Wine With Leslie: Perfect port for sipping with a boxset and some mince pies
If you buy one thing from the selection below let it be port which will keep for for 3-4 weeks once opened
This pandemic year has not been good for the wine industry globally with restaurant sales a mere fraction of the norm and the rise of cocktails and niche gins and whiskies eating into sales. If wine sales have suffered you can be sure that fortified sales have been much worse.
Both sherry and port sales suffered drops in sales in the past few decades already as they are perceived to be something drunk by older people. There is some truth in this, especially for cream and sweeter styles of sherry and older sherry drinkers have not been replaced by younger drinkers.
There has been some positives in the last few years however as dry Oloroso, Fino and Amontillado sherry has made some inroads thanks to enthusiastic waiters in restaurants such as Etto and Uno Mas in Dublin where they are available by the glass. Sherry is also a popular cocktail ingredient in trendy bars in London, New York and Madrid and the rise of sherry ‘bonders’ has shown the amazing quality to be had. Producers such as Equipo Navazos and Bodegas Tradicion (both available from Celtic Whiskey Shop) have found exceptional barrels of old Fino, Palo Cortado, Amontillado and Oloroso and released them as single cask bottlings, much as you would find single cask whiskies (see Spirit column below). The ‘Bota’ series from Equipo Navazos are extraordinary and well worth the extra few euro — celticwhiskeyshop.com.
The surge of interest in whiskey has led to some new recruits among whiskey enthusiasts who are keen to taste the original contents of their favourite barrel-aged whiskey. It is hugely educational to, say, taste Lustau Don Nuno Oloroso Sherry alongside Redbreast Single Malt ‘Lustau’ Edition to take just one example. With exceptional brewers like Dot Brew and others using fortified wine casks to age their IPAs and stouts I’m hoping this will encourage beer drinkers to explore more too.
Recommendations this week includes some producers that I have not featured before; and please note that the sherries suggested below are all dry wines. Tawny Port is the most accessible of fine quality ports and doesn’t need decanting — if you buy one thing from the selection below let it be port which will keep for for 3-4 weeks once opened — it is perfect for sipping in front of the TV or to match mince pies or pudding. Also a keeper is madeira which can’t be killed, even if you forget to replace the lid.
Stockists: Bradleys, 1601, World Wide Wines, Alain and Christine’s Kenmare, O’Briens, Donnybrook Fair, Red Nose Wines, wineonline.ie
Madeira is the rarest of fortified wines but can be mind blowingly enjoyable. Aged in hot steamy sheds which ‘cook’ the wine, it is effectively indestructible. Red gold colour, aromas of vanilla and sultanas, lightly sweet but also pristinely fresh, with clean acidity cutting through the boiled lemon sweets and toffeed nuts.
Stockists: Bradleys, 1601, World Wide Wines, O’Briens, 64 Wine, Ely Wine Store, Red Nose Wines, Wicklow Wine Co., Thos. Woodberrys, wineonline.ie
This remarkable Fino is a stone cold classic — sourced from a single vineyard ‘Pago De Macharundo’, oak fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 10 years. Fresh and aromatic with chalk, preserved lemon and ozone aromas, zingy and fresh with green olives, lemon and brine notes and roasted almonds on the finish.
Stockist: O’Briens Stores nationwide obrienswine.ie
This is reduced from €19 for Christmas and all this producer’s wines need exploring — look for their tangy Fino, nutty Amontillado and best of all their intense PX dessert wine perfect for pudding. From Montilla near Malaga this pours a light honey gold colour with aromas of caramel and roasted hazelnuts, sweet nuts and candied lemon on the palate, rounded and supple but bone dry on the finish.
Stockists: Cinnamon Cottage, Wine Centre Kilkenny, 64 Wine, Baggot St. Wines, Gibneys, McHughs, Terroirs, wineonline.ie
Offley was founded in 1737 and deserves to be better known especially for their top end vintage and long-aged tawnies. This pours a red-brown ‘tawny’ colour with aromas of dried cherries, vanilla and stewed plums. Complex on the palate with layers of red and darker fruits with raisins and almonds on the finish — watch for their white port and LBV’s.
Stockists: JJ O’Driscolls, No 21 Off Licence Group, O’Donovan’s, independents
This is a Single Quinta Tawny, meaning that the fruit is all from the Quinta de Ervamoira vineyard high in the Douro. Creamy rich red fruit aromas with wild strawberry and raspberry jam notes, rounded and full on the palate with supple juicy freshness and floral spice hints on the long long finish. Also watch for standard Ramos Pinto, another undervalued Port producer.
Stockists: Quay Co-Op, Organico Bantry, Little Green Grocer, Vintry Rathgar marypawlewines.com
I’ve featured this producer’s excellent floral creamy Quinta da Esteveira Douro red wine before but never their port, despite Mary Pawle importing it for 20 years. Also available in half-bottles this pours a rich dark inky red with aromas of elderberry compote and chocolate, richly textured with sweet primary fruits I can’t think of a better match for chocolates and a box set.
Stockists: L Mulligan Whiskey Shop lmulliganwhiskeyshop.ie, Coopers Cahir, Flanagans Lane Tipperary Town. tipperarydistellery.ie
The arrival of ‘terroir’ focused whisky has been a joyous thing in 2020 — first came Waterford and now Tipperary. The team of Jennifer Nickerson, her dad, Stuart ,and Jen’s husband, Liam, have finally released a single cask made from barley grown on their farm near Cahir.
Limited to 298 bottles and aged in a Rioja cask this is a future collector's item and very fairly priced given its importance. Rich roasted barley, spice and crème brûlée aromas with red fruit hints — smooth and creamy on the palate despite the ABV with delicious lingering black pepper, custard and nutmeg notes. A thrilling debut.
