From the Rhone and Med. Two Outstanding Reds For You. Beaujolais Soirée at On The Pig's Back.

 From the Rhone and Med. 

Two Outstanding Reds For You.

Beaujolais Soirée at On The Pig's Back.

Famille Tari IGP Méditerranée Cadet de la Bégude (IGP Méditerranée) 2020, 14% ABV 

RRP €26.99 Neighbourhood Wines; Green Man Wines; Terroirs; The Corkscrew; Pinto Wines; Myles Creek; Wineonline.ie; MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Cork

This red is a blend of three grapes associated with the Mediterranean: Grenache 35%, Mourvèdre 35%, and Cinsault 30%. It is classed as a IGP Méditerranée, a wide-ranging appellation that covers most of Provence and more. Wine Searcher tells us that this Cadet de la Begude has been rated “as one of the top 5 IGP Mediterranée wines” even though it is also regarded “like a second wine for the estate”. 

Colour is mid to dark ruby. Aromas are quite intense, darker fruit, mostly cherry. And that cherry edge continues on the palate. The balances comes from a fresh acidity and you also get fine-grained tannins, plus a spicy finish. Very Highly Recommended.

I’m not the only one happy with it. The producers are ecstatic, if the almost poetic label is anything to go by: A noble terroir and the signature of the Tart family 7th generation of winegrowers, give birth to this valiant Cadet. A selection with a fragrance of freedom, respectful of its environment, carried by the Mistral wind and the light of the Mediterranean Sea.

 

Domaine de la Bégude was purchased in 1996 by seventh-generation winemaker Guillaume Tari, Once a stopover for travellers seeking shelter and sustenance – ‘beguda’ means ‘drink’ or ‘the place to drink’ in Provençal – the estate was abandoned and overgrown when Guillaume discovered it. He and his wife set about replanting the old terraces and restoring the buildings. Certified organic since 2006, the vineyards are located at 400m altitude above sea level at the highest point in the Bandol.

Guillaume’s focus now is on producing wines that truly reflect their origins. All the grapes are harvested manually, sorted twice, destemmed and fermented with natural yeasts. The Cadet rouge and rosé are an equal blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault and are produced from the youngest vines at the estate, which have an average age of 10 years. As the vines are not old enough, the range is classified as IGP Méditerranée instead of Bandol AOC.

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Maison Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage Rouge (AOC) 2020, 13% ABV
RRP €34.99 Michael's Mount Merrion, Pinto Wines, McHugh’s Off Licence - Malahide Road, wineonline.ie

“Of all the wines produced in France, none offer more excitingly spicy flavours than those of the Rhone Valley.”*

And that is where our wine comes from. Colour of this 100% Shiraz is a deep purple with a sustained bright hue. It is fragrant with ripe cherry, small red fruit and spicy of course! On the palate it is well-structured, juicy, intensely fruity, spicy also, and fresh, with a wonderful balance, finishing long with velvety tannins. Very Highly Recommended.

The fruit for the Domaine Les Alexandrins wines comes entirely from estate-owned vineyards in Saint Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. The Crozes-Hermitage Rouge is aged in large 55 – 80 hectolitre wooden vats for 10 months, followed by six months in stainless steel, softening the tannins and maintaining freshness.

The label indicates that the soil here - pebbles* and clay - has been made for Syrah. "Aged in wood for 12 months, our Crozes-Hermitage can be enjoyed young but will also age wonderfully.”

Crozes-Hermitage is the largest of the Northern Rhône appellations, about ten times larger than the neighbouring Hermitage, whose famous hill spreads out behind the town of Tain l'Hermitage.  

Both wines are produced from Syrah and, while there are many similarities between the adjacent appellations, Hermitage scores where it counts even if you have to be patient with it as it “needs to be laid down for five, ten, even twenty years to fully open up”. Only some vintages of Croze can be laid down for long periods.  

The writer Alexandre Dumas is the famous patron of Hermitage while the best Croze-Hermitage can come up with is a bandit called Mandrin. I suspect that many of you, like myself, are glad that the less expensive Croze-Hermitage usually represents much better value. After all, some of its best vineyards are situated just behind that famous hill. You don’t have to be a bandit to enjoy.

And speaking of taking things for free….

Pebbles, brought in by the river from Switzerland in the quad-centenary period, is a bit of a misnomer here as the generally flat stones are quite large. Winemakers have to keep an eye on them: “People steal them to finish a calade (stone path) or build a pool wall. They are stealing our terroir!” More here. 

Pebbles!

* from French Wines by Robert Joseph.

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Best Value Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Bienvenida A Paladar. ¡Viva América! In Bridge Street

Bienvenida A Paladar

¡Viva América! In Bridge Street

The team behind Cask have launched a new colourful venture in nearby Bridge Street, brightening up a southern corner with the food, drink and music of Latin America. ¡Viva América! ¡Viva Paladar!

Cauliflower

Co-owner Andy Ferreira (above) is famous for his innovative cocktails at Cask and that continues at Paladar but with a Latin touch of course. 

You have to try at least one. I settled on a longer glass, titled the Tropical Itch, a smooth and fruity one with Dingle Vodka, Bacardi 4 Rum, Myers Rum, Mango, Lime and Angostura Bitters.

Tropical Itch

The wine list is short but full of quality and you need to check it out, particularly the three from Chile that make up the red bottle list, as two of them were in my Top Four for 2020. One is the Pedro Parra “Vinista” Itata Chile, a young beauty from ancient Pais vines. Parra is also involved in the second Clos des Fous Cabernet Sauvignon from Itata. The renowned winemaker Aurelio Montes is the man behind the Montes “Outer Limits” Cinsault  also from the Itata. Bring a friend or two and enjoy one of these.

Check out their Cab Sauv!

There are two reds and two whites available by the glass. Both the reds come from Argentina and one, by Las Hormigas (it means the ants, but don’t let that put you off!), features the Bonarda grape that is widely planted in the country as is the Malbec, also available in glass and also by Los Hormigas.

Another Argentina associated grape Torrontes is blended with Riesling in the beautiful Amalaya wine and the Sanama Sauvignon Blanc, this from Chile, is the other option by glass.

No shortage of spirits of course in the colourful bar with the friendly staff eager to help and that is true of all the staff we met in the comfortable 55 seater venue. You may of course get up and dance when the music plays at the weekend.

Be good!

Back to the cocktails! By chance, we met Andy as we arrived and he took us through them. The left hand side of the card features names that many of us would be familiar with such as Mojito, Daiquiri and Margarita. 

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Eating Out latest..restaurants cafes trucks. New reviews weekly here 

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The Latin American influence, where I found my Itch, increases on the right hand side with rum and mescal featuring more often in innovative drinks that come with exotic names (mostly) such as Mescalero (Los Javis Espadin Mezcal, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, Vermouth) and Plantation Café Swizzle (Plantation 5 Year Rum, Coconut Cream, Coffee).

Prefer something simpler? Like a beer? Well, no hay problema. They’ve got 45 Dias Mexican Lager at the top of the list that also features Heineken and ciders by Stonewell and Johnny Fall Down along with a non-alcoholic hoppy beer from Brooklyn Brewery. There’s also an Estrella Daura Damm Gluten Free beer available.

Beef skewers

And, speaking of gluten free, I noticed that most if not all the food is GF. The short and interesting menu ranges from snacks (Toasted Mixed Nuts to Empanadas) to small plates (eg Ceviche, Tacos El Pastor and more).

Pork Belly

We tried a few of the Small Plates. Of course, we did! I had gathered that the Colifor was proving popular here and it is indeed a good one: Roasted Cauliflower, Green mole and grated Brazil nuts. As many of you know, moles are a variety of strong flavoured traditional sauces and marinades from Mexican cuisine.

Do you like Pork and Spuds? Sounds better here as Cerdo Con Papas. Full description is slowly cooked pork belly, molasses glaze, potatoes and Spiced Avocado. Tasty!

At this point we should probably have ordered dessert but instead decided to share the Anticuchos (Slightly smoked beef skewers, Corn Salsa and garlic oil). After one delicious skewer each, enhanced by the Salsa, dessert was forgotten, at least until the next visit!

More on Paladar (inc. contacts, opening times & menus) here.

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Eating Out latest..restaurants cafes trucks. New reviews weekly here 

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Andy Ferreira, Co-Owner and Oisin Wolfe, Bar Manager, Paladar, Cork (This Pic: Miki Barlok)

MacCurtain Wine Cellar and Tuscany’s Capezzana, with a quartet of stunning reds, combine to spread a warming cheer on a miserable wet night in the city.

Pierpaolo

MacCurtain Wine Cellar and Tuscany’s Capezzana (with a quartet of stunning reds) combine to spread a warming cheer on a miserably wet night in the city. 

It wasn’t just the wine on Tuesday. There was a warm welcome from Sean Gargano and his crew at the Cellar. They also came up with some excellent small plates. Even tried to keep the summer going with a delicious Pet Nat (from the Veneto).

Ricotta

Sean, co-owner with Trudy Ahern,  did emphasise that wine always comes first here, that the food is secondary. In fairness, though, the food we were served was top notch and quite appropriate to the wines.

Soon, we got down to the serious (not really!) business of tasting those wines with gentle guidance from Pierpaolo Guerra of Capezzana who was accompanied by Marcus Gates of importers Liberty Wines.

Sweet potato

First up was their “baby wine, the everyday drinking wine”, the Barco Real di Carmignano 2019, a youthful, light and easy drinking blend of Sangiovese (75%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Canaiolo and Cabernet Franc. Pierpaulo explained that French grapes have a very long history here as we sipped this aromatic and fruity wine with a spicy finish. 

Barco Real is called the “Baby” because the fruit is sourced from slightly younger fruit and also spends less time in oak than the Villa di Capezzana 2018 that we would meet next. This was certainly a little more serious, full bodied with a concentrated finish and a slight touch of peppery spice. Again it is a traditional blend, this of Sangiovese (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon.

By the way, all their wines (even their superb olive oils) are organic. Sean made a point of this as organic is “very important to us” at MacCurtain Street Wine Cellar.

Speck and Macroom Mozzarella

Sean makes a point

Next on the list was the Ugo Contini Bonacossi 2016 from a vineyard where conditions are ideal for growing Sangiovese, the only varietal in this excellent wine. It has aromas of cherries and a touch of spice, red fruit abound on the palate and the full bodied beauty has a lengthy finish.

We finished with the Ghiaie della Furba. This 2018 had a tough growing season but all ended well. The yield was lower than normal (down 40%) but the quality was excellent. And so was the fruit and spice from the oak in the aromas; it was full bodied and balanced in the mouth and again a long and fruity finish. 

It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Syrah (35%) and Merlot (25%). Not quite a Bordeaux blend but a good one!

Mortadela (left in sandwich) and Spicy Sausage

The Capezzana estate, 24 km north west of Florence, is owned by the Conti Contini Bonacossi family. The family is mentioned in a contract dating back to 804 AD, written at the time of Charlemange. So they have been there a long long time and now a new generation is firmly in charge and,  going by these wines, making an excellent job of it.

In contrast to the ancient vineyard, the MacCurtain Wine Cellar is just a baby, a few months only. But already you can see that Sean and Trudy have give the intimate venue quite a personality. Look out for similar events in the months ahead!

Rainy night out. Red wine in

An impressive Austrian sparkling wine and an interesting semi-sparkling red from Piedmont.

An impressive Austrian sparkling wine and an interesting semi-sparkling red from Piedmont.

Loimer Brut Rosé Niederösterreich - Reserve Sekt NV, 12%

RRP €43.99 Wineonline.ie

Sekt is the term for sparkling wine in Germany and Austria. This Brut Rosé Reserve blends Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and St. Laurent and spends at least 24 months on the lees. It is made with 20% reserve wines and 80% from the 2018 vintage. Bottled June 2019. Disgorged 2021. Dosage 2g/l. Traditional bottle fermentation, shaken by hand.

Good strong pink colour here with an amazing display of bubbles rising. Foam doesn’t last very long. Yeasty notes in the aromatics. The palate is mouth-filling, strawberry among the gentle fruit flavours, a pleasing mouthfeel with a lively acidity at play before a dry finish. 

The winemakers say this “comes very close to a champagne”. For me, it is better than many champagnes. Well worth a try. Very Highly Recommended.

The Loimer winery is based in the Kamptal region of Austria and it is biodynamic and Fred is a fan of cows: “Cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”  He mentioned this on a Zoom masterclass last year, following similar endorsements by Aurelio Montez (Chile) and Giovanni Manetti (Chianti Classico).

“… Use resources you find in your place, not to buy everything, but to find on the farm what you need to produce. For instance, we make our own compost and we buy very little. Second, you cannot separate plants and animals, nature works in a holistic way, together they have composted over the years to create the soil we have today.”

“Herbicide is a disaster. There is life in our soil. Always something going on, even in a small square, something like 60,000 lives in there, all doing something. We cover our soils, green cover, blooming cover. Our own compost is getting better and we spread it in the autumn and we also make compost tea out of it for spraying. Stinging nettles (they’re everywhere) and other herbs are also used for spraying teas.”

“Cow horns, many people don’t believe. You can’t really measure the impact of these preparations but you can see the difference. There is for sure an impact and cow manure is the best you can find for composting.”

Biodiversity is another essential plank. “Monoculture is a big problem today. It is necessary to create as much biodiversity as possible. Not one hundred per cent vineyard but always bushes, trees and grassland over the whole area.”

Latest from Austria. 2022 vintage seen as promising

The president of the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association Johannes Schmuckenschlager sees the 2022 vintage as promising, albeit with a somewhat lower harvest volume, in a season that has been challenging in terms of both climate and costs. “Austria’s winegrowers are already busily preparing for this year’s wine harvest. In places where grapes typically ripen earlier, such as the Seewinkel in Burgenland, harvesting has already begun. Due to the weather conditions, the harvest has begun slightly earlier than last year. In the best-case scenario, we can expect wine volumes to match the average of previous years at around 2.4 million hectolitres,” said Schmuckenschlager at a press conference in Vienna Friday (02.09.22)

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Contero Brachetto D’Acqui (DOCG) 2021, 5% ABV

RRP €22.99: The Malt House, Blackrock Cellar, Wineonline.ie

Brachetto is a red wine Italian grape grown predominantly in the country’s Piedmont region.

This really delightful frizzante pours a deep pink from the screw-capped bottle and there’s a brief life for the bubbly pink head. Aromas are both floral (roses) and fruity (pomegranate, strawberry). There is a slight sweetness on the light and lively palate before a drier finish. A very pleasant low ABV wine and Highly Recommended.

Distributors Liberty tell us Contero is now owned by the Marenco family, who are Moscato and Brachetto specialists.  “The 11 hectare Contero estate remains one of the best producers of invigoratingly delicious Moscato d’Asti and Brachetto d’Acqui. The vineyards are situated on steep hills, on tufaceous-marl soils, in a perfect amphitheatre in the commune of Strevi (the heart of one of the best zones for Moscato in Piemonte).

The vines are superbly tended and produce fruit of stunning quality. The Moscato is lifted, fresh and frothing, while the Brachetto has a lovely rose petal character that emerges from the aromatic, grape-scented fruit.” 

The grapes were hand picked into wooden boxes and carefully selected. After gentle pressing, the must fermented on the skins for two to three days at low temperatures, in stainless steel tanks. The must was then separated from the skins, with fermentation halted at 5.5% volume alcohol by filtration to leave around 100g of sugar per litre. Bottling took place under pressure for a light sparkle. 

Brachetto d’Acqui is best enjoyed when served at a temperature of between 8 and 12°C. Excessive cooling should be avoided, because at cold temperatures, the wine’s aromas are not released, and their scent does not reach the palate.

Thanks to its moderate alcohol content, Brachetto d’Acqui is an excellent accompaniment for desserts and fruit, regaling even less sophisticated palates with delicious sensations. Sublime with fresh strawberries or ripe peaches in season: the aroma and scent of the fruit mingle with those of the wine, producing a heady and intensely pleasant floral bouquet.(From http://www.brachettodacqui.com/en/brachetto-e-cibo/ )

Brachetto d’Acqui has made a name for itself as an ingredient in mixed drinks, cocktails and aperitifs, proving an excellent accompaniment not only to sweets, but savouries, too. Try it with cold cuts and cheese.

Two shining examples of Chenin Blanc, one from Saumur, the other from Swartland

Two shining examples of Chenin Blanc, 

one from Saumur, the other from Swartland

Metallic notes in Saumur

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Domaine de Sable Verts Saumur (AC) Blanc 2020, 13%, 

RRP €25.99 The Vintry Redmonds of Ranelagh wineonline.ie The 1601 Blackrock Cellar Baggot Street Wines Drink Store

Colour of this Chenin Blanc (from near the Loire city of Saumur) is a mid gold. It is fresh and floral, intensely so, with flavours of grapefruit, apricot and pear and a superb acidity, with a mineral touch. Quite a classic Chenin Blanc, fresh and fruity, it has a long dry finish with citrus notes. Highly Recommended.

Liberty, the importers, tell us that Caroline Meurée & Hervé Malinge are a young winemaking couple who met while studying in Bordeaux. “Despite neither of them being from the Loire Valley, in 2019 they bought Domaine des Sables Verts in the heart of Saumur Champigny and embarked on their first vintage.” 

Just one hectare from their 15 is planted with Chenin Blanc (the rest with Cabernet Franc). Their Chenin grapes for this wine come from three separate parcels. The final blend is assembled and bottled in January. Characterised by layers of fresh citrus notes and ripe apricot, the wine is beautifully textured with a backbone of lively acidity. 

The potential of their forty-year-old vines persuaded Caroline and Hervé to produce a single-vineyard wine. Vinified and aged in new four hectolitre French oak barrels, the wine is kept on fine lees for 12 months to add both richness and texture.

Food and wine pairings from Caroline suggest: “…from land to sea! From a veal blanquette to a grilled sea bass, via an asparagus risotto…”

Hervé has the serving tips: serve at 10-12°C, don’t hesitate to decant it!

Caroline and  Hervé are vignerons at Varrains which is about 30 minutes west of Chinon ( an excellent base for visiting the vineyards and chateau of the Loire Valley). On your way to Varrains, visit the amazing  Fontevraud-l’Abbaye on the way. 

Quite a lot of Chenin Blanc is grown in Northern France (from Vouvray to Saumur) but South Africa (in Stellenbosch and Paarl) grows more than any other country with the French second and the USA third.

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Spice Route Chenin Blanc Swartland (South Africa) 2020, 14.0%, 

RRP €26.99 Fresh – Stepaside wineonline.ie Fresh – IFSC/Smithfield/Grand Canal Hen And Hog

This South African Chenin Blanc has a light gold colour. Aromas are mostly fruit, peach and tropical. On the palate, it is quite complex, quite concentrated, the fruit flavours well balanced by a very lively acidity.  Highly Recommended.

Quite an outstanding balance actually and deliberately induced. The Chenin Blanc for this wine was picked at different maturity levels. The first picking was done slightly earlier to retain freshness and acidity, the second lot was picked in mid-February, with some slightly raisined grapes in the bunches bringing more richness to the blend. The lots were vinified separately. 

Don’t want to get to technical here but worth continuing I think as we can learn how the techniques employed shaped the final product. Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently destemmed and pressed. After 48 hours settling, the portion that was picked earlier was fermented in stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness and elegance before then being matured in matured in clay pots known as Qvevries (also amphora) for eight weeks. The late-picked portion was fermented and matured in old French oak barrels for 10 months, before the two components were blended and bottled.

The Swartland is 65kms north of Cape Town. The climate is hot and dry. Viticulture here it is not straightforward, according to Fairview and Spice Route owner Charles Back. “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.”

Winemaker Charl du Plessis told us about another “surprise” development here, their importation of 20 qvevris from Georgia. A qvevri is huge earthenware amphora (800 to 1200 lts) sunk into the ground and used for wine fermentation and storage. The hand-made terracotta pots have been fired and coated inside with beeswax. He did a vintage in Georgia in 2018.

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Chenin Blanc is South Africa's most widely planted grape - and the resulting wine is in demand around the world. Last year, South Africa exported 53 million litres of white wine, mainly to Germany, the United Kingdom, and America.  

With Chenin Blanc, Fresh wines are mostly made in stainless steel tanks which accentuates fruit flavours and acidity. And then you have the more complex Fruity Styles along with Rich Styles (more dominant presence of oak).

This leads to such a diversity of wines that shoppers can be confused especially when purchasing bottles from supermarket shelves. 

The local Chenin Blanc Association in association with Stellenbosch's South African Grape and Wine Research Institute have come up with a style indicator (similar to wine wheels) to help. More on this Business Insider story here.