By Lynne Coyle, MW | Wine Director
CLOUDY BAY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021
Marlborough, New Zealand
RRP: €38.95, NOW: €29.95 *as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
"You can still see why this wine acquired cult status in the 1990s: fabulously vibrant, yet textured, with a thrilling saline acidity threaded through and singing with lemon verbena, kaffir lime, grapefruit zest, lychee and longan. Go roast lobster or lime-soaked seafood."
- Aoife Carrigy, Irish Independent
Châteauneuf du Pape, Rhône Valley, France
RRP: €43.95, NOW: €32.95 *as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
THE GRAPE PRESS:
"Owned by the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages which has spent serious money improving the wines and restoring the old estate. The blanc version is one of my favourites and the red is exactly what you want from Châteauneuf- silky and ripe with layers of sweet, spicy red and black fruits that linger and linger."
- Leslie Williams, The Irish Examiner
Valpolicella, Italy
RRP: €36.95, NOW: €28.95 *as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
Amarone is another classic and famous wine style in the world. It is made using grapes that have been semi-dried in temperature-controlled drying cellars (known as fruttaio). As the grapes lose water weight in their skins, the sugars and flavours are left behind are concentrated, resulting in a richly flavoured wine.
3 Cru Amarone is made by Count Giuseppe Rizzardi at his historic family Guerrieri-Rizzardi estate in Italy's Veneto. The grapes come from 3 of their top vineyards. It offers a rich, silky palate and full-bodied structure. Expect bold flavours of plum and blackberry fruits, and alluring raisin and fig notes, all framed by the elegance and freshness typical to all Rizzardi wines.
THE GRAPE PRESS:
"Rizzardi makes excellent Amarones, and you could pay well in excess of this elsewhere and get little more than on offer here.
92/100 Points."
-Martin Moran, The Sunday Times
L'ABEILLLE DE FIEUZAL New This Christmas
Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux, France
RRP: €39.95, NOW: €26.95*as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
(From L to R: Darragh Quinn, Alex Markin, (O Brien's' Wine Blanchardstown Manager) Carmel Carroll (O Brien's' Wine Ardkeen, Assistant Manager)
Château Fieuzal’s history dates back four centuries and is now owned by Irishman, Lochlann Quinn. The Irish owners and a winemaker with vast international winemaking experience ensures the Fieuzal estate shows a modern expression of Bordeaux. Like the contemporary artists, that family admire and collects, they are open to influence and experiment. The wines are not bound by classical theory and traditional methods, and in this way, Fieuzal sets itself apart.
Food Match: Dublin Bay Prawns or West of Ireland Oysters
MARQUES DE MURRIETA RIOJA GRAN RESERVA
Rioja, Spain
RRP: €57, NOW: €46.95 *as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
Food Match: Rich Savoury Tapas
ORANGERIE DU TERTRE New This Christmas
Bordeaux, France
RRP: €44.95, NOW: €34.95 *as part of our Fine Wine Sale 5th -11th Dec 2022
Château du Tertre in Margaux can trace its history back to the 12th century. Situated on one of the highest hills in the commune, from which it takes its name, Tertre, meaning knoll. The soil is gravel based and the estate is surrounded by pine forests creating a slightly cooler microclimate and thus fresh fruit-forward wines. A limited parcel from the well-known Château du Tertre, Orangerie Du Tertre is Merlot based, the palate is rich and silky with dense black fruit, spice and velvety tannins, and the overall impression is silky with a freshness on the finish, an O’Briens exclusive.
A little more about Lynne
Lynne Coyle
Master of Wine
O'Briens Wine Director
Lynne Coyle MW is O’Briens Wine Director and sources and selects our wine and Champagne range. One of only 415 Masters of Wine worldwide, she has dedicated her career to the food and drinks industry. Lynne also writes, judges at international wine competitions, is a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified Educator and makes her own wines in Spain.
