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Rip Roaring Ripasso

Posted by Daniel Stewart on Fri, October 26, 2012

Musella Ripasso

Very quick one this week, as we are all getting ready for tomorrow’s Wine Fair in the Mansion House (Limited number of tickets available still available at the door)*.

If there is one wine you shouldn’t miss out on before this month’s promotion ends it is Musella Ripasso €14.99 (until 1st Nov. was €19.99). Every time I taste this wine I am bowled over by just how good it is. Many producers talk about their Ripassos and emphasise their link to the Amarone which fathered them but in this case the wine really speaks for itself.

 The fact that this has been re-fermented on the pommace of Musella Amarone and even had dried Amarone-destined  grapes added to the tank is clearly evident in the classic, raisened, dark toffee character of  this Ripasso. Although there is superb depth of fruit this wine never forgets it’s a Ripasso so all that richness is balanced by fresher vibrant cherry fruit and excellent acidity.

Food wise it’s great with fillet/rib-eye steak, slow cooked loin of pork or simply with cured ham or mature hard cheese. But – and this is the great thing about good Ripassos - it is also delicious on its own after the meal. So grab it while you can and enjoy.

*Round Room (adjacent to the Mansion House on Dawson Street) opens 11am.

Tags: Musella (1) , Ripasso (1)

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What will be the Stars of the Show?

Posted by Admin on Fri, October 19, 2012

People very often write blogs or articles about recent wine tastings or events in particular about the wines that shone out and stole the show. Not much use to anyone who wasn’t there! So I am going to gaze into my crystal ball and pick out what I think will be the highlights of next Saturday’s Wine fair: “The O’Briens Winemaker Experience.” That way instead of thinking “I wish I was there” you might instead think “Ok, I am not going to miss that!” The O’Briens Winemaker Experience - Mansion House (Dawson Street) Saturday 27^th October Tickets €15 (the entire ticket price goes to the Jack & Jill Children’s foundation) Astrolabe Valley Kekerengu Sauvignon Blanc (€18.99) - Simon Waghorn’s trailblazing Marlborough Sauvignon from cool coastal vineyards - prepare to be astounded! Bethany Select Late Harvest Riesling (€22.99) - Keep this superb dessert wine until the end of the show and enjoy it’s succulent orange and honey flavours. A superb late harvest sweetie from Geoff Schrapel. Chanson Meursault (€39.99) - Classic Burgundy from Chanson just beginning to acquire that sought after nutty, buttery character that the hallmark of great Meursault Lagar de Costa Maio Albariño (€29.99)- the “Queen of Albariños” a rare chance to taste a very rare wine, this €30 Albariño shows just what this most fashionable Spanish grape is capable of. Thienot Rosé Champagne (€48.99) - Start your day with a sample of this stunning rosé Champagne. Decanter Trophy Winner for Best Rosé Champagne Henri Bourgeois Sancerre d' Antan (€38.99) - One of Henri Bourgeois limited release Sancerres, Sancerre does not get much better than this intense, mineral rich aristocrat.              Borie de Maurel Cuvee Sylla (€34.99)- There are few Syrah’s anywhere is the world that can match up to Michel Escande’s astonishing Cuvée Sylla.  No wine better fits the tag “breaking the mould” Ascheri Barolo Sorano (€36.99) - Single vineyard Barolo from multi-award winning Matteo Ascheri. One of the purest most refined Barolos money can buy. Pauillac de Lynch Bages - An exclusive first chance to taste the new baby from Château Lynch-Bages, made from select parcels in the estate, this is assuredly superb Bordeaux. Charmes de Kirwan (€34.99)- From Château Kirwan is a Margaux designed to be drunk 4-6 years from the vintage - around about now in fact. Silky smooth Margaux that shows off just how good Kirwan have become. Ferraton Hermitage Les Miaux (€54.99) - From Ferraton’s biodynamic vineyard this is top drawer Hermitage, a wine that embodies everything you would expect from the most famous Syrah vineyards in the world. Duorum Vintage Port (€49.99) - Legendary Portuguese winemaker Jose Maria Soares Franco will be there in person pouring his exquisite Vintage Port - saves this until the very end. Cigalus (€34.99)- Breathtakingly good single estate biodynamic wine from the Red Winemaker of the Year (International Wine Challenge 2012) Musella Amarone (€48.99) - This is the real deal, an Amarone extraordinaire, incredibly rich and concentrated this is what great Amarone is all about. Rust en Verde Estate (€31.99) - Widely recognised as one of South Africa’s’ great wines Rust en Vrede Estate is reminiscent of top Bordeaux but with a unique character all its own. Rizzardi Clos Roareti (€24.99) - Giuseppe Rizzardi’s homage to top Pomerol not only hits the mark it surpasses many a Pomerol twice its price, easily one of the best Bordeaux style wines Italy produces. Familia Deicas Preludio Barrel Select (€21.99) - Bordeaux flavour is very much in evidence here except that this sumptuous, highly complex red comes all the way from the Deicas estate in Uruguay!           This is but a fraction of what is on offer next Saturday so make sure you don’t miss out on what is sure to be an unrivalled day of tasting. *Evening tickets are €15 (the entire ticket price goes to the Jack & Jill Children’s foundation) however for the afternoon session you can still get 2 for €20. *Afternoon(11-3pm) or Evening  (4-7pm) Book here.

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Hunting Red October - Nostre Pais 2010

Posted by Admin on Fri, October 12, 2012

As if designed for the season Nostre Pais not only looks autumnal it is packed full of flavours very much in tune wih this time of year. By that I mean big and rich in flavour, masses of super ripe damson and bramble fruit and a myriad of sweet spices. This is built in the mould of top Gigondas or Châteauneuf-du-Pape, especially in its long and very savoury finish. In keeping with the theme of the season the food I would recommend most strongly with Nostre Pais is game; pheasant, venison burgers, duck or if game is not your thing then slow cooked - tear apart with a spoon - shoulder of lamb will do nicely. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="191" caption="Owner/Winemaker Michel Gassier"][/caption]   The wine is from the Rhône* appellation of Costières de Nîmes and it is the top cuvée from the area’s finest estate; Château de Nages. Four generations of the Gassier family have worked these vineyards and the wines here reflect a passion for their own unique terroir. A passion that has seen Château de Nages achieve heights unseen elsewhere in this most southerly Rhône appellation.   The vineyards - like those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are covered in large pebbles which aid grape ripeness by storing up the suns heat then releasing it as the day cools. Although Nostre Pais is drinking beautifully now, it is in its youth and can only get better over the next few years,  expect this to become more savoury and complex and with the potential to last a decade. Made from the estates oldest vines, production is limited and we only got a few hundred cases so my advice is to get your hands on a few bottles, enjoy a couple now and squirrel away the rest for the festive season. It is also worth checking out the estates other major wine the Château de Nages Vielles Vignes 2010, another full-flavoured, beautifully structured red, a great match for a good rib-eye. Praise for Nostre Pais - Robert Parker

  "from some of the estate’s oldest parcels. Its dense purple color is followed by garrigue, smoke, chocolate, blackberry, strawberry and cherry aromas. Ripe, full-bodied and voluptuously textured with decent acidity" Rated: Outstanding 90-93 Points

* NB: Costières de Nîmes was formerly  a Languedoc AC

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Q. Do you have wines with no added Sulphites? Answer: Now we do.

Posted by Admin on Fri, October 05, 2012

The question above is quite a common one in many of our stores and up until now we haven’t had a solution. Even though we stock many wines with extremely low levels of sulphites we had not managed to find a single wine with the designation “no added sulphites” worth a second look. Then we tasted Gérard Bertrand’s Naturae wines, not only were these the best “No Sulphites Added” - or NSA - Wines we have tasted they are also extremely good wines in their own right. It is important to note at this stage that all wine contains sulphur dioxide in various forms (collectively called sulphites) and even the few wines that have “no sulphites added” on the label will still contain small amounts leftover from the wine’s fermentation. The method used by Gérard Bertrand is patented and top secret but we do know that not only are no sulphites added but no other preservative is put in to take the place of sulphites. The result of all this however is a Corbières and a Chardonnay with excellent fruit definition, both finely balanced expressions of the south of France with all their parts working in harmony. In short seriously good wines. So if you are one of the people avoiding sulphites in your daily regime then these are just the wines for you. If you however are part of the vast majority to whom sulphites have no adverse effects then still do give these superbly well-made Languedoc duo a go you will not be disappointed.

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