Meyer-Fonné Gentil Alsace...the ideal choice to kick off an evening

Meyer-Fonné Gentil Alsace (AC) 2022, 12.5% ABV 

RRP €20.95. Stockists: Le Caveau, 64 Wine, Greenman Wines, Bradleys Cork

the ideal choice to kick off an evening

This Gentil, a traditional blend originating in the 1920s, captures all the magic of each component part. This 2022 vintage comprises Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Riesling (mostly) and Gewurztraminer.

Gentil is made from the estate’s white grape varieties. It is not hit-and-miss. You are not allowed to throw in just any old grape. It is done carefully, to a very high and controlled official standard.

It’s the ideal choice to kick off an evening as it makes a delightful aperitif. Later in the evening, importers Le Caveau recommend it with umami-focused dishes, like Sushi. It lends itself to sweet and aromatic spices, from North African to Indian/Pakistani and South East Asian. “Truly Versatile!”

It has a beautiful, clean golden colour. It is quite aromatic, with apple, pear, and a touch of sweetness (from the Muscat), and draws you in. And so it continues in the mouth with a beautiful balance and texture. The subtle fruit notes and, again, that persistent honey-suckle-like sweetness engage your senses right through the lingering finish.

I have been enjoying this for years now, and once again, it is Very Highly Recommended.

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Kuentz-Bas Le 4eme Tour Signature Alsace. The “signature” of the fruit, of the land, and of the winemaker

Kuentz-Bas Le 4^eme Tour Signature Alsace (AC) 2020, 13.5%

RRP: €19.95 O'Briens Wine On offer for 15.96 when bought.

The “signature” of the fruit, of the land, and of the winemaker

Our organic wine from the Alsace has a clear mid-gold colour with charming aromas of fruit (pear) and floral. The palate is full and dry with a lovely

Pinot Gris. Very much at home in Alsace and this Colmar is a good one!

Domaine De La Ville De Colmar Pinot Gris Alsace (AOP) 2021, 12.5% ABV, €14.75* Dunnes Stores

Alsace -  by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

* €11.80 in 2023 French Wine Sale.

The Alsace, in the northeast of France, seems to be the place to go for Pinot Gris. 

Grapes & Wines indicates that the grape can produce really good wines in many countries “but I still go back to Alsace to see what makes it tick” and points to the climate. In Alsace where “long hang times are possible; you can pick late for dry or off-dry, and even later for sweet ones.”

Dunnes, where I bought this bottle, say the area “is famed for zesty, flavourful white wines.  Pinot Gris goes perfectly with Asian cuisine…. This Pinot Gris epitomises the Alsace style…”

Domaine de la Ville de Colmar, with its centuries-old history, holds a privileged position in the heart of the famous French region.

This particular semi-dry Pinot Gris is light gold, a shiny gold, in colour. Aromas are fresh and complex with even a hint of smoke. It boasts a gorgeous fruity palate and a long finish to match.

Very Highly Recommended.

Enjoy with smoked fish, pork or veal is the advice from Dunnes while the winemaker’s recommendations are as aperitif, and with foie gras, duck breast, cheese (fish in foil, scampi, shellfish, white meats in sauce). A generous wine, an ideal partner at the table. 

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

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In general this versatile wine may be paired with terrines, shellfish, oily fish, smoked fish, sushi, white meats, sweetbreads, mushrooms, spicy and aromatic dishes, and Asian cuisine … It really is versatile! 

Nothing Added Nothing Removed. ..100% grapes. A superb Binner Saveurs from Alsace

Binner Saveurs Alsace (AOP) 2020/21, 14% ABV

RRP: €25.95.  Stockists include 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Nothing Added Nothing Removed. ..100% grapes.

Gentil, a multi-blend white, is one of my favourites from Alsace. Besides, I am always happy to drink a Binner wine, so I had no hesitation in ordering this Saveurs, also a multi-blend, from Le Caveau.

The colour is an enticing bright gold and though the wine is unfiltered, there is only a slight cloudiness evident. Orchard aromas are on the other hand very evident and the pear, apple and peach are light and enjoyable. This array of aromatics continues all the way through and the palate has much the same flavours and is also well balanced with a fresh kick of acidity.

Very Highly Recommended. 

Haven’t seen any suggested food pairings but during the evening, I laid my hands on a pack of those delicious Apple Crisps by Con Traas of The Apple Farm in Cahir and they were quite a match for the Saveurs.

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

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This Saveurs is a blend of 2 vintages (2020 and 2021). These were two 2 contrasting vintages, one was hot, ripe and rich, and the other was cooler and focused. Blending both brought the kind of balance and vibrancy Christian Binner loves.

The grapes, Le Caveay tell us, are mainly Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Auxerrois with a little Sylvaner, Chasselas and Muscat. The wine was aged on its fine lees, in large oak vats.

Not too sure if Binner produces a Gentil but this Saveur is a fantastic introduction to the family wines and indeed to their wine heritage that began in 1770. They operate 11 hectares of vineyards in and around Alsace including some prestigious Grand Crus.

They proudly proclaim this as a RARE wine: “Nothing Added Nothing Removed. ..100% grapes, without filtration, without sulfur or any added input.”

Two Very Highly Recommended French Whites. One from Bordeaux and one from Alsace.

Two Very Highly Recommended French Whites. 

One from Bordeaux and one from Alsace.

Château Turcaud Entre-Deux-Mers sec 2020, 12.5% ABV

€17.50 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This Turcaud Blanc is a blend of Sauvignon (50%) with Sémillon (45%) and a touch of Muscadelle. The Entre-Deux-Mers (between two seas) is a famous wine growing region from the Bordeaux Appellation. The domain is situated in a very pleasant rural area, 30 km from Bordeaux and 20 km from Saint Emilion.  I know one producer who bought a vineyard here instead of the "boring" landscape of the Medoc.

Colour is a light straw with green highlights. Citrus, plus more exotic fruit, and floral notes in the very pleasant aromas. On the palate, it has a lot of that exotic fruit, liveliness and a very nice length. Very Highly Recommended.

Importers Le Caveau have a plea for you: So often overlooked here in Ireland , white Bordeaux is a joy to drink, this is really worth a try, we urge you not to make the same mistake as most.

Must say that I have long been an admirer of white Bordeaux blends, particularly where Sémillon plays a big role in the blend as is the case here. 

Ironically, it was an SSB wine from Xanadu in Western Australia that really alerted me to the blend. And that at a wine show in Cork; a few days later, I was down in Centre Park Road and collecting a case from Bubble Brothers.

I got a good grounding in the blend a few years later during a couple of visits to Podensac in Bordeaux. In a beautiful century-old residence nestled in the heart of the vineyards, in the Maison des Vins de Graves, I had the opportunity to taste many examples of white Bordeaux. 

Individuals, tourists, amateurs come here to buy the best vintages of the region. Guides are at your disposal for an enriching discovery of the vineyard and its castles. I got a good few into the car that summer but they soon ran out and then it was time to turn to le Caveau and this superb example of a Bordeaux blanc.

By the way, the amounts of Sauvignon and Sémillon in the blend can vary from vintage to vintage. In 2018, the split was Sauvignon Blanc (65%) and Sémillon (35).

The summer that I visited Podensac, I had Abbey Le Sauve Majeure on my visit list. I found it and climbed to the top of the impressive ruin. From the 159th and final step, I had a great view over the surrounding countryside. I didn’t know then the view included the immaculate vineyards of Caveau Turcaud, nowadays run by Stéphane and Isabelle Le May. Isabelle is the daughter of  Maurice Robert who bought the chateau in 1973. 

Their Tasting Advice: This wine is best enjoyed within two years of the vintage, well-chilled as an aperitif, with all sorts of seafood, or with goat's milk, ewe's milk, and hard cheeses. This wine is a pure delight.

Meyer-Fonné Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes Alsace (AC) 2019, 12.5%

€20.65 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Straw is the colour here; thought I saw a tint of green, and I did, but it was from a football pitch reflected from the TV! The aromas are seductive, of pear, peach and almond. A touch of sweetness on the nose, is found too on the palate, where white fruit, rich and fresh, some lemon zest now as well, is accompanied by a refreshing minerality. Precision, depth, purity all combine here. Delicious and moreish, with a very clean finish, this is Very Highly Recommended. Very good value too by the way.

Pinot Blanc, a variant of Pinot Noir, is grown mostly in Europe for its dry and refreshing wines, particularly in Germany, Italy (where it is key in Franciacorta production), Austria and France. Suggested pairings include Quiche Lorraine (not a surprise!), soft cheeses, flaky fish, and crab salads. I find it quite the match for Goatsbridge trout.

Le Caveau: Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes comes from a plot of old vines, it acts like Pinot Gris on the nose — rich, oily apricot and pear fruit— but the touch of white pepper and taste of freshly squeezed oranges is classic Pinot Blanc. A house pour at a number of Ireland's Michelin starred restaurants over the past 15 years. A sure fire hit each and every bottle opened.

Félix Meyer himself has come in for high praise.

"Félix Meyer is one of the more ambitious and successful young vignerons of Alsace.” Wine Advocate.

“ ... Félix Meyer still has humility, still has a sense of wonder, and is still capable of self-criticism. He is a seeker and a perfectionist. He is a terroirist, and when he speaks of a granitic soil, the wine in your glass tastes of it.”
Kermit Lynch, US importer.

No chemical fertiliser is used in the running of the vineyard, “only compost we make ourselves using raw materials derived from organic farming. Calcium and magnesian limestone is spread each year on the granitic soil terroirs to prevent acidification.”

Well worth checking out this red and white double from O’Briens Wine

Well worth checking out this red and white double from O’Briens Wine

Emiliana Coyam Valle de Colchagua Chile 2019, 14%, €25.95

When I was around ten years of age, there was a series of summers when a week or more was spent picking blackcurrants on a farm that was quite close. That came back to me when I smelt the cork of this Coyam from Chile and that mix of berry and leaf wafted into my nostrils. A summer’s day on Dring’s farm and half the neighbours picking currants.

A long long way from the Los Robles Estate in Chile’s Colchagua Valley where this wine, a blend of Syrah (37%), Carmenere (33), Cabernet Sauvignon (8), Carignan (5), Malbec (4), Garnacha (4), Tempranillo (3), Mourvèdre (3) and Petit Verdot (3), is produced organically in a Mediterranean climate.

Coyam (the word means oak forest, there was one here) is a rather famous wine, made under the care of  Alvaro Espinoza, a leading exponent of organic and biodynamic practices, a signature wine of Emiliana, one of the most accoladed wines in Chile and awarded no less than 94 points by JamesSuckling.com .

Colour is a dark cherry with a lighter tinge around the rim. The full aromas are, as you’d expect, more than just the blackcurrant now, other dark berries there too along with floral notes (including violet) in a complex mix. The depth of fruit shines on the palate where the intro is rich and power-packed. Still, for all that, it is juicy and soft with a touch of sweet spice, the friendly finish long ,with just a little tannin grip. Very Highly Recommended. Might take a bottle with me next time I get a call to go picking blackcurrants

You may well note vanilla during your tasting and here’s why. Ageing is 18 months, 75% in 225 L French oak barrels (mix of new barrels, second- and third- use), 15% in 2,000- and 5,000-litre foudres, and 10% in concrete eggs. 

I was advised to decant an hour or so before drinking. This very versatile wine can be enjoyed with both sophisticated and simple dishes. Ideal to pair with red or white meat with either a  black pepper, Roquefort, or garlic butter sauce. There’s also space for spicy foods like Indian or Mexican, or vegetarian dishes with mushrooms, bell peppers, potatoes, aubergine, or peas. 

Kuentz-Bas Le 4^eme Tour Pinot Blanc Alsace (AC) 2017, 13.5%, O'Briens Wine

This organic Pinot Blanc has a clear light straw colour. Beautiful citrusy aromas and pear with some floral notes (one is reminded to some degree of the Riesling that is also grown in the Alsace). Elegant and refreshing with a lengthy finish. A dry refreshing white and it is a little gem. Highly Recommended.

Kuentz-Bas was founded in the Alsatian town of Husseren-les-Châteaux in 1795. In 2004 the 10ha estate was bought by Jean-Baptiste Adam, the fourteenth generation of his family involved in winemaking.

'Useful rather than exciting' is a fair description of this versatile grape variety, according to Jancis Robinson. “Austria is perhaps the country which values Weissburgunder the highest … But it is probably in Italy that, as Pinot Bianco, this vine is most widely grown, and produces the greatest diversity of styles. 

This bottle illustrates that they grow it well also in Alsace, well enough to get me excited! 

* O'Briens, by the way, have a "Winter Warming Reds" offer at present. Check it out here. The selection includes the Bodegas Tandem Ars in Vitro, a favourite of mine.

Something different from Alsace and Verona, both wines highly recommended.

Something different from Alsace and Verona, both wines highly recommended.

Vino Nato Disobbediente Monte Dall’Ora 2019 11.5% 

€24.45 (litre bottle) 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This blend, of pergola-trained 60% Corvinone & 40% Molinara, from the hills outside of Verona (think Valpolicella), has a quite light ruby red colour. Corvinone has been previously thought to be of the same group as Corvina but 1993 DNA profiling suggests that it is its own unique varietal.

Aromas here are both floral and fruity (strawberry, raspberry, cherry). The taste is along similar lines, relatively intense. On the palate also, you will find a lively acidity before a dry finish. A very pleasant wine indeed and Highly Recommended. It is a certified organic wine, clean and classy.

Not very much info on the “redacted” label, not even a vintage date! Pretty certain it is 2019 though and that is what is on my invoice. The wine’s name, Vino Nato Disobbediente, means Wine Born Disobedient. 

Two other words that survive on the front are resistente and contadino which Google translates as Hardy Farmer! And there’s a bit of sense to that as this type of wine, light and red (that can also take a little chilling), is made by the farmers for their own family use. And, another thing, it comes in a litre bottle. “A litre of pure joy!” According to importers Le Caveau; I willingly agree with that assessment.

The Venturinis, Alessandra and Carlo, have emphasized traditional and native grape varieties wherever possible to give originality and typicality. All the wines are blends of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and Oseleta. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts and extraction is gentle giving wines of gentle, cherry-fruited elegance.

Christian Binner, Côtes d’AmourSchwir Alsace (AOP) 2013, 13.5% 

€28.95 (was 33.50) 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This light, fruity and fresh blend of white grapes from the Alsace is a traditional selection of mainly Riesling and Pinot Gris with lesser inputs via Gewuztraminer, Muscat and Auxerrois blanc.

Colour is orange-y. It is an intensely aromatic wine, lots of fruit and floral notes also. No shortage of fruit either on the palate, “a fruit basket of apples, oranges, poached pears and grapes” according to importers Le Caveau. Balance is attained though. It finishes long and dry. If you do like to stray off the usual piste, this is well worth a try. Highly Recommended. 

Serve at less than 14 degrees; grilled fish is an excellent match.

Harvest is manual, all grapes pressed together, fermented with indigenous yeast. It is a medium body structured wine. Zero sulfur added, unfined, unfiltered, so you may see a little sediment as I did.

Côtes d’Amourschwir is a selection from the best vineyards on the Cotes d’Ammerschwir. It is a blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewuztraminer, Muscat and Auxerrois. The grapes are blended from the press, fermentation takes place is large oak foudre that are over 100 years old.

The Binner family has owned vines in Alsace since 1770 and today they practice organic and biodynamic agriculture, neither fine nor filter the wine, use only natural yeasts, use minimal sulphur, etc... All the wines are aged in 100 year old big foudres and undergo malolactic fermentation. 

Very Highly Recommended from Bordeaux and Alsace.

Very Highly Recommended from Bordeaux and Alsace

Bois de Rolland Vieilles Vignes Bordeaux Supérieur (AC) 2018, 14% 

€18.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Beautiful bright cherry red colour on this blend of Merlot (mostly) and Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite an intense bouquet of darker fruit, a hint or two of spice (including vanilla). It makes an immediate and impressive impression on the palate. Harmonious for sure, rich and ample with a lengthy finish. With juicy flavours of cassis and cherry, this is easy drinking and Very Highly Recommended

Perhaps because there is so much of it, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur are often, sometimes lazily, shunted into the realm of second-rate wines. Just look a little harder, find a trustworthy importer and a producer such as we have here and the consumer can find both quality and value for the money.

They say: Château Bois de Rolland 'Vieilles Vignes' is a Bordeaux Superieur that tastes really honest, made with care, with a definite sense of place. When Bordeaux are made that way, they are quite irresistible. Gorgeous black fruit, meaty hints on the nose, very subtle oak presence, perfectly integrated, ripe, fleshy on the palate with cool undertones which adds to its drinkability and saline touches in the end.  

The property has a wonderful history and pedigree. Situated just 17 kilometres from Saint Emilion on the Coubeyrac plateau of clay and limestone – the blend that helps to express some of the best wines in Bordeaux. The property became renowned for its vines, cereal production, and cattle rearing. Now just a winery, the perfect exposure of a plateau with south-facing vines upon ancient sedimentary soils allow the Geromin family to produce fabulous wines.

Serve this multi-award winner at 16 to 18 degrees after decanting. Red meats, game, grilled meats, cheese, chocolate desserts are the suggested pairings.

Is there oak? Yes indeed. Vinification and aging details: Mechanical harvest, traditional fermentation at 25 ° C., maceration for 2 weeks at 30 ° C. Aging in vats on staves medium heat and medium heat plus for 8 months. Packaging: Bottled at the Château.

Binner Cuvée Béatrice Pinot Noir Alsace (AOP) 2016, 13.5%

€39.75 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

I removed the glass closure and poured, its deep pink (rosé, if you like) filling the bottom of the glass. Concentrated red fruit aromas rise up. Those juicy red fruits flavours (mainly strawberry, cherry) engage you as the juice spreads across the palate. Don’t judge a wine by its colour - this has quite a backbone, no wilting rose. Tannins are smooth and there’s a long and satisfying finish. A generous unfiltered Pinot Noir that stands out from the crowd and Very Highly Recommended.

Good acidity too and that makes it an excellent food wine. Recommended pairings are: Filet-mignon, cold meats and terrine with friends, with a white meat, or simply to accompany the cheese plate. Serve at 18 degrees. The label discloses that this organic wine has spent 11 months on lees in traditional large oak foudres (casks).

This Pinot Noir from Alsace was, for me, one of the stars of the Le Caveau portfolio tasting in Cork in March 2019, and indeed my wine of the year. Heartened by that tasting and also the words of Jean Frédéric Hugel (at a Cork tasting) that Pinot Noir from the Alsace is now  “incomparable to what it was twenty years ago”, I put it on my buying list and didn’t wait long before giving the wine an extended “trial”. I wasn’t disappointed.

I put it on a recent buying list as well and no disappointment this time - a year for so later. Every bit as good, complex and delicious, the perfect companion for the dishes above along with the likes of roasted chicken, and crispy pork. 

Christian Binner is the wine-maker and this wine is named for his sister. The Binners own nine hectares in total, with only six planted to vine and the estate has been chemical-free for over two decades. They harvest in October, later on average than any of their neighbours, with patience that allows for fully ripe fruit and resulting complexity of flavour.

Two Heartily Recommended Wines. A Pinot Blanc from Alsace, a Sangiovese from Montepulciano

Two Heartily Recommended Wines. A Pinot Blanc from Alsace, a Sangiovese from Montepulciano

Meyer-Fonné Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes Alsace (AC) 2018, 12.5%

€20.65 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Seductive aromas of pear, peach and almond announce this beautiful pale straw coloured Pinot Blanc from Meyer-Fonné of the Alsace. A touch of sweetness, also on the nose, is found too on the palate, where white fruit, rich and fresh and smoky, is surrounded by a refreshing minerality. Precision, depth, purity all combine here. Delicious and moreish, with a very clean finish, this is Very Highly Recommended. Very good value too by the way.

Wine Folly says it will match up well with soft cheeses, salads with cream dressings and flaky fish (eg cod). Personally, I think it would have not problem with salmon or trout.

Le Caveau: Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes comes from a plot of old vines, it acts like Pinot Gris on the nose — rich, oily apricot and pear fruit— but the touch of white pepper and taste of freshly squeezed oranges is classic Pinot Blanc. A house pour at a number of Ireland's Michelin starred restaurants over the past 15 years. A sure fire hit each and every bottle opened.

Félix Meyer himself has come in for high praise.

"Félix Meyer is one of the more ambitious and successful young vignerons of Alsace.” Wine Advocate.

“ ... Félix Meyer still has humility, still has a sense of wonder, and is still capable of self-criticism. He is a seeker and a perfectionist. He is a terroirist, and when he speaks of a granitic soil, the wine in your glass tastes of it.”
Kermit Lynch, US importer.

No chemical fertiliser is used in the running of the vineyard, “only compost we make ourselves using raw materials derived from organic farming. Calcium and magnesian limestone is spread each year on the granitic soil terroirs to prevent acidification.”

Innocenti Rosso di Montepulciano (DOC) 2015, 13.5%, 

€19.35 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Light and bright ruby colour. Gloriously aromatic, with cherry and plum to the fore, forest fruits and herbal notes in the mix as well. It is medium to full-bodied; that warm fruit is there, some spice too, a lick of wood, really well balanced. Fine-grained tannins noticeable on a long and very dry finish. With a little more weight than your typical Tuscan red, this is easy-drinking and Very Highly Recommended.

I think we’ve all been confused at one time or another by Montepulciano on an Italian wine bottle. It is the name of a grape and of a town in Italy. According to Wine-Searcher.com the grape was named after the town and was once widely grown there.

Nowadays, the grape has found another home in Abruzzo (Abruzzo is a large area on the east coast), hence Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.  In the late 20th and early 21st century, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo earned a reputation as being one of the most widely exported DOC classed wine in Italy (Wikipedia). 

Our wine comes from the town of Montepulciano. This is in Tuscany, in the province of Sienna, and is one of the most attractive hill towns in the area.The main grape grown here is Sangiovese. Only the very best grapes are used for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The others are used for Rosso di Montepulciano. The Vino Nobile has the big reputation but the simpler Rosso is no mean wine either as our example indicates.

Importers Le Caveau tell this Rosso di Montepulciano is a blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo grapes.