D.O. Bierzo in Northwestern Spain is quickly becoming one of the most recognised regions of Spain, and is home to the Mencía grape, a red grape variety producing fragrant red wines. It is so strongly believed that this vine is related to Cabernet Franc, the local synonym is Cabernet. Only time will tell if Bierzo is to be the next Priorat, a premium region that few knew little only ten years ago.

We were keen to fill the Bierzo gap after being without one for a while. There’s some lovely high-end wine coming from this small region, which officially forms part of Castilla y León, but we really wanted to get something the everyday wine drinker could buy an try. La Mano Mencía Roble was our choice.

Here’s what Jay Miller (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) had to say:

“It is a glass-coating opaque purple color with an alluring perfume of mineral, spice box, cedar, boysenberry, and black cherry. Sweetly fruited, savory, and built for pleasure, it finishes with no hard edges. This lengthy effort is a great value that over-delivers in a big way. It is a splendid introduction to the Mencía grape.” 89 points

La Mano is the Spanish word for hand, as this wine is made by the hands of people who have always worked with Mencía vines. It is produced by Vinos de Arganza, who began in 1966 as a bottling plant before going into wine production in 2000. Along with a number of other producers in the region, Vinos de Arganza have given Mencía a lease of life by improved canopy management and by reducing yields, allowing for more concentrated and complex wines to be made.

The vineyards get some protection from the surrounding mountains, avoiding possible frost damage. In this region the soils are composed of clay limestone and the vineyards are made up of terraces and small parcels. The climate is affected by the Atlantic (the Galician area) and by Continental (the Castilian area) influences. Spain is the land of American oak, which I’m a big fan of. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, La Mano went into American oak for three months before bottling.

La Mano, also recommended by Blake Creedon (Irish Examiner), is proving to be a superb addition to our new wines from Spain, all of which will have 20% until the end of April.

Some people just love animal labels. It’s something I enjoy observing as they place one animal after the other on top of the counter. A giraffe, a lizard, an elephant and a squid. Yes, a squid.

There’s some more good news for curious animals lovers. Just in time for the March/April sale, we introduced eight new wines to our Spanish range. These included three red wines under the La Granja label, meaning “the farm” in English. Adding to our already extraordinary line-up of furry mammals and slithering reptiles, we’re delighted to introduce a pig (Tempranillo), a hen (Syrah) and a zebra (Tempranillo/Garnacha).

I’m always the first to say a wine shouldn’t be judged on its label, so obviously we didn’t bring these in for the fun of it. All three are made by a quality driven co-operative sourcing grapes in Cariñena, a DO (Denominación de Origen) in Spain’s north-east. This is the Spanish equivalent to the French Vin de Pays. Here’s what Robert Parker had to say about the pig, keeping in mind 86 points is a great score for a wine priced at €7.99 (currently €6.39).

The least expensive wine to be recommended in these pages in close to 30 years, the 2009 La Granja Tempranillo is a 100,000 case cuvee made at a co-operative in Carinena. Dark ruby colored, it offers up a nose of red cherry accompanied by a whiff of incense. Sweet, ripe, and tasty on the palate, this nicely balanced effort will deliver uncomplicated, straight-ahead pleasure over the next 2-3 years.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate #188, June 2010, 86 points

About the winery

The Bodega was established 1945, in Almonacid de la Sierra, and came under the ownership of San Nicolas de Tolentino, the patron of the village. This cooperative has today approximately 280 members and 1,700 hectares of vines cultivated.

The red wines produced are made from the Garnacha and Tempranillo. For some years now Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are also cultivated, but to a lesser degree. Garnacha is sourced mainly from vineyards above the Village of Almonacid, at about 600m altitude, while Tempranillo and Syrah is sourced from vineyards below the village. Many of these vines are over 50 years old and therefore some of oldest vines in the D.O. Cariñena.

La Granja range, along with the rest of Spain, has 20% off for the months of March and April.

I love it when we find something a bit mad or ‘out there’. Tasmania’s a cool place. I’ve never been there, but I’ve watched the nature documentaries and read the travel guides. As well as that, I’m well versed on the wine books and I know this is one part of Australia (yes, I also know it’s an island) you absolutely can’t overlook for its wine. As well as all those other lovely things that make it… lovely.

Pirie Non Vintage (just in) is the latest development of a project that began when the inaugural 1995 Vintage Pirie was launched to international acclaim: Matthew Jukes declared it as the greatest sparkling wine ever produced outside of champagne.

“Pale colour; focused and fresh lemon fruit and spring blossom bouquet; generous and creamy mouthfeel, with linear acidity and well-handled dosage; very good focus.” 94/100

James Halliday
2010 Australian Wine Companion

Pirie Tasmania is the latest evolution of one man’s belief that Tasmania can be one of the truly great wine regions of the world. As Australia’s first PhD in viticulture, founder of Pipers Brook Vineyard (1973-2002) and more recently ‘Pirie Estate’ and ‘South’ labels, and recipient of the Australian Medal for his services to Tasmanian wine and tourism (2001), Andrew Pirie’s contribution to the industry is indisputable, as now is Tasmania’s position as a jewel in the crown of Australian wine.

“I remain passionate about the cool climate wine potential of Tasmania. It is exciting to be involved in an industry which benefits lifestyle, from its modern inception to consolidation.”

Andrew Pirie

The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for this sparkling Pirie is sourced from Upper Tamar Valley. Situated in the north of Tasmania, the region is approximately the same length as the Cote d’Or in Burgundy (90km) and benefits from a similar cool, humid climate.

Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are all grown here, producing fresh, extremely elegant whites. But for red wines, Pinot Noir is king. From the bright cherry and raspberry scented wines from Kayena in the Lower Tamar, to the heady truffle and black cherry aromas from the Upper Tamar vineyards at Relbia and White Hills, the variety of styles from this small region prove that the French do not have a monopoly on terroir.

Andrew Pirie’s Tasmanian bubbly will have 20% off, alongside all of our other sparkling wines, until the New Year.

Meet Some Young Punks, three maverick wine-makers who not only disregard convention, they openly taunt it. The punks consist of Col McBryde (Australia’s Young Gun Winemaker of the Year), Jen Gardner (self-confessed nerdy yeast expert) and Nic Bourke (self-confessed insidious miscreant).

‘We blame the booze. The whiff and the swill did us in and all that was left to do was to make more. In many ways the wines that weren’t worth the pull on the cork caused this as much as the wines that we will never have the pleasure of decorking again. This is Passion, a monster bigger than the three of us that leads us to soapbox, grandstand and sometimes pass out on the couch.’

Col McBryde is as unimpressed by flash-in-the-pan medal-winners that are short on provenance as he is by being hide-bound to the Old World, and carves his own niche. Beyond wines that speak for themselves, a sense of humour allows this ironically quietly-spoken but earnest bunch to market themselves outrageously and bring a fresh approach to packaging. We’ll drink to that.

Battle Island Shiraz Cabernet 2009 (€14.99, or €13.49 per bottle when you buy 6)

This is a wine of “The Furious Knives of Wine”, produced and packaged by Some Young Punks. Sourced from vineyards in Padthaway and Langhorne Creek, South Australia. A furious battle, the stench of red, is the Battle over? Or has it just begun?

Passion Has Red Lips Cabernet Shiraz 2009 (€17.99, or €16.19 per bottle when you buy 6)

This label is from the original Pulp Fiction novel ‘Sin on Wheels’. Turn, splash and savour; Unfiltered confessions follow as the sin glows red & passionate like those red lips. A rich gobful of lip-smacking, sensuously structured McLaren Cabernet and Clare Shiraz.

Stephen Tanzer: 90 points

The Squids Fist Sangiovese Shiraz 2009 (€21.00, or €18.90 per bottle when you buy 6)

“A battle in the deep as two foes collide! The Squids Fist lands hard against the crude steel of the submersible; the force buckles, kinks and crushes it as an old rivalry comes to a head 750ml under the sea! Once again the TNT team find themselves submerged in high drama. How will they survive both the wrath of the might Cephalopod and the diabolical plans of the crazed engineer?” The black attack of McLaren Vale Shiraz is cleverly enveloped in Barossa-sourced Sangiovese’s savoury limbs in this triumphantly loose-limbed libation.

Stephen Tanzer: 90 points

ALLOCATION WINES: Some Young Punks are allocation wines, wines where demand substantially exceeds availability of supply due to limited production or rarity of vintage. Rather than mark-up to reflect this rarity, we simply reserve the right to exclude this wine from headline price promotions.

There’s a lot of questionable sparkling wine out there, so when we were on the hunt for a new Cava house to source from, we wanted to make sure we found something that would punch above its weight. We searched high and low to raise the bar and bring the best quality Cava to Ireland. After much deliberation tasting a variety of sparklers from numerous different cellars, it was Mont Marçal who got the nod.

We think the wines are sensational, and obviously the critics agree, with the Brut Cava Reserva picking up Gold at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and Robert Parker’s right-hand man, Jay Miller, awarding the flagship Cava, Brut Cava Extremarium, an electrifying 90 points. This kind of consistent recognition over the years has earned Mont Marçal a place as one of the most prestigious cellars in the Penedès.

The winery

The cellar at Mont Marçal was founded in 1975 by Manuel Sancho who, after dedicating many years to the music world, directed his attention to the art of wine and Cava making. It is Blanca Sancho, the founder’s daughter, who now runs the cellar together with a team of young professionals.

The estate has 40 hectares of its own vineyards which comprises indigenous varieties such as Macabeu, Xarel.lo, Parellada and Tempranillo, in addition to other varieties that have adapted perfectly to the region, such as Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

With the aim to optimise each phase of the production and the quality of its products, Mont Marçal has the most advanced technology at hand:

• A cellar with a maximum storage capacity of 1 million litres
• A barrel park with 250 barrels of American, French and Hungarian oak, each with 225 litres
• A laboratory to undertake microbiological and physical/chemical analysis
• A bottling line for 3000 bottles per hour
• A cellar capable of holding up to 6 million bottles at a time for ageing

The range (Cava & still wines)

Mont Marçal Brut Cava Reserva: A blend of Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Chardonnay, the Brut Reserva has aromas of yeast and ripe apples. The palate is fruity and balanced with very fine bubbles.

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Gold Medal

Mont Marçal Brut Cava Extremarium: This is a step up from the Brut Reserva, with a more savoury complexity as well as being fruit-driven. It has received three silver medals and a 90-point score from Jay Miller.

Jay Miller (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) 90 points

Mont Marçal Brut Cava Rosado: Made from the native Trepat grape variety, this dry sparkling rosado is packed with red berry fruit and hints of plum and fig.

Jay Miller (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) 88 points

Mont Marçal Blanco 2009: Great value Spanish white of Penedès. Crisp & fruity, this is a real class act with or without food.

Mont Marçal Tinto Joven 2009: Classically warm & rustic Spanish red blend, with lashings of red & black fruits to arouse the palate.

We’ll be continuing to expand our range of wines over the coming months, with everything from heavyweight medal winning blockbusters, to the finest, most intriguing hidden gems yet to grace the Irish palate.

You can be the first to know of our latest additions by following this blog (click on the little orange tag above, on the right of your address bar), becoming a fan (“Like”) of our Facebook page, following us on Twitter, or by signing up to our monthly newsletter.

This week we’re featuring three new entrants from one of our star wineries. Santa Alicia received a diploma and were voted Chilean Winery of the Year at the 2007 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Santa Alicia Anke Blend 1 (2007)

Anke Blend 1 is a 66% Cabernet Franc, 34% Petit Verdot blend, which has been aged in French oak for 10-12 months, with a further 8 months in bottle before release. This is not a combination you’re going to see too much of from Chile, but it works beautifully. Fresh and lively, on the slightly lighter side of medium, it has excellent red and dark fruit concentration, and a typical Cab Franc ‘greenness’.

Mundus Vini, Germany 2009: Gold Medal

Santa Alicia Anke Blend 2 (2007)

Anke Blend 2 is a 55% Carménère, 30% Petit Verdot and 15% Shiraz blend, which has been aged in French oak for 10-12 months, with a further 8 months in bottle before release. The Carménère spent time in American oak while the other two were aged in French oak. Fruity, herbal and spicy, finishing with a luscious coffee richness.

International Wine & Spirits Competition 2009 Silver Medal (Best in Class)

Santa Alicia Millantu 2006

This is the ‘top-dog’ of the SA range, and not one for wilting flowers. You might even want to decant this for a day before drinking. Millantu, or ‘Golden Sun’, is fantastically robust, complex and unbelievably luxurious. Although it is packed with concentrated black fruit flavours, it remains medium-bodied. Pick a wine from any other country in the same price bracket and if this doesn’t beat them hands down, it will at least give them a close run for their money. If you ever think Chile can’t do premium wines well, then think again.

Sélections Mondiales des Vins 2010 Gold Medal