Some excellent Valentines day wine suggestions
O’Donovans have the excellent Jacquart Brut Mosaique Rosé at just €29.99, Tesco have Tattinger for €40 and SuperValu have Griffith Park Sparkling White and Rosé for €13.
There are numerous wines with superficial connections to Valentine’s Day with the Beaujolais Cru Saint-Amour one obvious choice (check on Wine-Searcher.com). If want to really impress I recommend Chateau Calon Ségur from St Estephe in Bordeaux which has a large heart on the label — you can buy the 2007 for €75 from www.MitchellandSon.com or better still the 1996 from www.Greenacreswine.com for €130.
At a recent tasting I was reminded of another potential Valentine treat with the cherry and raisin flavoured Valpolicella and Amarone of Tommasi. “Amarone is the perfect Valentine’s drink because first of all it sounds like Amore and don’t forget that we are from Verona, the home of the most famous lovers of them all: Romeo and Juliet,” said Pierangelo Tommasi who is the fourth generation involved in the family business.
Amarone is made with grapes that are dried for at least four months after the harvest to concentrate the juice and then fermented to dryness. This process is particularly suited to the grapes of the Valpolicella region thanks to their thick skins.
Amaro is actually the Italian for bitter but bitterness is a flavour you rarely find in Amarone (unlike in love affairs). Of the three we tasted, the 2009 was voluptuous and sweet but was perhaps a little too young. The 2000 tasted of currants and raisins and still had some fruit and subtlety, but the star was the 1997 which was like the distilled essence of cherries wrapped in a warming complex dried fruit structure. Delicious stuff but sadly good Amarone costs around €40, so check out the recommendations below.
Stockist: SuperValu
This is on special offer from Feb 10 until March 2. Fruity and slightly spicy GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) with some nice blackberry and red fruit complexity.
Stockist: O’Briens
Viognier at its best is the ultimate seduction wine with its luscious aromas of peaches and apricots and viscous texture. This is a bin-end in O’Briens so will only be available for the next few weeks. Distinct peach aroma that follows through on the palate with touches of angelica and pear.
Stockists: Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu, Next Door, Independents
Unlike other Torres wines which have a plastic bull hanging from the foil this has a tiny golden cupid. There is a very fruity (read sweet) white version also but I preferred the red. Light fruity red fruit aromas with plums and a hint of spice on the palate and a dry finish.
Stockists: Cork: O’Driscolls, Ballinlough, Pettitts, Wexford, Vintry Rathgar, Searsons Fairview, Sweenys, Harts Corner, Redmonds, Ranelagh.
Founded in 1639 the Hugel family have been at this a long time. This “Cuvéé of the Loves” is full-bodied, peach scented and yet bone dry. A little like a Pinot Grigio with flavour and an excellent introduction to the rest of the Hugel range and the wines of Alsace in general.
Stockists: O’Donovans, O’Driscolls Cahirciveen, Next Door, Myles Creek Kilkee, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, Redmonds Ranelagh.
Ripe black cherry fruit flavours, soft and very approachable with a lovely pure expression of fruit. An extra Euro or two will get you their Arele Appassimento IGT which has 30% dried grapes or the Tommasi Ripasso which is fermented on the lees of the Amarone wines
Stockists: Widely Available
This is an old favourite of mine and one of the best sparkling wines on the market. Tesco have it on special offer this weekend (at €15) and it is likely to be marked down elsewhere also. Made with the classic Champagne grapes this is fragrant and creamy on the nose with a dry lemony finish.
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