TN : Alsace Vindag, 30th January 2012

These are my "very late" tasting notes from the Alsace Wine day tasting that was held on Monday 30th January 2012 at the Operaterrassen in Stockholm, Sweden.

Cave Jean Geiler

• Crement d'Alsace Brut Rose : (C)
• Grad Cru Wineck-Schlossberg Riesling 2008 : (B)
• Grand Cru Florimont Gewurztraminer 2010 : Burnt barley sugar, lemon (C+)

Domaines Schlumberger

• Grand Cru Saering Riesling 2007 : Citrus, minerals, smoky (C)
• Grand Cru Kesssler Gewurztraminer 2005 : Very sweet, lacking acidity (C)

Domaine Albert Mann

• Senteurs des Vignes 2010 : Bland (C)
• Riesling Cuvee Albert 2010 : Lemon, dry (C)
• Pinot Gris Cuvee Albert 2010 : Zingy (B)
• Pinot Noir Grand H 2009 : Strawberries, lean (C)
• Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling 2010 : Citrus, minerals, long finish (B-)
• Grand Cru Furstentum Pinot Gris 2010 : (C+)
• Grand Cru Steingrubler Gewurztraminer 2009 : (C)

Domaine Gresser

• Pinot Blanc 2010, Saint-Andre : Floral,boring (C)
• Muscat d'Alsace 2010, Brandhof : Floral, minerals, fruity (C+)
• Pinot Noir 2010, Brandhof : Strawberry, thin, bone dry (C)
• Grand Cru Moenchenberg Riesling 2007 : (C)
• Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2007 : Lots and lots of minerals (C)
• Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 2007 : Lime, minerals (C)

Kientz Rene Fils

• Riesling 2010 : (C)
• Gewurztraminer 2010 : (B)
• Grand Cru Winzerberg Riesling 2008 : Zingy lemon minerals (B)

S.A. Biecher

• Riesling 2009 : (C)
• Riesling Reserve 2008 : Zingy lime, lemon, minerals (C)
• Grand Cru Schoneberg Riesling 2010 : Lemon, lime, fruity, long finish (B)

Charles Wantz

• Muscat 2010, "M" Collection personnelle : (B)
• Pinot Gris "K" 2007  Collection personnelle : Minerals, boring (C)
• Gewurztraminer "O" 2006, Collection personnelle :Barley sugar, lacking acidity (C)

Domaine Michel Fonne

• Crement d'Alsace N.V. Rose : Dry, redcurrants, blackcurrant (B-)
• Pinot Noir 2008 "M" : Dry finish, fruity (C)
• Grand Cru Mambourg Riesling 2008 : (B)

Book : Vinguide Alsace, Per Warfvinge

This book is in Swedish but this doesn't stop it being an excellent small guide to the Alsace wine region.

The book describes the different grapes cultivated in Alsace, booking an appointment to visit a winery, how to read a wine label, the cru system, viticultural techniques, organic and biodynamics, sparkling wines, cycling through the region, and the history of the region. The last half of the book is dedicated to profiles of wineries in Alsace. All of this is packed into less than 200 pages and well worth it.

The book can be ordered direct from Per's website.

Website : Per Warfvinge

TN : Purple Angel 2008, Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine is 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot. The wine spent 18 months in new French and American oak barrels. This wine received 93points from The Wine Advocate, 91 points from Wine Enthusiast, and 91 points from Wine Spectactor.

This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Milk chocolate, tobacco, spice, blackcurrant, blackberry, coconut

Taste : Blackcurrants, blackberry, green pepper, tobacco, coconut, toast

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 399 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 91142

Mark : B+

TN : Boom Boom! Syrah 2011, Charles Smith Wines, Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA

This wine is 100% Syrah. This wine was released in June 2012. The total acid: is 63, pH is 3.46, and there is no residual sugar. The grapes for this wine came from three vineyards. The Art den Hoed vineyard stretches for 250 acres over the south slope of the Rattlesnake Mountains in the Yakima AVA at 1300 feet elevation. The Milbrandt vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, planted beginning in 1998 by the Milbrandt Family, is comprised of well-drained, sandy gravelly soils deposited by ancient glacial floods. The Weyns vineyard is located in the Snipes Mountain AVA in the heart of the Yakima Valley with slopes facing in all four cardinal directions and an elevation that ranges from 750 to 1300 feet. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Handpicked Wines Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blueberry, raspberry, milk chocolate, white pepper, spice

Taste : Blackberry, plums, spice, white pepper on zingy finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6714

Mark : B-

Website :  Charles Smith Wines

TN : Villa Antinori 2009, IGT, Marchesi Antinori, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot och 5% Syrah. The harvested grapes were destemmed and given a soft pressing, and then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The fermentation began a day after the crush and lasted between five and seven days; skin contact, instead, continued for eight to twelve days. Fermentation temperatures never went above 28 degrees centigrade for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes in order to favor the extraction of color and soft tannins. In the case of the Syrah and Merlot grapes, temperatures were held to a maximum of 25 degrees centigrade in order to preserve the aromatic character of the varieties. The young wines went through a complete malolactic fermentation in October and November and then went into 60 gallon French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels and aged for a period of twelve months. The wine was given a further eight months of bottle aging before release.

This wine was imported by Sigva AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Oak, cherry, tobacco, plums, herbs, milk chocolate

Taste : Oak, cherries, plums, herbs, tobacco

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 2300

Mark : B

Website : Marchesi Antinori

TN : Weisser Burgunder Novemberlese 2011, Weingut Steininger, Niederösterreich , Austria

Weingut Steininger is situated in the wine growing village of Langenlois in the Kamptal Valley. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. This wijne was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.

Colour : Straw

Aroma : Stone fruits, pear, honey, lemon

Taste : Stone fruits, honey, pear, lemon, bitter finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 95 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 91209

Mark : C

Website : Weingut Steininger

TN : Eins Zwei Dry Riesling 2011, Weingut Josef Leitz, Rheingau, Germany

Josef Leitz was the Gault Millau winemaker of the year in 2011. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. This wine was imported by Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB.

Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Lemon, honey, peach

Taste : Lemon, dry, honey, minerals, lime, peach, zingy finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 5822

Mark : C

Website : Weingut Josef Leitz

TN : Val de Flores 2006, Michel Rolland Collection, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

 .
The Val de Flores vineyard is ten hectares and is planted with Malbec which are more than fifty years old. The vineyard is situated at the foot of the Andean mountains at Vista Flores in South Mendoza. The vineyard soils is alluviums and deep silts.

This wine was aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine was imported by Vinovativa AB.

Colour : Deep blackcurrant/blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, blackcurrant, rapsberries, liqourice

Taste : Savoury, blackcurrant, blackberry, oak, liqourice bomb on finish

Alcohol : 15%

Systembolaget Number : 95022

Price : 399 SEK

Mark : B+

Website : Rolland Collection

TN : Esprit de Pavie 2008, Vignobles Perse, Bordeaux, France

This wine is 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15% cabernet Sauvignon. This wine received 90 points out of 100 from Austrian wine magazine Falstaff. This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant/black

Aroma : Oak, earthy, some dark fruits in background

Taste : Very oaky, earthy, plums, redcurrants, rasping harsh drying tanins and alcohol on finish, decanted for an hour but not much fruit. No improvement after two hours in the decanter.

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 71932

Mark : D

Website : Vignoble Perse

TN : Paracombe Pinot Noir 2011, Paracombe Premium Wines, Adelaide Hills, Australia

The fruit for this wine was harvested over three picks from mid March to early April from the Drogemuller family vineyard with several different Pinot Noir clones. Vertical shoot canopy in the vineyard allowed sunshine into the vines and the yield was around two tonnes per acre. Open tank ferment with hand plunging obtained gentle extraction. Some natural yeast ferment along with up to 20% stalk contact added subtle tannin to this wine. The wine was aged for nine months in French Oak barriques. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB.

Colour : Stewed strawberries, pale

Aroma : Strawberries, spice, toffee

Taste : Strawberries, raspberries, liqourice, toffee, spice

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 179 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95290

Mark : B-

Website : Paracombe Premium Wines

TN : Promis 2010, Ca'Marcanda Angelo Gaja, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese. Ca'Marcanda is located in Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri, in the Maremma. The estate was bought by Angelo Gaja in 1996 when vines were planted. The vineyard is composes of loam- and clay-rich terre brune, brown soils.

This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Dark red/blackcurrant

Aroma : Oak, vanilla, cherries, milk chocolcate, coffee, herbs

Taste : Oaky, vanilla, cherries, plums, herbs, tobacco, spicy finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 245 SEK

Systembolaget Number :  95252

Mark : C+

Website : Gaja
Website : Ca'Marcanda

TN : Domaine Ste Michelle Brut Sparkling Wine, Ste Michelle, Washington State, USA

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winemaker was Rick Casqueiro. This wine was imported by VinUnic AB.

Colour : Sparkling, pale lemon

Aroma : Green apples, lemon, rich tea biscuits, oranges

Taste : Green apples, oranges, lemon, rich tea biscuits

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 7887

Mark : B-

Website : Domaine Ste Michelle

TN : Altos Las Hormigas Reserva Malbec 2009, Uco Valley, Argentina

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, blackcurrant, violets, plums, herbs, cherries

Taste : Blackberries, plums, black olives, coffee, cherries, herbs

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 92019

Mark : B

Website : Altos Las Hormigas

TN : Volcanes Pinot Noir Rosé 2011, Bodega Volcanes de Chile, Maipo, Chile

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Future Wines Sweden AB.

Colour : Copper, orange, pink hues

Aroma : Redcurrants, herbs, strawberry

Taste : Herbs, redcurrants, strawberry, bright fruity, oranges, raspberry

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 79 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 99233

Mark : B

Website : Bodega Volcanes de Chile

TN : Trapiche Malbec Viña Jorge Miralles Single Vineyard La Consulta 2009, Bodegas Trapiche, Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

The La Consulta vineyard is located at 970 metres and is eleven years old.

This wine was imported by Spendrups Bryggeri AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Tobacco, violets, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, plums, mint, coconut

Taste : Raspberry, blackberry, tobacco, coconut, mint, plums

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 239 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95274

Mark : B+

Website : Bodegas Trapiche

TN : Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Sonoma County, California, USA

The pH of this wine is 3.75, Titratable Acidity is 5.3 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar is 3.33 grammes per litre.

This wine was imported by Spendrups Vin AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Blackcurrants, plums, mint, spice

Taste : Blackcurrants, plums, black cherry, vanilla, spicy and liqourice finish, good glugger

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6533

Website :  Louis M. Martini Winery

TN : Ursprung 2011, Markus Schneider, Pfalz, Germany

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Portugieser, and Cabernet Mitos. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. This wine was imported by Bornicon & Salming.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma :  Blueberry, blackurrant, raspberry, herbs

Taste : Blueberry, raspberry, herbs, drying tannins on finish, lighter than the 2010 vintage

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Markus Schneider

TN : Clos de los Siete 2009, by Michel Rolland, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 53% Malbec, 17% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, and 1% Petit Verdot. All the grapes were harvested by hand. The yield was 34 hectolitres per hectare.

Colour : Dark raspberry red/purple

Aroma : Oak, plums, blackberry, raspberry, mint, white pepper, milk chocolate

Taste : Toast, plums, blackberry, mint, white pepper, savoury finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 159 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 91278

Mark : B

TN : T.H. Pinot Noir 2011, Viña Undurraga, Leyda Valley, Chile

T.H. stands for "Terroir Hunter". The grapes for this wine came from 2.97 hectares of windy west sloped vineyard 14km from the Pacific ocean. The vineyard soils are sedimentary crack loamy clay over decompsed granite subsoil. The wine was aged for 11 months in French oack barrels of second and third use. The production was limited to 1640 cases.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap. This wine was imported by Stellan Kramer AB

Colour : Red, blue hues

Aroma : Herbs, raspberry, strawberry, milk chocolate, burnt toast

Taste : Green oak, herbs, spicy, herbs, raspberry, strawberry, coffee

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90464

Mark : C

Website : Terroir Hunter

TN : Montes Folly 2010, Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine is 100% Syrah from the upper slopes of the Apalta Valley vineyard; La Finca de Apalta, with an inclination exceeding 45 degrees. The grape yield was 3 tons per hectare (or 1.5 tons per acre). The wijne was aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. This wine was bottled ujnfiltered. 2,600 six bottle cases were produced.

This wine recived 95 points from Wine Spectator, October 17th 2012. The label art is designed by Ralph Steadman. This label is an illustration of an iceberg found in Lake Grey, Torres del Paine, in Chilean Patagonia.

This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Dark purple/black

Aroma : Burnt toast, oak, blueberry, raspberry, meats

Taste : Lashings of toasty oak, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, drying tannic finish, needs an hour in a decanter to open up.

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 299 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90476

Mark : B-

Website : Montes

TN : Capitel Croce 2009, Anselmi, Veneto, Italy

This wine is 100% Garganega. The wine spent eight months in French barriques made with Alliers oak.

This wine is imported by Italwine AB.  

Colour : Lemon

Aroma : Pineapple, lemon, nuts

Taste : Pineapple, lemon, nuts, honey

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 129 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 97051

Mark : B

Website : Anselmi

TN : Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 2006, Weingut Studert Prüm, Mosel, Germany

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB.


Colour : Pale yellow, green hues

Aroma : Honey, pears, orange marmelade, minerals


Taste : Honey, off-dry, stone fruits, lemon, minerals, lime finish

Alcohol : 9.5%


Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90042

Mark : B

Website : Weingut Studert Prüm

TN : Ernie Els Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Ernie Els Winery, Stellenbosch, South Africa

 

The winemaker was Louis Strydom. The pH is 3.69 residual sugar is 1.9 grammes per litre, and the total acidity is 6.4 grammes per litre.

This wine was imported by The Wine Agency AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant/red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, mint, herbs, plums, milk chocolate, tobacco

Taste : Tight, blackcurrant, plums, milk chocolate, tobacco, herbs, cedar

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 189 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96062

Mark : B-

Website : Ernie Els Wines

TN : Stift Klosterneuburg Sparkling Rosé, Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg, Austria

This wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB.

Colour : Pale pink/copper

Aroma : Raspberry, rich tea biscuits, oranges

Taste : Rich tea biscuits, herbs, melon, oranges on finish

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 85 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96067

Mark : C

Website :  Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg

TN : Unánime Gran Vino Tinto 2010, Bodegas Santa Ana, Uco Valley, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Franc. The grapes were sorted, destemmed and sorted. Fermentation and skin maceration was in stainless steel tanks for 25 days at a temperature between 23 and 25 degrees. The wine spent 15 months in new French oak. The total acidity is 5.35 grammes per litre.

UNÁNIME, from the Latin word unanimis, refers to a group of people sharing the same opinions or points of view, being in complete harmony or agreement.

This wine was imported by Chris-Wine AB.

Colour : Deep dark purple

Aroma : Liqourice, coffee, blackcurrant, plums, herbs

Taste : Blackcurrant, plums, herbs, tobacco, plack pepper and liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90089

Mark : B-

Website : Bodegas Santa Ana

TN : Kaesler Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Kaesler Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia

This bottle was number 11129 of the vintage. Kaesler was founded in 1893. The grapes for this wine were sourced from three blocks planted in 1970, 1985, and 1990. These blocks are located adjacent to the winery. The vineyard soil is red brown loam over clay and then limestone rubble. The wine was matured for 15 months; 20% in new French oak and the remainder in two year old oak.

This wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Deep black/blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, oak, mint, coffee, liqourice

Taste : Blackcurrant and blackberry, porty, mint, coffee on finish

Alcohol : 15.5%

Price : 259 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95289

Mark : B-

Website : Kaesler Wines

TN : Waldschütz Grüner Veltliner Aturo Reserve 2011, Weingut Waldschütz, Kamptal DAC, Austria

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Heba Food & Beverages AB.

Colour : Watery yellow

Aroma : Pear, peach, minerals

Taste : Pears, stone fruits, mandarin oranges, minerals on a spicy finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 119 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95291

Mark : B

Website :  Weingut Waldschütz

TN : Pannobile 2009, Weingut Gernot and Heike Heinrich, Burgenland, Austria

 This wine is a blend of 65% Zweigelt and 35% Blaufränkisch.

The vines used to harvest the grapes for this wine are 10 to35 years-old. The vines are situated in vineyard sites on the southern slopes of the Parndorfer Platte; including Salzberg, Gabarinze, Unterberg, Altenberg, Kurzberg, Kaiserberg and Alter Aussatz.

All the grapes were harvested by hand from mid-September to the beginning of October 2009. Following careful selection in the vineyards and again on the winery sorting belt, processing took place according to the gravity principle without pumps. Spontaneous fermentation was in steel tanks and wooden fermentation vats between 28 to 32°C. After stirring via the Pulsair system as well as by hand, there was 3 to 4 weeks of maceration followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured for twenty months in 226 litre and 500 litre oak barrels.The wine was bottled and sealed with glass closures at the end of August 2011.

 

This wine was imported by Gullberg by Stockwine AB.

Colour : Dark red/cherry

Aroma : Liqourice, spice, cherries, blackberry

Taste : Concentrated plums, blackberries, cherries, spice, liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 270 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98138

Mark : B-

Website : Weingut Gernot and Heike Heinrich
Website : Pannobile

TN : Vulcano 2008, Weingut Hans Igler, Burgenland, Austria

This wine is a blend of 55% Blaufraenkisch, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Zweigelt, and 105 Merlot.

This wine was imported by A Wendler Försäljnings AB.

Colour : Red

Aroma : Green herbs, oak, dark berries

Taste : Dark berries, spice, green herbs, oak

Price : 239 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96016

Mark : C+

Website : Weingut Hans Igler

TN : Nativa Single Vineyard Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere, 2010, Nativa Eco Wines, Rapel Valley, Chile

This wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Carmenere. The wine is made from certified (IMO Switzerland) organically grown grapes. This wine spent one year in French oak. The winemaker was Felipe Ramirez who studied in Chile at the Pontificia Universidad Católica and later did a two year post graduate study program at the l’Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Montpellier (ENSAM) jointly carried out in Montpellier and Bordeaux. Nativa was born in 1995 as a part of Viña Carmen. In 2009, the Nativa Eco Wines company was created and it became a part of the Santa Rita Group portfolio.

This wine was imported by VinUnic AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Green pepper, oak, toast, blackcurrant, coffee

Taste : Overwhelming oak and burnt toast, green pepper, blackberry and blackcurrant, coffee on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 129 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6268

Mark : C

Website : Nativa Eco Wines

TN : Vergelegen G.V.B Red 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. This wine was matured new oak barriques for one year and ten months.

Vergelegen mean "situated far away".

This wine was imported by VinUnic AB.

Colour : Dark purple/red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plum, cedar, milk chocolate, tobacco

Taste : Porty feel, blackcurrant, plums, mint, oak, coffee and tobacco finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 299 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96058

Mark : B

Website : Vergelegen Estate

TN : Novas Gran Reserva Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Organic Wine, Viñedos Emiliana, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine was matured in 70% French oak barrels for twelve months.
 
Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Mint, liqourice, tobacco, blackcurrant, blackberry, oak

Taste : Green pepper, blackcurrant, plums, tobacco, liqourice and pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 110 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 98052

Mark : B-

Website : Viñedos Emiliana

TN : La Passion 2009, Château Petite Boyer, Blaye, Côtes de Bordeaux, France

The winemaker was Jean-Vincent Bideau. This wine is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine is imported by Swedish Wine Cellar AB.

Colour : Red, blue hues

Aroma : Cedar, herbs, blackcurrant, plums

Taste : Cedar, blackcurrant, plums, herbs on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90630

Mark : C

Website : Château Petite Boyer

Book : The Drops of God New World

This book is about two people trying to guess the identity of a wine chosen by the father of one of the men. The wine is from the new world. One of the men goes to Australia in search of inspiration and the other to the Napa Valley. The tasting notes that both of them use ar eout of this world. They both picture the the wines as a being in a setting (no descriptors if fruit and oak here!). In the end they both choose Syrah as the grape but it is the experienced taster who guesses right that it is a Manfred Krankel Sina Qua Non The Inaugural Eleven Confessions 2003; the looser chooses the 2004 Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz. This book is worth reading to just see the wine tasting experiences.

TN : Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay 2010, Wolf Blass, Adelaide Hills, Australia

This wine was barrel fermented in a combination of seasoned and new French oak for six months. The acidity is 5.5 grammes per litre and pH is 3.38. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Butter, toast, sweetcorn, oranges, lemon

Taste : Butter, toast, oak, pineapple, sweetcorn, oranges

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 94026

Mark : B-

Website : Wolf Blass

TN : Beaujolais Nouveau 2012, Labouré-Roi, Burgundy, France

This wine is 100% Gamay. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. There is a sticker on the bottle stating Labouré-Roi 180th Anniversary.

This wine was imported by Fondberg.

Colour : Bright raspberry

Aroma : Bubblegum, raspberry, blueberry, banana

Taste : Fruity, blueberry, raspberry, bubblegum, herbs on finish

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 69 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95419

Mark : C+

Website : Labouré-Roi

TN : Craggy Range Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Te Muna Vineyard, Martinborough, New Zealand

"Te Muna" means "secret place". The grapes had a brix of 22.3 at harvest. The yield was 63 hectolitres per hectare. 14% of the grapes were whole cluster fermented; 86% of the grapes were destemmed. This wine was sealed with a screwcap and bottled in August 2011. The pH is 3.3, residual sugar is 3.5 grammes per litre, and the acidity is 7.3 grammes per litre.

This wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Pale Yellow

Aroma : Lime, passion fruit, leafy, blackcurrant

Taste : Passion fruit, blackcurrant leaf, pear, lime, earthy finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 169 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90181

Mark : C+

Website : Craggy Range

TN : Fritsch Zweigelt "P" 2009, Weinbergshof Fritsch, Wagram, Niederösterreich, Austria

This wine was imported by WineWorld AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Cherries, plums, spice

Taste : Plums, cherries, oak, spice, , nougat, talculm powder texture

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 215 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 73169

Mark : C+

Website : Weinbergshof Fritsch

TN : Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon (Row Vines) 2009, Bodega Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grapes for this wine came from select rows from Lot 3 of La Piramide (50%) vineyard, at 3117 feet elevation, and Lot 3 of Domingo vineyard (50%), at 3675 feet elevation. The winemaker was Alejandro Vigil.

This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plums, pepper, mint, oak

Taste : Blackcurrant, liqourice, pepper, mint, plums, sandalwood/oak (leave for 1-2 years for wood to integrate)

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 255 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 99084

Mark : B

Website : Bodega Catena Zapata

TN : Crimson Pinot Noir 2010, Ata Rangi, Martinborough, New Zealand

The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested between the 25th March and 15th April 2010. The finished wine spent one year in French oak of which 25% was new. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Gardo & Morris AB.

Colour : Red/raspberry

Aroma : Oak, strawberries, plums, spice, liqourice

Taste : Red berries, spice, liqourice

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 159 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 91244

Mark : C

Website : Ata Rangi
Website : Project Crimson

TN : Falernia Syrah Carmenere Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Viña Falernia, Coquimbo Region, Chile

This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Carmenere, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine was imported by WineWorld AB.

Colour : Dark red/blue hues

Aroma : Strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrant, herbs, white pepper

Taste : Plums, blackcurrant, herbs, liqourice, white pepper

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 199 SEK (3 litre bag-in-box)

Systembolaget Number : 6024

Mark : C+

Website : Vina Falernia

TN : Paracombe Cabernet Franc 2008, Paracombe Premium Wines, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

This wine is made from 1983 plantings of Cabernet Franc. The vines typically yield approximately 1.5 kilogrammes of fruit each. The wine was awarded 90 points by James Halliday. This wine is sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Plums, raisins, mint, milk chocolate.blackcurrant

Taste : Porty, raisiny, mint, blackcurrant, plums, blackberry, vanilla

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Paracombe Wines

TN : Leth Scheiben Grüner Veltliner 2011, Weingut Leth, Wagram, Niederösterreich, Austria

The Scheiben vineyard is located on the Wagram slope, strictly south faced at an altitude between 240 and 260 metres. The vineyard soil is pure Löss and rich in limestone. The age of vines is over 50 years. The residual sugar in the wine is 4.5 grammes per litre and the acidity is 6.0 grammes per litre.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Domaine Wines Sweden AB.

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Spice, ginger,  peach, pear, mandarin oranges, white pepper, and honey

Taste : Pear, peach, mandarin oranges, spice, honey, white pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 139 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95186

Mark : B

Website : Weingut Leth

TN : Ursprung 2010, Markus Schneider, Pfalz, Germany

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Portugieser, and Cabernet Mitos. This wine was imported by Bornicon & Salming.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Blueberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, toast, herbs

Taste : Blueberry, raspberry, herbs, drying tannins on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 119 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 72147

Mark : B

Website : Markus Schneider

TN : M Spaetburgunder 2009, Markus Schneider, Pfalz, Germany

The grapes for this wine came from two different sites; the one is located on a plateau of lime stone soil and the other, much hotter, is sand and gravel.

This wine was imported by Bornicon & Salming.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Strawberry, oak, burnt coffee, liqourice

Taste : Burnt coffee, strawberry, oak, liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 99204

Mark : C

Website : Markus Schneider

TN : Casa Rivas Reserva Cabernet Franc, Maipo Valley, Chile

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Stockholm WineLab AB.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, mint, plums

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, coffee, vanilla, cocoa powder finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6422

Mark : C+

Website : Casa Rivas