Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Well balanced and delicious. A Very Highly Recommended Rioja Reserva.

Well balanced and delicious. A Very Highly Recommended Rioja Reserva.


Ramon Bilbao Rioja Reserva (DOC) 2015, 14% ABV


€19.50 in Dunnes Stores.


“ Rioja with a twist”. That’s how Ramon Bilbao, who have enhanced their “historical range..with modern approach”, describe their wines. Their “style” is well appreciated in Spain where they have 9% of the market.


This Rioja Reserva has a deep ruby colour, somewhat lighter on the rim. It is clear and bright and you’ll notice those tears, indicating a high alcohol count, though 14 % is not that unusual in warm countries. 


Aromas are quite intense, dark and fed fruit. In the mouth, you notice an excellent acidity along with the fresh fruit flavours, and a touch of vanilla from the oak. Fruit and spice are also in the finish. Tannins are fine, all part of the balance of this delicious wine.


The producers say their style is fresh, elegant and fruity. And this is a very good example, light and bright and a long way from some of those heavyweight traditional Riojas. Drinking very well now and there seems broad agreement that it can evolve further in the bottle, even into the 2030s.


Best served between 17º C and 18º C, this wine pairs perfectly with traditional food such as red meats, game and mature cheeses. Very Highly Recommended.


The 2015 harvest “will go down as one of the earliest and quickest harvests in history”, according to Ramon Bilbao, thanks in no small way to July “with the highest temperatures ever recorded”. The results were clean and fruity wines. They use “pre-fermentation maceration for 3 to 4 days, post-fermentation maceration for 5 to 7 days, overpumping and daily plunging. Filtering and clarification did not take place until the end. Ageing: American Oak Barrel for 20 months: Missouri and Ohio, and a further 20 months in bottle”. 



Rioja Classifications Guide

Wondering what a Crianza is? Well, it is one of the classifications that indicates the age of the wine in your bottle and you’ll see a stamp at the rear to confirm it. Reserva is another but you should note that Rioja takes these terms seriously, it is a guarantee, and you can rely on the system. In some countries, reserva is at the producer's whim, with no supervisory system in place!


Generic: This category guarantees the origin and vintage of wine. They are usually wines in their first or second year, which keep their primary freshness and fruit. This category may also include other wines that do not fit into the categories of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, if they have been subjected to an ageing process that is not certified by the Control Board.


Crianzas are wines which are at least in their third year, having spent a minimum of one year in oak barrels. For white wines, the minimum barrel ageing period is 6 months.


Reserva These are meticulously selected wines with a minimum ageing between oak barrels and the bottle of three years, of which at least one has to be in barrels, followed and complemented by a minimum 6 months’ ageing in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 2 years, with at least 6 months in barrels.


Gran Reserva These are wines of great vintages that have been painstakingly aged for a total of sixty months with at least two years in oak barrels and two years in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 4 years, with at least 6 months in barrels.


The labels are colour coded. You’ll see the Reserva has a burgundy colour while Gran Reserva has a (royal) blue.


* The GranReserva is also a beauty and we’ll have a post on it in a week or so.

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2023

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Top Families. Top Wines. From Torres and Hugel.

Top Families. Top Wines. 

From Torres and Hugel.


Torres, a Spanish family, dedicated to wine for five generations and the Hugel family, that started making wine in the Alsace in 1639, produced our two excellent wines today.




Torres Altos Ibéricos Rioja Crianza (DOC) 2018, 14% ABV


While Torres is synonymous with wine in Spain, it was only in 2005 that they first purchased land in Rioja. This wine, first produced in 2007, is 100% Tempranillo and has spent 12 months in French and American oak. It bears the red crianza sticker (see below).


Not surprisingly, it is regarded as a modern interpretation of Tempranillo. Its amicable aromas, intense and fragrant, draw you in, more so than its 20th century counterparts.

Yours truly with
Miguel Torres.


That “lighter touch” continues on the well-rounded palate, where soft red fruits and sweet spices combine smoothly with the effects of its time in oak. The finish is long with a light spicy aftertaste. Very Highly Recommended.


The Tempranillo grape is Spain’s top variety. Best known for its Rioja expressions but grown in many regions of the country. Older Tempranillo goes well with the likes of steaks and burgers while fresher styles like this are best matched with “baked pasta and other tomato based dishes” according to Wine Folly.



Rioja red wine stickers:


The green label (cosecha) indicates less than one year in oak, less than one in bottle.


The red label (crianza) indicates 1 year in oak, 1 in bottle.


The burgundy (reserva) indicates 1 year in oak, 2 in bottle.


The royal blue (gran reserva) indicates 2 years in oak, three years in bottle.



  • This Rioja was a gift. The wine, imported by Findlaters (as is the Gentil), is widely available, including at Bradleys, North Main Street, Cork for €14.95.

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 


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Hugel Gentil Alsace (AOC) 2020, 13% ABV, €14.95 Bradleys.



Pale yellow with green tints is what you see in the glass. There are attractive aromas (including fruit, citrus and peaches, and floral elements). On the palate, it has a soft and supple feel, is full of flavour, dry and absolutely refreshing, with a great finalé. 


Lots of attractive features yet it is very versatile at the table, doesn’t overpower your food. Natalie MacClean recommends seared scallops, sushi, vegetables, herbed chicken, pork dishes, excellent too as an aperitif says our retailer Michael of Bradley’s. Very Highly Recommended.


Gentil is an Alsace tradition, made from all the white grapes of the estate. And it is done carefully, to a very high and controlled official standard.


It is Hugel’s only blend, dry and the ideal introduction to Alsace wines. It combines the elegance of Riesling, the richness of Pinot Gris, the fruitiness of Gewürztraminer and Muscat with the freshness of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. They are all here: “All the Alsace grapes in one glass”.


I’ve been very partial to Gentil in general for quite a few years now (the Hugel one is on sale in Bradley’s). I met Jean Frédéric Hugel in Cork a few years back and he told me it is their best seller. “It is produced from six different grapes. These are blended after the wine-making stage to balance it better. It is super versatile and works well by the glass in restaurants.” I thought that was interesting as I cannot recall seeing it offered around this area. Maybe there’s an opening there - it is delicious and, as Jean Frédéric said, super versatile.


Other Gentils available locally include Meyer-Fonné and Trimbach.

Hugel & Fils, founded in 1639 in picturesque Riquewihr, Alsace, France, is still 100% family owned and managed by the 12th consecutive generation of the family.


Alsace enjoyed a very good year in 2020, so much so that “No late harvest wines were produced due to the ‘too good’ sanitary conditions which forbid the development of botrytis. “A cool and long growing season gives this unique dry wine great finesse and unequalled drinkability.” And that is well confirmed by this bottle, by the way, closed with DIAM “the cork without the risk of cork taint”.


  • More here on DIAM closures.

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Best Value Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 


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Thursday, September 29, 2022

Wine Ways: A marvellous Morgon from “rotten rock” and an ingenious Garnacha from concrete eggs. Wine+Jazz with Kate Barry

Wine Ways:

A marvellous Morgon from “rotten rock” 

and an ingenious Garnacha from concrete eggs


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Kate Barry's World of Wine Tasting (and Jazz) at Le Caberet, Cork 28th October 5.30 pm. For info and tickets click here

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Domaine de la Bonne Tonne Morgon (AOC) “Cote du Py” 2020, 14.5% ABV

€33 at The Vintry in Rathgar, Dublin; Manning's Emporium in Ballylickey &

Connemara Hamper in Clifden; Mary Pawle Wines


A ruby coloured gem from “rotten rock”!


This Morgan from the famed lieu-dit of Côte du Py has a darker shade of ruby than you’d expect for the Gamay grape. Intense, rich and inviting dark berry aromas, fresh and complex with a floral lift. The palate is also complex and rich, full of flavours (sour cherry, strawberry and raspberry), with a spicy vanilla character, all in balance through to a long and intense minerally finish. An amazing wine, consistent year after year, and once again Very Highly Recommended.


The producers were, and are, very happy, not to mention confident, with this one. “Let it age, if you can, to take advantage of the complexity. We would go blind on a very beautiful well-born Pinot…” Looks like a challenge to the neighbours in Burgundy!


The Morgon "Côte du Py", is the most famous climat of the vineyard. There are ten crus in the Beaujolais region and Morgon, as you probably know, is one of them. With the typical acidity, these wines can match a range of foods. One suggestion that I fancy is Moroccan Lamb Tagine with apricot. Open the wine into a carafe about 30 minutes before serving at 16°C. 


World famous for its exceptional soil resulting from ancient volcanic activity, the soil of the Py hill is composed of decomposing volcanic elements, with the presence of iron oxide and manganese. The blue rock is friable, and so the locals have been known to claim that the best Morgon are made on this land of  terre pourrie (rotten rock)!


Organic Agriculture. The work on the entire estate is manual with the use of animal traction (Vigano, a magnificent Comtois, is calling for help!) for ploughing. The vines (mainly old), on a south-west facing hillside are grassy or slightly scratched. The estate puts into practice certain elements from biodynamics (preparations, calendar). Yields are very limited (30hl/ha on average) and manual harvesting. Traditional Beaujolais vinification: semi-carbonic maceration in concrete vats for 18 days. No inputs: indigenous yeasts and no SO2 or chaptalisation. Aging in demi-muids (large casks of indefinite size). Very low doses of SO2 (<20mg/L) at bottling.


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Vinedos Ruiz Jimenez Ingenium Garnacha, DO Rioja 2020, 13.5% ABV

€23.25 RRP. Mostly available in restaurants. Also at Mary Pawle Wines 


This limited production Ingenium comes in a pale red colour. Aromas are  moderately intense with stewed fruit and dried herbs in the mix. High intensity red fruit flavours highlight the palate, spicy too, but this is an elegant, smooth and well balanced wine. Just a little grip from the tannins as the Ingenium finishes dry and long. Very Highly Recommended.


Producers Ruiz Jimenez say it is the perfect option to accompany different dishes, meals, and snacks. "Either alone or with good company.”


Mary Pawle tells me this is a recent addition “to our range of wines from Vinedos Ruiz Jimenez…matured in concrete eggs  to provide greater complexity”. On the rather sparse front label (there is none on the back) you read Vino Tinto Elológico and no added sulphites.


While Garnacha is grown around the world, the vast majority of it is grown in France (here it is called Grenache) and Spain. Italy leads the distant chasing pack and here the grape is called Cannonau.


And why is the title Ingenium? The winemakers explain: “Ingenio, is in Spanish, ingenious, this is, the innate quality to invent, to create, to be original. Under this name, we present our most inventive wines. Natural, creative and of limited production. Our most inventive, creative and natural wines, with limited production.” Just three wines in this series. In addition to the Garnacha, they make a Tempranillo and also Maturana Blanca.


The Jimenez Winery is one of the better ones and Mary Pawle has quite a few of their wines on her list including the Graciano , that we Very Highly Recommended recently here.




Monday, July 18, 2022

Two Top Wines Just For You. An Elegant Cool Jazz Rioja. And A Flirty Bossa Nova Pét-Nat

 Two Top Wines Just For You. 

An Elegant Cool Jazz Rioja. 

And A Flirty Bossa Nova Pét-Nat 

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Osoti Crianza Rioja (DOC) 2017, 14% 

€18.25 Organico, Bantry / Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny /

Mortons of Galway / The Olive Branch, Clonakilty / The Dairy at Toon's

Bridge


This Crianza Rioja has a dark cherry colour with a ruby rim. Aromas include red and black fruit notes and vanilla too. More dark fruits, especially plum on the palate, spices also in this rich wine. In the flavours, herbs, raspberries, plums and a little anise. Enough acidity to maintain balance. Rich and elegant with a lengthy, and spicy, aftertaste. A superb example of Rioja quality and Very Highly Recommended.


Importer Mary Pawle says: An exceptional blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, elegant with nicely concentrated cherry fruit and stylish vanilla oak.  Smooth and easy drinking .


The label indicates that it is organic, has been aged in barrels 12 months. “From our oldest Garnacha and Tempranillo vineyards. Organically grown, harvest and selected by hand.”


Osoti by the way is a brand of Vinedos Ruiz Jimenez and you will see quite a few of his excellent wines on the Mary Pawle list.


This is not one of quiet wines. Osoti: “Robust wine of balanced acidity. It has enveloping, silky tannins, which together with the notes of smoked, dried fruits, vanilla and cinnamon, give us a … prolonged palate. Best pairings include, blue fish, red meat, various types of cheeses, snacks, etc. Also enjoyed alone or with good company. Made with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha organic grapes.”


Rioja Classifications

Wondering what a Crianza is? Well, it it one of the classifications that indicates the age of the wine in your bottle and you’ll see a stamp at the rear to confirm it. Reserva is another but you should note that Rioja takes these terms seriously, it is a guarantee, and you can rely on the system. In some countries, reserva is at the producers whim, with no supervisory system in place!


Generic: This category guarantees the origin and vintage of wine. They are usually wines in their first or second year, which keep their primary freshness and fruit. This category may also include other wines that do not fit into the categories of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva, if they have been subjected to an ageing process that is not certified by the Control Board.


Crianzas are wines which are at least in their third year, having spent a minimum of one year in oak barrels. For white wines, the minimum barrel ageing period is 6 months.


Reserva These are meticulously selected wines with a minimum ageing between oak barrels and the bottle of three years, of which at least one has to be in barrels, followed and complemented by a minimum 6 months’ ageing in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 2 years, with at least 6 months in barrels.


Grand Reserva These are wines of great vintages that have been painstakingly aged for a total of sixty months with at least two years in oak barrels and two years in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum ageing period is 4 years, with at least 6 months in barrels.


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Entre Vinyes Oníric Pét-Nat Rosé 2021, 11.0% 

€16.75: Ardkeen Grocery , Waterford / The Olive Branch, Clonakilty / limited supply

Pet-Nat is short for pétillant naturel: an ancient natural wine making technique. It is traditionally cloudy, unfiltered, and often bottled with a crown cap. The wine is bottled before primary fermentation is finished, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars. Nature is left to do its job and develop the finished product without the intervention of a winemaker. Each bottle is unique and you can’t predict what it will turn out like.  It’s produced in white, rosé and red, making it a versatile choice.


Mary Pawle imports this lovely, lightly sparkling Rosé from Baix Penedes in Catalunya.  Made with Garnacha grapes that are from vines almost 50 years old. Hand harvested and natural yeast fermentation. Just 11% ABV.


Colour is a cloudy rosé. On pouring, you create a large white “head” but it won’t hang about. This is easy drinking, approachable and refreshing, with good depth and length. And of course, it has that pleasant sparkly tingle. Crunchy red fruit flavours  (raspberry, strawberry) and just enough acidity to balance, make it harmonious all the way to the lip-smacking dry finish. A wine for sun and fun and good company. Highly Recommended. It is enjoyed mainly as an aperitif but should pair well with seafood, also salads (both savoury and fruit).


  • By the way, you will notice some sediment in the bottle. This, and the cloudiness, is a natural part of the process. If you wish, gently turn the bottle upside down and the sediment will dissolve. Just be careful when opening the cap, as the inversion could lead to a rush to the top! There won’t be any big bang but you could get wet! If you’d prefer not to drink the sediment, then just pour carefully and leave it in the bottom of the bottle.


Is it a copycat version of champagne? Not so. It is the other way around if anything, as Pét-Nat has been around longer. Pét-Nat is bottled while still undergoing its first round of fermentation. The French call this process “methode ancestral” and you may see that on some labels.


You may see “bottle fermented,” or the Italian “col fondo,” (more or less a  pét-nat Prosecco). The crown cap and that little bit of sediment are other clues!


The method is pretty widespread across the wine world. Most are fun and good with food, especially lighter dishes. Uncomplicated, authentic and quite diverse, Pét-Nat puts the sparkle on your dinner table or even picnic spread. It is bubbles without the hefty price tag.

Monday, November 29, 2021

Valleys of wine. Check out this excellent duo from the Loire and the Ebro

From the valleys of wine. Check out this excellent duo from the Loire and the Ebro

Azay le Rideau


Marie Thibault Le Grolleau Vin de France 2019, 13.5%

€26.95  64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny



Grolleau, often regarded as the workhorse vine of the Loire, is seldom used on its own. 

However, according to Wine-Searcher.com, if yields are kept low, “Grolleau can produce a

light yet vibrant red wine, with herbaceous, 

sour-cherry flavors. Many of these are vinified as natural wines, although this is more to do with modern winemaking trends in the Loire than it is to do with the qualities of the variety itself.”


Le Grolleau comes from Azay le Rideau and this is where Marie Thibault does her stuff. Colour is mid to dark ruby. The rather intense aromas feature cherry and berries. It is light bodied and there’s a clean refreshing acidity on the palate along with much the same fruit flavours and that refreshing theme, along with a little spice, goes right through to the longer than expected finish. 


A delicious vin de soif, which essentially means unpretentious wines that are measured not by their complexity, length or ageeability but by the joy and refreshment they provide. Very Highly Recommended.


Marie Thibault grew up in the Loire Valley and began in 2002 working with François Chidaine in Montlouis, falling in love with Chenin Blanc there and making wine under her own name in 2004. She purchased her own estate in 2010 and converted to organics immediately. She has been certified with Ecocert since 2014. She works with Côt (Malbec), Gamay, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon blanc. Most of her vines are at least 50 years old.    

Marie also buys some grapes from organic estates close by, which she herself harvests and vinifies in her cellar. Her husband is Frantz Saumon, another fantastic natural grower in the area, his wines also available from Le Caveau and their stockists. Marie’s wines see no additives other than a tiny addition of S02 before bottling, if any is added at all.


Viña Albergada Rioja Alavesa (DOC) 2016, 13%

€11.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny



Made by the same producers of the Albizu Tempranillo that we had a few weeks ago, this Tempranillo has a dark cherry colour, though maybe not quite as vibrant as it was back in 2018 when I enjoyed this same vintage last.


The red fruit aromas are a little less intense than previously. The palate though may be better.  It is attractively juicy and fruity, with a touch of spice, very good acidity, quite refreshing. And the finish is good and long. 


Highly Recommended.  This easy-drinking style of Rioja offers great value-for-money. Great too, they hint, as an aperitif with tapas. Other suggestions include queen scallops and chorizo or pan-fried garlic chicken with sun-dried tomatoes. And, just like the Albizu, it is one of those versatile reds that may be tried chilled.


Tip: Look out for a more up to date vintage than the 2016.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Hitting the jackpot with lesser known reds from Dordogne and Rioja

 Hitting the jackpot with lesser known reds from Dordogne and Rioja

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Maison des vins in Bergerac


Cuvée Des Conti Bergerac Rouge (AC) 2019, 13%,

€19.45  64 Wine DublinBradley’s of CorkGreenman DublinLe Caveau Kilkenny



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This is a bright and fruity organic glossy-red blend from the Bergerac area, immediately to the east of Bordeaux;  the Dordogne River flows through both areas. The producers list the grapes in the mix as Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.


Colour is a dark red. Aromas are pleasant and inviting. Red fruits including cherry, a touch of spice. The palate is full of fruit, plum and blackberry, plus a subtle spice. And there’s also a lively acidity and so it is perfectly balanced. The mouthfeel is velvety, the tannins soft. As you might expect the finish lingers long. Very Highly Recommended.


Le Caveau: This new cuvée replaces the Bergerac Classique. The grapes come from Tour des Gendres, organic certified own vineyards. As with all of Luc's wine, this cuvée has been delicately put together, one can sense the perfectly ripe and healthy fruit, gentle and soft extraction resulting in a pure and perfectly balanced wine.


Hautefort, one of many
impressive chateaus here
I have visited the Bergerac region on a few occasions and love the wines (both red and white) from here. Quality is regularly on a par with neighbours Bordeaux. But historically, the city of Bordeaux controlled the head of the river and the port and Bergerac struggled to find outlets. One of the few benefits, at least for the foreign consumer, is that wines from the Bergerac region are mostly easier on the pocket. You may have to search a bit harder (Le Caveau have a few) but it will be worthwhile.



One of my visits was back in 2010 and I was looking for statements supporting Bergerac . Easy enough to find though as these two well-known wine writers were onside.

Hugh Johnson: Bergerac is a good value Bordeaux lookalike.

Robert Joseph: The second class status of Bergerac today owes more to the efforts of Bordeaux merchants to discriminate against it than to the quality of its wines.


Viña Albergada Albizu Tempranillo 2019 

€11.95, 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

In Rioja



A dark vibrant ruby is the colour of this LDR. LDR? It means light dry red. If you like Gamay you’ll love this. Not an exact replica of a Beaujolais of course - that was hardly ever the objective - but in terms of lightness, juiciness and structure, they could well be closely related. And I’d have to agree with importers Le Caveau that this juicy fruity Tempranillo “is a real find”.


And yes, that Tempranillo fruit is grown within the Rioja Alavesa appellation in the heart of Rioja but you don’t see any mention of the Spanish wine region on the label. Producers are Viña Albergada and they obviously go their own merry way. And that’s good for us as the quality its incredible. Not to mention the value! Amazingly light compared to traditional Rioja, this is Very Highly Recommended.


Like many LDR wines, this can be chilled a little. You’ll enjoy fairly intense aromas of plum along with red and darker berries. And that palate, amazingly sophisticated for a joven (young wine), is full of ripe fruit (plum, cherry, berry) with terrific acidity. All crowned by a refreshing and dry finish. This well balanced Albizu is delicious on its own, and very versatile with barbecued meats and tapas style food.