Weekend wine with Blake Creedon
I discovered the other day that by suggesting alternatives to two broadly contrasting grapes, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, I may have inadvertently contributed to the prejudice against the blameless grape. Nothing could be further from what I’d intended.
A half decent chardonnay will offer delicious interplay between the acute ping of citrus fruit and a contrasting plush rich texture.
* Like many another column or blog, this corner of the Irish Examiner is all about celebrating wine, its flavours and scents — poetry in a glass. And then in other parts of this newspaper you’ll read court and crime reports that state that alcohol played a central role, through to health statistics about alcohol-related damage done to our physical and mental health. Well, it’s time to bring the two together, to stop being shy about the dual nature of alcohol and learn to enjoy it while coping with its nature as a powerful and potentially dangerous substance.
I’d recommend you download and read The Misuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs published this week by the Joint Committee on Health and Children. It’s a bank of evidence about the damage alcohol does to our country, along with some brave and radical proposals to address it.
Widely reported as recommending a ban on supermarkets selling drink, the report actually calls for legislation to “ban the presentation and sale of alcoholic products alongside groceries, confectionery and fuel” which is quite different. It could be reflected by big stores having to have a separate alcohol section so it is given its proper place as a speciality rather than normalised as a staple.
Recommendation 12, suggesting banning home deliveries of alcohol, may be going too far. In fairness, the booze taxi delivering to underage kids exposed on Prime Time in 2010 is a world away from responsible online wine retailers.
* There’s much more in the report so I hope you’ll read it and also see my blog at blakecreedon.wordpress.com.
One problem chardonnay has is its tendency to run to over-the-top plumpness. But there’s something very attractive about the honeyed peachy cadence it can develop in warm climates — as this one from the Languedoc proves.
There’s that ping of lemon, accompanied by vibrant tropical fruit but wrapped in a fine soft welcoming texture. It’s made by Adolfo Hurtado of Cono Cur fame from grapes grown in Chile’s Central Valley.
The Yarra Valley wines of Yering Station are well worth exploring. Here at the entry level, bearing the wider Victoria appellation, is a terrific value wine — an alert and fresh chardonnay.
Along with the Borgo Magredo prosecco I mentioned recently, this was one of the great sparkling discoveries of 2011. It’s a perfectly-poised fresh citrusy sparkler made with a blend of good ol chardonnay with the local macabeo grape.
Made by Andrew Spinaze in the Hunter region (half a continent away from the Barossa, home of another excellent M&S chardonnay) this is ripe and expressive. Enjoy it for itself — and as inspiration to seek out Tyrrell’s often astounding range.
This is a great price for a classy chardonnay from southern Burgundy, chiming like a bell with mouth-watering tropical fruit. And while you’re at it, Superquinn’s La Croisade Reserve Chardonnay is reduced from €15.99 to €8 until Tuesday.
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