The winemaker was Andres Ilabaca. The grapes were harvested during the last two weeks of March. Partially crushed, the grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks at 28 degrees with a soft extraction. After brief post fermentation maceration, the wine was immediately transferred to barrels so as to ensure proper structuring and color setting. It also spent 9 months in second use French barrels.
A winery anaysis showed that the pH was 3.7, acidity was 4.8, alcohol was 14.9, and residual sugar was 3.0.
Colour : Pink hues, cherry
Aroma : Stewed fruits, oak, mint
Taste : Stewed red and dark fruits, earthy, oak, mint
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 89 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Santa Rita
Tuesday 29 July 2008
TN : Santa Rita Reserva Pinot Noir 2006, Estate Grown, Valle de Leyda, Chile
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:20 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Bordeaux 17th-24th July 2008
I visited Bordeaux again this year, for the third year in a row, and managed to get visits to both Chateaux Kirwan and Giscours. These chateaux visits will be reported separately. I noticed a few wine-related things whilst travelling around :
Bernard Magrez is everywhere. Driving from Blanquefort, and following the D2, there are three massive Bernard Magrez signs. The first is for Chateau La Tour Carnet, the second is for Chateau Les Grands Chenes, and the third (standing in somebody's garden !) is for Chateau Fombrauge which is in Saint Emilion on the other side of Bordeaux !. I was staying near the Meriadeck centre which contains a very large and very good Auchan. Walking along the aisles for the wine, I came upon a large wooden Bernard Magrez wine display which was filled with some other wine though. Half of Auchan's fine wine selection seemed to come from Bernard Magrez as well.
I spotted Pierre Lurton, in conversation with somebody I didn't recognise, outside the Hotel de Ville in Saint Emilion.
The 705 bus which winds its way out to Pauillac now goes from Ravezies instead of Quinconces.
At the Mollat store in the centre of town, they stilled had a few free copies of their wine book catalogue that was produced for Vinexpo 2007.
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:03 0 comments
TN : Les Charmes de Kirwan 2002, Appellation Margaux Controlee, Cantenac, Bordeaux, France
This wine is the second wine of Chateau Kirwan and is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a highly unusual, for the second wine, large Cabernet Sauvignon content.
Colour : Plum, red
Aroma : Cedar, oak, plummy red fruit
Taste : Very fruity, blackcurrant, plums, red fruits, cedar, slight pencil lead and tannins on finish, spice, very drinkable now but could be kept for a few more years to mellow out
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 22 Euro (purchased at Chateau Kirwan 22nd July 2008)
Mark : B
Website : Chateau Kirwan
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:55 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday 28 July 2008
Vinkällaren Grappe August 2008 Newsletter
Vinkällaren Grappe have just published their August 2008 newsletter. It can be downloaded from their website.
Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev Augusti 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 12:20 0 comments
VinUnic Newsletter August 2008
VinUnic have just published their August newsletter, Våra Viner. It can be downloaded from their website.
Website : Våra Viner Augusti 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 12:18 0 comments
Wednesday 9 July 2008
TN : Veneroso 2004, Tenuta di Ghizzano, Tuscany, Italy
360 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.
This wine is a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tenuta di Ghizzano's website is hopelessly out of date to render it almost useless.
Colour : Purple/red
Aroma : Chocolate, sour cherries, bitterness, blackcurrant hints, savoury hints
Taste : Sour and bitter cherries, coffee, blackberry, spice, cocoa, herbs on finish
Alcohol : 14% on label (13.5% stated in Systembolaget Varunytt June 2008)
Price : 200 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Tenuta di Ghizzano
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:05 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday 8 July 2008
Systembolaget New Wines August 2008
The new wines available in August 2008 from the Systembolaget are now published on the Systembolaget website.
Website : Systembolaget Varunytt Augusti 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 11:53 0 comments
TN : Claude Val Rouge Vendages 2007, Vin de Pays D'Oc, Languedoc, France
This wine is imported by Bornicon & Salming. It is a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, and Merlot. The grapes were grown in the Herlaut Hills in Languedoc. The producer is Les Domaines Paul Mas.
Colour : Red, purple
Aroma : Herbs, dark fruits, spice
Taste : Hint of blackcurrant, plums, herbs, spice, white pepper on finish, liqcourice
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 55 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Bornicon & Salming
Website : Les Domaines Paul Mas
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:47 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Massaya Classic 2006, Vin Rouge, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
This wine was sealed with a screwcap. It was imported by Vinalliansen Sweden.
This wine is a blend of 60% Cinsault, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Syrah.
This wine was too hot and raisiny, probably due to overripe grapes.
Colour : Red
Aroma : Herbs, dried curranst and raisins, white pepper
Taste : Heat upfront and on finish, dried mixed fruits, pepper on finish, liqcourice
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 80 SEK
Mark : C-
Website : Massaya & Co
Website : Vinalliansen
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:39 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday 30 June 2008
TN : Chateau Senejac 2000, Haut-Medoc, France
Colour : Dark maroon
Aroma : Blackcurrant, leather, oak, cedar, dried mixed fruit
Taste : Oak, cedar, blackcurrant, leather, liqourice
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 219 SEK
Mark : C+
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:45 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Chateau Coucheroy 2007, White, Pessac-Leognan, Andre Lurton, France
The name of the chateau derives from the phrase in Gascon dialect meaning "the king slept here".
This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and was vinified partly in stainless steel and partly in barrique. The vineyard soil is gravel and clay subsoil. The vines are planted on 3309C - Riparia gloire - 101.14 rootstock. The vines are pruned double guyot.
Colour : Pale yellow
Aroma : Blackcurrant leaf, lemon, mineral
Taste : Creamy lemon, blackcurrant leaf, mineral finish
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 104 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Andre Lurton
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:57 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday 27 June 2008
TN : G 2003, Las Robles Estate, Emiliana Organica, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Ge comes from the Greek word meaning earth. This wine was made from biodynamically grown grapes. All the grapes were handharvested. Alvaro Espinoza was the winemaker. This bottle was number 5874 out of a limited edition of 6000 bottles. It is a blend of 55% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 15% Carmenere.
This wine was awarded 92 points by Wine Spectator in their May 15 2008 issue.
This wine was imported by Premium Wines Sweden AB.
Colour : Dark deep purple
Aroma : Savoury, blackcurrants, pepper, spice
Taste : Concentrated, savoury, dark berries, blackcurrants, cherries, plums, spoilt by the hard tannins and oak on finish, long liqourice finish (like chewing a black liqourice allsort !). Fruit was a bit muted at first but opened up nicely after 15 minutes in the glass which suggests a couple of years cellaring wouldn't go amiss.
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 369 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Emiliana
Website : Premium Wines Sweden AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:44 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Wednesday 25 June 2008
TN : Enamore 2006, Allegrini & Bodegas Y Vinedos ReNacer, Mendoza, Argentina
This is a red wine made from naturally dried grapes using the appassimento technique. It is a joint venture between the renowned amarone producer Italien Allegrini and ReNacer.
The wine is a blend of 50% Malbec, 25% Syrah, 22% Bonarda, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged in French oak barriques for 12 months. The grapes were from Perdriel, 900 metres with medium soils, Medrano, 800 metres with rich soils, and Rivadavia, 600 metres with poor soils. The vineyards are more than 50 years old and yield less than 5 tonnes per hectare. The grapes were handharvested into 17 kg plastic boxes. The grapes were dried by exposing them to the dry winds of the Andean foothills until they lost about a third of their weight. The must was macerated for ten days and 8 degrees and native yeasts were used for fermentation for 90 days in stainless steel tanks which were kept between 27 and 29 degrees.
The winemakers were Alberto Antonini and Hector Durigutti.
The wine was imported into Sweden by The Wineagency AB and 360 bottles were imported.
Colour : Dark purple
Aroma : Savoury, licquorice, dark berries, plums, violets
Taste : Concentrated, oak, licqourice, violets, dark berries, cherries, herbs, slightly porty on finish, threw a lot of sediment material which could be because the wine may be bottle unfiltered and unfined but this is not specified, the wine was in perfect condition however, slightly porty on finish due to high alcohol
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 195 SEK
Mark : B+
Website : Bodegas Y Vinedos ReNacer
Website : The Wineagency AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:43 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday 24 June 2008
TN : Lulu B Viognier 2007, Vin de Pays D'Oc, Louis Bernard, France
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Lemon
Aroma : Orange, marmelade, apricot, peach, minerals
Taste : Oranges, mandarines, lemon, mineral and bitter finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 70 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Lulu B Wine
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:03 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Anakena Riesling 2007, Curico Valley, Chile
On the label it is stated that this "Roots of the Andes" and "Single Vineyard"; I am not sure how this affects the quality of the wine :-). In addition, on the back label there is a small picture of a wooden tablet which is supposed to be a Sunfish motif from the Atacana culture of Northern Chile.
This wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB. 6000 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.
Colour : Pale straw
Aroma : Petrol, mineral, lemon, lime
Taste : Dry, mineral, lemon, lim, petrol on finish
Alcohol : 12.5% (on bottle label, 13% stated in Systembolaget Varunytt June 2008)
Price : 79 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Anakena Wines
Website : Granqvist Vinagentur AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:52 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Thursday 19 June 2008
Vinkällaren Grappe have published their newsletter for July 2008. There are no new wines launched at the Systembolaget in July 2008 so it basically outlines some future wine courses they will be holding.
Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev Juli 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:18 0 comments
Wednesday 18 June 2008
TN : Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Estate Wine, Stellenbosch, South Africa
This wine was imported into Sweden by The Wineagency. Only 360 bottles were imported.
This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaker was Coenie Snyman. A chemical analysis of the wine showed that the alcohol was 14.11 %, acidity was 6.1 grammes per litre, pH was 3.63, and the residual sugar was 3.8 grammes per litre.
The must was fermented in open top vats, pressed, and then left to mature in 300 litre French barrels for 18 months. There are 6 different Cabernet Sauvignon clones that kept separate throughout the fermentation and then after 18 months the different clones are blended together and left to mature for at least 18 months before release.
Colour : Dark blackcurrant
Aroma : Blackcurrant, smoke, oak, tobacco
Taste : Blackcurrant, herbs, overwhelming and spoiling burnt rubber and smoke on finish - has this wine been affected by Brett ???, burnt toast, oak, very drying tannins on finish along with some heat
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 179 SEK
Mark : C-
Website : Rust En Vrede
Website : The Wineagency AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:57 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Noble House Riesling Spaetlese 2007, Dr Pauly-Bergweiler, Mosel, Germany
Noble House is a wine named in honour of Prince Elect (Kurfuerst), who ruled Germany for nearly 700 years from 1150 to 1805. The Prince Elector put up the Noble House building in 1743 and his winery was located inside it. The Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler family bought the house about 100 years ago.
This grapes for this wine were located within the region of Bernkastel.
This wine was imported by Primewine Sweden AB.
Colour : Straw
Aroma : Pear, melon, minerals, white grapes
Taste : Honey, oranges, off dry, too sweet as lacking acidity, melon, peach, white grapes, eldeberry
Alcohol : 9% (on label though 10% quoted in Systembolaget Varunytt Juni 2008)
Price : 90 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Dr Pauly Bergweiler
Website : Primewine Sweden AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:47 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday 17 June 2008
Systembolaget New Wines Middle of June 2008
On June 16th 2008, the Systembolaget will be releasing their usual mid month set of new wines. The list can be downloaded from their website.
Website : Systembolaget Nyheter den 16 Juni
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:13 1 comments
TN : Scalabrone 2007 Rosato, Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Marchesi Antinori, Bolgheri DOC, Italy
The grape blend for this rose was 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 30% Syrah and other black varieties. The grapes from the Scalabrone vineyard were destemmed and soft-crushed as soon as they were harvested. Maceration took place at a controlled temperature (less than ten degrees) for 12-14 hours according to the variety. The must was then racked and fermented. The ferment was kept at below 18 degrees and the result was stored in stainless steel.
Colour : Neon red
Aroma : Cherry, raspberry, herbs
Taste : Raspberry, cherry, blackurrant, crisp, clean
Alcohol : 12%
Price : 139 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Marchesi Antinori
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:01 4 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee 2004, Estate Grown, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, USA
This wine is a proprietry blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.
Hess vineyards was established in 1978.
600 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.
Colour : Dark red
Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, cocoa, herbs, red berries
Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, herbs, mint, olive, green pepper
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 229 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : The Hess Collection
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:52 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Divinus Red 2000, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, Chateau Bonnet, France
On the label it states "Ce grand vin, bel enfant de ma vigne a Bonnet, honore dignement ces lieux ou je suis ne, dans cet Entre-Deux-Mers, berceau de mes ancetre Andre Lurton".
This wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard area was four hectares. Soil is shallow with clay and asteriated limestone and southern exposure. The planting density is 5000 vines per hectare. The average age of the vines was 18 years. Vine pruning was double guyot with debudding. All the grapes were hand-harvested. Fermentation lasted approximately three weeks and the wine went through malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak barrels. The wine was fined with egg whites.
600 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.
Colour : Red/cassis
Aroma : Blackcurrant, leather, cocoa powder, cedar, oak
Taste : Cold tea, cocoa, cedar, leather, blackcurrant, oak, talcum powder like tannins on finish
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 219 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Andrew Lurton
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:42 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday 13 June 2008
TN : Charisma Pinot Gris 2005, Pierre Sparr, Alsace, France
SenSuous Alsace and unoaked is what is stated on the back label of this wine.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Gold/yellow
Aroma : Apricot, peach, nutty
Taste : White grapes, apricot, honey, overwhelming nutty flavour, grapefruit, full
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 109 SEK
Mark : C-
Website : Pierre Sparr
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:47 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Thursday 12 June 2008
TN : Kerpen Riesling 2007, Mosel, Weingut Heribert Kerpen, Germany
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Pale lemon
Aroma : White grapes, elberyberry, melon, pineapple
Taste : White grapes, elderberry, pineapple, melon, off-dry
Alcohol : 9.5%
Price : 79 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Weingut Heribert Kerpen
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:49 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Wednesday 11 June 2008
TN : Cambas Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Vin de Pays de Peloponnesos, Cambas Winery, Greece
The Cambas Winery has been in existence since 1882.
Colour : Purple red
Aroma : Spice, cold tea, blackcurrant, earthy, vanilla
Taste : Spice, cherry, vanilla, oak, liqcourice, smoke, dark berries, a bit thin
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 74 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Boutari
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 06:55 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday 10 June 2008
Wine and Montreal
Last week, I was in Montreal for three days. Not much time but I looked at some wine stores. Similarly to Sweden, Quebec wine is run by a monopoly, the SAQ. I went to the normal Classique stores but was not impressed, a poor selection. I also looked at the flagship store, the Selection in Sainte Catherine Street. This shop was on two floors. The first of which was devoted to spirits so I avoided it as soon as possible. The basement contained a nice selection of Bordeaux and some Burgundies but not too much of anything else. It opened up to a Classique store which had some local Quebec wines. The duty-free shop at the aiport has no connection to SAQ and was selling some nice Inniskillin Ice Wines but I had to change planes in Europe so could not bring any back to Sweden.
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:25 0 comments
TN : Le Rose de Phelan Segur 2007, Chateau Phelan Segur, Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, France
Colour : Pale strawberry
Aroma : Strawberries and cream, vanilla, herbs
Taste : Strawberry, spice, creamy, vanilla, herbs, blackcurrant lead
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 129 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Chateau Phelan Segur
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:10 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday 9 June 2008
TN : Montes Cherub, Rose of Syrah, 2007, Colchagua Valley, Chile
This wine had a sticker proclaiming that it had won a double gold medal for Best Rose of Show 2007 at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.
The label displays a Cherub, or young angel, called Alfredo, in honour of Alfredo Vidaurre. The label was created by Ralph Steadman.
The wine is 100% Syrah from the Archangel Estate in Marchigue in the Colchagua Valley.
Colour : Pale Red
Aroma : Raspeberries, cherries, jellied fruits, herbs
Taste : Clean, fruity, raspberry sweets, blackcurrant hints, herbs
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 99 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Montes Wines
Website : Hjo Grosshandel AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:35 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday 2 June 2008
TN : YBS, Years's Barrel Selection, 2006, Erall Bravo, Mendoza, Argentina
This wine is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine was imported by Carovin AB.
Colour : Deep purple
Aroma : Savoury notes, oak, dark fruits, fruits of the forest
Taste : Concentrated, mouth-coating, dark fruits, blackcurrant, bramble jelly, toasty oak, heat, savoury finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 248 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Eral Bravo
Website : Carovin AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:28 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday 30 May 2008
TN : Chinon 2005, Domaine de la Colline, Loire Valley, France
This wine was imported by Primeur Vin AB. Though I couldn't find any information about this wine on their, frankly, exceedingly poor website.
Colour : Plum
Aroma : Dark and red fruits, herbs
Taste : Red fruits, dark fruits, plum, tangy, tannins on finish, herbs, earthy
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 88 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Primeur Vin AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:06 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Devon Vineyard Trail
Available from English Wine Producers is the Devon Vineyard Trail. This consists of a map with each of the nine vineyards shown on it. For each vineyard there is the postal address, email, website, facilities, opening hours, and tour and tasting details.
Website : English Wine Producers
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:01 0 comments
Thursday 29 May 2008
VinUnic Newsletter June 2008
VinUnic have just published their latest newsletter for June 2008. It can be downloaded from their website. Included in next month's releases are wines from Gaja and some very affordable Bordeaux.
Website : VinUnic Våra Viner Juni 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 12:22 0 comments
Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter June 2008
Vinkällaren Grappe have just released their newsletter for June 2008. It can be downloaded from their website.
Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev Juni 2008
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:04 0 comments
Tuesday 27 May 2008
TN : Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Grant Burge, Australia
Grant Burge's great grandfather, Meshach Burge, was named after the biblical Meshach, one of the men who refused to bow to a gold image of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar (after which the largest wine bottle is named, 15 litre capacity). The other two men were Shadrach and Abednego. All three were cast into a fiery furnace for their sins but with the help of angels they survived. This convinced Nebuchadnezzar to give them positions of power and to worship their god.
The grapes for this wine came from individual parcels from Coonawarra, the Adelaide Hills, and the Barossa.
This wine was imported by Fondberg & Co.
This wine received 91 points from Wine Advocate in November 2007. However, it was tasted by Jay Miller and NOT Robert Parker.
Colour : Purple, brown hues
Aroma : Mint, blackcurrant, oak, vanilla, slight vinegar
Taste : Vinegar on finish, blackcurrant, mint, talcum power like drying tannins on finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 219 SEK
Mark : D-
Website : Grant Burge Wines
Website : Fondberg & Co
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 07:02 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note