Liveblog - Atlantico Sur 2011 Tannat

I saw this reviewed recently (I think it was John  Wilson) but for the life of me I can't find the review on line. Anyhoo, the wine at left is my first Uruguayan wine. Atlantico Sur Tannat 2011 €12-99 reduced from €14-99 in O'Briens.

The website describes it as "A beautifully made wine from Uruguay's top name Familia Deicas (Bodegas Juanico). Deep damson, black cherry fruit, all wrapped up in a smooth but structured palate. Designed for food."

Tannat is historically grown in the South West of France (e.g. Madiran) and typically produces big tannic wines. Per Wikipedia it has been adopted as Uruguay's "national grape" - good for them.

18:00 - Just opened and decanted via VinAire. It's not unpleasant, some tannins present and a little fruit, probably too early to say much more at this stage.

21:00 -  This is pretty nice. Smooth and structured is a good description, I guess. This is supposed to be Bordeaux-like and I'm not sure I'd buy that, but southern French yes.

23:00 -  Have just finished this and I have to say it really came together at the end, however it did take a while to get there. I'm not sure I'd pay 15 quid for it though. Worth a punt as priced if you like big southern French wines.

On a related note I had one of current favourites last Friday night, a Finca La Linda Bonarda from Baggot St Wines, which, as it happens is about €15 also. Food for thought.

Superquinn French Wine Sale 2013 - Updated X2!

So I don't get invited to tastings any more, probably because I could never attend any, given that press tastings seem to be always on weekday mornings and I am now and have been (apart from a recent and distressing brush with the scratcher) gainfully employed. Although with hindsight, I should have gone on the hop at least once or twice, if I'd known how those relationships would end. 

So I drove my lazy ass down to Blackrock on Sunday and pick up a half dozen reds, some I'd had before, in different vintages, some not. I could link to previous blog posts but eh, no. Let's judge them on their own merits.

Full disclosure: I haven't been enjoying my reds for the last couple of weeks. I suspect it's the god-awful cold I've been struggling with, which seems to have put the kibosh on my taste buds.
Note: This post will probably encompass three or more tranches, tranche the first consists of the following two wines:

Etienne Barret Crozes-Hermitage 2011 - €12 (reduced from €16-79)
Hmmmmm. While I said I wouldn't refer to previous reviews I do know that I used to like this wine very much, in previous vintages. This vintage didn't impress me, especially at it's notional non-sale price. It started off quite acidic but gradually smoothed out until it became a pleasant but unremarkable red. Not one I'd recommend at either price, I'm afraid.

Domaine Cristia Ventoux 2011 - €8 (reduced from €17-49)
Apparently the most expensive of my six purchases (pre-sale), this was a bit of a tannic beast at first but has been slowly softening ever since (I know the feeling). It's a bit peppery, maybe needs food to shine and on another night I'd probably be enjoying it more. For now it's perfectly fine and good value as priced.
 

Part Deux
Charles Vienot Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre 2011 - €8 (reduced from €11-99)
This has the advantage of being open since last night, so no surprises that it's nicely opened up and is well balanced with some lovely fruity Grenache'y flavours. Good value as priced. 

Domaine Astruc Syrah Viognier 2011 - €8 (reduced from €12-99)
Yummy! A blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. It's got the classic old-world Syrah flavours with a little twist. I do like the New World version of this (D'Arenberg's Laughing Magpie is a lovely, if regrettably expensive example).


Part Threux
Chateau Lorgeril Cabardes 2009 - €10 (reduced from €15-79) 
I had this 2 years ago (the 2008) and this is what I said then - " Not bad. A little rough and ready initially, but rounded out over an hour or so to be a chunky, if unsubtle red. " Yep. No change here. OK value for a tenner, not worth 15 notes, IMHO. I would suspect a full day in the decanter would do this wine a power of good.

Domaine La Condamine L'Eveque Mourvedre Cotes De Thongue 2011 - €8 (reduced from €11-99) This was a bargain last year at €7, and is still good value as priced. Warm and fruity but in an old-world way. I have bought this a number of times last year, which is the acid test, I guess

A Post Live* from Mendoza

*Not really of course. I just picked up a cheap Malbec in Tesco and thought I'd liveblog it. I was in a cheap and cheerful frame of mind in the Merrion Centre earlier today and amongst the bric-a-brac I purchased was the wine at left. I also snagged a Tesco own-brand Chianti Classico for €6-99, which if decent would be for the win, but more of that in a separate post.

The main event is an Otra Vida Malbec 2012, a snip at €7. So it's young, New World and cheap; confidence is not high, although I do have a soft spot for Malbecs and have rarely had a nasty one. So let's have a sniff and a sip and see what's what...

19:00 - It's not bad, a little light but with some nice fruit and a little acidity. It's pleasant and easy drinking, which is probably all you could expect at this price point. I'd hope it might evolve over the next couple of hours, as young wines are wont to do, in the decanter.

21:00 - We just finished a particularly tasty meatloaf from Avoca in Monkstown and the above Malbec proved a fine accompaniment. It's probably as good as its going to get at this point (I decanted it at 17:00) and it has become more rounded and a tiny bit more complex in the finish. I'll have a final taste in a bit and hopefully a conclusion.

23:00 - All done here. In summary this is good value for €7, but if I was paying full price for a Malbec, say €12 - €15, I'd look elsewhere.

Next Up is the Ginger Beer challenge, and no, that's not Cockney rhyming slang.

Liveblog - Escudo Rojo 2010

Welcome to another liveblog. I tasked Herself with picking up a bottle in Baggot St Wines on the way home. Her mission was made more complex by the fact that both of us are literally* dying with the same cold, probably caught from Lil Sis at the big "do" this weekend. So whatever she buys has to cut through lots of icky stuff.

She returned with the wine at left, personally recommended by Garrett himself. It's a blend of Cab Sav, Carmenere, Syrah and Cab Franc, matured in French Oak for 12 months.

19-30: The wine has been open for 15minutes after being decanted via my VinAire into my Ikea decanter. First impression is fruit, lots of it and some vegetal notes, maybe from the Cab Franc. Hmmmm. I'm not crazy about it just now, its not bad just not my style. Let's come back in an hour, after some Bombay Pantry.

20-45: Better, much better. The vegetal flavours have subsided somewhat and the various fruity notes have all, mostly, harmonised, leaving an interesting wine. Gun to my head, I'd say a Cab Franc from the Loire. See you again for the final chapter in a little bit.

22-00: It has come together nicely in the end. I like it but I don't love it,  I think that's because while this wine is very well made, it's not for me.  Having said that it's often a good thing to drink a wine you wouldn't necessarily buy. Educate yourself, or something...


*Not "literally", but I think it's apt here.

Bekaa's it's there

I picked up the wine at left in Molloy's earlier tonight. It was right beside the Chateau Musar, but that was €28, which was a bit out of my price range so I grabbed its neighbour a Chateau Ksara 2010 Reserve du Couvent, a snip at €12-95?

It's a blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Cab Franc and 30% Cab Sav, and I have to say, 1 glass in, I ain't loving it. It's got that Chilean, oaky, cab savv'y, dry,  blackcurrant thing going on, with a little bit of sharp acidity.

It's possible that this just needs more time, but I doubt it, because I triple decanted it. Bottle to decanter, decanter to bottle, bottle to decanter, all done through my VinAire, to no avail.

I won't be buying this again. if this style finds you agreeably then by all means fill your boots, lofty. I'll be over here, drinking something else, probably this lovely Ribera, also from Molloys and only 4 cents dearer.

Crash! - A Ribera that isn't a Ribera - Liveblog!

So I bought some vino in Baggot St Wines, after congratulating Catherine on their recent Noffla win - Beer Specialist of the Year 2013. A Don Tiburcio Malbec 2008 (really good), a Bajondilla 2011 from Mentrida in Spain (last tried here), and the subject of tonight's liveblog! one Crash! Ribera del Guadiana 2011 €11-99 (I think...)

It comes from the Extremadura region in Spain and contains the following grapes: Garnacha Tintorera, Garnacha, Syrah and Tempranillo. An unusual blend, IMHO.

8-pm. Catherine had told me it was light and fruity and while that's not normally my bag I decided to take a chance. It has now been open and decanted for an hour and a half so here goes. Well, its light and fruity, natch. But its pleasant. No great depth of flavour but easy drinking and perfectly fine.

9-30pm Still light, fruity and maybe some little acidity now and maybe a little depth at the back end now.

11-00pm All gone and very nice all round. Would I buy it again? Probably not, but if you like this style of wine then fill your boots.

All right, Pilar?*

So I ended up in Molloy's** on the Ballyogan road tonight, on the way home from work; I had been instructed by Herself, under pain of extreme displeasure, to pick up some vino.

I have pretty much stopped buying Ribera, the stuff I have been seeing on the shelves is either expensive or is, and tastes cheap. So it was a pleasant surprise to see a 2006 Crianza for a mere €12-99. I have had some bad experiences with old Spanish wine of late, so it was a bit of a punt.

Long story short, this wine is rather good. There is quite a bit of acidity but also lots of nice fruit and a lovely finish. There's lots of life left in this old dog - see Molloy's page here. It appears from this page to have been reviewed in the Sunday Times back in May and was then well regarded.

That's two for two this week, btw. Last night Herself, with assistance from Garrett in Baggot Street Wines, chose a fantastic Argentinian Malbec, one Don Tiburcio.

That's all for a while, we are off to sunny Amsterdam next weekend, to celebrate Herself's no particular birthday, at all. I don't think we'll be drinking much wine; probably lots of beer and "coffee". Evening all.

*That's a very old reference, Marcoos.

**They have a cracking selection of craft beers, I bought a couple of Avalanche ales from Fyne Ales.

Seizing the Higher Ground

Hola, amigos. I know its been a while since I blogged at ya but the old Xmas was pretty hairy - in a good way, I should add. Lots of peeps home from abroad and some fun entertaining in Casa di Willie, with plenty of moderately priced champagne.

Anyhoo, we finally finished all the vino we bought, or got as presents so I dutifully, and with no ulterior motive, made my way down to Carrickmines and my nearest O'Briens. I picked up a couple of old favourites, i.e. this Jumilla and wonder of wonders some Amancaya. I'm supposed to be reviewing the Corbieres we drank last night but I'm actually sipping this Argentinian delight as I type and it's just wonderful. A fruity marvel.

So the wine I'm supposed to review is the bottle at left a Chateau Les Auzines 'Hautes Terres' Corbieres 2009 €11-99 reduced from €13-99. I tend to buy wine with "Corbieres" on the label because I tend to like most wines with "Corbieres" on the label. This was no exception. O'Briens website describes it thusly "it is has wonderful purity of ripe blackberry fruit. It is elegant and finely balanced, a seriously well-made wine"

I don't disagree, this tasted like a more expensive beast with lots of depth, some restrained fruit and a cracking finish. Even without the discount I'd be tempted. Another winner from Laurent Miquel, this man has a gift for producing reasonably priced and very solid Southern French reds.

Some bargain Spanish wines

So I'm looking for some reds for Xmas and also for our New Years eve extravaganza, so I  popped into O'Briens in Carrickmines and grabbed a couple of reds on special offer.*

Luzon Jumilla 2011 €10-99 link
The blurb from the site says:
"Made from 70% Mourvèdre and 30% Syrah grapes, this richly textured red is brimming with rich, dark berry and ripe plum fruit. A silky smooth wine that is as good on its own as it is accompanying meaty dishes. Quality wise this has the depth of fruit and myriad of flavours of many wines twice its price." 

I wasn't sure about this at first but it has been growing on me for the last hour; nice fruit, nice acidity, nice balance. It's not a massive complex wine, just solid everyday drinking. Good value as priced.

Cruz De Pieda Seleccion Especial 2010 - €9-99 (reduced from €13-99) link
The blurb from the site says:
"This is a revelation, we have tried wines before from Calatayud that overdelivers to this extent. Superb depth of sweet ripe black fruit, luscious with sweet spices and a long finish of that super-ripe fruit"

Yummy. Herself says it's nicely rounded, and I agree. This is definitely a balanced wine, like the man says, there is plenty of ripe fruit but it's not cloying and there is a lovely long finish.

I also got some nice beers. The first two below are two of my all time faves, the third is something I have wanted to try for a while but have never come across...

Goose Island IPA - €2-59
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted €2-73
Anchor Liberty Ale - €2-79

* OBriens shop in Carrickmines needs to improve their selection of Whisk(e)ys. The Beacon shop puts it to shame.

Xmas Wine Choice & Tasting - Live!*

Well it's Xmas again and I have have been tasked with choosing the wine for a number of festive occasions over the holiday season, given that I am now gainfully self-employed.

I popped into Garrett in Baggot St Wines and asked him to choose three reds for me to taste and ultimately pick from. The parameters were as follows; approx €15, not too light, not too jammy. I vetoed a Rioja early on and the three reds above were what we finished up on. Symmetrically and ecumenically we ended up with one French, one Spanish and one Italian.

The wines are as follows (l-r)

Carpineto Dogajolo Toscana 2011 - €13-99. Per Garrett this is a budget Supertuscan, with 70% Sangiovese and 30% "Other". A Supertuscan at this price would indeed be a find.

Camille Cayran Vacqueyras 2011 - €16-99. The most expensive of the bunch so the one with the most to prove. I have had many lovely Vacqueyras since I started the blog so here's hoping.

Flores de Callejo Ribera Del Duero 2010 - €13-99. I'm in a Ribera place at the moment after some lovely ones, particularly in Pichet. (Martin Berdugo I think?)

And it's a blind tasting...for Herself anyway, Your Humble Blogger will attempt to forget, or fail to remember. I poured the three wines into my three decanters and numbered them and the wine labels, so I would know but she wouldn't. We started with a glass of Number 3.

Wine #3
Herself - finding it a bit tannic. Not impressed. [Guess - French]
YHB - I like it. It's complex but it needs more time to coalesce, probably a disadvantage in a party wine, where you would probably be serving bottles just after opening.

Wine #1
Herself - liking it a lot. She can "taste it all over her tongue". Ahem. [Guess - Spanish]
YHB - wildly different from #3, lots of cherries. Not sure it's a party wine though. Might be a bit "fancy" for some palates.

Wine #2          
Herself - Perfumed and lovely. Favourite of the night. [Guess - Italian]
YHB -  Yummy, my fave too. Full bodied and a little spicy.

Answers...
Wine #3 - Ribera
Wine #1 - Supertuscan
Wine #2 - Vacqueyras

 Herself picks most expensive wine shocker!

* Sort of live, I've been writing this for the last hour as we have been tasting.

Liveblog! - Bertani Villa Novare Ripasso & Boots

It's been literally yonks since I live-blogged a wine and Herself is out with her girly chums so I'm all set do some blogging and babysitting. The wine in question is from O'Briens, and it's a Bertani Villa Novare Ripasso 2009 - €12-99 reduced from €17-99.

19:00 - The wine has been open and in a decanter for about 30 mins as I take my first sip. Lots of structure, some bitter cherries and a decent slug of acidity. Overall its OK so far. I am hoping some fruit develops over the next couple of hours.

So having finished my "interval" drink - a bottle of Young's Special London Ale, a bottle conditioned treat weighing in at a not inconsiderable 6.4% abv. I'm also half way through the blu-ray of Chronicle, and its pretty frickin' good so far.

So it's 21:00, and we get back to the vino. It has definitely evolved; it's a bit more harmonious. There's now a little bit of fruit peeping out from under the edge of the duvet, and the wine is working together nicely as a whole

So its coming up on 23:00, time for a last (official) taste, I'm going to save some for Herself for when she gets home. And what do we find...Well, it seems we have hit the apotheosis of this particular expression. We now have some nice tannins, a little bitter cherry, some other brighter fruit and a long finish. I'm not sure I'd pay 18 notes for it but as priced its very tasty, provided you have the time to wait for it to evolve or you could hyperdecant it, I suppose.

This land is our land - Nostre Pais and other stories

All wines on special from O'Briens...

Michel Gassier Nostre Pais Costieres De Nimes 2010 (Pictured) - €12-99 (reduced from €17-99) Link
Love, love, love this. Complex and rich but not too heavy. Buy it at this price. 

Volpetto Chianti Riserva 2009 - €9-99 (reduced from €16-99) Link
Herself drank most of this, I only caught the end of it and it was pretty decent, some nice bitter cherries and plummy fruit.

Jaspi Negre Monsant 2009 - €11-99 (reduced from €14-99) Link
I had forgotten how much I like this. Complex and voluptuous. Again, great value at this price.

On a housekeeping note, I have to apologise for a lack of posts of late. I have recently rejoined the land of the waged, and have been exceptionally busy in my new role. I haven't had a lot of time/energy for blogging, but hopefully this will get better as time goes by.