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Celebrating 15 years! Part 3 /3
Final part of our 15 years celebration newsletter, many thanks for reading.
You can download Part 1 and Part 2
(*Offer valid until 31st October, or while stocks last)
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Champagne Gobillard 1er Cru NV
We've always believed that good grower's Champagnes have an edge over the larger brands, there is a sense of small is beautiful with these family-owned Champagne houses and value is certainly much better.
We started working with Gobillard in late 2001, after Thierry, one of the owners, met with one of my brother (Bernard) during a hunting trip in North Canada. Gobillard was on the verge of signing an exclusive agreement to supply Aer Lingus, but the dramatic events of September that year, followed by the slowdown in air traffic contributed to the deal being cancelled.
Thierry approached us, we tasted his Champagne, loved it and several press mentions and listings in top-end Restaurants later, we had adopted Gobillard as our own house Champagne.
€39.55 now €35.50
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Jean Foillard, Morgon 'Côte du Py' 2011
It was a tip from Edward Arnold, Cellar Master at Trinity College that lead
us to Jean Foillard.
Foillard works naturally, he farms organically and adds nothing to his
wines, however you won't notice you are drinking a natural wine until the
third or fourth glass. Cote du Py is a vineyard planted on a hill consisting
of crumbly volcanic soils. The expression of the Gamay grapes there lean towards Pinot Noir character and some blind tasting (particularly with the 2008 vintage) has led many experienced tasters (myself included) to point towards Chambolle or Volnay rather than Morgon.
€34.75 now €31.20
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Cantina Frentana, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2013
What we are seeking in a wine is how authentic it is, how true to its
origin, what kind of emotion it transmits and does it represent value in its
particular price point.
Frentana ticks all these boxes, it unapologetically tastes like a real
Montepulciano with lovely red fruit and cherry, pinned with a rustic, earthy
edge, it is the exact opposite of a branded wine, made to suit international markets and we love it even more for that.
€12.25 now €10.95
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We have asked our wonderful Sales Team - Claire O’Boyle-Gallagher, Gary Byrne and Colm McCan - to pick their favourite.
Now it is Gary Byrne's turn to pick and recommend a favourite wine of his.
Before joining us, Gary worked as Sommelier in some of Ireland's best known restaurants including the Commons, l'Ecrivain and Roscoff, he also worked in two Irish wine companies. Gary's experience, dynamism and great knowledge of
wine help us ensure our wines our listed by the leading Restaurants in the
Capital.
'A personal favourite, and a wine I would be happy to take home anytime is the Vinsobres from Domaine Chaume-Arnaud. Produced from fruit grown on the Chaume family's 33 hectares of biodynamic vineyards in the small and up-and-coming Vinsobres appellation, this is a typical Southern Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The wine is full-bodied and beautifully ripe, with dark, spicy fruit flavours and a fragrant, typically herby Mediterranean character. Overall, a very savoury and enjoyable wine with superb freshness and elegance.' Gary Byrne
Chaume Arnaud Vinsobres 2011 €20.35 now €18.30
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We would have included so many more in this list. Staring with Jean-Claude
Regnaudot Bourgogne Pinot Noir, the wine for which we received our first
mention in the press - Tom Doorley, in the Sunday Tribune at the time wrote :
'The best Bourgogne rouge I have ever tasted is the juicy, cherry-infused
Bourgogne from Jean-Claude Regnaudot that Le Caveau, a new shop in Kilkenny
sells for an unbelievable £8.95'
Unfortunately due to very small successive harvests in Burgundy and
continued popularity of this wine, vintage 2012 has now sold out (2013 will
be available early next year)
Other wines that have been very successful in their time, but that we no
longer stock include Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile), Stormy Cape red
(South Africa), Champagne Billecart-Salmon and the Madfish range from
Australia.
It has been a great journey from which we have learned something new at each
corner,
we met extraordinary growers who take pride in what they do and we had real
fun and pleasure tasting and discovering their wines,
We have built one of the strongest wholesale team in Ireland, made of people
who share the same passion for genuine, real wines, always prepared to go
the extra mile to satisfy any request,
We got great support from the Irish wine press, our wines seem to have
stroke the right chords and have received very positive reviews throughout
the years,
But all of this would not have been possible without you, our customers. We
received your heart-warming support from our first steps, at the opening of
our shop in Kilkenny?s Market Yard in September 1999, where we showcased our
first imports, an all-French selection made of 50 wines or so; it continued
with the launch of our website, then with the development of our wholesale
arm, where our wines got their entries on the lists of some of the very best
restaurants and specialist wine shops around Ireland.
And this journey is continuing, our list is constantly evolving and growing,
this year alone we have brought in over 25 new wines, and many new trips are
planned,
So all going well, here's to another 15 years!
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