Wine with Leslie: My great white hopes for summer refreshment
Pic: iStock
Spring has definitely arrived with actual warm sunshine occurring in parts of Ireland in recent days, so this week I am focusing on some tasty and textured white wines.
As you might expect I drink both red and white wine but I have realised I have been giving far more space to red wine. Expect more whites in coming weeks from Godello to Xarel-lo to Viognier to Savignan.
One wine region I’ve been exploring this past week is the Mosel.
The Mosel River begins its life in the Vosges Mountains in France and winds its way to Koblenz just south of Cologne where it joins the Rhine.
Vines grow along its steep banks for most of this journey and Riesling is the star of the south-facing slopes where the roots dig deep into the slate soils.
I have two supermarket Mosel rieslings below, these are dry wines and low in alcohol (10-11%) but as always with the Mosel expect a little touch of sweet fruit in the mix and lots of acidity to refresh the palate.
Also watch for names like Fritz Haag, My Karp, Dr. Loosen and Selbach (O’Briens).
Also recommended is an Aligoté from Sylvain Pataille presented his wines at the Vinostito portfolio tasting recently.
Pataille is based in Marsannay the most northerly village of the Côtes de Nuits — the only Burgundy region that can make red, white and rosé.
A colleague asked Sylvain how he treated his Aligoté and he said “I don’t, I do nothing!” - this rather sums up his philosophy.
He gently presses his grapes in one of his many basket presses and then the juice is (carefully) transferred to large old barrels (foudres) until it is ready to bottle.
Also, watch for his tangy bone dry rosé and his elegant layered Marsannay and Bourgogne Rouge.
Schiefer Steillage means ‘Steep Slate Slope’ which is what sets the Mosel apart - the slates are a sort of storage heater and steep slopes allowing maximum sunlight. This has just a touch of residual sugar but this is balanced by acidity - bacon & cooked apple aromas, creamy apple fruits followed by Granny Smith acidity on the finish.
It was a bit of a coup for Lidl to get winemaker Markus Molitor to make some wines for them, there is also a crisp brisk fresh Sauvignon now in store. This has lemony-apple fruit aromas mixed with citrus, zingy apple fruits on the palate, taut, bright and tasty and perfect for fish in a light batter or on its own.
Sylvain Pataille is a bit of a legend and you will easily spot his purple labels in good independents. His Aligoté is treated very simply and this shows in its purity of flavour - herbal lime aromas with a touch of wood smoke, elegant tangy apple and peach fruits and fine textural complexity.
Another fine beer from Whiplash, this is typical of the West Coast IPA style with lots and lots of hops, big and bold with a piney, resinous intensity. Whiplash have been brewing since just 2016 but it seems like longer — they are now based in Cherry Orchard in Dublin.
This pours hazy light gold with sitka pine and grapefruit aromas, tangerine and bitter hops on the mid palate and a tangy dry finish.
