A Bordeaux "Super Sleeper" and a Relatively Unknown from Umbria

A Bordeaux "Super Sleeper" and a Relatively Unknown from Umbria

Le Doyenné 1er Côtes de Bordeaux AC 2011, 13.5% 

€19.00 (was 25.45) 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Colour of this Bordeaux blend is a mid-ruby with a noticeably lighter rim. Tears are slow enough to clear. Red and black cherries lead the aromatics and there is some spice there also. And that fruit and mild spice also mingle elegantly on the palate, a smooth a palate as you are likely to come across. Really well balanced. Lovely finish with a little grip. Very Highly Recommended.

The blend is headed by Merlot (at 70%) with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc making up the remainder. Château Le Doyenné results from mature parcels of vines. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months.

Records dating as far back as 1791 mention the existence of Château Le Doyenné which was purchased in 1994 by Jean and Marie-Dominique Watrin. With “flying-winemaker” Michel Rolland acting as consultant, they undertook a complete reconstruction of the vineyard and renovation of the winery. The 13 hectares of the estate, located on the right bank of the Garonne, 15 km from Bordeaux, are in the heart of the “Premières Côtes de Bordeaux” appellation.

The 2011 Le Doyenné is not the first to attract attention. The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker checked out the 2005 and wrote:  A super sleeper of the vintage like its predecessors, the 2005 Le Doyenné is well-made..... Blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc, it exhalts sexy aromatics, superb fruit, medium-body, velvety tannin, loads of glycerin and elevated alcohol 13+%. Available for a song, this lovely offering should drink well for 5-6 years.

Much the same can be confidently said of the 2011.

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Tenuta Bellafonte Sperella Montefalco Bianco (DOC) 2019 12.5% 

€19.95   64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Sperella is produced with the grapes of the younger vineyards of Tenuta Bellafonte. The free-run must is fermented spontaneously at controlled temperature, the wine matures for about 5 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks. Once bottled it refines in bottle for some months before being released during the spring after the harvest. It is vinified from indigenous yeasts and bottled without filtration

Colour is a strong straw. Lime and Bergamot feature in the aromatics. Citrus notes continue on the palate, pineapple too; it is intensely fresh and full of supple character with a backbone of minerality. Impressive body too. Highly Recommended.

It comes from the small area of Montefalco, part of Umbria perhaps best known for its tannic red Sagrantino.

The vineyard expands on it: “The area of Montefalco, and more generally the Umbria region, can boast a deep-rooted tradition not only for reds but also for white wines. Particularly fresh wines, intriguing for their structure and surprising with the evolution. These wines, thanks to a particular gastronomic vocation, has always been side by side, to the typical reds of the territory.”

As the area has only come to any kind of international prominence in recent decades, many will not have heard of it, or of its Sagrantino and certainly not of its Spoletino grapes from which this white is produced. Sometimes you will see Trebbiano Spoletino  (as you do on this label) but the addition of Trebbiano is not helpful as it is a name shared between quite a few different Italian grape varieties (some of which are not even related)..

The owner Peter Heilbron is a relative newcomer. About 15 years ago, he was the busy MD of Heineken Italy. Then he and his wife Sabina purchased this wonderful 40-ha property and set aside 11 hectares for the vineyard (the rest of the land is dedicated to woodland, orchards and olive trees).

Heilbron designed his winery, completed in 2010, building it into the clay and marl hillside with subterranean porous walls made from gabions, steel baskets filled with stones. The winery is energy independent, using solar panels for electricity and generating heat and hot water by burning vine cuttings in a biomass boiler.

This should be a versatile wine at the table. Mussels and fries, Scallops and black-pudding, white meats such as chicken or pork (and probably a few red meats as well), along with vegetable dishes and mushrooms, may be essayed.

Italian Night at Farmgate. Umbria & Valtellina Combine

Italian Night at Farmgate

Umbria & Valtellina Combine

Mirco and the wines of his home region

The Munster branch of the Irish Wine and Food Society were joined by quite a few others at last week’s Italian night in the Farmgate at the English Market. The menu was cooked in the style of Umbria (the green centre of Italy) by well known chef Adelaide Michelini, while the wines, chosen by the Farmgate's Mirco Fondrini from his home area of Valtellina (Lombardy), were making their debut in this part of the world.

Mirco was delighted to be able to bring his hometown gems to Cork. He had quite a display ready as the fifty plus guests arrived. Valtellina is in the foothills of the Alps that Italy shares with Switzerland. The valleys are deep and the sun reaches just one side, the side you'll see the houses and the vines on. Wine-making here is hard work but the Pietro Nera Vineyard in Chiuro thrives on it.

Our opening wines as we arrived included the Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio Bianco IGT. The 2014 “La Novella” was made from a blend of Nebbiolo (vinified to white), Rossola, Chardonnay and Incrocio Manzoni grapes. Quite a mix in the blend but this white, with its flavours of tropical fruits and balancing acidity, was a delight.

You won't see tractors in these vineyards!

Some of us picked the 2010 Valtellina Superiore DOCG “Sassella Alisio” as our opening drink. This bright ruby coloured red, a blend of Nebbiolo, Pignola and Rossola, all grown in the village of Sassella, was a hint of the serious wines to come, once we had finished our opening canapes. One was Chicken Liver pralines with hazelnuts and cocoa beans, the other a Savoury choux with mortadella and pistachio.

We continued with the reds as the meal was served, enjoying more of the Sassella before moving on to its older sister the 2008 Sassella Riserva, made from 100% Nebbiolo (called Chiavennasca in these parts!). The bouquet and hints of oak and the wine itself was strong, smooth and velvety.

Our final wine was also 100% Chiavennasca, but with a difference. This 2009 Valtellina was a ”passito” wine, made from partially dried grapes, not unlike the Veneto’s Amarone della Valpolicella. This was quite concentrated, 15% abv also, rich in flavour and aromas. It had been aged for 18 months in oak, rested in stainless steel and refined in bottle for at least eight months. Quite a selection overall by Mirco. Maybe someone will start importing from his region!

Adelaide

The position of Principal Chef Instructor for the Gambero Rosso's International Cooking Schools abroad - Bangkok, Miami, Seoul Hong Kong - has given Adelaide Michelini “the great privilege to bring the true Italian haute cuisine in the world”.

“In 2013 I was included within the Catering & Delivery section of the Gambero Rosso - Rome Guide. In 2014, I became a TV host, presenting my very own TV show called La buona cucina di Adelaide (Gambero Rosso Channel, 412 Sky Italia).”

Adelaide, now living in Cork, used local produce in her dishes at the Farmgate and the Antipasto was a Soft Truffle Egg with Potato Mousse. Then followed the Primo Piatto, a Toonsbridge Ricotta & Hazelnut Gnocchi in West Cork Swiss Chard Soup.

Soft Truffle Egg

And then we were on to the star dish, the Secondo Piatto: O'Mahony's Porchettina with fennel semifreddo and Autumn vegetables. The perfectly cooked round of pork, with embedded herbs, was a delight in itself but the combination with the icy fennel took it all to another level. Perfect!

The Dolce was described as Tiramisu...almost! Let’s says there was no shortage of cream, no shortage of coffee as the night with a difference came to a sweet end. Thanks to Mirco and Adelaide, and to Rebecca and the crew at the Farmgate.

The next IWFS event:

Sunday November 8th. Harvest Lunch in Longueville House. We will join William and Aisling O'Callaghan for a tour to see the orchards, presses and stills where they make their fantastic cider and brandy. After the tour and tasting, we will head to the house for a special harvest lunch. William and Aisling are great hosts, so this will be a really special day out. A bus will be laid on from Cork City so people can enjoy the cider and brandy. Buses leave Cork City Hall at 11am. Price for bus and tour, tasting and lunch €65 (€73 non-members).

A lot of people have already signed up. Indeed it is very close to the limit but if you'd like to attend, please send an email to iwfsmunster@gmail.com

Porchettina (Google translates this as naughty girl!)