Saturday, August 27, 2011

Site news and Links

Site news first -
I'm heading back out to parts foreign next week, last time I was did this I decided (after a while), to put the blog on hiatus, as I felt I couldn't deliver the quality of content I wanted, given the time, travel and work pressures. Until I get stuck into this next project I won't know the answer to the question of whether or not I can I feel I can usefully blog. In the interim, here are some links...

Kevin Ecock waxes lyrical on the En Primeur system here.

Spuds? from The Grapefruit here.

I bought lots of this lovely CDR, courtesy of SourGrapes here.

Also, I have been planning to try the new wine shop which replaced Oddbins on Upper Baggot St, cunningly called "Baggot Street Wines", as herself is based nearby and I believe some of the Oddbins staff are involved in the venture. Best wishes to them...

Sunday, August 7, 2011

A long night's journey into day

We've now been down in the "sunny" South East for a week and it's been a mixed week, wine-wise. However, June and BigNose arrived down for the night and they brought with them a veritable cornucopia of wine. June picked up hers in Power and Smullen in Lucan whereas BigNose bought his in Greenacres in Wexford town.

Anyhoo, Herself provided some Dublin bay prawns and some nice fillets of beef (which YHB BBQ'd inexpertly) and the wines above were dispatched in order (left to right) on the night.

June is on a Riesling kick at the moment (as am I) and BigNose followed suit with this Dr Burklin-Wolf Riesling Trocken 2009 - We all liked this, some nice zingy citrus and a good length.

Next up a "Lucan" Riesling - a Kayena Vineyards Tamar Ridge Tasmanian 2009 Riesling - which we also liked but this a much lighter, crisper wine; probably well suited for quaffing in the sun.

June's next offering, and the first of the reds, a Cabanon Cuore Divino La Botte 18 2006 an unusual (Cab Sav only) Italian which apparently was the last Pope's favourite tipple. I liked this but I was expecting something bigger and bolder; this was quite restrained. Very nice, though. I can't work out from the label where it is from in Italy...

BigNose's last contender was a Saint Cosme Cotes Du Rhone 2010 from Greenacres, priced at a modest €13-99. I gave out last year about the prices in Greenacres but they do seem to be now offering more moderately priced wines. This particular CDR was very pleasant with some nice fruit.

The last wine of the night a Navajas Crianza 2007 from Rioja. Alas, it was late in the night when this was drunk and I don't really remember what this was like. I expect it was perfectly fine but at that stage of the evening I can't be sure...

All in all a very interesting wine evening, thanks to our guests for the various wines. I intend to carry out a full scale recce of Greenacres during the week and will report back anon...

Note: Also from Greenacres but beyond my everyday budget was a Setriolo Chianti Classico 2006, which we had in a friend's house on Thursday evening and it was fantastic.