CHRISTMAS WINE FAIR 2009

Over the weekend we held our Christmas wine fair in the G-Hotel, we had over 100 wines on display and 3 mystery wines more on them later. Despite the terrible weather over the weekend we had a great turn out. We had some fantastic feed back regarding the wines on display here is a selection of my top five wines.

1) Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Chardonnay €24.95

A rich luscious Chardonnay from Australia's up and coming Mornington Peninsula. Fairly lean and focused stone fruit, lemon and peach, the feel is fresh and infused with appealing chalky minerality, fresh lemon acids, and delectable creamy French oak that compliments the delicacy of the fruit. Lovely honeyed vanilla nuances on a long lingering finish.

2) Bogle Pinot Noir 2006 €19.95

The cool confines of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County provide a near perfect climate for the development of delicate Pinot Noir aromatics and flavors.Soft suggestions of violets and rose petals couple with notes of wild cherries and cola. Subtle cocoa and toasty oak notes closely follow the lasting fruit flavors, creating an earthy finish of both structure and finesse.

3) Hazana Rioja Reserva Especial 2003 €24.95

Made From hand selected grapes this wine is then aged for 36 months in New French oak casks. This wine recently was recently awarded 2nd place of all Spanish wines available in Ireland over €15 in a tasting run by the Spanish Embassy. The wine itself is developing beautifully at present and displays dark fruits, tobacco, smoke on the nose. The wine is smooth yet powerful on the palate. This wine will continue to evolve over the next 10 years.

4) Monte Zovo Ca'Linverno 2003 €17.95

An extraordinary wine born from the inspiration of Diego Cottini, chief wine maker at Monte Zovo. The grapes are selected and left on the vines to fully mature until the first signs of winter when the morning mists hang over the normally sunny Veronese hills. This method allows the grapes to be not just fully ripened but also slightly dried. They are then harvested and left in plateaux to dry for a further 20-25 days in well aired storage rooms. These conditions help to create a wine with rich, full body, rare smoothness and charming aromas.

5) Domaine des Valanges Macon-Fuisse €16.95

This wine was one of the top whites on show on Sunday, almost everyone who tried loved it, proof once again that good chardonnay will win over even the most hardened of doubters. This wine is 100% un-oaked chardonnay, it has a wonderful backbone of crisp acidity and great lemon and citrus notes on the palate. A wonderful refreshing wine.