogue, a Moroccan blend from Domaine Zouina. But you’ve lots to pick from and hard to go wrong. The staff will help you choose.

Peppers stuffed with lamb; mains

You may stick with the Tapas here for the evening; there are usually three or four specials to vary the mix. You may also enjoy various boards to share, including meat and cheese. I might well go that route next time as they have top notch Iberico Belloto ham, and cheeses, such as Ossau Irraty (got lost up there once - blame it on the Sat-Nav!) from the Pyrenees and Gubbeen from West Cork. Indeed, you can have a board of cheese and meat.

Didn't get to all the starters but did try five! The Rabbit Leg in a Mediterranean sauce is gorgeous, the sauce especially so, and do try also the Prawn and Sea Spaghetti Spring Rolls that come with a chilli mayonnaise.

Turbot and purple potato

Fresh Calamari and Aioli Sauce with Organic Lettuce is simply delightful. The Baby Octopus with Gallego sauce on a bed of potato is both spectacular and delicious. And the Beef Cheek croquettes with Port sauce and sweet onion is amazing and very popular too.

On to the mains then. There was the Skeaghanore Duck Leg Confit that comes with Sarlat style wild garlic potatoes. Add in a fig sauce, a white peach froth, and an amazing apple and walnut salad and you have quite a treat on your plate!

Rabbit starter

 Just as well, everything can be shared here - they leave a few extra plates for that very purpose. Otherwise there’d be a fight when the Lobster and Halibut Miloja appears. The fish is in a puff pastry pocket and served with a squid ink risotto, pak choi, local samphire and roasted cherry tomatoes.

And the sharing goes on. The Wild Turbot comes with purple potato, bilbaina of chanterelles and more, quite a presentation! And our next joint venture involved the Piquillo Peppers (sweet taste, no heat). Here, they are stuffed with creamy minced Irish lamb, with a Vizcaina sauce, and served with couscous, zucchini pearls, cream of celery, sweet potato squares, baby carrots, baby leeks. Superb. No wonder it’s an in-house favourite!

Duck

 Boozy, decadent, velvety are words used to describe the desserts, mostly all together and all true! Love my sweet wine, so when I saw a glass of Jurancon with those Bordeaux treats, Canelé (bite-sized custard filled cakes), I just had to say oui. And my treat was matched on the other side of the table by Chocolate Truffles with Pietri Geraud Banyuls Rimage Mademoiselle O. Just had to be nice to Mademoiselle to get a taste of that sweet red!

And, after experience, there is yet one more dessert to recommend. Considering where the chef hails from, there was no way we could leave and not try the Santiago Almond Tart, mascarpone ice-cream and fresh mango. Magic!

Cheeks

And the Twisted service? Very friendly, very informative and helpful. You get a warm welcome and soon the water and menus are on your table and a mini-copy of the specials board as well. And they don't leave it at that. They’ll explain the specials and answer any other questions, help you with the wine as well. 

All in all, something new and refreshing in this gourmet corner of Ireland. Something very welcome and Very Highly Recommended.

Santiago Tart

Twisted
5 Main Street, Kinsale, County Cork
Tel: 086 810 0157
Hours: Daily - 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Email: twistedkinsale@gmail.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/twistedkinsale5mainstreet/?fref=nf
Twitter: @TwistedKinsale

Beaujolais Encore. Hail the classy crus.

Beaujolais Encore.

Hail the classy crus.

Beaujolais has a borderline continental climate, tempered by the presence of the Massif Central to the west and the Alps to the east. This provides a relatively warm growing season. See Wine-Searcher’s summary (weather and more) of the region here.

So they have ideal weather? Not bad, but it’s not plain sailing.  Every farmer keeps an eye on the sky, watching what is coming over them there hills. This May and June, it wasn't at all pleasant in Beaujolais. In the north of the area, where the crus are situated, the hail came with a vengeance and, according to Decanter, Beaujolais authorities reported some plots in the appellations of Chiroubles and Fleurie were completely destroyed. More on the hail here.

Not easy for the farmers. But they are a resilient lot. I remember, just a few years, visiting a vineyard in Vouvray (Loire) just days after such a devastating hailstorm. The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said that’s nature.

The crus, and we have two below, produce the flagship wines and there are ten of them: Chiroubles, Saint Amour, Fleurie, Régnié, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Juliénas, Chénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent.

Read all about the May Beaujolais Masterclass in Cork here.
See yesterday's post - three different Beaujolais featured

Domaine de la Plaigne Beaujolais Villages 2013, 12.5%, €16.25 Le Caveau

Ruby is the colour here and there are aromas of red berries (strawberries, raspberries). On the palate those berry flavours are all in silky harmony. It is juicy too, light and delicious, with typical acidity and Highly Recommended.

It is one hundred per cent Gamay, hand-harvested and - the unromantic bit! - aged in concrete vats. The winemakers recommend pairing it with Delicatessen meats, fish terrine, grilled entrecote steak, poultry, Italian dishes, “ideal for all occasions from aperitif to cheese”.

Didier Devignes Clos Les Charmes, Moulin A Vent 2010, 13%, €23.95 Le Caveau

Moulin-à-Vent, with its full bodied and complex wines, is the highest rated of all the Beaujolais Crus. Liam Campbell, at the recent masterclass in Cork, called it “the most regal of all the crus”. A windmill, that was classified as a historical monument in 1930, is the well-known symbol of the Cru.

So a great cru and quite a winemaker in Didier Desvignes: “Everything I do both in vine growing and winemaking aims at allowing nature and terroir to express themselves to the full. I choose traditional methods, including tilling between the vines, to guarantee the flavours of the wine.” Still, “convinced that time in the barrel gives additional and new aromatic complexity”, he does use oak, for 10 months in this particular wine.

The wines are grown in “a remarkable vineyard” where the soil consists mainly of pink granite which has a natural affinity, it seems, with Gamay and this is 100 percent Gamay. The grapes from each plot are vinified separately to obtain the best possible balance between the structure and finesse given by the terroirs.

Colour is a rather deep ruby and the aromas are quite complex, a rich combination of cherries and berries, hints of spice. All combine harmoniously on the palate, amazing flavours and a matching acidity requesting food! Tannins are at play too and then follows a long lasting finish.

Enjoy it with small game, stews and mature cheeses, they say. I found it went very well indeed with a Irish Piedmontese steak that I bought in a very popular stall at the recent Cork Summer Show. Very Highly Recommended, both the steak and the wine!

Domaine Jean Foillard Cote du Py, Morgon 2013, 12.5%, €34.20 Le Caveau

This, from the second largest of the crus, was perhaps the standout wine of the Beaujolais masterclass held last month in L’Atitude. Introducing it, Liam Campbell told us we were in for a treat, “an outstanding wine”. And this single vineyard wine is certainly a Gamay gem.

Colour is a light ruby. Look closer and you’ll see a little cloudiness - no worries, this is a natural wine. Aromas hint of red cherry, berries too. The palate is out on its own, red fruits and a little spice, that typical balancing acidity again, tannins are fine and then a superb finalé. Very Highly Recommended

The fact that the vines are grown on “one of the best sites of the entire Beaujolais region”, on an extinct volcano, plus the use of minimum intervention (the use of oak is minimal), makes this a rather unique expression of the Gamay.

See yesterday's post - three different Beaujolais featured

What to drink with Sushi? Answers At L’Atitude Event

What to drink with Sushi?

Answers At L’Atitude Event

Miyazaki magic

Cider? Wine? Sherry? Champagne? Which would win? These were the questions as this fun event, involving matching Sushi with various drinks, kicked off in the marvellous L’Atitude Wine Cafe in Cork last Wednesday. In the end an atypical Loire Sauvignon Blanc got the nod from the audience.

There was already one champion on the table as we entered and that was a plateful of delightful Sushi, skillfully prepared by Takashi Miyazaki, Cork and Ireland’s favourite Japanese chef. And what does the maestro himself drink with it? Well, saké, of course, after a beer or two! Saké, a natural match, wasn't in the line-up the other night. The omission was deliberate and that gave the others a chance.

Takashi (in front) with (l to r) Beverly, Leslie, Pascal, Paddy and Susan

Takashi had Seared Salmon (sesame oil added before the searing), Cured Salmon (tasted somewhat like the very best Prosciutto), Sea Bass (with salmon roe on top) and “Plain” Salmon (with green chilli, pepper, and salted to give it “a kick”) in his sushi selection.

Beverley of L’Atitude kicked off proceedings with a bottle of Cockagee Cider in her hands. “This is the champagne of ciders”, she declared. “I just love it. It's incredible, not overly tannic. A fine cider for some very fine sushi.”

And then came Leslie Williams, words flowing like bubbles at a West Ham game as he lauded the Devaux Rosé Champagne, made mainly with Pinot Noir grapes. “Its richness, that hint of sweetness, would work well with the sushi.” If in doubt, not that Leslie had any doubts,  “it has to be champagne”.

L'Atitude, No. 1 Union Quay.

And then, with hands in motion, Pascal introduced his natural wine, a Loire Sauvignon blanc by Alexandre Bain. “He makes wine like his grandfather did, not like his father did, and is the only grower in the area to allow malolactic fermentation. It is rounder, richer, creamier than the standard Pouilly Fumé. It is listed in a three star Michelin in Paris and paired with raw fish and pickled ginger!” The words plus, we believe, no little “practice” with Takashi, paid off in votes.

And then Paddy Murphy took up the cause of sherry. What else? His Manzanilla (La Guita) - “really a wine in its own right”- was bone dry and light with a saline character and paired with the sushi “should enhance the umami”. The Don Zoilo Amontillado was, said Paddy, “the king of sherry..with a slight richness, yet bone dry..savoury..tangy… should pair well”.  Indeed, both styles went down very well indeed among the voters but the two-wine strategy split the vote; both did well but neither got enough to win.

The noteworthy Champion

Susan Boyle sang the praises of her St Brigid’s Pale Ale and pointed to the hop bitterness “a key ingredient for this matching, not in any of the previous drinks”. She listed other local ingredients: barley and honey from their own hives. “It may be an unusual choice but I think it works particularly well. I’m saving the best til last so tick that little box!”

Ottolenghi tasted the beer at the recent LitFest and said it was “the bee’s knees”. Susan wasn't the only one to name-drop. In the end though, the audience went with Le Caveau Sauvignon blanc.

Two Many?

Really though, there were quite a few winners on a very enjoyable evening, including the punters. Well done to L’Atitude for their irrepressible enthusiasm and bubbling invention, to the five presenters, to our MC Colm McCan (he said he was using the south facing clock on Shandon Tower as a time-keeping aid - visitors had to be told that Shandon is known as the four-faced liar), and of  course to Takashi Miyazaki (whose famous must-visit takeaway is at the corner of Barrack Street and Evergreen Street).