Red, White and Green - Back to Basics
Conor McGuinness
1. Muscat 'Cuvee Marie',
Valentin Zusslin, Alsace AOC, 2000
Floral, not very grapey,
sweet, long finish of Seville oranges. 12.5%.
Vendemia, Kilkenny 10.85 (at the Farmer's Market, Leopardstown)
2. Jean Thevenet, Domaine
Emilian Gillet, Mβcon Villages
1999 
Served blind. Biscuit
on the nose and biscuit plus oil in the mouth, with quince, marmalade.
I immediately went for Burgundy, to almost universal disbelief. Most
thought it excellent; some marked it down heavily saying that it wasn't
like traditional Burgundy; effectively it couldn't be good no matter how
well made it was, or how good it tasted, unless it had certain
characteristics that were expected of the type. This is totally
contrary to my wine tasting principles. I argue that it was bloody
good and so worthy of a high score, and anyway it tasted like many good,
modern white Burgundies I have tasted. Just a shame it wasn't a bit
cheaper :)
Wines Direct
23.00
3. Domaine Cabanis, Costieres
de Nimes, AC 2000
Herby nose. Warm, ripe
fruit; blackberry, rustic, peppery. A hint of sourness and
sweetness; milk just on the turn? Some didn't like. Grenache,
old Carignan, Mourvedre, Syrah, Clarette.
10.20
4. Cueva, DO Utiel-Requena,
Spain, 2000
Light red with violet tones.
Wild herbs. Lovely, restrained but fruity, good grip, fruit gums,
good finish. Drink now. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Bobal
(extensively grown in Spain; produces deeply coloured wine suitable for
blending.)
Mary Pawle Wines 13.29
5. Albet I Noya, Lignum
Negre, DO, Spain, 2001
Lovely red colour. A bit
dumb. Well-balanced sweet fruit with a good acid behind, some silky
tannins. Unfortunately there's a watery bit of a hole at the end,
spoiling an otherwise very pleasant wine. This was the first Spanish
wine to go organic. Garnacha, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.5%
Mary Pawle Wines 13.29
6. Musaragno. Lison DOC
Pramaggiore, Cabernet Franc, 2001
Nice dark red. Slightly
medicinal nose - amaro, some sweetness. Good acid, raspberry and
well integrated wood. unusual; nice but quite rustic - not the
elegance you'd expect. 12%
McCabes 15.95
7.
La Luna del Rospo, 'Solo per Laura', DOC Barbera d'Asti
2000
Clean, mid-red. Boot
polish and greeny. Big, crunchy tannins, somewhat stalky but loads
of fruit. Long finish (thyme?), stern, hint of sour and chewy
stalks. Excellent, maybe pushing towards two stars even at this
price. 13.5%
Vendemia Wines
20.95
8. Fasoli Gino, Merlot 'Calle',
IGT Rosso Veronese, 2002
Dark red, unfiltered.
Recioto, maybe brandy on the nose. Huge extract of sweet fruit and
spices, with a medicinal and crunchy background. Over-ripe?
Huge finish; spirituous. Still young; what will happen to this?
With Merguez!
15%
Vendemia
32
9.
Domaine Mas de Martin, 'Cuvee Ultreia', St Bauzille de
Montmel, Coteaux de Languedoc AC, 2002
Mid to light red, looks
unfiltered. Good big spicy nose, good grip, crunchy tannins, big
burn (14%), nice finish of fruit pastilles. lovely It's near
l'Hortus, and 55% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 10% Carignan
Cabot, On the Grapevine
19.99
10.
Societe Huet, Le Haut Lieu, Moelleux, Vouvray AC 1997
Not a noticeably aweet nose.
Dark yellow/brassy; hint of blush. Oily aroma? Good structure,
with a good backbone, spirituous, a little cream of tartar. very
interesting, intense. Chenin Blanc, from a single vineyard.
12% alc. I love it. Keep it, it will develop. It can
last 60-100 years. With blue cheese it's dreamy.
Cabot etc. 37