Now that Spring has sprung (though the weather may not suggest as much!) the thirst for fresh, fruity wines is on. Having recently went to a local restaurant and choosing a delicious dish of mussels in a creamy sauce, i perused their pretty small wine list to find that they stocked the new vintage 2011 3 Wooly Sheep Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Knowing this wine from the shop, though not familiar with the new vintage I figured it would be a good match for my mussels dish. (Though it grates me sometimes seeing the price difference in restaurants. We sell for £8.45 per bottle, they sell for nearly twice the price at £16.50!).

Made by the Lawson’s winery in Marlborough, they are one of the most consistent producers of Marlborough Sauvignon i’ve tried over the years and have never disappointed me.

Anyway it was a great match for the mussels, chock full of lime fruit, elderflower, and grapefruit this little beauty screams spring time and works well with salads and shellfish. Ideal on its own as well.

Buy it from £8.45 per bottle or £40 per 6 pack

Counting down the days to summer

Although we’ve got a while to wait for summer the long evenings are here as are the flashes of sunshine so you might just squeeze in the odd BBQ before summer begins.. Nothing beats BBQ with a nice glass of red so we’ve got just the thing to tickle those taste buds. Aso and Gordon Tempranillo is from a brand new winery in Spain’s Campo de Borja. Bodegas Celtas is the combination of Irish man Dermot Gordon and his partner Mercedes Aso. 2009 is their first vintage and the wines show early promise. The Tempranillo is harvested from estate only grown fruit shows good depth of flavour with an emphasis on red fruits. The Garnacha is lighter in body with red fruits, toffee flavours, and lovely soft palate.

Both are on offer right now at at £6.99 per bottle or £40 per 6 pack

Beautiful Yarra Valley's Rolling Hills

 

 

Established in 2004 by Phil Sexton, Innocent Bystander is an independent winery focused on producing quality, flavour driven wines from carefully selected vineyards in the Yarra Valley and beyond. They dodge the bland direction and market dominance increasingly exerted by large corporate winemaking groups.

They see themselves as the Innocent Bystanders.  Designed for small batch winemaking, the winery is built around gravity flow principles and has set a new standard for small-batch winemaking and modern cellar door presentation. 
With artisan bread, house-roasted coffee, a cheese room and a bistro featuring the best in local and seasonal produce, Innocent Bystander really does go against the grain with this modern take.

All these add-ons are no gimmick though as the wines themselves have overtime increased levels of complexity and texture with greater use of wild fermentations and restrained oak handling.

Innocent Bystander Chardonnay 2010

2010 chardonnay
Innocent Bystander Chardonnay is full of Yarra Valley’s alpine influences and flinty soils, producing a taut, citrus-y, refreshing, textural Chardonnay, rounded out with creamy oak notes. This wine drinks well on release but will reward cellaring for 3-5 years. Try this with fresh Turbot in a chive sauce or Roast Chicken with Chipolatas.

This received the full Burgundian treatment: Yarra Valley grapes were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and lees stirred in barrel. That labour intensive approach has resulted in an elegant, complex wine of good balance and depth of flavour. Try with shellfish.
Jeff Collerson – Daily Telegraph, 2011-04-09

Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2010

2010 Pinot Noir
The 2010 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir spent 10 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. Medium ruby-coloured, the nose reveals smoke, raspberry, and cherry. Ripe and forward, this tasty Pinot can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years. It is an excellent value wine.

Dom Pérignon (1638–1715) was a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers.  In 1670 he was the first to blend grapes in such a way as to improve the quality of wines and deal with a number of their imperfections, a process today which is crucial to the production of Champagne.

Dom Pérignon also introduced corks, which were fastened to bottles with hemp string soaked in oil in order to keep the wines fresh and sparkling, and used thicker glass in order to strengthen the bottles (which were prone to explode at that time).  The glass for these bottles actually originated in England at the time as the English had the technology to produce strong enough glass to withstand the pressures created in the bottle throgh the secondary fermentaion.

Dom Perignon 2002

The development of sparkling wines as the main style of production in Champagne occurred progressively over the 19th century, over one century after Dom Pérignon’s death as still wine was also important to the region at this time, however with unreliable vintages the decison to move to blending across years and develop the Sparkling style was an obvious one for quality and financial purposes. 

The first buyers of Dom Pérignon 1921 were 150 customers of Simon Bros & Co, the company that imported Moët in the United Kingdom, which ordered the first 300 bottles.  The wine got immediate attention in the marketplace and 100 boxes were shipped to the United States shortly thereafter.  James Buchanan Duke, the billionaire who had founded the American Tobacco Company, ordered 100 bottles for himself.

17 bottles sold at an auction in Christie’s in New York City in June 2004 were part of that order (Doris Duke, the billionaire’s daughter, had kept them in her cellar).  According to Dom Pérignon cellar master Richard Geoffroy, the 1921 vintage had a “distinctive bouquet comprising sandalwood, vanilla and praline”.  Until the 1943 vintage, Dom Pérignon was produced from regular vintage Moët & Chandon Champagne that was transferred to the special 18th Century-style bottles after extended cellaring.

In 1981, Dom Pérignon was chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. The magnums of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 served on that July 29 carried a special insignia created just for the ceremony.

Dom Perigon 2002 in Coffret

The Current Release…

The 2002 Vintage has been regarded as one of the best of the recent vintages of Dom Perignon and the best since 1996, and equal to the famed 1990 in terms of scoring by Robert Parker.  The 2002 is the house’s current release.  Aged for 7 years on lees the current release wines were disgorged in 2009.

**eRobertParker.com: 96 Points**
Antonio Gallioni for eRobertParker.com

“The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine’s volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032.”

**Web Exclusive Price:  £97.00 per bottle  RRP £119.00**

Read more on Dom Perignon at wikipedia.org or Dom Perignon’s Offical Website

Giovanni Allegrini also known as “the barrel spider” started working at a very young age and perfected the art of wine-making with great skill and an all-embracing passion. He was a straight forward, instinctive man who built an agricultural concern that was solid, efficient and innovative.   After the premature death of Giovanni in1983, his three offspring took over the company and have run it ever since with great passion and ever increasing skill.

Their portfolio of properties are now extending beyond the boundaries of Veneto with interests in Bolgheri under the Poggio al Tesoro label and in Tuscany under Poggio San Polo.   Their negoiciant arm is that of Corte Giara, which produces fanatastic value for money wines from the Veneto region as well.

However Veneto is where is started and this is where the major focus continues to be with traditional styles as well as modern takes produced.

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007
Complex flavours from smoked meat and raisined berries to mocha and violets this is a wine for enthusiasts and connoisseur’s alike.  One of Veneto’s best wines, the Allegrini Amarone is a benchmark for the style. 

Allegrini La Grola 2007 / 2008
A full-bodied wine, intense and elegant. Deep ruby red in colour, it has a wide and embracing bouquet with scents of wild berries and juniper, tobacco and coffee essences. Made from Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Syrah and Sangiovese grapes grown in La Grola, one of the most prestigious vineyards in the Valpolicella Classico area in terms both of history and position. The high plant density and the resulting low yield work together to give this wine its unique concentration. It can age for 10 – 12 years.It makes a perfect partner for red meat, either roast or in brown sauces, especially lamb. It is also delicious with stewed or grilled mushrooms and with mellow, aged cheeses.

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2008
Palazzo della Torre comes from the plot of land that encircles Villa della Torre, a veritable jewel of the Italian Renaissance. The wine is made using an innovative take on the ‘ripasso’ technique. Most of the grapes are vinified at harvest time, while the rest are set aside to partially dry. In January, the wine blended with the juice from the raisined grapes undergoes a second fermentation. Thanks to the Ripasso technique, this wine has a particular structure and aromatic qualities, combined with an elegant and harmonious personality. A complex wine with pleasant raisined nuances and a long, lingering finish.

Allegrini Corte Giara Valpolicella 2010
Made from the local Corvina variety with a a splash of Rondinella, this is a delightfully fresh and fruity wine that drinks extremely well on its on or goes well with tomato based dishes. One for the here and now, not a keeper.

Allegrini Corte Giara Valpolicella Ripasso 2009
**Gold Medal Winner: International Wine Challenge**
Deep ruby red in colour, with the perfumes of dark cherries characteristic of good Valpolicella but given a hint of the richness and slightly raisined notes reminiscent of Amarone. Perfumes of cinnamon and walnuts blend with ripe, slightly bitter cherries and give way to a rich, ripe fruity palate with just enough tannins to support the fruit and a fresh twist of acidity on the finish.

Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

A century after the pioneers landed Colin Glaetzer established Glaetzer wines; a family owned winery dedicated to producing premium Barossa Valley wines.  Today, Colin’s son Ben carries on the winemaking tradition.  Under Ben the Glaetzer wines have flourished and have become somewhat of a cult among the wine collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Ben’s philosophy is to make unique, elegant wines with minimal intervention, regarded as classic and unmistakably Barossan.  He has an uncanny ability to blend tried winemaking techniques with a modern flair.  This approach has gained him much praise among both the critics and the wine drinking public.  Ben’s range of wines consistently hit some of the highest scores from top wine critic’s Robert Parker and Australian specialist James Halliday.  

The Glaetzer ranges consists of only 4 wines; Amon Ra Unfiltered Shiraz, Anaperenna Cabernet Shiraz (formerly Godolphin before 2006), Bishop Shiraz and Wallace Shiraz Grenache.  Fruit for all these wines is sourced wholly within the Barossa Valley with vines ageing up to 120 years old contributing.   

The Bishop Shiraz gets its name from Ben’s mother Judith as this was her family name before marrying Colin and becoming Glaetzer.  The symbol on the label is that of Venus, represents women and feminine energy which is fitting as this wine is a testament to the women in the Glaetzer family.

The key to this fantastic wine is a blend of fruit from 35-120 year old vines sourced from the northern sub-region of Ebenezer district of the Barossa, a district which is regarded as producing some of the best fruit in the region.   The Shiraz from these older vines gives structure and enhances palate profile.

The intensity of black fruits, espresso and dark chocolate give way to a hint of cloves, nutmeg  and black pepper. The palate has density yet also displays savoury, textural components and fine grained ripe tannins.

Glaetzer Bishop 2009 is fresh and flavoursome and finishes with impressive length and depth.  This particular vintage shows rich colour and vibrancy with a fragrant nose.   It is a vintage which will benefit from at least 5 years ageing and last for a further 20.

Great to enjoy and savour on its own or its ideal with rugged red meats such as steak or herb crusted lamb.

Critics: Robert Parker score: 89/100 | Wine Spectator: 90-100 | James Halliday Score: 94/100

£21.99 per bottle | £126.00 per case of 6

www.glaetzer.com

Crystal Head Vodka - Certainly Unique

The legend is a controversial archaeological mystery.  13 crystal heads have been found in regions around the world, from the American southwest to Tibet.  They’re dated between 5,000 and 35,000 years old, and were supposedly polished into shape from solid quartz chunks over a period of several hundred years, although according to engineers they bear no tool marks to tell us exactly how they were made.

The heads are thought to offer spiritual power and enlightenment to those who possess them, and as such stand not as symbols of death, but of life.

The people behind this vodka are Dan Aykroyd, a well-known actor, musician, entrepreneur and spiritualist;  Along with his partner and veteran fine artist John Alexander.  Together they researched the legend and from this inspiration the idea was born.

When the making of the bottle was completed it was declared to be a bottle of unsurpassed complexity and quality.  The next question was what to put in it?  And with that vodka became the drink of choice.

The vodka is distilled 4 times from the purest deep glacial water originating in the unspolit landscape of Newfoundland on Canada’s eastern most coast.  After distillation the new Vodka is filtered through what are know as Herkimer Diamonds,  500 million year old rare crystals found in New York state.  The entire process makes Crystal Head vodka as pure as vodka can be.

Herkimer Diamonds

With the fantastic story behind it and the high quality standard of the vodka which is incased in its wonderfully interesting bottle I think that this product is well worth the £64.95 price tag.

 crystalheadvodka.com

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine) (Click here for a Chinese Rice wine option)
• 4 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
• splash or two sesame oil
• 750g/1½lb chicken thigh fillets (no skin or bones), preferably organic, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp groundnut oil
• 300–450g/10½oz-1lb sushi rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Preparation method

1. Mix the sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and sesame oil in a dish that you can steep the chicken in: I use a 23cm/9in square ovenproof dish, but anything similar would do. Add the chicken pieces and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Heat the groundnut oil in a large, shallow, lidded frying pan (or lidded casserole) and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces from their dark marinating liquid to the pan. Fry until they look cooked on the outside.
3. Pour the remaining marinating liquid over the chicken pieces in the pan and bring to a bubble, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and cook for about 5 minutes – cut into a piece of chicken to make sure it’s cooked through.
4. Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon (you could keep them warm in a bowl covered in aluminium foil) and turn the heat up under the pan to high to let the remaining liquid boil down to a thick, dark syrup.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, stir well so that they are all coated in the sticky, savoury syrup, then serve with a comforting pile of sushi rice and perhaps some steamed pak choi or greens of your choice.

Wine Choice

The spicy/sweet elements of this dish are the key to matching the wine.   An ideal choice would be a Gewurztraminer (Gewurz means spicy) which is becoming increasingly widely planted throughout the world.  However its spiritual home and where it is often at its best is Alsace in North-Eastern France .  The region here is cool climate with plenty of sunshine and has quite low rain.  Another region which is ideal for Gewurztraminer is Marlborough in New Zealand.

The Gewurztraminer is typically quite poweful on the nose with notes of rose petal, lychee, turkish delight all popular descriptors.  The palate tends to have a lower acidity and is fuller bodied with a spicyiness evident on the finish.  

Try the Cave de Hunawihr Reserve Gewurztraminer 2008 as an ideal accompaniment. £10.99 per bottle or £61.00 for a case of 6.

A second option would be a dry Sherry such as Fino or Manzanilla

Recipe sourced from Nigella’s Kitchen on www.bbc.co.uk

Amarula - Africa's Liqueur

“The spirit of Africa” is made with Marula fruit from the Marula tree and not a manufactured essence or supplement.  This super creamy nectar with the Marula flavour rules at the start then all the nose promises mingle into a great taste sensation.  Dark chocolate joins the party with a possible hint of citrus.  Some creamy toffee notes lead into a long full flavoured finish.

The proof is in the tasting.  Imagine Safaris on a faraway plain, unwinding as the sun goes down.  This amazing drink goes down beautifully with any mood. Enjoy Amarula Cream Liqueur chilled from the fridge, over ice.

Buy Amarula Cream Liqueur here: £12.99 per bottle

Try our Autumn Collection.  Only £89 for 12 cracking bottles delivered.  You won’t be disappointed.

12 Great bottles at Stunning value

Orders placed before 11am will be dispatched same day and you could get it within 24 hours in Ireland, or within 48 hours in the UK Mainland. 

Click here to place an order and bag a bargain today!

Brent named the vineyard “The Ned” after one of the tallest and most rugged peaks in Marlborough which lie’s to the southeast of the vineyard.  The ethos here was for Brent to create wines which were close to the heart and spoke of the region.  In “The Ned” wines he has achieved just that.

The 2009 vintage was heralded as the vintage of the decade and The Ned Pinot Grigio lays a marker down where Brent and many other winemakers see Marlborough going in years to come.  Their intent is to develop and build upon the success from which Sauvignon Blanc has created.  

The Ned Pinot Grigio (Gris) 2009
Exquisite balance and texture are the hallmarks of this intensely ripe and focused wine.  With aromas of pear drop, white blossom and nectarine mirroring on the palate its balancing against the wonderfully dry purity of fruit; this wine gives the drinkers of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc something different yet still provides you with the flavourful characters of the Sauvignon. 

The Ned Pinot Grigio (Gris) 2009

The Ned Pinot Grigio can be drank on its own but also works extremely well with crispy duck or pan fried pork for those cold winter nights soon to arrive.

Buy the Ned Pinot Grigio here: £9.99 per bottle | £59.50 per 6 pack

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