TN : The Joshua Shiraz-Viognier 2006, Graham Beck, W.O. Coastal Region, South Africa

This wine is a blend of 90% Shiraz and 10% Viognier. The grapes were co-fermented and then the resulting wine was barrel matured for 15 months in new fill oak.



The Graham Beck Wines website contains no information relating to the 2006 vintage.

Colour : Dark purple

Aroma : Oak, blackberry, herbs, milk chocolate, liquorice

Taste : Herbs, milk chocolate, burnt rubber, blackberry, liquorice on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Graham Beck Wines

TN : Virgin Hills 2002, Virgin Hills Vineyard, Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

In 1968, a 300 acre section of high altitude forest was carved out of the Macedon ranges in Victoria and planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec, and Merlot. The vineyard was created by Hungarian-born sculptor Tom Lazar. Virgin Hills is owned today by Michael Hope, an ex-pharmacist.

The grapes were grown and made with minimal chemical intervention. The wine is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz, 8% Merlot, and 5% Malbec. The wine was aged in 100% French oak of which 50% was new. The pH of the finished wine was 3.55 and the total acidity was 7.6 grammes per litre.



The wine was imported by Winepartners AB.

Colour : Purple/red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry liquor, currants, sultanas

Taste : Blackcurrant, cherries, currants, spice, fruity, christmas pudding, oxidation on finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 198 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Virgin Hills
Website : Winepartners

TN : Riesling 2007 Von den Terrassen, Qualitaetswein Trocken, Winzer Krems, Austria

All the grapes were hand picked. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

The wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB.



Colour : Very pale yellow

Aroma : Mandarin oranges, pineapples, pears

Taste : Green apples, pears, honey, crisp, dry, pineapples, minerals on finish

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Winzer Krems
Website : Granqvist Vinagentur AB

TN : Agiorgitiko (St George) 2005, Driopi Winery, Nemea, Greece

This new estate is run by Tselepos in the Koutsi district of Nemea; though there is no mention of this on their website - the only clue is a reference on the back label of the bottle. The winery is a partnership between the two wine-producers Yiannis Tselepos and Alexandros Avatangelos. There are five hectares of vineyard planted at an altitude of 350 metres above sea-level. The soil is mainly clay. The vineyard consultant is George Germanis, the winery advisor is Thanassis Fakorelis, and the oenologist is Yiannis Sivris.

Colour : Blackberry/red

Aroma : Blackberry, dark fruits, herbs

Taste : Blackberry, dark fruits, herbs, violets, raspberry

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Domaine Tselepos

Systembolaget New Wines March 16th 2009

Systembolaget have released their list of new wines to be available on March 16th. These can be viewed on the Systembolaget website. Of interest are three older wines from South Africa's Boekenhoutskloof.

Website : Systembolaget Nyheter den 16 mars

TN : Pinot Noir 2006, Dankbarkeit, Weingut Josef Leutsch, Burgenland, Austria

This wine was imported by Vinhus Örjan and Feuer.

The wine is sealed by a screwcap.



Colour : Pale red

Aroma : Spicy, lots of stewed strawberry and raspberry, vanilla, herbs

Taste : Thin stewed red fruits, spice, vanilla, herbs, nice acidic finish, fruit overwhelmed by oak

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 145 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Vinhus Örjan and Feuer

Tourism and Bordeaux Wineries

I saw a posting on the Bordeaux Wine News blog yesterday talking about tourism being an under-developed asset and it made me think of my experiences when visiting chateaux in the Bordeaux area.

Typically when visiting chateaux, I want to taste the wine. Sometimes, I end up drinking (like the 2001 Chateau Lynch-Bages I had when visiting the chateau - gorgeous wine and a very generous pour !). On a warm day, which it usually is during summer in Bordeaux, the alcohol has an effect. These days, the police are out on the roads stopping would-be tourists and testing them for alcohol. This stops me from hiring a car and driving to the chateaux.

What are my options then ? I can take a ridiculously over-priced tour arranged by the tourist office, or one of the local companies, or attempt to travel by public transport. I have always opted for public transport for the last three summers I have been to Bordeaux. However, the bus service is not what it should be - infrequent services, meaning waits of over an hour, and badly located bus stops (Ravezies, middle of nowhere, for the 705 Pauillac bus).

Isn't it about time that Citram, the Acquitaine bus company, etc did something to help wine tourism in Bordeaux ?

Website : Tourism : The Under-Developed Asset of the Wine World

Tasting Grapes or Lab Analysis - When to pick grapes ?

Richard Smart recently did an interview for the UK Wine Show where he casted doubt on the method of going out into the vineyard and tasting grapes as a method of when grapes are ripe and that the concept of "hang time" was a result of bad viticulture.

I asked a variety of winemakers what their opinion was :

Marie Eleni Papadakis, Winemaker at Domaine Serene, states that in theory that she agrees with Richard Smart. This is always the problem for the growers: they want objective data whereby to base their harvest maturities and quality. Unfortunately such measurements just do not exist and any winemaker worth their salt will use the best instrument they have available to them -- their palate. It is true that most grapes taste nothing like the finished wine (the muscat family being the primary exception) and she does rely on Brix, pH, and TA to help triangulate and balance any skewed perceptions but she makes every effort to taste first (she always sorts and classifies her juice/berry samples blind) and then looks to the numbers. Some winemakers also use phenolic data. As she is primarily focused on Pinot Noir and not looking for massive alcohols or other wild extraction, her method as described is quite suitable. her opinion is that our palates really can be trained and have historically helped us know what is ripe, healthy, and generally desirable. That said, she supposes if she wasn't concerned with deterioration or vector activity, she could just stand back and wait for the birds to tell her when the grapes were ready.
Martin Bacquart, Sales Manager and Winemaker for Bacquaert Interdrinks and Entre-Deux-Monts, says that the best thing to do is both lab analysis and tasting grapes. Tasting grapes is surely not rubbish. For example for a Sauvignon blanc you have exotic Sauvignon Blancs and you have more greenish Sauvignon Blancs. You can taste that in grapes! If you compare the taste of grape, you'll taste the evolution of greenish to exotic!

Kristin Belair, Winemaker, Honig Vineyard and Winery, says that in a way Richard Smart is correct that the grapes don't taste like wine at all. There are some flavor compounds in grapes that one can taste when tasting the grapes that will end up as a flavor in the wine, for example some of the herbal characters are that way. However, many flavor compounds are attached to sugar molecules, making them undetectable by taste until the yeast break the sugar and flavor compounds apart and make the flavor compounds detectable through tasting. She thinks that this is what Richard Smart is referring to. There are chemistry, flavor and texture changes in the grapes as they are ripening that over time we can link to certain wine styles and characteristics. This can be tied to a sugar range in some instances. So, even though the grape flavours may be different than the finished wine, winemakers can, over time, (they taste things sooooo much) link certain flavor and texture characteristics to flavours and textures in the finished wine. That said, at Honig, they use both criteria...lab analysis ( mostly Brix, sometimes acid and pH) in conjunction with how the grapes are tasting to decide when to pick. Every growing season has its own personality, so they are always building what what they have figured out so far and adjusting for the current season.

John Harding, Assistant Winemaker at Bleasdale Vineyards, uses a combination of lab analysis of a representative sample from the vineyard and tasting the grapes. He not so much looking for flavours but waiting until the tannins in the skins and preferably the seeds are ripe; hopefully when this happens, the flavours he wants in the grapes will be there. He looks at the pH, TA and sugar levels. John's analysis of Richard Smart's comments are that he is trying to say is that longer hang time doesn't mean better flavours or better wine. If the vine is in balance, then sugar/acid and flavour should coincide. In Australia, this often happens at higher sugar levels.

David Ramey, owner Ramey Wine Cellars states that wine tastes like the grapes do when they were picked. Imagine apricot wine: you know what an unripe apricot tastes like, a perfectly ripe one, and an over-ripe one. If you were to make apricot wine out of each of those, the wines would bear a remarkable resemblance to the state and flavor of the grapes they were made from. Same with any fruit, including grapes. Red grapes have the added issue of waiting for the tannins in the skin and seeds to polymerize so that they are “mature, supple tannins.” Sugar and acid are poor indicators of maturity for red grapes.

Hernan Ovalle, Owner & Winemaker of Chinigue Winery in Chile, says that they have different ways, first brix grade at 20°C , baumé density at 15° C, PH, tasting skin, and grapes and finally % of dry seeds, and of course have a clear idea about the climate, forecast for the next days, also weighty grains to determine if they are having deshidratation.

Gérald Majou de La Débutrie owner Chateau Milon winery states that it depends on what kind of wine you want to make (rosé, white, red, fruity, full bodied..) but for a full bodied red wine he first tastes the grape (pelicule, flesh, pepin), when flesh and pelicule tasting is ok he makes a lab analysis then waits for the pepin to be ok (if the weather condition permit it), when the pepin tasting is ok he confirms it with a new lab analysis to validate everything. It’s like a dichotomic process. Both tasting and analysis are significant (to his mind).

Ilja Gort owner Chateau de la Garde states that grapes are needed to make wine and that tasting a grape, a winemaker can clearly determine the sugardegree and other essential info. They also use a refractometer and take samples for laboratory analysis, but tasting the grapes, that's where it all begins.

Jean-Michel Cazes, owner of Chateau Lynch Bages, believes in both figures and tasting grapes. At Chateau Lynch Bages they tend to rely more on lab analysis since it is more accurate and believe that tasting is very limited and always rather subjective. They test test sugar, acidity (pH), maturity and extractibillity of anthocyanes and tannins. They also test seed tannins and a few other parameters like weight of berries, juice/solid ratio, nitrogen, polyphenol index, etc. Regarding the notion that the concept of "hang time" arising as a result of bad viticultural practise then Jean-Michel's view is that "hang time" is simply a technique that can be employed to obtain grapes with high concentration through dessication that will eventually produce body-builded wines, high in color, tannins, and alcohol. It also lowers the yield by loss of water. Some critics love that style of wine... It’s only possible when climate is dry, like most years in California, but difficult in Bordeaux. It can be a disaster if weather is humid and rot develops… Then you get “red sauternes” … at best !

Vanya Cullen, Managing Director of Cullen Wines in Australia, says that she harvests on taste and then checks the figures.

Peter Word, Owner of Ampelos Cellars, made an interesting observation that the vines will tell you approximately when the grapes are ready to harvest. If the canopy consists of green leaves then photosynthesis is probably still happening and one should wait to pick; if all the leaves are yellow/brown then it is too late as everything has shut down. When the canopy consists of a mix of green and yellow leaves then it is time to start thinking about picking. Also check the seeds, when they start to taste hazelnutty then think about picking.

Website : UK Wine Show 115 Richard Smart on viticultural practice and myths

TN : Granit de la Vallee Pinot Noir 2007, Terroirs d'Alsace, Cave de Turckheim, Alsace, France

The grapes are planted on slopes of exposed granit at the entrance of the Munster Valley around the villages of Zimmerbach, Walbach, and Wihr-au-Val.



Colour : Pale red

Aroma : Stewed strawberry, spice, not giving much

Taste : Strawberry, weedy, thin, spice, stewed red berries

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Cave de Turckheim

TN : Arrogant Frog Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Organic Ribet Red 2006, Languedoc, France

This wine was made from ecologically grown grapes and has been certified by Ecocert Sas. It was sealed with a screwcap. The creator was Jean Claude Mas. On the back label it states that it has been bottled by "The Humble Winemaker".



Colour : Red/plum

Aroma : Plums, blackcurrants, earthy

Taste : Fruity, blackcurrant, plums, earth, tastes like an everyday drinking Bordeaux should taste like but usually doesn't

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Arrogant Frog

Systembolaget New Wines April 2009

The new wines for April 2009 can now be found in the latest newsletter from Systembolaget state monopoly. The newsletter, in PDF format, may now be downloaded from the Systembolaget monopoly's website.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt April 2009

TN : Cipresseto Rosata 2008, Marchesi Antinori, IGT, Santa Cristina, Cortona, Tuscany, Italy

This rose is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo and other varieties. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, and pressed. The must was then cooled to 10 degrees, to aid clarification, and transferred to stainless steel vats. Alcohol fermentation took place at a temperature no greater than 15 degrees. The wine was then racked into stainless steel vats and stored briefly at 10 degrees for aroma preservation.




Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Limes, strawberries

Taste : Strong taste of limes, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, crisp, dry, cream

Alcohol : 11%

Price : 69 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Antinori

VinUnic Newsletter March 2009

VinUnic have just published their newsletter for March 2009. It can be downloaded from their website (PDF format). There are new wines from Catena, Allegrini, Dönnhoff, Sweden's own Kullabygdens Vingård, and Shafer.

Website : VinUnic Våra Viner Nyhetsbrev mars 2009

TN : Chakana Bonarda 2007, Andean Wine, Lujon de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 90% Bonarda and 10% Shiraz.

Colour : Black/purple

Aroma : Blueberry, violets

Taste : Blueberry, violets, blackberry, savoury notes

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 69 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Bodegas Chakana
Website : Primewine Sweden AB

TN : Cullen Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2007, Cullen Vineyard, Margaret River, Australia

This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. It underwent natural fermentation using indigenous yeast. 50% of the wine spent 3 months in French oak barrels of which two thirds were new. The wine was bottled under screwcap. The harvest in 2007 was the earliest on record at Cullen.



This wine was imported by Giertz Vinimport AB.

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Lemon, leafy, slight mandarin, gooseberry, slight oak

Taste : Creamy, oak on finish, big lemony acidic mouthwatering fruit, long finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 169 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Cullen Wines
Website : Giertz Vinimport AB

TN : Swanson Merlot 2003, Oakville, Napa Valley, California , USA

The wine was primarily aged in American oak barrels which were made from wood seasoned for 3-5 years on the Swanson Estate. The proprietors of Swanson are Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson.

Colour : Deep plum/red

Aroma : Plums, herbs, vanilla, oak

Taste : Heat upfront and fruit, herbs, plummy red fruit, on the finish oak, heat, searing drying tannins

Alcohol : 14.8%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Swanson Vineyards

Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter March 2009

The latest newsletter, March 2009, from Vinkällaren Grape can now be downloaded from their website (PDF format).

Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev mars 2009

TN : Girt by Sea 2006, Cabernet Merlot, Voyager Estate, Margaret River, Australia

This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Shiraz, 4% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. The grapes were harvested between the 13th and 21st of April 2006. The wine has been aged in French and American oak for 12 months. The vineyard soils are predominantely red gravelly.

Voyager Estate was established in 1978. Michael Wright is the proprietor.

The wine was imported by Giertz Vinimport.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Blackberry, tobacco, blackcurrant, mint, milk chocolate

Taste : Fruity, blackberry, blackcurrants, mint, tobacco, milk chocolate, liquorice and spice on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Voyager Estate
Website : Giertz Vinimport

TN : Conebush Vineyard Syrah 2006, Lomond Wines, Cape Agulhas, South Africa

The vineyards are situated in an area rich in indigenous flora known as fynbos. This wine is named after one of the species.

Fermentation was carried out in steel tanks at an average temperature of 27 degrees for one week. Pumping over was performed every hour. The wine was macerated on the skins for three days once fermentation had completed. The wine then spent one and a half years in new French oak.

Lomond wines was founded by Lomond Properties and Distell in 2004.

Colour : Dark cassis

Aroma : Blackberry, plums, pepper, herbs

Taste : Blackberry, tobacco, fruity, pepper, plums, burnt rubber on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Lomond Wines

TN : Chateau Labadie 2005, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, Cotes de Bourg, Vignobles Joel Dupuy, France

Colour : Black/purple

Aroma : Cedar, herbs, some blackcurrant, oak

Taste : Cedar, powederry tannins, blackcurrant, short finish, minerals

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Chateau Labadie

TN : Chateau Pey La Tour 2005, Reserve du Chateau, Bordeaux Superieur, Vignobles Dourthe, Bordeaux, France

This wine is a blend of 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Dourthe have been the owners of this property since 1990. The winemaking manager is Pierre-Yves Joannon and the estates manager is Guillaume Pouthier.



Colour : Dark plum/purple

Aroma : Plums, cedar, cherry

Taste : Plums, cedar, cherry, oak, savoury spice notes, fruity

Alcohol : 14%

Price : Approx 12 Euros (Bought at Billa, Vienna, Austria in January 2009)

Mark : C+

Website : Vignobles Dourthe

TN : Chateau Fonroque 1998, St Emilion Grand Cru, France

Jean Moueix arrived at Chateau Fonroque in 1931. Jean Moueix, originally from farming stock, had settled in Paris with his wife, and there they had set up a successful chain of shops selling dairy produce. But having seen his brother Antoine purchase Chateau Taillefer in 1923, Jean decided that this was also the life for him. He and his betrothed Adèle purchased Fonroque and then settled at the estate, and the property has remained with their descendents and relatives long after their deaths. First their son, Jean-Antoine, took control, but with his passing in 1979 the running of the estate fell to Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. The vineyards saw the installation of a new drainage system and significant replanting. Vineyard management also changed. In the cellar there was new oak, new equipment and, in fact, in 1993, a new cellar, together with bottling and tasting rooms.

The property came to Alain Moueix in 2001. Alain's father's cousin, Christian Moueix, who now heads up the family firm, is the man behind both Chateau Pétrus in Pomerol and Dominus in California's Napa Valley. Alain also runs Chateau Mazeyres in Pomerol. Alain Moueix trained as an agricultural engineer, and then as an oenologist, before working two vintages in New Zealand. Then came further experience in Bordeaux, but more recently, in 1998, he has also established a 40 hectare vineyard in South Africa. Despite the efforts undertaken under the auspices of Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, there were many missing vines and some replanting was necessary. A rolling program was started, although old vines are protected and cherished; these include some Cabernet Franc vines some of which were planted as long ago as 1936. The soils were deemed to be in generally good condition, nevertheless some organic compost and biodynamic preparations were added. The use of chemicals, be they insecticides, fungicides or herbicides, came under due inspection.

The vineyard is ranked as Grand Cru Classé and accounts for 22 hectares of the St Emilion Grand Cru appellation, although only a little more than 17 hectares are planted. In 2003 the vineyards began a program moving towards organic farming, and by 2005 they were fully converted to biological agriculture, as certified by Agrocert. Full biodynamic certification followed, starting with 6 hectares in 2002, and the whole estate was accredited by 2005, with Biodyvin certification provided by Ecocert. The vineyard soils include three of the four main terroirs of St Emilion, led by limestone on the plateau, with some vines also on the côtes and also at the foot of the slopes, where clay dominates, with more silt and sand at the bottom, as well as the iron-rich crasse de fer. The vines are predominately Merlot, accounting for 88% of the vineyard, the remainder is Cabernet Franc. Today they see leaf thinning and bunch thinning, and there is grass planted between the rows to increase competition for water at the surface. Once picked the fruit is sorted on a vibrating table and then by hand, before fermentation in temperature-controlled cement vats, with a maceration between 15 and 30 days. Most of the wine is then run off into oak, half of which is new; 40% goes into new oak, 40% into one-year oak, and the remaining 20% remains in vat. The grand vin is Chateau Fonroque, of which there are 6500 cases produced per annum. It is fined with egg white but not filtered before bottling. Those aliquots destined for the second wine account for up to 25% oft the harvest, and are bottled as Chateau Cartier.

Colour : Black/purple

Aroma : Herbs, blackcurrants, slight plums, cedar, oak

Taste : Herby finish, smooth powdery tannins, cedar, plums, blackcurrant, oak, fruit fades pretty quickly

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 249 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Chateau Fonroque

TN : Hunter's Riesling 2007, Jane Hunter, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand

The winemaker was Gary Duke. The grapes were harvested between 3rd April and 14th April 2007. The average Brix at harvest was 21.5, residual sugar was 8.4 grammes per litre, and the total acidity was 6.8 grammes per litre. The wine was bottled sealed with a screwcap on the 18th October 2007.



This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Lime, lemon, minerals, kiwi fruit

Taste : Dry, crisp, initially mouth watering until very minerally finish takes this sensation away, kiwi fruit, lemon, mandarin oranges

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Hunter's Wines
Website : Hjo Grosshandel AB

Systembolaget New Wines March 2009

The latest newsletter detailing the wines available from Systembolaget for March 2009 is now available for download from the Systembolaget website.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt Mars 2009

Systembolaget New Wines Mid-February 2009

The Systembolaget will release new wines on the 16th of February. The complete list can be viewed on the Systembolaget website.

Website : Systembolaget Nyheter den 16 februari

Yapp Brothers New Website

Matt Sawyer, the Search Marketing Manager at Datadial Ltd in the UK, asked me to review the new website by Yapp Brothers. Matt is working together with Yapp Brothers to announce the new website. My main recollections are of Yapp Brother being a major Rhone specialist. Today, Yapp Brothers deal with Australia, the Rhone, Alsace, Chablis, Champagne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, Midi, and Provence. Also sold are olive oil, liqueurs and vinegars.

The website contains a number of features :

• Current wine offers
• A good range of older vintages
• Wine search based on colour, style, price, and grape variety
• Advanced wine search where one can add geographic information, vigneron, vintage, bottle size, and even organic where I assume this means organically grown grapes though this is not stated
• Newsletter subscription
• List of restaurants where the wines can be found though not which wines are available at which restaurant
• Wine subscription service where you subscribe and have wines regularly sent to you though it is not possible to set which preferences you might have
• An excellent wine and food matching service
  

Overall I was a bit disappointed with the number of wines offered and was expecting more. Detailed tasting notes were provided for each wine, which I really liked, though only in PDF format. There was some educational information but it was difficult to locate and pull together. Searching for wine was quick and easy. Navigating required far too many "click-throughs" though which gets a bit tiresome at times. Wines are delivered through the UK and Ireland.

Website : Yapp Brothers

TN : Chat-en-Oeuf 2007, Cotes du Ventoux, Boutinot, France

Colour : Dark red/purple

Aroma : Spice, dark berries, slight violets, herbs

Taste : Spice on finish, violets, cherry, herbs, soft tannins

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 70 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Boutinot

TN : Peter Nicolay Riesling 2007, Spaetlese Halbtrocken, Mosel, Germany

The estate of Peter Nicolay has its origin at the beginning of the 19th century in the old post-house and adjoining inn "Zur Post" in Uerzig, Mosel. The fame and renown of this inn spread throughout the whole of Germany due to the great passion of the buxom wife of Peter Nicolay (1820-1896) for her profession, for excellent cuisine and for her wine cellar.

Heiress of Peter Nicolay was his niece Magarethe, married to Carl Hubert Berres (1862-1942). Since the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, the family Berres-Nicolay had owned vineyards, most of which were situated on land originally owned by the two old abbeys of Himmerod and Springiersbach, the coat of arms of which are licensed to be shown on the label of the Nicolay wines.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the house of Nicolay was sending its wine all over the world and even had an affiliated company in London.

In the past it has had the honor of being purveyor to the court of the German emperor in Berlin, to the House of Lords in London (1913), to the Grand Duke of Luxemburg (1916) and to the court of the Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1909).

The heiress of Carl Hubert Berres was his granddaughter Helga, married to Dr. Peter Pauly, owner of the Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler estate. Helga's father died when she was young so that she soon became involved with the management and the tradition of her grandfather's estate of Peter Nicolay. In October 1986, she became solely responsible, and since then both estates have been administrated from Bernkastel. In 1980, modern production facilities were built which allow careful control of the fermentation and maturing process.

This wine was imported by Mondowine Sweden AB.



Colour : Yellow

Aroma : Honey, pineapple, lemon

Taste : Very honey'fied, lemon, pineapple, pear, slight minerals on finish

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Peter Nicolay
Website : Mondowine Sweden AB

Weinbau und Heurigenschank Gsoels zum Berger

During January this year (2009), I managed to find the time during a short holiday to Vienna to go to the Grinzing district to spend a couple of evenings at the Gsoels zum Berger Heurigenschank (just think of it as a wine pub).

The Heurigen has been in business since 1713.

Wines I tried included :

• 2007 Grinzinger Gruener Veltliner Biodynamisch (3 Euro for 250 ml glass)
• 2006 Grinzinger Grauer Burgunder Biologisch (4 Euro for 250 ml glass)
• 2006 Grinzinger Roter Traminer Riede Nussberg (4 Euro for 250 ml glass)

The best of the bunch was the superb Grauer Burgunder.

Website : Gsoels zum Berger

TN . Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2008, Central Valley, Chile

The winemaker was Adolfo Hurtado. The wine was sealed with a screwcap. Cono Sur is a Carbon Neutral winery. The grapes for this wine were both hand and mechanically harvested from March 29th. 35% of the wine was aged in barrels and the remaing 65% in stainless steel tanks for four months. The wine was bottled in July 2008. A winery analysis shows that the alcohol is 13.4%, residual sugar is 2.7 grammes per litre, pH is 3.43, and the total acidity is 5.61 grammes per litre.



Colour : Red, blue hues

Aroma : Stewed red berries, blueberry, spice

Taste : Spice, violets, stewed red berries, strawberry

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 69 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Cono Sur

TN : Nederburg Manor House Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, W.O. Paarl, South Africa

The grapes for this wine are sourced from two dry land, low-yielding Paarl vineyards, of approximately 10 years old at the time of harvest. The must was fermented in open-top fermenters. The wine was then matured in a combination of new, second-fill and third-fill small French oak vats for 14 months before blending.



Colour : Purple

Aroma : Burnt rubber, smoke, blackcurrant

Taste : Thin, burnt rubber, slight oak, tangy, blackcurrant

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 89 SEK

Mark : D

Website : Nederburg

TN : Sangiovese 2007, IGT, Rocca di Montemassi, Tuscany, Italy

This wine came in a 3 litre bag-in-box.



Colour : Black cherry, purple

Aroma : Vanilla, oak, cherry, chocolate

Taste : Vanilla, oak, sour cherry, dark fruits, soft tannins, milk chocolate and spice on finish, smooth

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 223 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Rocca di Montemassi

VinUnic Newsletter February 2009

VinUnic have released their February 2009 newsletter. It can be downloaded from their website in PDF format. Dr. Loosen releases their 2007 vintage

Website : VinUnic VåraViner Februari 2009

Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter February 2009

Vinkällaren Grappe have released their newsletter for February 2009. It can be downloaded from their website.

Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev Februari 2009

Ingwe Reserve 2005, Alain Moueix, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This wine is a blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. Ingwe means leopard in the Xhosa language and is derived from the leopards that live on the mountains near the farm on which this wine is made.



This wine was imported by Domaine Wines.

Colour : Inky purple

Aroma : Cedar, plums, blackcurrants

Taste : Cedar, tight, blackcurrant, plum, smoky, talcum powder tannins on finish, needs a bit more time to soften up and for the fruit to show shine through

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Ingwe Wines
Website : Domaine Wines

TN : L'Avenir Stellenbosch Classic 2006, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. As is usual for most South African reds, the wine has a strong smoky quality which always detracts from the wine's quality in my opinion.



L'Avenir is owned by well-known French wine producer Michel Laroche whose family has been producing wines in Chablis since 1850.

Colour : Dark cassis

Aroma : Smoke, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, cherry

Taste : Blackcurrant, smoky, milk chocolate, nice acidity on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Laroche

TN : Synchronicity 2004, Meinert, Wine of Origin Devon Valley, South Africa

The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Pinotage. A winery analysis shows that the wine has an alcohol of 14.29%, pH 3.53, residual sugar of 2 grammes per litre, total acidity 5.9 grammes per litre, volatile acidity of 0.69 grammes per litre, SO2 of 118 milligrammes per litre, and free SO2 of 40 milligrammes per litre.



This wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Deep blackberry, red

Aroma : Smoke, oak, blackcurrant, mint

Taste : Smoke, blackcurrant, concentrated, liquorice and green pepper on long finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Meinert
Website : Divine AB

TN : Thelema Sutherland Rhine Riesling 2008, Thelema Mountain Vineyards, Elgin, South Africa

Thelema is family run and produced its first wines in 1988.

The rootstock used for the vines is Mgt 101-14. The soil type of the vineyards was Tukulu. The vines themselves were planted in August 2004 using a planting density of 2.7 metres by 1.6 metres. The trellising is 7 wire Perold with moveable foliage wires. The vines are spur pruned. The yield was 9 tonnes per hectare. Drip irrigation was used. The grapes were picked on the 28th February at 20.68 balling. The acidity was 7.22 and the pH at harvest was 3.15. WE14 yeast was used for fermentation. The final pH is 3.18, total acidity is 6.02 grammes per litre, and the alcohol is 12.4%. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

The wine was imported by AB Nigab.

Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Lime, lemon, slight mineral

Taste : Minerals on finish, pear, lemon, lime, bone dry

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Thelema Mountain Vineyards
Website : AB Nigab

TN : Jordan Riesling 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Jordan is a family-run winery situated at the upper end of Stellenbosch Kloof. The grapes were harvested from high altitude south-facing slopes. The grapes were then cold fermented in stainless steel tanks.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Lemon, lime, honey, slight mineral, pear

Taste : Lemon, slight lime and minerals on finish, slight honey, crisp, very fruity

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Jordan Wines

Book : Wine by Andre Domine

The 2008 version of Wine by Andre Domine is a new completely revised edition. It weighs in at a mighty 900 pages. It was published by Ullmann Publishing in August 2008.

The book is a very good wine companion. There is something in the book for almost everybody. The book mainly focuses upon areas of the world and their wine producers and wines. North and South America, and Australia are given poor coverage whilst Europe is covered in depth including England and Wales, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. France gets 20% of the book with Italy and Spain getting about 10-15% each.

There are also good sections on wine and health, the chemical composition of wine, the history of wine, and wine and food pairing. For the wine knowledgeable then such subjects such as integrated pest management, barrel management, and vineyard management are covered; even esoteric subjects such as the manufacture of wine bottles are given the in-depth treatment.

I can thoroughly recommend this book both for beginners and experts alike.

The book can be purchased at Amazon online :



Website : Ullmann Publishing