Liberty Wines. Cork Portfolio Tasting 2025.

Liberty Wines. Cork Portfolio Tasting 2025

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Poggiotondo Vermentino Toscana. Try with Chicken Fajitas and Vegetarian Lasange.

Poggiotondo Vermentino Toscana (IGT) 2021, 12.5% ABV

RRP €19.95 - Wineonline

Brigid gives the nod to Chicken Fajitas and Vegetarian Lasange as pairings for this Tuscan Vermentino.

 

This organic Vermentino from Tuscany comes in a bright straw-yellow colour. In the aromas, you’ll pick up delicate but definite floral scents. On the palate, there are apple, citrus and peach flavours, and a balancing acidity before a pleasing, refreshing finish. Highly Recommended.

Poggiotondo is dedicated to making authentic, pure expressions of indigenous Tuscan grapes, including Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino and Trebbiano. The estate’s vineyards have been certified organic since 2014. The winery utilises concrete tanks and untoasted oak casks to preserve their wines' fruit, vitality and texture.

Tuscany is not well known for its Vermentino. Sardinia is the place to go for the best, and indeed, importers Liberty Wine have excellent examples from Sardinia (Atzei Saragat Isola Dei Nuraghi  ) and also a superb one from Corsica (Domaine Vico Le Bois Du Cerf Vermentinu).

I dipped into “The Home Sommelier” by Mayo woman Brigid O’Hora to read her suggested pairings for this grape. Chicken Fajitas and Vegetarian Lasange get the nod in her recently published book.

Cadet De La Bêgude IGP Méditerranée. Full of sunshine and flavour

Cadet De La Bêgude IGP Méditerranée 2021 14% ABV

RRP €25.95. Stockists: Pinto Wines,  Green Man Wines, Red Nose Wine, Neighbourhood Wines.

Full of sunshine and flavour!

The colour is mid- to dark ruby. The aromas are quite intense, with darker fruits, mostly cherry. Cherry elements continue on the harmonious and fruity palate. The balance comes from fresh acidity, and you also get fine-grained tannins, plus a light spicy finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Wine Searcher tells us that even though it is regarded “like a second wine for the estate”, this Cadet de la Begude has been rated “as one of the top 5 IGP Mediterranée wines”.

The vineyard, certified organic in 2006, is in Bandol, and indeed, many of its wines carry the Bandol appellation stamp. Bandol, though, demands that AOP wines contain at least 50% Mourverde. This Cadet, though, is a blend of more or less equal parts of Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre, and has to settle for the IGP designation—none the worse for that.

Elevate your dining experience by pairing this Rouge IGP with Barbecue, grilled lamb, hearty stews, or aged cheeses. The wine's versatility makes it a perfect match for various dishes, complementing the flavours and enhancing your meal.

The producers are certainly happy with it: “This vintage, with its gourmet simplicity, embodies a new generation of wines accessible to all. An easy-drinking wine, full of sunshine and flavours, which can be enjoyed on all occasions.”

Vigneti Zabu “Il Passo Verde” Nero D’Avola 2022 perfectly displays the Sicilian terroir as never before!

Vigneti Zabu “Il Passo Verde” Nero D’Avola Sicily (DOC) 2022, 13% ABV

RRP €18.95. Stockists: Bradleys, Matson’s, J J O’Driscoll, Baggot Street Wines

Martins Off Licence, The Wine Centre, McHughs Off Licences, Power & Co Fine Wines      

Jus de Vine, The Vintry, Wineonline

the 2022 vintage perfectly displays the Sicilian terroir as never before

This 2022 Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a compelling Sicilian red, bursting with bold flavours and a complex structure. The deep ruby colour hints at the intensity within, while the aromas of cherry, plum, and a touch of spice tantalise the senses.

On the palate, the wine explodes with vibrant fruit flavours balanced by firm tannins and a lingering finish. The spice notes add a layer of complexity, making Il Passo Verde a true delight for red wine enthusiasts.

The Vigneti Zabu "Il Passo Verde" Nero D'Avola is a stunning exemplar of Sicilian winemaking. With its bold flavours, complex structure, and excellent ageing potential, it will impress. 

A Taste of Sicily

Grapes are sourced from vineyards on the lakeside of Lake Arancio in Sambuca di Sicilia. The lake's crystal-clear waters create a unique microclimate that contributes to the wine's exceptional quality.

The 2022 vintage is a standout, showcasing the best of Sicilian terroir. The addition of Nero d'Avola grapes from vineyards near the sea brings a hint of saltiness to the final blend, adding even more character.

Winemaking Excellence

Vigneti Zabu is committed to producing organic wines of the highest quality. The grapes for this Nero D'Avola are carefully selected and fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. A portion of the wine is then aged in French and American oak barrels, adding complexity and structure. The powerful tannins indicate their excellent ageing potential. Cellar this bottle for a few years and watch it develop even more complexity and depth.

Zabu suggests pairing it with Medium-Aged Cheese, Meatballs, Roast Chicken, and Vegetables , while Wine Folly says, “Classic pairings include oxtail soup and beef stew.”

• This post is part of a series on Italian wines made from native grapes and produced by usually small or medium-sized organic wineries. Taking some “guidance” here from the recently published VINO. Mightn’t always net the hat trick but hope to score two from the three each time. I have quite a few lined up but I’m happy to consider any suggestions or help. #OrganicItaly
• See the expanding list of #OrganicItaly wines here

San Polo Rosso Di Montalcino. Delicious with depth and character. Very Highly Recommended.

San Polo Rosso Di Montalcino (DOC) 2021, 14% ABV

RRP €37.95. Stockists: Kelly`s Off Licence, Jus de Vine

Delicious with great depth and strong character. Very Highly Recommended.

Rosso Di Montalcino (DOC) is regarded as the lighter, younger and less expensive cousin of the area’s well-known Brunello (DOCG**), created so that

Try it with Florentine Steak, rare of course. Poggiotondo Terre di Cresci Chianti Classico (DOCG) 2021

Poggiotondo Terre di Cresci Chianti Classico (DOCG) 2021, 14.5% ABV

RRP €30.95. Stockists: Blackrock Cellar, wineonline.ie

Try it with Florentine Steak, rare of course

Our latest Chianti Classico has a vibrant garnet colour. Black cherries and plums, floral notes and spice may also be detected in the aromatics. Spice and fruit on the palate are matched by the lively acidity as the elegant delightful

“Powerful attack of black fruits, lots of freshness, long finish.” You may like this Dolcetto from Piemonte

GD Vajra Monterustico Dogliani (DOCG) 2022, 13% ABV

€24.95 Bradleys

“Powerful attack of black fruits, lots of freshness, long finish.” You may like this!

This organic red from Piemonte is made from 100% Dolcetto. The grape name translates as “little sweet one”, and it is, but the wine is very dry! Quite a contradiction!

It has a deep

From an artisan powerhouse comes this stunning Cleto Chiarli, Vecchia Modena Lambrusco

Cleto Chiarli, Vecchia Modena Lambrusco di Sorbara (DOC), 2022, 11% ABV

RRP €32.95. Stockists: Mitchell & Son, Pinto Wines

With millions of gallons of industrial Lambrusco flowing from Emilia Romagna, the province has somehow managed to become an artisan powerhouse. 

About 170 million bottles a year are produced and it is the dominant wine here. No shortage of quantity then and I was somehow lucky enough to get my hands on one of the quality ones, this by Cleto Chiarli. This is where the recent book VINO (very highly recommended!) comes in handy as they have a shortlist of the More Exceptional Producers of Lambrusco in Emilia-Romagna and Cleto Chiarli is one of them..

So what is Lambrusco? It is a style of dry sparkling red wine made from several clones of the red Lambrusco grape. Our Cleto Chiarli is made from

Dievole Petrignano Chianti Classico. The soul of our terroir.

Dievole Petrignano Chianti Classico (DOCG) 2019, 14% ABV.

RRP €38.95 Stockists: Wineonline.ie

More more than just a wine. The soul of our terroir.

This organic Chianti Classico from Dievole is more than just a wine; it's the "soul of our terroir," the producers proudly proclaim.  Living up to the name, this single-vineyard Sangiovese boasts a mid-to-dark ruby robe while the nose is

“Each tank is tasted three times a day to determine what is needed.” Altos Las Hormigas “Terroir” Malbec Valle de Uco

Altos Las Hormigas “Terroir” Malbec Valle de Uco Mendoza 2019, 13.5% ABV, 

RRP €26.95. Stockists: The Cinnamon Cottage / JJ O’Driscoll Superstore Ballinlough / The Corkscrew

“Each tank is tasted three times a day to determine what is needed.”

Coming from a careful selection of grapes from the oldest geological part of Uco Valley in Argentina, this Malbec is a deep ruby. The aromatics feature dark berries and cherries and also show outstanding violet notes. The vivid fruitiness and the distinctive floral elements all come together harmoniously in a fresh and round palate, while acidity and tannins also play a balancing role here and the finish pleasantly lingers.

Not my first time enjoying this stellar wine. Very Highly Recommended.

“This Malbec is ideal to pair with various dishes, from red meats to pasta or grilled vegetables”, according to the producers, Malbec specialists since 1995. Serve at 16 degrees.

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

Looking for better value? All under 20 euro. Click here

Just to give you an idea of the attention to detail here, here’s a quote from their website on this Malbec’s fermentation. “100% Malbec grapes harvested by hand. After a careful, double-sorting process, the grapes are softly pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts to express the vineyard they come from. Fermentation takes place in separate stainless steel tanks between 24-28°C for 10 days. Each tank is tasted three times a day to determine what is needed. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 9 months in concrete vats. No oak aging.”

Pic via Diego_Torres Pixabay

Where did the name come from? It was already there even before the vineyard was founded. The ants (Las Hormigas) love newly planted vines. But the owners didn't want to poison them, after all the ants were the original inhabitants; they lived with the nuisance and then found that the ants had no interest in the vines once they began to grow. (Source: Wines of South America by Evan Goldstein.)

Drink of the Week. A special Riesling from Italy.

Drink of the Week. 

A special Riesling from Italy.

GD Vajra “Petracine” Riesling Langhe (AOC) 2021, 13% ABV

When you think of Riesling around the world, European vineyards such as Alsace and Germany, along with New Zealand and South Australia,  will probably cross your mind.

But surely not Italy - unless you are familiar with this special organic Riesling by GD Vajra from the Langhe (Piedmont). Otherwise, it is a surprise, as it was for me, and a very pleasant one indeed, vibrant and massively appealing. 

The pioneer of Riesling in Piedmont is Aldo Vajra. Aldo got passionate about this variety during his University studies, investigated more and more about it and planted the first clones in Langa in 1985. This is how Pètracine was born, a wine whose name evokes the roots digging into the rock. It is an exercise of biodiversity, born by a massal selection from Alsace, Palatinate and Rhine. “This is a wine that requires patience, much like the great reds of our land.”

Beautifully aromatic (peach and apricot and lemon, no hint at all of petrol or diesel here) greet you and take you on to a bone-dry palate. No shortage of minerality, but it is well-balanced, and that surprisingly fresh acidity is a key part of the equation. The invigorating character of this beauty lingers long at the finish. A great food wine. Enjoy it with the usually recommended Asian cuisines but with many other dishes as well including pork, white fish and seafood.

The wine is imported to Ireland by Liberty Wines and you can find it by checking with your Liberty stockists or by searching online. Price seems to be around 40 euro. Very Highly Recommended.

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From an island paradise comes this divine Vermentino

From an island paradise comes this divine Vermentino

Domaine Vico Le Bois Du Cerf Vermentinu (AC) 2022, 13% ABV

RRP €28.95. Stockists: The Cinnamon Cottage / JJ O’Driscoll Superstore Ballinlough / Sweeney's D3 / Jus de Vine / Clontarf Wines / Alain and Christine Wine and Card Shop / Grapevine /Blackrock Cellar

The grapes for this 100% Vermentino are sourced from 45-year-old vines, which sit on blue schist soils at 300 metres altitude. Unlike most Corsican producers, Domaine Vico’s vineyards are situated away from the coast in mountain foothills.

Vermentino is mainly associated with Sardinia, where over half of the production occurs. However, it is also commonly grown in Corsica, where it is known as Vermentinu, and where several superb examples are produced, including this one.

It has a straw-yellow colour. Citrus and floral, the engaging aromas also have a hint of honey. It is complex and absolutely gorgeous on the palate, the aromas staying on strongly as the refreshing fruit (fresh citrus and orchard fruit) and herbaceous flavours spread across before a fruity and refreshing finish.  

Very Highly Recommended

Harvested by hand, the grapes are gently crushed before undergoing several hours of skin contact to maximise flavour extraction. The must is then fermented with indigenous yeasts in neutral, temperature-controlled tanks to preserve the fresh fruit character. Matured on fine lees for six months in concrete tanks for additional texture.

The label illustration is eye-catching. You may see the full drawing on their Instagram here. The vineyard of this Cuvée is located on the extreme north of the island and they are really near a forest where they sometimes meet the “wonderful deer from Corsica. In central Corsica the reintroduction of deer is a success, .. one is regularly seen in a wood adjacent to the estate... and as we love  @leslie_orsatti drawings ... We asked him to draw this for us…”

Engaging and elegant Vermentino from Sardinia.

Engaging and elegant Vermentino from Sardinia.

Atzei Saragat Isola Dei Nuraghi (IGT) Vermentino 2022, 13.5% ABV,

RRP €20.95. Stockists: The Cinnamon Cottage; JJ O’Driscoll Superstore Ballinlough; Searsons Wine Merchants; Red Nose Wine; Jus de Vine; Bradleys; Blackrock Cellar.

Confidence rises as you read the introduction, by importers Liberty, to this Vermentino from Sardinia. “The Vermentino for this wine is grown on the hillsides and the plains close to the village of Mogoro, in the Alta Marmilla sub-region of southern Sardinia. The soils are granitic with a large instance of limestone, producing highly aromatic wines. Atzei follows a strict selection process in the vineyards at harvest, ensuring that only the very best fruit is picked, and the resulting wines display excellent concentration of flavours.”

The colour is a light straw yellow. Aromas are quite forward, a rush of elderberry along with white stone fruit (peach, nectarines). The palate is full of intense flavour, from the first sip to the long finish and all the time the wine is engaging and elegant.

I do like my Vermentino, even more so now. Very Highly Recommended.

Sardinia’s 2020 vintage was a great one. “The spring was characterised by good levels of rainfall that replenished water reserves in the soil. Summer was warm and dry, and the grapes matured evenly without any intervention in the vineyard. The harvest started in the second week of September and the fruit was healthy and perfectly ripe.”

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2023

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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After a short maceration on the skins, fermentation took place at controlled temperatures with the use of selected yeasts. Vinification is conducted without the presence of oxygen, in order to preserve the natural, fresh fruit aromas. The wine was then transferred to stainless-steel tanks where it remained on fine lees for 40 days, with regular bâtonnage performed, before bottling.

The colourful label takes its inspiration from the clothes of Sardinian women. The bright colours reflect the colours of the earth, the sky and the sea. Even nowadays, on feast days, Sardinian women wear these rich, colourful dresses with great pride, passing them down from generation to generation as the most precious gift. 

Perfect as an aperitif with cheese puffs or slices of Sardinian ham, dishes with fresh bottarga (salted or dried tuna), savoury pies with vegetables, dishes with shellfish and seafood. Very good with pecorino cheese and semi-hard cow cheese.