Wine with Leslie: Wines to transport you abroad
From a fruity New Zealand Rosé to a floral fruity Greek Agiorgitiko red — these wines will transport you to warmer climates.
From the cool north-facing slopes of mountain vineyards on the island of Samos near Turkey, this has delightful floral muscat aromas with a touch of orange-flower oil- honeyed tangerine and yellow peaches on the palate but with some lively tang and acidity on the finish. Serve chilled with summer fruits or a fruit salad — apricots, peaches or strawberries will all work — or perhaps a summer trifle.
Mavrodaphne of Patras was first created in the 19th Century, based loosely on Port (but also including a Solera system of ageing like Sherry. I admit I have a sweet tooth but I found this charming, lighter than Port with ripe black cherries that put me in mind of proper Bavarian black forest gateaux. Fruity and luscious with lively sweet cherries balanced by freshness. Serve cool with chocolates (e.g. Grá) or with summer fruits.
This arrived in Lidl stores in the last week or so along with a Central Otago Pinot Noir - a quality region you rarely find in supermarkets. Very pale salmon pink with aromas of raspberry and peach, fruity and fresh with a light tang of acidity — serve well chilled. The Outlook Bay Pinot Noir (€11.99) meanwhile is packed with red fruit aromas and spicy darker fruits on the palate — serve cool for best results.
From Attika in Central Greece, this is 70% Agiorgitiko (St. George’s Grape) with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon to add heft and richness to the floral blackberry character of the Agiorgitiko (Greece’s most widely planted grape). Brambles and dark cherry aromas and flavours with pleasing soft dark fruits on the palate balanced by freshness and some cherry skin textures.
www.whelehanswines.ie
This is one of the classic wines myself and David Whelehan will be showing at Grub Circus this weekend — chosen to focus on flavour and layers. A blend of 70% Sauvignon and 30% Sémillon with citrus, apple, guava and other tropical aromas, textured and complex with lively freshness and pleasing weigh and length and a beguiling finish that offers freshness as well as length.
So if the crowds at Grub Circus at ‘All Together Now’ don’t vote for this I give up! This is just gorgeous and from a Monopole (single, family-owned, vineyard) planted with old vines (pre 1957). Ripe cherry, blackberry and spice aromas, layered and plush with ripe red fruits mingling with subtle forest floor hints and a long finish that evolves and develops for a full minute (I counted!).
Donegal-based Sliabh Liag are busy recreating the taste of 19th-century Donegal whiskies when barley was typically malted over peat. The previous release — Dark Silkie — was full of sweet apple fruits and pipe tobacco aromas and this takes it up a notch.
The Midnight Silkie is part of the core Silkie collection and is a blend of Single Malts finished in Virgin Oak and Imperial Stout seasoned casks. This has a bold peaty, smoky nose with background notes of muscovado sugar while the palate has sweet apricots, sultanas and spice flavours and a peppery zesty finish. Try it in a Manhattan.
