Soft open full nose, bloody raw meat aromas, wet tobacco cedar wood and dried fruits, figs and damp undergrowth, little gamey. Palate soft easy and well balanced, great for game birds or veal/young lamb. Some truffles and chocolate on palate, very good.
Straw golden colour with slightly amber rim, needs air to open up, decanting required, honey, nuts, lanolin and beeswax aromas, orange, tangerine, herbal and camomile, still with a crisp fresh acidity and long complex mineral palate.
Deep black purple, rim fades slightly to garnet, nose soft chocolate and earthy damp soil, spiced plums and cedar wood aromas, very well balanced earthy cedar flavours and black cherry, cassis. Superb balance.
Nose soft and ‘wooly’ creamy chenin like damp cloth, soft stone fruits mature peach and apricot, little stewed, creamy light character honey character, some nuts and brioche, not a typical botrytis rich Rieussec? Not too long
Nose very rich, open and saffron flavoured slightly volatile and very intense botrytis, lilly flowers, nuts honey and confit apricots, palate sweets rich rich and full, slightly imbalanced with rich intensity needs more acidity.
Black bowl with purple rim, a little maturity, thick, coloured tears, nose deep and concentrated classic Bordeaux aromas, black leather cedar and cassis, deep and complex, palate little shorter than expected but good.
Lovely colour deep bowl, mahogany rim, very bright lustre, nose earthy and growbag like, polished cedar and tobacco, tanned leather, very complex, rich earthy fruitcake palate, perfect right now, truffles and gamey tobacco.
Nose wet do hair and horsebox, quite bretty on opening needs lots of air, not going to be a great wine, soft cherry and cedar wood nose, soft tannins, earthy ironstone hints, med long
Full and weighty classic wine, still young, nose dense and compact, well balanced and muscular, black currant and cedar wood, palate well alanced and smoth, long finish.
Very classic nose, soft evolved complex and open, fine leather and cedar, damp forest floor, sous bois, delicious balance of ripe mature fruit with perfectly poised acidity and tannins. V good, very long.
Ronan is a very valuable member of the Master Sommelier Organisation.
His knowledge and passion for wine is frequently passed on to candidates at all levels of our education programmes.
He is an accomplished lecturer, and has a way of putting his subject matter over to candidates in a manner which promotes the learning process. Candidates respond positively to his approach and up to date knowledge of the subject.
Ronan's skills also extend to his practical work in the restaurant where he demonstrates benchmark standards.
His ability to taste and analyse wine has been proved with his success in gaining the Master Sommelier Award.
Bryan Dawes, Education chair, Court of Master Sommeliers