TN : Chateau Belgrave 2009, Vignobles Dourthe, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France

This wine is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The Merlot was harvested between the 28th September and the 7th October 2009, the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested between the 13th and the 22nd October 2009, and the Petit Verdot was harvested on the 12th October. The wine spent 14 months in barrel on the lees. The wine was bottled in June 2011. There were 18,100 cases of this wine made. This wine received 90 points from Wine Spectator (March 31st 2012 issue).

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Cedar, blackcurrant, liquorice, spice, plums

Taste : Cedar, tobacco, spice, liquorice, red fruits, blackcurrants, plums

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 395 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Vignobles Dourthe

TN : Murphy-Goode Liar's Dice Zinfandel 2010, Jackson Family Wines, Sonoma County, California, USA

This wine was imported by Fondberg.

Colour : Blackberry

Aroma : Raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, spice, liquorice, white pepper

Taste : Spice, blackberry, raspberry, white pepper, liquorice

Alcohol : 15.5%

Price : 182 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Murphy-Goode Winery

TN : Fable Mountain Vineyards Syrah 2010, Tulbagh, South Africa

All of the grapes for this wine were hand-picked at the beginning of February 2010. This wine was matured in 500 litre oak of which 30 percent was new. The winemaker was Rebecca Tanner.

This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Minty, blackberry, milk chocolate, plums, herbs

Taste : Blueberry, blackberry, milk chocolate, herbs, mint

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90321

Mark : B-

Website : Fable Mountain Vineyards

TN : Anaperenna by Ben Glaetzer 2012, Glaetzer Wines, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

This wine is a blend of 82% Shiraz and 18 % Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard yield was 1 tonne per hectare. The age of the vines was between 30 and 100 years old for the Shiraz and between 30 and 130 years old for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine spent 16 months in 100% new oak barrels of which 92% was French and 8% was American. The pH is 3.51 and the total acidity is 7.0 grammes per litre. This wine was bottled unfiltered.

The name Anaperenna is inspired by Anna Perenna, the Roman goddess of the New Year. Anna Perenna symbolises the year's cycle and her name translates as 'enduring year'. Romans honoured Anna Perenna with a festival held on the first full moon of the Roman calendar. On March 15th they would ask Anna to grant them longevity, and a healthy year for each glass of wine they drank on that day. The symbol on the label is the Egyptian Ankh (pronounced: onk). Historically the ankh symbolised sunrise, regeneration, regrowth and renewal.

This wine was imported by Prime Wine Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, milk chocolate, mint, cherries

Taste : Blackcurrant, blackberry, milk chocolate, mint, spice

Alcohol : 15.2 %

Price : 361 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95175

Mark : B

Website : Glaetzer Wines

TN : Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, California, USA

This wine was imported by Spendrups Bryggeri AB.

Colour : Dark red, blueberry

Aroma : Raisins, Blackcurrant, Spice, cherries

Taste : Raisins, blackcurrant, cherries, spice

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 101 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6533

Mark : C+

Website : Louis M. Martini Winery

TN : Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Napa Valley, California

This wine is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The grapes were grown on gravelly clay loams. The age of the vines were from 11 to 28 years old. The grapes were harvested from September 20th to October 10th 2010. Fermentation was in stainless steel tanks with twice daily pumpovers. The wine spent 18 months in French oak barrels of which 25% were new. The pH is 3.64 and acid is 6.1 grammes per litre. The wine was bottled in July 2012 and 44,000 cases were produced.

This wine was imported by Mondo Wine Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, mint, violets, cedar, milk chocolate, spice

Taste : Blackcurrant, mint, cedar, spice, tangy acidic lift on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 249 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 70486

Mark : C+

Website : Clos du Val

TN : Grace Koshu 2012, Grace Wine, Japan

The grapes for this wine came from vineyards in Katsunuma in Yamanshi which lies in Honshu, west of Tokyo. All of the grapes were harvested in October 2012. The yield was 120 hectolitres per hectare. Fermentation was in steel tanks. The winemaker was Ayana Misawa. Grace Wine, Chuo Budoshu in Japanese, was founded in 1923. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

Koshu was first cultivated more than 1,000 years ago in the Caucasus Region in Asia Minor. It came to Japan together with Buddhism via the Silk Road through China. It localised itself and became native to Japan. When winemaking started in Japan in 1874, it quickly became not only the main, but also the most important variety. Koshu bears a purplish-pink fruit. According to research performed by the University of California, it is predominantly (over 90%) vitis vinifera.

This wine was imported by The WineAgency Sweden AB.

Colour : Pale watery straw

Aroma : Lemon, minerals, smoke, herbs

Taste : Zingy lemon, minerals, green apples, herbs

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 149 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6601

Mark : C-

Website : Grace Wine

TN : 1752 Gran Tradicion Petit Verdot Tannat 2012, Bodegas Carrau, Cerro Chapeu, Uruguay

This wine is a blend of 66% Petit Verdot and 34% Tannat. All of the grapes were hand harvested. This wine was macerated in open tanks for 15 days and aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels.

The winemaker was Fransisco Carrau.

This wine was imported by Janake Wine Group AB.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, plums, herbs, coffee

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, herbs, coffee

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 87 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6394

Mark : C

Website : Bodegas Carrau

TN : Pezat 2011, Bordeaux Superieur, JCP Maltus, Bordeaux, France

This wine was imported by Tryffelsvinet AB.

Colour : Red plum

Aroma : Plums, milk chocolate, herbs, blackcurrant, coffee

Taste : Lacking fruit, blackcurrant, plums, hard tannins, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 72247

Mark : C-

Website : JCP Maltus

TN : McManis Viognier 2012, McManis Family Vineyards, California, USA

This wine was sealed with a screwcap. The grapes were harvested between the 16th and 25th of September 2012. Acidity is 5.9 grammes per litre and the pH is 3.5. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel and the wine was bottled in April 2013 (first bottling).

 

This wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Pale lemon, straw, green hues

Aroma : White grapes, pineapple, peach, apricot, floral

Taste : Oily texture, peach, oranges, mango

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6290

Mark : C+

Website : McManis Family Vineyards