O'Briens Wine Blog

We’ve just about recovered from another busy, but brilliant, four days at Taste of Dublin.  In our opinion this was the best year yet!  For anyone who hasn’t been to the event before, Taste of Dublin  takes place every June in the beautiful surroundings of the Iveagh Gardens.  

The event is a great day/evening out and you can try dishes from a selection of some of the top restaurants in Dublin.  There are also local food producers sampling yummy food, and drinks suppliers at the event, along with our very own O’Briens Wine Bar!  

O'Briens Wine Bar at Taste of Dublin

The atmosphere was buzzing for every session.  Our bar was right beside the main stage this year and the entertainment was awesome!  We witnessed some pretty impressive dance moves and we’re told that the ringing in our ears will stop any day now  

The downpour on Sunday afternoon didn’t seem to spoil the day, most of the stands had enough shelter for every one and once the plastic ponchos were distributed, a conga line (no joking) made its merry way around in front of our bar.  

It was great to see lots of our customers there and also to meet people who were visiting Taste for the first time – we hope you all had a great time and that we’ll see you again next year! 

We were sampling and selling at our stand and if you visited us, but need a reminder of what we had, here’s a list of the wines:   

One of the best-known names in wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape; it is a byword for quality, class and frequently chosen as that special bottle for Birthday’s, anniversaries or simply meeting the future father-in-law for the first time. So what’s the appeal? Firstly there’s the name; understandably many people think Châteauneuf is one wine because of the word Château, many have heard that Châteauneuf-du-Pape is good and naturally follow that advice.

 Secondly there is the general style of the wine and its image, big heavily embossed bottles that usually start at €25 and deliver big jammy flavours, smooth rich mouthfeel and invariably high alcohol. Even the mainstream versions should give plenty of texture, big fruit and high alcohol.

What remains of the original Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Castle of the New Pope"

So is it all it’s cracked up to be? Well frankly yes; when it’s good, Châteauneuf is the best wine in Southern Rhone and truly world class but the problem is there are many Châteauneufs. It is not a single producer or Château it is a wine region. There are good producers and not so good producers within this vineyard zone and many of the less scrupulous producers will turn out masses of lesser quality wine from potentially good vineyards because they know that the name will sell the wine.

Warning bells should be beginning to ring for example if you see a “bargain” Châteauneuf; dipping below the €20 price point is not common practice for the good estates. Invariably the bad producers pass off bland, heady wines as the real thing and invariably they disappoint. Good producers know that well-made Châteauneuf commands a premium and will charge accordingly. 

So what is good Châteuneuf-du-Pape? What is the real deal, a wine that truly delivers on the promise of that much used name? Perhaps the wine-style that most fits the bill and satisfies the general expectation of Châteuneuf is the big, dark fruited, intelligently oaked “modern style”. Estates that pick ripe grapes that generally increase the percentage of Syrah and age the wine in smaller format oak barrels. 

From all our tastings in the last year the wine that has stood up and declared itself “The Real Deal” is Domaine des Sénéchaux 2007. It epitomizes everything that is great about Châteuneuf, even though it’s a big wine with masses of fruit and oak there is tremendous purity to the fruit and fine acidity holding everything in balance. It is one hell of a wine that is going to provide sublime drinking for a decade or two. 

So if anyone has ever felt cheated by blousy, alcoholic, dilute tasting Chateauneuf go out and try Sénéchaux and see what all the fuss is about; this is the real deal. 

We were fortunate to taste and select the wine just before it scooped two of the biggest awards in the wine world; Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards and a Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge. 

      94 Points 

Some of the most frequently asked questions during our wine courses and wine tastings surround the themes of wine storage and investment.

Questions like:

• Will most wine improve with age?
• What are the best wines to invest in?
• Where should I store my wine?
• How long will this Champagne I got as a present last?

My answers usually begin with this simple statement: the vast majority of wine for sale is meant to be drunk within 3-5 years of purchase. This especially applies the fashionable whites of the moment; Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.

Most reds too are not designed for the long term, the fruity Chilean Merlots and Carménère, Argentinean Malbecs, most inexpensive Australian Shirazes and Cabernets are very much geared for immediate enjoyment. It’s not just the New World; Côtes Du Rhônes, Languedoc reds, most Chianti and Valpolicella are all destined for short lives.

Only when you go up a notch or two in the quality ladder do you begin to get wines that are specifically designed to develop and improve with age. Bordeaux reds of the €20+ bracket, 1er Cru Red & white Burgundy, New World Reds from €25 up, Italy’s Barolos, Brunellos & Chianti Classico Reservas can all improve with time. These wines shed their primary fruit and fresh oak imprint to become complex wines with all the multi-layered aromas and flavours associated with aged fine wine.

 There are less expensive wines that can age extremely well but as a rule of thumb do not risk the sub €20 category; it is advisable not to stash away cases of €15 Bourgogne Pinot Noir in the hope that in ten years time it will be extraordinary.

With wine bought for investment it is necessary to spend a bit to gain a decent profit, gone are the days when a €200 case of Bordeaux blossomed into a €2000 case after ten years. In terms of investment the only real contender is Bordeaux and if you want to make money buy big and buy safe. The traditional “Blue Chip” Château in a good vintage are usually the best bets. I say bet because it is always a gamble and markets can change dramatically. Economic downturns, natural disasters, political turmoil can all have direct effects on the various buying markets. Get it right though and the dividends can be good. Those that bought Lafite 2005 for € 5600 can know expect to get around €10,000-12,000 in Auction.

Those who bought Pontet-Canet in 2008 for €570 can expect €680; if they sell now that’s 20% in 2 years.

So do your homework, ask for advice, and research what wines are likely to show greatest returns balanced by the lowest risk.

If you have bought expensive wine to invest in then proper storage is essential and it is strongly advised that you pay for professional storage. For all other wines for storage up to a year or so then these are the golden rules:

1. Store away from direct sunlight.

2. The place must be between  4°C and 18°C.

3. Temperatures should not fluctuate more than 2-3°C.

4. Humidity levels should be greater than 50%.

A dark cupboard under the stairs is very often suitable; just make sure you keep longer term wines out of the kitchen as they can spoil in only a couple months.

The last answer concerns Champagne and as a lot of people are given Champagne as a gift there is a tendency to hold on to it too long; waiting for a “special occasion”. Most non-vintage Champagne can be good with a few years extra bottle ageing from time of purchase. The trouble is it’s a “non-vintage” wine so you do not when it was made, it could have been sitting on a shop shelf for several years before it was bought. So with non-vintage Champagne it is not worth the risk; open it up and enjoy it as soon as you can.

Vintage champagne is a different matter; these are wines from one a single year (technically a very good year) and will very often improve and develop with time. A good mid-level €40-€60 brand can be very delicious after 6 or 7 years whereas prestige cuvées like Dom Perignon or Bollinger Grand Année can evolve for 10 years and more if properly stored.

Of course there are many “Fine Wines” that can be bought and stored for several years, rewarding the patient collector with sublime aromas and flavours. Just remember that most of wines you come across are designed for drinking not for keeping.