En primeur is almost uniquely French, and Bordeaux in particular. It’s called “futures” in the US, and it essentially means buying wine from a merchant at a discount (hopefully) but you don’t get your hands for a while, often 2-3 years. Why? Because the wine isn’t ready yet, not even close. It’s still sitting in barrel and may not have been blended yet.

I like this quote from Tim Atkin’s 2009 report

The wines that I tasted were young, unfinished
wines, most of which will spend at least another year in oak before they
are ready to be bottled. Wines change in barrel, as well as bottle. It’s
also worth remembering that the en primeur extravaganza is a sales
pitch. Châteaux owners would be crazy not to pick their best barrels to
show the press and the trade.

But despite the fact it’s not yet a finished product, scores of wine writers descend on Bordeaux, taste the primordial juice, and then score it (out of 20 in the UK, 100 in the US).  Based on these scores, the chateaux and négiotiants (fancy French middlemen) drip out their prices. It’s quite a merry dance, not releasing prices too early, nor too late. They’re looking for highest price they’ll fetch, rather than one that relates to cost of production, the mortgage repayment on the land and

With the 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages, each referred to as “vintage of the century”, and the rise of China, prices went a bit bonkers and the top chateaux for  ceased to be winemakers, instead producers of tradable assets. This is reflected by the popular liv-ex.com, an exchange for fine wines. So the wines became investment vehicles for many. Buy en primeur, sell to wealthy Chinese businessmen a few years later via a broker.

But for wine enthusiasts, what does all this mean?

Well, the main appeal of buying en primeur is that the wine is at a discount to the future shelf price, with savings normally around 20-40%. Prices also exclude VAT and excise, which you’ll pay when the wine arrives.

There’s also the scarcity (of some of the wines), you’ll get your hands on wine that there may not be too much of. Lastly, there’s that thrill, which you can’t ignore, of being involved in all the kerfuffle.

Downsides? Well, you have to buy a minimum of a case and you also need to be confident that the merchant you’re buying from will be around in 2/3 years. Lastly, if the Châteaux don’t have a successful campaign, you may not save any money at all as they’ll release wines at further discounts to shift it. So, even if buying for drinking, there’s the risk-reward trade-off you have to decide on.

Can I join in the party?

So while the top châteaux are trading away at €500 a bottle, what about en primeur for the rest of us? Well, turns out, you don’t need a fortune to join in the fun. Here are some of my recommendations.

1. FromVineyardsDirect have a good selection of 2010 and 2011. Check out the Chateau Beaumont 2011 for €84 a case (excluding delivery, VAT and excise – I’ll do the sums below.
2. Rednose wines in Clonmel had a great en primeur, not for Bordeaux, but for the Languedoc’s superstar, Mas de Daumas Gassac, so watch out come October/November for the sequel.
3. The Corkscrew still have 2010 available (disclosure: I’m strategeur for their website)

Many other good wine merchants will also have an en primeur “campaign”. If you know of them, pop a comment below

Doing the sums, how does it add up?

Good question. So, let’s take the Châteaux Beaumont 2011. It’s a pretty reliable performer with a classic claret style (traditional left bank Bordeaux, lean, austere, nice freshness). I’ve had a few older vintages as well as some from the naughties, all good. Pricewise, it normally goes for around €20-€22, so let’s see if the 2011 will save us anything.

Let’s start with the €84 then add excise duty (which may change between now and when the wine arrives).

Let’s add the excise, €23.60 (around €1.97 per bottle), which gives us €110.60.

Add the current 23% VAT on top of all that, which gives us €136.04.

Finally, add delivery of €7.50 and we have have €143.54 per case or just under €12 a bottle. So, that looks like a decent saving, you just have to wait until Spring 2013 before you get your hands on it!

Further reading on Bordeaux en primeur 2011

1. Read the thoughts of Tankersley wine brokers (based in Wicklow) here and here.
2. David Whelehan in Business & Finance on “When is a wine, not a wine“.
3. One of my favourite writers, Tim Atkin, has a really well put together report (£10) but see his 2009 report (free).

So, over to you, what’s your experience of en primeur if you’ve bought previously and if you haven’t, would you?

First a brief bit of history, Georgian wine production of some sort or another goes back to between 9000 and 7000 BC. There’s

not a lot else I could find of the history apart from a sweet to semi sweet red being Stalin’s favourite wine, not really something you might want to market. Stalin was himself Georgian, something that the Georgian’s may not be too willing to market either, particularly as relations with Russia have been a little cool over the years.

Much of Georgia’s wine exports would have gone to Russia, particularly in soviet times, but since the Iron Curtain was drawn back, new markets had to be found, and one of them being little old Ireland.

Mukuzani is the area or AOC within the Kakheti region which is home to the native Saperavi grape which Tbilvino’s wine is made from. So, what’s it actually like?

In a word, gorgeous. Lots of fresh bright red berries, a little bit of warming spice and vanilla. Grippy, but velvety tannins, nicely integrated oak and a nice fresh acidity throughout. Real quality throughout. Could be easily mistaken for a really good Chianti or perhaps a Primitivo from Puglia in the south of Italy.

My recommendation? Seek it out which won’t be too hard – it’s stocked by some leading wine shops.

For more information on Georgia’s wines, visit georgianwines.ie, a rather smart website.

Beginning with a reception at 7.30 p.m. with canapés, there follows a five-course wine dinner designed by West’s chefs and sommeliers to celebrate and showcase the Château Minuty wines.

François Matton will introduce his wines, including some of the reds, whites and famous rosé wines that grace the wine lists of Mitchelin restaurants in 55 countries, along with the majority of gastronomic restaurants in the South of France.

When, how much etc.

Thursday 26th April, from 7.30pm

The dinner costs €70 per person, inclusive of wines with an offer to spend the night at The Twelve and start the next day with a great breakfast for just €40 more per person sharing.

That’s €110 all in, not a bad way to spend an evening.

You can book online directly with The Twelve.

Riesling presents a conundrum. For some it produces the greatest white wines in the world, yet by others it is often
misunderstood and ridiculed. A wine tasting in Cork’s Ballymaloe, aims to resolves these two disparate points of view.

I agree with this, despite my best efforts from Germany, Alsace or indeed Australia, I’ve tried to bring over both my wife and mother-in-law over to the virtues of Riesling. Finally, I cracked it. I served the Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling 2008 (available in Tesco) to them last weekend.

“Limes!” called the MIL and for me, it may well have been Archimedes’ shouting “Eureka”.

If you don’t know someone as persistent as me in getting the Riesling message across, then get on down to Ballymaloe on Thursday, 17th May for a tasting of Rieslings from Germany’s Rheingau, France’s Alsace and Australia’s Clare Valley.

Three winemakers from 3 of the great Riesling growing regions of the world will be presenting their wines.

1. Tim Adams is based in Australia’s Clare Valley and since establishing Tim Adams wines in 1984 has developed a reputation as a brilliant and fiercely independent winemaker. For me, his wines are amongst the best you will find in the aisles of Tesco. They truly are fantastic. He’s a top bloke too, watch my interview with him here.
2. Based in Germany’s Rheingau, Carl Ehrhard expertly marries tradition with innovation in making and packaging his delicious range of wines. I did a video tasting (cringe) of three of the wines over two years ago. View it here.
3. Then it’s Séverine Schlumberger’s turn. She’s Domaines Schlumberger is custodian of both this famous house and it’s vineyards. sadly, no video for you on that one, but the wines are excellent.

And if three passionate Riesling winemakers weren’t enough, the evening will be hosted by John Wilson, Irish Times Wine (& beer) writer, and self confessed“Riesling disciple”.

When, where and booking etc.

When: Thursday 17th May, 7pm

Where: The Grain Store at Ballymaloe, Cork

How much: The cost per person for the tasting and some delicious matching nibbles is €25 Euro and bookings can be made direct with Ballymaloe House on res@ballymaloe.ie and 021 4652 531.

For more information, contact Colm Mc Can at Ballymaloe Colm@Ballymaloe.ie or John Mc Donnell of Wine
Australia at Ireland@wineaustralia.com to find out more.

I get a fair few press releases (still) across my desk. I took notice of the most recent one for a couple of reasons. One, it’s about a shop that is on my list of places to visit. Two, the press release was really well written – it told a really good story. So here it is, unadulterated. Lazy of me? Perhaps, but I really liked the human element of it, so thought it worth preserving.

Black Pig, Ireland’s first specialist Spanish wine and authentic Spanish food store has opened in Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

The store – which was named after the iconic Iberian Black Pig – was the brain-child of former Oddbins Wine Advisor, Paul Walsh. It is Ireland’s only dedicated Spanish shop selling wines from across the country, specially sourced meats and an array of authentic Spanish foods including artisan cheeses, olive oils, gourmet tinned fish and vegetables.

Black Pig boasts almost 200 hand picked Spanish wines including those from well known regions such as Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Catalunya and Galicia as well as boutique wines from small eccentric winemakers in lesser known corners of the Iberian Peninsula and its islands.

The store is also exclusively supplying a range of free-range Iberian Black Pig meats such as Jamon Iberico (pata negra), chorizo, lomo and salchichon. The animals graze free range on windfall acorns from the evergreen oak in Extremadura and the meat, which is salted and cured for three years, is then pre-sliced and packed for Black Pig.

Paul Walsh said “As someone who genuinely loves the country, the food and its tremendous collection of wines, the aspiration for our store is to be a truly Spanish experience. Commenting on the range of products available, one of our first Spanish customers asked “and did you bring my Mother as well?” – it is this type of genuine Spanish connection and nostalgia that we want to embrace, while also providing Irish customers with top quality, authentic Spanish fare”.

Black Pig also specialises in Spanish olives which are packed fresh in Spain to order and offers 15 different lines of extra virgin, organic and unfiltered olive oils.  It stocks manchego and a range of Spanish cheeses, artisan tinned fish including Clams, Cockels and Caviar from the North of Spain, speciality tinned vegetables, sherry vinegar, Spanish spices, rice and honey.

“The journey for Black Pig has taken almost two years, beginning with the idea when we identified a gap in the market, followed by extensive travel throughout Spain to source the best and most unusual wines and food products. Deciding on a location for the store was easy for us as Donnybrook is fast becoming a great “foodie” destination and its proximity to the City Centre was ideal”, Paul Walsh said.

While the store is a haven for gourmet Spanish food and wine, it also stocks a number of novelty Spanish products reminiscent of an authentic Spanish food store such as Chuppa Chups, Lays Crisps and Cola Cao. In addition, Spanish coffee and cake is available to take-away at all times.

About Paul Walsh

Having worked in Dail Eireann, in public relations companies and his own media company, Paul decided in 2003 on a whimsy to apply for a job in Oddbins Wine Merchants. In that year Paul also got married in Spain (not on a whimsy). Having always had an interest in food and wine he expected to learn a little for a while and move back to the world of suits and presentations. Then the wine bug bit and bit deep.

Starting off as a Wine Advisor, he threw himself at the free education the company offered him. While learning he found himself managing a couple of shops. Seven years later he succumbed to something he had always known. Paul’s real love was indeed wine and food but particularly that of Spain. He had always leaned that way. It just excited him more than anywhere else.

He has grown up with Spain not just through kids holidays in the 70s but he has close family there and a indeed a brother who is more Spanish than Irish now. For such a self proclaimed lover of all things Iberian Paul’s Spanish is incredibly poor, something which his young niece enjoys teasing him about. He promises he is working on it though. Deep down he says he has always wanted to open a Spanish shop for Irish people. In 2010 he left Oddbins to do just that.

Details

Black Pig is located on Morehampton Road in Donnybrook and is open Monday-Wednesday from 10.30am – 7pm and Thursday – Saturday from 10.30am to 8pm.

For more information visit www.blackpig.ie

And it shouldn’t really have surprised me as much as it did because one of the best wine experiences™ I’ve had was in Portugal, in a Lisbon wine shop, Garrafeira Nacional.

I was in Lisbon with the day job and had a few hours to kill so I do what I normally do and go window shopping, the windows being those of the local wine shops. Initially, I couldn’t find it so I asked a guy in a little restaurant for directions in pidgin Spanish-Italian. After a smirk he declared that he was the owner, the shop was right behind me but it was shut but that I should come in for something to eat.

There were no menus, as he assumed correctly that I wouldn’t be able to read them, and just brought dish after dish with a small glass of accompanying wine. It was here that I got a real Portuguese wine eduation. Dao, Douro, Bairrada, Alentejo, Beira Interior and Bucelas. Some of them were over 20 years old and had aged as gracefully as first growth Bordeaux.

After the meal, the owner beckoned me outside and across the road into his shop which he had opened…

This was two years ago, and despite the number of glasses of wine I had that night, it’s still a vivid memory.

One of the wines I didn’t have that night in Lisbon was a Palmela so when Wine Alliance’s Maurice O’Mahony sent me up a bottle of his Fontanário de Pegões Reserva 2007 from Palmela, I was eager to try it. Palmela is only across the Tagus estuary from Lisbon, on the Setúbal peninsula.

How was it?

Rich and as smo0th as velvet with a what wine snobs call an excellent structure. Lots of chocolate and plum with a pinch of cinnamon. A beautiful wine.

Perhaps the reason that I wasn’t served a glass of wine in Lisbon that night was that they were keeping it all to themselves. And rightly so.

Yours for the princely sum of between €16 and €18.

Received as a sample

When Julian Alubaidy (now @curiousjulian) left Bubble Brothers, I felt they had lost their soul, their online one at least. Julian wrote what I think was the first (and finest) wine blog in Ireland and after his departure, it fell silent.

I’m sure they were getting on fine offline, but there was certainly a void for wine drinking digital natives. So, I was delighted to see them take on Paul Kiernan, one of the most entertaining wine writers of the new generation. Where others assume tacit knowledge, Paul manages to inform while being entertaining. Thus, a terroirible beauty was born.

But what of the wines of Bubble Brothers?

Paul kindly sent me what they refer in “the trade” as samples. A Pinot Blanc from Alsace and a red from Ribera del Duero. I had these over the weekend with some friends and tried to match them with food.

1. Domaine Eugène Meyer Pinot Blanc 2009

The Pinot Blanc went with a lobster thermidor. Before you cry rich wine snob, lobsters are €5.99 in Lidl at the moment so the only rich thing was the sauce  (see the recipe here). I’d normally go for a rich buttery Chardonnay or perhaps a Viognier with this kind of dish, but the mustard and lemon juice give it that little bit of bite so I felt okay going with the Pinot Blanc.

It’s an organic wine. Sorry, a wine made from organic grapes. Tastewise, it was all about green crunchy apples. Not much florals going on as you’d get with many from Alsace. There was also a nice minerality and a very decent length – so not at all unlike many unoaked Chardonnays.

Currently down to €13 (from €16) and available online here.

2. Bodegas Pingón Carramimbre Roble, Ribera del Duero 2010

Next up was the wine with the “noughts and crosses”. Made from Tempranillo, known locally in Ribera del Duero as Tinta del País.

Roble is Spanish to oak, but not much – it spends only 4 months in barrels (Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva will spend incrementally more). And it’s all the better for it. Concentrated fruit, great freshness too and a nice long length.

This went with a cassoulet I made, or “meat n’ beans” as my two year old daughter called it (the meat n’ beans recipe is from Rick Stein’s French Odyssey).

Nice match too.

Yours for €15, available online here.

Food & wine matching: a sport not a science

Now, while I did make an effort to match the food and wine, it’s not a science, it’s more of a sport.

Ernie Whalley put it better, “Wine & food matching is like marriages, 5% made in heaven, 5% made in hell and the rest can be made work”.

TxB have one of the most geographically diverse portfolios and having recently added a wine from China, I was really keen to try it. It was the Cabernet d’Est from the Chang Yu winery.

The grape

A couple of interesting things about it. The grape is Cabernet Gernischt, touted as an indigenous Chinese variety, but it’s thought to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The varietal became extinct in Europe around 200 years ago. Its roots are Franco-Austrian, having been brought to China from Bordeaux by Austrian, Freiherr von Babo.

The place

The place is Ningxia, China’s newest winegrowing region, located in Central Western China on the fringes of the Gobi desert, just south of Mongolia, watered from the Yellow River.

At an elevation of 1,100m (comparable to Mendoza in Argentina) the area is characterised by warm days and cool nights, perfect conditions for growing grapes.

The wine

What did it taste like? Actually, quite like a cross between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon! It has all the hallmarks of the elegance and structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated left bank Bordeaux and the lovely green “fraîcheur” of a Loire Cabernet Franc. The tannins are fine, still tight, and there’s a little bit of spice behind the austere fruit.

Very impressed with it and if you can get your hands on it, a great way to toast Chinese New Year on Monday, 23rd January, The Year of the Dragon.

Gan bei! 干杯

Hat-tip to Blake Creedon for spotting the video online.

Sherry, of course. And probably Port too. Talking to some wine merchants, and this is the only time they sell any of the stuff. If I were to pick one, I’d go for a Sherry. The great thing about Sherry is that you can go from bone dry to sweet, it’s literally a world of discovery. I’d go with a dry Puerto Fino sherry, perfect as an aperatif and available just about everywhere from independent wine shop to supermarket. Look out for Lustau.

Bubbles must make an appearance. There’s plenty to choose from. Tattinger has been walking out the door at Tesco where they have it down to €25, sometimes back to €60, then back to €30. That’s a bit of a bargin. But even at €25, you can get two bottles, almost. of Jacob’s Creek Sparkling. Blanc de Blancs is the ultimate crowd pleaser and perfect for parties.

Hosting a party?

For a ridiculously drinkable red, La Mano from Mencia (the grape) grown in a place called Bierzo in northern Spain. Not massive on the wine scene here, so you’ll pick up some novelty points. It got the brambly fruit and the rustic spice which will appeal to Cotes du Rhone lovers too. At €7.50 it’s also the wine to replenish your cellar with after the seasonal depletion. 

If there’s still a deal on (and even if there isn’t), try the Shiraz or The Fergus (a blend) from Tim Adams from Tesco. He’s a top bloke and makes great wine. See the interview I did with him last year.

For the white, I’m a fan of Le Courlis Sauvignon Blanc from The Corkscrew. There’s an interesting story behind this one. The winemaker and owner, Aynard, sent me some samples about two years ago now while I writing for the Tribune. He was looking for an Irish importer so I brought the bottle over to the lads and we tried it together. It has been continuously selling out since then. If I’d just become that importer, I’d be doing quite alright now.

As for fizz, look no further than the above Jacob’s Creek. Available in most convenience stores and supermarkets.

What to drink with the big bird?

For starters, whatever it is, it must be paired with Gavin Quinney’s Chateau Bauduc Bordeaux Blanc Sec. Austerity used to be a good word before the recession hijacked it. The French were the best at it, keeping overly generous tropical flavours in check in favour of elegance and complexity. While the French were at that, along came an Englishman and began to show them what’s what. A really stunning Sauvignon Blanc, quite unlike any of the new world styles we’ve grown accustomed to. Favoured amongst Gordon Ramsey, Rick Stein and TV’s Oz Clarke. This is a million miles from Oyster Bay and it’s all the better for it too. Down to €11 at the moment.

Onto the main event. I find it a challenge matching the turkey, trimmings and a wine. Classic matches are Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, but they can get crowded out by the brussels sprouts, chestnuts, cranberry sauce and whatever you’re having yourself.

I like something a little more robust and my wine of the year has to be Mas de Daumas Gassac. At €38, it’s expensive, but Michael Broadbent has been placed it in his top ten wines of the world. That’s good enough for me. I met the affable winemaker, Samuel Guibert. He’s a regular visitor to Ireland too, so it’s definitely buying local!

From not too far away, two other reds I love are from the same stable. First, the little brother, Les Orbiers de La Peira. It was my wine of the year last year and the 2009 is arguably better. For €20, it’s hard to find better. That’s not all folks, it has a big brother, La Peira Las Flors 2008. Both hail from the little known Terrasses du Larzac appellation, uncovered for us by Gary Gubbins who has an uncanny knack of seeking out amazing wines from the Languedoc. He’s like a pig with truffles! They’re both listed here on rednosewine.com.

That’s the old world taken care of. What about the new world? I was bowled over recently by three from South Australia’s Langmeil. They have some of the oldest vines in the world.

Typically, it’s Shiraz and in particular their Valley Floor and Orphan Bank. The Valley Floor really sings and at €17 you’ve got serious quality going on. Very polished wine. A step up in price at €36 and history is the Orphan Bank.

The vines were planted in the mid 1800′s and were to be torn out to make way for property. That was until Langmeil stepped in and transplanted them to a safe place where they continue to make great wines.

Worth mentioning too, the grandfather of both is the Freedom Shiraz from Langmeil. I tried it back in May at the Wine Australia tasting. Barack Obama was in town that day and this is a wine fit for a president. At €63 (down from €70) it’s a wine only our recently retired politicians on big pensions can afford to be drinking. It would be wasted on them too, tut!

For the classic fans, I’d go straight for Mischief and Mayhem’s basic Chardonnay available from The Corkscrew. At €19.95 it’s a glimpse into Meursault, toasty, minerals, creamy. Beautiful.

Meditative reds for later

A red by the fire and a good book. The book is probably on the Kindle, but the wine is still in the glass. Not for long if it’s Zenato’s Ripassa. Normally around €20, you’ll find it in some places on offer at €15. Silky smooth. Available in Next Door off-licences and good wine shops nationwide.

The Mulley’d Wine

For Mulley’d wine, I’ve put up my lovely wife’s recipe a couple of times over the years. I may be sucking up for brownie points, but I’ve yet to taste better.

Most wines mentioned were samples. I paid for those from The Corkscrew. Disclosure: I work on the The Corkscrew’s website. Sorry, award winning website. Ahem.