Super Tuscans

Our shop is close to Dublin Airport therefore we are lucky to get to meet a lot of wine makers just as they arrive into Dublin or just before they catch the plane onto their next business meeting. Last week Noel Tynan popped in with the export director of Ornellaia for us to try their current vintage of 2007 along with the second wine Le Serre Nuove 2007. These wines are a true expression of good Tuscan land. They make limited quantities but of  maximum quality and the wines do everything right in my opinion, they just sang!

Ornellaia was first produced in 1985  and  is a blend of  predominately Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It has aromas of dark berry fruits, a touch of balsamic, silky elegant smooth tannins and great depth. I feel this wine will be showing at its best in another few years.
The second wine Le Serre Nuove was drinking now and at €50 is a text book example of what these wines are all about. The wine is a blend of Merlot along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. and has scents of mocha, dark berries and spice. It is  full bodied, with soft velvety tannins and immediately impressive. After trying these wines  one cannot doubt their passion for excellence and understand what  the word Super Tuscan is all about! 

Seek them out!

Enjoy,
Julie.

JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK

 CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

http://wowireland.blogspot.com

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS, DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY,RATHGAR

Lets try a Mull n Rouge?

Something I sampled at the German Market in the IFSC the other day. It is a little different to mulled wine and hot ports and well worth trying at home. All you need is a bottle of Dubonnet, honey cloves and some orange bitters. Hope it keeps you warm and puts the colour back into your cheeks. It certainly worked wonder for us last week after doing our Christmas shopping in the market. Next week i hope to hit the  market in Fitzwilliam Square and discover a few more new winter  drinks, Egg nog maybe!?

Enjoy,
Julie.

JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK

 CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

http://wowireland.blogspot.com

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS, DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY,RATHGAR

Chateau Gloria St Julien 2004 versus Ch Talbot 2004

Tried both these wines over the Christmas and very tasty they were too.While I have tasted  many of the 2004`s I had not actually sat down  to drink a bottle with a nice meal as I have tended to concentrate on the 2001`s, because of their great drinkability and value.Unfortunately the 2001`s are getting quite hard to find so it is time to move on.

 

Of the two wines mentioned I thought the Gloria(€35) was actually drinking better than the Talbot(€60).Don't get me wrong ,the Talbot has everything that one would expect of a fine Bordeaux but it is still a bit young and did not have the lovely balance of the Gloria which is drinking perfectly now.In the long term the Talbot has more guts and  with the passage of time will far outshine the Gloria but not just yet!

Sante,

Evelyn
THE VINTRY,RATHGAR.








CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
 

http://wowireland.blogspot.com

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS, DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY,RATHGAR

Chateau d`Orignac ,Pineau des Charantes the tipple to beat the winter blues!

The  Ten year old Tawny did the trick week one of this Arctic weather but desperate times call for desperate measures and it is time to move on to the Pineau Des Charentes..Chateau d`Orignac to be exact ,which is a blend of aged Cognac,Merlot and Cabernet  juice aged in oak barrels for several years.It is a fortified wine,a Mistelle made from a blend of lightly-fermented grape must and old Cognac. It, like the tawny  port is the colour of fire, amber with golden tints, it has a powerful aromatic palate, with subtle hints of succulent dried fruits like apricot, honey and raisins.
It is pleasantly sweet yet refreshing and there is a great harmony between the grape flavours and Cognac aromas. Very warming and just the job on arriving  home with damp feet breathing a sigh of relief that you managed not to fall on the way home today!


Château d'Orignac has been a family estate for several generations, the owners have always been devoted to producing high quality products.This 20 hectare vineyard is located in the heart of the appellation Cognac and Pineau des Charentes 'Fin Bois' on the limestone slopes near the Gironde estuary, 50 kms north of Bordeaux.The soil, the average age of the vineyard (more than 30 years) low yields and the care brought to the cultivation, of the vines help this search of excellence.
The grape varieties planted for the production of the Pineau d'Orignac are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and for the Cognac, Colombard and Ugni-Blanc.

Sante,

Evelyn

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
 

http://wowireland.blogspot.com

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS, DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY,RATHGAR

The Colonial Estate Old Vine Shiraz 2005

 This wine from iconic winemaker, Johnathan Malthus is from the Barossa Valley. Malthus who got himself quite a name after himself and his wife bought Chateau Teyssier back in 1994. Originally from England with an engineering background and little winemaking experience, Malthus was part of the whole "garage" movement in Bordeaux which originally was meant as a derogatory thing refering to the size of their set up and their low yields but now deemed as a more complimentary and boutique-style of winemaking. Seeing the success of his wines and the techniques he used in France he bought vineyards in Australia and imployed the same techniques there including using the same equipment, winemaker and methods as used in Bordeaux and if Parker is anything to go by with resounding results!



Johnathan Malthus

Myself and Ruth had a couple of glasses of the Shiraz last night after we eventually manouevered our way home from the shops. A deep, dark purple in colour with sweet plum and dried fruits on the nose. This is a huge wine with loads of fruit flavours on the palate yet some pepper and licquorice undertones. It spends 12 months in french casks ( identical to the ones he uses in his Saint Emilion operation) The wine is also unfiltered so there is sediment in the bottles which is not the norm in Australian wines and some find off putting but does nothing to effect the flavours to this rich, elegant and complex wine. The even better news is that this and the rest of his single varietal range which normally sell for about €24.99 are LESS THAN HALF PRICE WITH ALL THE WOW GIRLS THIS CHRISTMAS coming in between €11.99 and €12.99... Allowing you to drink fine wines at affordable prices. Finally a plus to the big "R"
Till Next Time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Livio Felluga Lets Us Taste His Wonderful Italian Whites

Andrea Felluga

After meeting up with wine maker Andrea Felluga in Friuli and tasting three of his wonderful white wines in his house over a fantastic dinner our last night in Italy was a real WOW night!.
The Pinot Grigio 2008 which is on the gold list for the Sommelier Wine Awards for its food friendliness and character was drinking really well with lots of floral notes and great intensity  of flavour. This to me is what great Pinot Grigio is all all about, well worth the money at €25.99 (a text book example).
The 2007 Ilivio, Pinot Bianco  is named after his father ,who started making wine in the 1950's in the hills of Friuli, and is aged in understated oak with a little spice and nuttiness coming through on the palate at €33.99 it is a alternative to a good white Burgundy and won a gold medal in Decanter magazine this year.
Saving  the best of the best till last the 2008 Terre Alte ,which is regarded as one of the top white wines from Italy , was the star of the show and at €50.00 you get what you pay for. This wine is from a single vineyard and displays honeyed and floral notes, wonderful balance and great length.
I must admit I have a whole new understanding now of what amazing, intense,focused flavoured yet greatly scented whites this family are producing.

Seek them out!
All available at Jus De Vine

Enjoy,
Julie.

JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK

 CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION

http://wowireland.blogspot.com

CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS, DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY,RATHGAR