Nomad, Tyrrell & Grapecircus
04 April 2011 Filed in: Tastings
No, they are not the Curly, Larry & Moe of the Irish wine trade but a trio of Ireland’s small, independent wine merchants who, between them, import a wonderfully diverse range of wines from France, Spain and Italy. Container loads of anonymous plonk are not for them; rather they seek out dedicated, quality conscious producers whose wines fairly hum with character. I can’t claim to like all of them but I have never tasted one that I didn’t have a firm opinion about and of which I could say something more than, “that’s nice”. They banded together today for a joint tasting in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel. Here are a few of my favourites.
Top of the pops on the Nomad table was the Ponsot, Clos de la Roche VV 2008 (14%) but if you have to ask the price… Far more suited to the bank bailout era in which we find ourselves was the Lombeline, Grenache-Syrah Vin de Pays du Gard 2010 (14.5%) that will set you back about €11. There’s oodles of sweet, bouncy fruit that would respond well to a little chilling. It will make a perfect summer red – just beware of that 14.5% alcohol.
At about the same price, and seriously rivalling that last wine in the value stakes, was the Simone Joseph, Côtes du Rhône ‘Les Vignes Parallèles’ 2008 (13.5%) with its deliciously fresh and clean flavours. However, if at all possible, raid the piggybank and stretch to the Simone Joseph, Syrah Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes 2008 (12.5%). It punches so far above its price of about €15 that it is hard to believe it is not from a much grander appellation. It is textbook, benchmark Syrah. Full stop.
Grapecircus’s forte is Italian wines and you will travel some distance to find a nicer wine from the Veneto region than their Cantina di Negrar, Valpolicella Classico 2009 (13.5%) that will set you back about €14. Think lovely sharp tingle with good depth of flavour and you will get the picture. Most impressively, it showed a clean pair of heels to the nominally ‘better’ Domini Veneti, Valpolicella Ripasso ‘La Casetta’ 2008 which was a bit lumbering by comparison.
Note: You won’t find these wines on the shelves of your local supermarket, but in restaurants and specialist wine shops (and Sheridan’s cheesemongers for the Grapecircus wines). In case of difficulty sourcing them contact:
Nomad: Charles Derain, charles@nomadwineimporters.com
Tyrrell: Simon Tyrrell, sales@tyrrellandcompany.com
Grapecircus: Enrico Fantasia, grapecircusorders@gmail.com
Top of the pops on the Nomad table was the Ponsot, Clos de la Roche VV 2008 (14%) but if you have to ask the price… Far more suited to the bank bailout era in which we find ourselves was the Lombeline, Grenache-Syrah Vin de Pays du Gard 2010 (14.5%) that will set you back about €11. There’s oodles of sweet, bouncy fruit that would respond well to a little chilling. It will make a perfect summer red – just beware of that 14.5% alcohol.
At about the same price, and seriously rivalling that last wine in the value stakes, was the Simone Joseph, Côtes du Rhône ‘Les Vignes Parallèles’ 2008 (13.5%) with its deliciously fresh and clean flavours. However, if at all possible, raid the piggybank and stretch to the Simone Joseph, Syrah Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes 2008 (12.5%). It punches so far above its price of about €15 that it is hard to believe it is not from a much grander appellation. It is textbook, benchmark Syrah. Full stop.
Grapecircus’s forte is Italian wines and you will travel some distance to find a nicer wine from the Veneto region than their Cantina di Negrar, Valpolicella Classico 2009 (13.5%) that will set you back about €14. Think lovely sharp tingle with good depth of flavour and you will get the picture. Most impressively, it showed a clean pair of heels to the nominally ‘better’ Domini Veneti, Valpolicella Ripasso ‘La Casetta’ 2008 which was a bit lumbering by comparison.
Note: You won’t find these wines on the shelves of your local supermarket, but in restaurants and specialist wine shops (and Sheridan’s cheesemongers for the Grapecircus wines). In case of difficulty sourcing them contact:
Nomad: Charles Derain, charles@nomadwineimporters.com
Tyrrell: Simon Tyrrell, sales@tyrrellandcompany.com
Grapecircus: Enrico Fantasia, grapecircusorders@gmail.com
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