Joe Breen picks his wine of the year and asks a number of leading people in the wine business to do likewise
JOE BREEN
Suckfizzle 2001, €30-€34
This year I have been privileged to drink some amazing wines from the new and the old world and from all points of the price scale. But my favourite was a very recent discovery. Suckfizzle 2001 is made from 100 per cent Cabernet in the renowned Australian wine-growing region of the Margaret River by Stella Bella, a small family winery. (The name is from the tales of Rabelais, the 15th-century monk turned writer and his infamous character, Lord Suckfizzle.) This is a balanced, seductive, concentrated Cabernet, full of blackcurrant fruit and spices, that lures you in and leaves you smiling.
From: Wicklow Wine Company, Wicklow; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4; Fahy's, Ballina, Co Mayo. Contact Tindal Wines 01-8853240.
Contact Irish Times wine writer Joe Breen at jbreen@irish-times.ie
SIMON TYRRELL
Mas de Martin, Côteaux du Languedoc, Cuvée Ultreïa 2001, €19.99
Wines from the Languedoc have, in spite of the hype, been a massive disappointment for me. Growers often go too far in every sense - minuscule yields, overextracted colour, fruit and tannins and overuse of new oak. And the price? Don't ask; you'd be horrified. What pleasure, therefore, to find a producer looking to express, rather than mask, everything that is good about the region, namely the quality and taste of the fruit. A Syrah/Grenache blend, this is one of the most delicious wines not only of the Languedoc but of France. Ripe blackberry and cassis flavours combine with a delicate creaminess to make this excellently priced wine stand out in any company.
From: Jus de Vine, Portmarnock, Co Dublin; On the Grapevine, Dalkey, Co Dublin; Cabot & Co, IFSC, Dublin 1; World Wide Wines, Waterford; Red Island Wine, Skerries, Co Dublin; Cana Wines, Mullingar. Limited quantities available.
Simon Tyrrell is the owner of leading Rhône specialists, Tyrrell & Co, and was named wine importer of 2005 by The Wine Guide.
JOHN HOADE
Corte Sant' Alda, Recioto della Valpolicella 2003, €50
Having had the good fortune to taste and drink this wine only twice during 2005, it stands way out as my favourite and most memorable wine of the past 12 months. I'm a long-standing fan of Ripassas and Amarones of Valpolicella, and this sweet red wine brings my dedication to a new level. Extraordinarily rich, and concentrated from half-dried grapes, intense dark fruit flavours with tremendous length. Superb with cheese or chocolate.
From: Searson's, Monkstown, Co Dublin (limited quantities available). John Hoade is a leading independent retailer who owns/runs the Grape Escape in Lucan, Co Dublin.
RAFAEL ALVAREZ
Sor Ugo IGT Aia Vecchia 2001 RRP €52.95
I have always enjoyed the wines produced in certain parts of Tuscany and made primarily from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Sor Ugo is one of these, produced by Aia Vecchia, nestling in the Tuscan countryside between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci, where the favourable microclimate and ideal soil make for very high-quality wines. Sor Ugo is a very well-structured wine, intense and interesting as it unfolds, warm, rich, complex, with a lasting finish.
From: Redmonds, Ranelagh, Dublin 6; Enotria, Dalkey, Co Dublin; Karwig Wines Shop, Carrigaline, Co Cork, www.karwigwines.ie.
Rafael Alvarez is proprietor of Approach Wines, one of the leading independent wine importers in the State. He came here from Spain 11 years ago.
JEAN SMULLEN
2002 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet/Shiraz €29.99
Created by the legendary Max Schubert, the man responsible for Penfolds Grange, Bin 389 is known as "baby Grange" because the wines are matured in the same barrel that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960, this is the wine that helped to build Penfolds's solid reputation with serious red wine drinkers. The Bin 389 is a big wine with tons of tannin but with gorgeous underlying berried fruit and cocoa flavours. When young, it's more approachable than Grange, and is made from 53 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 47 per cent Shiraz. This classic Australian wine is not to be missed.
From: Redmonds, Ranelagh, Dublin 6; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4; Sweeneys, Finglas Road, Dublin 9.
Jean Smullen is a wine journalist, lecturer and event organiser.
MAUREEN O'HARA
Lagar de Cervera 2004, €18.49, and Five Heirs Pinotage 2003, Stellenbosch, €15
When you consider how spoiled we are for wine choices, picking a favourite requires discipline. A couple stand out - recommended by two fab ladies (as opposed to Two Fat Ladies) in the wine trade - Julie Cullen of Jus de Vine and Evelyn Jones of The Vintry. Julie recommended the Lagar de Cervera , an Albarinho from Rias Baixas in northern Spain. From: The Corkscrew, Chatham St, Dublin; Mitchells, Kildare St and Glasthule, Dublin; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock, Dublin; Mac's off-licence, Ennis, Co Clare; Bradley's, Main Street, Cork. I loved the ripe peach flavours, mouthwatering limey acidity, and mineral/spice backdrop, finishing with a delicious mouthfeel. Drink it young, and ideally, with a plate of fresh fish. The other wine was outstanding for its savoury, smoky, gutsy, but altogether classy flavours.
From: Deveney's, Dundrum, Dublin; Hush Restaurant, Malahide; Spar, Balbriggan and Stillorgan; Egan's Foodhall, Drogheda; Costcutter, Achill Co Mayo.
Maureen O'Hara is marketing manager for Findlater Grants