Little Beauty Gewurztraminer Limited Edition 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand

Country / Region : Marlborough, New Zealand

Year : 2009

Grape Variety : Gewurztraminer

Style : Rich, Full White

ABV : 13.5 %

Drink By : 2018

Price : €19.99 to €21.99 RRP

The Winemakers

Little Beauty is a privately owned, Single Vineyard range of wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. Very authentic. Their range includes five varieties (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer).

Discrete, characterful. The vines are grown on three different sites. The lower terraces contain stony silt loam soils with fine sandy loam topsoil and gravels over alluvial gravels. Considerable stone is evident in the topsoil profile. Upper terraces contain friable silt loams over blocky silt loams on gravels. The winery uses sustainably accredited winemaking techniques compliant with international specifications.

Little Beauty’s winemaker is Eveline Fraser, formerly head winemaker at the famed Cloudy Bay.

The Wine

A lifted, heady nose – beautifully perfumed even though quite restrained in its youth. Aromas reminiscent of jasmine, rose petal and Middle Eastern spices. A touch of smokiness adds complexity.

On the palate, the characters are intriguing and plentiful; nougat, clove, orange, lychee and rose oil. Finishes with a rich, pleasing roundness.

…an exciting future.

Chilled. Fantastic as an aperitif or try with your favourite spicy dish. Additional food dishes suggested in the ‘Something for you’ section at www.littlebeauty.co.nz

The Riesling Revolution

The Riesling Revolution

Journey to the heart of this great Variety

Ballymaloe, 7pm on Thursday 17th May 2012 €25

Riesling presents a conundrum. For some it produces the greatest white wines in the world, yet by others it is often misunderstood and ridiculed. This unique presentation, organised in association with John McDonnell, Wine Australia Ireland,  with three winemakers from around the world, chaired by Irish Times wine writer, John Wilson, and 12 wine tasting, aims to resolves these two disparate points of view.

Joining us to present the evening are 3 winemakers from 3 of the great Riesling growing regions of the world.

‐ Tim Adams is based in Australia’s Clare Valley and since establishing Tim Adams wines in 1984 has developed a reputation as a brilliant and fiercely independent winemaker.

‐ Based in Germanys Rheingau, Carl Ehrhard expertly marries tradition with innovation in making and packaging his delicious range of wines.

‐ Owing some of Alsace’s most respected vineyard sites, Séverine Schlumberger of Domaines Schlumberger is custodian of both this famous house and it’s vineyards.

Although from different parts of the world, Séverine, Carl and Tim share a passion for Riesling, a passion they will share with us on Thursday May 17th at Ballymaloe. The evening will be hosted by John Wilson, Irish Times Wine Scribe, and self confessed “Riesling disciple”.

The cost per person for the tasting is €25 Euro and bookings can be made direct with Ballymaloe House res@Ballymaloe.ie and 021 4652531.

Adega de Pegões Syrah 2010 Portugal

Country / Region : Setubal, Portugal

Year : 2010

Grape Variety: 100% Syrah

Style : Full,  Spicy Red

ABV : 14%

Drink By : 2021

Price : €14 to €16 RRP

The Winemakers

Pegões, established in 1958, is a modern and competitive winery recognised both in domestic and international markets. Pegões wines have been distinguished with several awards at the most important international wine contests.
ith a vineyards area of 2.200 acres, they follow a systematic strategy of modernization with the key objective of continuously improving the quality and value of their wines.

The Pegões Terroir is located between two Nature Reserves – the Tagus estuary to the Northwest and the Sado on the Southwest, on the east side of the Arrabida hills and on the west side of the Alentejo province clays. The Pegões region is unique in climate and soil conditions.

The climate is Mediterranean and the soil, named “Pliocenico de Pegões”, is sandy formed over millions of years by sand transported by the rivers Tagus and Sado. It is this climate / soil combination that gives birth to the unique Pegões wines.

The Wine

Deep ruby colour with loads of black fruits and spice on the nose. Flavours of of red berries and black mature fruits, notes of jam. Full bodied with great length.

10 months in American and French oak barrels, followed by 4 months in bottles, before it is released on the market

Perfect with Game, Grilled / Roasted  Meats & Cheeses

Winner of 140 International Wine Awards

Jamie Goode  “Possibly Portugals Best Co Op”

More Newspaper Coverage

I hope you enjoyed the St Patricks Day festivities and the long weekend. The family headed off to the Mrs home county of Wexford to see the relations, including the latest addition to the clan, Roisin. A week old today and just gorgeous.

My weekend was made even more enjoyable thanks for Matthew Nugent, wine writer with the Irish Mail On Sunday where he was kind enough to review two of my best selling wines.

First up was the limited edition New Zealand Little Beauty Sauvignon Blanc

Closely followed by the Portuguese Corgo Da Regua Red

So a big thank you to Matthew for the lovely reviews.

Little Beauty Pinot Gris Limited Edition 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand

Country / Region : Marlborough, New Zealand

Year : 2010

Grape Variety : Pinot Gris

Style : Rich, Full White

ABV : 14 %

Drink By : 2017

Price : €19 to €21 RRP

The Winemakers

Little Beauty is a privately owned, Single Vineyard range of wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. Very authentic. Their range includes five varieties (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer).

Discrete, characterful. The vines are grown on three different sites. The lower terraces contain stony silt loam soils with fine sandy loam topsoil and gravels over alluvial gravels. Considerable stone is evident in the topsoil profile. Upper terraces contain friable silt loams over blocky silt loams on gravels. The winery uses sustainably accredited winemaking techniques compliant with international specifications.

Little Beauty’s winemaker is Eveline Fraser, formerly head winemaker at the famed Cloudy Bay

The Wine

The 2010 Little Beauty Pinot Gris oozes delightful aromatics and freshness. Tangerine, vanilla pod, a touch of liquorice and quince produce a musky inviting aroma.

The palate is mealy, full and creamy though only 5 grams residual sugar. Apricot kernel and hints of butterscotch complete your Pinot Gris journey.

Only lightly chilled. Particularly delightful with Pan Asian cuisine. Goes well with too with nuts, dried fruits and smoky cheeses

Best Wine Apps – Wine Picks and Pairings: Natalie MacLean

In the latest in our series of wine apps, here is one I use all the time.

Ever wondered what to match with beef, pork, chicken, fish and so on. Well, if you have a smartphone, there’s an app for that as they say !

Say hello to Wine Picks & Pairings: Natalie MacLean

So what can you do with it ?

The big one for me is (obviously) food and wine matching. You can start with the food or the wine and work out the best pairing from there. Quick, fun and simple !

In addition you can . . . . . .

• snap a picture of a bottle bar code with your smartphone
• get professional tasting notes, scores, pairings and recipes
• search 150,000 wines available
• add wines to your virtual cellar with just a few clicks
• share your wines and pairings on Twitter and Facebook

And best of all, its free.

I am a big fan of Natalie, having read two of her wonderful wine books. Well worth checking out too. Packed full of great stories and written in an engaging style !

Fontanário de Pegões Palmela Reserva 2007 Portugal

Country / Region : Palmela, Portugal

Year : 2007

Grape Variety :  Castelão / Cabernet Sauvignon / Touriga Nacional

Style : Full Bodied, Smooth Red

ABV : 14%

Drink By : 2021

Price : €16 to €18 RRP

The Winemakers

Pegões, established in 1958, is a modern and competitive winery recognised both in domestic and international markets. Pegões wines have been distinguished with several awards at the most important international wine contests.
ith a vineyards area of 2.200 acres, they follow a systematic strategy of modernization with the key objective of continuously improving the quality and value of their wines.

The Pegões Terroir is located between two Nature Reserves – the Tagus estuary to the Northwest and the Sado on the Southwest, on the east side of the Arrabida hills and on the west side of the Alentejo´s province clays. The Pegões region is unique in climate and soil conditions.

The climate is Mediterranean and the soil, named “Pliocenico de Pegões”, is sandy formed over millions of years by sand transported by the rivers Tagus and Sado. It is this climate / soil combination that gives birth to the unique Pegões wines.

The Wine

Dark ruby colour. Rich aromatics. Ripe delicious tannins. A velvety wine with excellent structure. Black and red berries, Plums, Liquorice, Dried fruits, Chocolate, Spice and Vanilla. A full bodied red wine. Lovely long finish.

12 months in American and French oak barrels, followed by 2 years in bottle.

Perfect with Game, Grilled / Roasted  Meats & Cheeses

Winner of 140 International Wine Awards

Jamie Goode  “Possibly Portugals Best Co Op”

A sense of place

Little Beauty Vineyard - Marlborough, New Zealand. (Kevin Judd)

Have you ever stopped to think about a bottle of wine ?

Where it’s from ?

What kind of a place is it ? Big ? Small ?

Some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to have been vineyards

Whats the climate like there ? Cool or hot ? Is it reflected in the wine style ?

And what about the people who grow the grapes and make the wine ? Whats their story ?

How cool would it be to sit down after a long days work and drink a glass of your own delicious wine. A wine perhaps, know all over the world.

Thats what I like about good wine. For me, its a reflection of the place its from and the people who make it. And its alive. Its always changing. And the people who make it, they really care about it. Passionately.

Quinta Do Judeu, Douro, Portugal.

The world has become a smaller place and its getting smaller and its natural that we sometimes take wine for granted. Its readily available. But every now and then when I have a glass of really good wine, I stop for a moment and think about whats gone into making it and I’m thankful for the wonderful diversity of wine thats available to us now and for the people who spend their lives making it.

Syrah / Shiraz – I’m getting . . . . . . .

A fine example of New World Shiraz from Kangarilla Road in the McLaren Vale

Following on from our recent post exploring the wonders of Sauvignon Blanc, today we turn our attention to one of my personal favourites. Yep, its Syrah / Shiraz.

Here are some aromas and flavours to look out for

• Blackberry
• Black Cherry
• Raspberry
• Blackcurrant
• Redcurrant
• Black Pepper
• Spice
• Mulberry
• Blueberry
• Bramble Fruits
• Plum
• Jammy
• Mint
• Aniseed
• Liquorice
• Meaty
• Earthy
• Chocolate
• Leather
• Coffee
• Tar
• Violets
• Tobacco
• Prunes
• Fruits of the Forest

What am I missing ? Why not add in your own aromas and flavours in the comments section below.

If you fancy trying a delicious example, you could start here

You Little Beauty

Beverley, Fleur and Emma

What a cracking week last week. The highlight though was a wonderful Little Beauty Wine Evening in Latitude 51 in Cork’s city centre. Over thirty wine lovers assembled in the beautiful tasting room upstairs and were treated to a wonderful talk and tasting by Fleur McCree, owner of Little Beauty. More than two hours of stories and talking about the five delicious limited edition wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir) on show that evening. Fleur and the crowd were in flying form and it was great fun. And very educational too !

One of the guests, Cork’s own Billy Lyons was kind enough to write a lovely piece on his site. Thanks Billy ! Here’s the link

A huge thanks to Fleur for coming over. In addition to a wonderful tasting, we also had a great series of meetings with customers in the Cork area. Thanks to Beverley and Emma for being such wonderful hosts. Their beautiful wine bar is a must visit. Do yourself a favour and call in for a glass of wine, a craft beer, some delicious food and / or some gourmet coffee/ tea.

Photo used with thanks to Billy Lyons