WINE: Leading producers from all over the world now fly into Dublin in the week before the fair. Here are some who made a big impression:
NORTH AMERICA Château Montelena, the classy Californian estate which stole French thunder back in 1976 by beating stellar white Burgundies in a blind tasting known as The Judgement of Paris, tops the list for several reasons. First, I loved the wines - especially the Chardonnay 1999 and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1999. These aren't the lush, oaky extroverts we sometimes see from California. (42.95 and €115 respectively from Berry Bros & Rudd, Harry Street.)
But I also loved Jim Barrett, the sprightly proprietor. Had he been in Ireland before? "Yes, 77 years ago - inside my mother," he replied. "She was from Kenmare; my dad was from Waterford." Barrett abandoned a successful law career to follow the wine dream in the early 1970s. A splendid raconteur, he described how he steered Château Montelena towards Cabernet, repeating his Paris Judgement success with the spectacular 1982 vintage often compared to Château Latour.
AUSTRALIA Chris Hatcher, chief winemaker of Beringer Blass, is always an interesting chap to chat to. Widely regarded as one of Australia's most talented winemakers, "Hatch" was here to launch the Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz 2000. Unlike most WB wines which are inter-regional blends, this prestige product was developed to showcase exceptional grapes from top vineyards in one specific region (the Adelaide Hills in this vintage). It's a modern Shiraz - rich, fleshy and not too tannic (leading retailers, about €69.99).
Wolf Blass remains the leading Australian brand by value in Ireland, and we apparently consume more President's Selection by volume than any other country - an astonishing fact. Hatcher is bottling the Platinum Label and many of the other ritzy wines in his portfolio under screwcap. "We're still using corks for the lower-end wines because a lot of consumers don't understand that screwcaps are a quality issue."
ARGENTINA Paul Hobbs, a well-known Californian winemaker with a string of consultancies elsewhere, flew in to present the range he is overseeing for Argentine producer Pascual Toso. "Argentina is the most dynamic place I know," says Hobbs. "Quality has jumped way up, even in five years." I agree. The Vineyard in Galway is bringing in the Pascual Toso wines. My favourite was the entry-level Malbec 2002 which opened up nicely with food - pretty good value at €10.99 from The Vineyard and selected independents.
Catena Zapata is regarded internationally as one of Argentina's most ambitious companies - a sort of South American version of Mondavi - so it was fascinating to meet Laura, the live-wire daughter of founder Nicolas Catena. Guess what she told us? Their winemaker from 1989 until 1997 was the aforementioned Paul Hobbs.
Laura Catena, who is involved in marketing at the Mendoza winery when she is not busy saving lives as an A&E consultant in San Francisco, presented a wide spectrum of wines at a lunch in Dobbins. I thought the three Cabernets stole the show - Alamos 2002 (see Bottles of the Week), Catena 2001 (about 18.50) and the wonderfully suave and savoury Catena Alta 2000 (about 43.95).
CHILE Concha y Toro underscored its reputation as one of Chile's most forward-thinking producers when Marcelo Papa and Christian Lopez showed the latest developments in the Trio range. In London, there was a chance to meet the man behind these wines, leading Chilean winemaker Ignacio Recabarren, and sample the Pinot Noir 2003 from three Casablanca vineyards. Impressive stuff. It should be in Ireland by October. The Trio wines retail at €11.99.