09-05-2025
Four refreshing summer wines from super €16.50 Verdejo and comeback Cinsault €23.99 pick
ONE of the most satisfying wines, red or white, is one that has been given the oak treatment.
By that I mean wines that have been fermented and then left to age in this specific wood.
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Bringing oak and wine together really is a fascinating subject
Credit: Getty
Oak in the hands of an experienced winemaker is one of the most important tools that they can use in crafting incredibly special wines.
Barrels, made with French or American oak, help develop a specific style, aroma and flavour during fermentation or ageing, with virgin casks normally having the biggest influence on the
Their use is nothing new. Before the first glass bottles were introduced some 600 years ago, wines were stored, and sold, in wooden barrels.
We may have outgrown the need for barrels to store or transport wine - but we have come to acquire a taste for our favourite tipples developed and matured in them.
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They can also be successfully reused, and influential on the wine in varying degrees, for up to four years.
Just as well, as the smallest of French oak barrels used can cost upwards of €800 each!
The price is understandable when you consider just two oak barrels can be made from a whole oak tree, which takes several decades to grow to maturity.
To cut costs, winemakers sometimes use oak staves placed in fermentation vats to give an 'oaky' note.
MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN
An even cheaper option is to introduce large 'tea' bags containing oak saw dust to impart some kind of flavour into the proceedings.
Cheaper wines with an 'oaky' note tend to suffer from the latter treatment. I tend to avoid these!
European oak tends to be denser, thus allowing less oxygen to reach the wine.
The American version is normally more porous and used with more structured and bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Malbec, imparting, in many cases, more robust flavours.
Oak can add specific chemical compounds
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which can include aromas of vanilla and smoke.
It also provides a suitable environment for malolactic fermentation to occur, which makes white wines taste softer, and creamier.
Putting wine in oak barrels can also create a variety of potential flavours from chemical compounds like furfural, guaicol, eugenol and vanillan.
The finished wine can thus have notes of spices, dried fruits, citrus, almonds, coconut and vanilla.
Bringing oak and wine together really is a fascinating subject and one I have only scratched the surface of here.
My advice: spend a little more on a white Burgundy, slightly chill it… then sit back, sip and just enjoy the marvellous and magical melding blend of wood and wine.
BLOB HERE PLEASE
THERE are still some tickets available for a very special and exciting tasting of wines from the Canary Islands.
On Wednesday next (May 14, 7-9pm), wine consultant Sinéad Smyth will host a
Sinéad, in her own inimitable way, will take wine lovers on a journey to the volcanic vineyards of the
The evening promises to be 'an immersive tasting experience that brings the island's dramatic landscapes pioneering winemakers to life.'
It will be highlighted by a handpicked selection of wines made from indigenous varieties such as Malvasía Volcánica and Listán Negro, grown in the island's extraordinary black volcanic soils.
Sinéad, a passionate advocate for Lanzarote wines, has spent time exploring the island's unique viticulture.
Through her vivid storytelling and deep appreciation for the island's terroir, she'll guide guests through the region's history, winemaking techniques, and the resilient spirit of the growers who coax vines from the ash-covered ground.
There are still a few tickets (at €50 each plus booking fee) available at eventbrite for what promises to be a most enjoyable evening at the Corkscrew, 4 Harry Street,
Casa Ferreirinha Papa Figos Tinto 2023 (ABV 13.5%)
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€18.99 @ good independents
Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca
FROM vineyards high up
Aromatic nose, with red berry and spice notes and a lively medium-bodied palate, but with rounded tannins, good acidity, and a long, elegant, red fruit finish.
Enjoy with:
Braised beef.
Star rating:
****
Montes Outer Limits Cinsault (ABV13.5%)
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€23.99 @ good independents
Grape: Cinsault
CINSAULT, once grown throughout France's Rhone Valley and north
Vineyards in the Itata Valley, are producing this stunning wine from well-established vines.
From the perfumed nose of berry fruit through to the smooth palate, with soft tannins, spicy and oak notes this is a special red.
Enjoy with
: Rabbit stew.
Star rating:
****
Protos Verdejo 2023 (ABV 13%)
5
€16.50 @ good independents
Grape: Verdejo
A SUPER example of just how good Verdejo can be in the right hands.
Here that characteristic freshness and unique aromatics of the variety are maintained throughout.
A bright yellow straw colour, with aromas of tropical and citrus fruits.
The palate continues with those citrus and tropical fruit notes, with a hint of fennel on the finish.
Enjoy with:
White fish dishes.
Star rating:
****
Taylor's Chip Dry White Port (ABV 20%)
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€29.99 @ good independents
Grapes: Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato and Viosinho
WHITE Port is my favourite of all the wonderful, fortified wines available.
A pale straw colour, this has intense dried fruit and oak notes on the nose.
The palate is fresh, lively, crisp and reasonably dry with citrus and stone fruit notes and a little nuttiness.
Enjoy with:
A super aperitif, but also good with shellfish.
Star rating:
****
