In vino veritas - what wine are you drinking?

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831672#Comment_120831672

I have seen it on the shelves... looking tempting alright for my next 20% off raid in Dunnes.

odyssey06

An interesting rose in LIDL: Tavel Rose €12.

Much deeper in colour than usual French roses. This has a lot of character for sipping, serve lightly chilled rather than ice cold.

Features in this list from Matthew Nugent in The Sun:

https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/10999968/wine-expert-aldi-lidl-rose-bargain-price/

The Nal

Speaking of Lidl Rose, this is good. Classic dry Languedoc rose

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120921200#Comment_120921200

Yup, liked that one.

janiejones

Went on an aldi raid. Grande alberone primitivo, specially selected lebanese red, cambalala merlot and billeron bouquet Saint Emilion grand cru. Anyone tried any of these, haven't had any yet

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120941961#Comment_120941961

Good raid on ALDI there :)

The Lebanese red I remember as being very nice.

odyssey06

Lovely quote on Bordeaux reds from Hugh Johnson in this month's Decanter... "velvet just rimmed with fire":

We drank a bottle of Château La Fleur-Pétrus 2009 the other night; that density of flavour and texture, that feeling of velvet just rimmed with fire, of sweetness with a bitter edge, was Merlot thriving in Pomerol’s ideal conditions. What would be its Médoc counterpart? Perhaps Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac. The blackcurrant/red pepper signature of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through the density of oak-tinged flavour. Both wines fill your mouth with the warmth of their alcohol, tannins and pigments. What gives them both the hallmark of claret? That’s the question I’ve been struggling with for decades.

Bawnmore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831672#Comment_120831672

I tried that last night based on your recommendation and it was lovely - so thanks for that :)

odyssey06

Matthew Nugent in The Sun with some picks from the upcoming Supervalu french wine sale.

I might chance the "Etoiles du Nord St Joseph" if I see it.

https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/11286102/wine-expert-excellent-sale-supervalu-on-grapevine/

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073563#Comment_121073563

Considering half the article is about wine education, there's a clanger of a mistake in it.

It seems to think that reisling wine is made from pinot noir grapes!

odyssey06

Some notes from a tasting of Tokara wines from Stellenbosch South Africa in the local off licence...

Started with Tokara Chardonnay (rrp €22.50). Chardonnay can be hit and miss with me if too oaked, which reminds me of varnish. This had just the right amount of oak for me with a creamy texture.

Then Sauvignon Blanc (rrp €21) which had the most wonderful fragrant scent of citrus fruits and one of the longest 'finishes' I can remember from a white. I'll crib some tasting notes:

A broadly textured wine with flavours that echo the overt aromas, filled out with fresh tropical fruits. A perfect summer wine that is not only crisp and dry, but also offers a vibrant, lingering finish.

We were under strict instructions not to raid the cheese platters (Montagnolo Blu, Mount Leinster Aged Cheddar) until the reds but to use olives to clean palate :)

The first red was the Shiraz (rrp €25.50). This was a very nice wine, more Rhone Syrah than jammy Aussie Shiraz. Cribbed tasting notes:

Blackberry and briar fruit aromas are intertwined with notes of smoky charcuterie and hints of cedar spice. The palate is packed full of ripe red berry flavours, sweet spices and deliciously savoury notes. Shiraz always has the silkiest of tannins and this wine is no exception.

And to finish, one of the nicest wines I've ever tasted: Tokara Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (rrp €39.95).

I'm sure it would pair well with food but for me I think one to sip and savour and contemplate. It is 90% Cabernet with some Petit Verdot in the mix, which rounds it out wonderfully.

The palate is well poised and showcases an effortless balance between fruit purity and tannin weight. Flavours mirror aromas and all lead to a multi-textured, persistent finish.

odyssey06

Well, these are some wines nobody will be drinking :(

About 2,000 bottles of wine and other alcohol have been destroyed in California due to ‘an illegal underwater wine ageing and sales operation’, said the District Attorney’s office for Santa Barbara County. The move followed a plea agreement with a company trading as Ocean Fathoms and its ‘principals’, Emanuele Azzaretto and Todd Hahn, who were also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to an investor, said the District Attorney’s office. It said the group’s law breaches included submerging crates of wine off the coast for 12-month periods without the required permits.

(seen in Decanter magazine)

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073563#Comment_121073563

To followup my own post...

I opened the "Etoiles du Nord St Joseph" from the Supervalu French wine sale.

In a blind test Id have sworn it was Pinot Noir - and a good one. A really elegant Syrah.

Count Dracula

Tuscan Chianti gifted to me by Annaluna Marconi before the start of Covid.

I have been threatening to open the bitch up for over 4 years now. i cracked at around 12.33 this afternoon. i decanted twice whilst humming Bolero after lunch.

It is molto fooooking Belissimo with A MAZE ZEEN twangs of , wait for it , mustard seed and Raspberry with fresh fig undertone and pistachio finish. oodles of rich cherry and grenadine flourish all over the top of my pallet.

I am walking around the house strutting like the 4th Bee Gee and humming the words to the walk of life. I feel completed in my own deserved conceited appreciation of a 35 euro bottle of wine i was asked to give to Annaluna's cousin 5 years ago. I don't care anymore, Annaluna Marconi looks like GIUSY MELONI's slutty older sister.

I am a bad bad man, with earnest and discernible tastes. Basically a chunt who enjoys the finer things.

French wine is very overrated, so are french people come to think of it?

the beer revolu

What is that slightly offensive word salad?

odyssey06

ALDI have some seasonal specially selected wines in.

A perfect winter warmer red, Costieres de Nimes Chassaux Et Fils for €9.99

https://groceries.aldi.ie/en-GB/ALDIIE/p-costieres-de-nimes-75cl-chassaux-et-fils/4088600509518

And a dry Austrian Riesling for €9.99 which is getting good reviews from the likes of Tom Doorley and Matthew Nugent in The Sun below.

There's a few different Rieslings, ranging in sweetness.

https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/11339037/wine-expert-vino-aldi-ireland-bargain-food/

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125536#Comment_121125536

The Austrian Riesling is fantastic for 9.99. Get a hot curry on the table with it.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125536#Comment_121125536

I like Tom but he does work for Aldi!

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121126120#Comment_121126120

True but his 'top picks' are usually reliable as to whats the best / most interesting from their selection.

I wouldnt push it to asking him to rank them v another retailers offering :)

HerrKuehn

Not sure if anyone has recommended this before, but the Wine Society in the UK is great, especially for interesting/unusual wines. It is quite a bit cheaper than anything here, especially at the lower end, e.g. Guigal Cote du Rhone in o'briens is €19, it is £11.5 (€13.30) in the WS. They deliver to a collection point (a logistics depot) just outside Newry. It is very convenient, especially if buying a larger number of bottles, one way to get around the very high tax on wine here.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127640#Comment_121127640

If you cant make it to Newry just a headsup you can get the (lovely) Guigal in Dunnes for 13.60 at the moment.

https://www.dunnesstoresgrocery.com/sm/pickup/rsid/400/product/e-guigal-ctes-du-rhne-75cl-id-100285878

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127651#Comment_121127651

I go up normally once a year and pick up quite a bit, maybe 100 bottles or so. Guigal is a decent CDR and fairly widely available. Another example of a really good wine, Sylvain Pataille Aligote, cheapest I can find here is €29 (pinto.ie) or €31 (greenman wines), its £17 (€19.7. not on special or anything) on the WS, great value wine from a really brilliant producer. Another example is the Baron de Brane Margaux, Deveneys have it fir €50, WS is £30 (€34.75). The also often have very good value old bottles of wine, I had a 50 year old bottle of CNdP (£72) that was surprisingly really good, I didn't think it could last that long. They also have a lot of inexpensive (£6-£8) wines for everyday drinking. I wouldn't really buy anything locally anymore

dxhound2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121126120#Comment_121126120

He might do (Tom Doorley) In his Sunday Times page on 24 September writing about walnuts and truffles among other things he says this:

"And to wash it down. Fans of Aldi's Specially Selected Crémant du Jura (€14.99) - and they are legion - will be thrilled to know that this seasonal sparkler is back, and it's as good as ever. It's 100 per cent Chardonnay grown in a relatively cool climate between Burgundy and Switzerland. Made in essentially the same way as champagne, you could compare it to the blanc de blancs from that hallowed place. But it tastes rather different: dry certainly and deliciously fresh and exuberantly fizzy. It's a shame to adulterate it, but I'll admit that it makes a cracking kir royale."

I was in Aldi Newry Road Dundalk on Monday, and there was a good few bottles on the shelf. I got one, but I haven't opened it yet. It is €17.99 not €14.99. £8.99 in the UK, but there are no Aldis in the North. It seems a bit unlikely that something so cheap could be that good, but I suppose all the cheaper sparkling wines are champagne by another name, and we pay a premium for the champange name.

https://groceries.aldi.ie/en-GB/p-cremant-du-jura-75cl-specially-selected/4061464443990

BeerNut

I'm a big fan of it, and I know Tom was before he got the contract with Aldi. Shame about the price hike.

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121171124#Comment_121171124

The price difference between here and the UK, particularly with sparkling wines is ridiculous.

The Nal

Swept in for the new Chianti Riserva while everyone was grabbing the hyped up "Toscana Rosso".

Chianti. Red wine from.... Tuscany.

Black Sheep

O'Briens current 'autumn offers' has some decent reductions, but annoyingly what I liked from their last French wine sale isn't included.

The Nal

Picked up a couple

odyssey06

I remember some chat earlier on thread about Zinfandel.

Recommendations here for Zinfandel from Nugan in Australia stocked in Supervalu.

I am trying the Nugan single vineyard Durif (aka Petite Sirah) here and it is rich, full on red but not 'jammy' or over powering.

https://www.thesun.ie/fabulous/11450402/wine-expert-vino-supervalu-offer-food-nugan-estate/

The Nal

This was pretty special