Category: Dordogne

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New wines: July 2018

Chateau Molhiere, Cote de Duras, Dordogne: “Terroir de Ducs”, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc and Cab Franc-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon

Its rose time so it’s very much time to talk about the New wines in from the old stalwart, Chateau Molhiere in the Dordogne.


I have been lucky enough to work with The Blancheton Brothers at Chateau Molhiere in Duras, 25 miles south of Bergerac in the Dordogne for 15 years. I have been drinking their wines since the 1980’s when my parents bought a ramshackle of a cottage down in this beautiful part of SW France. These brothers make exquisite wines at great prices, tiny production, ultra care and attention. Their rose has been a great success over the last three years here in the Whirly wine shop and it arrived into the UK this last week with their zingy Sauvignon Blanc, tight and citrusy with its own Cote de Duras indentity and their Cab Franc, Sauvignon and Merlot red. Order some rose now if you can, since when its gone it won’t be back! Made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot varietals its pale pink in colour and dry with some lovely summer fruits on the palate and ample weight to take food as well. 

Also imported with the Rose is their ‘Terroir de Ducs’ Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet franc based red, which is blended with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Pop into the shop soon and order some or Buy online. The rose won’t be around for ever so don’t delay! £12.95 per bottle, 13.0 % alc vol

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Wine of the Month: July….

Chateau Molhiere, Terroir de Ducs, Rose 2018, Cote de Duras, Dordogne

Wine of the month for July has to be the Rose from Chateau Molhiere, 2018 and just arrived in time for the summer.

I have been lucky enough to work with The Blancheton Brothers at Chateau Molhiere in Duras, 25 miles south of Bergerac in the Dordogne for 15 years. I have been drinking their wines since the 1980’s when my parents bought a ramshackle of a cottage down in this beautiful part of SW France. These brothers make exquisite wines at great prices, tiny production, ultra care and attention. Their rose has been a great success over the last three years here in the Whirly wine shop and it arrived into the UK this last week with their zingy Sauvignon Blanc, tight and citrusy with its own Cote de Duras indentity and their Cab Franc, Sauvignon and Merlot red. Order some rose now if you can, since when its gone it won’t be back! Made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot varietals its pale pink in colour and dry with some lovely summer fruits on the palate and ample weight to take food as well. 

£12.95 per bottle, 750ml

Order online and get a bottle free if you order a case of 12….

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June 22nd 2017! New rose from Molhiere just arrived, by the litre bottle as well as 750ml bottle

 

For the first time Mr whirly has imported some rose for you to have by the litre! From the fabulous Blancheton Brothers in Cote de Duras, a stones throw from Cote de Bordeaux, we have a their new 2016 Cab Franc and Merlot rose, very light in colour with hints of summer fruits. Hand pressed, plunged and made its a truly lovely rose for the money. I only have 120 litres for you for your litre bottle for the summer so once its gone its gone! Price for the Litre is £11.90 and for the bottle its £10.50….you can try it before you buy it too! I Look forward to welcoming you to the the whirly wine shop soon at 22 Ritherdon road, London, SW17 8QD…

 

Mr Whirly

 

 

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Ritherdon road street fair, Thursday wines tastings and New wines arrivals over the next few weeks including 4 lovely summer rose’s and a handful of fresh, elegant whites…..

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The Ritherdon road street fair proved a great success for all the shop holders on Sunday 22nd May. It was fabulous to see it so well attended; apparently about 4,000 people turned up to see the street in its prime with the bunting flowing from shop to stall to shop, what a colourful and exciting sight it was. Above is a shot of the Whirly wine shop with the new Aperitif bar ( serving 14 wines by the glass chosen from Mr Whirly’s carefully sourced list of 140 wines that he imports) and the even newer Ice cream stand in full flow! ( serving top quality Gelato and Sorbetto: salted caramel, Lemon, Vanilla, Raspberry, Mango and Chocolate at the moment). Do pop down soon, the little ones can have an ice cream whilst the adults have a little glass of rose in the sun! ( more photos will be added soon).

Talking of rose, some new wines arrive soon including a lovely rose from Chateau D’Azur in Bandol, to me the epitomy of Provence rose ( google  Domaine Tempier and you will gist of what I am hinting at here) and also slightly further north in Provence the beautifully rounded and soft ” Harmonie 2014″ from Chateau de Majouliere near Villecroze which is one of the most beautifully rounded and soft Provence reds I have ever tasted ( Grenache and Syrah) and a vineyard I discovered on my travels in the south of France over 10 weeks in the summer of 2011. Also new in soon are some really lovely summer wines from “Domaine Tariquet” in the Gascogne that will be wines that hit that vital £8-10 mark in the shop. A lovely summer strawberry rose, a Vermentino and Colambard white which is a delightfully easy drinking wine for the Aperitif bar this summer; also some lovely un-oaked Chardonnay and a Reserve white that has been oaked a little. Top value wines and wonderful quality at the same time which fits in what I am trying to achieve at Whirly wines.  Also in are two more rose’s from Molhiere in Cote de Duras ( to go with the existing wines here in the shop, their very dependable Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot-Cab Franc red.  Chateau Pierrail in Cote de Bordeaux will also soon be showcasing their new 2015 rose as well as their unique and popular Sauvignon Blanc and Gris 2015 and some easy drinking, soft tannin Bordeaux reds, new wines for the list here in the shop. Lastly, from Macon ( yes some Burgundy for the shop shelves!) and the very talented winemaker Alain Normand in La Roche Vineuse, I have four new wines: his La Roche Vineuse red and white which are wines he has built his reputation on and are very much his pride and joy ( Chilled Gamay for the summer and some clean fresh Chardonnay, un-oaked)  as well as some Pouilly Fuisse 2014 and some ” Roc de Solutre” Pouilly Fuisse 2012 ( did you know Pouilly and Fuisse are two separate villages?) So very soon these wines will start to feature on the Aperitif bar list as well as on the shelves, I am hoping my mid June so I look forward to welcoming you and whirling with you soon!

One other thing, I would like to start the Thursday tastings again, beginning with a tasting on the 9th June and then bi-weekly after that.  I shall very soon post details on this first tasting so please keep an eye out for it in the coming days. The cost will be only £15 per person to taste 4 wines and I will need a minimum of ten people to make it work.

As soon as the new wines are in I shall look to post them on social media sites as well as on this website.

Looking forward to seeing you at the shop for an ice cream and glass of wine very soon.

Mr Whirly

 

 

 

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Cote de Duras: Chateau Molhiere

Cote de Duras is Cote de Duras. This sounds logical but its actually something very important to emphasise. Its right on the border of the Bordeaux appellation, literally a few miles separates them but this region of France could not be more different than its more famous neighbour. There are no pretensions here. The wines are what they are: honest, clean and fresh and cracking value. The Blancheton brothers are the same, Patrick and Francis, once prop forwards in the local rugby side and Francis sports a fantastic moustache to match his physique.

I have been in love with this part of France since a little lad, when we had a house just up the road on the road to Bergerac in a little hamlet called Thenac.

When you think Bordeaux you think wonderful wines from the left bank, Leoville Les-Cases in St Julien being my favourite. But in terms of wines that you can find at a price point that most of us can afford nowadays, forget it, there’s not a chance of finding something decent at £6.95 a bottle. I am delighted with my Cote de Bourg at £11.95 a bottle yes but thats still £11.95.

When I visited the vineyard in October last year the Blancheton brothers were in the midst of vintage. The grapes were bubbling away in the  old tanks that they have here at the vineyard and it was incredibly exciting to witness a family heritage of four generation in full flow.

I have bought over three wines from this lovely little vineyard; A Sauvignon Blanc 2011, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and   Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 and a rose made from the same grapes as the red.

I think these are fabulous every day drinking wines, really easy to drink and wonderful quality for the price.

Tasting notes: ( with the help of friend and client, Sarah Guignard at the French Table in Surbition, South west London.”

P1000137Sauvignon Blanc 2012, “ Terroir de Ducs”:

“ Mineral tones, zippy and balanced grapefruit, lemon and lime. Quite weighty.”

P1000138Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet 2011,“ Terroirs de Ducs”:

“ Earthy, raspberries with a hint of  herbs, soft easy drinking tannins.”

Alc vols: 13.5% for the red and rose, 13.0% for the white

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