Mitchell & Son, Ireland's Home of
Irish Wine Geese
The original wine geese were Irish business owners who fled the country in the 1600s when the climate for Catholics became very repressive. They set up famous wineries and brandy distilleries such as Hennessy, Château Lynch-Bages, and Léoville Barton..
In the modern era these famous Irish vintners have been joined by a new generation of wine makers with Irish connections including Roisin Curley, and John Kirk of Clonakilla.
Château Léoville Barton
10 Generations and 300 Years of History
In 1722 at the age of 27, Thomas Barton left his native Ireland for France. Thomas came from a merchant family and in France he developed an interest in wine. At 30 years old he decided to create his first wine merchant company. He also began to build his own family, or rather dynasty, a dynasty which remains the longest-standing family legacy of all the 1855 Grands Crus Classés.
His company soon began to flourish thanks to his trade contacts and loyal customers in Ireland. He was a man of strong character and an irritable yet very honest businessman. By 1737 he had already made a small fortune and was highly regarded by the Bordeaux locals who nicknamed him ''French Tom''.
At this time, a law known as the "Droit d'Aubaine" stated that all assets belonging to a foreigner who passed away in France would become the property of the French Crown. It is for this reason that he never purchased vineyards in France, instead choosing to invest his profits in Ireland. His grandson, Hugh, was the first member of the family to own vineyards in Bordeaux. Thomas passed away in 1780 at the age of 85.
Maison Róisín Curley
Born and mostly based in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, a region not well renowned for grape growing, Róisín Curley is now one of Ireland's best known Wine Geese.
Róisín is a micro-negociant - she buys small quantities of grapes from growers and bottles them under her own name. She only works with conscientious grape growers and her focus is very much on quality.
Róisín is one of 420 Masters of Wine in the world. She also has an M.Sc. in Viticulture and Oenology.
Róisín learned her trade in Chateau Latour in Bordeaux, where she worked on their biodynamic project. Her main focus now is terroir expression in Burgundy. In 2015 she established Maison Róisín Curley. She operates out of a tiny cellar space in Beaune produces very small quantities of high-quality wines, mostly from organic fruit. Her wines are very popular in Ireland and have a loyal following as far away as China.
Château Lynch-Bages
The Lynch-Bages vineyard, which extends over one hundred hectares to the south and southwest of Pauillac, benefits from exceptional climatic and geological conditions, allowing the different grape varieties to reach optimal maturity while preserving the finesse and elegance that characterise the terroir.
John Lynch left Galway and took refuge in Bordeaux in 1691. His son, Thomas, acquired the Domaine de Bages on 9 June 1750 through his marriage to the daughter of Pierre Drouillard. Their son, Michel Lynch, understood the importance of the terroirs, selected the best grape varieties, systematically drained the soils, and invented new tools to cultivate the vines.
The Best of Irish, Grape & Grain