Last Friday night saw the much anticipated visit of Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac to Ballymaloe’s magnificent Grainstore, for an evening of talk, tales and tasting as we sampled across the Gassac range with around 90 enthusiastic guests.

Samuel told the story of how, in the space of just ten years, Mas de Daumas Gassac redefined the limits of a region becoming the iconic estate of the Languedoc, with critics around the world proclaiming their Grand Cru wines on a par with the best of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône. 30 years on, with Samuel taking over the reigns of master vigneron, Daumas Gassac retain the rare status of ‘cult wines’.

After an aperitif on arrival of the Daumas Gassac Rosé Frizzant, we sat down to the whites, tasting the Moulin de Gassac Faune 2010, the Reserve de Gassac Blanc 2009 and the Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc 2009. For the reds, the Moulin de Gassac Albaran 2009 and the Pont de Gassac Rouge 2010 were followed by a three-tier vertical of the Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge, tasting through the 2009, 2007 and 2004 vintages of this great wine.

The Grainstore at Ballymaloe – in preparation

Two Samuels: Samuel Guibert assists Ballymaloe Sommelier Samuel Chantoiseau preparing the wines

Careful now: Ballymaloe Sommelier Samuel Chantoiseau carefully decants the Mas de Daumas Gassac

Samuel Guibert and Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines looking pensive ahead of kick-off

Head Sommelier Colm McCan discusses how the All Blacks’ pass-and-move game could upset France’s Rugby World Cup Final plans the following Sunday.

The stage is set: Curious Mike and Samuel discuss posture. Or something.

Samuel Guibert presents.

Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wine looks on as Samuel shows the next generation of Daumas Gassac master vigneron on the big screen.

Mike and Samuel (looking remarkably fresh the morning after!) in Curious Wines.

Sincerest thanks to Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac for taking time immediately after harvest to visit Cork and Ballymaloe; to the Allen family, in particular Darina and Rachel for their assistance in the pre-tasting photo shoots, and Hazel and Mrs Myrtle Allen for their hospitality on the night, both in the Grainstore and afterwards in Ballymaloe House; to Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wine for co-hosting the event; and to Ballymaloe Sommeliers Samuel Chantoiseau and Colm McCan for their expert hosting and consummate professionalism on the night, and in particular to Colm for his ceaseless energy, creativity and contagious enthusiasm in planning and hosting another great wine event at Ballymaloe. We are truly indebted to you all.

And, finally, a huge thank you to everyone who came out on the night to enjoy Samuel and the wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac. We are most of all indebted to you.

Next Friday week, 21st October, will mark the first official collaboration between Curious Wines and Red Nose Wine as we bring an iconic French winery to an Irish institution.

Next week we will welcome Samuel Guibert to Cork to showcase the wonderful wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Yesterday, we were welcomed by Darina and Rachel Allen to Ballymaloe, where the event will be held in the wonderful new Grainstore.

Joining us were Sommeliers Colm McCan and Samuel Chantoiseau of Ballymaloe House as we toasted an unmissable event for wine enthusiasts.

Left to right: Colm McCan, Ballymaloe House; Gary Gubbins, Red Nose Wine; Rachel Allen; Michael Kane, Curious Wines; Samuel Chantoiseau, Ballymaloe House.

Left to right: Colm McCan, Ballymaloe House; Michael Kane, Curious Wines; Darina Allen, Ballymaloe.

Left to right: Gary Gubbins, Red Nose Wine; Rachel Allen; Michael Kane, Curious Wines.

Mas de Daumas Gassac, Legend of the Languedoc will be held at the Grainstore, Ballymaloe, on Friday 21st October at 7.00pm. Tickets for the seated tasting are €15 and are available online here or by calling us on 021 432 0233.

Tickets for the separate wine dinner at 9.00pm, where 4 courses will be served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines, are available only from Ballymaloe House and are priced at €85, all inclusive of 4 courses, tea/coffee and wine.

Sincerest thanks to Darina and Rachel Allen for their valued support and time from their busy schedules, and to Colm McCan for his expert organising. Pictures courtesy and copyright of Ger McCarthy.

In conjunction with Red Nose Wine, we’re delighted to announce our second top tier tasting of the autumn season and our first to be hosted at the magnificent new Grainstore at Ballymaloe, on Friday 21st October at 7.00pm.

Described by Gault & Millau as “a Lafite in the Languedoc”, “the only Grand Cru of the Midi” by Hugh Johnson and “Exceptional” by Robert Parker, Mas de Daumas Gassac have been the benchmark for Languedoc wines for over 30 years.

We are truly honoured to welcome Samuel Guibert, son of the legendary Aimé Guibert and master vigneron at Daumas Gassac, as he presents the story of this great Estate and a selection of their wonderful wines. As a finale, the informal tasting will include a vertical tasting of the Grand Cru Mas de Daumas Gassac red, a unique opportunity to taste multiple vintages of this iconic wine.

The seated tasting will be followed by a separate wine dinner in Ballymaloe House, at 9.00pm, where 4 courses will be served with a selection of the Daumas Gassac wines including the Mas de Daumas Gassac red.

Tickets for the seated tasting at the Grainstore are available online here, from our own shop in Cork or from Red Nose Wine in Clonmel, or at Ballymaloe. Tickets are €15 and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Tickets for the wine dinner are available only from Ballymaloe House and are priced at €85, including 4 courses, tea/coffee and wine.

Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac and Michael Kane of Curious Wines at the Daumas Gassas estate, May 2011.

Wine presentation and tasting with Anne-Claude Leflaive at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, 3.30pm, Saturday 11th June 2011. €35 per person for afternoon tasting only (tasting dinner and accommodation also available).

The latest in the occasional series of wine events at The Grain Store is the visit of Anne-Claude Leflaive from the renowned Burgundy estate of that name.  The Irish distributor of this first class portfolio of white wines, and the man to thank for this rare opportunity, is Paddy Moore of Moore’s Wines in Dublin.  The Leflaives are coming up for three hundred years in Puligny, with family involvement in wine throughout, and since 1997 the estate has been run according to biodynamic principles.

Decanter Wine Magazine, in their Top 10 White Winemakers of the World, rated Anne-Claude Leflaive, Domaine Leflaive as the Number 1.

Ms Leflaive has not visited Ireland for eight years, so if you’d like the chance to sample some very great white wines indeed:

Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne blanc 2008
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2008
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Clavoillon 2008
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2008
Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2008,

book your place now, as advance booking is strongly recommended.  If you’d like to try them in the context of some fine food – which is where they belong, no? – there’s a tasting dinner in the evening, and the option to stay the night too.  You could even make a week of it and stay on for gourmet music from Dennis Cahill and Martin Hayes (again with a dinner option) on the following Thursday…

For reservations, or any further information, call the friendly folk at Ballymaloe House on 021 465 2531 – or write to res@ballymaloe.ie.

The great Sherry ‘ambassador’ was in town on Wednesday night. César Saldaña, one of the top experts on the increasingly fashionable Sherry, was at the very impressive Grain Store at Ballymaloe to preach his word to an eager Cork audience. We didn’t just get a tasting, we got a masterclass.

This was done how wine tastings should be done. They shouldn’t be used as opportunities to get liquored up before a night on the town (at least not solely, anyway). Learning about the tradition and history, the science behind the production and the subtle differences that each style has to offer is fascinating. Appreciation makes it so much more enjoyable.

César spent the first half an hour whetting our appetite before we could even get a sniff of Sherry. He gave an impressive insight into the origins and history, whilst discussing the production process in depth as we tasted our way through six different wines. I had a lot to learn, and still do. Sherry is not my forte, I must admit, but I went away with a real appreciation for it, and I think that is what these things should be about. This tasting certainly was.

So what did we taste? We had one Fino, Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe, one Manzanilla, Lustau Papirusa, one Amontillado, Valdespino Tio Diego, and three Oloroso, Lustau Gran Reserva Emparatriz, Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsula and Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Dulce Viejo.

The Fino had a yeasty nose and was a real palate cleanser. The perfect thing to have between courses of tapas and, would you believe, sushi. The Manzanilla was slightly fuller and rounder. Both were clear, but the third in the line-up, the first Oloroso, was a light mahogany colour. It was more aromatic, with a varnished nose of leather and caramel. The palate was concentrated with a toffee-nutty finish.

The Amontillado is said to be something between a Fino and a full-blown Oloroso. The colour was Oloroso-like, but the nose was Fino-like. It had a filling mouthfeel with a dry, yeasty finish. The next Oloroso was in a dry style as well, but the last wine was a sweet Oloroso made from sun-dried Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grapes. It had a darker colour with aromas of raisins and a wonderfully balanced richness to the palate. I was amazed at the finish these wines had, the flavours long-lasting and constantly developing.

It was the perfect end to an eye-opening session, one of which might only come around once or twice in a lifetime. For future events at Ballymaloe, keep an eye on the wine course itinerary. You might not want to miss another one again.

Picture courtesy of Billy Lyons. Centre, César Saldaña, and far right, Curious Mike.

Our latest trip to Spain only enhanced our love for Sherry, so it is good to see Ballymaloe House is hosting a Sherry tasting next week. If you’re not too far away, it will be well worth making the trip. It is not too often you’ll have the opportunity to taste so many different styles in one evening.

Sherry Talk & Tasting, Wednesday 25th May, 7pm, €10

Taking place at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe. César Saldaña is a passionate and expert speaker on Sherry – its wines, food, culture and history. He is the Director of Sherry – the Consejo Regulador, and is one of the worlds best speakers on Sherry – a world renowned Sherry ‘Ambassador’, on what is becoming a very fashionable drink once again. A great opportunity to learn more about the unique special wine that is Sherry, and taste its many different styles, including Manzanilla, Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez.

The Grain Store at Ballymaloe,
Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork,
Mob: 083 3631468. Tel: 021 4652531
e-mail: thegrainstore [@] ballymaloe.ie

Sherry Dinner, Thursday 26th May, 8pm

Sherry Dinner with César Saldaña in association with The Irish Times Readers Evening, and John Wilson, wine writer, The Irish Times, and also in association with Wines of Spain. A specially selected menu will be matched to specially selected Sherry at each course. Please note that booking for this Sherry Dinner, on Thursday 26th May, at Ballymaloe House, will have to be made directly through The Irish Times Readers Evening office.