Reviews... read what the wine press has written about our wines.

The Irish Times      08/04/2006         Joe Breen
At the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the four independent distributors that make up the Wine Bunch were showing their usual mix, from relatively small, high-standard producers.  The companies - Wineknows, Inis Wines, Tyrrell & Co. and Wicklow Wine Co. - share an enthusiasm for the nooks and crannies of winemaking as well as the peaks.

Domaine Lucien Lardy's seris of 2004 Beaujolais (Inis Wines) was very impressive, and the dense, flavour filled Moulin-a-Vent, at €15-€17, was great value, as was Domain des Jougla's peach Les Tuileries 2004, from Coteaux du Languedoc (€12-€14).

Bottle of the Week       Moulin a Vent 2004         Domaine Lucien Lardy
Is ti time for a Beaujolais revival? This attractive example is made from 45-year old gamay vines.  A vibrant nose of fesh summer fruit gives way to a rich mouthfeel and a smooth finish that screams, more please.

From: Brechin Watchorn, Ranelagh and Terenure Road West, Dublin. Baily Wines, Howth; O'Neills, Carrickmacross; Slattery's, Carrick-on-Shannon; Dicey Reilly's Ballyshannon.

Sunday Independent      02/04/2006         Ronan Farren

The term 'Irish wine geese' has been around for quite a while, usually taken to mean the people who sought exile , or refuge in Bordeaux in the 18th and 19th centuries.  But a stylish new book shows that the Irish were involved in viticulture and wine-making in the New World too, in America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The book 'A Kingdom of Wine' by Ted Murphy (Onstream Publications, Cork, €60) features a number fo Australian connections and a number of Irish names mentioned in Murphy's book were visible at the Australia Day tasting in Croke Park recently.  Setanta Wines, about which I've enthused before, are produced by Sheilagh and Tony Sullivan, of Monaghan and Cork origins, respectively.  Their wines bear colourful labels from the Cuchulain (or Setanta) legend and their Speckled House Riesling '04 was one of the beset I tasted on the day.  This has a bold, upfront style and notable intensity, but without sacrificing the ripe fruit flavours (€18.50), in good off-licences).

The Sunday Business Post         26/03/2006         Tomas Clancy

Classic McLaren Wines
Winemaker Tony de Lisio began homebrewing after a spell at giant winemaker Hardy's.  While attending a wine appreciation course, friends on the course brought bottles of his home blend to a wine show and snagged a US distributor, who managed to get the wine onto Robert Parker's tasting table.  Parker gave the wine a mark of 95 and de Lisio didn't look back.

Classic McLaren's CMC and La Testa names are wayward stars, with the undervalued Grenache being the leftfield superstar.  An underground hit, but the bright lights are beckoning.
CMC Grenache 2001 (92) at about €15
CMC Shiraz 2001 (89) at about €18
La Testa Merlot 2001 (90) at about €35
La Testa Shiraz (92) at about €75

A group of innovative importers called the Wine Bunch aim to present such radical wineries of real substance here in Ireland.
The wines are available at Wineknows, Tyrell and Company Wines, Inis Wines and the Wicklow Wine Company are likewise represented in adventurous wine shops, off-licences and restaurants across the country.

The Sunday Business Post         12/03/2006         Ross Golden Bannon

Setanta Wines Cuchulain Shiraz... Restaurant review - Itsa 4 ... the wine list deserves a special mention with plenty to spoil yourself with.  We ordered a bott of Setanta Cuchulain Shiraz 2003 from the Adelaide Hills Australia (€38).  This had all the spicy warm heart you'd expect from a shiraz and a whole lot more.