News

The Irish Times - Saturday, July 16, 2011 In the pink for salad days JOHN WILSON WINE: Looking for something light to suit the mellow days and long nights? Try a glass of rosé, a sparkling wine such as cava, or an Australian pink. They can put a stretch into your euro as well as the evenings OVER THE NEXT few weeks, I will be covering summer wines. Other than sparkling wines, all will cost less than €15 a bottle, and under €12 where possible. For the most part, I have tried to select lighter wines that are suitable for drinking by themselves or with light meals. It is only right that when holidaying in Ireland we should try to buy local. However, if you know your off-licence has an unexciting and over-priced range of wine, why not buy online or by mail order? It will allow you to choose from a far more interesting range of wines. You could also have it delivered to your door. Most wine merchants offer a mail-order service, and at this stage, most have websites as well. My own favourites include The Wine Store in Kildare (great for French and Spanish wines), Wines Direct in Mullingar (which has a retail outlet just off the motorway), and Le Caveau in Kilkenny, but there are plenty of others too, including Wineonline, Red Nose Wine, Curious Wines, the Corkscrew and Simply Wines. Now that we have a burgeoning micro-beer market, you can buy really good local beer in many parts of the country. See beoir.org for a list of brewers and stockists. You could even give the brewery a call to see if they accept visitors. Crémant d’Alsace Brut Extra NV, Domaine Meyer-Fonné, 12%: Alsace produces some excellent sparkling wine, made by the traditional Champagne method. This wine, made from a blend of pinot blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir is bone dry with just two grammes of residual sugar. It is a very stylish wine, with a lightly bready nose, wonderful clean crisp citrus acidity, balanced perfectly by some lovely ripe fruit. It is streets ahead of most Champagne at this price. Stockists: Redmonds of Ranelagh; Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street; Le Caveau, Kilkenny, lecaveau.ie view the full article:

Familia Cecchin Malbec Mendoza 2008, 13.5%: A natural wine, made without the addition of sulphur, and also without the lavish use of new oak. Medium-bodied, with delicious pure damson and savoury dark berry fruits, this would make perfect barbecue fare for red meats. Stockists: Le Caveau Kilkenny. John Wilson, Irish Times - July2nd, 2011

he Irish Times - Saturday, May 28, 2011 Savennières whites with ageing potential Savennières produces some of the Loire’s more individual wines, with plenty of character, and price points to suit most pockets, writes JOHN WILSON FRANCE IS FULL of little-known wines dreamt up by local committees in times past. Sometimes I think an unpronounceable name is a prerequisite for an official appellation. These small areas, producing unique wines from ancient grape varieties, are fascinating to the wine anorak. But the general public rarely shares this enthusiasm and frequently ignore the wines completely. The Loire Valley is probably one of the worst offenders in this respect. Writing an article for a trade body, I once counted almost 90 different appellations. As the Loire produces every conceivable style of wine, the possibility for confusion is endless. However, some of the wines are worth investigating. One such appellation is Savennières which I first discovered while working in the UK. At that stage, Chardonnay was all the rage, preferably with lashings of new oak. At a tasting of French wines, I got particularly excited by the wine, so much so that when I got married the following year, we served the same wine alongside poached salmon at the wedding breakfast. After the event, I squirrelled away a leftover case, opening one bottle every year either of us remembered our anniversary. Some have been very good, but more recently a few were a little tired. But this year, on our 20th anniversary, we cracked open the very last bottle. Despite my concerns, it was sublime: rich, waxy and honeyed, but dry, with a lovely firm acidity. Savennières is made from a sole grape variety, Chenin Blanc. This is the second most widely planted white variety in the Loire, but cannot be described as the most friendly. It is never very forthcoming in its youth, and always full of acidity, although modern winemaking techniques have certainly helped make it more approachable. But given a few years it can blossom into one of the most sublime wines. Vouvray is the best-known name, but you will find Chenin Blanc throughout the central Loire, sometimes dry, sometimes sweet, or often sparkling. Loire expert Richard Kelley, in his free online Definitive Guide to the Wines of the Loire, gives a very accurate description of Chenin Blanc and Savennières in particular. “It has always been considered a cerebral wine – never facile – demanding contemplation, a wine characterised by its unforgiving, youthful austerity and razor sharp acidity,” he writes, “but then true Chenin is defined by the tension and nervosity derived from the levels of malic acid found within.” He also points out that Savennières represents less than a fifth of 1 per cent of all grapes planted in the Loire. My wedding wine came from Florent Baumard, one of the leading producers in the region. His wines are a little more approachable than some, apparently down to the fact that the wines undergo a malolactic fermentation, and therefore have relatively softer acidity. In theory, it should mean they do not age as well, as acidity is the key determining factor in maturing white wine, but my experience does not bear this out. Wine has been made in Savennières for centuries, having been first planted with vines by monks in the 12th century. At one time, it enjoyed great fame in the French court, and was a favourite of Louis XIV. After the second World War, it declined in popularity, but has seen a recent resurgence of interest. The original appellation in 1952 was for a demi-sec or sweet wine, but most are now dry. Within Savennières lies the single vineyard appellation of Coulée de Serrant, historically producing one of the great wines of France. In recent years, it has been run by Nicolas Joly, the dynamic high-priest of the biodynamic movement. I am a fan of some biodynamic wines, but cannot recommend his, as they are made in a very oxidative style. Over the river lie the vineyards of Coteaux du Layon, and their sub-districts of Chaume and Bonnezeaux, which produce some of the world’s greatest sweet wines from the same variety. Terroirs in Donnybrook, le Caveau in Kilkenny and James Nicholson (all of which do mail-order) have a decent range of wines from the Loire, including some from Savennières. Vouvray La Dilettante 2009 Catherine and Pierre Breton, 12%, €17.95 Catherine and Pierre Breton, leading producers in Bourgueil, also produce this fascinating dry(ish) Chenin Blanc, made by biodynamic methods. It has wonderful rich, luscious pineapple and peach fruits, seemingly low acidity, yet retains plenty of life. At a mere 12% alcohol, it is light, yet juicy. Try it with scallops or prawns. Stockist: Le Caveau, Kilkenny

Chateau Montus and Chateau Bouscasse are without doubt, the leading estates in Madiran. For the last 30 years, owner, Alain Brumont has done an enormous amount for the appellation. He set the example by reducing yields, increasing significantly the density of vines per hectare, using only the best available grafts, harvesting perfectly ripe grapes and oak-ageing most of his wine. Today, Brumont is still bursting with fresh ideas and is constantly working in improving his wines, from the excellent value vins de Pays range to the magnificent La Tyre. This is an unmissable opportunity to taste these amazing wines, paired with the delicious food and relaxed atmosphere at Fallon and Byrne:

This first flight of `natural wines` come from passionate growers who grow their vines in symbiosis with nature, using only natural products in their vineyards and reducing yields in order to harvest grapes that are healthy and that concentrate all the goodness and characteristics of their terroir. Come harvest time, these grapes are transformed into wines using traditional tools and with minimal human intervention. Which also means no modern additives are used, no sulphites, no acidification, chaptalization etc... the fermentation starts with indigenous yeasts found on the grapes skin and in the air. In other words these wines are the purest and truest expression of their region and terroirs and what`s more, they are incredibly digestible! The list below is not exhaustive, most of the growers we work with and present on this website are true followers of organic practises in their vineyards and also make their wines as naturally as they can. Jean Foillard in Morgon, Pascal Verhaeghe, Luc de Conti in the South-West, The Chaume-Arnaud and Clos de Caveau in the Rhone, Felix Meyer in Alsace, to name but a few, produce wines in a very similar manner. So here are our new `no sulphites added` wines!: Thierry Puzelat, Touraine Cot (Malbec) `In Cot we Trust` Anna Martens (Wife of our best pal, Eric Narioo of Les Caves de Pyrene) Vino di Anna Jeudi 15, IGT Sicilia Familia Ceccin, Mendoza Malbec (Argentina) Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Casa Coste Piane Montlouis `Mineral +`, Frantz Saumon Vouvray Sec `La Dilettante`, Pierre et Catherine Breton

Felix Meyer, one of the most talented poducer of Alsace will be hosting a Masterclass, followed by a Gourmet wine Dinner at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co.Waterford. Download details here

We`re open today until 4.30pm, then we close for a week... Re-opening Tuesday 11th January 2011 at 10.30*... We wish all our visitors a very Happy New Year! * We will be open for wholesale orders from 4th January :)

Our quest for authentic, naturally-made and most importantly, brilliant wines is never ending; this time our new arrivals are coming from producers in Yarra Valley, Central Otago, Guerrouane (Morocco), Santorini (Greece), Roussillon, Bandol, Beaujolais, Corbières, Puglia, Tuscany, Oregon, California, Elgin and Stellenbosch (South Africa) and Mendoza (Argentina). A lot to discover, a lot to digest!. Here is the list! Luddite Shiraz, Stellenbosch, South Africa Elgin Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Elgin, South Africa - Organic Inkawu Pinotage, Laibach Vineyards, Stellenbosch, South Africa Sokol Blosser Evolution, Dundee Hills, Oregon - Organic Sokol Blosser Meditrina, Dundee Hills, Oregon - Organic Clos Mimi, Sgell Creek Syrah, California Terra Organica Chenin Blanc, Zuccardi Family, Mendoza, Argentina– Organic Santa Julia Organica Malbec, Zuccardi Family, Mendoza, Argentina– Organic Timo Mayer Close-Planted Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia Luke Lambert, Heathcote Nebbiolo, Yarra Valley, Australia – Organic Felton Road Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand– Biodynamic Hatzidakis, Santorini Cuvée 17, Greece – Organic Fatalone, Primitivo Gioia Del Colle, Puglia, Italy - Organic Pian Dell’orino, Brunello Di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy – Biodynamic Domaine De La Tour Du Bon, Bandol, Provence - Organic Chateau Ollieux Romanis, Corbières Cuvée Alice, Southern France Domaine Le Roc Des Anges, Côtes Du Roussillon Villages Rouge “Segna de Cor” – Organic Didier Desvignes, Fleurie, Beaujolais - Organic Jean-Luc Matha, Marcillac `Cuvee Lairis` - Organic La Zouina, Volubilia Rouge, Guerrouane, Morocco La Zouina, Volubilia Rose, Guerrouane, Morocco

News, vineyards visits, tutored wine tasting, Kilkenny festivals.... It`s all in there... Le Caveau on Facebook

We are delighted with our latest find from Spain; at a time when the average Rioja tend to be over-powering, over-extracted and over-oaked, stumbling upon the wines of Hacienda Grimon comes as a breath of fresh air. Pure, well-delineated with the right amount of oak and more importantly, extremely digestible, these 2 Riojas are really worth trying.

John Wilson relates his meeting with Pascal Verhaeghe (Chateau du Cedre, Cahors) and Luc de Conti (Tour des Gendres, Bergerac) during their Dublin visit last March. Download here.

First, a lovely white from Gascony, South West France. Domaine de Menard "Cuvee Marine" 2009 a refreshing, flavoursome white, blend of Colombard, Ugni blanc and Gros Manseng, three varietals native of the South West. We are also thrilled to have secured the agency for Ireland for the brilliant Chaume-Arnaud estate in Vinsobres, Southern Rhone. Their Cotes du Rhone is a warm, spicy and sweetly fruited wine, while the Vinsobres is a more meaty, intense, full-bodied red from this new Rhone Appellation. Coming soon, the wines of the great Jean Foillard in Morgon, Domaine de la Plaigne`s toothsome Beaujolais-Villages, Rioja Crianza and Reserva from Hacienda Grimon and two Verdejos from Rueda producer Torres Manur...