In vino veritas - what wine are you drinking?

odyssey06

Interesting article in Decanter magazine...
From cocktails and wine to coffee and ice cream, some restaurants in the Italian city of Florence have reopened centuries-old ‘wine windows’ to serve customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the city’s Wine Windows Association, the move has taken us ‘back in time’ by reviving a method of socially distanced wine selling seen during outbreaks of bubonic plague in the city in the 17th century.
An Italian academic at that time, Francesco Rondinelli, wrote of how wine windows in the city’s palaces were used during the plague between 1630 and 1633; seemingly to help prevent contagion. Wine producers ‘passed the flask of wine through the window to the client but did not receive payment directly into their hands’, wrote Diletta Corsini in a recent article on the Wine Windows Association’s website.
‘Instead, they passed a metal pallet to the client, who placed the coins on it, and then the seller disinfected them with vinegar,’ wrote Corsini, who cofounded the association in October 2015.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/wine-windows-italy-covid-19-442211/

ctlsleh

Buddy97mm wrote: »

Had a superb bottle of Valpolicella with bank holiday Monday dinner, a Valpolicella Superiore Zenato, which we got as a present some months ago. Beautifully smooth, velvety, luscious and fruity, the nicest wine I have had in some time.



Seems to be sold only by Searsons and retails at €18.95, which is at the upper end of what I would generally personally pay, but I really would seek this out again.

https://searsons.com/product/zenato-valpolicella-superiore-2/#:~:text=Delicate%2C%20reminiscent%20of%20maraschino%20cherries,structured%20wine%2C%20full%2Dbodied.

Love Zenato, their Ripasso is amazing....you can get Zenato here...... www.onthegrapevine.ie .......not all wines online, best call them

limnam

ctlsleh wrote: »

Love Zenato, their Ripasso is amazing....

Yeah it's one of the better ones you can get in Ireland. imho



If it was a bit cheaper it'd be my daily tipple.

odyssey06

So I picked up the Montemar Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon on offer in Supervalu at the moment half price for €7.50.

I wouldn't say it's a baragin, it seems to fall into the category of those supermarket wines for which the offer price is a more accurate reflection than the RRP.

For a reserva cabernet sauvignon, it's actually light (12%), soft, supple. Didn't detect much in the way of tannins.
So worth a punt at half price but one to avoid otherwise.

Buddy97mm

I don't normally go to Supervalu, but having seen they had what looked like a decent French wine sale, I went there yesterday. My local Supervalu is quite old and small, with a limited enough selection, but got what I thought were 3 decently priced wines.

Chateau Pey la Tour - this was just under a tenner and really enjoyable. Light, smooth, very brambly, even a little oaky and very French, great value.

Chateau Sissan Grande Reserve - allegedly half price at just under 12 euro. Drinking it as I type, fruity with a little spice, light but yet quite robust and full flavoured. Not sure it's quite lived up to my very high expectations, but only one glass in yet.

George Duboeuf Moulin A Vent - just under 12 euro for one of my favourite Beaujolais wines, also from one my favourite producers. High expectations for this, but it remains unopened for now.

odyssey06

BBC4 will be repeating wine documentary Chateau Chunder tonight. Tells the story of the rise of popularity of Australian wine in the 1980s and features contributions from Oz Clarke and Jancis Robinson.
Terrible name I know but so little wine documentaries on TV.

maddness

odyssey06 wrote: »

BBC4 will be repeating wine documentary Chateau Chunder tonight. Tells the story of the rise of popularity of Australian wine in the 1980s and features contributions from Oz Clarke and Jancis Robinson.
Terrible name I know but so little wine documentaries on TV.

It was great. If you haven’t already watch Spur Grapes and Somm on Netflix.
There is also Somm Into The Bottle which is excellent but I don’t think it’s on Netflix anymore.

odyssey06

A lovely wine from one of those good value south-western France appellations - this time Corbieres: Château de Caraguilhes Les Jardin.

On offer in O'Briens at €12.95 down from €17.65.

I'm terrible at tasting notes so I'll crib from the O'Briens site:
Château Caraguilhes is one of France's oldest, and best, organic estates. Exclusive to O'Briens, this stunning cuvée is very much like a premium Côtes-du-Rhône in style; incredibly smooth and brimming with plenty of sweet ripe fruit flavours of crushed raspberry, blackcurrant and cherry along with some underlying herbal garrigue notes.

Mellor

Tried around 50 wines this weekend. Some very good, some not good. Most are probably not readily available in Ireland.
But there was a very good Chanti in the restaurant. That I later found out was from Aldi. Not sure if Irish Aldi is same stock, but might be.
Corte Carista Chianti Superiore

ciaran76

Sorry slightly off topic:

Has anyone seen a wine advent calendar available in Ireland?

odyssey06

ciaran76 wrote: »

Sorry slightly off topic:

Has anyone seen a wine advent calendar available in Ireland?

I remember ALDI having one in previous years but I didn't get it, think it was about 40% red, 40% white and 20% sparkling or rose. Cost about 60-70 euros for 20 miniatures iirc.

In UK stores from November 4th so might be similar here.
https://www.aldi.us/en/products/advent-calendars/

Buddy97mm

Having abstained from drink for most of October, my intention had always been to treat myself this weekend, and I opened a Dao I had bought a few weeks ago in Aldi. I can't actually recall how much it cost but think it was in the 7 to 8 euro bracket.

It's been a while since I last had some Dao, but memories treat it very favourably, and this bottle certainly lived up to those memories. Immensely smooth and fruity, with a beautiful long finish, this really impressed me. An elegant, well structured wine, a steal at the price point. Perhaps abstinence had added to the pleasure, nonetheless this is one I'll be buying again.

gozunda

Buddy97mm wrote: »

Having abstained from drink for most of October, my intention had always been to treat myself this weekend, and I opened a Dao I had bought a few weeks ago in Aldi. I can't actually recall how much it cost but think it was in the 7 to 8 euro bracket.

It's been a while since I last had some Dao, but memories treat it very favourably, and this bottle certainly lived up to those memories. Immensely smooth and fruity, with a beautiful long finish, this really impressed me. An elegant, well structured wine, a steal at the price point. Perhaps abstinence had added to the pleasure, nonetheless this is one I'll be buying again.

Which Dao did you buy?

Buddy97mm

gozunda wrote:

Which Dao did you buy?

To be honest, it was the only Dao I saw in the shop. On looking closer at label, it's a 2018 Dao from Carlos Lucas, "From the winemakers private selection".

gozunda

Buddy97mm wrote: »

To be honest, it was the only Dao I saw in the shop. On looking closer at label, it's a 2018 Dao from Carlos Lucas, "From the winemakers private selection".

Thanks. The wife happens to love Dao

odyssey06

gozunda wrote: »

Thanks. The wife happens to love Dao

Some Dao recommendations here - red and white. Available in Irish offies.
https://frankstero.com/2020/10/20/love-love-me-dao-make-mine-a-double-65/

odyssey06

A premium offering from a big brand - Diablo Black Cabernet Sauvignon.
I think Casillero Diablo is pretty reliable as big brands go for parties etc but this is a step up in quality.

I picked it up on offer at €10 in Supervalu and at that price it's definitely worth picking up - rrp is €15.

I'll crib some tasting notes:
Strong smell of tobacco and oak. Definitely tastes like a Chilean cab in that it has a spicy front notes and a smooth finish.

Buddy97mm

Tonight's wine was Castellore Sangiovese Apassimento. I purchased this a few weeks ago in Aldi for maybe 8.80 and expected a brooding, rich wine. This is indeed a remarkably intense, incredibly fruity wine. Rich dark colour, 14% abv, it is is quite thick but somehow never heavy. It has a bit of a Ripasso aspect, but still manages to to somehow stay quite thin and light and very drinkable. The fruit is as intense as any wine I've tasted, very concentrated blackberry, with a little chocolatey undercurrent and a bit of Zinfandel type pepper. One of the most intriguing and fascinating wines I've had for some time, growing on me by the mouthful, definitely a (multiple) repeat buy.

odyssey06

Circumstances conspired at the Supervalu off licence, a large queue and a shortfall for a spend and save voucher...
So I ended up going home with a bottle of Mateus Rose as it was within arm's reach.
(Thoiugh given the need for social distancing at present I would prefer if they didn't use their floor space as storage space...)

I haven't been converted but I can see why it was so popular back in its heydey as one of the first big selling wine brands in the UK... easy drinking, refreshing, slightly sweet, slightly fizzy... it's halfway towards a sprizter.
Would be vey popular served at a BBQ or welcome drink at a function.

The bottle shape is so decorative, I thought twice before throwing it out, I suspect someone more creative than me could repurpose it...

Mellor

odyssey06 wrote: »

I turned one into a lamp for a project back in primary school

the beer revolu

Mateus' success can be put down to its popularity amongst US military in Europe after WWII.
I was once told that the bottle shape was chosen as it was the same as the Franconian wine bottles that the US military would have been familiar with in Germany.

RichardL1951

Sounds like my kinda wine. Where do you buy it?

RichardL1951

If you’re looking for a full bodied, meat and 3 veg red wine, you can’t go wrong with the Aldi Alberone Zinfandel (primitivo in Italy). It costs just less the a tenner.

odyssey06

RichardL1951 wrote: »

Sounds like my kinda wine. Where do you buy it?

Which wine are you looking for?
The Mateus is available in Tesco & Supervalu. Maybe in Dunnes also.
For Dao wines check your local independence off licence.

odyssey06

In LIDL it is hard to look beyond their 6 for €40 special if you are picking up a few bottles.
https://www.lidl.ie/en/p/christmas-drinks/festive-wine-deal/p53743

But they have some interesting once off wines in for Christmas.

I had heard good things about the Barbera d'Asti Superiore but all sold out

So I went for the Domaine Eole Fitou for €8.99 which is a very nice example of this good value appellation from south west of France. I think Fitou wines usually retail for €12 - €15 so this is a great price. If you like warming reds from the likes of Gerard Bertrand this will fit the bill with subtle notes of spice and savouriness.

Steve012

Blossom hill, soft and fruity, lovely at room temp. 👍

odyssey06

A bit of a belated Thanksgiving, early taste of Christmas dinner with a pairing of slow roasted duck and Californian Pinot Noir.

The Pinot Noir was MacMurray Russian River Valley Sonoma 2016, €20.99 from Molloys.

Quoting the tasting notes I'd concur with:
Flavors of dark cherry, pomegranate and vanilla. This luscious wine has a silky mouthfeel, framed by subtle hints of oak from barrel aging

Recommended for fans of pinot noir, although you do seem to pay a premium for pinot noir over wines of similar quality I find.

td2008

Any free standing wine rack recommendations? Looking to get one as a present

Also, found a link on twitter for 15% off Vivino for new customers which may be useful to some

https://www.talkable.com/x/Vd9GqS

the beer revolu

td2008 wrote: »

Any free standing wine rack recommendations? Looking to get one as a present

Also, found a link on twitter for 15% off Vivino for new customers which may be useful to some

https://www.talkable.com/x/Vd9GqS

Can't see that link but, in my opinion, small wine racks that hold less than, say, a dozen or so bottles, are merely a waste of space. They tend to just make a few bottles of wine take up more space than they would otherwise.
Unless you are ageing wine, I don't see the point of wine racks - just put it in a cupboard.

mikep

Hi folks
I know this is off topic but does anyone know of a good wineshop for wines from older vintages, I'm thinking mature Bordeaux or Burgundy..
I usually buy online from abroad but looking closer to home.
Would need a one that does delivery..

Thanks