Vinos Tito Tasting

Vinos Tito are a Spainish wine company run by Raffa Salazar and Antonio Lorente. Two Spanish men who fell in love with two Irish women and never left Ireland!  Their sole ambition now is to source some of the more diverse styles of  Spanish wines  to bring  into Ireland. I was at their portfolio tasting recently and here are  some of their wines that really shined for me..

Valdesil. Vilamartin De Valdeorras
Montenova 2010
Made from the Godello grape in the Galicia region this wine is a great alternative to a Albarino .The unique climate and diverse range of soils in Valdeorras show in the style of  their wines giving them a lovely mineral quality.Nice body and lingering finish.Try in with shell fish or tapas. Worth seeking out at 14.99
                              

Vina Cubillo Crianza
Rioja 2005
This Rioja house was founded in 1877 and is one of the oldest in Haro. The wine spends 36 months in oak barrels before it has bottle ageing. It is one of the most traditional Rioja I have ever tried as you can almost smell the cellar from the wine. It is dry with a touch of spice and needs red meat to be appreciated. They have changed very little  in how it is made over the last 137 years many conditions are fulfilled for their wine to retain the quality which makes them live on in the memory of those who have tasted them in the past
Worth seeking out at 18.99

Bodega Jimenez Landi
Mentrida
Sotorronderos 2009
Mentrida is a short distance southeast of Madrid where they have started producing some wonderful Garnacha based wines. Jose and Daniel Jimenez Landi are two very talented wine makers who took over this property in 2004. They farm biodynamic and  Sotorronderos is a great example of what this area is all about. The wine shows wonderful dark fruits and elegant tannins with a lingering finish
Works great with any lamb dish.
Worth seeking out at 21.99

Enjoy,
Julie
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1996 Chateau Gruaud Larose

Although I am in the wine business it is not that often that I get to try older vintages of top class Bordeaux wines. However it was my birthday last week and I chose 1996 Chateau Gruaud Larose to celebrate.This wine does not necessarily  need to be decanted, just opened for 20 minutes beforehand. It has lovely aromas of cedar and roasted herb intermixed with incense like smells.On the palate it is medium bodied with lovely blackcurrant and meaty flavours. This wine is drinking now and complimented my fillet steak perfectly.
We have this wine at €79.00 in Jus De Vine .

Seek it Out

Julie

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2007 Vintage Guigal Rhone Wines on tasting with Pat Smith

Pat Smith kindly gave up his weekend to show the 2007 Guigal wines which have just landed into Jus De Vine. There is no one in Ireland  that knows Guigals wines better. Pat is a Rhone specialist who lived and worked there for 6 years. He was also decorated by the French Government for all his work in the business. He is now semi retired but when he tastes anything exceptional he will let us know and loves to come into our shop and talk about the wines and winemaker. He has promised another weekend in October when Pierre Amadieus Eagle's Pass 2007 Gigondas and Vacqueyras become available









   2007 Vintage from Maison E. GUIGAL
In the Rhone Valley and in particular the Southern Rhone, the 2007 vintage is the vintage of the decade. Robert Parker has backed this up by stating that the Cotes-du-Rhone red 2007 and Gigondas 2007 are the best ever made by Marcel Guigal for these appellations.



MAISON E. GUIGAL
The premier wine producer in the Rhone Valley. For decades now they are producing wine of the highest quality, with consistency the by-word to success. You will never be disappointed with a bottle of Guigal--the Guigal label is a stamp of quality whether a top Cote-Rotie or a basic Cotes-du-Rhone.

COTES-du-RHONE (Blanc) 2009
With 52% Viognier this wine is not unlike Condrieu. It is medium-dry with tropical fruit flavours and floral hints in the bouquet. It is fresh and crisp, ideal with any fish dish or just perfect on its own.
Available at Jus De Vine for 12.99

COTES-du-RHONE (Rouge) 2007
Parker says that this is the best Cotes-du-Rhone that Guigal has ever made. Judging by the reaction during the tasting, he's probably right. 50% Syrah (body & tannin), 40% Grenache (fruitiness), 10% Mourvedre (spicy/peppery). The wine is medium to full-bodied, silky smooth with a round fruity flavour--simply delicious.
Available at Jus De Vine for 12.99

GIGONDAS 2007
Big and full-bodied, a step and a half up on the Cotes-du-Rhone. The wine tastes of black cherries and ripe plums with still enough tannin to hold it together for at least 10 years. It has a nice smooth peppery finish--great food wine.
Available at Jus De Vine for 24.99

CROZES-HERMITAGE 2007
Made from 100% Syrah.This tannic grape variety makes this wine earthy with a mix of brambly fruit flavours. Big and full-bodied with tannin that is not too harsh--the result of oak ageing. Fantastic wine to have with goats Cheese, salami, lamb etc.

Available at Jus De Vine for 19.99

Julie


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Aperol Spritz....Ultra Cool Italian

Am just back from a  break in Italy where I was introduced to a very fashionable drink ,the perfect spritz prepared in a wine glass.

All you need is....
2oz Prosecco
1.5oz Aperol, ( substitute Campari)
Soda
Ice
Add ice to large wine glass, then Prosecco, a dash of soda and finally top up with the Aperol last ,as this will avoid it settling on the bottom of the glass. Garnish with a  slice of orange.

 The origin of this delicious drink is not known exactly but it is widely believed that it was born during the Austrian occupation of Italy.
It is fresh, sparkling and light and the ideal early evening drink or to use as a aperitif, and is considered ultra cool in Italy at the minute.
Aperol is not being imported into Ireland just yet, but after doing some research, I have discovered  that it is made by the Campari company and tastes much like it except it has a slightly higher sugar content and therefore less alcohol.


Try it out on our next sunny day, it's the new way to drink Prosecco!

Enjoy.
Julie

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Gout sufferers "toe" the line when it comes to wines low in purines

As I mentioned in my last post we get a lot of unusual wine requests in Jus de Vine.The latest,just last week,was a request for wines that are low in purines in order to keep some of our customers gout at bay!

Most food and alcohol that cause gout contain high amounts of purines.Put as non medically as possible, purine is a substance that is found in our diet and is also produced naturally by the body. Purines are generally broken down by the body, and its failure to do so adequately may produce symptoms of gout.

White wine that is high in acidity and not over 13% in alcohol is ok such as New World Sauvignon Blanc and most dry whites are fine. Red wine is a little more tricky because you have to avoid wine that is high in tannin and all  heavy rich full bodied reds,so for example Amarone and any Port is out. Reds from Montapulciano and Beaujolais are a good place to start once they are under 13% in alcohol. Hope this is of some help to any gouty wine lovers out there.

Julie

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Domaine de Fondreche Nature 2009, Sulphur Free.

We get a lot of unusual requests  in our shop on a daily basis. Customers wanting wines low in alcohol, organic, bio dynamic and wines with no sulphur.

Nearly every wine made has some sulphur in it as winemakers may  use sulphur dioxide at four stages of wine production – harvesting, crushing, fermentation and bottling.

Harvesting – sulphur dioxide may be applied to inhibit an uncontrolled fermentation caused by wild yeasts.


Crushing – sulphur dioxide may be added to prevent wild yeasts from interfering with fermentation.
 Winemakers prefer cultured yeasts, which are sulphur dioxide resistant.

Fermentation – sulphur dioxide may be added at any time to stop or prevent malolactic fermentation.

Bottling – sulphur dioxide is added during bottling to prevent oxidation and an accidental fermentation in the bottle.

 Allergies to SO2 are quite common and, as a result there are now a few sulphur free wines available. But these wines are fragile and  have a fairly short life span, so you'll want to drink them pretty quickly.

Nature 2009 is a Rhone wine made by  Domaine de Fonderche, it is very fruity and light on the palate, reminds me more of a Beaujolais than a full bodied Rhone. A Summer wine and one to seek out for those who are told to keep away from sulphur
Available at €14.99

Julie

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Mumm is the Word!

Yep you guessed it, it's Mothers Day,  so don't forget to spoil her a little this Sunday April 3rd.

No 1 Mum

I will be heading out with my Mam for one of our favourite things to do together, Sunday brunch. We have also got on board her two sisters and their  daughters and our drink of choice to start the brunch off is of course Mumm Champagne! Fizz is great for all celebrations and  compliments most brunch dishes. So make your Mam feel that extra little bit special  and seek out something a little extra this Sunday.

Happy Mothers Day

Julie

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Macon Uchizy Wins Gold in Le Concours de Paris

News just in ,that Cave Talmard have picked up the gold medal for their white Burgundy Macon Uchizy 2009. The wine is made by Paul Talmard and his daughter Mallory and has been one of our biggest sellers here in Jus De Vine for  quite a while now.
 Macon Uchizy is 100% Chardonnay and this particular one does not see any oak. It is pale yellow in the glass with aromas of fresh green apples, nut  flavours and showing just a touch of honey on the finish. This is the the ultimate all rounder and fantastic value at €13.99,  so seek it out!

Enjoy,

Julie
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Picarana 2009, Abillo Grape Variety from Madrid

The Terroir Fanatics

Last week Raffa from Vinos Tito (Spanish wine specialists) popped into the shop with Fernando Garcia the wine maker from Bodega Maranones (and a big Amelda May fan!) to show me some of their exciting range of wines from Madrid, all made in very small quantities. Fernando belongs to a group of young Spanish wine makers known as the Terroir Fanatics. He farms organically, picks all the grapes by hand and works with old vines up to 80 years old.

We tasted the Picarana(name of a bird) 2009 white wine, made from 100% Albillo grape.This is a relatively neutral grape variety  with an interesting glycerol level that brings smoothness to the wines in which it is used. He makes about 5,000 bottles and ages the wine in big oak barrels and leaves it on the lees for 7 months. The wine has lots of body and structure  and is very well balanced with a nutty dry finish . For me, it is definitely is one of the most serious Spanish white wines that I have tasted this year, and I was not surprised to hear that Jancis Robinson gave it wine of the week recently.
A classy wine worth seeking out for €17.99. The wine will work well with most meaty sea food or a nice roast chicken.

Enjoy,

Julie
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Oriel, 2000 ,Barolo...A steal for the money!

Oriel describes itself as a new kind of wine company and their strategy is that by cutting out the middleman and never owning vineyards, they can offer you a €25 wine for €15 and a €45 wine for €25 etc.
They maintain that the reason this is possible is because, some wine prices are driven by some unnecessary overhead and marketing costs rather than the cost of grapes and wine making.Their wines apparently are made by some of the most celebrated winemakers who have made some of the greatest wines ,from Petrus to Penfolds Grange.
Interesting Concept!

Their Barolo is made in small quantities in a area Northwest of Italy in the Piedmont region, getting its name from the Village of  Barolo.The wine is made form 100% Nebbiolo. In its youth this wine style can be hard and tannic and can often need at least a decade to become approachable.
When I tasted the complex 2000 vintage it t had been opened for 20 hours and  I was overcome by its richness and power .It was dark rich cherry red in the glass with lots of rich Christmas cake aromas, mocca and spice with firm yet elegant tannins.

This wine would work really well with a good steak, just be sure to decant it and it will show you  what a well made Barolo that is drinking well  is all about.A true expression of one of the great wines regions of  the world. Seek it out ... for €35  its a steal.

Enjoy,

Julie

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Maurice Hennessy fund raises for the South Asia Initiative in Ananda Restaurant

 Last night Julie and I had the pleasure of attending a dinner in Ananda Restaurant for the South Asia Initiative ,hosted by Mr Maurice Hennessy who is over for the Hennessy Gold Cup on the weekend.
The goal of the Trinity South Asia Initiative is to make Trinity College the centre for South Asian Studies in Ireland, so we were in very good company.





What a delicious meal !  The menu was specially created by Sunil Ghai,Executive chef at Anada and Chef David Fransoret from Maison Hennessy.It was obvious from reading the menu  that a lot of thought had gone into it, and the delivery of the actual concept was equally good.
I have rarely seen such apt food and drink pairings, which cannot have been easy ,with so many complex flavours involved.

 The food quality was superb and the highlights for me were the tandoor smoked aubergine,the lovely fresh plump halibut, and the pink tender lamb.

What didn't I like I hear you ask? To be honest, it was all pretty damn good(understatement!).
See the menu and comments below.

Amuse Bouche

This was a little pastry bowl filled with chick peas sitting on top of a little  glass of aromatic fresh mango and carrot juice...yum!

Starter

Trio of vegetables

Vegetables cooked three ways, 4 hour hand pounded Lentil and vegetable kebab, tandoor smoked aubergine crush (divine)and crispy rice cakes dusted with goan five spice.

               Wine: Penfolds Autumn Reisling 2008(Lovely intensity and weight with a delicious limey backbone, which acted as a foil  to some of the creamy textures on offer.)

Fish course

Halibut, fennel

Pan seared fillet(nicest I ever had!) with lime infused coconut sauce, with Asian greens ,tomato & fennel jelly.

Wine: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010(perfectly picked up on the vibrant Asian greens)

Sorbet

Blood orange Sorbet poured with V.S.O.P.

With Himalayan salt

 (a tincture of the delicious VSOP was actually poured onto the sorbet! and I love the inky flavors in blood oranges)

Meat courses

Lamb, apricot

Spice crusted lamb cutlet(really good meat, cooked to perfection) with Hennessy glazed apricots; curry leaf and mustard mash with onion and tomato masala with kashmiri chilly.

Wine: Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2008 
(bold enough to match this dish without overpowering it.)

Chicken sandalwood

Stuffed free range chicken breast with peppers, courgette & pistachio, Sandalwood flavoured korma served with cardamom and saffron biriyani.

Wine: Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2007(rich ,creamy ,nutty and not overshadowed by the red before it ,which is saying something!)

 

Dessert

Nougat Glace

A classic French dessert with Hennessy and tutty fruity.

Hennessy Paradis(perfect with the crunchy nutty base and the nougat flavours.Paradis is a seriously good Cognac)

Tea/coffee(no way !) 

Petit Fours(ok, just a few)

Thank to the Trinity South Asia Initiative ,Hennessy Cognac and Ananda Restaurant for a really special event.

Evelyn & Julie

Sally Williams from Wither Hills pops in to say Hello!

Sally & I working hard!

After meeting up at the New Zealand tasting, Sally Williams, Wither Hills winemaker popped into the shop to show me  the new Wither Hills  single estate wines that they are launching onto the market this year. The wines are a true expression of the different terroirs  that they have in the different parts of their property and worth the small premium for their wonderful quality.

Wither Hills Single Vineyard Rarangi Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009

The wine has lovely vibrant herbaceous notes, passion fruit and tropical fruit with great concentration and richness on the palate balanced with seamless acidity, retailing at a Euro more then their basic Sauvignon it is well worth €14.99 Euro. Try this with some goats cheese and digestive biscuits, Heaven!

Wither Hills Single vineyard Taylor River Pinot Noir Marlborough 2007

This part of the property as the name suggests, is full of silt from an old river bed and has a lovely complex character. Bramble fruits, full  pure flavour , a subtle influence of french oak and  a lingering finish and at €23  it is worth seeking out for any Pinot Fans.

Wither Hills Single vineyard Ben Morven Pinot Noir Marlborough 2007

This Pinot Noir comes from clay soil and is  more elegant then Taylor River Pinot Noir, full of delicate cherry,strawberry bramble fruits with great finesse. This Pinot has more perfumed and floral notes which will appeal to those who prefer a lighter style. With a price of €23 it offers true finesse

It was amazing to see how different  these Pinot Noirs were and how they managed to reflect the different  soil types within this one property

Enjoy,
Julie.

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New Zealand Annual Tasting 2011

Jean Smullen

New Zealand winegrowers returned to Dublin on Monday January 17th for the annual tasting in the Radisson Hotel, Golden Lane which is run every year by the indomitable Jean Smullen.
New Zealand is regarded by many as the most exciting wine brand in the trade today, with exports to Ireland of New Zealand wines up by 12% in 2010, not bad considering the economic climate.
Although there are a vast  array of styles available, Syrah is being noted as the one to watch but their signature grape variety is still Sauvignon Blanc.
All the 2010 whites were on show and the stars of the show for me were...

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010

Made by Kevin Judd who is formerly chef winemaker at Cloudy Bay, Greywacke is the name of the silver stones in the soil of the vineyard.This is only his second vintage and it is everything one would expect to find in a classy Sauvignon with lovely citrus fruit,wonderful balance and a lovely lingering finish. The wine retails around €20  and is showing better, to my mind then the iconic Cloudy Bay which sells at around €28 .. Seek it out!

Saint Clair Marlborough Riesling 2008

A wine that won a Gold Star Award in the Irish wine show last year, it shows that lovely distinct  Riesling character of ripe lime and grapefruit with subtle hints of honeysuckle yet  most refreshing and a very easy drinking style. This wine is an ideal match for spicy food, pork with apple sauce and any fish dish and retails around €16.

Yealands Estate Pinot Gris Marlborough 2009

This is a young winery practising sustainable wine production and is one of the few Carbon neutral winery's. The Pinot Gris is a rich style with lovely pear fruit and great minerality coming through on the palate. Well worth seeking out at €16.99

Enjoy,
Julie.

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Bernard Defaix Chablis

Chablis is a wine all us Irish love to drink and with all the different  producers and styles of Chablis on the market it can be confusing. If I was to think of one that is a true expression of what a good fruit friendly Chablis is all about, with a nice streak of minerality and at the right  price point, I will go straight to Bernard Defaix Chablis. It is a small family run winery in Burgundy with a dynamic young couple running the show, Helen Defaix popped into the shop a few weeks ago to show us her vast array of fine wines which, I must say, each one was better then the next. The 2009 Chablis has the classic nose of citrus and honey. The palate is medium body with great purity and minerality on the finish. One of the purest Chardonnay I have tried in a long time, and coming in at €14.99 is well worth a try. I had this with some fresh sea bass and it worked wonders for my cooking!

Enjoy,
Julie.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Franz Haas Pinot Nero 2008

Pinot Nero on the Vine

In the foothill of the Alps you will find Franz Haas making one of the purest and well balanced Pinot Nero from the unique terroir of the Alto Adige.
The Pinot Nero 2008, is considered by  Franz as a white wine equivalent amongst  his reds as it is light and transparent in the glass, shows  strawberries blackberry and raspberries, plum and a touch of spice.It is  fresh and lively on the palate with a wonderful berry finish that lasts and lasts. This wine was served to us with roast duck and worked magnificently. The current vintage is served under stelvin and  is worth seeking out for those who enjoy a light elegant wine with great flavours.

The wine is available at Jus De Vine for 26.99 Euro

Durbanville Hills AttractsThe Girls

Anne,Karen aka Kevin,Evelyn,Reggie,Martina aka Martin,Siobhain,Darina &Oonagh.

No one who knows him can accuse Kevin Behan from Edward Dillon & Co.of being sexist,as it was he who suggested to Oonagh Gildea, brand manager ,to get Durbanville Hills wine maker Martin Moore to host a tasting for the ladies in the wine trade.
Now anyone who has ever met Martin Moore is probably reeling with shock at the idea of putting him into such a scenario because he really is a mans man ,in a true South African rugby hooker kind of a way.However thus the smarts of Kevin and Oonagh ,as it really was a great success.

Maybe we got to see his softer side because it quickly became clear that Martin is truly committed to sustainable farming  using the principles of integrated production and has a genuine  interest in working with his growers on projects that promote the preservation of the land such as water recycling. He is also deeply involved in the promotion of  further education by way of scholarship out of the farm schools in his area.

Like all men, he is into machines and gadgets but in his case it extends beyond the car ,tractor and wine making gizmo's into ice cream and bread making equipment.A keen cook since the age of 13, his empathy with food clearly comes through on the styles of wine that he creates A.Sauvignon Blanc for quaffing. Pinotage for lighter and/or spicy food styles such as chicken,duck and pheasant.  Merlot for slow cooked red meats such as beef, lamb,and venison casseroles and Shiraz for the big roasts. He also recommends that his Pinotage be served chilled with berry pear and/or white chocolate desserts. We tried this combination and he was not wrong!

I must say it was a little strange to spend an evening talking wine without having to listen to the golf and soccer gossip that generally punctuates a wine evening but not in a bad way!

Thanks to All

Evelyn


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Super Sommielier Damien!

The WOW girls would like to thank Damien Corr for the very instructive comparative tasting he gave us on Domaine Chandon last night in the Merrion hotel.As you can see from this picture we were spellbound(!) by his level of knowledge.With all the hype about the recession the Merrion was a haven of true comfort and its suave professionalism is tempered by a lovely friendliness, which makes me understand why tourists fall in love with Ireland.
Anyway Domaine Chandon was established by French champagne house Moët & Chandon in 1986 and is dedicated to the production of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine and premium quality, cool-climate still wines in the  hills of Victoria’s beautiful Yarra Valley, near Melbourne .These are premium wines yet really good value for the quality, even in the Merrion, with the sparkler served up to you with as much care and style as a bottle of Cristal for around €40.
Go on treat yourself, you know you deserve it!
Thanks Damien.


Evelyn 
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