Tuesday 24 May 2016

Summer Newsletter 2016

As I'm typing this the sun is streaming in through the window, we have both doors of the shop wedged open (always a sign that summer is on its way) and our customers in the shop have even been spotted wearing shorts! Our thoughts have turned to the summer delights of dusting down the BBQ and choosing between chilled glasses of rose or clinking ice in the G&T. We have our new Summer Case ready to go which features some stunning wines for all occasions, a special Barbecue Case with wines specially chosen to go with charcoal grilled foodstuffs, and an Everyday Case stuffed with fun and easy-drinking wines for when you don't need a special occasion as an excuse.

We have new wines in store, a few pictured below, some fantastic award winning wines and seasonal spirit offers. One of our recent mentions in the national press has thrown the spotlight on a particularly lovely Greek wine and just for a little change we have suggested some fabulous summery Ports. 

There's a little bit of something in here for everyone. If anything captures your imagination call in at the shop to see us, or give us a ring on 01200 423152 and we can arrange delivery for you.
We hope you have a resplendent and sumptuous summer of blue skies and warm temperatures.

All the team at D. Byrne & Co.




The Summer Case 2016

La Lisse Soie d’Ivoire Chenin Blanc, Pays de l’ Haute Vallee de l’Aude
A bright, lemony and densely fruity ensemble made from the ultra-fashionable Chenin Blanc grape. This ripe yet crunchy fruit gives this wine its freshness, vigour and spine and at the same time its luscious texture which is further complemented and enriched from one third vinified and matured for nine months in seasoned French oak.

Alasia Roero Arneis, Piemonte
A rich, dry white with ripe pear fruit, almond and tropical notes. The palate is plump, soft and expressive, packed with stone fruit and apricots, with a delicious texture and nutty, herbal finish. Hints of fennel, clove and citrus.
Sileni Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
The Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc has ripe tropical and gooseberry fruit flavours with a zingy finish and impeccable balance. A great aperitif or seafood wine the Sileni Sauvignon is understandably one of our most popular white wines.

Quintas de Melgaço Alvarinho/Trajadura, Vinho Verde
The archetypal white wine of northern Portugal - classic Vinho Verde with an appealing touch of spritz. Gentle aromas of citrus and nectarine. Pure and bright on the palate with textural stone fruit and pear characters. Beautifully balanced with a dry, mineral finish.

Vedilhan Serica Viognier, Pays d’Oc
Richly textured with bitter-sweet aromas of crystalised orange peel, ginger and cream. Barrel-fermentation brings subtle texture and richness rather than a dominant oaky flavour, leaving rich stone fruits and lightly tannic herbs to shine through. Elaborately textured, full-flavoured Viognier at its finest.
Peacock Wild Ferment Syrah, Stellenbosch
A very classy, restrained style of cool, coastal Cape Shiraz.
Bright red and sour cherries, plums as well as earthy dusty notes and sweet spice on the nose. The palate has lots of creamy fruit, with firm food tannins and a lovely sappy finish. Ripe, savoury flavours which are balanced by the fresh acidity.

Fleurie La Madone, Beaujolais Villages
This is very fresh and perfumed with deliciously crunchy red fruits. Appealing aromas of crushed strawberries and autumn leaves with a puff of lilac perfume that lead to the classic forest fruit flavours backed by earthy undertones. The 2015 vintage is outstanding.
Pablo y Walter Malbec, Mendoza
We simply had to include this stunning new vintage of one of our stalwart Malbecs.
A celebration of Mendoza - the colour, culture and flavour and a celebration of friendship. A really pure expression of Malbec, bright red and wonderfully aromatic with lifted red currant and cassis. Muy, muy fantasticó – richly bloody, vibrant, Latin and velveteen.

Caparrone, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
A great combination of rich, spicy, robust flavours with fresh and approachable fruit. Deeply-coloured red with aromas of violets and ripe black fruit. The palate is warm and generous with attractive black cherry fruit, wild plum, firm tannins and good length.
Sila Mencia, Monterrei
A bright, fresh and intriguing red from the increasingly fashionable Mencia grape.
Fresh cherry and redcurrant aromas typical of Mencia, with hints of black pepper. Bright, juicy red fruits, balancing acidity and added complexity from the subtle use of French oak - together with smooth rounded tannins - make this wine nicely poised and very drinkable.

Borsao Seleccion Garnacha, Campo de Borja
Rich, plum and red berry fruit with a touch of white pepper on the nose. A nicely balanced yet concentrated red fruit mix with darker spice and chocolate notes giving weight and texture to the palate. Plump ripe tannins and pepper add some grip to this juicy, approachable and utterly delicious red.
Ciconia Tinto, Alentejano
This wine is constantly picking up awards and plaudits for the best value Portuguese red wine, and it is very easy to see why. Ciconia Tinto combines approachability with the Alentejo’s rich, soft red fruits. An un-oaked fruit driven wine with real character.

£89.99 if collected from the shop or £98 if delivered to any address in the UK

 

The Barbecue Case 2016

Les Cepages Oublies Gros Manseng/Colombard, Cotes de Gascogne
Fresh, racy and instantly appealing. Fruit salad in a glass!
Lovely grassy aromatic nose, balanced by ripe, tropical melon and pink grapefruit, the palate is softer and creamier than you would expect with real depth of flavour finishing with a fresh, zippy lemon tang.

Domaine L’Olibet Viognier, Pays d’Oc
An aromatic wine combining perfumed fruit with freshness and zip!
This viognier is refreshingly lean, counterpoised by the near-tropical lilt of floral scents which mingle on the palate with delicious ripe pear and fleshy peach flavours.

Meerestein Chenin Pinot Grigio, Western Cape
Vibrant and aromatic with delicious generous fresh apricot, white peach and hints of passion fruit on the nose. On the palate it has tight, white, fleshy stone fruit with a balancing sandy texture. Bright acidity and minerality delivers a delicious balance.
Adobe Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Fresh, nutty and balanced Chardonnay made from organically grown grapes.
Its aroma is a mixture of citric fruit such as grapefruit blended with juicy tropical fruit notes with a soft touch of hazelnut. The palate has sweet characteristics of mango, pineapple and passion fruit with a finishing lick of acidity

El Tesoro Verdejo, Castilla Leon
An intensely aromatic Verdejo from Rueda's finest co-operative.
Aromas of tropical fruit with hints of citrus. The palate has some passion fruit and grapefruit characters backed by broader stone fruit notes. Well-balanced and textural on the palate with a fresh, bright finish.

Percheron Grenache Gris Rose, Western Cape
A beautiful, limpid pale salmon pink with delicate floral hints and wild red fruit flavours from the young-vine Grenache fruit, finishing with zesty pink grapefruit acidity. This is a very soft and approachable style of unashamedly easy drinking rose.
Les Cepages Oublies Cinsault/Grenache Old Vines, Pays d’Oc
Herbal and savoury with just enough richness - a great Mourvèdre.
Mourvèdre is enjoying a renaissance in the South; with a deeply stained colour and herby, blackberry bushes and thyme on the nose, this is a grown-up wine quite different from many wines produced in the Languedoc. On the palate, bright and fresh red and black fruits are counterpoised with savoury tannins and a meaty finish.

Alaia Prieto Picudo/Tempranillo/Merlot, Castilla Leon
Characterful red from the intriguing Prieto Picudo grape, indigenous to the León province.
Intense aromas of cherry and red fruit, with more savoury woodland and cocoa notes. The palate is complex - fruity and medium-bodied - with black cherry and plum characters combined with bramble fruits, spice, balanced acidity and good length.

Vista Tinta Roriz/Touriga Nacional/Cabernet Sauvignon, Beira
Aromas of ripe black fruits and herbal, leafy notes, with a touch of pepper. Warm and richly flavoured on the palate with riper blackberry fruit - bright and lifted though, with plenty of grip and a touch of spice on the finish.
The Last Stand Shiraz, Victoria
Bright, aromatic and juicy on the nose with just a touch of naughty bacon fat. True to the varietal, the tiny proportion of Malbec in this blend gives a flowery perfume. A dangerously drinkable Shiraz with bright fruit and soft silky elegance.
La Chapelle de Marin, Cotes du Rhone
With attractive, bramble fruit and floral aromas, the palate is up-front and fresh with warm spice and real depth. This is a classic southern Rhône red; ripe and characterful with smooth supple tannins.
San Felice Contrada Red, Tuscany
This wine is sourced from San Felice's renowned Chianti Classico vineyards.
Warm and generous aromas of ripe cherries, violet, spice and leather. Rich, plummy fruit on the palate is balanced by gentle tannins and fresh acidity giving an approachable versatile style of Tuscan red.


£74.99 if collected from the shop or £83 if delivered to any address in the UK


The Everyday Case

Murviedro Fauno Viura/Sauvignon Blanc, Valencia
Medal-winning and fantastically fruity Viura Sauvignon Blanc blend from sunny Valencia.
Fresh peach and citrus aromas follow onto the bright and fresh palate. Here ripe stone fruit and gooseberry notes combine with mineral characters to add texture.

Sanvigilio Pinot Grigio, Pavia
Shows delicate, yet lifted, floral and fruity aromas on the nose. Crisp and fresh on the palate with a ripe lemon character, the wine has a good mouthfeel and clean finish. Very light and easy drinking.
Il Meridione Grillo, Sicilia
A honeyed, floral and spicy nose with hints of ginger and stone fruit. Ripe, sun-dried citrus characters on the palate with savoury notes and a creamy texture. Fresh balancing acidity on the lightly nutty finish.
Soldiers Block Chardonnay, Victoria
Pure elegance from the Southern Ocean.
An elegant and easy drinking wine. This vibrant Chardonnay exhibits lifted fruit character, bright tangerine fleshiness, textural mouth-feel, a bright palate and a long and foodie finish.

Bellefontaine Sauvignon Blanc, Pays d’Oc
Classic Sauvignon Blanc nose with herbaceous notes, yet with underlying ripeness. Pretty elderflower aromas balanced with zesty grapefruit notes. Concentrated fruit and good acidity make this a very satisfying drop!
Murviedro Fauno GSM, Valencia
Appealing, award-winning, juicy Grenache Syrah Monastrell blend from Valencia
Bright nose with plums and blackberries. The palate is characterful with riper black fruit, supple tannins and fresh, juicy acidity. Finishing with a hint of pepper and spice.
Vega Piedra Tinto, Rioja

Great value classic House Rioja from Bodegas Carlos Serres in Haro.
Approachable, appealing and juicy in style with lifted red berry fruit and hints of spice. The palate is bright with bramble and cherry fruit and gently rounded tannins. Nicely-balanced with a long finish.

Conviviale Montepulciano, Abruzzo
An intense wine with cherry, ripe plum fruit aromas and warm, earthy spice. The palate is densely packed with Morello cherry, cassis and bramble fruit flavours. Tannins are ripe, giving structure to a substantial wine with a fresh sappy finish.
Les Oliviers Grenache, Pays d’Oc
Supple yet with underlying structure, it is quite lifted and vibrant on the nose moving on to a full and intense palate. A fresh and exciting wine that is lively and exuberant. Packed full of ripe, crunchy red berry fruit backed up with a hint of liquorice and touch of spice. Lovely.
Meerestein Shiraz/Mourvedre, Swartland
A perfumed nose with a delicious bright raspberry and crushed blackcurrant character and an almost savoury finish.
Tierra Alta Pinot Noir, Central Valley
Quite simply the best value Pinot Noir we have come across.
A delicate and elegant wine (as all good Pinot should be) showing ripe fruit flavours of plums and wild strawberries, balanced with subtle smoky notes and a deliciously lingering finish.

Soldiers Block Malbec, Victoria
Classically textured, violet in hue with an exotically perfumed nose. A great wine to serve with rich and flavoursome foods. 

£64.99 if collected from the shop or £73 if delivered to any address in the UK


Three of the finest
The top three wines from the March 2016 edition of the Decanter magazine Australian GSM blends Panel Tasting, all given a rating of outstanding 95-97 pts. All wines are now in stock.
2013 Ruggabellus Efferus, Barossa Valley 96/100 £32.99
2014 Rusty Mutt Rocky Ox GSM, McLaren Vale 95/100 £16.99
2012 Spinifex Esprit, Barossa Valley 95/100 £22.99

Our latest recommended wines
and special offers


Offer The Tea Leaf Chenin Blanc, Piekernierskloof £8.99 (was £10.59)
Complex sandy stone fruit nose with notes of crushed granite, slightly saline. The palate has firm, high-key fruit, a broad texture and quiet persistence that persists and persists. Ultimately this is a deeply satisfying single vineyard, ancient vine block with a genuinely unique terroir feel and character from an unforgettably surprising vineyard. Winemaker Donovan Rall is one of the hottest wine making talents on the planet, a simply outstanding and impossibly fine wine for the price.

Offer Aquifer Semillon, Swartland £8.99 (was £9.99)
A sensational and uniquely textural Semillon from 51-year-old vines.
Wonderful aromas of fresh lime, eucalyptus and hot sandy soil, there is a slightly rocky, dried lemon peel flavour but most of all a taut, precise layered palate with bright acidity and real breadth. Beautiful now, this might just have a life span to match the current age of the vineyard. A bottled drop of time and place, hand-made in Africa.

Offer Sileni ‘The Straits’ Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough £8.99 (was £10.99)
The richer sister of the hugely popular Sileni Cellar Selection Sauvignon, this is a great offer. Rich and intensely flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon, in the classic regional style, this wine has intensely aromatic gooseberry and passionfruit characters. The palate is rich and full with a long finish.

Offer Les Coteaux Tufiers Demi-Sec, Vouvray £6.99 (was £7.99)
A delicious off-dry style of Chenin Blanc with aromas of just-picked walnuts, a hint of lime and a sappy melon skin note. The palate is honeyed with cooked apple, agave and ginger. The sweetness is perfectly integrated and balanced, resulting in a refreshing wine with good length. 

Offer Durello Spumante Brut ‘Palladino’ £6.99 (was £7.99)
A great alternative to Prosecco at a great price, very clean green apple fruit flavours and good depth.

Offer Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry £8.99
(was £9.99)
There are fine, light, fruity aromas of fresh green apples and pears plus a hint of yeastiness on the nose. The palate is creamy and softly sparkling with some richness and a long, gently aromatic finish.




New Kindred Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch £9.99
Fresh hay and warm sand with just a bee’s breath of honey on the nose. The palate shows fine sand again, a touch of honey over tight white stone fruit.

New Kindred Old Vine Cinsault £9.99
First thing is the colour. This is the correct colour for Cape Cinsaut. It's pale and interesting. The nose is a sandy textural thing with notes of fresh beef carpaccio. The palate is soft and silky and more akin to Pinot Noir than the muscular wine you may expect. It's delicate, even feminine.

New Domaine du Pre Baron, Touraine Gamay £7.39
Lovely fresh, raspberry fruit. Good concentration and depth on the palate, a touch of rusticity and a gentle balancing structure. A classic Gamay with buckets of character.

New Domaine Pontbriand, Pays de Vaucluse £6.59
Sumptuous, fruity and concentrated. Hard to believe this is a humble Vin de Pays!
Beginning with headily-perfumed aromas tinged with violets the nose flows into the full, round and juicy flavours of the mid-palate before a smooth and savoury finish.

The Black Craft Shiraz, Barossa £9.99
A compelling, dark and rich chocolatey beast. Classic Barossa Shiraz with intense savoury flavours of thick blackberry compote, black pepper and typical iron-rich beefy flavours. Not a hint of jam here, no sweetness, this is serious shiraz for grown-ups with balanced acidity, fine velvety tannins and tremendous length.


2012 ‘La Cote Sauvage' Cairanne, Cotes du Rhone £11.59
                         Magnums £22.99
Andrew tried his damnedest to exhaust the entire stock of the 2012 whilst holidaying on this estate recently, but thankfully for us we still had a few cases of this velvety elixir hidden away in the warehouse. Cairanne was recently and very deservedly elevated to ‘Cru’ status, and for now its wines offer distinctly better value for money than some of the Rhone’s more famous crus. All in all, this drinks beautifully right now but it also has the capability to age for 10+ years and for that reason it has to be the best value, serious red wine in the shop.      

Percheron Old Vine Cinsault, Swartland £5.99
‘BEST VALUE RED WINE TROPHY’ The Wine Merchant Top 100 competition.
An untraditional style, where elegance and true character prevail over colour and intensity. Gently compelling with aromas of the earth and stony minerality. The palate includes red fruits, cherries, a hint of spice and creamy refreshing acidity. This is pure, elegant, restrained Cinsault with warm notes of crushed rocks and the regions dry earth.




In the press...........
The Guardian Weekend Magazine 21.05.16
Fiona Beckett
"Domaine Papagiannakos Savatiano 2014 (£8.99 D. Byrne of Clitheroe) It's delicious now, but worth hanging on for four to five years, when it will have developed an incredible richness reminiscent of white bordeaux; no wonder the Greeks love their whites."








Tickled pink…some new & great value rose for sipping over the summer 

New Leccio Monferrato Chiaretto, Piemonte £6.99
An appealing pale, coral pink - the nose has pretty red berry, strawberry and gently floral notes. The palate balances delicate bitter cherry and redcurrant fruit with crisp, incisive acidity - a refreshing style of rosé with texture and minerality.

New Dune Gris de Gris, Camargue £6.59
This screams of sunny days in the south of France. Think deliciously pale and elegant Provençal rose and halve the cost.

New Chateau Gairoird Rose, Cotes de Provence £9.59
An elegant, fleshy Provençal beauty.  

Les Cerisiers Rose, Cotes du Rhone £6.99
Andrew has just returned from this estate where he spent two weeks washing his feet in
this ‘beautiful breakfast rose’. Needless to say this is a gorgeous, fruity and sinfully
easy drinking rose. 

Offer Torres Reserva Santa Digna Rose, Curico £6.99
This dark and full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon rose is delicious with spicy food or quaffing at a barbeque. 

Lallier Grand Cru Rose Brut, Champagne £23.99
This champagne shows fine mousse in the glass and fresh floral aromas mixed with characteristic sweet, doughy overtones, which are balanced by richer fruit, peach skin characters and classic baked biscuit flavours with a crisp citrus finish. From 100/100 classified Grand Cru vineyards this outstanding Champagne puts many of the more famous Champagnes to shame, on both price and quality. We cannot recommend this highly enough.

 Some delicious summery Ports


Barros White Port £12.99
White ports are served well chilled and make a wonderful aperitif, or mix this with some ginger ale and ice cubes to make a glorious, thirst quenching long drink.

Barros 10-year-old Tawny £18.99
A classic 10yr old Tawny, light in colour but tremendously rich, nutty and complex in flavour. 
Best served lightly chilled.

Barros 1996 Colheita £21.99
A Colhieta Port is a Tawny Port from a selected harvest. This is 20 years old and a true bargain, incredible complexity and a finish that lasts and lasts. 
  


Spirit Recommendations







New Old Perth, Blended Malts
The Finest Scotch Whiskies carefully blended as a tribute to The Fair City of Perth, Birthplace of Historic Blends. Three fantastic whiskies showing that Single Malt isn’t always the best.
Number 4 Release £22.99 
Sherry Cask £26.99 
Peaty £26.99 



Special Offer Tomatin Legacy, Highland Single Malt £22.99
Light and delicate with a candy sweetness which is peppered with hints of pine. Lemon sherbet, pineapple and crunchy green apples with a touch of freshly baked sponge cake. Clean, light and refreshing finish.

Special Offer Tomatin 12 Year Old, Highland Single Malt £25.99
A unique combination of attractive flavours – a balance of apples, pears, malt, with a gentle hint of nuttiness enhanced by the subtle use of sherry wood. Smooth, sweet and very satisfying.

Special Offer Glen Moray Peated, Speyside Single Malt £23.99
A unique twist on the traditional Glen Moray flavour and character. Subtle flavours of vanilla and oak merge with rich peat smoke to provide a very different and intense Glen Moray taste sensation.

Something different Bruadar, Malt Whisky Liqueur £19.99
The finest single malt combines with the unique flavour of honey and sloes in a delicious distinctive mix that is unmistakable. Not overly sweet, instead it is a balanced, well-crafted liqueur.







Gin Brockmans, Intensely Smooth £28.99
A well balanced, full flavoured fruity gin perfect for summer. Made with Bulgarian coriander, blueberries and blackberries as well as bittersweet Valencia orange peel. Delicious!  









Gin Darnley’s View, London Dry £24.99

A small batch gin infused with elderflower and citrus. Named to celebrate the first sighting of Lord Darnley by Mary Queen of Scots in 1565 at Wemyss Castle. Nicely balanced with initial lemon freshness, mellowing to a warm, slightly sweet aftertaste and subtle floral notes throughout.




All of these wines and spirits can be purchased from the shop
or by giving us a ring on 01200 423152 and we can arrange delivery to you.