Obama put this Spanish Wine on the map! Peza do Rei Ríbera Sacra (DO)

Adega Cachi Cachín Peza do Rei Ríbera Sacra (DO) 2021, 13.0%, €20.95

How Obama put this Spanish Wine on the map!

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

From a tiny vineyard in Spain’s Ribeira Sacra, its wines admired by the Castillian kings in medieval times and by a recent American president, comes this Very Highly Recommended red.

The colour is mid-ruby. Aromas of medium intensity (lighter red berried fruits). Fresh and fruity with good acidity, not unlike a young Cabernet Franc from Chinon or Bourgueil. Cherry and raspberry in the flavour mix. This is a balanced, soft easy-drinking wine with a long refreshing finish.

Barack Obama, no less, was the US president who gave this very wine a major boost a few years back when the Cachin Peza do Rei was chosen for the toast at a gala in Washington, D.C., to honour the contribution of the Hispanic community in US. The demand for Peza do Rei bottles skyrocketed.

Quality, reliability and authenticity, as always, from Cantine Rallo.

Quality, reliability and authenticity,

 as always, from Cantine Rallo

Baglio Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2021, 13% ABV 

RRP: €21.95 Greenman Wines, Le Caveau, Bradleys, 64 Wine.

The clue is in the colour - it is orange.

Orange and organic. Fermentation is natural, without adding yeast. Catarratto wines are fragrant and crisp and so is this one. 

The aromas speak of apples. It is amazingly flavourful, apple there again but also hints of marmalade and ginger. And apples, of the cider variety, make an appearance as it finishes dry and lip-smacking. This is a deliciously drinkable Sicilian Orange wine.

And that colour, a mix of amber and orange, comes from the fact that it receives a 3-day skin maceration. Le Caveau: "This is a fantastic introduction to ‘orange’ wines both from a flavour and a pricing point-of-view. …This would be brilliant with free-range pork rib with apple sauce, with a herby roasted chicken or with cheeses such as Durrus….It is unfined and unfiltered and has zero added sulphur. “

It is very adaptable and food-friendly; it'll go well with all sorts of pasta dishes and spicy foods

Very Highly Recommended.

The history of the Cantine Rallo wine estate started in 1860 and Rallo was synonymous with quality, reliability and authenticity… Since 2010 Rallo wines are “produced and bottled at their origin by the grower”. Fine wines, organically grown in a certified organic agriculture, they represent the best and most typical of the cultivars of Western Sicily. The results are evident in the fragrant, crisp Catarratto and the perfumed, fresh Nero d'Avola.

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Bianco is certainly a bit of a misnomer here as this is most definitely an orange wine, a cloudy deep amber in colour, unfined and unfiltered. Orange wines also have a higher level of tannins, more like red wines, and indeed can match foods where previously red would have been the only choice. Catarratto, by the way, is Sicily’s, and Italy’s, most popular white wine grape.

* Our next Le Caveau wine will be the Nero D’Avola from the same producer! Looking forward to that.

Seductive and spicy, this Nero D’Avola will put a spell on you.

Seductive and spicy, this Nero D’Avola will put a spell on you.

Baglio Antico Nero D’Avola Sicilia (DOP) 2020, 13% ABV.

RRP €21.95. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

This full-bodied, ripe and juicy red from the sun-drenched Italian island of Sicily is produced from the island’s most important and most loved red wine grape Nero D’Avola. Our unoaked and organic wine is a terrific example of the variety.

The colour is a deep red. Dark berries and a little spice on the nose follow on to the palate. Packed with ripe black cherry fruit and hints of pepper, the supple wine has an immediately noticeable and deliciously refreshing acidity. A bright, fresh, modern wine, with a dry finish, it is an easy drinker for sure.

Highly Recommended.

The Baglio Rosso is 100% Nero d’Avola from certified organic vineyards. Short maceration of a week of whole bunch (40%) and destemmed (60%) grapes. Wild yeast, no sulphur, no fining, no filtration. It has been praised for its excellent balance. Serve at 14-16 °C with Red meat, game, and mature cheeses.

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A baglio is a courtyard at the centre of a walled, fortified estate, typical of rural Sicily. The history of the Cantine Rallo wine estate started in 1860 and Rallo was synonymous with quality, reliability and authenticity. At the end of the 90s, the Vesco family turned Cantine Rallo into a modern estate, producing wines organically. Andrea Vesco runs the winery, with expert commitment, personally and meticulously attending to all the stages of production from the cultivation of the grapes to the final bottling,.

The dark-skinned grape has a long history in Sicily and takes its name from the town of Avola. Much of that history though saw the grape used in blends in the island and on the mainland. Over the last few decades, there has been, thanks to producers such as the Vesco family, an upward turn for Nero D’Avola and it is now common to find it produced as a varietal wine. 

Delightful Occhipinti from lands caressed by the Mediterranean.

Delightful Occhipinti from lands caressed by the Mediterranean.

Occhipinti SP68 Rosso Terre Siciliane (IGT) 2022, 11% ABV

RRP: €29.95.  Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

This still, dry red wine (a blend of Frappato 70% Nero D'Avola 30%) is made by Arianna Occhipinti in the south-east corner of the Italian Island of Sicily

It has a bright and inviting ruby colour (reminiscent of Pinot Noir or Gamay). Aromas are gentle, with red fruits like wild cherries and raspberries, also floral notes, and herbal too.  Plum and cherry and berry again in the strikingly delightful and stimulating progress on the palate. There is fine acidity and soft tannins in a beautiful easy-drinking wine.  

Very Highly Recommended.

A delightful wine to sip and matches well with grilled meats, fish, roasted veg, and caramelised onions. Serve at 16-18° C.

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The SP68 is the name of the main road that passes near to Arianna’s home town of Vittoria….it lies in the far south of Sicily just to the west of Ragusa. It is here that she has been making wine for the past ten years under the tutelage of her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, who owns and runs the famous COS estate.

There is no rush either in the vineyard or the winery, ample time is allowed. “Biodiversity is the central theme of our farm. Contributing to maintaining this balance between plants, animals, small organisms and nature as a whole is our goal. We feel like custodians of this place in the south of Sicily, among its red sands, limestone and dry stone walls. Lands that look and listen to the Mediterranean. We believe in the dialogue between different crops as has always been done in our agricultural tradition.”  

So, not just wine when you visit: here you may buy fruit, jam, juices, flour, olive oil, vegetables, even Grappa!

Interestingly, that southeast corner of the island is more southerly than the northern tip of Africa’s Tunisia. Indeed, Arianna’s town of Vittoria is more or less level with the city of Tunis, with Vittoria at 36.95 degrees, Tunis at 36.80. Vittoria though is certainly more southerly than the Tunisian seaside city of Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa, with a latitude of 37.27. Cork, as you know, is at 51.89.

Didier’s Dedication Pays Off With Quality Wines Like This Delicious Fleurie

Didier’s Dedication Pays Off With Quality Wines Like This Delicious Fleurie

Domaine Didier Desvignes Fleurie (AC) 2021, 13.5%.

RRP: €23.95. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

“Everything I do both in vinegrowing and winemaking, aims at allowing nature and terroir to express themselves to the full. I choose traditional methods, including tilling between the rows, to guarantee the flavours in this wine.” 

Desvignes believes that great wines are produced from healthy and mature grapes. The Gamay thrives on pink granite soils and that is exactly what you find in Desvignes' Fleurie vineyards

The wine itself has more or less the usual light ruby colour. Aromas, floral and fruity, are also pretty much as expected. On the palate, the purity of the ripe red berry flavours is striking and it continues silky and elegant through a long finish. It is perfect with leg of lamb, poultry and grilled meat. Serve at 13°C (55°F).

This light and enjoyable wine is Very Highly Recommended

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The Desvignes family has been dedicated to the vines for six generations. Manual harvest and selection allied with respect for the equilibrium of the vines and the soil by treatment with organic manures creates wines, which express a balance between the aromatic richness of the grape variety and natural sugars and acidity. Traditional vinification techniques reflect the quality and character of each parcel of grapes.

Vinegrower-winemaker to the core, today it is Didier Desvignes’ turn to manage the family estate that has been active for over a century. They produce a wide range of Beaujolais appellations: Morgon, Brouilly, Moulin-à-Vent, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Beaujolais-Villages, and white and rosé Beaujolais-Villages. 

The first five names are cru wines in Beaujolais; the other five crus are St-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Régnié, and Côte de Brouilly. Even though all crus are produced from the Gamay grape (a black grape with white juice), each one has its own personality, its own attractions. If you enjoy this Fleurie, why not try one from another cru, then another….

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‘Natural and unpretentious’. This beautiful Beaujolais is just like winemaker Karim Vionnet!

‘Natural and unpretentious’. This beautiful Beaujolais is just like winemaker Karim Vionnet!

Vionnet “Du Beur Dans Les Pinards” Beaujolais Villages (AC) 2020, 14% ABV, 

RRP €24.95. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

The fruit for Du Beur dans les Pinards comes from a parcel which belonged to the late Jules Chauvet and the cheeky label is a Michel Tolmer /  Philippe Quesnot creation. 

“Who is Jules Chauvet?”

Chauvet was a Beaujolais wine dealer, winemaker, and wine scientist, who throughout the 1980s mentored the Morgon vigneron Marcel Lapierre and his collaborator Jacques Néauport, prefiguring many of today’s ideas about natural wine. 

From the 1980s, other natural wine heroes such as Breton, Lapierre, Foillard and Thevenet emerged. Our winemaker here Karim Vionnet learned from them and especially from Breton with whom he worked. And he learned well. 

Very Highly Recommended.

I didn’t have to get it into the glass to get the amazing aromatics. They can't wait to meet you and make a merry dancing impression immediately the cork is removed. The colour is a little darker than normal though not around the rim. The juicy red berry character continues on its merry light-footed delicious way across the palate before a long and refreshing Beaujolais finish.

Karim Vionnet started his own production in 2000. He farms his parcels without chemicals and makes his wines without additives and jokes that he makes wines that look like him: ‘Natural and unpretentious’

He certainly learned well from Breton and company and fully deserves a bit of butter on his spinach (Du beur means a North African and there is a bit of wordplay going on with beurre the French for butter and Vionnet’s first name). Must get Pascal at le Caveau to explain it better when next we meet.

Karim’s parcels are located in the villages of Quincié, Beaujeu and Lantignié, on very varied types of soil, ranging from marls, schists, granite and sand. Since 2020, his daughter Noemie has joined the estate, and proud dad Karim hasn’t stopped smiling since. Thanks to Le Caveau for much of this info!

This Gru-Vee will get even the weariest of spirits moving again!

This Gru-Vee will get even the weariest of spirits moving again!

Stagård Urban.GV Grüner Veltliner 2022, 12% ABV

RRP: €21.80. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

Urban, a fresh and lively Gruner Veltliner, is made from fruit of vineyards that are in some of the steepest locations of the western Kremstal in Niederösterreich (Austria).

This Gru-Vee (as it is sometimes called, not to universal approval!) has a strong citrus colour. Many micro-bubbles cling to the bowl of the glass. The nose gives apple and lime. It is indeed fresh and lively on the palate with almost a spritzy lime and grapefruit flavour with pepper traces and a crisp refreshing finish.

I like the way the Stagård website puts it: ““And he's so alive, he'll get even the wearyest of spirits moving again”.  Highly Recommended. 

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The current owners, Dominique & Urban, made their early reputation with exciting interpretations of Riesling.  Looks like they are doing the same with Grüner Veltliner if this beautifully made wine is anything to go by. They also produce a rosé in the Urban series, all organic and vegan. They have pursued an organic approach to the vineyards and cellar since 2006.

Their philosophy is to combine the characteristics of the grape variety with the natural conditions of the region and the vineyards. The wines are vibrant and distinguish themselves mainly by two factors: spontaneous and slow fermentation and extended time on the lees. “Above all,” says Urban, “we trust in time.” This allows each wine to find its own individual rhythm and equilibrium. These are true wines of terroir …. delightful to drink.

Stagård is an unusual name in these parts and came from Urban's father, who originally hailed from Sweden. But the history of Lesehof Stagård is as old as the town of Krems where it is situated: The "Lesehof der Tegernseer" was an old German abbey, first mentioned in official documents in 1424; its cellar dates back even further, to the year 1000. The estate passed into private hands in 1786.

An excellent Chardonnay from Austria. Beck’s the best.

 An excellent Chardonnay from Austria.

Beck’s the best

Judith Beck Chardonnay Austria 2022, 12.5% ABV, 

RRP: €21.95 Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

“The region around Lake Neusiedl (in Austria) is particularly suited to cultivate Burgundian varieties and provides optimum conditions for Chardonnay.”  - Le Caveau.

Winemaker Beck is brief, to the point: “..handpicked grapes, whole bunch pressed, natural fermentation in old Barriques, 6-7 months ageing on the lees.”

Fruity, Aromatic

We have an excellent and delicious Chardonnay on our hands here! The light gold colour with tints of green is a good indication of its youth, and the micro-bubbles on the glass suggest that it has been aged on the lees, which gives it a creamy texture and complexity. The fruity nose of peach and apple is also a classic characteristic of the variety, and the full-bodied palate with good acidity and a long finish makes it a very enjoyable wine to drink.

A Chardonnay from Austria? I was a little surprised when I first came across this wine about six years ago but have come to expect the high standard now. It is harmonious from start to finish. Very Highly Recommended. Try with fish or poultry dishes or pasta or on its own.

In Brief

• Colour: Light gold, tints of green
• Nose: Fruity, with notes of peach and apple
• Palate: Full-bodied, with creamy fruit, good acidity, and a long finish
• Food pairing: Fish, chicken, pasta dishes
• Grape: Chardonnay

At this point, Judith Beck is on my short list of favourite winemakers. Here she explains how they get the best from their whites: Due to the warm climate and the very light soils, we usually have perfect physiological ripeness at an early stage. Acidity levels can be quite low. That’s why we like to work with skin contact on our whites to give them extra structure. The whites are fermented and matured in large wooden casks or old Barriques. This and the relatively long maturation on fine lees results in marked varietal characteristics as well as lasting fruitiness and aroma complexity. Wines definitely suitable for bottle ageing of several years.

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They decided in 2007 to convert to biodynamic viticulture with the help of the expert Dr. Andrew Lorand. Keeping the vines naturally healthy includes cover crops, care for biodiversity, fertilizing with organic humus, manual labour, considering moon cycles for the working processes, and many other details.

You’ll see lots of wildflowers and weeds and grasses growing in the vine rows here. “We welcome everything that buzzes here” so note those bug hotels around. If you visit in the autumn, you may well see them digging in the cow horns. 

And there are a few by-products. Obviously, the hens that wander around lay eggs. Not so obviously, the same kettle used in the preparation of herbal tea as a plant resistance improver is used to make their beers including a Pale Ale and Punk Pils.

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Check out this organic Verdicchio. Incredible quality. Italy's best-buy wine of all time?

Check out this Verdicchio. Organic. Incredible quality. Italy's best-buy wine of all time?

Colle Stefano Verdicchio Di Matelica (DOC), 12.5% ABV 

RRP: €19.25. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

‘Italy's best-buy of all time? Unbelievable quality for the price.”

That is a summation of this wine by Decanter.

Verdicchio may not immediately spring to mind when thinking of white wine grapes but it has a long history in Italy. According to legend, the invading Visigoths, on their way to sack Rome at the start of the 5th century, drank barrels of it to enhance their courage. 

There are two areas in the Marche* (central-eastern Italy) that are well known for their Verdicchio wines, the Jesi and the smaller more inland Matelica. The wines of coastal Jesi are the better known, more popular. But I’ve a grá for the Matelica version and it continues with this one!

Matelica is an inland area, higher and cooler, well in from the coast of the Adriatic. Importers Le Caveau say you could eat off the floor of the winery “and hygiene is very important when making this kind of white wine.... We love it this for its racy, stony and revitalising mouthfeel”. Sounds like a Sauvignon Blanc to me and indeed Le Caveau recommend using it like a Marlborough SB.

The colour of this organic wine is quite a light straw. Aromas are herby, grassy, and minerally, reminiscent indeed of Sauvignon Blanc. With its herbal tang, it is lively and refreshing on the palate, lime zesty with the tartness of green apples and quince. And, like many Italian wines, the crisp acidity means it is superb with food (seafood ready is a term I've heard used in connection with Verdicchio from this area). 

Very Highly Recommended.

And it's not just me and importers Le Caveau that are impressed. In 2013, the Decanter Italy supplement raved about it: “Italy's best-buy of all time? Unbelievable quality for the price.” 

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Grapes & Wines (2015), on Verdicchio, noted an "improvement in recent years", an improvement that brings better balance and structure. "It is typically Italian in that it relies on subtlety and texture rather than flamboyance...". They too are Matelica fans "whose wines are richer, rounder, more succulent yet still dry."

Eric Asimov, the famed NY Times wine writer, was very taken with the Colle Stefano. Writing of the 2020 vintage, he noted its “energy and electrifying acidity”, how it offered “plenty of texture and flavour”, and that “it made a lasting impression.”

Just wonder how well those comments went down in nearby Jesi!

Colle Stefano is located in near the mountain town of Castelraimondo on the border with Umbria. It is a family affair that has been making wine from organic grapes since 1995. Fabio Marchionni is in charge and he is strict in his application of organic techniques.

* How to pronounce Marche, via You Tube, here.