This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.
Colour : Dark red, blue hues
Aroma : Lavender, spice, oak, meaty
Taste : Blackberry, blueberry, red berry character, toast, white pepper
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 189 SEK
Mark : B-
Sunday, 1 August 2010
TN : TMV Swartland Syrah 2007, Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards, Swartland, South Africa
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:29 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Clairet du Chateau de Lisennes 2009, Bordeaux Clairet, Jean-Pierre Soubie, Bordeaux, France
This rose wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc.
This wine was imported by Janake Wine Group AB.
Colour : Raspberry, dark for a rose
Aroma : Herbs, red berries
Taste : Redcurrants, herbs, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 79 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Janake Wine Group AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:20 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Dr L Riesling 2009, Dr Loosen, Mosel, Germany
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Pale straw
Aroma : Oranges, honey, green apple
Taste : Peaches, white grapes, honey, lime
Alcohol : 10%
Price : 79 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Dr Loosen
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:13 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Natureao Free Muscat 2009, Torres, Spain
On the label it states "Fewer than half the calories of a conventional white wine" and "for everyone who would like to enjoy the pleasures of the earth with all of its' taste and a minimum of alcohol".
This wine is 100% Muscat. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel vats at a temperature of 14 to 16 degrees for two weeks. The wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Pale yellow
Aroma : Elderflower, peaches, green apples
Taste : Peaches, green apples, white grapes, elderflower
Alcohol : 0.5%
Price : 49 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Torres
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:06 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Dynasty Dry Red Wine, China
The only pieces of information I could find on the label was "This wine is made from world-noted grape varieties" and "produced and bottled by Sino-French joint venture Dynasty Winery Ltd Tianjin P.R.C.".
Colour : Light red, brown notes
Aroma : Stewed red fruits, plums, wood, musty but blows off
Taste : Stewed red fruits, integrated heavy wood/oak
Alcohol : 12%
Price : 188 RMB
Website : Dynasty Fine Wines Group Limited
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:57 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Encosta dos Castelos Alvarinho 2008, Manuel Rodrigues de Oliveira, Vinho Verde, Portugal
This wine was imported by Stragas Gruppen AB.
Colour : Yellow
Aroma : Almonds, green apple, oranges, lemons
Taste : Zingy lemon, herbs, green apple, bitter almond finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 119 SEK
Mark : C
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:51 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Jester Junior Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Mitolo, McLaren Vale, Australia
The fruit for this wine is sourced from Willunga which situated at the southern end of McLaren Vale in South Australia. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
This wine was imported by The Wine Agency AB.
Colour : Dark red, blue hues
Aroma : Blackcurrant, tobacco, milk chocolate
Taste : Coffee, blackcurrants, tobacco, milk chocolate
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 115 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Mitolo Wines Pty Ltd
Website : The Wine Agency AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:43 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Spitzerberg 2007, Muhr-van der Niepoort, Carnuntum, Austria
Murh-van der Niepoort is a collaboration between Dorli Muhr (who heads the Austrian PR firm Wine & Partners) and Dirk Niepoort (the famed wine grower from Portugal’s Douro Region).
This wine is 100% Blaufraenkisch. Half of the wine is made by fermenting whole bunches with the stems, and then pressing off at just the right time to get the extraction right. The other half is made with an extended maceration on the skins of three months.
Colour : Red/purple
Aroma : Earthy, violets, strawberry, cherries, tobacco
Taste : Red berries, tangy, light tannic finish
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 299 SEK
Mark : C+
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:33 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Le Sughere di Frassinello 2006, IGT, Rocca Di Frassinello, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
This wine is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Colour : Dark red
Aroma : Cherries, herbs, chocolate, vanilla, oak
Taste : Cherries, blackcurrants, oak, herbs, chocolate, vanilla, warm finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 179 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Domini Castellare Di Castellina
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:25 0 comments
TN : Quartz Reef Bendigo Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago, New Zealand
The grapes for this wine were hand-picked between the 25th March and the 7th April 2008. The winemaker was Rudi Bauer. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
This wine was imported by Divine AB.
Colour : Light red/blue
Aroma : Spice, overripe strawberry, blueberry, plums, liqourice
Taste : Liqourice, oak, overripe wild strawberries, spice, blueberry, warm finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 299 SEK
Mark : B+
Website : Quartz Reef
Website : Divine AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:15 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Kopke Reserva Vinho Tinto 2007, DOC, Douro, Portugal
The grapes for this wine came from the "terroir duriense" and from the best parcels of Quinta de S, Luiz. The wine is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional and 50% Tinta Roriz. The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak 225 litre casks.
Colour : Dark blackcurrant
Aroma : Plums, blackberry, oak, vanilla
Taste : Herbs, heavy oak, plums, blackberry, vanilla
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 119 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Sogevinus Fine Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:05 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Saturday, 31 July 2010
TN : Changyu Dry Red Wine, China
I could find no markings on either the front or back label to tell me what vintage this was or what grapes were used to produce this wine. This wine tasted like an average Bordeaux in a poor year.
Although the history of grape planting and wine making in China dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), the industrialized production of wine was started by ChangYu byMr. Chang Bishi.
In recognition of its great contribution to the development of global wine-making, Yantai City, ChangYu's hometown, is the only city in China to be honored with the title of “International Vine and Wine City”.
Colour : Dark plum
Aroma : Oak, blackcurrants, plum, burnt toast
Taste : Green, toast, plum, blackcurrant
Alcohol : 12%
Mark : C-
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:54 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red Merlot Malbec 2008, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
The winemaker was Matt Stafford. The wine is a blend of Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
This wine was imported by Divine AB.
Colour : Blackberry
Aroma : Mint, plums, blackberry, milk chocolate, spice
Taste : Fruity, blackberry, spice, milk chocolate, plums
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 99 SEK
Website : Wild Rock Wine Company
Website : Divine AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:45 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Jean Stodden Spaetburgunder 2007, Ahr, Germany
The Rotweingut Jean Stodden red wine estate is located in the small town of Rech in the Ahr wine-growing region in Germany. The family has a long wine-making tradition, and has been growing grapes in the Ahr valley since 1578. Alois Stodden started vinifying his own Pinot Noir grapes in 1900. Today the estate is run by Gerhard Stodden, who is regarded as one of the best red wine producers in Germany. His eldest son Alexander has taken over responsibility for the vineyards in the Neuenahrer Sonnenberg site.
The first vintage of the "Next Generation" Pinot Noir in the 2001 vintage caused quite a stir. The vineyard area totals 6,5 hectares, with holdings in the following sites: Rosenthal (Ahrweiler), Burggarten and Hardtberg (Dernau), Sonnenberg (Neuenahr), Mönchberg (Mayschoss) as well as Blume, Hardtberg and Herrenberg (Rech). 85% of the area is planted with Pinot Noir, the remainder is planted with Riesling, Pinot Madeleine, Dornfelder and Dunkelfelder. The red wines are matured in new barriques for a minimum of 16 months, some for longer, and are partly also matured in large oak vats. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines (Pinot Noir, Riesling) and grappa-style spirits are also produced. The estate has been a member of the VDP (Verband deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitäts-Weingüter) association since 2005.
Colour : Bright pale strawberry
Aroma : Red berries, stems, ginger
Taste : Raspberry, strawberry, coca cola, stemmy, ginger, spice, thin
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 13.99 Euro (Galeria, Munich, Germany)
Mark : C
Website : Jean Stodden
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:34 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Heger Rose Q 2009, Joachim, Heger, Baden, Germany
Colour : Salmon pink
Aroma : Red berries, almonds, herbs
Taste : Explosion of red berries, very fruity, spritzy, almonds and herbs on finish
Alcohol : 13%
Mark : B+
Website : Weingut Heger
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:24 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Albia Rose 2009, IGT, Barone Ricasoli, Tuscany, Italy
After a mild winter, spring set off with quite rigid temperatures but they gradually rose as the season wore on with peaks over 30 degrees at the end of May 2009, also rainfall was stable around 200mm. The summer was characterized by very hot days especially during the early hours in the afternoon during the months of July and August with temperatures often over 35 degrees. The rainfall, never heavy and without hail, was concentrated during the months of June and July. Towards the end of summer, from the 15th to the 20th of September, a continuous rainfall refreshed the soil that was very dry due to a long period without rain. Autumn was initially mild and dry, with a brisk fall in temperature, even down to 10°C; during the same period the rainfall intensified. The heavy spring and winter rains created a good water reserve allowing the plants to regularly carry out all of their growth phases. Despite the strong heat which had characterized the months of July and August, the mid-September rains and the lower temperatures, permitted the phenol ripening to be end. Merlot grapes were harvested from August 26th to September 15th and Sangiovese was picked from October 10th to October 20th.
The wine is a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. Fermentation temperature was between 11 and 16 degrees and the wine was aged in stainless steel vats. The wine was bottled in mid-January 2010.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Pink strawberry
Aroma : Vanilla, strawberry, grapefruit
Taste : Grapefruit, strawberry, herbs, spritzy
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 89 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Barone Ricasoli
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:13 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Concha Y Toro, Puente Alto, Chile
This single vineyard Don Melchor originates from 114 hectares at Puente Alto in the Alto Maipo valley at the foot of the Andes mountains. In 1984, Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle's vision for the vineyard compelled him to send samples of wine to enologists in Bordeaux to taste. Jacques Boissenot's enthusiasm was immediate and he has been involved in the making of every vintage since. The winemaker was Enrique Tirado.
This wine is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc.
This wine received 94 points in the January 2009 Wine Spectator and 95 points in the April 2009 Wine Advocate.
Colour : Dark blackcurrant
Aroma : Blackcurrant, toast, coffee, cherry liqour, green pepper
Taste : Intense blackcurrant fruit, toast, coffee, oak, green pepper, sandalwood, drying tannins on finish, try again after a year or two
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 349 SEK
Mark : B+
Website : Concha Y Toro
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:57 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett 2008, Mosel, Germany
The estate is located in the commune of Bernkasel-Graach in the Mosel. It is owned by Willi & Christoph Schaefer. The vineyard area totals three hectares, with holdings in the top-rated Graacher Domprobst and Himmelreich sites, as well as in the Wehlener Sonnenuhr site. The area is planted exclusively with Riesling. Most of the wines are fermented with natural yeasts in traditional 1000-litre oak barrels, and then matured in these same barrels. The estate is a member of the VDP (Verband deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitäts-Weingüter) association.
This wine was imported by Origo Wine
Colour : Very pale yellow
Aroma : Slight honey, green apple, melon, oranges, mineral
Taste : Honey, melon, pineapple, oranges, lemon, mouth watering acidity, long finish
Alcohol : 7.5%
Price : 169 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Origo Wine
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 19:47 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Thursday, 29 July 2010
TN : The Ojai Vineyard Syrah 2006, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
This wine was imported by Divine AB.
Colour : Deep red/black cherry
Aroma : Spice, pepper, blackberry, meaty, liqourice, violets
Taste : Spice and pepper on finish, meaty, liqourice, blackberry, toast
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 259 SEK
Website : The Ojai Vineyard
Website : Divine AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 21:37 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Craggy Range Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough, New Zealand
Te Muna means "secret place". This 33 hectare vineyard is planted with eight clones of Pinot Noir in more than 40 different parcels. From these parcels, the grapes are hand picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts before spending over a year in small French oak barrels without racking. The average Brix at harvest was 24.4, the average yield was 25 hectolitres per hectare.
5% of the grapes were fermented as whole bunch and 95% were destemmed. Fermentation was in open top oak tanks using indigenous yeast. The barrel type used was French barriques of which 33% were new. Maturation was ten months on lees. There was no fining. The wine was filtered before bottling in March 2009.
The pH was 3.62 and acidity was 5.5 grammes per litre.
Colour : Light red
Aroma : Stewed red fruits, strawberry, cherry, spice
Taste : Very fruity upfront, oak, long spicy finish, earthy, stewed red fruits, tannins on finish
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 329 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Craggy Range
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:51 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Rene Couly Chinon Rose 2009, Couly-Dutheil, Loire, France
This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc grapes grown on gravel and sand based soil. All of the grapes were hand-harvested and the yield was 45 hectolitres per hectare. The wine was bottled six months after harvest.
Colour : Bright strawberry
Aroma : Herbs, jellied strawberries, raspberry
Taste : Strawberry, herbs, redcurrants, spitzy, long finish
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 120 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Couly-Dutheil
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:43 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Sunday, 25 July 2010
TN : Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough,New Zealand
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Pale yellow
Aroma : Gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf
Taste : Gooseberry, blackcurrant, green apple, lemon, minerals, nettles
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 129 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Kim Crawford Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 09:55 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley, Australia
The many parcels making up this wine were crushed into and fermented in open top vessels, with regular pump overs three times daily to extract flavours, colour and tannins. The batches were then drained and pressed to tank and then racked to barrel for oak maturation where the wine spent twelve months in hogsheads (12% new French oak and the balance in one to four year old French oak). The pH is 3.38 and the acidity is 6.9. The winemaker was Matthew Wenk.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Two hands are Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz who formed the company in 1999. Michael Twelftree, initially from a construction background, spent a number of years exporting Australian wine to the USA and Asia. Richard Mintz, a chartered accountant, was formerly CEO of one of Australia's leading cooperages in the Barossa Valley.
Colour : Dark blackberry
Aroma : Blackberry, raspberry, liqourice, milk chocolate
Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, liqourice, raspberry, milk chocolate, violets, spice
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 189 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Two Hands Wines
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 08:17 2 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
TN : Chateau de Chantegrive 2007, White, Vignobles Leveque Proprietaires, Graves, Bordeaux, France
This wine is a blend of 50% Semillon and 50% Sauvignon.
Colour : Yellow, green hues
Aroma : Nettles, citrus, blackcurrant
Taste : Citrus, minerals, blackurrant, leafy
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 109 SEK
Mark : C
Website : Chateau de Chantegrive
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 09:29 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon, China
Colour : Red
Aroma : Herbs, blackcurrants, plums
Taste : Thin, blackcurrant, herbs, plums
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 98 RMB
Mark : C-
Website : Great Wall Wine
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 09:22 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday, 19 July 2010
TN : Staete Landt Syrah 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand
Staete Landt is pronounced "state land". The name comes from New Zealand's first map made by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1642.
The grapes for this wine were grown on old stony riverbed soils in the Rapaura region. The grapes are planted in two different parcels of three different clones on three different rootstocks. There is a total of nine rows covering two acres. All of the grapes were hand-harvested. The grapes were then cold soaked before alcoholic fermentation (30% whole berries). The wine was matured in French oak barrels for 17 months.
Colour : Red
Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, meaty, spice
Taste : Northern Rhone-like in style, lots of toast, a bit thin, strawberry, raspberry, meaty, warm finish, white pepper
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 199 SEK
Mark : B-
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 09:24 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Chateau Teyssier 2004, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France
The winemaker was Jonathan Maltus who also makes wine in the Barossa Valley in Australia.
This wine is mostly Merlot with the rest being Cabernet Franc. The grapes are grown in the communes of Saint Sulpice de Faleyrens and Vignonet.
Colour : Red, plum
Aroma : Plums, spicy, oak
Taste : Plums, pencil lead finish, spicy, oak, tannic grip on finish, store for a couple more years for tannins to soften and then try again
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 219 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Chateau Teyssier
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 09:10 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note