The grapes for this wine come from Malbec blocks 6 and 7 and Petit Verdot block 20 of the El Olivar Estate vineyard. This is a limited edition wine made from vines with an age of 7 years and planted at a density of 2,899 plants per hectare. All of the grapes were hand-harvested and the wine was fermented in small stainless steel tanks and then aged for 18 months in new French (93%) and American (7%) oak barrels. The wine was bottled on December 4th 2008 and 17,365 bottles were produced.
This wine received 90 points from Robert Parker's 2009 Wine Advocate.
Colour : Dark blackberry
Aroma : Blackberry, herbs, cherry, blueberry
Taste : Mineral, blackberry, violets, spicy on finish
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 229 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Viu Manent Winery
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
TN : Viu Manent El Olivar Alto Malbec 2007, Single Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:27 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Shaw and Smith Shiraz 2006, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Shaw and Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith.
The grapes for this wine were sourced from the warmer, drier parts of the Adelaide Hills around Macclesfield and low yielding Shiraz from Balhannah, near the Shaw and Smith Winery. The soil structures in the region are shallow red/brown loam over schist and clay. The vines are planted to a high density of between 2700 to 5500 vines per hectare. All the vines are hand pruned and trained to have vertical shoot position canopies. The yields were restricted to 1.8 kg per vine and all the grapes were hand-picked. The wine was matured in new (1/3) and older French oak barriques for 14 months. The total acidity is 6.7 grammes per litre and the pH is 3.47.
This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Dark blackberry
Aroma : Liqourice, blackberry, spice, black pepper, slightly meaty
Taste : Blackberry, blueberry, spice and black pepper on finish, slightly meaty
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 142 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Shaw and Smith
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:14 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Monday, 30 August 2010
TN : Clos de l'Echo 2005, Couly-Dutheil, Chinon, Loire, France
Colour : Red, blue hues
Aroma : Blackcurrant, herbs, black pepper
Taste : Drying tannins on finish, herbs, fruity blackcurrant, black pepper on finish (leave 1-2 years for tannins to soften)
Alcohol : 15%
Price : 189 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Couly-Dutheil
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:29 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Home Viticulture : Petit Verdot
I have invested in my second vine this year. Time to branch out into vinifera and I have purchased Petiti Verdot. I am not sure if it will survive the Swedish winter outside so this will be grown indoors on the window sill.
This is the Frankenthaler from last year.
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:34 1 comments
TN : Sabanis Red Dry Wine, Central Greece
This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Agiorgitiko, and Syrah. Each variety was vinified separately. The Agiorgitiko underwent 8 days of maceration and the Cabernet 10 days. Malolactic fermentation and partial maturation was in French oak barrels for six months.
In 1980 Tasos Sampanis, a Mechanical Engineer, and his wife Elli, created in Ritsona, Avlida, the Sabanis winery. Their state-of-the-art winery, situated in the heart of the winemaking zone of Agios Ioannis, Avlida, is 15 km outside the city of Halkida. The climate is characterized as Mediterranean with cold winters, a warm summer and a long dry fall. The soil is of an average sand-argillaceous type. The vineyards are semi-mountainous, at an altitude of between 350 and 450 metres, and are cooled by the South Euboic Sea. The privately owned vineyards today amount to 28 acres and 15 more acres were added as of the end of 2007.
Colour : Red
Aroma : Pepper, oak, blueberry
Taste : White and black pepper, earthy, blueberry, spice, fruits of the forest, very peppery
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 195 SEK (Restaurant Samos, Tyresö, Sweden)
Mark : B-
Website : Sabanis Estate
Website : Restaurang Samos
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:19 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Asyrtiko 2008, White Dry Wine, Domaine Sigalas, Santorini, Greece
The grapes for this wine were grown on volcanic soils on the island of Santorini.
Aroma : Almond, marzipan, lemon
Taste : Hazelnuts, marzipan, earthy, dirty, sharp lemon, minerals
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 149 SEK
Mark : C-
Website : Domaine Sigalas
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:07 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Sunday, 15 August 2010
TN : Viu Manent El Olivar Alto Syrah 2007, SIngle Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile
This wine was "Highly Recommended" by Decanter magazine and received 90 points in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 2009.
The wine is a blend of 94% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot. It was produced from Syrah blocks 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Petit Verdot block 20 of the El Olivar vineyard. The vines were seven years of age. All the grapes were hand-harvested and the must was fermented in small stainless steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 18 months in new French (93%) and American (7%) oak barrels. The wine was bottled on December 5th 2008 and 12,060 bottles were produced.
Colour : Dark red, blue hues
Aroma : Burnt toast, blackberry, herbs, coffee, milk chocolate
Taste : Toast, blackberry, herbs, plums, coffee, drying tannic finish; leave for another two to three years to see if the tannins calm down but still drinkable now
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 229 SEK
Mark : B
Website : Viu Manent Winery
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:10 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, California, USA
Colour : Red
Aroma : Blackcurrant, oak, vanilla, strawberry
Taste : Upfront rough lightly toasted oak, blackcurrant, vanilla, red berries, light, fruity
Alcohol : 13%
Price : 219 SEK (3 Litre Bag-in-Box)
Mark : C
Website : Beringer Vineyards
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 14:54 3 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday, 13 August 2010
Book : The Wild Vine, Todd Kliman
This tells the story of the Norton grape and a look at the current status in the USA regarding Norton. The modern day story centres around Jenni McCloud of Chrysalis Vineyards who is portrayed as a Norton fanatic and champion. The book tells the story of how a bottle of Norton won a gold medal at a wine competition in Vienna in 1873 and then has almost vanished off the radar only to be promoted by Jenni and few other ecentric vintners.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of Norton but was disappointed to hear that the grape is still in obscurity in the USA and simply a curiosity. It is a niche grape variety and will always remain so.
I would recommend this book to anybody interested in the history of viticulture and enology in the USA.
Website : Chrysalis Vineyards
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 16:18 0 comments
Labels: BOOK REVIEW
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Book : In an Out of Africa ... in search of Gerard Depardieu
Francis Gimblett, The Wine Adventurer, tastes a Moroccan wine made by Gerard Depardieu and then travels to North Africa to try to find similar or better wines. He visits Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
This book is in two parts. The first is a travelogue about his exploits and mixes winery visits with colourful descriptions of the places he visits and episodes that happen whilst on route to these places. The second part of the book is a detailed description of each winery he visits and comes complete with tasting notes.
I found this book very entertaining and my only complaint is that there wasn't more of it.
Website : The Wine Adventurer
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 16:40 2 comments
Labels: BOOK REVIEW
Saturday, 7 August 2010
TN : Spinifex Esprit 2007, Barossa, Australia
Spinifex was founded in 2001 by Peter Schell and Magali Gely. This wine is a blend of 36% Shiraz, 26% Grenache, 25% Mataro, 7% Carignan, and 6% Cinsault.
This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.
Colour : Dark red, blue hues
Aroma : Liqourice, spice, pepper, blackberry
Taste : Fruit bomb, liqourice, spice, pepper, blackberry, plums
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : 269 SEK
Mark : B-
Website : Spinifex Wines
Website : JPC Wines AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 21:00 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : TH Pinot Noir 2008, Vina Undurraga, West Casablanca, Chile
TH stands for "Terroir Hunter". The grapes for this wine come from a 1.59 hectare North-facing hillside in Las Dichas at tha far South-Western end of the Casablanca Valley. Only 685 cases of this wine were produced. The grapes were grown in well-drained red clay loam over alterated granite subsoil, rich in quartz. 100% Davis 1 Pinot Noir clones were used. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.
Colour : Red
Aroma : Strawberry, spice, plums, oak
Taste : Red berries, oak, plums spice
Alcohol : 13.5%
Price : 149 SEK
Mark : C+
Website : Vina Undurraga
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 20:47 1 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Friday, 6 August 2010
TN : Catena Alta Chardonnay 2007, Bodega Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina
The grapes for this wine come from the Adrianna vineyard at 5000 feet elevation (80%) and the Domingo vineyard at 3700 feet elevation (20%). The wine spent one year in French oak, half of which was new.
This wine was imported by VinUnic AB.
Colour : Lemon
Aroma : Oak, pear, sweetcorn, pineapple
Taste : Sweetcorn, oak, mango, pineapple and oranges on very long finish
Alcohol : 14%
Price : 189 SEK
Mark : A-
Website : Bodega Catena Zapata
Website : VinUnic AB
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 16:29 7 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
Sunday, 1 August 2010
TN : Syrah Rose, Vin de Pays D'Oc, International Wine Broker Handelsgesellschaft mbH, France
Colour : Bright strawberry, raspberry
Aroma : Fresh red berries
Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, spritzy
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : 6 Euro (250 ml bottle, Le Buffet, Oberpolinger, Munich, Germany)
Mark : B
Posted by ANDY CHEESE at 15:40 0 comments
Labels: Tasting Note
TN : TMV Swartland Syrah 2007, Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards, Swartland, South Africa
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-
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