Wine with Leslie: New wine-stocking service has a cellar reputation
Always wanted a wine cellar? Start with the Nude Wine Company (who may not deliver exactly as their branding suggests)
Last week I featured some wines that are capable of ageing including some you might not expect such as Greywacke Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc. By coincidence, I was contacted recently by Michelle Lawlor of The Nude Wine Company who offer PreCurated Cellars. In short Michelle picks the wines for you and helps you maintain stocks.
Michelle spent 18 years in the wine industry in London, New Zealand and Hong Kong before returning to Ireland, and has a fine palate. She focuses on organic and biodynamic wines from classic regions, but also emerging ones. The site operates as a standard online shop as well as offering wine consultations. Delivery is nationwide within 2-3 days and via a zero emissions courier.
Her cellar service comes in three levels priced €580, €779 and €1450, and would be a good way to begin a collection. It seems Michelle has similar tastes to me when browsing her online shop, as many have appeared on this page.
I’ve always collected wine and I find it hugely comforting to know I can reach for a decent bottle whenever I want - it was a God-send during the Covid lockdowns. Michelle suggests Barolo and White Burgundy as her favourite wines to age and she has some good examples on her site - I recommend two below. Due to arrive next week are Burgundy wines from Róisín Curley’s latest release - I’ve already tasted a couple and the quality is off the charts.
My other focus this week is International Sherry Week which runs from Nov 7th-13th and for cocktails and recipes, go here.
Cava Bodega in Galway have Sherry offers all week and is hosting a Sherry & Tapas event on Thursday 10th at 5pm, price €35.
This is reduced from €20 and is the perfect dry Oloroso for International Sherry Week - it goes great with pâté (e.g.On the Pigs Back’s). From Montila-Moriles near Malaga, this pours a light honey gold with aromas of caramel and roasted hazelnuts, sweet nuts and candied lemon on the palate but bone dry on the finish.
From a winery founded in the 1890 this is old-school Rioja with lots of spice and characterful mature fruits and normally costs closer to €23. Sweet vanilla and red fruit aromas combined with spice and savoury darker fruits, complex on the palate with good length. This is capable of ageing a few more years so perhaps buy a few.
Albariño is usually fairly reliable but in recent years there has been a bit of a move towards cheaper and duller wines to serve supermarket discounts - this bucks that trend and is well worth trying. Peach and tropical notes with a touch of pineapple, fleshy and fruit-driven with a pleasing tang of lemony acidity on the finish.
This is Michelle of Nude Wine’s top pick for your cellar and she is correct that Barolo ages beautifully. Michelle described this as “open, generous and layered with juicy red cherry flavours overlain with herbs and spices, plus notes of raspberry and cranberry”. I agree, and would only add mention of the fine boned elegance and texture.
Aged white Burgundy is a treat and all cellars should have a couple of bottles stashed away. Pernand Vergelesses deserves to be better known as it is just north of Beaune beside Savigny-les-Beaune. This has ripe pear with hints of butterscotch and flint, and beautiful texture and precision.
Nude Wine Co. have this at €26 which is a bargain - Michelle calls the winemaker The King of Spanish Whites’. From 30 year old vines grown at 600m - floral and stone fruit aromas with a touch of fennel and sage, creamy and complex with brisk acidity and a lingering salty tang.
This is the second release of Blackpitts ‘Big Smoke’ celebrating Dublin’s industrial history, a throwback to when we malted our barley over turf fires.
Double distilled from peated malted barley, matured in ex-bourbon casks and limited to 8400 bottles. Peaty, charred oak aromas with a touch of seaweed, surprisingly smooth given the ABV, chocolate, roasted chestnuts and spice notes on the palate and a peppery lemon oil finish.
Teelings have more releases due in the coming weeks so stay alert. Their Wonders of Wood Portuguese Cask (€80) has honey and butterscotch flavours and the Rising Reserve 1 Single Malt (€225) is beautifully smooth and creamy.
