Eggs-traordinary tipples for Easter
TO PAIR WITH LAMB OR CHOCOLATE, THESE WINES ARE THE PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT FOR SEASONAL DELIGHTS
per vintage. If you compare this to Champagne, which produces 300 million bottles every year, you know Roisin’s wines are a rare beauty. As well as being delicious to drink, they make fabulous gifts.
They are produced in Burgundy using the classic grape varieties of Chardonnay for white and Pinot Noir for the red, and in recent years, she has very successfully branched out to some of the region’s other grape varieties – Gamay, which is the grape of Beaujolais and Fleurie, and Aligote, a white grape which has gained in prominence and prestige over the last decade largely due to its ability to weather the storm of climate change. It is a grape that can tolerate extreme heat and is now producing exceptional value white wines for the serious wine lover.
This is Roisin’s Bouzeron, an appellation created in the 1998 decree and made exclusively from Aligoté grapes grown in the southern Macon village of the same name. Refined green fruit flavours, with citrus notes and hints of almond and cashew, with delicate layers of flint and honey note. A serious wine that Burgundy lovers should try.
Her first release of a Fleurie is absolutely gorgeous. The Fleurie ‘Les Moriers’ is Roisin’s first foray into Gamay and Beaujolais. Les
Moriers is a very steep, granitic site facing north-east, an aspect that is likely a real positive in these times of climate change. The vines are 70 years old and 100 per cent whole bunch was used, as is typical in Beaujolais. Pigeage was by foot and the wine spent 12-14 days on skins. The wine was then aged in older wood and bottled in August.
IMURI NEGROAMARO, Puglia, Italy €16.50,
thenudewineco.ie
This Negroamaro is a full-bodied glass of brambly black fruit with intense flavours of blackberries and blackcurrants. The velvety texture, lovely balance and savoury spice notes are very hard to resist. This is an excellent example of why Southern Italian reds are so popular – it offers serious value for money and over-delivers at the price point.
It’s excellent with or without food, and the perfect wine to enjoy on a Friday night. The winemakers have been making wine in Puglia for over 20 years, and their philosophy is to let the fruit shine with minimal technical intervention. This is something which you can taste in every glass.
JOHN DUVAL PLEXUS, Barossa Valley, Australia €39.95,
thenudewineco.ie An absolutely stunning red wine from Barossa, possibly the nicest one you might ever try. It is intense, spicy and vibrant and offers immediate gratification. Layers of flavour and a fine and silky texture makes this a must-try wine for anyone who likes a full-bodied red. Barossa Valley is the homeland for extremely full-bodied red wines and this is a worthy example for the only
Barossa wine we list.
John Duval is nothing short of a legendary winemaker, having spent nearly 30 years in Penfolds and 16 as its chief winemaker. John was at the helm of Penfolds Grange for over a decade and you can taste the majesty in this wine. In case you can’t tell, I love it.
SASTA, Niepoort, Douro Tinto €19.25,
thenudewineco.ie Portuguese wines continue to outshine many of their European counterparts, and this blockbuster is no different. Produced in the classic style of a ‘field blend’, it is intense and full of Douro character; with flavours of freshly-picked brambly fruit and spicy undertones. It is a total cracker.
The label is designed by Irish Cartoonist Fintan Taite – in each country, Niepoort commissions a cartoonist to design a label. In Ireland, it is known as Sasta.
The Niepoort family has been operating independently in the port wine market since 1842. Franciscus Marius Niepoort, born in Hilversum, Holland, set foot in Portugal and founded the now world-famous company. Dirk Niepoort, the fifth generation to steward this amazing winery, is easily one of the world’s top winemakers.
Michelle Lawlor is the owner of The Nude
Wine Company, Ireland’s most loved independent wine shop.