Peter Lehmann RIP
28 June 2013 Filed in: Cellar Notes News & Views
The word ‘legend’ is bandied about with such tiring frequency these days that it is easy to lose sight of its true meaning. But not that easy. Those in the wine world keen to reacquaint themselves with what it really means only have to look at the life of Peter Lehmann, who passed away this week. Read More...
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ANZAC Dinner
25 April 2013 Filed in: Cellar Notes News & Views
What better way to celebrate ANZAC Day than by organising a themed wine dinner with wines from Australia and New Zealand, and the food giving at least a nod to the Antipodes? That’s precisely what I did last weekend. Read More...
Super Semillon
I had the great pleasure of leading an Australian Semillon masterclass at the recent Wine Australia tasting day in Dublin. It was no hardship, none at all. Ever since visiting the Hunter Valley in 1997 I have been an avid fan of the unique, chalky-dry-in-youth, toasty-in-age Semillons that are produced there. The net was thrown a little wider for this masterclass and, included in the half-dozen wines, were two from the Barossa, three from the Hunter and one sweet number from Riverina. Read More...
Elizabeth Semillon 1994
13 April 2011 Filed in: Cellar Notes
At the risk of being branded an ‘Elizabeth-phile’ I am going to write about this wine once more. This was my last bottle from a case bought about a decade ago and was opened over the weekend in anticipation of a forthcoming visit to Dublin by the Mount Pleasant winemaker, Phil Ryan. It is fair to say that it was on its last legs but it was a fascinating drink all the same. Read More...
Mount Pleasant Mystery Solved
Thanks to a swift response from the winery in Australia, delivered through Tesco, so thanks to them also, I am now able to clear up the confusion surrounding the labelling of the Hunter Valley Semillon that remains one of my favourite Australian wines, no matter what they call it. For the record it is now labelled as: McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005. The text of the message reads: Read More...
Double Identity?
I had a great response to my recommendation of the Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005 last week, so much so that a number of people contacted me to say that their local Tesco store was sold out of the wine. All I could say by way of consolation was, “So was mine!” But that’s not all.
Read More...Best Value Ever
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Very probably the best value wine offer I have ever come across lasts for only a few more days at Tesco. Read More...
Showing Its Age: Part 1 Landmark Australia Tasting
27 January 2011 Filed in: Tastings News & Views
When new world wines are heavily favoured over their old world counterparts there is always a great default defence ready to hand: “But how will they age?” This is usually wheeled out as an ominous mutter rather than a question, prompting heads to nod wisely in assent. In truth it is the last line of defence against the fruit-driven ‘flavour bombs’ that are storming the mouth-puckering ‘correct’ wines. Clean flavours tend to be favoured over mean ones that “would be better with food” or which “will improve with a decade in the cellar.” This usually happens after some sort of a ‘comparative’ tasting, which would be best labelled ‘competitive’. It is seldom the best way to get a good appreciation of any wine. Read More...
