In vino veritas - what wine are you drinking?

odyssey06

Opened a special bottle to go with the Christmas Eve dinner of Beef Rib Roast on the Bone. And it's a fantastic match.
Domaine De La Borie Blanche Minervois La Liviniere, a powerful red from a named appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France.
14.5% but tastes elegant\smooth rather than a blockbuster.

Available for €18.99 from independent off licences. Actually the wine was a winner in the 'NOFFLA' awards for independent off licences - category 'Old World Red Under €20'.
This is the wine award I would pay the most attention to. If a wine wins a gold star in these awards you know you've got a nice bottle on your hands. Out of all the hundreds of wines stocked, only about two dozen pick up awards, there's no prizes just for turning up and paying the entry fee!

odyssey06

And for Christmas Day itself, I don't pick the wines but my hosts don't let me down with a silky smooth bottle of Ribera del Duero from Pago de los Capellanes Crianza. Lovely stuff. I can't describe it better than the tasting notes from Mitchell and Son...

On the palate, the wine has a smooth texture but fills the palate with balanced flavours, including fine tannins, which help extend the life of the wine. The finish and aftertaste are both long and elegant.

https://mitchellandson.com/products/pago-de-los-capellanes-crianza

absolutegroove

Having this tonight as it’s CHRISTMAS!! Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad

Picked it up in Tesco’s for €14.00 a couple of weeks ago

https://molloys.ie/segura-viudas-cava-brut-reserva-heredad

jmreire

As a tee-totaller, never mind wine buff, I'm completely in the dark about wine's, but I have a question or two about them.
One:- On some bottles I have come across that were "buried" ( for want of a better word) in a cabinet at home. They have different dates on the labels, from 2000 onward's. I think that these dates refer to the harvest year, and not the bottling dates?
Two: How long can a wine ( any wine) be kept in a bottle, and still be safe to drink??
Three: Is the bottling date anywhere on the label?
I remember a few years ago drinking with some French friends, and one of them produced a few bottles of a very old wine. They were ecstatic about, sniffing it and swilling it about in heir mouth's before drinking it, and "OOOOING and AHHHHING about it. I tried a mouth full, but for the life of me...could not see what all the excitement was about. None the less, I would not like to offer my bottles to anyone, just in case they have a "Use By Date" some where.
,

L1011

The year is the harvest vintage. Bottling date isn't particularly important.

Wine can last decades and decades but mass-market product from 2000 is probably undrinkable at this stage. If they were dearer there is a chance some will be drinkable/decent but you'll need to see what they are.

odyssey06

Good guide here... "You Found an Unopened Bottle of Wine in Your Closet — Now What?"
https://www.newair.com/blogs/learn/how-long-does-wine-last-unopened

mikep

Today we started with Tesco Finest Grand Cru vintage champagne followed by 2003 Chateau Belgrave, now having '96 Chateau Beau Site.
Had an '82 Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme which is well past its best...
All good considering...

odyssey06

I was a bit nervous about this red wine, as it was primarily purchased due to its low alcohol content (11.5% - 12%) and reserved for this time of year when late lunches are the thing.

Went down a treat with the turkey and ham, light and refreshing (rather than weak and thin) at a time of day when a heavy red wine would necessitate a nap

B&G (Barton & Guestier) Pinot Noir - grapes sourced from Corsica.
Currently retailing at €9 in Tesco.

odyssey06

Next up, a white wine - rare for me. 100% Chardonnay but it is dry, fresh and lively rather than heavy, buttery or oaky. Went perfect with seafood.
Think it could also handle chicken in a white or mushroom sauce.

Macon Lugny, les Genevrieres from Burgundy negociant Louis Latour.
Priced at €18.99 from independent off licence.

odyssey06

mikep wrote: »

Today we started with Tesco Finest Grand Cru vintage champagne followed by 2003 Chateau Belgrave, now having '96 Chateau Beau Site.
Had an '82 Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme which is well past its best...
All good considering...

'03, '96, '82 .... sounds like you found the key to a cupboard that had been locked for a few years

Mellor

Quite a few good reds over the weekend. Highlight was a Penfolds Grange.

The Nal

€11.95 in OBs

Pretty much the best value wine available at the moment

odyssey06

I've had some lovely Portuguese wines, but this is the nicest so far.
Esporão Reserva 2016, a blend of native grapes (primarily Alicante Bouschet) and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Quality stuff and well balanced, even though it is 14.5% I didn't find it overwhelming. One glass of this goes a long way.

Currently €27 in independent off licencs.
https://mitchellandson.com/products/esporao-reserva-2012

BaZmO*

Picked up this white in Lidl. Would be more of a red wine drinker but this lovely. Gorgeous sweet tropical notes with a perfect sharp dryness ti balance the sweetness.

Le Chenim de Martin - Limoux

odyssey06

I sampled this wine at a tasting for The Corkscrew off Grafton Street, however it is not listed for sale yet on the website. RRP €21. There were a lot of lovely wines (at higher prices) but this was the stand out for me.

A Grower's Touch Durif red wine from Australia.
Durif is another name for the relatively rare grape Petit Sirah. I've sampled some petit sirahs before and not been overly impressed.

This was a totally different prospect. Lots going on in terms of complexity, first hit of black fruit develops into "savoury, almost silken tannins on a dry finish". Fantastic stuff.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

This was a totally different prospect. Lots going on in terms of complexity, first hit of black fruit develops into "savoury, almost silken tannins on a dry finish". Fantastic stuff.

babybuilder

Hi
Nice French pinot noir is very difficult to get at a reasonable price. Can anyone recommend a good vintage around the 10-20e price preferably available in a local supermarket? I like lighter dry pinot noirs 12-13% max. Thanks in advance.

odyssey06

babybuilder wrote: »

Hi
Nice French pinot noir is very difficult to get at a reasonable price. Can anyone recommend a good vintage around the 10-20e price preferably available in a local supermarket? I like lighter dry pinot noirs 12-13% max. Thanks in advance.

From Tesco... not 100% sure if they're exactly what you're looking for but worth a try:
B&G Pinot Noir Reserve, this is actually from Corsica I think.
La Burgondie Pinot Noir

I think this would would be a close fit for your description but it's off licence only I think: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir
https://www.martinsofflicence.ie/wines/france/louis-jadot-bourgogne-pinot-noir-couvent-des-jacobins/

05eaftqbrs9jlh

Found someone's blind deaf thirteen year old dog walking into traffic on Tuesday and I'm tucking into the nice Chianti the family who owned him kindly gave us. Then some Wild Pig Merlot. Today is great.

nice bit of green

odyssey06 wrote: »

From Tesco... not 100% sure if they're exactly what you're looking for but worth a try:
B&G Pinot Noir Reserve, this is actually from Corsica I think.
La Burgondie Pinot Noir

I think this would would be a close fit for your description but it's off licence only I think: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir
https://www.martinsofflicence.ie/wines/france/louis-jadot-bourgogne-pinot-noir-couvent-des-jacobins/

Just came in here to say the B&G Cab Sav is the business. Both 9€ in Tesco right now.

Mellor

babybuilder wrote: »

Hi
Nice French pinot noir is very difficult to get at a reasonable price. Can anyone recommend a good vintage around the 10-20e price preferably available in a local supermarket? I like lighter dry pinot noirs 12-13% max. Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't have thought good French pint was hard to find in Europe.
2015 was the best vintage of the last decade.

limnam

Mellor wrote: »

I wouldn't have thought good French pint was hard to find in Europe.
2015 was the best vintage of the last decade.

I'd imagine the reasonable price is the problem and part of why I pretty much never drink French wine unless i'm outside of Ireland.

Mellor

limnam wrote: »

I'd imagine the reasonable price is the problem and part of why I pretty much never drink French wine unless i'm outside of Ireland.

Obviously it’s not going to be as good value as in burgundy. You’ll always pay a mark up into Ireland. But no reason thank good French should be a bigger struggle than Italian or what ever.

Depends on your definition of reasonable I guess. The top their will never be cheap.

odyssey06

Also if you are a fan of lighter French red wines, keep an eye out for Beaujolais-Villages reds (not Beaujolais Nouveau!). They are made from Gamay, in the adjacent region to the homeland of Pinot Noir in Burgundy.
A sunday lunch kinda wine, or lightly chilled on a hot summer evening.

Trivia point: Allegedly Gamay was exiled from Burgundy by Duke Philip the Bold in 1395.

odyssey06

Mellor wrote: »

Obviously it’s not going to be as good value as in burgundy. You’ll always pay a mark up into Ireland. But no reason thank good French should be a bigger struggle than Italian or what ever. Depends on your definition of reasonable I guess. The top their will never be cheap.

I'm a big fan of the Guigal Cotes du Rhone, about €17 in Supervalu. It's a powerful robust red.
In O'Briens anything from Gerard Bertrand in Languedoc hits the spot for me, though again these Southern reds are more robust reds than those of Burgundy... similar price to the Guigal but usually pop up in their 'winter warmer' offer.

In Dublin La Cave have a great selection of French wines and less markup than in most places, plus there's a good selection of wines by the glass or carafe. Pretty sure they stock the Guigal at €30 for example, or €17 for half bottle.
https://lacavewinebar.com/french-wines/

limnam

Mellor wrote: »

Obviously it’s not going to be as good value as in burgundy. You’ll always pay a mark up into Ireland. But no reason thank good French should be a bigger struggle than Italian or what ever.

Depends on your definition of reasonable I guess. The top their will never be cheap.

I find it much more of a gamble for pretty much any type of French wine here compared to any other region.

So to avoid the frustration I mostly just avoid it.

odyssey06

This was a random purchase a while back in LIDL for €8 that ended up in the wine rack and was picked to accompany a midweek dinnner of ham hocks (also from LIDL) as it's only 12%.

Menada Bulgarian red, made from native Mavrud grape.

Bone dry, lovely with the food but might be a bit tart\tannic on its own.

ciaran76

Finca Labarca Reserva stumbled on this wine and really like it. Currently its on offer in SV for 11.99 so feel its good value.
Any other wines similar to this I can try for more or less same price range?

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

I sampled this wine at a tasting for The Corkscrew off Grafton Street, however it is not listed for sale yet on the website. RRP €21. There were a lot of lovely wines (at higher prices) but this was the stand out for me.

A Grower's Touch Durif red wine from Australia.
Durif is another name for the relatively rare grape Petit Sirah. I've sampled some petit sirahs before and not been overly impressed.

This was a totally different prospect. Lots going on in terms of complexity, first hit of black fruit develops into "savoury, almost silken tannins on a dry finish". Fantastic stuff.

So got a couple of bottles over the weekend. Very nice with a bit of lamb!

odyssey06

ciaran76 wrote: »

Finca Labarca Reserva stumbled on this wine and really like it. Currently its on offer in SV for 11.99 so feel its good value.
Any other wines similar to this I can try for more or less same price range?

In Supervalu I don't think so, that seems to be about the going price for a Rioja Reserva in off licences and major supermarkets - unless you see Faustino or Campo Viejo in a multibuy deal.

LIDL have these for under €10:
https://www.lidl.ie/en/p/grocery-range-red-wines/rioja-doca-reserva-13-67/p23701
https://www.lidl.ie/en/p/grocery-range-red-wines/tarragona-gran-reserva-13/p23705

This is a spanish red in a smoother style in ALDI but isn't technically a Rioja:
https://www.aldi.ie/toro-loco-superior/p/040728020610200