TN : De Martino Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2006, Quebrada Seca, Limari Vineyard, Chile

The Quebranda Seca vineyard lies in the Northern Limari Valley locate 22 km from the Pacific ocean. The vines are planted on an alluvial terrace which has a clay content of higher than 50% with calcium carbonate components in the sub-soil. Marcelo Retamal was the winemaker. De Martino have been around since 1934.



This wine was imported by Domaine Wines.

Colour : Yellow with green hues

Aroma : Pistachio nuts, butter, lemon, pineapple

Taste : Citrus fruit, nutty, nice long crisp clean acidic finish, mouthwatering, lemons, lime, pineapple

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina De Martino
Website : Domaine Wines

Systembolaget Wines in Stock Count Wrong

It is possible to see how many bottles of each wine are in stock at each Systembolaget store in Sweden by browsing the Systembolaget website. This is the theory but currently the numbers quoted for the flagship store in Regeringsgatan in Stockholm are complete rubbish. I have no idea of the validity of the figures for any other store.

TN : Allegrini Valpolicella Superiore 2005, DOC, Italy

The wine is a blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Oseleta. The grapes were hand-harvested during the first week of October. After crushing, the must was macerated for one week at a temperature between 25 to 31 degrees. All of the wine spent one year in oak; half in Slavonian oak and the other half in 225 litre French oak.



This wine was imported by VinUnic.

Colour : Plum/red

Aroma : Plums, cherries, rum raisin, slight spice

Taste : Spice, cherry, oak, plums, rum raisins

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Allegrini
Website : VinUnic

VinUnic Newsletter April 2009

Just posted is the April 2009 newsletter from VinUnic. It can be downloaded from their website in PDF format. Just two wines launched this month, a Valpolicella from Allegrini and a rose from Spain.

Website : VinUnic Våra Viner April 2009

TN : De Martino Single Vineyard Carmenere 2006, Alto de Piedra, Maipo Valley, Chile

The organic Alto de Piedras vineyard is an alluvial terrace from the Quaternary era (700 years ago). The soil is a combination of sand, lime, and clay.



The grapes were harvested during the second week of May. Before fermentation, the grapes underwent a cold maceration for week at 8 degrees. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 15 months. It is suggested that this wine can be cellared for up to 7 years and I would suggest leaving it 2 years to see if the oak is mellowing and the fruit is still present. Marcelo Retamal was the winemaker. De Martino have been around since 1934.



This wine was imported by Domaine Wines.

Colour : Purple/black

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, green pepper, oak

Taste : Concentrated fruit, overwhelming toasty oak on finish (will this calm down and integrate in 2-3 years time ??), blackcurrant, green peppers, blackberry

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Vina De Martino
Website : Domaine Wines

WineWorld Newsletter April 2009

WineWorld AB have just published their latest newsletter for April 2009. It can be downloaded from their website in PDF format. This month sees wines in PET bottles and in 1.5 litre bag-in-boxes.

Website : Vintips Från WineWorld

TN : Floresta Leyda Sauvingon Blanc 2007, Valle de Leyda, Santa Rita, Chile

The winemaker was Andres Ilabaca. This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc composed of 55% clone 242, 20% clone 1, and 25% clone 108.

All the clones are planted on a trellis system with the shoots positioned vertically in bilateral rows. The grapevines are located on soft slopes of gravelly, clayey soil, with shallow to medium depth and good drainage. Once the seasonal growth began, the vines were thinned in order to obtain the proper distribution of the remaining shoots; thus assuring adequate luminosity for bunches without exposing the canopy to excessive sunlight. Irrigation was managed to halt growth during the veraison and in turn to obtain good nutrition for the grape bunches to enable the berries to develop their varietal characteristics. After veraison, hydric control was very strict.

Each clone was managed separately and blended later. The harvest was carried out from the end of March to mid April, based on clone and maturity level, in order to obtain the different varietal components. The harvested grapes, exclusively picked in the morning, were transferred to bins and quickly taken to be processed. Once destemmed and softly crushed, the grapes are then pressed, except for some lots that are subjected to an extended maceration, in the press, at a controlled temperature so as to prevent any type of oxidation and phenolic extraction. Drop selection from the press is carried out by tasting, selecting only the best texture, fruitiness and freshness and no phenolic extraction or oxidation. The obtained juice is settled for a 20-day period, during which, the varietal character is obtained from the solids and thus the juice becomes more complex. Fermentation is at low temperatures to maintain its fruitiness. Once the wine was finished, it was kept on its lees for additional mouth feel. The wine was bottled once it was been clarified and stabilized at cold temperatures.

The pH is 3.10, total acidity (as tartaric acid) is 6.7 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar is 1.27 grammes per litre.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Gooseberry, tropical fruits, blackcurrant leaf

Taste : Overwhelming grass and nettles, blackcurrant leaf, tropical fruits, minerals

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Santa Rita

Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter April 2009

Vinkällaren Grappe have posted their latest newsletter containing wines that they will be launching on Apri 1st 2009. What I really like about this newsletter is that the tasting notes contain drinking windows for each wine which is something that Systembolaget seem reluctant to publish (maybe they just don't have a clue !). The newsletter can be downloaded from the Vinkällaren Grappe website in PDF format.

Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev april 2009

Peter Work, Ampelos Cellars

I met with Peter Work, owner of Ampelos Cellars in the Santa Rita Hills AVA in California, USA and Bradford Schultze of Muram International on Wednesday 11th March 2009. Muram International are a leading wine importer of American Wines into Europe with a current focus on wines from the Central Coast of California. The meeting was kindly arranged by Brad.

Peter is originally from Denmark but came to the USA via his studies at Princeton and then later with his job at Price Waterhouse. He bought land in 1999 in Santa Barbara

County which would later become incorporated into the Santa Rita Hills AVA. The first vines were planted in 2001. In total, Ampelos now has estate vineyards planted to Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier. In addition to their estate vineyards, Ampelos acquires grapes from Fiddlestix, Alisos, Cuatro Vientos, and Byron. Peter also has a small amounts of Dornfelder and Pinot Gris planted.

Amepelos is a Greek word which means "vine". Peter and his wife Rebecca were married on a small Greek island, and fell so much in love with the island that they created a 10 room hotel, Ampelos Resort. He visits usually once a year which is stocked with a cellar full of Greek wine.

We tasted four of his wines over the course of an hour's conversation. These were the Pinot Noir Lambda 2005, Pinot Noir Rho 2005, Syrache 2005, and the Syrah Gamma 2005. The Rho is made from the best barrels for the higher-end cuvee. The Lambda had lots spice and cherries while the Rho was richer and oakier - an all together bigger wine. Lambda is a mathematical constant signifying that the wine will be made each year. Rho is a correlation co-efficient signifying that each year this wine will be made but from a different set of barrels and thus clones. The Syrache was very gluggable though still with complexity. The Rho is a barrel select Pinot Noir made by selecting the best barrels (16 in the case of the 2005); the rest goes into the Lambda - the fruit is identical between the two cuvees. The Gamma Syrah was a lovely wine with some substance and very drinkable now. Gamma is used mathematically for a function that includes complex numbers which signifies the complexity of the estate Syrah.

In the case of the Pinot Noir then some Pinot Gris is incorporated to fix the colour (same principle as adding Viognier to Syrah). This tends to give the fruit an uplift.

All of the red go through a cold soak. After picking, the grapes stay in our cold room at -1 degrees centigrade for at least 24 hours. The clusters are then destemmed; Syrah and Grenache are also crushed . Following this, the grapes stay in small 1 and 1/4 ton fermenters for three days before inoculation. This leads to the right amount of early colour, tannin and flavor extraction.

If Viognier is added to the Syrah varies from year to year. In 2007, Viognier skins we added (they had just been pressed for the white wine) into a Syrah fermenter. In 2008, the estate Viognier was hanging and crushed together with the estate Syrah.

Ampeleos uses cultured yeasts; Three different yeast strains for Pinot (Asmanshausen, BM45 and RC212) and three for Syrah/Grenache (BM45, VQ15 and D254)

Peter releases all of his wines when they are ready to drink; though they continue to improve with age.

Peter's son Don is actually the winemaker at renowned winery Sea Smoke Cellars.

Peter made an interesting remark when it comes to when to pick and that is that the vine usually gives out it's own sign. That is, if the leaves are green then things are probably not ready in that photosynthesis is still happening, if the leaves are all brown then things are shutting down; thus if the vine shows a mixture of green and yellow/brown leaves then one should think about picking. Tasting the seeds also gives some clues as they start to take on a hazelnutty flavour when ripe.

All of the grapes are sorted in the as they are picked.

Something he also practices is the use of special netting so as not to restrict the movement of the leaves in that they naturally need to follow the sun as it moves in the sky; ordinary netting can restrict this leaf movement.

Peter's vineyards are all 100% biodynamic and will now certified by Demeter.

Peter was recently featured in two episodes of Gary Vaynerchuck's Wine Library TV.

I asked Peter if he missed his old career - not at all was his reply.

Website : Peter Work
Website : Ampelos Cellars
Website : Bradford Schultze
Website : Muram International
Website : Wine Library TV Episode 630
Website : Wine Library TV Episode 631

Bryn Ceiliog Vineyard, Penarth, Wales

My parents-in-law come from a small town called Penarth which is just outside Cardiff in Wales. I was indeed surprised to discover that grapes was being grown minutes away from where they live.



The Bryn Ceiliog vineyard is located on the Beggan farm on Cock Hill in Leckwith in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. There are 2,000 vines planted on over 4 acres (1.8 hectares). Both black and green grape varieties are grown and all the vines are cool-climate varieties, mainly from Alsace and the Rhine Valley.

The white wine is a blend of six grape varieties which are Orion, Phoenix, Reichensteiner, Kernling, Findling, and Bacchus. The red wine is a blend of three varieties which are Rondo, Dornfelder, and Regent.

After harvesting, the grapes are sent to the Three Choirs Vineyards in Newent for processing and bottling.



The price is currently 45 GB pounds per half case (6 bottles) inclusive of VAT and paid duty. Delivery is free within South Wales for orders of four cases or more.

TN : Les Hauts de Granget ArteVino 2005, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France

This wine will improve with 2-3 years of age. It is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.



Colour : Purple/blue

Aroma : Plum, milk chocolate, herbs, coffee

Taste : Typically St-Emilion, plums, cherry, oak, drying tannins on finish, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B-

UK Vineyards Guide 2009 ?

I asked Stephen Skelton if he was planning to release a 2009 edition of his superb UK Vineyards Guide. "probably but not until the autumn" was his answer.

Website : Stephen Skelton

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