Frédéric Berne's Superb Beaujolais From Lantignié

Frédéric Berne's Superb Beaujolais From Lantignié

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Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié 'Granit Rose' 2019, 13% 

RRP €23.99 Barnhill Stores, Ely Wine Store, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Station to Station Wine, The Corkscrew, Townhouse Doneraile, Cork, wineonline.ie

This Lantignié ‘Granit Rose’ is a blend of different parcels grown on granite soil in Lantignié, close to the crus of Régnié and Chiroubles. Made in a fresh, vibrant style, with 100% whole-bunch fermentation in stainless steel tanks, it has an exuberant red fruit character with fine tannins from the granite.

It is a bright red in colour. Red berries and floral notes in the aromas. The purity and elegance influence from the granite is immediately obvious on the palate, floral at first, then an exuberant fruit flavour take centre-stage, the balance provided by an equally exuberant acidity and fine tannins.  The fruity finish to this distinctive Beaujolais lingers pleasantly. You can taste why wine-maker Frédéric says that Lantignié has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais. 

This Lantignié may not (yet) be regarded as a Beaujolais classic but it is highly sophisticated and I’m more than happy to include it in the Very Highly Recommended listings.

Importers Liberty tell us  that Frédéric finally set up on his own vineyard in 2013. Inspired by the diversity of the granite soils in Lantignié (close to Régnié and Chiroubles), Frédéric established himself in the grounds of Château de Vergers, in the heart of the village. Firmly committed to highlighting what he calls “the many faces of Gamay” in his wines, Frédéric also strongly believes that Lantignié has the potential to become the eleventh cru of Beaujolais.

This vintage worked out pretty well on the phenomenal terroirs of Lantignié, rich in pink granite and blue stones. Frost in spring reduced yields in Beaujolais, as did hailstorms. However, hot weather followed and lasted throughout the summer. Rain towards the end of August prevented the vines from suffering from hydric stress after this long dry spell and allowed the grapes to reach perfect ripeness in excellent conditions. The fruit showed excellent concentration and quality.

A selection of different coloured rocks from Beaujolais.

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié 'Pierre Bleu' 2019, 14%

RRP €23.99 Wineonline.ie, World Wide Wines

From the Eastern side of Lantignié, where the soils are predominantly clay on a base of blue stones, like Juliénas or the Côte de Py in Morgon, this Beaujolais wine is elegant and fragrant, with notes of blackberry and cherry compote.

It is a somewhat deeper red than you’d expect, close to purple. And yes you do get the berry and cherry compote aromas that they mention. In the mouth you’ll note subtle and ample tannins and minerality. Perhaps the most striking element on the silky palate is the generous acidity that balances the fruit flavours. Another terrific and characterful Beaujolais from Frédéric Berne and Very Highly Recommended.

All the grapes were hand harvested. Whole bunches were placed in stainless steel vats and underwent semi-carbonic maceration for one day. Following this, the grapes were pressed in a traditional wooden, vertical press. Frédéric follows a policy of minimal intervention in his winemaking and uses only natural yeasts. Fermentation took place in concrete tanks, where the wine aged for six months prior to bottling.

Berne has done much for the recognition of Lantignié wines and is spearheading a group effort among young winemakers to obtain cru status for the area.

LIBERTY WINES GOES ‘CARBON NEUTRAL PLUS’

press release

Liberty's David Gleave MW

LIBERTY WINES GOES ‘CARBON NEUTRAL PLUS’

AS SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS INTENSIFIES

 

In our seventh year of carbon neutral certification, we decided to go one step further and become ‘carbon neutral plus’. This means we offset more emissions than the business generates to achieve a positive environmental impact.

As well as offsetting carbon emissions, we strive to decrease them. A recent assessment found Liberty Wines reduced carbon emissions for the third year running in 2020, achieving a reduction of 34% since 2017.*

Our greenhouse gas calculations include all scope 1 and 2 emissions, plus selected scope 3 emissions – outsourced transport, business travel, remote working, waste, water and paper use. The total emissions we saved in 2020 versus the previous year are equivalent to the volume generated by the annual electricity usage of 80+ homes, or the consumption of 44,300 gallons of diesel.

In another new initiative, we are proud to support Seawilding, a charity based in Scotland that works to restore degraded marine habitats and species, improve water quality and sequester carbon. Two key projects, both taking place in Loch Craignish, are a five-year scheme to grow up to one million juvenile native oysters, and a seagrass restoration project. Seagrass meadows are important habitats for marine life and sequester carbon faster than the rainforest but, according to Ocean Seagrass Rescue, 95% of the UK’s seagrass meadows have disappeared.

Through Carbon Footprint’s offsetting programme, we are helping fund several global projects such as planting trees to protect forests and biodiversity in Kenya (main photo), reducing deforestation in the Amazonian rain forest and installing and maintaining wind turbines in Maharashtra, India.

Nationally and globally, behaviour change following the Covid-19 pandemic reduced carbon footprints. Provisional UK government figures show a 10.7% reduction in carbon emissions in 2020 and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has forecasted a global 4-8% reduction. Our year-on-year reduction achieved in 2020 was 29%.

To achieve results so far ahead of the national and global averages, we implemented some key initiatives with a focus on energy and transport – the biggest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some examples are:

- Our Clapham headquarters switched to 100% renewable energy
- We used lower-emission rail or sea shipments wherever possible and consolidating orders
- Route-planning software increased van fill-rates and improved delivery efficiency
- Our first electric van is about to be introduced in London

Managing Director David Gleave MW explains the importance of these moves: “After years of conversations with grape growers and hearing first-hand the impact of erratic or extreme weather on their harvests, I’m in no doubt as to the need to address climate change with a sense of urgency. As a fast-growing company it’s imperative that we build a sustainable future, and it’s gratifying to see our annual emissions fall as business levels increase. The move to ‘carbon neutral plus’ certification seemed a natural next step and enables us to make a positive contribution to the environment. We’re also pleased to support Seawilding and the valuable work they’re doing to restore native oyster populations and protect marine habitats.”

* Liberty Wines has assessed carbon emissions annually since 2013. In 2017, we set a new baseline year due to a substantial increase in the quality and amount of data available.

Nash 19 Takes Night Shift In Its Stride

 Nash 19 Takes Night Shift In Its Stride

Highlights on every corner from the 
Apple Mint (bottom right) to the Pickled Mushroom (top left)

Princes Street, and its many and varied restaurants and cafes, was quick to adopt outdoor dining and rapidly became the country’s poster child for the Covid enforced change to the undependable Irish exterior. 

We had our first visit there on Culture Night and it turned into an evening of delectation under the shelters of Nash 19 and owner Claire Nash.  Just the day before, Nash was awarded by the Georgina Campbell Awards as the person to represent being “the very best of community”, acknowledging Claire’s part in leading the Princes Street charge and in changing her dynamic daytime enterprise to an equally energetic day and night star.

Heirloom Tomatoes and Purple Basil

It was a double change for Nash, from daytime to night time and from indoors to outdoors. And immediately, they saw and began to work on the possibility of innovation that the double move allows. And it isn’t that Nash 19 just tagged along with the existing evening menus. No, if you know Claire, you know they jumped straight to the front and the menu is right on trend with a slew of small plates and no sectional guidance that you should follow the old three course pattern. Hop in to the menu, forget tradition, go free style and enjoy yourself.

But if you do like the comfort of a big feed, and we all do from time to time, some of us more than others, then Nash 19 have you covered well on that front also.

Crispy Chicken Confit of Leg

Claire is rightly proud of the menu and delighted too with the mini-menu she had drawn up for the Culture Night event going on simultaneously in her Stern Gallery (in the backroom of the restaurant). That included the new vermouth by two sisters from Valentia Island and that was our first drop of the evening.

Nash 19 have quite a wine selection now, some fifty bottles, mostly organic, some natural, all low intervention and quite a few by the glass. There’s sparkling wine, rosé, red and white of course, and sweet to finish. We thought we’d have white and enjoyed a glass of Izadi Larrosa Blanc (a Garnacha blanca from Rioja) and one of Von Winning Weissburgunder (Pinot blanc from the Pfalz in Germany).  Glass prices vary from €6.50 to 11.50 in white, roughly similar in red.

Smokers Plate via Hederman

We were soon down to the food. CL’s first dish was the Seared Scallops with Annascaul Black Pudding and apple mint. Superlatives all around here, even that apple mint was outstanding and, in any case, CL is a big fan of the Kerry blackpudding. 

Plum dessert

Mine was the Frank Hederman Smokers Plate (another 14 euro dish). Hard to describe the mix on that plate, ineffable. Let us say it was a delicious mix of mussels, crab, and salmon, all given the unique Hederman touch in his harbourside smokehouse (decades old and now itself an integral part of the smoking process) and even that pickled cucumber by Nash kitchen was quite possibly the best of its type.

Round one may have been a knockout but we were ready for round two, along with what remained of our colourful and flavourful side of the gorgeous Heirloom Tomato and Purple Basil Salad. 

Nash have employed new tasters for this menu.
Illustration from the menu

And we did our delicious duty again. Mine was the Garryhinch Wild Mushroom Ragu on Sourdough Toast with a generous coating of Parmesan. And it came with a steak knife. Superb texture, moist temptation, hardly time to share a morsel or two as I fought back the urge to rush but instead took an unwavering steady stroll to satisfy my senses with its warmth and savour. All for 12 euro!

CL bit into her Crispy Chicken Confit of Leg with Korean Dressing and Charred Corn (also 12 euro) and her casual tongue was immediately stung into alertness by the Korean spice. But, once she got the various elements together, the spice became a key though not dominant facilitator of amazing flavour, and she was as happy as any diner on the busy street.

It wasn’t the only busy street on Friday as quite a few folks were out and about taking in the many events of Culture Night. We began heading back to our hill. We crossed the river and headed for Harley’s Street and its little market and found the place rammed, the crowd there enjoying the bites and exotic music. 

Great craic evident too at St Luke’s Cross with Henchy's and the wine bar the main venues. Lovely to see Culture Night back on the streets and hopefully the English Markets will be back at the heart of it next year.

Lemon Meringue

As is the case with Nash by Day, the Nash by Night Menu provides lots of variety, not just throughout the menu itself but also via its daily changes.

Valentia vermouth
& strollers

Our culture night menu started with a bunch of “small plates” of which no less than five were fish; we picked two and the others, just to give you a hint of what may be coming your way if you call in (and you should), are Irish Prawns with Sea Samphire, Wild Irish Tuna Sashimi, and a “Taste” of Monkfish Tempura. We had two of the non-fish small plates and the others was Ham Hock Terrine and Free Range Chicken Liver Paté.

After that, you are moving into more serious platefuls including Rib Eye of Beef, Pan Seared Hake, their familiar and always superb Producers Plate Tapas Style; also a local Charcuterie Board plus there’s a Heirloom Tomato Pasta Penne with Toonsbridge Feta and an Irish Cheese Board with Fig Confit. Descriptions have been abbreviated in these two paragraphs.

And there are sides of course. Our Heirloom Tomato and Purple Basil Salad was a super treat and others on offer were Fries (smoked butter, sea salt), Waterfall Green Leaf and Herb Salad, Mediterranean Olives or Salted Valentia Nuts, along with Bread, Seaweed Butter and Olive Oil (all at 4.50 aside from the tomatoes at 6.00).

Homeward bound

Liberty Wines welcomes historic Ferreira to its Port portfolio

Liberty Wines welcomes historic Ferreira to its Port portfolio

 

Liberty Wines is delighted to be appointed Ireland agent for Ferreira. Founded in 1751, Ferreira is the oldest Portuguese Port house and remains the leader in the domestic market.

It is thanks to the leadership and foresight of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira that the house became the force it is today. When most other Port houses bought bulk wine from farmers, Dona Antónia recognised the importance of vineyard ownership to guarantee quality. By the time of her death in 1896, Ferreira had become the largest Douro landowner, including the illustrious Quinta do Vesúvio, Quinta de Vargellas, Quinta do Vale Meão and the house’s flagship Quinta do Porto vineyards.

Planted in 1771 and acquired by Dona Antónia in 1863, the 27-hectare, sustainably and dry-farmed Quinta do Porto lies on the north bank of the Douro, where the warmer mesoclimate and southerly aspect give wines characterised by exceptional concentration, weight and structure, with exuberant ripeness yet wonderful balance. Old-vine parcels, described by winemaker Luís Sottomayor as “over retirement age”, produce low yields of intensely flavoured grapes that form the backbone of many of the top Ports in the Ferreira range.

David Gleave MW, managing director of Liberty Wines, says: “Ferreira enjoys a special place in the history of the Douro and has remained a personal favourite since I first came across it in Portugal in 1987. We’re delighted to begin selling these wines, as they are distinctive in style and complement those produced by Offley.”  

The Ferreira Ports available through Liberty Wines are as follows:

Ferreira Dry White Port NV                                                            RRP € 21.99
Ferreira Dona Antónia 10-Year-Old White Port NV                   RRP € 20.99 (37.5cl)
Ferreira Ruby Port NV                                                                    RRP € 21.99
Ferreira Tawny Port NV                                                                  RRP € 21.99
Ferreira Late Bottled Vintage Port 2016                                      RRP € 29.99
Ferreira Dona Antónia 10-Year-Old Tawny Port NV                  RRP € 32.99
Ferreira Dona Antónia 20-Year-Old Tawny Port NV                  RRP € 55.99
Ferreira ‘Quinta do Porto’ Single Quinta Vintage Port 2019    RRP € 102.99
Ferreira Vintage Port 2018                                                            RRP € 119.99

press release 

Rosé. From Near And Far.

A Rhone rose. Photo from a show
 in the Papal Palace in Avignon.

 Rosé. From Far And Near. 

Willunga 100 Grenache Rosé McLaren Vale 2020 12.5%

RRP €19.99 Baggot Street Wines : Barnhill Stores :  Fresh – Smithfield/Grand Canal: Red Island Wine Co : Sweeney's D3 : The Parting Glass : wineonline.ie

Pale salmon pink is the colour of this one, so pale you think (well at least I did) it’s almost grey. Strawberry is the classic aroma in this Grenache area and our McLaren Vale doesn’t disappoint in that, just-ripe strawberries and hints of blossom. An amazingly fresh acidity features on the palate, keeping the wine (apple, citrus, melon) in balance and there follows a long and very dry finish. Highly Recommended - don’t judge a wine by its colour.

The colour is explained by a vintage note. The hand-picked fruit was destemmed into a fermenter to drain for three to four hours, care was taken to minimise excessive colour extraction to keep the wine as pale as possible. The juice was settled, racked and then fermented in stainless steel using a neutral yeast strain. The wine was chilled post-fermentation and spent a further four months on lees, with regular stirring to build texture.

Importers Liberty: Fruit for this McLaren Vale rosé is sourced from 53-year old bush vines, which gives the wine beautiful concentration and its classic strawberry and red cherry aromas.

Many of us would think, because Australia is a relatively new wine country, that it has no old vines. But it has, quite a few of them. Grenache was one of the original varieties to be planted in Australia in the early 18th century and, up until 1960, was one of the most widely planted grapes.

The producers say Grenache has a wonderfully diverse flavour profile that changes from site to site, and throughout its life in bottle. “It was this sensitivity to site that attracted us to Grenache when we first started Willunga 100 back in 2005. At the time, few people took Grenache seriously, but we loved the gnarly old vines in McLaren Vale that produced outstanding fruit. Our vision was to make contemporary, premium wines with a focus on Grenache, and we’re proud to say, that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

And this rosé is one of them! 

Perrin Nature Côtes Du Rhône Rose (AOC) 2020

RRP €21.99 The Corkscrew : wineonline.ie

This pale salmon coloured organic rose is produced by Famille Perrin, the fruit coming from their Le Grand Prébois vineyard  in Orange. It is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah. The aromas are also a “blend”, of fruit (red) and floral notes. Beautiful radiant and fresh fruit flavours on the palate where a superb acidity also plays a key role. Delicious from start to finish, this is Highly Recommended. Serve cold, with light cuisine, Mediterranean dishes, but also as an aperitif with friends.

The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather conditions and it was also a generous one. The harvest, which was fairly early, began under very good conditions. “The very healthy,  beautiful juicy and very ripe grapes had reasonable alcohol levels, good acidity and already a great balance.”

The Perrin family started farming organically in 1950 at Château de Beaucastel (quite close to Le Grand Prébois ) with the strong belief that it helps to express the sense of place in the finished wine. It is therefore of little surprise that their philosophy has led to the creation of an organic range of wines sourced from the family’s certified vineyards across the Côtes-du-Rhône region.

Ten years ago, I drove into Tavel, the small southern Rhone town, under a banner declaring: “Tavel. Best Rosé in France.” I was delighted to be there and enjoyed sampling the wines, the rosés (only rosés in this appellation). The first one I tasted was no less than 14% abv.

A 2019 article in Wine Spectator declared that Tavel was about rosé before rosé was cool and went on to point out that it has fallen down the pecking order with the lighter coloured Provence equivalents (rarely as dark or as strong as their Tavel rivals), in their ever fancier bottles, now heading the list of desirable pinks! And that seems to be true here in Ireland where you seldom see Tavel. 

Ferrit & Lee Standing Strong On Midleton's Distillery Walk

Ferrit & Lee Standing Strong

On Midleton's Distillery Walk

Beef

When local chefs Pat Ferriter and Stephen Lee took over the restaurant known then as Raymond’s on Distillery Walk in Midleton in 2017, they had a very good idea of what to expect. After all, they had long been working in the kitchen there, Pat for 12 years, Stephen for 13.

On the side

They renamed it Ferrit & Lee and began to put their own stamp on it and soon they had established their own niche in the food rich area, pleasing both local residents and any visitors that dropped in while coming or going to the distillery and other local attractions. And at the same time also pleasing many local growers, farmers, butchers, breweries, cideries, a certain distillery and various other suppliers.

And then came a scary challenge they could hardly have foreseen: the pandemic Covid 19. With their backs to the wall, they scrambled to survive, offering their customers a Click and Collect service and then outside dining with tables both at the front and rear of the premises. 

And when the hesitant all-clear was given a couple of weeks back, they were ready to serve indoors as well. We were there last week and, having enjoyed a superb lunch, can confirm that the food offering here is as good as ever. Besides, pandemic wise, we were well taken care also, no shortage of precautions and sanitisers.

Paté

Looking back on it, we were in agreement that the main courses were superb, as good as anything we’ve had in a long time. These guys know their meat - they source it in the East Cork area and are well able to get the best from it.

The menu descriptions were tempting and we had a little “argument” as to who would have the lamb, who would have the beef. Their signature dish is the feather blade of beef and they vary the accompaniments on a seasonal basis. Currently, the Slow cooked Jameson marinated featherblade of beef comes with roast carrots, seasonal greens, squash purée, leek and potato croquette and jus. The cooking was perfect, everything about it was perfect.

And it was the same high praise (there was a lot of sharing going on!) for the Braised new season lamb shoulder with apricot, cranberry, and pine nut stuffing, seasonal potato, vegetables, salsa verde and thyme jus, another superb combination of flavour and texture. That stuffing was superb. And, both these dishes came with a bowl of seasonal vegetables, also top class.

Lots of choices here including steak (of course!), Crispy Battered Cod, Chicken Tikka Massala, Egg Penne Pasta, Confit Leg of Duck, Baked Hake and more. 

No shortage of starters either. We decided to share the Jameson caramelised onion and free-range chicken liver paté with mulled quince chutney and warm brioche. There was an excellent little salad with it as well and we were off to a fantastic start. I know there are quite a few good patés around but this is right up there with the best of them and their chutney is also a star.

I completed my Jameson hat-trick with the dessert: the Baldwin’s Jameson ice-cream with chocolate sauce and honeycomb. Not bad but it was the Seasonal Crumble (rhubarb, strawberry and apple) that took the unanimous vote as best of the two! The trio of fruit was a very successful melange while the topping was absolutely perfect, dry and crunchy.

So, not for the first time, nor the last I’d say, these two punters left Ferrit and Lee in very good form indeed. And not a drop of whiskey between us. But we did enjoy a couple of excellent glasses of the house red - their wine list is based on the Liberty Wines portfolio. Our aromatic Castano Monastrell was soft and rich and juicy, an excellent house wine indeed.

Red And White Gems From The Southern Hemisphere

Red And White Gems

 From The Southern Hemisphere

Montes Limited Selection Pinot Noir Aconcagua Costa (D0) 2018, 14%

€17.99 Avoca Handweavers Shops; Baggot Street Wines; Barnhill Stores; Blackrock Cellar; Cinnamon Cottage; Donnybrook Fair; Ely Wine Store; Menloe Stores; Sweeney’s D3; The Wine Centre; wineonline.ie

“It is totally coastal influenced. In morning there’s mist and fog and then a shy sunshine from mid day. The vines grow happy. The grapes ripen slowly.” This was Aurelio Montes speaking of the Aconcagua Coast during last year’s Zoomed masterclass as he sipped a Pinot Noir. (quite possibly this one).

So this Pinot Noir, with its bright ruby red colour, comes all the way from the coast of Chile. Aromas are concentrated, of fresh summer fruit, cherries and berries. Touch of oak too. The palate is just as intense, toasty oak spice flavour in with the red fruits, elegant and complex, smooth with excellent acidity, rounded tannins also part of the harmony on the way to an abiding finish. Very Highly Recommended.

They say: Our Montes Limited Selection range is a collection of individual wines. This premium wine is recognised as a seductive, voluptuous, smooth and satisfying sensual pleasure. This range includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Carmenère and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère.

The wine has spent 6 to 7 months in oak. Recommended pairings are: White meat (including veal), fish, Pasta, Sushi, charcuterie, desserts. They advise decanting 15 minutes in advance of serving at a temperature of 14 to 15 degrees.

*****

Spice Route Chenin Blanc Swartland 2019, 13.5%

€24.99 Fresh Grand Canal and Smithfield; wineonline.ie

The Swartland is 65kms north of Cape Town (South Africa). The climate is hot and dry. Viticulture here it is not straightforward, according to Fairview and Spice Route owner Charles Back (widely regarded as a wine pioneer in the area). “You have to be very careful to select good moisture retaining soil in the first place, soil that can trap the moisture and slowly release it later when needed.”

“We monitor winter rainfall very carefully and if the rain isn’t enough, the yield must be cut. We use bush vines and the canopy has to be managed.”

That attention to detail is well illustrated here in this superbly complex barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc. Light straw with greenish tints. Fairly intense aromas featuring tropical fruits and peach. It’s a beautiful mouthful, immediately likeable. Very harmonious with fresh fruit and acidity all in tune. Plus a pretty long finish. Very happy with this one on the table (especially in the summer months) and Very Highly Recommended.

Charl du Plessis, the winemaker, said (on Zoom last year): “This Chenin Blanc is from a vineyard planted in 1978. These trellised vineyards are planted on a southeast facing slope and are dryland farmed. The soils are predominantly koffieklip (decomposed granite and iron-rich clay). Due to the late picking of the second portion, there were some raisins present on select bunches. This added a beautiful dimension to this fantastic grape variety which will benefit from 3 or 4 years bottle age.  Enjoy!”  I certainly did.

He went on to say that there is still a lot to discover from Chenin Blanc, that there is the possibility of getting a broader range of wines from it.

Two Very Highly Recommended From Down Under. Giant Steps Chardonnay and Tinpot Hut Riesling.

Two Very Highly Recommended From Down Under. 

Giant Steps Chardonnay and Tinpot Hut Riesling.

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Giant Steps Chardonnay Yarra Valley 2020, 13%

€33.99 64 Wine; Avoca Handweavers Shops; Blackrock Cellar; Ely Wine Store; La Touche Wines; McHughs Off Licence - Kilbarrack Road; Mitchell & Son; Station to Station Wine; Wineonline.ie 

Giant Steps single varietals are regarded as distinctive varietal expressions from the Yarra Valley. Hand picked grapes from estate vineyards, minimal intervention winemaking at their gravity flow winery in Healesville, one hour from Melbourne.

Colour is a light and bright straw. Quite a nose with citrus and melon prominent. All nice and gentle so far. But, like an over-enthusiastic handshake, it grips the palate, getting your attention with bright fruit flavours and an unmistakeable acidity. Soon though you relax. This has loads of very easy-to-like personality, that fruit and acidity in perfect harmony all the way through to the delightfully lingering finish. A stylish and complex wine wine, it is a super introduction to the Yarra Valley and is Very Highly Recommended.

All this after a rollercoaster of a vintage in 2020, though the Yarra Valley were luckier than other parts of Australia. The Yarra began with a cool wet spring, a dry December, then a mild February, punctuated by a few significant rain events. The Yarra team were stretched. Chardonnay yields were lower than average but a consequence was that naturally high acidity and those incredible fruit flavours. It’s an ill wind…

Prior to pursuing his passion for wine, Giant Steps’ Steve Flamsteed developed many culinary passions, including cheese making, which would take him to France to study his trade. But it was after working in Beaujolais that he was inspired to become a winemaker. Steve graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1993 from Roseworthy Agricultural College. 

Prior to joining Giant Steps as Winemaker in August 2003, he worked for Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River and Yarra Burn Winery in the Yarra Valley. Steve is a Len Evans Scholar and has completed several vintages overseas, including in Alsace and Brouilly, and is an experienced show judge.

The vintage: 100% hand-picked, all fruit was chilled overnight to 12 deg C.
Whole bunch pressed, fermentation on full juice solids, wild yeast.
Fermented entirely in 500L French puncheons – 10% new, 90% older.
No lees stirring. 20% of the blend has undergone spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Matured in French oak – 10% new, 90% older – for only 8 months. It was then coarse filtered and bottled by gravity in late Spring.

Food suggestions from Giant Steps include:
Fried soft shell crab Bao, with fresh coriander and bean shoots.
Grilled fresh goats curd and olive tapenade on grilled sourdough and fresh rocket salad.
Roast crispy skin baby chicken, preserved lemon and roast garlic.
Aged Pecorino cheese drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Tinpot Hut “Turner Vineyard” Riesling (Marlborough) 2019, 9.5%

RRP € 24.99 Blackrock Cellar, Bradleys, Cashel Wine Cellar, Cinnamon Cottage, Egans Off Licence, Mitchell & Son, Searsons Wine Merchants, Wineonline.ie, World Wide Wines

The palate experience is irresistible, lively with fruit (citrus, apple) and acidity, lively but harmonious from initial sip to the long and pleasing finish. Fresh aromas of lime and grapefruit, floral notes. Pale, very pale, straw is the colour.  A marvellous Marlborough Riesling from the consistently top notch Fiona Turner, one with low ABV, and Very Highly Recommended.

Attention to detail is key. They say: Low yielding vines were monitored closely and hand-picked when the right balance of flavour and sugar ripeness was reached to produce this lower alcohol style of Riesling. The fruit was crushed and only the free run portion of the juice was retained. Specialty Riesling yeast was used for a long cool ferment. The resulting wine was then balanced and prepared for bottling under a screw cap closure to retain as much of the freshness and fruit character of the vineyard as possible.

The Tinpot Hut winery is named after the huts, famed in New Zealand sheep country, huts used by musterers as they round up the sheep who have spent Spring to Autumn in the hills. Fiona Turner, no stranger to Ireland, is the winemaker.

Liberty: Sourced from winemaker Fiona Turner's vineyard and made in small quantities, this wine displays attractive lime and grapefruit aromas and has a distinct mineral quality which is reflective of the Blind River sub-region.

Food pairing: Ideal as an aperitif and a great match for seafood, pork or with lightly spiced Thai or Chinese meals. Perfect for drinking immediately, this single vineyard Riesling will be at its best over the next 2-5 years.