Little Beauty and the ladies of L'Atitude

Little Beauty's Fleur McCree hits Leeside next week!

Maurice O'Mahony, the man behind Wine Alliance, has been in touch about an exciting event at the new Wine Cafe on Union Quay, L'Atitude 51. We'll let Maurice take over and tell you all about it.
No better boy!

Its an honour for Wine Alliance to be part of L’Atitude 51′s first event in their “Meet the Winemaker” series

Fleur McCree, owner of Little Beauty of Marlborough, New Zealand will present a flight of five of her limited edition wines in a guided tasting in the newly opened L’Atitude 51 Wine Workshop (on the first floor) of . . . .

L’Atitude 51.

1 Union Quay,

Cork City 

021 2390219

Thursday February 9th From 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Entrance Fee is just €12 and places are very limited.

The line up includes a tasting of  . . . . .

• Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc
• Little Beauty Riesling
• Little Beauty Pinot Gris
• Little Beauty Gewurztraminer
• Little Beauty Pinot Noir

Canapés & Snacks will also be served on the evening

Fleur will walk us through the New Zealand wine landscape and will then focus on her beloved Marlborough and her privately owned vineyard. If you want to read up on Little Beauty, check out their website here

L’Atitude 51 is the perfect location for a tasting. Centrally located in in the heart of Cork’s city centre, the owners Beverley Mathews and Emmanuelle Legrand offer a beautiful selection of wines (including a big selection by the glass), craft beers and gourmet coffee and tea. They also offer a delicious selection of homecooked food in a lovely relaxing setting on the banks of the lovely Lee across the road from Cork’s City Hall.

So why not come along and sample each of these beautiful limited edition wines for yourself

Thursday February 9th From 7.00pm – 9.00pm

To book a place, call L’Atitude 51 on 021 2390219

See Fleur YouTube video here 

SAUVIGNON BLANC: KIWIS OUST CHILE CHAMP

M & S SAUVIGNON BLANC, LIMARI VALLEY (CHILE) 2008, 13.5%, €13.99


I chased this one down because it was a Decanter Regional Trophy winner for a Sauvignon Blanc at less than ten pound sterling.

Colour was very pale and the nose was herby and grassy, green fruit. On the palate, there is a good balance of fruit and acidity. It is tingly and refreshing, savoury too, with a fine dry finish.

Other Regional Trophy winners I found to be quite impressive but there was a tinge of disappointment here. Nothing at all wrong with the M & S offering, I hasten to add, but it was unlucky to follow an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc, a 2010 Neudorf from the Nelson area.

The Chilean might have won on price – the NZ comes in around the twenty euro mark – but was otherwise outclassed. By the way, the Neudorf didn't figure at all in the Decanter list from New Zealand.

The New Zealand edge is further underlined by the fact that Decanter awarded their two international Sauvignon Blanc trophies to the Kiwis. Waimea Estates (Nelson), also available at M&S, took the honours in the under £10.00 category while Vavasour (Awatere Valley, Marlborough) won the over £10.00 trophy.

A nod is as good as a wink. And I've given you three!

NEUDORF WINEMAKER DINNER AT STAR ANISE

NEUDORF WINEMAKER DINNER AT STAR ANISE

At Star Anise last night with Judy and Tim Finn (right).

“We were pioneers,“ declared Judy Finn from the Nelson winery Neudorf. “There was no wine industry in New Zealand at the time we started; we didn't know what would work.”

Judy and husband Tim were in Star Anise last night to introduce us to their stunning wines from the South Island . They started there in 1978 and, after 34 years, they still learn from each vintage and still enjoy the chase. You may read more about the vineyard and its people here. 

One of their top aims is to make wine of some substance. They believe that virtually anyone can make a big fruity wine, like making pop music. Drink it and forget it. But the Finns are always working not just for flavour but to give some more interesting layers that will draw you back for more.

They call it “the second glass appeal” and they certainly got that right in the first wine we tasted. Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is a terrific example of their work, closer to the Loire than the New World, powerful and smooth, fruity, herby and memorable.

It was also a terrific match with our starter: Crispy Ham Hock with Beetroot Relish and Mustard Cress, itself maintaining the high standard already set by the Amuse Bouche of Cream of Cep and Truffle Oil.

And the Star Anise kitchen again hit the high spots with the next dish: Pan-Fried Halibut with Cockles and Samphire, Lemon & Herb Beurre Blanc. Neudorf Chardonnay 2009 was an excellent match.

The vineyard’s Chardonnay has been much praised over the past twenty years and indeed cool climate Chardonnays, such as this, have been credited with the grape’s revival after the excesses that turned many people off.

Complete and harmonious are the descriptors you’ll find on the site. Judy said that Chardonnay wines “reflect the winemaker”. Tim was rather modest about accepting the accolade but it is a lovely refreshing style and “you feel like another one”. That second glass appeal again!

Judy loves her Pinot Noir and we had the Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir 2008, a beautiful subtle and elegant wine. While Judy was delighted that it had just received 92 points from the Wine Advocate, that didn't change her pretty low and earthily expressed opinion of wine guru Robert Parker.

Again, Star Anise had the match for the Pinot: Braised Chuck of Beef with Thyme, Parsley Puree, Horseradish Mash and Glazed Baby Carrots. The beef was so so tender and the whole plate was a perfect combination of flavours. Gorgeous.

It was a horrible day in Cork with the rain coming down but we did have a lovely evening thanks to Star Anise and Neudorf, a great combination. Great too to chat with John and Julie from Dillon’s in Timoleague and with Richie (and his bay moustache) from Blair’s Inn. And a big thanks too to Viginie and her team in the restaurant and to Conor and James Nicholson Wines (who distribute the Neudorf range in Ireland).

Neudorf Wine Tasting Dinner at Star Anise

Wine Dinner at Star Anise November 2

Neudorf Wine Tasting Dinner, Star Anise Restaurant, Bridge Street Cork.

Join Tim & Judy Finn from the Acclaimed Neudorf Winery in Nelson New Zealand at Star Anise restaurant, Cork. Price €65. To Book call Star Anise on 00353 (0) 21 455 1635

Neudorf may well be now an "acclaimed" winery but its wasn't always like that. Here, Judy Finn takes us back to the beginning:

1978 and the New Zealand fine wine industry was almost non existent. We (Tim and I) were fresh from the “back to the land” movement of the late sixties. We wanted to make beautiful wine. We figured Tim’s masters in Animal Behaviour along with my unimpressive journalism career would be beneficial. Wrong. However we did have youth (temporary), self belief (unwarranted) and friends. At one stage we had four mortgages and three jobs each. The old house at Neudorf had electricity in two rooms, an outside long drop, an inefficient wood stove and no hot water. I look back with no regrets.

Because there was so little known about basic viticulture in New Zealand we planted many varieties to see which ones were best suited to our soils. Merlot came and went as did Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and the dreaded Muller Thurgau. We were a bit hasty in rejecting Gewürztraminer and may look at that again. But we did it. Very few misgivings. Making wine is constantly scary and stimulating. We survive on hard work, high hopes and a dollop of common-sense and cunning.

---

Dinner and Wine Evening
With Tim & Judy Finn from Neudorf Estate
Wednesday, 2 November 2011

James Nicholson Sparkling Wine

Amuse Bouche of Cream of Cep and Truffle Oil

Crispy Ham Hock with Beetroot Relish and Mustard Cress

Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Pan-Fried Halibut with Cockles and Samphire,
Lemon & Herb Beurre Blanc 

Neudorf Chardonnay 2009

Braised Chuck of Beef with Thyme, Parsley Puree,
Horseradish Mash and Glazed Baby Carrots

Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir 2008

Star Anise Dessert Plate
Tea & Coffee

TINPOT HUT AN ELECTRIC HIT

TINPOT HUT AN ELECTRIC HIT

Aoife McCan, Gerry Gunnigan (Liberty Wines), Fiona Turner and Colm McCan (Ballymaloe) at Electric

New Zealand winemaker Fiona Turner brought her Marlborough wines to South Mall’s Electric last night and they went down a treat with the diners. The upstairs room, with a view, was full and over 70 per cent of the punters took up the offer of five half glasses for a tenner.

Fiona and yours truly

Naturally enough, both Denis O’Mullane of Electric and Fiona herself were delighted with the success. It was a first time wine and dine venture for Electric while Fiona is in the middle of a busy ten day period in Ireland and the UK.

She brought five wines, three white and two red. The aim at Tinpot Hut  is to make wines that they themselves enjoy drinking. Going by last night, quite a few other people enjoy drinking them too.

First up was the 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (13.5%); pleasingly rich and powerful, it is well balanced with a long pleasant finish. And it is on sale at Bradley’s, North Main Street.

Their Pinot Gris 2010 was another of the whites. A very refreshing drink, medium bodied and flavoursome with an ABV of 13%.

Didn’t expect to see a Gruner Veltliner in the line-up . The Austrian grape though has travelled well and ended up in good hands and the 2010 result is a complex medium-bodied wine, a classic style and a multi-award winner to boot, including gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011.

Another award winner is the Tinpot Hut’s Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2007 (13%). They called it Syrah rather than Shiraz for a reason. The pepper and spice here doesn’t invade your senses but instead contributes proportionately to the overall experience. Ruby red with an aromatic nose, I thought it a brilliant mouthful, a terrific example that brings out the true flavours, mainly plum and pepper on the palate.

The Marlborough Pinot Noir  (12.5%) was the other red. No gold or silver medals here but still a smashing wine. “Classic cherry flavours dominate the palate and are supported by hints of plum and redcurrant.” This 2008 offering benefitted from the “prolonged warm dry summer...all grapes on the vine...were able to open fully, yielding...well developed, intensely flavoured fruit.”

So there we had it, five good easy drinking wines and not a dud among them. And, listening to Fiona explaining her criteria, I don’t think Tinpot will be releasing any inferior wine while she’s around.

And the food? I started with the Crispy fried tripe with chorizo, kale & chilli, then a tender steak and finished with a sweet sweet Strawberry meringue roulade. All top notch. And you can see the full menu here. 

Electric has come a long way since it opened during the Jazz weekend last autumn. Already, it is a fixture in the city. But they are not sitting back. There is better to come as the Electric ensemble is being trained to be the best around. Interesting times ahead in Cork’s “Theatre of Life”

.

Tinpot Hut wines are distributed in Ireland by Liberty Wines. 

Another Little Beauty

Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc Limited Edition 2009, New Zealand, 13.5%, €15.99, stockists

She may have a big nose but this tropical visitor is another Little Beauty.

Raised and finished in Marlborough by Eveline Fraser, formerly of famed Cloudy Bay, this Sauvignon Blanc takes her well deserved place in a distinguished family.

We recently met her sister, the irresistible Pinot Noir  and look forward to meeting the other siblings, especially Dry Riesling.

This 13.5% Sauvignon Blanc sports a complexion of pale gold and the vibrant sheen is enhanced by attractive aromas. On the palate, the fruit shines through, grapefruit and gooseberry for me. It is refreshing, dry and crisp with a long and satisfying finish.

LITTLE BEAUTY IN SEE THROUGH RED

Little Beauty Pinot Noir 2009 (Marlborough, New Zealand), 14%, €23.99, stockists


This Little Beauty comes in a see through red with scents of plum and spice. Is there substance behind the sexy intro?


Yes indeed, that first kiss lingers. It does finish, of course, as all good things come to an end. But not before the passion ignites.