Some of the most interesting bottles, not to mention heartening stories, come from family-run operations, writes Joe Breen, in a wine round-up
FEEL LIKE AN EGYPTIAN?
It was definitely a serendipitous moment when I happened across a bottle of Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz-Grenache (€18), tasted it and loved it. That was a little while ago. Fast-forward three weeks or so, and I'm sitting at a dinner hosted by Charles Searson, of Searsons Wine Merchants, the night before a tasting of his 2006 portfolio of wines. And to my left is Ben Glaetzer, who makes this spicy, fruit-rich wine and many other fine wines at his winery in Australia's Barossa Valley.
Glaetzer (right, with his father, Colin) is one of the stars of the evening, and his wines make quite an impression, too. At just 28 he has already enjoyed the kind of success most winemakers only dream of. His signature wines, Godolphin and Amon-Ra, have received rave reviews from critics such as Robert Parker and James Halliday, with Parker acclaiming the 2004 Godolphin, a blend of 70 per cent Shiraz and 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon made from ancient vines, as a "nearly perfect wine".
Although the labels of the other wines in the Glaetzer line-up are the essence of simplicity, Godolphin and Amon-Ra feature Egyptian motifs. Glaetzer is fascinated by ancient Egypt - and the temple of Amon-Ra is said to be the birthplace of large-scale winemaking.
Both Godolphin and Amon-Ra are aimed at an elite. They are produced in small quantities (about 1,000 cases), and the Godolphin 2004 costs €38. It's stunning, with an impressive structure and a velvety elegance. The Amon-Ra is not available in Ireland. The modestly-named Glaetzer Shiraz 2004 (€40) is rich, restrained and almost modest in tone compared with its big stablemates.
Glaetzer didn't lick his talent off the ground. His father created one of the great Australian Shirazes, E&E Black Pepper. But Ben is a man in a hurry. Not only does he operate in the family winery, he is also the winemaker and co-owner of Heartland Wines, a mid-priced range sourced primarily from the Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek, two areas we will hear a lot more about. Heartland's innovative Dolcetto Lagrein 2004 (€16) is a creamy and mildly edgy take on two very Italian grapes, while Director's Cut Shiraz (€22.50) is a spicy, brooding monster. Heartland wines are also distributed by Searsons.
Young Glaetzer obviously doesn't sleep, because he is also in partnership with another big Australian project, the Italian-influenced wines of Frank Mitola, which are available here through Liberty Wines. And when I last saw him he was contemplating a trawl through the pubs of Dublin for a perfect pint of Guinness. See www.glaetzer.com. Searsons, Monkstown, Co Dublin, 01-2800405.
WHO STOLE MY DRINK?
The first years in any business are often the hardest. Anthony and Matthew Tindall, uncle and nephew, were doing very well, however, and looking forward to a promising Christmas for their company, Tindall Wine Merchants,
when fate - or, rather, thieves - intervened.
One night shortly before Christmas a gang broke into their Dublin warehouse and made off with about €200,000 worth of stock. It could have been a terminal blow, but, says Matthew, they were pleased to discover that the much-talked-about fraternity of the wine business is no myth. "We got loads of offers of help from many people in the trade, both big and small."
The pair held a tasting of their Burgundy portfolio in Dublin recently. Of the 20 bottles tasted, two stood out: Marc Morey's rich and buttery Bourgogne Blanc 2003, excellent value at €20-€22, and, at the other end of the spectrum, Domaine Michel Prunier's Volnay Les Caillerets 2003, a premier cru of intense concentration and beautiful balance (€410 a case). Unfortunately, most of these wines are available only in restaurants at the moment. Tindall Wine Merchants: 01-8853240.
BORDEAUX TOUR
Mitchell & Son is organising what could be a memorable week touring leading Bordeaux vineyards. The seven-day package includes three-star hotel accommodation, plus tastings (and in some cases lunch or dinner) at Châteaux Margaux, Palmer, Angludet, Beychevelle, Clarke, Haut Brion, de Fieuzal, de la Cour and Leoville Barton. Flight departs Sunday, September 3rd and returns the following Sunday. The cost is €1,198 per person sharing, including taxes. Contact 01-4062222 or see www.thetraveldepartment.ie.