23-05-2025
Wine with Leslie: The best bargains from the French wine sale
A return to the mother country this week, France. Cultivation of vines began in the fertile crescent of the Middle East along with civilisation. The Greeks brought wine to Italy and then to Southern France, and then the Romans brought it almost everywhere else.
The first French vines were planted in Provence and the Languedoc and the latter is still a powerhouse of French wine today. France didn't invent wine but modern wine in general owes more to France than anywhere. France set the benchmarks for quality red, white, sparkling and dessert wines before anyone else.
They figured out everything from bottle fermented sparkling wine to optimum oak ageing and created the first comprehensive wine laws with the Appellation d'Origine system. They are still at the forefront of innovation from concrete eggs (Marc Chapoutier), to the natural wine movement, to the current fashion for rosé.
What prompted me to write about France was the French Wine Sale in O'Briens. Southern France is where the best bargains are, but if you have a few quid to spare Taittinger Champagne is on offer at €50 and the excellent co-op Beaumont des Crayères Champagne is just €33. The sale is particularly strong on Bordeaux and among the bargains I spotted were three Irish Wine Geese Châteaux — Ch Langoa-Barton at €52 down from €65, Ch Phélan-Ségur at €56 down from €70, and Echo de Lynch Bages at €60 down from €75.
These are not everyday wines, but given the prices in restaurants these days, they will make for a pleasurable night in. They also can be aged for a further 10-15 years.
Selections this week are all from the Languedoc, two from the O'Briens sale and one from the ever-reliable Laurent Miquel in Dunnes Stores.
Laurent Miquel Solas Viognier, Languedoc, France, €10
Viognier is the most seductive white grape of them all, packed with stone fruit and floral aromas.
However, good luck finding one under €35 from its home base in the Northern Rhône.
This has apricot and white peach aromas, textured pear fruits on the palate and a dash of acidity so would be perfect with grilled fish or a creamy pasta dish.
Dunnes Stores
Gérard Bertrand Château de la Grange 2020, Fitou, France, €14.95
From a coastal area in the Aude just south of Beziers in the heart of the Languedoc. Organic grapes (as with all Bertrand wines), this is a typical blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Blackberry and spicy plum fruits on the nose, juicy and fresh with good acidity, pleasing dark berry juiciness, crunch and freshness. A great price, as this is normally €18.
O'Briens,
Domaine Begude 'Etoile' Chardonnay, €18.36
O'Briens sale has some good white Burgundy on offer such as Ch. Fuissé at €28 but this would be my pick.
Begude is a family-run organic estate near Limoux and their Étoile Chardonnay can easily match many a village Burgundy.
Supple and textured with lush ripe apple and pear fruits balanced by citrus freshness and with bonus length and complexity.
O'Briens,
Spirit of the week: Midleton Very Rare 2025 Edition, 40% ABV, €240
MVR 2025 has three grain whiskies blended with three classic pot stlls and has gorgeous butter caramel aromas mixed with floral-vanilla notes. Beautifully smooth with honeycomb and peach flavours and a finish that begins with citrus followed by pepper and sweet oak. Delicious.
Independents;
