Wine with Leslie: Buy as much of this €10 French wine as you can
O'Brien's' sale also continues with reductions across the range and both Aldi and Lidl have some new wines in store since last week.
This week I want to show a bit of love to the French wine industry after one of its toughest years in recent decades. Of course, 2020 was not the easiest of years either with so many restaurants around the world shuttered, but now it seems the 2021 harvest is likely to be down by 30%, with some producers comparing 2021 to the disastrous 1977 vintage.
Frosts in April destroyed the young buds in many vineyards, most notably in the Rhône, Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux and Champagne. But thankfully the dire predictions last April were a little exaggerated.
The rest of the year has not been easy either as high heat and heavy summer rains have caused mildew and potential dilution problems. Burgundy will not begin its harvest until later in September and some sunshine and drier conditions in recent weeks should help a little if not exactly transform the vintage into a classic.
In late August a strong mistral wind and dry conditions caused wildfires in Provence and while this only affected a small proportion of Provence’s vineyards some producers lost everything. In Bordeaux the rather damp summer does not augur well but coming on the back of good vintages in 2018, 2019 and 2020 at least there is the (very small) hope that prices will not rise.
As I’ve mentioned before I like to lay wine down for a bit to mellow out tannins in Bordeaux, Rhône and Languedoc wines and add creaminess to whites such as Chablis and Sancerre. I recommend you do the same if you have space and cash and this year's September wine sales should help.
Last week I featured wines from SuperValu and this week I have some bargains from the Dunnes sale and others. Besides the Dunnes wines mentioned below I also warmly recommend the Joseph Drouhin Fleurie (€13.60) and Mâcon Lugny (€11.20), the Max Roger Sancerre (€17.60, down from €22) and the Arthur Metz Alsace whites.
Bargain of the week is the first wine below, Château Cazal Viel, which is only in Dunnes at this price because of cancelled orders from the USA due to Covid — buy as much as you can. O'Brien's sale continues with reductions across the range and both Aldi and Lidl have some new wines in store since last week and I feature a Lidl wine below — my top pick in Aldi is their new Lebanese wine from the Bekaa Valley (review next week).
Stockist: Dunnes Stores
This is the bargain of the Dunnes Sale and probably the best wine deal in the country this week. Made from old vine Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre in one of the best vineyards of the Languedoc, maturing nicely but with at least 3-4 years left — I bought a few bottles for the cellar last year at €12. Ripe brambly fruits with herbal 'garrigue' and black pepper aromas, layered, elegant and delicious.
Stockist: Lidl
I think I may have mentioned this producer’s Gigondas in the past, but this Autumn it is just their Vacqueyras in stock (Vacqueyras is eight minutes' drive from Gigondas and 25 minutes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.) This pours a youthful bright purple with red and black fruit aromas, a textured fruit-driven palate and some balancing grip and acidity — and red fruit and spice notes on the finish.
Stockist: Dunnes Stores
This is reduced from €10 for the Dunnes French sale and is a solid mid-week crowd-pleaser. Still young and vibrant with a fruit-driven palate and a pleasing hit of spice and mocha but not without a little grip and weight. Dunnes have a few tasty and inexpensive Bordeaux in the sale, watch also for: Haut Canteloup (€15.20), Bois Pertuis (€10) and Roc De Vilepreux (€8.50).
Stockist: Dunnes Stores
Reduced from €38 this month and at a great price if you like your Claret. The second wine of Château Batailley which was ranked as a 5th Growth Cru in the 1855 classification and still deserves its Cru Classé status in my view. Classic cedar and bramble fruit aromas, textured and generous with lingering damson and savoury dark fruits and lots of grip and structure which means this will evolve further.
Stockist: Dunnes Stores
Château du Tertre is also ranked as a 5th growth and this is reduced from €30. The 2018 vintage is considered top-notch but this is still quite young so big black fruits dominate the nose with the vanilla and cedar notes in the background — ripe crunchy dark fruits with eucalyptus and blackcurrant notes and a crunchy finish. Drinking surprisingly well but a wine that will develop over the next decade.
Stockist: O’Briens
This biodynamic/organic wine by biodynamic pioneer Gérard Bertrand is normally €40. I’ll be buying a couple of bottles to age for a bit in the cellar. A blend of seven grapes including Cabernet, Merlot, Grenache and Syrah this has bright dark fruit aromas with a wild herb edginess, luscious blackberry and dark plum flavours and nice complexity and weight. Should age nicely for at least six years.
Stockists: connemarabrewery.com, McCambridges, and in establishments such as Ballynahinch Castle, Ard Bia, The G Hotel and The Blue Note.
Brewed in Cheathrú-Rua (Carreroe) in the heart of Connemara this beer was new to me but is one I’ll be seeking out again. There was a brief Aldi link-up this summer but it's best to order online — 24 cans cost just €60.
As well as this Ale there is an excellent lager which manages to be textured as well as crisp with light floral notes. The Irish Ale is even better, pouring a pale reddish-gold, orange peel and citrus aromas with a hint of ripe peach, smooth and creamy on the palate with a pleasing hop-focused finish.
