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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Chateau Montesquieu Cotes du Rousillon

After 4 years in 66, I upped sticks this week and moved abode to across the city. Now living in "a mixed bathing" situation my wine choices had to be re-thought and wanting to make a good impression on my first night but with little or no money to my name I decided to opt for a Southern French that we have on special at the moment for a reasonable €9.99.

 This is a blend of  Grenache, Syrah and Carignan from close to Perpignan. It was a lovely rich ruby red with a purple rim and a gorgeous nose of blackberries, cloves and violets. A good weighty palate with juicy dark fruit flavours and fine silky tannins. We had it with simple lamb chops, roast potatoes, carrots and a dash of gravy which worked really well. The only complaint being that there wasn't enough... We're all gonna get on fabulously well!!

Till Next time
Clare
Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

A toast to you Barack Obama

Barack Obama is by all accounts a discerning wine drinker, and from inside information (aka Pearl) I know his choice on election night to celebrate was not champagne but Graham Beck Brut N/V from South Africa.

The same beverage with which Nelson Mandela toasted his inauguration in 1994. So it's Friday night and I decided no better way to celebrate that Friday feeling but try a bottle and get ready for the President of America to arrive in Dublin this Monday!
Graham Beck Brut is Method Cap Classique and made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wine is left for 24 months on its lees to undergo second fermentation in the bottle.

It shows light yeasty aromas with a nice creamy richness, the fine bubbles give it freshness and finesse, with a lovely clean finish.

It was voted by Decanter Magazine  into the top 10 value fizz ratings.

It is worth 24.99 in Jus De Vine, and I will be looking for plenty of other reasons to enjoy this fizz over the Summer months!

A Toast to Barack Obama,

Enjoy

Julie

JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK

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Alcohol in Red Wine... How little is too little?

There appears to be a serious desire by consumers to find red wines with lower alcohol and at The Vintry we are finding that many of our customers just do not want to drink wines that are over 13.5% or so,unless it is something special like an Amarone.
So cool climate red wines tend to dominate for this type of purchase and in my experience the consumer will not go back to the higher alcohol styles.I suppose its a bit like giving up salt on your food.You miss it for a few weeks but then you forget about it and eventually develop a dislike of over salted food.
So I am always  on the look out for something decent  in a red and the lower the better alcohol wise as long as it is in balance.  Anyway this led me to the worst bottle of wine tasted in a long long time..and this dubious honour went to a bottle of B& G Merlot called 9 as it is only 9% alcohol. Talk about being caught unawares ! I was cooking our dinner on Friday evening and I fancied a glass of wine, spotted the bottle and remembered that I had to try it. To be honest, because I was cooking at the same time, I wasn't really paying close attention and just poured  it, immediately smelling  (nice forward uncomplicated  black fruits) and then quickly tasted it while glancing at the cooking food..WHOOAH, as my mouth puckered and my head spun around to stare in disbelief at the bottle.. Off dry, with a saccharine like impact, combined with a bitter tartness yet lowish acidity...Very strange indeed.  So 9% is far too low for reds. Maybe this wine was developed for another market, far far away that maybe(!) possibly(!) though hopefully not(!) might like this red wine style.
.

So the search continues!

Evelyn
The Vintry

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Sparkling Mojito Spanish Style

The Summer is almost here so lets hope all this fine weather lasts, as it sure makes one thirsty .Over the the weekend I discovered a great new refreshing drink that is not as heavy in alcohol as the familiar rum based Mojito because you  use Cava instead. It sure was a big hit at our brunch as it`s much lighter and not nearly as pricey as a bottle of rum. I used my favourite Cava called Maria Casanova, which  has a lovely rich palate, fine bubbles and a touch of nuttiness that reminds me of a vintage champagne.

 It could not be easier to make this cocktail: all you will need is crushed ice, fresh mint, some Cava and sugar syrup. Add mint to glass, muddle it  until it is crushed and will therefore infuse the rest of your drink.Add a dash of sugar syrup then fill  with the crushed ice to the top of a high ball glass, and add Cava.

Serve with a  cocktail umbrella and a straw.

Julie

JUS DE VINE, PORTMARNOCK

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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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Simonsig Shiraz 2004...A tasty bargain.

We at The Vintry have stocked several vintages of this wine over the years because, it  always appeared on the market drinking perfectly, it generally had a nice few years of bottle age under its belt  before release which made it a real bargain.
The last vintage 2003 was €13.95.and the current vintage  2004  is selling at €9.95, because the main agent  was unloading a  parcel and we snapped it up.Tasty stuff with excellent concentration of  ripe black fruits ,a little black pepper and a creamy influence all in lovely balance due to its age.

At 14.5% it is not for the faint hearted but again the lovely bottle age serves to mellow out the alcohol,and there is tonnes of fruit, giving it perfect balance.The Shiraz vines used in this wine are obviously very healthy as there is no sign of the signature elastoplast aromas that one ofter associates with certain wines from South Africa.It is a modern yet authentic South African wine that is a pleasure to drink with or without food.

Evelyn
The Vintry

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