Lidl Wine Tasting

Lidl invited the Irish trade press back into Newman House recently for a comprehensive tasting of its wine and spirits portfolio. This followed on from a similar invite last year. At that event very few wines were shown and the room was quite dull. I really do like it when criticism is taken on board! This time around the sun was shining and I do feel that Lidl got it right this time around - mind you they were struggling to find a corkscrew at one stage....

I'm going to be brave here and give a snap shot of each of the wines on show. It should help along the way? Oh, and my criticisms are blended in as well!

VM = Good Value for the Money

GVM = Very Good Value for the Money

White Wines Europe

Riesling pfalz 2011 €5.99 : Clean and crisp. Some varietal definition with light honeysuckle nose, good acidity and hints of waxiness.VM.

Pinot Blanc pfalz 2010 €5.99 : Fine, bright, fruit driven bouquet. Palate is weak in comparison. Do not serve with food.

Chardonnay Vin de France 2010 €5.99 : Nothing happening here.

Bourgogne Aligote 2009 €8.49 : Interestingly aggressive with lots of textural elements. Exc food wine. VM.

Chablis 2010 €8.99 : Nothing wrong and technically correct. All a bit lean.  Do not serve on its own or with anything creamy. VGM

Sancerre 2010 €10.99 : Not great. Dissappointing. Poor Value.

Pouilly Fume 2010 €9.99 : This looks the part when it's poured, has fine varietal driven bouquet with light fresh grass and good herbal overtones, but the palate is far too aggressive. Tone the acidity down lads! Great salad wine where the vinaigrette has been over done.

Pouilly Fuisse 2009 €10.99 : Gentle and soft; lacks a bit of oomph; nothing wrong at all otherwise and would serve well with roasts white meats.

Chablis Premier cru 2009 €13.99 : Well perfumed, lots of supporting backbone to the fruit with acidity and textural elements in balance, slightly green edges, Very acceptable wine. VGM.

Soave Classico 2010 €4.99 : Will appeal on the bouquet with light pear and almond; slightly aggressive in an uncomfortable way on the palate. Overall its an Ok wine if not particularly stylish.

Pinot Grigio Pavia 2010 €5.39 Masses of perfumes all over it. Confected style that will prove very commercially popular. My Personal Score here (PS 2/10) would be very low but commercially this is a winner! (SC 7/10)

Many wines are being sold today on price alone. This is especially true of the wines being written about here. While this is true, and there is nothing at all wrong with it, these same wines also sport names of regions and the varietals that they are made from. If these are not important also then why do retailers continue to use them? Because these names continue to mean something. Quite what that 'something' is probably changes from customer to customer! Nevertheless if a label says, for example, Montepulciano or indeed Sauvignon Blanc, it is fair to criticise them if they neither taste like anything that has ever been produced from that region or indeed from that grape! This does not mean that they are not Value for Money as indeed they may still drink well and represent their price points very well.

Richard Bampfield MW at the Lidl press Tasting in Dublin

White Wines - Rest of the World

Cimarosa Chilean Pedro Jiminez 2010 €4.99 (€3.99 recently) : Seamlessly clean. Fair bit of residual sugar on the palate fattens it out. Just as well as the fruit is on the lean side with only slight fruits showing. Nevertheless a very acceptable style; good summer 'patio' wine. Serve well chilled. VGM

Cimarosa Chilean Sauvignon Blanc 2011 €5.29 : Good wine. Lots of true varietal character in grassy and herbal style. Fine balanced acidity and long tingling finish. VGM 

Cimarosa Chilean Chardonnay Reserva Privada 2010 €6.99 : (Reserva etc have no legal meaning on bottles out of Chile) Flowers and soft fruits; Very true to the grape. Fine style. VGM

Viajero Chilean Sauvignon Blanc Winemakers Selection 2009 €7.99 : Deep, ponderous, earth, clay and herbs. Good wine. Quite serious.

Cimarosa South African Chenin Blanc 2011 €4.49 : Bland with nothing of interest going on on the nose. Technically this is ok and very 'correct' on the palate. So acidity is kept in check by residual sugars and the balance is fine etc - but in the end it just tastes like a well done wine making kit.

Cimarosa Australian Chardonnay/Colombard 2011 €5.49 : No. Not at all.

Cimarosa Australian Chardonnay 2011 €5.49 : Weak. Don't like at all.

Cimarosa New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2011 €8.29 : Slightly dirty and burnt background but fleshes out well to show off grassiness and herbs; finish is a bit fake with confected perfumes rather than natural  herbs; at the price this should be doing a lot better. Someone just couldn't help tinkering around with this one!

That's it for today. Next time out I'll work up the red wines. Overall impression? Favourable. Mostly clean and well made wines. Choose with some care for the occasion or meal at hand and you won't be dissappointed. With quite a few VGM scores punters will do well. Some real shockers from Australia let the side down. (Wonder how the Aussie reds fared?)

Ballymaloe hosts Riesling

Why is it that Ballymaloe seems to get it right so often? They do you know. On the 17th of May they are hosting, in association with John McDonnell of Wine Australia, a Masterclass session on Riesling titled, The Riesling Revolution - Journey to the heart of this great Variety

This really does carry with it a wow factor.  

from www.corkbic.com

Here are the details:

 

Ballymaloe House, in association with Wine Australia, is thrilled to present this wine event, with three winemakers from different parts of the wine world, renowned for producing thrilling Riesling. This unmissable wine event will be chaired by John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times.

Thursday May 17^th, 2012, 7pm. €25 The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co. Cork

Riesling presents a conundrum. For some it produces the greatest white wines in the world, yet misunderstood and ridiculed by many. Our presentation, plus a 12 wine tasting, followed by a Summer supper, aims to resolve these two disparate points of view. Joining us to present the evening are 3 winemakers from some of the great Riesling growing regions of the world.

Tim Adams, Clare Valley, South Australia

- Tim Adams is based in Australia's Clare Valley and since establishing Tim Adams wines in 1984 has developed a reputation as a brilliant and fiercely independent winemaker.

Tim Adam's Country - Clare Valley Australia

Carl Ehrhard, Rheingau, Germany

- Based in Germanys Rheingau, Carl Ehrhard expertly marries tradition with innovation in making and packaging his delicious range of wines.

Séverine Schlumberger, Alsace, France

- Owning some of Alsace's most respected vineyard sites, Séverine Schlumberger of Domaines Schlumberger is custodian of both this famous house and it's vineyards.

Although from different parts of the world, Tim, Carl and Severine share a passion for Riesling, a passion they will share with us  on the night.

€25. For more information, please contact Ballymaloe or John Mc Donnell at Wine Australia.

Bookings direct with Ballymaloe House colm@ballymaloe.ie

Unfortunately the closest yours truly has been to Ballymaloe this year was running the Ballycotton 10 road race last month! Time to make amends?

30 years and no change?

Am I missing something here? Thirty years ago I ran an off licence (The Vintage) with my two brothers in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. At the time a wine licence only would have been commercial suicide. No beers, no spirits, no business. Have a look at the following from Saturday's Irish Times.

The Spar in the old Burton’s Store on Dublin’s Dame Street, Dublin, has been granted a full drinks licence despite protests by Temple Bar Traders and a nearby grocery shop owner.
Senior counsel Constance Cassidy told the Circuit Civil Court that Charles McCarthy, trading as CC Retail Ltd, which owns Spar at 19-20 Dame Street, had wanted a full drinks licence to help boost turnover. There was a customer demand for an off-licence in the area. Ms Cassidy said Spar had applied last year for a licence and had been met by an objection from Martin Harte, managing director of Temple Bar Traders, and also from Enda Martin, owner of the Centra Store that was almost opposite the Spar shop. Centra held a full drinks licence.
Ms Cassidy said that after a hearing in the District Court in November 2011 Spar had been granted a wine licence only and was appealing the decision.
Circuit Court president Mr Justice Matthew Deery, granting the full drinks licence, said Dame Street was a busy area and the Spar store was in a different neighbourhood from Temple Bar.

Ah, we knew how to sell Lambrusco!

 

1. Current numbers show that wine is THE growth area in the Irish drinks industry. Despite this the argument was made in court, and apparently accepted by the court, that a full drinks licence was necessary to boost turnover. Fair play to those who made the argument.I hope that the court requested a few facts and figures to help it to understand why a full licence was necessary.

2. Anyone who knows Dame street can only agree that Temple Bar is indeed in a different neighbourhood to this new Spar store. 'Different' here, of course, is also being used disingenuously. It's on the other side of the bloody street! This makes the corner of O'Connell Street and Henry Street as different as the corner of O'Connell Street and Earls St N with nothing to separate them than a wide busy road and the Spire of Dublin!

3. 'Dame Street is a busy area'. What, can anyone tell me, has this anything whatsoever to do with whether a drinks licence should be awarded. Of course it's busy. It's downtown Dublin. It's busy with bankers, taxis, buses, bicycles, bin trucks, children on school tours, nuns walking the streets, tourists, hawkers, chancers, politicians, students making their way to DU, cars, lots of cars, office workers jostling for position. All busy and less stressed now that their need for a full drinks licence has been awarded? I just don't get it?

 4. Objections. It seems that objector's to drinks licences in Ireland are treated as the Great Dampeners of the Great Irish Way of Life. If 'busyness' is important and 'location' is important then surely so also is commercial viability. It is not easy to make a profit selling drink these days. It's unlikely that Centra on Dames Street is making a fortune out of his drinks licence. It has however allowed him to provide a quality service and secure employment. How dare he object and not be allowed to use these as valid arguments. No, the court would have laughed at these. Your Business is of no concern here Mr Centra. This is a Court of Law. We have our own way of determining whether a business should stay in business or not.

5. Is this is all about getting the students of DU, usually known as Trinity, onside. One wonders is this all about the Spar store needing the students. Right now these lads and lassies don't seem to have a problem going across to the 'other neighbourhood' - across the street - to pick up their beers and vodka. One can only wonder. Fair play to the legal team behind Spar. Good result.

Am I missing something here? Well, for one it seems that a wine only licence is still not good enough. Where have the last thirty years gone to?

Secondly, I thought our Roisin Shortall was tightening things up and that, whether we agreed with it or not, a full drinks licence was about to be treated with more repect than it has been for the past few years. If licencing laws are interpreted by our courts like this case on Dame Street then our Roisin is going to have quite a battle on her hands. Respect is only a word and in law means nothing without an argument behind it.

I'm glad I live on the other side of the street where my neighbourhood is not so busy, that I am capable of walking across the road if I need something and that I recognise both the value of a sensible drink culture and also when the law is being used unwisely.

Roisn Shortall, Junior Minister. from www.boards.ie

 

St James Wine Club at Castledermot Explores Pinot Noir

Last night I presented a range of Pinot Noir based wines to the St James' Wine Club in Casteldermot Co. Kildare. I love events like these for the very simple, and selfish, reasons that they give me a chance to learn both from the wines on show and from the wine club members themselves. Last night was no exception.

Castledermot is well worth stopping off at. This might seem strange as until quite recently thousands of us had no choice but to stop in it! That was before it was by-passed by a new highway. Now it's a very quiet place with a ton of history on show. How many towns can boast as having two fine Celtic stone crosses, round towers and magnificent 13th century abbey ruins all within strolling distance from its main street?

Abbots Cross at Castledermot from www.geograph.ie

 The venue last night was a magnificent old school classroom - high beamed ceiling and thick stone walls. My host asssured me that this was the very classroom he had attended as a nipper in short pants. I wonder what the nipper would have thought about as twenty eager wine club members invaded his space?

My theme came about as a result of a recent talk I gave on behalf of the Discover the Origin Campaign on the Wines of Burgundy. David Cope of the Londis Store in Castledermot heard me in Dublin and reckoned it was time for his wine club to look at Pinot Noir more closely. Good idea.

(Before I forget : I had a look along David's wine shelves last night. This may be Casteledermot but I can tell you you don't have to go any further than this Londis to find a genuinely interesting range of quality and value driven wines - Sparkling Shiraz or The Gaffer do it for me any day!)

We looked at the following last night:

Bouchard Ainé et Fils, Pinot Noir, 2009, Vin de France. (Cassidy Wines)
I have a lot of respect for Bouchard Aine and was not disappointed with this wine. That said Vin de France is such a very general appellation that Pinot Noir will not perform anywhere near its best from it. This, however, is a very good house wine for a restaurant where delicacy and a light touch are required. An excellent introduction to Pinot Noir for the group as it showed us light colouration, light tannins, good acidity, and a fine raspberry touch on the finish. Recommendation: This would have shown a lot better with a younger vintage.

Cono Sur, Pinot Noir, 2010, Valle Central, Chile. (Findlater Wine and Spirit Group)

To a large extent this can be considered as a 'table wine' from Chile - Central Valley fruit produced in volume and sold at an inexpensive price. Vibrancy all round with upfront raspberry tinged fruit. Classically light in colour, light tannins, good acidity and a very obvious bitter sweet twist on the palate. Really good drink with promises of what the grape is capable of.

Trapiche Reserva, Pinot Noir, 2010, Mendoza, Argentina. (Comans)

I love Argentina and its wines. I defy anyone who says that it is not capable of producing very fine wines. Read Vino Argentina! This particular wine was however out of synch with the rest of the tasting. On the one hand it tasted old fashioned with cherry and plum driven fruits that seem to have had a pampered upbringing by being grown a little too warm and then being transferred to post primary schools where vanilla and light butterscotch is preferred. No problems. This was really great in showing how important climate, site selection and history contribute to succesful Pinot Noir grapes being grown.

Saint Clair Family Estate, Vicars Choice, 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand (Findlater Wine and Spirit Group)

New Zealand (and Andrew Jefford) are both making very succesful claims on behalf of New Zealand Pinot Noir. I think the case has been succesfully made. New Zealand makes very fine Pinot Noir and if anyone can get to the tastings that the Central Otago Pinot Noir Ltd put on when they are in town then they will be rewarded with a fine selection of terroir driven wines. A Vicars Choice seemed like a good idea for the St. James Wine Club! Here's a wine that shows vitality and cleanliness and pure sumptious Pinot fruit where raspberry and a light spiciness tingle well. This is a wine that proves Pinot to be so well suited to a vibrant and modern lifestyle.

   

Errazuriz Estate Reserva, Pinot Noir, 2011, Valle de Aconcagua, Chile

I'm an Errazuriz fan. When chief wine maker Santiago Francisco arrives into Dublin to give his annual seminars  I make sure I have a front seat! Errazuriz is genuinely working hard to match vine-to-site-to-climate-to-style. This is just a great drink and shows Chile's potential with Pinot brilliantly. Light colouration with bright ruby against a light mahogany background; tremendous cherry and raspberry bouquet tinged with some earth elements; crisp and crunchy palate where bitter sweet twist mingles well with a lightly oaked spiciness. Can't go wrong there. New World rocking well. 

Joseph Drouhin, Nuits-St-Georges, 2005, Burgundy

Really exceptional. Medium depth with a lot of vigourous youth still showing on the pour. Bouquet is worth diving into, and staying in, for a long time. It gives an impression of being filled with very young red berry fruits and yet gamey expressions are beginning to lurk in the background. The palate here is rich and rounded and beginning to age. This makes it intriguing and seriously sensual. The point was well made with this wine that there are major differences between 'New World' Pinot Noir and those from established appellations in Burgundy. These differences are more than just stylistic ones - they are site related. This of course means that 'New World' Pinot Noir wines will emerge, and are emerging, that are every bit as good as their 'Old World' counterparts but ultimatley will always remain different! I hope so because I really do want to continue to show the magic of Burgundy through wines like this from Drouhin. 

The Wine Club also introduced the following wines last night:

Cono Sur Reserva Pinot Noir: Bigger and rounder than the basic Bicycle label above. Presonally I prefer the simpler style.

Viu Manent Secreto Pinot Noir: Have the impression this will do very well in the US - shows quite a broad palate. It received a very favourable reaction last night. 

Bouchard Aine Nuits-St-Georges 2001: Ageing gracefully and very well. Showed how Pinot ages and how this wine has aged. Light tawny; lots of developement on bouquet and palate. Fruit holds up well within an ample structure. Drinking well, can age for another five to eight years.