Savennieres,Clos de St Yves, Baumard 2008

 Too often when we think Chenin Blanc nowadays we think of South Africa and its variable quality ranging from excellent to mediocre.Even I, a huge Loire Chenin fan, sometimes let it fall off my radar and literally forget to drink it, even though I have just to reach for the shelf and a choice of about six different examples.Savennieres is particularly neglected because you have to be so patient with it.Drink it too young and it is bone dry and quite acidic and that can put you off it for a while, but when you get it with the right bottle age, it is a supreme example of  complex elegance combined with viscosity in the mouth.resting ones.This Baumard Clos de Saint Yves 2008 is a just coming into its own now.It costs €21.95 and is a classic of its style and a fine wine by any standards.

Savennieres,Clos de St Yves, Baumard 2004..A Classic!

Read with enjoyment John Wilson`s article in the Times on Saturday featuring Loire Chenin Blanc ,and on foot of it decided to remind myself of the allure of this often strangely performing grape variety.
 Too often when we think Chenin Blanc nowadays we think of South Africa and its variable quality ranging from excellent to mediocre.Even I, a huge Loire Chenin fan, sometimes let it fall off my radar and literally forget to drink it, even though I have just to reach for the shelf and a choice of about six different examples.Savennieres is particularly neglected because you have to be so patient with it.Drink it too young and it is bone dry and quite acidic and that can put you off it for a while, but when you get it with the right bottle age, it is a supreme example of  complex elegance combined with viscosity in the mouth.It evolves on the palate like a good Agatha Christie murder mystery on a Sunday ,taking many little twists and turns but always interesting ones.The Baumard Clos de Saint Yves 2004 is a cracker.It costs €21.95 and is a classic of its style and a fine wine by any standards.

A must for any true wine lover.

TRY IT ....YOU WONT BE SORRY!

Evelyn
The Vintry

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Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2008

So two firsts with this white – it’s from South African and also Chenin Blanc, neither of which have been done yet on the blog. Chenin can range hugely in style from dry to sweet but can also make gorgeous sparkling cremants and in good vintages beautiful desert wines from noble rot. This Chenin is from Stellenbosch(about 28 miles east of Capetown) Chenin is the widest planted variety in South Africa and often referred to as Steen. A pretty new vineyard, established in about 1989 but already laden down with awards. They mosly specialise in white, with the winemaker, Mike Dobrovic (pictured below) been nicknamed Mr. Sauvignon Blanc! Although these are the guys that make one of my favourite reds –"The Faithful Hound" called after the memory of an abandoned dog who waited for his master outside an empty cottage on the Mulderbosch farm for 3 years.

                                                                                          

   Mike Dobrovic is a pretty alternative guy and after doing some of the wine route in South Africa a few years back we ended up on his doorstep and instead of the usual tour of the winery and formal tasting we were used to, he simply told us to sit in a circle and handed us all a piece of paper with a philosophical blurb on it. We all had to read ours out to the group while sitting for all intensive purposes in a big comfy sitting room. I’m a demon in those sort of situations especially after a couple of glasses of vino ; it was like being in mass when you were small and being told not to laugh and that’s all you can think of. Plenty of snorting went on ! Unfortunately can't remeber the few lines I had to read out but definitely a winery that stood out from the rest on that trip for not only their wines but also their colourful winemaker. When asked the usual questions about the wines he simply said “the wines speak for themselves”  which in all fairness to him is true...

    I love the way he packages his whites as they really stand out on a shelf; they have a distinctive narrow label which runs the length of the bottle with a red faux-wax seal. It is 100% Chenin Blanc which is aged in wood for 6 months (a mixture of American, Hungarian and second -fill French). The wine is then slightly sweetened by adding some Chenin Blanc noble late harvest juice to the aged wine. The result is a full-bodied off-dry white which was just made to go with the famous South African Bry. It is pale straw in colour with an amazing fruit-filled nose of pineapples with some zestiness, the oak brings some nutty nuances. On the palate it is lovely and clean but powerful. Off-dry finish. The lovely flamed flavours of barbeque chicken or sardines with a drizzle of lemon over it and a good rice salad -Ideal!

                                  Selling for €14.99
                 
 

The Cape of Good Hope - next port of call??!!            

Till next time
Clare



CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION.


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