Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2006

Pierre, the export manager for Masi took time out last week to take Clare and I through some of the great wines of Masi.

Masi has been one of the historic interpreters of Amarone since 1772 when the Boscaini family (now the 6th generation) bought land in the heart of Valpolicella classico(near Lake Garda) and gained access to the most prestigious vineyards and best location for the appasimento.

Appasimento(drying of the grapes) is the traditional method used in the Veneto region to give the wines great aromas , concentration and flavour. The grapes, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara are laid out to rest for a long time on bamboo racks to dry out before vinification.This can take up to 3/4 months When the semi dried grapes are ready, they produce a wonderful rich unique wine we all know as Amarone.

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2006
This deep dark ruby red wine wine has aromas of baked fruits, plums, cherries, with a touch of mocha. Soft tannins, good alcohol levels and a long velvety finish. Its a wine to be shared with good friends after dinner with some mature cheese or will stand up to any roasts.
This is one of the classic wines from the Masi range,and once you try it will understand why they are the leading premium Amarone producer accounting for 20% of the total production in the Veneto region. They have also ventured into making wines in Argentina which i will talk you through next week!
We managed to grab a few minutes with Pierre which you can see and he was able to explain the Amarone and Ripasso production method, as Masi was the first to make a Ripasso, no better man to ask! See our VBLOG in Clares post titled Masi Poderi del Bello Ovile 2007

Cheers, 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

Cuatro Pasos Bierzo 2008

 The name translates directly to Four Steps and is called after the four bear pawprints that were found in an ancient vineyard in the highest area of Bierzo, Spain where this wine is from.  Cuatro Pasos also relates to the four steps to making a beautiful wine according to producer Martin Codax which are; selection of the land, care for the vine, climate and vinification.

Bierzo Valley

El Bierzo region itself was only recognised as a D.O. in 1989 making it one of the newest in spain. It is situated 3 hours in-land from Rias Baixas in the Northwest just over Portugal. The main grape varity planted here is Mencia of which this wine is 100%. There has been much confusion to the origins of this grape which was once thought to be Cabernet Franc and later linked to the Portugese grape Jaen du Dao although lately Mencia has been recognised as an indigeneous grape of Spain. It is thought that this grape was brought to the area by pilgrims travelling on the nearby Camino de Santiago. El Bierzo sits in a valley and has it's own micro - climate which is a mix between humid Galicia and sunny Castille with the valley protecting it from harsh winter frosts. All grapes for this wine come from an  average of 80year old vines and is aged for 2 months in American and French oak. The result is a fresh cherry red with purplish hues and a nose of peppers, licquorice and red fruits. On the palate the wine is medium to full-bodied with smooth mouth-feel, plenty of red fruit flavours and subtle oak on the finish.

 Had three of my pals over for dinner on Sunday evening and as funds were tight after an eventful weekend, I trotted off to Dunnes with 23 euro coins in my pockets. They had a special going on mince meat and a two for three on the dolmio range so it was decided upon, my old favourite lasagne. Something very comforting about a sloppy plate of lasagne, salad and hot bread. Needless to say the wine was not included in the €23 but one of the girls who was obviously equally as strapped as myself brought Cuatro Pasos along. I say this as I had actally given this bottle to her as a present when she arrived back from completing the Camino de Santiago the month previous. Two of the girls were driving so myself and herself enjoyed a couple of glasses each and she took the empty bottle home with her as we decided it would be rude for her not to - I had bought it AND drank it so fair is fair!!

 I have a serious soft spot for Spanish wines after living in Madrid for a year and can be quite biased towards everything Spanish, this section in the shop is taking over! It is nice to try something other than Tempranillo from Spain and this is delicious and worth a try for €13.99.

Till Next time


Clare
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
http://wowireland.blogspot.com/

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

Bastille Day Celebrations with Barton and Guestier

Kinara v Vintry

Peter, Evelyn and chief strategist Stephen

This year the Bastille day Petanque tournament was hosted by Barton and Guestier in the lovely gardens of the Raddisson St. Helans.We were the defending champions and missing the main man Gerry (I would say that!) due to Cork week so I was promoted  to the first team and was feeling the pressure. This was not helped by the fact that Stephen had had a party the night before and we were feeling a little bit "tired and emotional".

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud suggests pleasure to many but to Team Vintry it conjours up deadly fear as their teams are the standard bearers of this competition .We managed to beat them(just) in last years final so we were suitabley unimpressed when we drew the formidable opponents of Stephane Robin ,his son and a very brave employee in our group this year.In fact most of  the people in our group were excellent and it was a pleasure, after years of persisting at this tournament,to finally realise that we are not bad either. Speaking of bad ...Hollands of  Bray spring to mind.They reminded me of the lads on our team when we  first started out with this tournament..creating mayhem and comedy with every throw of the boule with the hope that the chaos would destabilise the opponents, and speaking from experience this worked for us for many years.So keep it up lads!

Peter tries in vain to save us from defeat to Dax

Anyway we won our group, so we still cannot dine in Guilbauds  for fear of death, and next thing we get Dax in the semi finals.Disaster(!).. because Dax is my favourite restaurant (sorry Stephane). So I quickly realize that  if we beat them I cannot go there again, except in disguise, and if we lose I will get indigestion every time I go there.
Need I say more ...I need to find a new  favourite or to invest in a large box of antacid tablets.

Speaking of antacid we had a lovely sparkling Chardonnay from the Loire, produced by Barton and Guestier which we tippled on throughout the day, for which no such tablet was required  despite the party the night before!
It was a real quaffer and I was seriously  impressed with it  as were my team mates .

Congrats to Barton and Guestier and all the team in Gilbeys as the total event raised €1000 euro for the Irish Wheelchair association.

Jusqu'à l'année prochaine!

Evelyn

The Vintry

La Chablisienne

Clare and I attended a tutored tasting presented by Herve Tucki of  La Chablisienne in the Conrad last Thursday.We tasted three basic Chablis, three single site 1er Cru and a mere five single site Grand Crus from various vintages from 2009 back to1994!

When I arrived, I told Christine Smyth of Mackenway, in a fit of the early morning blues(I am not a morning person) ,that the last thing I needed for The Vintry was more Chablis.

I was wrong as we tasted some really superb ones here!

What did I learn?

Firstly, that all Chablis needs some age to become really interesting .

Secondly, that Chardonnay grown on Kimmeridgian soil brings out the authentic minerality of true Chablis.It is a chalky limestone and clay consisting of an infinite number of oyster shell fossils left over from an ancient sea bed.

Thirdly, that very very few white wines offer up such beautiful concentration of fruit purity on the palate.

And finally ,the combination of the three elements above creates a wine of true tension yet balance and reminded me that  Chablis as a fine wine is truly mouthwatering stuff and highly highly underrated!

Meet Herve below..A little bit difficult to understand, at times ,but worth the effort as he is a true ambassador of these wines.

Evelyn

The Vintry ,Rathgar 

A couple of glasses a day keeps the doctor away...

  At long last there is something I actually like that will supposedly make me live longer! Studies in a London medical school shows that wines from around a Southeasterly village in France called Madiran have significant health benefits. This appellation uses a grape called Tannat which is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to produce full-bodied, fruity and tannic wines. The study showed that life expectancy was higher in this area due to high levels of Procyanidins - Wha??

  Procyanidins are antioxidants which can also be found in dark chocolate, blueberries, green tea etc and lets be honest red wine wins every time! They are present in all red wines (lower levels are also found in whites)but are particularily high in wines from this area. This is not only down to the Tannat grape but also the wine making techniques in Madiran. Winemakers from this region leave the Tannat grapes in contact with the seeds which increases the amount of these antioxidants in the resulting wine. As well as their antioxidant benefits, they also help to repair arteries in the heart apparently and if that's their story I am happy to stick with it! In fact there has also been a book written about it called The Wine Diet which talks extensively about the health benefits to these wines (as with everything in moderation). From the Madiran wines I have tasted, these are not gluggable wines so even if you wanted to use this as your excuse, moderation is necessary but they match beautifully with richly flavoured foods.

 The Madiran we stock is a blend of 70% tannat, 25% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc and called Galets Rouges 2008. It is a deep crimson colour with spice and cherries on the nose. Mouth puckering  tannins but plenty of dark fruit flavours and vanilla balance it all out resulting in a gorgeous long finish. It definitely needs food and if like me you enjoy strongly flavoured meats with dark rich sauces this is the wine for it. Tried wood pigeon for the first time the other night and loved it so think this might be a match.
 Don't know if I believe all the hype or that I can justify my 20-a-day habit now that I have found these wines but apart from their apparent health benefits it makes for great drinking and for €13.99 well-priced.

Till Next time
Clare
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD

CONSUME AND ENJOY IN MODERATION
http://wowireland.blogspot.com/
CELLARS,NAAS ROAD:DEVENEYS DUNDRUM:JUS DE VINE PORTMARNOCK:THE VINTRY RATHGAR

Cousino Macul Sauvignon Blanc and Un-Wooded Chardonnay

A Chilean white that I like? My preference is generally a red regardless of food pairings, I will always seek out an appropriate red wine to accompany a white wine dish, unless of course an Alsace great or a fat Burgundy, I will definitely do. I am always the girl in the corner with the garnet gums. My mother tells me it's due to porous teeth. Either way I have grown to accept the side effects of being a red wine lover and a travel toothbrush in a zip lock bag is very fashionable, in my opinion.
Clare introduced me to Cousino Macul, Antiguas Reservas, Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an elegant 14% Valle Del Maipo Cabernet. Aged in French oak for 12 months and bottle rested for a further 6 months prior to release. When you're looking for a red that packs a punch on a piece of ripe, slightly high Saint Agur this is your team mate. At €14.99 it slots in somewhere on my top 30 reds of 2010.
Yesterday I sampled their whites. I am not a massive New World Sauvignon fan. I think that's due to a combination of reasons. Tom's brainwash and too many girl's nights with inexpensively produced and acidified ''Sauvignon'' generally from the Marlborough region. This was a surprise though.... Cousino Macul Sauvignon Blanc 2009 had a really interesting multi faceted nose displaying typical New World Sauvignon characteristics, fresh, clean cool climate fruit teamed with cucumber, fresh cut grass, pineapple, sherbet and mango- makes your mouth water!. The palate was equally as grown up, granny smith apple and fresh green asparagus, quite savoury flavours and finishing relatively dry. Try it with some SuperQuinn frozen tiger prawns in butter, lemon juice and cracked pepper on the barbecue. They're half price at the moment and worth getting up in the middle of the night for. Cousino Macul, Sauvignon Blanc 2009 €11.90.
I was really impressed with their un- wooded Chardonnay. As an Old World Chardonnay fan I am always interested in the New World attempt at recreating the fat creamy palate and elegance of a Burgundy or a rested Gruner, as I recently discovered. Cousino Macul have done a really good job. The nose is tropical with honeyed fruit and orange peel. The palate is clean, soft, creamy with some waxy fruit  flavours and good acidity. I would want to drink this with Trish Deveney's chicken and parmesan signatory dish or a nice piece of Brie de Meaux. Cousino Macul Un-Oaked Chardonnay 2009 €11.90.
All available to purchase in Deveney's of Dundrum.
I'm a massive fan!
Ruth.

Jus de Vines First Wedding Reception

Congratulation Sinead and Graham

who married on Saturday July 3rd 2010.

Wishing you both lots of happiness in your life together.

The Happy couple popped into Jus De Vine just minutes after they made their vows as they wanted to celebrate in style, and what better way than with a lovely chilled bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee.

They put a smile on all our customers faces, and yes it was our first wedding reception in our shop!

As they were then whisked off up to the County Club with the cans tied onto the back of their convertible mini cooper they certainly brought things in Portmarnock to a stand still and they really were the talk of the town!

Thanks for making my day!

To your health and happiness

Cheers

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