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New Kids on the Block – New New World Wines

It occurred to me the other evening whilst flicking through “1001 wines to try before you die” that I will never taste everything; I have the privilege to taste more than most, yet in 10yrs I have only tasted about 10 of the wines listed…

They only listed 1001 wines and everyday there are new wines, wineries, and new wine producing countries popping up. I have been trying to at least taste wine from as many countries as possible so I can recommend or give comment on a broad or narrow selection of wines.

With all the wines listed I thought how lucky we are to live in Ireland (ignoring the high taxes imposed on wine) as, given there is only one winery in Ireland, we import from many countries, old world, new world whatever takes your fancy. And in recent years we have been importing wines from what I term the new new world, India, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil…

Who knew…? Well many don’t, even my Mexican friend was shocked to hear wine from her homeland had made it to Ireland. You may raise an eyebrow or look at me quizzically thinking they might be just cheap or tannic or even just a fad. Nope, there are some quite serious wines arriving, some easy but all well-made; they had to be, as being new they would have to pack a memorable punch to make it onto our shelves.

I am always looking to see what’s knew or different or what might be trending. I discovered some super bottles along the way and wanted to share them with you.

 

L.A. Cetto Chenin Blanc 2012 €14.99 – Mexico

L.A.CettoOn the nose this wine is clean fresh and ever so full of tropical fruits, with herbal touches and soft floral notes.

The tropical fruit really sings out on the palate, pineapple slices, mango and banana with a hint of guava. This wine is off dry with delightful touches of orange blossom.

It is an easy drinking wine on its own but it will work beautifully with Asian food & salads.

Available online & in store from Mitchells & Sons CHQ & Glasthule.

 

Sula Shiraz 2012 €14.99 – India

This wine has quite a full on nose packed with dark fruits, it is deep and brooding. Damsons, blackberries & blueberries. It has notes of bitter dark chocolate, smoky earthy tones and a touch of vanilla.

Surprisingly on the palate this wine is medium bodied with over-ripe black fruits, vegetal tones and light spice from the two months in oak. It has a touch of chocolate and nutmeg too, making this wine quite interesting. I’d try it with game or Asian food.

Available online & in store from Wines on the Green (Celtic Whiskey shop)

 

Castra Rubra Via Diagonalis 2008 – €15.99 – Bulgaria

Bulgaria55 % Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Rubin, 5% Mavrud

There is something mighty intriguing about the nose of this wine that I can’t quite put my finger on. It has blackberries, roasted hazelnuts, coffee, spice and black cherries. Bramble and earthy tones sneak in too.

On the palate this wine is getting a little tired but it still has quite a lot to offer. It’s a soft wine with structure. It has ripe black fruits, hint of liquorice and Turkish delight. It also has a lovely light touch of spice and oak. I really like this wine, the black fruits are dominant and all the other characteristics give it some lovely accents.

It would work well with a red meat simply prepared.

Available online & in store from O’Brien’s Wines

 

Atlantico Sur Tannat 2012 – €15.49 – Uruguay

UruguayAerate & decant this wine to see its full potential. It needs a serious amount of time to open.

This wine grows the longer it’s open. It has blackberries, blueberries, wild strawberries, red cherry and damson. Add to that the lovely lightly toasted nuts & oak and you might just start to see the potential this wine has.

The nose most definitely follows onto the palate with some smoky notes. It is quite juicy and then grows fuller as the evening progresses.

Available online & in-store from O’Brien’s Wines

 

ARTICLE BY SUZANNE REDMOND

Wild West SelfieSuzi is passionate about wine, beer and whiskey too, not forgetting a love of food and travel. She has been a part of this industry for a little over 10 years. She has worked on level 4 in WSET during this time and regularly hosts tastings and staff training in these sectors. She has recently started a blog on all wine, beer and spirit related beverages. You can follow her blog at https://www.thetaste.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Febvre-Main-e1453804815474.pngsgrapecrush or follow Suzi on Twitter

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