Sunday 5 May 2013

TN : Pezat 2010, Bordeaux Supérieur, Château Teyssier, Bordeaux, France




The kernel for Pezat is a vineyard planted literally a pace outside of the Saint Emilion Appellation; towards the river from Château Teyssier near to Branne. Previously this large vineyard consisted of high trellised vines planted three metres apart, the norm in Entre-des-Mers where grapes are machine picked.



Planting down the middle of the rows gave the same density as a vineyard in Saint Emilion. Additionally, on the original vines, a sucker-per-vine was allowed to grow. At which stage the original vine was cut off, almost halving the height of the vines down to what one would expect from a hand-picked vineyard in Saint Emilion. The vines are now pruned on the ‘double guyot’ system. The secondary shoots are removed and the vines deleafed and bunch-thined. The grapes are handpicked and vinified as the other wines of the Chateau; to the standard of a Saint Emilion Grand Cru.



This wine was imported by Tryffelsvinet AB.



Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Plums, spice, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla, herbs

Taste : Blackberry, spicy, blueberry, plums, herbs, talcum powder like tannins, liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : JCP Maltus

Sunday 28 April 2013

TN : The Big Zin White Zinfandel Rosé 2012, ViniMundi, I.G.T Puglia, Italy





This wine was imported by The Wine Team.



Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Herbs, strawberry, raspberry

Taste : Off dry, jellied strawberries and raspberries, herbs

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 179 SEK (3 litre Bag-In-Box)

Systembolaget Number : 74943

Mark : C

TN : Le Carré 2007, JCP Maltus, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France



Le Carré is a single-vineyard of just over one and a half hectares that abuts Clos Fourtet near the centre of the town of Saint Emilion.The vines date back to the middle of the last century and have been completely re-terraced since the purchase of the vines in 2004 from Château Canon, Premier Cru Classé. The yield is approximately 28 hectolitres to the hectare. The grapes are subject to double-sorting and vinification in oak wooden vats. The wine was called "packed and stacked" by Robert Parker Jnr at it's debut. Whilst the main part of the wine is made up by Merlot, the Cabernet Franc compliment is fermented in 400 litre barrels that are rolled during primary fermentation. 300 cases only are made.



This wine was imported by Mondo Wine Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Intense, plums, oak, blackcurrant, cherries

Taste : Spice, plums, oak, vanilla, blackcurrant, cherries, grippy tannic finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 550 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96851

Mark : B

Website : JCP Maltus

TN : Alamos Malbec 2012. Bodega Catena Zapata, Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina




This wine was bottled under screwcap.



This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, plums, cherries, violets

Taste : Cherry, blackberry, liqourice, vanilla, violets

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6670

Mark : C+

Website : Alamos

Thursday 25 April 2013

TN : René Barbier Rose, Penedes, Spain



This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cariñena.



This wine was imported by Freixenet Nordic AB.



Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Raspberry, redcurrants

Taste : Redcurrants, raspberry, oranges on finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 199 SEK (3 litre Bag-In-Box)

Systembolaget Number : 2751

Mark : C

Website : Rene Barbier

TN : Taittinger Brut Réserve, Champagne, France




This wine is a blend of Pinot noir 42%, chardonnay 38% och pinot meunier 20%.


This wine was imported by Fondberg.



Colour : Pale yellow, lots of fine mousse

Aroma : Bread and butter, apples, lemons

Taste : Rich tea biscuits, apples, oranges

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 359 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 7422

Mark : C

Website : Taittinger

Tuesday 23 April 2013

TN : Goulée by Cos d'Estournel 2010, Medoc, Bordeaux, France



This wine is from Michel Reybier, the proprietor of Cos d’Estournel. The vineyard is planted with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.



This wine was imported by Granqvist Agentur.



Colour : Blackcurrant

Aroma : Cedar, blueberry, herbs, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, oak

Taste : Cedar, blueberry, herbs, blackberry, cocoa powder finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 252 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90711

Mark : B

Website : Cos d'Estournel

Saturday 20 April 2013

TN : The Mentors Orchestra 2009, KWV, Western Cape, South Africa



This wine is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, and 12% Malbec. The vineyards were located in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Overberg. The wine matured for16 months in new French oak barrels. 13 400 bottles were bottled under screwcap in November 2010.

The pH of this wine is 3.49, the residual sugar is 2.02 grammes per litre,  the total acidity is 5.8 grammes per litre, balling at harvest, April 2009, was between 24-26, and the yield was 5 to 8 tons per hectare.



The wine has won following awards:
  • 2012 Veritas Wine Awards - Silver Medal
  • Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Bronze
  • Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2011 - Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Blend
  • International Wine Challenge 2011 - Silver Medal
  • Michelangelo CCL International Wine Awards 2010: Silver Medal


This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel. 

Colour : Dark purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plums, spice, blueberry, pepper, tobacco

Taste : Spice, cedar, blackcurrant, blueberry, spice, plums, tobacco, liqourice, mint

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : B

Website : KWV

Tuesday 16 April 2013

TN : Chateau Moulin de Duhart 2008, Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), Pauillac, Bordeaux, France




The origin of the name "Moulin de Duhart" comes from the former presence of a windmill on the Carruades, next to the Duhart-Milon vineyard. The Rothschild family acquired Château Duhart-Milon, a "Quatrièmes Cru" in the 1855 classification, from the Castejas of Pauillac in 1962. The property was named after the Sieur of Duhart, gun-runner to Louis XIV, who originally owned the property, and from the name of the little hamlet of Milon which separates the Duhart-Milon vineyard from that of Château Lafite. Moulin de Duhart, Château Duhart-Milon’s second wine, is selected from vats of the "Grand Vin". The vineyard covers 50 hectares and is planted with the classical cépages of Médoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (20%) and a small amount of "Petit Verdot".





The growing season came after a severe winter and spring frosts. Flowering  was not very productive, constant humidity favoured disease and the summer was moderately warm. Fortunately, September was fine and so it was possible to wait for the grapes to fully ripen, with late harvests. The harvests took place from the 1st to the 8th of October 2008 for the Merlot and from the 8th to the 15th of October 2008 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Pumping-over and the maceration time were adapted according to each vat, the origin of the plot and the level of maturity of the tannins. Alcoholic fermentation took place in cement and stainless steel vats with temperature control. Maceration lasted 15-20 days, and malolactic fermentation was carried out in cement and stainless steel vats. The wine was then aged for ten months in barrel and ten months in stainless steel vats. This wine is a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 57% Merlot. The harvest yield was 47 hectolitres per hectare. 156,000 bottles were produced. The total acidity is 3.25 grammes per litre.


Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Cedar, toasty oak, raspberry, blackcurrant, plums, fruity, milk chocolate

Taste : Cedar, raspberry, blackcurrant, plums, milk chocolate

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 295 SEK (The Wine Company)

Mark : C

Website : Moulin de Duhart
Website : The Wine Company

TN : Pheasant's Run Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Graham Beck, Coastal Region, Western Cape, South Africa



All of the grapes for this wine were handpicked in the early morning, 8th February 2012, packed with dry ice and then transported to the Franschhoek Cellar to be crushed. The grapes were crushed with 18 hours skin contact. Settling took place over a two day period and fermentation at 10-14 degrees for 29 days. The wine underwent lees contact for five months with the lees been stirred up once a week prior to bottling. The residual sugar is 2.4 grammes per litre, the pH is 3.36, and the total acidity is 6.67 grammes per litre. The winemaker was Erika Obermeyer. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by Prime Wine Sweden AB.



Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Passion fruit, pineapple, gooseberry, aparagus

Taste : Passion fruit, lime, gooseberry, nettles, broad beans

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 159 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 94034

Mark : C

Website : Graham Beck Wines

Monday 15 April 2013

TN : The Mentors Chardonnay 2010, KWV, W.O. Elgin, South Africa



The pH of this wine is 3.12, residual sugar is 2.24 grammes per litre, total acidity is 6.39 grammes per litre, and the balling at harvest was 23.6 °. The yield at harvest, in March 2010, was seven tons per hectare. 6200 bottles of this wine were produced and bottled under screwcap.



The wine is a blend of 2 vineyards from the Elgin region and both components were fermented in barrel. One component was fermented with an indigenous yeast strain to enhance the texture and mouth feel of the wine and the other was inoculated with commercial yeast to ensure maximum cultivar derived fruit flavours and freshness. Only 30% of the wine was allowed to undergo partial malolactic fermentation to add complexity in the final blend. Post fermentation, the wine was left on extended lees contact for 80 days and stirred regularly during this period. Thereafter the wine was racked and placed back into barrel for maturation until November 2010.



This wine has won several awards :
  • Silver - Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2012
  • Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Chardonnay 2010
    Gold Medal - Concours Mondial 2011 - Chardonnay 2011
 


This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Lemon, flowers, butterscotch, lime, oak

Taste : Lemon. lime, oranges, minerals, oak, nuts

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : C

Website : KWV

Sunday 14 April 2013

TN : The Mentors Shiraz 2009, KWV, Rainbow's End, Helshoogte, South Africa



All of the  grapes were harvested in March 2009. The yield at harvest was 4.5tonnes per hectare. The balling at harvest was 25.8 degrees. The grapes were harvested optimally ripe and were hand sorted in the cellar to ensure that only the best fruit was used for fermentation. The wine fermented naturally and alcoholic fermentation lasted approximately six days. During this time it was pumped over every four hours. The wine was pressed off skin before alcoholic fermentation was completed to prevent the extraction of hard and drying tannins. Malolactic fermentation lasted three weeks in the barrel whereafter the wine was racked and put back in the barrel for maturation. The wine was racked twice during its 18 months in barrels.



The wine was matured for 18 months in a combination of 85% French oak barrels and 15% American oak barrels; 70% of these barrels were new oak. A total of 2,130 bottles were produced. The wine was bottles in December 2009.



This wine has won several medals :

  • Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2012 - Bronze
  • Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Commented
  • International Wine Challenge 2011 - Silver Medal
  • Concours Mondial 2011 - Gold Medal
  • Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2010 - Gold Medal

This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Spice, milk chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, white pepper, burnt toast

Taste : Burnt toast, oak, liqourice, raspberry, blueberry, spice, coffee, black pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : B

Website : KWV

Sunday 7 April 2013

TN : Chateau Cantin 2009, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France



This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The residual sugar is 1.5 grammes per litre and the total acidity is 5.2 grammes per litre. Château Cantin takes its name from the Latin Cantio meaning singing, song.





Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Cedar, oak, plums, blackcurrant, sweetness

Taste : All texture and structure and lacking fruit, cedar, plums, oak, blackcurrant, smells better than it tastes

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 209 SEK (Tallink Shops)

Mark : C-

TN : The Mentors Canvas 2008, KWV, Western Cape, South Africa





This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine is a blend of 40% Shiraz, 24% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre, 14% Petit Verdot, 2% Cinsault, and 1% Tempranillo. The pH 3.45, residual sugar is 2.61 grammes per litre, and the total acidity is 5.94 grammes per litre. The wine spent 18 months in 50% new French oak barrels (a combination of 300 litre and 500 litre barrels). 6,260 bottles were bottled in December 2009.




This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.



Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Spice, burnt rubber, vanilla, liqourice, raspberry, blackcurrant

Taste : Burnt rubber, oak, spice, vanilla, liqourice, raspberry, blackcurrant

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : C

Website : KWV

Friday 5 April 2013

TN : Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon 2010, Waipara Valley, New Zealand



The Sauvignon Blanc was picked during April 2010.  Different parcels were harvested at separate times during the month to achieve a spectrum of ripe aromas and flavours.  The Semillon was left on the vines until the end of May 2010 to ensure optimum physiological ripeness.  These two varieties were fermented separately by their natural indigenous yeasts.  The Semillon portion was in old French oak barrels to help the wines texture without adding oak flavour.  Both varieties were then aged on their deposit of yeast lees (sur lie) for six months to fill out the palate, the semillon still being in barrels. This wine was finally sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Lemon, blackcurrant, leafy, orange, floor polish, peas

Taste : Lemon, peach, minerals, blackcurrant, leafy, long finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 149 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 97039

Website : Pegasus Bay