Wine with Leslie: Award-winning tipples and autumnal apple rum
It is awards season in the Irish wine world with the results of the 2025 Irish Wine Show just in.
It is awards season in the Irish wine world with the results of the 2025 Irish Wine Show just in.
The show is run by the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) which represents independent wine merchants throughout Ireland who deserve our support.
As independents nationwide will stock all the winning wines, the prices are lower than usual, giving the independent trade a chance to compete (a little) with the supermarkets.
Over 600 wines were tasted blind and myself and three other wine journalists had the final say on the medal-winners.
Blame me and Jean Smullen (my colleague on Movies and Booze on ) if you don’t like any of the winning reds!
As usual, Spain did well, winning both red and white wine of the year.
The red is featured below and the white is a relatively rare oak fermented white Rioja from Lopez de Haro, a style I adore.
Interestingly, a similar oaked white rioja from Conde Valdemar won a medal in 2023, it's a style worth exploring.
Spain took the most awards with France not too far behind plus wines from Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa and a bargain €12 Cabernet from Recas in Romania.
I feature two French winners below, the red is a gorgeous Bordeaux from Château Pey-Bonnehomme Les-Tours in Blaye, one of the most consistent and exciting natural wine producers in France.
Previously imported by Mary Pawle (now retired). the wines are with the excellent importer Mackenway now so will have more distribution nationwide and appear on more wine lists.
I believe the excellent 2020 vintage can be found in Mannings of Ballylickey and Mary herself has some if you email her on info@marypawlewines.com.
Finally a nod to autumn and apple season, do check out the apple rum featured below, it really is one of the nicest things I’ve tasted all year.
Winner of Old World White under €15 at the Irish Wine Show, Uby is a family-run estate in Gascony specialising in crisp, mouth-watering whites.
This is a Colombard-Sauvignon Blanc blend with floral, white peach and citrus aromas, a zingy fresh palate with some nice grapefruit acidity on the finish.
Larga Historia Garnacha, Valencia, Spain €18.95
Red wine of the year at the NOffLA Irish Wine Show, from vineyards at 650m above sea level with 50% whole bunch fermentation which gives the wine a pleasing lightness of touch.
Cooked strawberry and red berry fruit aromas, luscious and ripe on the palate with some herbal freshness and a lightly tart red and black fruit flavoured finish.
Château Pey-Bonhomme-les-Tours 2022, Blaye, Bordeaux, €25
Catherine Hubert is a fifth-generation winemaker and has managed to put the almost forgotten Bordeaux commune of Blaye back on everyone’s radar almost single-handedly with her delicious non-intervention wines.
This is mostly Merlot with ripe dark-chocolate tinged plum fruit aromas, a beautiful suppleness on the palate and a vibrant palate. A must try.
Rod and Julie Calder-Potts are famous for their apple treacle and apple syrup (a wonderful substitute for maple syrup), but should be equally famous for their apple cider, rum and brandy.
Pouring a rich dark brown with caramel and crème brûlée aromas, richly sweet and complex with spice and cooked apple intensity.
Fascinating and delicious. Other size bottles available.
