French Autumn Exclusive Wine Fair 2008

This event was organised by Sopexa Ireland. It was held at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on the 9th of October. What a magnificent place for a tasting. Salubrious surroundings.

The tasting was divided into a press tasting in the Drawing Room and an exhibitors tasting in the Great Hall. I'll tell you, when the Great Hall is decked out with wine it really does look incredible. Problem on the day was that as it is such a big hall it was always going to look empty without a lot of bods around. Rent-a-crowd, on this day, stayed at home!

Anyhow I thought the press event was well worth going to. All the wines are available in the market.

WHITES

1. Rémy Pannier
Vin de Pays Val de Loire Sauvignon, 2007
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 11% RRP: € 9.99 Cassidy Wines

All very obvious in a simple sense but nothing wrong here. Commercial and little else.

2. Domaine Clos Roche Blanche
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc No.2 ,2007
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% RRP: €13.30 Mary Pawle Wines

Serious style showing intent at the start. Loads of battonage on nose? Like this up to a point but it all tails off a bit and the Sauvignon Blanc character is just too light a

3. Château Lezongars
Château de Roques Sauvignon Blanc, 2006
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% RRP: € 14.99 Cassidy Wines

Here's a wine with lot's of pee character but no mercaptans! It's fine but the palate is just too strong in a crude sense.

4. Arrogant Frog
Ribet White Sauvignon Blanc, 2007
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% RRP: € 11.49 I&E Wines

Dissappointing.

5. Dourthe
Dourthe No.1 Sauvignon Blanc, 2007
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 12% RRP: € 11.49. O'Briens Wines

Worth the fuss? Perhaps but not worth the money against similar wines from elsewhere. It's only OK. Well made but then so is Lego. This is a sturdy wine with quite a full and fat fruit. Recommend food to bring it out. aa

6. Michel Lynch
Michel Lynch – White, 2007
Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon 12.5% RRP: € 12.49 Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium

I've never been a fan and this won't change my mind. It's all a bit crude and the palate is ridiculous with candied edges.

7. Thomas Barton
Reserve Graves, 2006
Grape Variety: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc 12.5% RRP: € 9.99 Gilbeys
Pretty much the same as No. 6 above!!

8. Château des Eyssards
Bergerac Sec, 2007
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon 13.5% RRP: €9.80 Wine Direct

Really very fine indeed. Must get a sample bottle sent around and try it out with lamb. Lots of layers of fresh fruits without any overpowering sensations interfering in this wines elegant simplicity. What great value! aaa

9. Château de Grangeneuve
Sainte Foy Blanc, 2004
Grape Variety: Semillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle 13% RRP: € 13.99 Classic Drinks

Horrible.

10. Domaine de Belle Mare
Picpoul de Pinet, 2007
Grape Variety: Piquepoul 12% RRP: € 11.95 Straffan Wines

Super stuff. Very fine stone fruits with excellent depth. This has a lot of S Rhone style about it with oodles of 'green skin' flavours thown in. Fine and long finish. aaa

11. Domaine St.Lannes
Domaine St. Lannes Blanc, 2007
Grape: Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng 12% RRP: € 8.99 O'Briens
Vin de Pays de Gascoyne. Great little wine. Love the Gros Manseng straw like character Best Value wine at the tasting. Love it. aaa

12. Chateau Rives Blanques
Chardonnay Chenin Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2007
Grape: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc 13.5% RRP: € 14.50 Febvre

Pushes a lot of the right buttons but goes nowhere and doesn't satisfy or impress.

13. Eglise

Eglise, 2007
Grape Variety: Viognier, Chardonnay 14% RRP: € 7.99 BWG
Very ordinary but commercial. has almost nothing in it that says this is a Viognier.

14. Domaine Nadine Ferrand
Mâcon, 2006
Grape Variety: Chardonnay 12.5% RRP: € 14.49 Gleeson Group
Dreadful.

15. Château Roubard
Costières de Nîmes, Cuvée prestige white, 2005
Grape Variety: Grenache, Roussane 13% RRP: € 13 Dalton Wines
Old hat/old style/very boring

16. Ackerman
VMQ Tastemets, Sparkling Chardonnay NV
Grape Variety: Chardonnay 12.5% RRP: € 14.99 Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium
Nothing wrong here but as it's only Ok it really falls between all the stools.

17. Château de l’Orangerie
L'or de l'Orangerie, AOC Cadillac 2004
Grape Variety: Semillon 14% RRP: € 14.99 Dunnes Stores
Bit rough on the palate but overall its an honest wine and very good value. An everyday style of sweet wine. a

REDS
18. Domaine Vincent Sauvestre
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2006
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir 12.5% RRP: € 14.99 Straffan Wines

Good offering and well worth the money. Reasonable perfume and lingering flavours. Comes across a bit bitter on the palate but should suit savoury dishes well.

19. Domaine de la Ferrandière
Merlot 2006
Grape Variety: Merlot 13% RRP: € 8.65 McCambridges of Galway

Vin de Pays d'Oc. Light Blackberry all the way thro'. Quite fruity in a pleasant way. Autumnal. Great Value a

20. Michel Lynch
Michel Lynch – Red 2006
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 12.5% RRP: € 12.49 Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium

Nothing at all. Doesn't get there for me in any form or shape.

21. Thomas Barton
Reserve Médoc 2005
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 13% RRP: € 12.99 Gilbeys

Still has that old fish (mackerel?) stink. Soft (safe!) palate and a lot of strange bits and pieces thrown in as though someone was working too hard and too late getting this ready for market.

22. Château de l’Orangerie
Château Bois de Cadet, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2005
Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon 12.5% RRP: € 9.99 Dunnes Stores
There's an attempt here to be serious but it all ends up being far too frivolous and weak. We left this style behind years ago.

23. Château des Eyssards
Cuvée Prestige, Bergerac Rouge 2004
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc 14% RRP: € 11.95 Wine Direct
Atypical. Frivolous. Silly.

24. Arrogant Frog
Ribet Red Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2007
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 13.5% RRP: € 11.49 I&E Wines
Very frivolous label. VdP d'Oc. Not for me.

25. Château les Hauts de Caillevel
Été 2005
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% RRP: € 12.95 Terroirs
Bergerac with a rich pour but nothing else.

26. Chateau Doyac
Haut Medoc 2006
Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% RRP: € 14.90 McCambridges of Galway
Very boring. Gives you ordinary fruit with some structure thrown in. Can I say that this is unfortunatley what I expect and am constantly dissappointed by!

27. Château de Grangeneuve
Sainte Foy Rouge 2005
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon 14.5% RRP: € 13.99 Classic Drinks
Light brick; light old wood effect; stalky and stems; a bit rough around the edges but the fruit is good enough to handle that; be careful the finish is very chewy and full of tannin. Rustic, traditional and I like it. a

28. Eglise
Eglise Shiraz 2006
Grape Variety: Shiraz, Viognier 14% RRP: € 7.99 BWG
VdP d'Oc. This is trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Don't be fooled. It's still a sow! Way OTT serious nature to the wine with little support from the heart of the fruit. Is it just too young? No, it's just not very good.

29. Cave de Castelmaure
Le Castelmaure 2006
Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault 13.5% RRP: € 8.95 Terroirs
Once again a very silly label. I like imagination but I really hate dumb labelling. Very ordinary wine. Lacks definition.

30. Mont Tauch
Fitou 2007
Grape Variety: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah 13.5% RRP: €10.99 Mackenway
Better nose than palate which is a bit watery..give it dash of oaking? --good fruit finish with a light but pleasant structure. Not one of the great Mont Tauch wines but they do make some wonderful other labels!

31. Domaine St Jacques d'Albas
Minervois 2005
Grape Variety: Grenache 13.5% RRP: € 13.99 Gleeson Group

Light pour and poor everything. Needs a blending grape to make it work. No.

32. Domaine Comte Cathare
Château Maris Minervois 2006
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre – Organically Grown and Biodynamic 15% RRP: € 12.99 Celtic Whiskey Shop

Smoked nature; tar like; fruit is excellent; fine soft feel with depth and layers of flavours; good wine. And organic! aa

33. Delas Frères
Côtes du Ventoux 2006
Grape Variety: Grenache, Syrah 13.5% RRP: € 14 Febvre
Love it! Honest. Tremendous structure; finely crafted fruit. aaa


34. Domaine les Aurelles
Déella Rouge NV
Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah 14% RRP: € 14.99 Celtic Whiskey Shop
Languedoc. Simple wine with a wide open perfumed fruit. Too much perfume and too little substance.


35. Château Bousquette
St. Chinian “Pruneyrac” 2005
Grape Variety: Mourvèdre, Grenache 14% RRP: € 14 Mary Pawle Wines
Old prunes! all the way through. Too much Mourvedre for me?

36. Château Camplazens
Château Camplazens La Garrigue 2004
Grape Variety: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan 12.5% RRP: € 14.99 Cassidy Wines
la Clape. Very modern; lots of perfume and herbs; olives and basil; yes, this is a goer; serious intent here; tough enough on the palate but worth a punt. aa

37. Chemin des Rêves
Abracadabra, 2007
Grape Variety: Grenache, Syrah 14% RRP: € 15 Nectar Wines
Pic St Loup. Shame about the very light nose. Structure however is spot on. Requires food as the finish is very tannic and dry.

38. Mas Laval
Les Pampres 2006
Grape Variety: Grenache, Syrah 13.5% RRP: € 15 Nectar Wines
VdP de l'Herault. Label is all wrong!! Wine starts off Ok with berries and dark forest fruits but then keeps building up and up and then becomes quite crude and overpowering. Does have some interest though and may benefit from a few months in the bottle.

39. Château Roubard
Costières de Nîmes, Cuvée prestige red 2005
Grape Variety: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre 13% RRP: € 13 Dalton Wines
Really liked this. Lots of fruit and a ton of good wine making. It's a slick number where the individual fruits stand out well but finish together making a very good 'wholeness' to the finish. aaa

Wine and Spirit Education Board of Ireland?

Interesting. Received an invite in the post today from the Wine and Spirit Education Board of Ireland. I don't believe there's any such body!

Maybe I'm wrong and the Wine Board of Ireland, formerly known as 'The Wine Development Board of Ireland', who sent this invite has taken on another (groan) new name.

Anyhow that's not the interesting bit. No, the real fun is in the fact that this is an invite to all of us Diploma holders to celebrate 21 years of Diploma graduations in Ireland.

This isn't so much an invite as an expensive event in the wine calendar. I was under the impression the Wine Board, or the Wine and Spirit Education Board, or whatever!, is a not for profit organisation. Now let's see, they claim to have contact details for 200 of the 255 grads. If only a hundred attend that's two and half grand in these hard pressed times for light refreshments and a room hire! When this was floated we were told it was going to be a 'nominal charge'. God knows what they might think 'an inexpensive wine' might mean!

Our 'invitation' goes on to suggest that they would like ' to develop some form of Continual professional Development (CPD) programme but, as with many things, this will take time. However, I hope to arrange a seminar next year with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and, also, a seminar on Taste with Tim Hanni MW. I also hope to have at least one IMW tasting event. For these, there will be a discount available to grads as a way of helping with your CPD needs.

Have a peek at my blog 'Diploma of Wine Association in Ireland' of a few months back. You will see that I am fan of continual development. That said after twenty years out I am told that these things take time and if I wait until next year I'll be lucky enough to be allowed to pay for a lecture given to me by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board!! Oh, and as grads we'll be getting a discount to help with our CPD needs.

Where does all of his business speak come from?

And listen before we get into it I have no interest in the Institute of Masters of Wine paid events. If they don't have enough members to pay for their own events then that's their problem. This all smacks of someone looking for an audience to help pay the bills.

Since when has the Wine Board of Ireland, or whatever, begun to sell events run by the IMW!!

Solution: a fiver a head for the awards ceremony and begin free lectures in January on the basics of wine and wine tasting for Diploma grads. I'll be the first in line. Then let the IMW canvas whoever it wants to but not under the guise of the Wine Board of Ireland.

Someone has lost the plot. The plot thickens, Was there ever anyone in charge at all? George O'Malley was.

Excise hike on wine

Well, it's been a long time since we had one!

This week we received a fifty cent increase on a bottle of wine courtesy of the Minister of Everything Financial.

I admit I heard it wrong and assumed it was a .50c excise increase. No, it seems that the 50 is an all in hike. Well, for now it is. When the VAT goes up to 21.5% from its current 21% on December 1st we should see greater than 50 increase on the shelves.

Funny thing is Tesco and a few others are only putting their prices up by the .50 increase. Odd. I would have thought their margin return will go down if they don't put the margin onto the increase as well?

Their money, not mine and they are the best at holding on to it. I'll keep a watch on it.

Whenever excise as a taxation comes up I remember Kevin Myers' Irish Man's Diary in the Irish Times. He put the same column in twice re taxes on taxes. Here's a bit of what he had to say in Feb 1994:

"As I say that wine costs £8.50. It provides an interesting example of how this State works and how it is crushing the life out of initiative and enterprise.....to have £8.50 I - at the top rate of tax - must earn before tax and PRSI £18.20 and the top rate of tax is applicable because it is the only pounds which become available at that rate which enable me to buy wine at all.

In addition my employers must pay £2.18 PRSI on that £18.20. In all a generated wealth of £20.38 is required to enable me to buy that bottle of wine which sells at £8.20

I pay £9.70 tax (approx) and PRSI on that income of £18.20. But my contributions to the State do not stop there, for there is a total of £3.50 of revenue - VAT and excise duty - in the price of the wine. Concealed in the figure is another example of iniquitous double taxation scams which the Revenue Commissioners repeatedly inflict on the citizens of the State...........So, in all, the creation of wealth in order to buy that bottle of wine has netted the State about £15.38. It has cost this newspaper in all some £20.38 for the dubious privilege of employing me. And it doesn't even get the bottle of wine. I get the wine.Pip.Pip!

Corkage; rip off or legit charge?

How many times have I heard it?

"Do you know how much corkage they're trying to charge me??"

'They' invariably means a hotel and corkage is a charge for bringing your own bottles in rather than buying what's on offer at the hotel.

Corkage can vary. Down-town Dublin 'big shot' outfits charge as high as €25.00 a bottle!!

The simple sum that most hotel managers make in relation to corkage is that the effort on their part requires a return in excess of the return the hotel makes from its house wine. When the charge equates to this then there is no rip off and it is justified.

Take it or leave it is the attitude when anyone questions the morality of the charge in relation to tastings which is a gas really as most times someone is going down the corkage route either to avoid extortionate pricing or poor quality, or in many instances BOTH, in the first place.

Corkage. It's a pretty old fashioned term anyhow. Maybe with all the new closures around we could call it Screw Cappage or Stelvinage (for the posh boys, you understand). Screwage sounds better to me.

Screwage should only be charged when a guest or customer is avoiding buying a bottle in the first instance.

I was giving a charity wine tasting last night and I was horrified to hear that this charity could not find a hotel which would wave the screwage charge. It was a tasting for God Sake. I was educating. No one was trying to bring in their own wine. I brought samples!

It is of course common place. I wasn't really horrified. Or I am always horrified.

If I book a meeting room and show a new bikini range I won't be charged for the product. If however I open a bottle of wine and show the wine I will. That's ludicrous and it's a rip off. Screwage.

Now that times are sad and bad we need to stand up to the mandarins and refuse to accept screwage at wine tastings and charity wine nights. Corkage should not be charged when it is not justified.

Australian Chardonnay Changes Style

The Chardonnay grape has not been in Australia for very long. At most its only fifty years. They've had Cabernet for a hundred and fifty! If you look up the Larrousse Dictionary of Wines of the World from the early seventies you won't find a single mention of Chardonnay under the Australian section!

I can remember glowing tributes in the eighties to oak rich, butterscotch and over-the-top tropical flavoured chardonnays from all quarters. There was nothing wrong with these reviews and to be fair there was very little wrong with the wines either. If we tasted the same wines today however, we would find them crude and looking for guidance. To a large extent Chardonnay had decided what the wine makers were doing with the grape rather than the other way around! It's such a versatile and forgiving grape that it was often treated roughly and produced richness to the detriment of elegance and subtlety.

There was so much Chardonnay around that Tom Franks needs to be fondly remembered for writing a piece in the Irish Wine Buyers Guide in June 1989 titled, Tom Franks de-bunks the ubiquitous Chardonnay. One of his memorable lines was, 'Sometimes I have visions of turning the cold water tap to find Chardonnay gushing out. ....Will this mass love affair with Chardonnay continue for the foreseeable future or will some unsuspecting lesser known grape suddenly become the inflavour?'

Well Sauvignon Blanc came around and our love affair with aromatics began. Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Viognier....the list is impressive...they are all here wooing our affections but it is Chardonnay that is most impressive right now. Specifically Australian Chardonnay.

Last Tuesday I tasted a range of 37 Chardonnays with price points ranging from €8.99 to €60.00, with provenances as far apart as the Margaret River to the Hunter, with five vintages represented and every type of wine making operation from the small family to the large multinational. I can safely say that Australian Chardonnay has moved on and it has moved on in quite a dramatic fashion.

My perception now of Australian Chardonnay is that there is quality available at all price points where the fruit is leaner and tastier than before. Wine makers have learnt how to integrate oak into their wines as support to this new style of fruit. As such I found wines with ripe citrus flavours and long lightly spiced finishes. Very delicious and very good with food. I am not saying that all 37 wines were fantastic. They were not! I am saying that the general shift in quality and style is perceptible and welcome.

BRAND CHAMPIONS

'Brand Champions are the 'engine room' of Australia's wine offering; ambitious but accessible main stream wines that carry the flag for Australian wines at home and in international markets.' (Wine Australia)

Jacobs Creek, 2007 South Eastern Australia
Irish Distillers €8.99
Nothing wrong here. All very safe and fruit driven without any great 'kazam'. As I say no dissappointment.

Yellow Tail, 2006 South Eastern Australia
Gilbeys of Ireland €9.99
Top line notes read; Very Commercial, Not For Me, Poor Value for Money
Residuals too high. Who am I to argue with its success?

Mc Guigan Black Label, 2007 South Australia
Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium €9.99
Very soft approach, errs on being silky, could do with a back blended 'zing' but then its the residual sugars thats giving it the smoothness.

Yering Station Little Yering, 2005 Yarra Valley
Ampersand €11.99 NO Show

Wyndham 222, 2007 (shown instead of Yering)

Here's a wine that's changed from being a piece of wood soaked over ripened fuit to a leaner and more balanced style of wine altogether. Still not my cuppa but it's more than half way there.

Wakefield Estate, 2007 Clare Valley
Findlater Grants €11.99
Got a bit of shock here. I didn't expect a smokey kind of style. Fruit is fantastic and really does deliver genuine and real depth but I find the wood just a bit obtrusive. a

Bests,2007 Victoria
James Nicholson €12.95
Very very lean style. Too lean? Can't please me can you? Seems to have an RS issue at the finish which is a shame. Lean and dry would be a good descriptor but lean with a soft end....

Jacobs Creek Reserve, 2006 South Australia
Irish Distillers €12.95
Deliberate fruit with heart and style. Like this a lot. Fine finish. Well chosen and well looked after fruit served up with a lot of integrity. aaa

Wynns, 2005 Coonawarra
Gilbeys of Ireland €12.95
Stewed fruits from nose through palate. Again not clean enough to be my style but it does to be fair open out into a broad and wide open palate which doesn't quite make it to the finish. My only real concern here is that it's NOT best value for money.

Brown Brothers, 2006 Victoria
Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium €13.99
Well they sure have dampened their wood down a lot! Fruit lacks intensity but the wine is moving towards a new and more modern style.

D'Arenberg Olive Grove, 2006 Mc Laren Vale
Taserra €14.95
Excellent wine with lot's of style; well balanced with edgy and gum puckering fruit; everything, including some oaking, well checked to allow the fruit to express itself as ripe, rich and full of promise. aaa

Deen de Bortoli Vat 7, 2007 Big Rivers
Febvre €15.49
I really liked the feel of this; it looked fine and had a fabulous bouquet rising well with pineapple and peach; mid palate showed a dirtiness that wasn't quite right; shame, it was doing so well! aa

GENERATION NEXT

'Reliability should not mean predictability. Australian wines offers a guarantee of quality but it also continues to evolve and be innovative. Generation Next is where this is happening.' (Wine Australia)
I have to admit there's a whole lot of experimenting going on here..

Wakefield Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 South Australia
Findlater Grants €10.99

Hugely perfumed in a fake sort of scent sense.??

Hardy Oomoo Unwooded Chardonnay 2005 Mc Laren Vale
Allied Drinks €11.99
Mineral and smoke on bouquet are not well followed up on palate.

Gemtree Tadpole Chardonnay Viognier 2007 Mc Laren Vale
Papillon Wines €12.95
Very light wine. The blend is good here but ultimately doesn't deliver that well.

Yalumba Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2006 Eden Valley
Cassidys €14.95

Looks great. Fine healthy sheen; herbs and battonage scents; very individualistic style and really quirky but quirky good and definitely moves chardonnay along. aa

De Bortoli Sero Chardonnay Pinot Grigio 2006 King Valley
Febvre €17.95
All a bit too savoury! Maybe this is what we have to get used to? Well made wine showing Pinot Grigio notes masquerading as a chardonnay? or lean and aggressive chardonnay with distinct savoury P Grigio notes. Great food wine! a

Wakefield Yarraman Chardonnay 2005 Clare Valley/Adelaide Hills
Findlater Grants €20
Rises well and delivers a punch. I like this but feel its wine making in development and can do better. Holds itself well into the end and keeps elements such as wood and ripe fruit in a good balance. aa

Ferngrove Estate, 2006 Franklin River, WA
Classic Drinks €14.95
Lemon, light and lean, palate delivers well with richness and warmth, Won't let you down so long as there's food to drag the finish out. aa

Mc Guigan Collection, 2006 Hunter Valley
Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium €14.99
Lots of fruit, lean and held back well in a reserved sort of way, finish lacks an impact. aa

Nepenthe Altitude Unoaked, 2006, Adelaide Hills
Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium €15.99

Old fashioned style, lots of brambles and light sweaty effects, great finish. Fruit delivers here; it will be interesting to see how this wine making style plays out over the next few years. aa

REGIONAL HEROES

'Regional Heroes are varietals or wines styles that over time have demonstrated a strong affinity with the region in which they are grown. The combination of varietal, climate, and soil make them unique and distinct.' (Wine Australia)

Yering Station, 2004,Yarra Valley
Ampersand €17.99
Very fine and intense bouquet; lean and well looked after fruit delivers a fine palate of freshness and interest; rushes to a finish a bit early; would like to see this a year or two younger. a

Stonier, 2005 Mornington Peninsula
Gilbeys of Ireland €18.99
Strong lime appearance, rich nose and dried palate, dry and lean effect with a very earthy type of fruit. Love it. aaa

Yalumba Heggies Vineyard, 2006 Eden Valley
Cassidys €18.99
Distinctive in an unfinished and too young sort of way; lots of cellophane and dried plastic; dry and lean and very austere, puckering fruit. Yes. aaa

Rosemount Show Reserve, 2005 Hunter Valley
Edward Dillons €20
Still has rich and dark pour; no change here except maybe its a style that doesn't need to change as its so popular; still creamed and oaked and a tad boring..

Clairault, 2007 Margaret River
Febvre €19.95 NO SHOW


Wolf Blass Gold, 2007
I like this. It seems to have an honesty about it and holds everything back well rather than letting it all rush out of the glass at you; delivers a good punch of well made wine on the finish. aa


D'Arenberg Lucky Lizard, 2006 Adelaide Hills
Taserra €20
Demands food. It's good and serious ,quite sinewy and tannicky and even delivers a potent light pepper long finish. a

Green Point, 2004 Yarra Valley
E Dillons €21.00
Ageing quite quickly all the way from appearance through to a dissappointing finish. Shame as the palate is full and broad but leaden and sort of dead ... I reckon this has gone asleep!

Stonier Reserve, 2005 Mornington Peninsula
Gilbeys €25.95
Toasty and rich fruit meets oak and delivers well. Good mix between old and new styles. Feeling of very fine wine making going on. I might prefer the non reserve Stoniers but this is still very good wine. aa

The Lane Beginning, 2004 Adelaide Hills
Gleeson Wines €26.99
This is weak and has an undeveloped style from start to finish.

Grosset, 2003 Adelaide Hills
Liberty Wines €30
tour de force where everything comes together in a spanking modern way; will age for years; lean and yet rich and very well structured, fruit feels for every taste crevice, true quality. best of tasting. aaaa

Clairault Estate, 2005 Margaret River
Febvre €31
I wouldn't have shown this wine. It feels undeveloped and raw. Perhaps another venue and another time. Perhaps unlucky to follow the Grosset or more likely some wines just don't suit being shown like this..

'Landmark Australia reflects that Australian fine wine dimension - ultra premium wines that are known and respected around the world.' (Wine Australia)

Petaluma, 2003 Adelaide Hills
Gilbeys of Ireland €24
Nice to see wines with age. That said this has shifted a bit too old, it shows a degree of nervous volatility where the fruit is being drowned by sweet oak. Drink up.

Petaluma 2004 Adelaide Hills
Gilbeys of Ireland €24
Very much finer. Fabulous style with alert fruit and a rich heart. Perhaps I would just like this wine with a little less oaking. I do like its richness and its depth of flavours though. Classy. a

Cape Mentelle 2004 Margaret River
E Dillons €31
pepper notes and stewed prunes. This is differant, extreme and very consistent fruit from start to finish. aaa

St Andrews 2002 Clare Valley
Findlater Grants €30
Fine golden hue leads to a nose that's alive and kicking; this has a rich heart and a gentle soul that just goes on and on. It would be brilliant with roasts and, dare I say it, turkeys at Christmas time! aaa

Tyrrells – Vat 47 2001 Hunter Valley NO SHOW
Barry Fitzwilliam Maxxium €39.99

Nantua Vineyard ‘Les Deux’ , Giaconda 2005 Beechworth, Victoria
Cassidys €60
light gold, tasty and very elegant, excellent depth, power and presence. Outstanding wine with exquisite fruit giving a very polished performance. aaa and half!

Penfolds Luxury and Icon Tasting 2008

Now here's posh. Some of the best labels out of Australia (the world even) served up on a bright sunny morning in Bentley's new private dining room on St Stephens Green. It gets better. Jamie Sach presented the wines and we all (not that many of us!) received a copy of the recently published Rewards of Patience 6th ed. Tell you more about him and that in a minute!

As I arrived I met two chaps with buckets and squeegees. They proceeded to scrub the windows to a squeaky clean. Never had that before at a tasting. Luckily they weren't into smelly detergents!

I go back a long way with Penfolds as my brothers and myself were retailing in the early eighties. Yes, we had Grange Hermitage on the shelf. (We even had case loads of consecutive vintages of Sassicaia!...) Good days. Thing is we had more very fine wine from Australia than very ordinary wine. When it came to dinner our customer wanted French; German when it came to ordinary. Times change.

I have to admit to always being confused by Penfolds penchant for Bin numbers as opposed to real names! Clearly I am more literate than numerate when I can remember Koonunga Hill and Thomas Hyland but have little or no recollection of the likes of Bin 28 (mind you I always remember the name Kalimna!) or even the popular Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz! Still, it's all part of the incredible Penfolds story which really should be looked into on their web site at http://www.penfolds.com/

This Luxury and Icon tasting consisted of six extraordinary wines. Each has an honest story to tell and each can trace its quality and lineage through generations of Australian winemaking. I have to say that the event came alive by the presence of Jamie Sach. He's described in the Penfold blurb as enthusiastic, informative and full of good humour. But then so is SpongeBob SquarePants. Jamie is Penfolds Ambassador and a hell of lot more interesting than SpongeBob. He has a non stop delivery of fantastic detail. He is a legible personality in a world full of smoke screen and subterfuge. He doesn't throw passion out like too many do; he doesn't try tell us what we like and how to taste. No, Jamie Sach is a reporter, an historian; a story teller and an all round honest presenter. Clearly I liked the delivery..

Anyhow the Wines:

Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2005 rrp€55.49

Penfold's tell's us:
Launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage, PENFOLDS Yattarna Chardonnay is the result of one of the most comprehensive and highly publicised wine development programs ever conducted in Australia.
The aspiration and independence of mind that the late Max Schubert brought to the PENFOLDS winemaking philosophy inspired the winery to embark on a project to create a white wine that would one day rival the standards of PENFOLDS Grange.
Yattarna reflects PENFOLDS' patience and continued commitment to this goal, its very name being drawn from the Aboriginal language, meaning 'little by little, gradually'. Each vintage provides the opportunity to further raise the quality bar.

Really enjoyed this. Big impression of leanness with lemon like and flint qualities. Starts off light in the glass and lifts itself up gently with mild tropical and mixed night scents; palate exposes itself slowly without any great desire to impress but then keeps throwing new ideas out in a teasing manner. It will age brilliantly and I really look forward to the stories it might have up its sleeve in a few years time.

Penfolds St Henri 2004 rrp €55.49

Penfolds tells us:
PENFOLDS St. Henri is a highly successful and alternative expression of Shiraz and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. It was created in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957) and gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood.
St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1460-litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.

First impression was of a dulled rich ruby Old Worldly style; brilliant palate, alive, full and very 'berried'; light structure producing a gentle effect through to the finish. After reading the blurb and listening to Jamie who described this as being 'svelte' and always released as a four year old I can safely say that I really did experience a genuine St Henri moment when the wine delivered right on cue. OK, so that's not a Schubert. Don't care; it's fabulous.

Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz 2005 rrp €62.09

Penfolds tells us:

Magill Estate Shiraz is a very important Penfolds single vineyard wine. It is of great symbolic importance because it is completely created in the remaining original vineyard (5.2 ha) and the original Penfolds winery at Magill, established in 1844 in Adelaide's eastern suburbs.
First produced in 1983, Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz is an elegant, medium-weight style with velvety texture and fine tannins, matured in both French and American oak. It is a sleek, contemporary wine, yet crafted in the old fashioned way in the 120+ year-old winery: hand-picked, vinified in open fermenters and then basket pressed.

Careful vineyard management (sacrificial canes, fruit thinning, relegation), batching and subsequent separation of ferments pay welcome dividends.

I just love that term sacrificial canes. Sounds like something they might still have on the statute books out on the Isle of Man!

I found this to be a fusion between new and old; a nervous battle between the tried and tested and a brash youngster. Lot's of obvious fruit and oak both on nose and palate; it's a brilliant style of fruit with definite lines and distinct edges. (a whiff of newness/volatility/cellophane?) Then it let me down with a distinctly unsatisfying finish. I was disappointed!

Lets' have a quick peek at the wine makers tasting notes for the same wine:

The nose is distinctive and defined with the barrel-ferment elements of cola, sarsaparilla and char alongside black olive, soy, sage and leather notes. Oak plays a more prominent role, supporting a smoked meat overlay, embedded with orange, lemon and juniper. Nice writing and we agree!

An unmistakeable Penfolds formic/tar Bouquet Garnis. Maybe that's my cellophane?

The palate is focused with the flavours and textures true to style. Tannins are firm and obvious - tight and chalky, not expansive and coarse. Oak is integrated - the cedar, vanillins and citrus notes are possibly illustrative of both French and American oak origins. This release is reminiscent of the 1994 vintage, albeit the vines of this Penfolds monopole are now more than 10 years older. This actually tells me very little...maybe I'll check out The Rewards of Patience...

The Rewards of Patience is an independent publication, edited by Andrew Caillard MW of Langtons Auctioneers, which traces, tastes and discusses everything that Penfolds has ever produced! It is brilliant and an absolute must for anyone tempted to invest in any of these wines. Take the Magill Estate wines as an example. We are treated to a complete history followed by tasting notes covering all commercial releases. Some of the notes are brilliant. Joshua Green (one of seven panellists) claims a 'crushed ant' character to the 2002's while James Halliday describes this 2005 as being, 'rich, tight, musky and luxurious in its design'. He reckons this wine 'should evolve' well. mmmm...I don't.

After all of this I stay with my original assessment. This vintage of this wine disappoints me.

Obviously Rewards of Patience is the ultimate Grange handbook. There are updated tasting notes back to the 1952 vintage. What a unique tasting! Brilliant commentary and an outstanding history.

Penfolds RWT 2005 rrp€75.99

Penfolds tells us:
Penfolds RWT Shiraz presents an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead, single-region Barossa Valley Shiraz matured only in French oak barriques. The initials RWT stand for 'Red Winemaking Trial', the name given to the
project internally when developmental work began in 1995.
Naturally, now no longer a 'Trial' ! RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and fine texture rather than sheer intensity or power of flavour. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa Shiraz at the highest quality level.

Olives, peppers, herbs, wildflowers; soft and cloying attack; heavy and weighty fruit, rich and lumbering style; love it; strength with character.

Penfolds Bin 707 2005 rrp€75.99

Penfolds tells us:

Bin 707 is PENFOLDS Cabernet Sauvignon Grange equivalent: ripe, intensely-flavoured fruit; completing fermentation and maturation in new American oak; fully expressing a PENFOLDS understanding of multi-vineyard, multi-region fruit sourcing.
Named by an ex-Qantas marketer, Bin 707 was first vintaged in 1964. The wine was not made from 1970 to 1975 (when the focus shifted to Bin 389) nor in 1981, 1995, 2000 or 2003 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available). Full-bodied and with proven cellaring potential, Bin 707 has a secure place
among the ranks of Australia's finest Cabernets.

Jamie reckons palates do well tasting this Cabernet before diving into Grange. Basically it's the 'Grange Cabernet.'Go with the master.

Cassis, berries, great depth and layering of bouquets showing a stack of rich dark fruits; finely oaked palate shows a very strong character; rises from the glass with alarming ease; smooth and subtle structure is very well knit into the fruit; brilliant length even though it shows a relatively youthful finish. Love the restraint this shows. It's a pedigree bolting against the traces!

The Moment arrived
Penfolds Grange 2003 rrp€218.99


Not sure who came up with the (ridiculous) rrp! Cheap way to introduce royalty. I'd have gone for a flourishing bracket....you know, Oh, it goes from anywhere from 2 to 3fifty....


I learnt a lot about this icon at this tasting. I learnt a lot (more) about its founder Max Schubert. I learnt how Penfolds really does allow the sum of many units to make up the one part. I learnt how gifted wine makers sometimes do get the prize in the end.

Penfolds tells us:
Grange is arguably Australia's most famous wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia.
PENFOLDS Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of PENFOLDS multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

Interesting to note that the wine makers notes say that this nose is 'Captivating, complex and complete'. Well it'd be disappointing in the extreme if it wasn't the first two, which it most definitely is, but Complete? I found it to be lot more feral than I expected or as my notes say 'wild around the edges'. I prefer that to neatness and completeness. Otherwise this wine was too young to show! It disappointed in its youthful protectiveness. It has not yet developed its personality and is far too shy to be allowed out on its own.
While that doesn't take from its quality and pedigree I had to peek in at Rewards to make sure it wasn't just me getting the underwhelming feeling that maybe this will go down as one of the lesser Grange vintages...

No, I'm right; it was a difficult vintage. Quotes range from '2003 is comparatively light for Grange' to ' 2003 is a great result for a difficult vintage' to '2003 is very scented with plenty of florals and super ripe berries' mmmm that says it all.

A wine to try before I die? Certainly. But not this vintage it seems. Must stick around!

Gilbeys of Ireland Christmas Tasting : Bubbles and Sweeties and that 'Green Table'

Last in this series! It's been fun.

That 'Green Table' is part of the current Gilbeys list which hives off wines that show promise in anything associated with being Green. It's a bit odd.

• After all is reducing your carbon emission Being Green if you continue to pump chemical fertilisers onto your vineyard?
• Is Being Green if you make wine organically and then present it in a bottle that's difficult to lift because the bottle is so heavy?
• Is it useful to present wines as Being Green when they only complete a portion of the picture necessary to save the planet or is it unfair to exclude wineries that are at least making a genuine effort?

All good questions. How about the Wines?

GREEN TABLE

Ferrer Ribière Blanc F, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 2007
€10.99, selected independents
Severe. r

Borie de Maurel Nature Blanc 2007
NEW €12.49, selected independents
What is going on? Can't handle it. Rough. s

Eric Louis Sancerre, Les Celliers de la Pauline 2007
NEW €19.99, selected independents
Tin Hat. Poor palate.

Eric Louis Pouilly-Fumé, Les Celliers de la Pauline 2007
NEW €19.99, selected independents
Much better. Good level of toasty fruit. a

Lingenfelder Vineyard Creatures Bird Label Riesling, Pfalz 2005
NEW €13.99, selected independents

Commercial off dry style; ticks Riesling boxes without giving any more.

Lingenfelder Vineyard Creatures Hare Label Gewurztraminer, Pfalz 2005
NEW €13.99, selected independents
Mid palate is flabby and floppy! r

Lingenfelder Scheurebe Kabinett Goldberg Burgweg, Pfalz 2004
NEW €16.99, selected independents
Points go to this. Silky smooth and very clean lines with vibrant fresh fruit zinging along. Very Good. aa

Chateau du Seuil Heritage Graves 2005
NEW €40.99, selected independents
It's OK in an underwhelming fashion.

Marqués de Vitoria Ecco Organic Rioja 2007
NEW €12.99
Crude and Rustic but fun in a retro sort of way. Make sure the steak is burnt!

Ferrer Ribière Rouges F, Côtes du Roussillon 2005
€13.99, selected independents
NO. r

Paul Jaboulet Ainé Organic Côtes du Rhône 2006
€13.99, selected independents
Very safe. Leaves a bit to be desired but won't disappoint most people. Trying a bit too hard to be commercial. Taste could come from anywhere. a

Borie de Maurel Esprit d’Automne Minervois 2006
NEW €13.99, selected independents
Love this. Southern magic. Traditional. Well done.

See, it is possible to express terroir, get the thing Green and not be accredited by any organisation as being organic, biodynamic or even carbon neutral JUST DO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO ... the blurb tells me that these guys work the land with horses..bloody hell...then they sail the finished wines by canal to the sea where the stuff is transported to Ireland on board SAIL SHIPS!! aaa

Borie de Maurel La Feline Minervois La Livinière 2005
NEW €39.99, selected independents

Not as inviting as the wine above. It comes across as a bit clumsy and awkward. Come back to it in a couple of years.

BUBBLES AND SWEETIES

Yellow Tail Bubbles, Australia 2006
€13.99, Dunnes Stores, selected independents
Great description! YT Bubbles....Not half bad in the sense that it's supposed to be commercially made and driven. a

Prosecco Cantine Maschio Spumante, Italy NV
NEW €16.49, selected independents
Can't complain except that it's not worth the price tag.

Hunter’s Miru Miru, New Zealand 2005
€24.99, McCabes Blackrock & selected independents
Really very fine wine. Lots of well tuned autolysis with fabulously juicy and ripe fruit and a rich and long dry finish. aaa

Croser, Piccadilly Valley, Adelaide Hills, Petaluma 2004
€29.99, selected independents
A bit tough on the back palate which doesn't help as its quite a dry wine in the first place. I've enjoyed this more on other occasions so let's bring it in with the turkey rather than before it!

Lingenfelder Riesling Auslese Osterberg, Pfalz 2003
NEW €22.99 (375ml bottle), selected independents
Not a fan. Ordinary and flat effect. z

Trimbach Alsace Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles 2001
€124.99, selected independents
Unbelievably intense and astonishing flavour profile. I wonder was this around when dying emperors and popes were fed essencia on their death beds? No, I hope this is around for me when the time comes! aaa

Klein Constantia Estate Vin de Constance, Constantia 2004
€51.99, selected independents

I had completely forgotten how excellent this is. Orange peel and very, very deep flavoured fruits on the palate. Outstanding.aaa

Gilbeys of Ireland Christmas Tasting: Dinner Time plus a few Beers

Before I launch into Christmas din dins and it's associated mulch of tastes I have to remind you to look into my final blog of this Gilbeys series coming up next. It will cover off Sweet wines, Sparkling Wines and a curious table titled Green Wines.

Christmas Dinner suggestions is a good idea to give the trade in September. Like children with the Smyths Toys catalogue both our customers and ourselves are entitled to change our mind more than once before the big day. Indeed if we're lucky we can abuse birthdays, anniversaries and a few well placed fibs to wrangle up pre Christmas trials!

CHRISTMAS DINNER TABLE

Champagne Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut NV
€58.99, Tesco, selected independents
Champagne is my pre Christmas dinner favourite. Racing gastric juices heighten my awareness of kitchen smells. Champagne dulls my neediness to tuck in too early! Well placed therefore on this table LP won't let the side down.

Trimbach Alsace Riesling Clos Sainte Hune 2003
NEW €108.99, selected independents
Brilliant from the word go. Nose through to palate its fantastic, with a really well looked after fruit . Other than that just think what a well oiled Riesling should be like and this is it! Too good for a Christmas meal.....

Louis Latour Meursault Les Poruzots 2005
NEW €53.99, selected independents
Bouquet here is a let down. Palate however zings along nicely with a well integrated and layered fruit oak ratio.

Domaine Drouhin Chardonnay Arthur, Oregon 2006
NEW €47, selected independents
Delivers very well. Wide open fruit makes this a wee bit 'showy' but then why not; if you've got ....

Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula 2005
NEW €29.99, selected independents
While I love this stuff I prefer the non Reserve version; still the earthy nature of the fruit shines well through the wood.

Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin 2005
€46.99, selected independents
Just doesn't have the dimensions I expect either from Gevrey, from Latour or indeed from this price bracket!

Paul Jaboulet Ainé Domaine de Thalabert Crozes-Hermitage 2003
€32.99, selected independents
Vintage does well here. Very fine dinner wine with a ton of rich vibrant fruit set well into a good but subdued structure. Like this a lot.

Paul Jaboulet Ainé Hermitage La Petite Chapelle 2001
€78.99, selected independents
Doesn't perform up to the plate with any great degree of sincerity or commitment.

Les Astéries Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005
€156.99, selected independents
Ah, Yes. I'd have this any time and any day! Not with standing its gentle nature this is wasted on a Christmas meal. Now let's pair it with Trimbach's Clos Saint Hune above and choose the food accordingly.....

Le Dôme Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2005
€236.99, selected independents
Age it another 20 years and show it again.

Colonial Estate Single Vineyard Shiraz Mungo Park, Barossa 2005
€60.99, selected independents
Unbelievably good wine. Hats off to brilliance. Yes, yes all the way. Dark currants and rich berries lead into a twisty maze of conflicting and converging style and taste. Mesmeric.

Wynns Michael Shiraz, Coonawarra 1999
€62.99, Tesco, selected independents
Lets just say it's good but no wow factor.

Musella Amarone, Veneto 2003
NEW €48.99, selected independents
Not bad. I've tasted a lot better but then most people won't and so won't be disappointed with this raisin and alcohol offering.

Paul Jaboulet Ainé Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2005
€29.99, Superquinn, SuperValu, selected independents
Never disappoints. Still keeps me interested after all these years with its light and refreshingly fruity nature. Serves well during and after any meal.

BEERS

Kasteel Cru
€2.50 per bottle, Superquinn, selected independents
I wrote this up in EasyFood recently. It has a long and fantastic story about the use of Champagne yeast and bottle makers...drinks well but be careful about all that you read...

Cobra 0.0%
€1.0 per bottle, €3.99 per 4-pack, Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, selected independents
First time for me. Like it. Good malty nose follows well onto the plate. Short finish is a Cobra characteristic.

Cobra Light
€1.25 per bottle, €5 per 4-pack, Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, selected independents
Poor nose; lemon and mean palate; No. Don't like at all and it's Not extra smooth.

Cobra 5%
€1.25 per bottle, €5 per 4-pack, Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, selected independents
Everything the 0% is!

Jacobsen by Carlsberg came as a complete and welcome surprise. Amazing bottles. Fantastic beer. C'mon if I have someone around for Christmas I want to impress...well one of these'll do the trick this year..

Jacobsen Saaz Blond
List price €42 per case of 12, on-trade only, premium outlets
7.1%vol.! Good Blond but not great.

Jacobsen Bramley Wit
List price €42 per case of 12, on-trade only, premium outlets
Highly perfumed fruity style.

Jacobsen Brown Ale
List price €42 per case of 12, on-trade only, premium outlets

A bit too fruity. That sort of conflicts with the brown colour and the rich off burnt flavours. But its very good.

Jacobsen Dark Lager
List price €42 per case of 12, on-trade only, premium outlets
Ah, my plum pudding of beer! 5.8% and I love it. Rich and persistent..must find out more....