This wine is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Bright pale strawberry
Aroma : Raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant, herbs
Taste : Herbs, red berries, dry
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 75 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Bodegas Marques de Caceras
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
TN : Marques de Caceras Rosado 2009, Rioja, Spain
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:53 4 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
TN : Fresita, Vina Casal de Gorchs, Patagonia, Chile
This wine is a blend of 85% Muscat, 5% Chardonnay, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Alicante Bouschet. Each variety is fermented separately then blended together to undergo a secondary fermentation. The final wine is infused with hand picked strawberries from Patagonia. Fresita means strawberry plants in Spanish.
Colour : Raspberry
Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry
Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, vanilla notes
Alcohol : 8%
Price : 79 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Fresita
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:08 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
TN : Lord Zinclair 2009, White Zinfandel, California, USA
This wine was produced by Spiral Wines exclusively for Terrific Wines AB.
On the back label it says "The little lord went west and found a town full of zin, and it all became clair". This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Light red
Aroma : Red berries
Taste : Off-dry, jellied strawberries and raspberries, mineral water like spritz on finish
Alcohol : 11%
Price : 55 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Terrific Wines AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:40 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Turley Juvenile Zinfandel 2008, California, USA
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in 1993 by Larry Turley, brother of the well-known consulting winemaker Helen Turley. Larry Turely entered the wine business in 1981 as co-founder of Frog's Leap Winery. He then realized that his interest lay in wines made from the Zinfandel grape. Starting out with just one location in St. Helena, Turley Wine Cellars soon expanded to Templeton with the purchase of Pesenti winery, and as of 2007, produced 14,000 cases a year of both single-vineyard and regional Zinfandel wines.
This wine was imported by Divine AB.
Colour : Red/violet
Aroma : Spice, violets, bramble fruits
Taste : Rich, liqourice, violets, bramble jam, spice, warm
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 299 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Turley Wine Cellars
Website : Divine AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:29 85 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Alto Las Hormigas Malbec 2007 Vineyard Slection Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina
In 1995, Alberto Antonini, a well known Tuscan wine maker, and Antonio Morescalchi, a young entrepreneur, bought 216 hectares Lujàn de Cuyo. Shortly after this, Attilio Pagli, another Tuscan wine maker, Alan Scerbanenko, an Italo-Swiss management counselor, and Antonio Terni, an Italo-Argentine winemaker in the Marche region of Italy, joined the enterprise.
The 100% Malbec grapes for this wine are hand picked in high density vineyards located in La Consulta and Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, and Vistalba, Perdriel and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. The yields were 7 tons per hectare or 14.5 hectolitres per acre.
Alcoholic fermentation is done by using native yeasts in wide stainless steel tanks.. The cap management is conducted with punch downs and rack and returns to maximize the extractions of colour and flavour from the skins. The time between crushing and pressing is approximately thirty days of which about ten are for primary fermentation and twenty for extended maceration. The temperature is kept at around 28 to 30 Celsius degrees to gain depth and volume in the mouth. After pressing the wine goes straight into tight grain French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. Ageing is for 16 months. The wine is then bottled unfined.
The winemakers were Alberto Antonini and Attilio Pagli. Total Acidity is 5.88 grammes per litre, the pH is 3.4, and the residual sugar is 2.81 grammes per litre.
Colour : Dark inky purple/red
Aroma : Violets, blueberry, damsons, blackberry, mint, plums
Taste : Very minty, tobacco, damsons, blueberry, plums, milk chocolate
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 199 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Altos Las Hormigas
Website : Arvid Nordquist H.A.B.
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:07 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Red Pitt 2007 Rotweincuvee, Weingut Pittnauer, Burgenland, Austria
This wine is a blend of Zweigelt, Blaufraenkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The bottle was sealed with a screwcap. The Wein & Co website claims that this is drinkable up to 2015 but I don't think it has the stuffing to last that long.
Colour : Red
Aroma : Plum, spice, tobacco hints, blackcurrant
Taste : Very spicy and sour notes on finish, plum, tobacco, red fruits
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 16.25 Euro (Bought at Wein & Co, Vienna, Austria, January 2009)
Mark : C
Website : Weingut Pittnauer
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:57 3 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
TN : Errazuriz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2009, Central Valley, Chile
This wine was cool fermented to off dry in stainless steel tanks. Then the wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Bright raspberry
Aroma : Strawberry, blackcurrant
Taste : Strawberry, blackcurrant, dry, herbs
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 39 SEK (375 ml bottle)
Mark : C+
Website : Vina Errazuriz
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:53 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Tokolosh Merlot 2009, Tooverberg Boerdery, Coastal Region, South Africa
The grapes were cold-soaked prior to fermentation. The fermentation was carried out at around 30°C, finished quickly and the wine racked off the skins without any post-fermentation skin contact. Half of the volume was then transferred to second fill French oak 225 litre barrels, with malolactic fermentation occurring in the wood, for about 6 months. The remainder was finished in stainless steel and the two elements eventually blended before bottling. The residual sugar was 3.8 grammes per litre and the total acidity was 5.6 grammes per litre.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Blackberry
Aroma : Plums, blackberry, herbs, vanilla, smoke, oak, milk chocolate
Taste : Plums, cherry, smoke, herbs, blackberry, bitter oak on finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 41 SEK (375 ml bottle)
Mark : C
Website : Tokolosh Wines
Website : Chris Wine Sweden
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:40 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
TN : Zardoz Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere 2007, Vina Indomita, Maipo Valley, Chile
This wine was imported by Primewine Sweden AB.
Colour : Dark red
Aroma : Herbs, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, oak
Taste : Green pepper, blackcurrant, coffee, plums, oak
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 159 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Vina Indomita
Website : Primewine Sweden AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:40 3 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Morillon 2007, Sattlerhof, Gamlitz, Suedsteiermark, Austria
This wine is 100% Chardonnay.
Colour : Pale lemon
Aroma : Pear, almond, oranges
Taste : Pear, oranges, marzipan, long finish
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 129 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Sattlerhof
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:32 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Achaval-Ferrer Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina
10000 twelve bottles cases were produced. This wine is bottled without fining or filtering, on 9th February 2009. The pH is 3.5, the Total Acidity is 6.37, the Volatile Acidity is 0.62, Total SO2 is 46 miligrammes per litre, and Residual Sugar is 1.40 grammes per litre. The wine is 100% Malbec from long term lease contracts in different districts such as Mayor Drummond, La Consulta and Medrano. The three properties are, as traditional in Mendoza, irrigated by furrow. In all vineyards the average yield was 5,500 kilos per hectare (around 33 hectolitres per hectare). The wine was aged during 9 months in French oak barrels.
This wine was imported by Divine AB.
Colour : Dark red, blue hues
Aroma : Violets, savoury notes, plums, herbs, blueberry
Taste : Lean, oak, violets, herbs, plums, blueberry
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 179 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Achaval-Ferrer Winery
Website : Divine AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:13 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
TN : Rubicon 2005, Meerlust Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Meerlust Estate has been owned by the Myburgh family for eight generations since 1756. Today, the estate is ran by Hannes Myburgh.
This wine is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon was grown on low yielding, predominantly biotite partially decomposed granite gravel topsoil rich in quartz and feldspar to a depth of approximately 600mm with a loamy clay subsoil. The Merlot vineyards were planted on more clay rich, yet well drained soils to ensure moisture retention and availability to the vines roots right through the summer.
The Cabernet Franc Vineyard is situated on a very well drained, stony Vilafontes soil with approximately 20% clay.
The Cabernets were given a relatively short cuvaison time to prevent over-extraction, but the Merlot was given a long post fermentation maceration to encourage complete polymerization of complex tannins and add a broad, juicy and ultra-silky texture to the blend as a whole. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel for 6 months before assessment and assemblage. The wine spent a total of 24 months in 75% new French Nevers oak with 25% 2nd Nevers and Alliers barrels.
The dry extract was 33.56, the residual Sugar was 2.45 grammes per litre, the pH was 3.76, total acidity was 5.57 grammes per litre, and the alcohol was 14.42%.
This wine was imported by Tryffelsvinet AB.
Colour : Deep blackcurrant
Aroma : Coffee, blackcurrant, smoke, tobacco, plums
Taste : Talcum powder drying tannins, blackcurrant, plums, overtly smoky, burnt tasting, oak, stale tobacco, black tea
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 229 SEK
Mark : D
Website : Meerlust Wine Estate
Website : Tryffelsvinet
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:16 3 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday, 22 March 2010
TN : Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Paul Hobbs Winery, Napa Valley, California, USA
The grapes for this wine were handharvested between October 25th and November 2nd 2005. The Brix at harvest was between 23.9 and 25.1 degrees. The grapes were fermented in ten ton closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous selected yeasts. The must underwent a five day cold soak and a 30 to 35 total maceration. The malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and carried out in barrels for seven months. The resulting wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels from Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Alain Fouquet, Demptos, Bossuet, Nadalie, and Sylvain. 60% of the oak was new. The wine was bottles unfiltered and unfined in June 2007. The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The extended cool weather and rains in Spring 2005 resulted in late bud break in Napa Valley. Long temperate weather followed.
Colour : Dark blackcurrant
Aroma : Blackcurrant, oak, cedar, cherry
Taste : Concentrated blackcurrant fruit, lightly toasted oak, smooth tannins, graphite, coffee, pepper on long finish
Alcohol : 14.9%
Price : 389 SEK
Mark : A
Website : Paul Hobbs Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:32 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Serrata Belguardo 2007, IGT, Mazzei, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
The Mazzei Marquis have owned Castello di Fonterutoli since 1435. This wine from their Maremma property is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Alicante Nero. Fermentation was between 28 and 30 degrees. The wine was aged for approximately twelve months in small 225 litre oak barrels (30% new). The total acidity is 5.8 grammes per litre. The wine was bottles in March 2009. 75,000 bottles were produced.
The Belguardo estate is located in the Maremma region of Tuscancy, on the hills between Grosseto and Montiano, near the National Park “dell'Uccellina”, about ten kilometers from the coast. The vineyards are located at 70 to 130 metres and have a south to south west exposure. The soil is sandstone and the vines are ten years old. The planting density is 6,600 vines per hectare and the vines are spur-cordon trained.
Colour : Dark red
Aroma : Tobacco, spice, cherries, milk chocolate
Taste : Cherries, plums, oak, spice, fruity, pepper on finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 99 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Marchesi Mazzei SPA
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:17 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : dB Selection Rose 2009, De Bortoli, Australia
This wine is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Colour : Bright strawberry
Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry, herbs
Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, herbs, oranges, dry
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 197 SEK (3 litre Bag-In-Box)
Mark : C
Website : De Bortoli Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:07 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday, 15 March 2010
TN : Yalumba Hand-Picked Shiraz Vignier 2005, Barossa Valley, Australia
The grapes for this wine were harvested during March and April 2005. The wine spent 18 months in French oak hogsheads. The wine was bottled in March 2007.
Colour : Inky purple
Aroma : Bramble fruit, floral, spicy
Taste : Rich dark bramble fruits, spice, milk chocolate, pepper on long finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 228 SEK
Mark : B+
Website : Yalumba
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:43 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Canon Creek Vineyard, Napa Valley, USA
The winemaker was Rollie Heitz. The vineyard is in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. It is situated between St. Helena and Howell Mountain. The clones planted are 6 and 337. The vines are trained with Vertical Shoot Positioning. The vineyard is 1.4 acres in size and is at an elevation of 1000 feet.
Colour : Deep blackcurrant
Aroma : Blackcurrant, toasty oak, coffee
Taste : Lingering toasty oak on finish, overoaked currently but may calm down in a couple of years if the fruit lasts, warm finish, rich blackurrant, coffee
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 329 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Midsummer Cellars
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:32 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Scali Pinotage 2006, Voor-Paardeberg, South Africa
This was made by Willie and Tania De Waal, fifth generation family vignerons on their family farm Schoone Oord. The must was fermented in open kuipe and gently pressed in basket press. The wine was then matured in 228 litre French oak barriques for 12 months and was bottled unfiltered. The total production of this wine was 19 barrels.
The grapes come from two different vineyards. The "Ou Kraal" vineyard has a Southern aspect and the soil is high in clay content and decomposed granite on shale. The vines were planted was in 1972 at a density of 2425 vines per hectare. The vines are single wire, cordon trained. The yield was three tonnes per hectare or 18 hectolitres per hectare. The "Kalkis" vineyard has a South-Eastern aspect and the soil is gravel on shale. The vines were planted in 1994 at a density of 3333 vines per hectare. The vines are five wire vertical shoot positioned. The yield is restricted to four tons per hectare or 24 litres per hectare.
This wine was imported by Vinobele AB.
Colour : Deep lilac/purple
Aroma : Cedar, blackberry, banana, burnt toast
Taste : Juicy dark bramble fruits, somewhat developed, liquorice, tobacco, sour finish, talcum powder texture
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 186 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Scali
Website : Vinobele Wine Agency
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:05 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday, 8 March 2010
TN : Antu Ninquen Mountain Vineyard Syrah 2007, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Ninquen (nin-ken) means "Plateau on a Mountain". Antu means "sun" in Mapuche or "People from the Earth" language.
Colour : Deep purple
Aroma : Violets, blackberry, burnt toast, chocolate
Taste : Burnt toast, blackberry, hot finish, vanilla, coffee, violets
Alcohol : 15 %
Price : 149 SEK
Mark : B-
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:25 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2008, Weingut Studert-Pruem, Mosel, Germany
This wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB.
Colour : Very pale lemon
Aroma : Honey, mineral, pear, white grapes
Taste : Sweet, white grapes, line, honey, pear
Alcohol : 8%
Price : 99 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Weingut Studert-Pruem
Website : Granqvist Vinagentur AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:13 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday, 5 March 2010
TN : Bardou 2006 Saint Chinian, Laurent Miquel, Languedoc, France
Saint Chinian is an appellation situated in the foothills of the Caroux mountains in Languedoc. This wine is produced from a single block of Syrah vines on the Bardou estate. The site has very poor stony soils. The wines are about 26 years old. The wine is aged in new oak (55%) and one year old oak (45%) French barrels.
Colour : Red, blue hues
Aroma : Violets, plums, oak, cedar, blackberry, coffee
Taste : Oak, cedar, herbs, plums, violets, blackberry, pepper and liquorice on finish, grainy tannins
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 179 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Laurent Miquel
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:22 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
TN : Prendiville Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003, Sandalford Wines, Margaret River, Australia
This wine was sealed with a screwcap. It was bottle number 5290. Only 500 cases of this wine were made.
Sandalford Wines was first established in 1840. In the early 1990s Sandalford Wines returned to traditional ownership by way of the Prendiville family. The grapes for this wine were harvested in early April 2003 from three blocks, 13, 14, and 15. The grapes were fermented in small static fermenters. The wine was macerated on its skins for two weeks prior to maturation in new French barriques for 24 months. The purest 20 barrels were allocated to make this wine.
An analysis of the finished wine showed that the pH was 3.49, TA was 6.7 grammes per litre, and residual sugar was 1.1 grammes per litre.
Colour : Blackcurrant
Aroma : Blackcurrant, chocolate, alcohol, black cherry
Taste : Blackcurrant, black cherry, overly warm finish, grainy tannins, chocolate, alcohol heat is too much, coffee, burnt toast
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 364 SEK (Reduced from 455 SEK)
Mark : B
Website : Sandalford Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:34 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Godolphin 2005, Ben Glaetzer, Barossa Valley, Australia
This wine is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are 80% dry-grown Barossa Valley 85 year-old Shiraz vines and 20% dry grown Barossa Valley 60 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The yields were Cabernet Sauvignon at 1-1.5 ton per acre (0.4-0.6 ton per hectare) and Shiraz at 1-2 tonne per acre (0.4-0.8 ton per hectare). The wine is unfiltered.
The grapes were fermented in one tonne open fermenters and hand plunged three times daily. The must completed primary fermentation on skins and malolactic fermentation in oak. The wine was then matured for 15 months in oak, matured on lees to maintain fruit profile and animation. Minimal SO2 was used and the barrels were topped up every three weeks. 14 months were spent in 100% new oak of which 20% was American and 80% was French (70% hogsheads & 30% barriques). The pH is 3.52, Total Acidity is 7.18grammes per litre and the residual sugar is 0.6grammes per litre.
The name Godolphin has been linked with excellence in many fields, including politics, education and literature. The same ideals are used to make this wine. The label echoes the Ancient Egyptian Ankh symbol (pronunciation: onk). Historically the ankh symbolised sunrise, regeneration, regrowth and renewal.
Colour : Dark blackberry
Aroma : Blackberry, blackcurrant, mint, chocolate
Taste : Bright blackberry, blackcurrant, mint, pepper on finish, violets, vanilla, oak, sweet, warm finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 299 SEK
Mark : A
Website : Glaetzer Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:20 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : La Clotiere 2008, Alliance Loire, Anjou, France
This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Bright red
Aroma : Blueberry, violets, red berries, herbs
Taste : Violets, red berries, blueberry, tangy finish, talcum powder tannins
Alcohol : 12%
Price : 75 SEK
Mark : D+
Website : Alliance Loire
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:11 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Entity Shiraz 2005, John Duval Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia
After 29 years as a winemaker with Penfolds, John Duval started his own wine label in 2003.
The grapes for this wine were sourced from old vineyards in the Stockwell, Light Pass, Krondorf and Marananga regions of the Barossa Valley. Alcoholic fermentation was with submerged cap in both traditional old open tanks and small stainless steel fermenters. The wine underwent 100% barrel maturation for 18 months with 45% new fine grain French oak and the balance in 2, 3 and 4 year-old French and American oak hogsheads (300 litres). Some batches finished fermentation in new barrels. The pH is 3.51 and TA is 6.3g/l.
Colour : Dark blackcurrant
Aroma : Blueberry, blackberry, violets, burnt toast
Taste : Blueberry, blackcurrant, savoury, pepper, mint, long finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 304 SEK
Mark : A-
Website : John Duval Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:58 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Alice 2006, Celler de l'Abadia, Priorat, Spain
Colour : Dark blackberry
Aroma : Spice, polished oak, blackberry
Taste : Spice, blackberry, plum, smooth tannins, polished oak, long fruity finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 199 SEK
Mark : B+
Website : Celler de l'Abadia
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:50 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note