From a single vineyard where mostly Merlot (70% in this blend), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on clay and gravel slopes near the river Garonne. This classic Bordeaux blend was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. The 2004 vintage received 91 points from Galway based wine critic Frank O’Brien.
Our house red is made predominantly from a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the Vin de Pays de Vaucluse. Its easy-drinking and compatibility with food make it one of our most popular wines.
And we’re off! We’ve only been talking about it since we launched the site but we’re delighted to finally launch our tasting videos feature.
Those familiar with our product pages might’ve noticed some changes over the last month or two as we’ve added discrete page tabs along the top, for tasting notes, reviews and now videos.
If you didn’t believe that Matt and I take the arduous responsibility of tasting every single wine ourselves, well think again, as either or both of us will be in the frame from now on with our picks of the day.
Will we be biased? Er, yes, of course. We pick all Curious wines ourselves and are proud of them. But the purpose of the videos is to try and show in the simplest and non-geeky terms possible whether you would like to drink them. Let us know what you think, we’re open to all feedback and suggestions as to how to make them more relevant to the average wine consumer.
So first up, we thought of no better place to start than our house white, Cuvee Jean-Paul Sec from France’s Côtes de Gascogne, so here’s what I thought on my most recent tasting. Cheers
Get this - last weekend over 700 shameless French men and women stripped down to pose nude in Burgundy vineyards to warn the world about the impact of global warming on the French wine industry. It’s all part of the campaign to urge political leaders to take action in the lead up to the U.N.’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
So how, you may ask, is climate change affecting the French wine industry? According to a recent Greenpeace report, who helped organise the naked get-together, warmer temperatures mean that the harvest is taking place earlier.
“Wines end up having higher sugar levels and alcohol content while retaining less acids - which means they are unbalanced with an overripe flavour and heavier texture.”
Spencer Tunick was the man who organised the photography. He has plenty of experience in this field, having been organising these mass nude art pieces for more than 15 years all over the world. In 2007 he worked with Greenpeace to do one (at a cool 10 degrees C) with six hundred dedicated Swiss posing nude on a melting glacier (the Aletsch) in Switzerland. The objective, of course, to draw attention to global warming and the shrinking glaciers, although I can think of a few other shrinking things at that temperature.
In an open letter to President Obama, President Merkel and other heads of state, Greenpeace writes:
“We’re not asking you to take your clothes off in Copenhagen - but we do expect you to be there - to sign a fair, ambitious and binding deal to save the future of our planet. A half-decent climate treaty simply won’t do.”
I always said that the trilogy of red, white and rosé from Domaine de Pellehaut would be good enough to get any fan of New World wine onto drinking Old World. This is where to start whenever you want to try French wine. Experimental blends that work. The white won top blended white at the Paris show two years in a row.
Domaine de Pellehaut is one of the finest independent family producers in Gascony. Situated at the highest point in the district of Montréal-du-Gers (180m above sea level), this farming estate covers 530 hectares of which 220 hectares are planted with vines. It is run in a traditional way by Gason Beraut and his sons, Mathieu and Martin.
The vines are only situated on the slopes, with the lowlands being reserved for cattle and cereal crops. The straw from the local “Blonde d’Aquitaine” cattle (pictured) makes first rate manure for the vines, thus allowing the balance of organic matter to be maintained in the different parcels, whilst limiting the use of synthetic fertilisers. A stellar range, whether you’re an Old World disciple, or just looking to broaden your palate.
Ampelomeryx is an extinct mammal that lived during the Miocene period. It was a even-toed ungulate that had frontal and occipital appendages. It was similar to Tauromeryx and Triceromeryx. It was a herbivore, perhaps a browser (Wikipedia)
This curious beast, viewable on the bottle pictured, can be described as a cross between a deer and a giraffe. It lived over 17 million years ago in what would have been a very different looking sub-tropical Gascony. The male Ampelomeryx had two large canines and a horn at the back of his head. (Oh, and based on the fact that giraffes have no vocal cords, I reckon it sounded quite like a deer. Whatever that sounds like.)
It’s incredible to think that these animals were roaming the vineyards of Domaine de Pellehaut all those years ago, and 17 million years later, there’s a part of them still living in the Curious Wines Warehouse. Domaine de Pellehaut have dedicated their signature Vin de Pays (VDP) white blend to their fossil find of the majestic Ampelomeryx, with a label that, in my view, makes for one of the most enticing bottles we carry.
The 2006 is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Manseng, the latter of which is a grape that is often used in dessert wines, and in the case of the Ampelomeryx, provides an incredibly rich roundedness, that’s further enhanced by fermentation of the juice from all of the grapes in old barrels. Whereas new barrels would impart stronger, pure flavours, the old barrels have added subtle, delicate flavours of vanilla, which are preceded by prominent aromas of white peach and apricot on the nose.
This is a special wine and a real find. It’s almost as special as finding a 17 million year old half deer, half giraffe buried at the bottom of your garden. One that we would even pit against a white burgundy at twice the price. Now there’s a statement.
For a premium red VDP, check out the superb Dignite Syrah, and click here to view the Ampelomeryx in all its glory. Both have 10% off indicated prices until the end of August.
Just east of Tours we drove to the small town of Vouvray, where we ventured off the beaten track to visit more small producers and take in the incredible scene of endless vineyards. Here’s a short clip…
Vouvray AOC is a premium appellation for Chenin Blanc. The wines may be bone-dry (sec), delightfully off dry (demi-sec), medium, sweet or sparkling. Most are medium-bodied with high acidity, unoaked, with citrus, green tropical fruit notes (lemon, apple, pineapple), and some vegetal aromas (green leaf).
Vouvray has great terroir. Those from clay soil might lean towards a fruitier flavour, while those made on flinty clay soil may have more minerality. Typically drunk young, the best years of Vouvray have been known to produce wines that last up to 100 years in excellent condition, showing that when done well, Chenin Blanc has great aging potential.
The Vouvray wine cellar, or Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Vouvray, was a very interesting visit. Formed over forty years ago, it’s a “common storage” for a large group of growers. A wine-tasting board decides which wines will be aged and the cellar has a capacity of 2 million bottles.
I was fortunate enough to try a number of lovely examples, including a very golden coloured Moelleux. The older versions in particular exuded quince, honey and almond with great all round complexity. And those sparkling Vouvrays just rock - yet another one to look out for.
So, to conclude ‘A week in Loire Valley’, without further delay and as promised, here is Curious Wines first tasting video from Loire Valley, via Bandon, to your living room (or wherever you are).
What did you expect, eh? Here’s our two stellar Vouvrays.
Our first night camping in Saumur (pictured) was a little rough with no foam to lie on, but the wine certainly helped to anaesthetise us. With a taste of Bourgueil, Saumur and Chinon under the belt, Touraine AOC was next on the hit list.
The Chenin Blanc of Chateau de l’Aulee had our attention after the spectacular Langeais Castle. ‘Le Chateau White’ is the entry level Chenin, a fairly uncomplicated, refreshing, fruity drop with a hint of minerality. Definitely a lunchtime wine for the ladies, and it would have matched perfectly with grilled fish and salad. The ‘Vieilles Vignes’ dry white (again, 100% Chenin Blanc) was made from smaller batches that grow on vines over 40 years old. Time in oak added a fuller, richer body to this one, so it would cope well with veal, chicken or goats cheese.
Here’s a snippet of the grounds of Chateau de l’Aulee, with our signature shaky camera work.
The biggest surprise was the quality of the sparkling Chenin Blanc. The ‘Intense’ (Méthode Traditionnelle), which consisted of 20% Chardonnay, had a biscuity nose with rich fruit flavours and the structure and length to match. An absolute winner. ‘Le Chateau’ Chinon AOC Rouge satisfied my craving from our previous exploration of Cabernet Franc. Again, light and bouncing with fruit.
Touraine AOC also produces superb Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately we didn’t make it as far east as Sancerre, but I wasn’t too concerned with the quality we had on the doorstep of our lightweight two-man tent. Included in our visits were a number of very proud vintners making tiny quantities for local consumption, and our very own Domaine du Pre Baron, who again reminded me of why Touraine has such an established reputation for producing top end Sauvi’s at low end prices.
On Friday’s post (Part three) I’ll bring you through Vouvray and unveil Curious Wines first wine tasting video (the first of many I suspect). In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a bit of Parisian musique from the Montmarte district, just outside the Sacré-Cœur. Aww, they’re so cute!
Last week I was fortunate enough to get a break from talking wine to focus purely on the tasting. Oh, and this was all between discovering some of Europe’s most spectacular medieval castles (including the one pictured), beautiful villages and world-class cuisine.
After spending a couple of days in Paris, my girlfriend and I ventured south to the picturesque town of Tours in the heart of the Loire. First of all we travelled west through three of Loire’s AOCs; Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur.
Our first stop in Bourgueil was Nau Freres and we were lucky enough to get a guided tour of the vineyard. You can see the grapes need more time before they are to be harvested (September/October).
After viewing the wine making facility, we were then taken into the caves (cellar), which was a great experience.
The grape of choice in Bourgueil and Chinon is Cabernet Franc. I recently wrote a blog post on this rather unfashionable varietal. Some may find the young wines a little harsh, but I tried the 2004 Vieilles Vignes from Nau Freres, and it was just superb. The 2003 was supposedly one of the best vintages in a decade, so if you see one grab it with both hands. The dry Rose was a real treat as well, so we brought one back to the campsite.
The light and fruity Cabernet Franc from Loire is a great summer wine. Think red fruits, black currant and green capsicum. Chinon has a similar terroir to Bourgueil, and I’ll be tasting one next to a cheap and nasty Malbec from Valencay in the third and final part of this mini series at the end of the week - so be there or be square!
After a cracking June, hopes are high for a great Irish summer, so right on cue, we’ve some hot summer offers to keep you and your wallet as cool as a breeze.
Never mind spending piles of cash swanning off to France this summer - we’re bringing France direct to your doorstep with fabulous savings on all our French wines for July and August!
Fancy lounging in the garden with a relaxing Rosé, or sipping a chilled white by the seaside? Every bottle, every colour, every vintage is 10% off all summer long!
And it’s not just France that we’ve targeted for special prices on whites. We’ve these recommendations for summer sipping, all with cool discounts to make a stock-up a little easier.
Having trouble picking your own mixed case? Well, things just got a little easier.
We’re building a name as Ireland’s mixed case wine specialists, with permanent discounts on a range of pre-mixed cases from only €100, and with free delivery anywhere in Ireland. We’ve the established Curious favourites, with re-vamped Old World, New World, all Red and all White mixes, or check-out the newly launched Simply range, our recommendations on where to start if Australia, Chile, France or Italy is your thing.
Finally, we always keep the odd little offer, such as bin-end or limited availability wines, for our Newsletter subscribers. If you’re not signed up, you’ve nothing to lose but everything to gain by doing so - click here to find out more and to sign-up in one easy step.
