TN : Castelgiocondo 2003, Brunello Di Montalcino, Marchesi De Frescobaldi, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is 100% Sangiovese. All of the grapes for this wine were handharvested during the last week of September and the first week of October 2003. The yield was 35 hectolitres per hectare.



Alcoholic fermentation took twelve days in stainless steel vats at a temperature of less than 30 degrees. The length of the maceration was 32 days. The wine was matured in Slavonian oak casks and French oak barrels.



This wine was rated three out of five stars by Decanter magazine and 90 points by Wine Spectator.



This wine was purchased as part of a three bottle case of the 2003, 2004, and 2005 vintages of Castelgiocondo from Finnair in-flight duty free on the Hong Kong to Helsinki route for 98 Euro.







Colour : Dark red,brown hues

Aroma : Blackcurrants, plums, wood, coffee

Taste : Wood, fruity, blackcurrant, plums, coffee, cherries, chalky tannic finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Mark : B

TN : FLD Riglos Gran Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina

Dario Werthein and Fabian Suffern together created Roglur winery.



This wine is 100% Malbec. The grapes for this wine were harvested on April 8th 2008. There were 16,516 bottles produced of this wine. The site for the grapes is located in Tupungato in the Uco Valley at 4000 feet above sea level. The wine was aged for 20 months in first use French oak barrels. The enologist was Pulqui Rodriguez Villa.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Oak, plums, blackberry, violets, herbs, milk chocolate

Taste : Milk chocolate, herbs, liqourice, violets, blackberry, pencil lead tannins on finish. This wine took about an hour to open up at which point it was really singing. This could be worth leaving for anothet year or two.

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Bodega Riglos

TN : Heartland Dolcetto and Lagrein 2008, Heartland Wines Pty Ltd, Langhorne Creek and Limestone Coast, Australia

This wine was sealed with a screwcap. The winemaker was Ben Glaetzer. The wine is a blend of 50% Dolcetto and 50% Lagrein. 73% of the grapes were sourced from Langhorne Creek and 27% from Limestone Coast. The soils of Langhorne Creek are sandy loam and in the Limestone Coast it is grey marl over deep limestone. The age of the vines was between 12 and 15 years. The average yield was between 3.5 to 4.8 tonnes per hectare or 1.5 to 2 tons per acre.



The Dolcetto fruit was crushed and macerated for two days prior to yeast addition. The followed by a cool fermentation at 22 degrees, followed by four times daily hand-plunging. The wine was left on skins for 10 days before pressing. Approximately 50% of the Dolcetto was transferred to French oak hogsheads for completion of fermentation whilst the remainder was left unoaked.

The Lagrein was also fermented at cool temperatures of between 18 and 20 degrees to preserve aromatics and limit bitter tannin extraction. The Lagrein was then transferred to new French and American oak for 11 months maturation prior to blending and bottling.

70% of the oak was French and 30% was American. The wine spent 11 months in barrel.

The total acidity is 6.6 grammes per litre. The pH is 3.46. The residual sugar is 0.9 grammes per litre.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, mint, liqourice, spice

Taste : Oak, toast, black cherry, liqourice, mint, melted chocolate-like texture, fruit bomb

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Heartland Wines

TN : Wishbone Pinot Noir 2009, Saint Clair Family Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by SIGVA AB.

Colour : Red, cherry

Aroma : Oak, spice, red fruits, herbs

Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, redcurrants, herbs, warm and spicy finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Saint Clair Family Estate
Website : SIGVA AB

TN : Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spaetlese 2009, Mosel, Germany

Wehlener Sonnenuhr means "The sundial of Wehlen". This wine was imported by VinUnic AB.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Honey, green apples, lemon, stone fruits, pear

Taste : Lemon, lime, sweet, honey, spritzy, mineral, pears, green apples

Alcohol : 8%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : A

Website : Dr Loosen

TN : Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie 2004, Benedicte et Gregoire Hubau, Canon Fronsac, Bordeaux, France

The estate consists of 6,75 hectares of flanking slopes of clayey limestone on molasse. It is planted to 98 % Merlot and 2 % Malbec.


Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Oak, blackberry, plums, herbs, cedar

Taste : Blackcurrant, redcurrants, plums, cedar, herbs, coffee, tangy finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 286 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie

TN : Stags' Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Stags' Leap Winery, Napa Valley, California, USA

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrants, coffee, milk chocolate

Taste : Coffee, cherry, blackcurrant, graphite-like tannins and liqourice on finish, could keep for one or two more years and try again

Alcohol : 14.1%

Price : 399 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Stags' Leap Winery

TN : Hunter's Pinot Noir 2008, Jane Hunter, Marlborough, New Zealand

The grapes were harvested between the 5th March and the 13th April 2008. The Brix at harvest was on average 23.5. The winemaker was Gary Duke. The wine was sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Red, blue hues

Aroma : Fruits of the forest, herbs, spice

Taste : Ginger, raspberry, strawberry, oak, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 140 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Hunter's Wines

TN : Willi Schaefer Riesling 2009, Mosel, Germany

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by Origo Wine.

Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Honey, lime, minerals, green apple

Taste : Semi sweet, honey, lime, pear, green apple, minerals on long crisp acidic finish

Alcohol : 9.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Origo Wine

TN : Sandalford Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Sandalford Wines Pty, Margaret River, Australia

The fruit for this wine came exclusively from a 37 old, dry-grown Margaret River Estate vineyard. After crushing and de-stemming, the fruit underwent fermentation in small ten tonne static fermenters. The traditional method of pumping over was employed during fermentation to optimise colour, flavour and tannin extraction. Post-ferment, the wine was left on skins for two weeks prior to pressing. The pressings were mixed back with the free-run wine and then inoculated for MLF with selected bacteria. After the completion of MLF, the wine was racked and transferred to both new and one year old French oak for 18 months. At the end of barrel maturation the various wine components were blended, fined and given minimal filtration prior to bottling.



This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was awarded 94 points out of 100 in James Halliday’s Top 100 Wines (Australia’s best white, red and sparkling wines), The Weekend Australian Magazine, 13-14 November 2010, page 23.

This wine was imported by Carovin AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Bramble fruits, oak, vanilla, mint

Taste : Blackcurrant, plums, vanilla, raspingly oaky finish, mint

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Sandalford Wines

TN : Caliterra Tributo Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Block #Arrayan 2009, Vina Caliterra, Casablanca Valley, Chile

Caliterra is a fusion of quality "calidad" and land "tierra". All the grapes for this wine were hand-harvested and the resulting wine was aged for five months in French oak barrels.



This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

Colour : Pale red

Aroma : Strawberry, herbs, vanilla, spice

Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, spice, vanilla, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 105 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Vina Caliterra

TN : Les Champs D'Or Dry Red Wine 2006, Le Vin Du Desert De Gobi, Xinjiang Xiangdu Winery, China

Colour : Red, brown hues

Aroma : Wood, red fruits, nail varnish

Taste : Red fruits, vanilla, wood on finish, slight vinegar undertone

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 128 RMB (Ole, Holiday Plaza Store, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China)

Mark : C-

TN : Chalten Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2008, Bodegas Universo Austral, Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina

The winemaker was Pablo Herrera.



This wine was imported by The Wine Agency AB.

Colour : Raspberry pink

Aroma : Oak, cherry, strawberry, toast, herbs

Taste : Warm, strawberry, raspberry, herbs, toast

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Bodegas Universo Austral
Website : The Wine Agency AB

TN : Chateau Saint-Robert Cuvee Poncet-Deville 2008, Graves, Bordeaux, France

This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon.



Colour : Pale gold

Aroma : Oak, lemon, nuts

Taste : Lemon, lime, nuts, creamy texture, overoaked

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Chateau Saint-Robert

TN : Grauer Burgunder 2009, Weinkellerei Schmitt Soehne GmbH, Pfalz, Germany

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Spice, floral, lemon, honey, pineapple

Taste : Spicy, honey, pineapple, green apples

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Schmitt Soehne

TN : Red Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2008, Red Hill Estate Wines, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Red Hill Estate was established in 1989 and is situated about an hour away from Melbourne. The winemakers were Michael Kyberd and Luke Curry.



This wine was sealed with a screwcap. This wine was imported by Giertz Vinimport AB.

Colour : Red, maroon

Aroma : Strawberry, blueberry, herbs, oak, cherry cola

Taste : Strawberry, sour cherry, spice, mint, vanilla

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 134 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Red Hill Estate Wines
Website : Giertz Vinimport AB

TN : Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 2009, Vino Frizzante, Cantine Medici Ermete & Figli, Italy

Colour : Red, blue hues, sparkling

Aroma : Backberry, raspberry, cherries, herbs

Taste : Blueberry, raspberry, cherry, slight sweetness, dry tannic finish

Alcohol : 10%

Price : 75 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Cantine Medici Ermete

TN : Saumur Reserve des Vignerons 2009, Cave de Saumur, Loire Valley, France

This wine was 100% Cabernet Franc and bottled under screwcap.



Colour : Dark red/pink hues

Aroma : Cherry, herbs, red fruits

Taste : Red fruits, blueberry, herbs, green, thin

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Cave de Saumur

TN : Tandarra Cuvee Prestige Chardonnay, South Eastern Australia, Australia

I didn't get much complexity out of this wine at 11,000 metres up in a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Hong Kong. I tasted it again on the return journey with the same result.



This wine was in a 187 ml screwcapped PET bottle. It was produced by SkyCellar Ltd of Finland and bottled in Estonia.

Taste : Lemon, cream, butter, oak

Price : Free

TN : Echeverria Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Vina Echeverria, Central Valley, Chile

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carmenere.



This wine was awarded 91 points by The Wine Enthusiast Magazine in May 2010.



This wine is imported by HJO Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Blackcurrant, oak, herbs

Taste : Lively upfront blackcurrants, vanilla, oak, coffee, toast

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina Echeverria

TN : Sophenia Synthesis The Blend 2007, Finca Sophenia, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. 12,900 bottles were produced. The consultant winemaker was Michel Rolland. The winemaker was Matias Michelini. The vineyards lay in the foothills of the Andes at an elevation of 6,000 feet. All of the grapes were hand-harvested in the end of April 2007. The wine has spent 14 months in French barriques.



This wine received 89 points from The Wine Advocate and 91 points from Wine Spectator.

This wine was imported by PrimeWine Sweden AB and 120 bottles were imported into Sweden. The wine went on sale on the 1st March 2010.

Colour : Dense, blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, violets, oak, toast

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, violets, minerals, lashings of toasty oak on finish, smooth tannins

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 249 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Finca Sophenia

TN : Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Columbia Valley, USA

This wine is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The winemaker was Mike Januik.



Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Oak, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, milk, red fruits

Taste : Blackcurrant, red fruits, milk chocolate, coffee, grippy tannic finish

Alcohol : 14.4%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Novelty Hill Winery

TN : Annie Camarda Syrah 2007, Andrew WIll Cellars, Washington State, USA

The grapes for this wine come from Champoux and Ciel du Cheval. The titratable acidity is 0.67 grammes per 100 ml and the pH is 3.7. The wine spent 12 months is 100% new French Gamba oak barrels. The wine was bottles in September 2008 and was released in February 2010. 316 cases were produced.



Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Very fruity, blackberry, plums, spice, black pepper, tobacco, burnt toast, meaty

Taste : Plums, blackberry, tobacco, toast, dark chocolate, meaty notes, spice and black pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B+

Website : Andrew Will Cellars

TN : Chateau de Fieuzal 2007, Grand Cru Classe de Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France

Colour : Red, purple hues

Aroma : Toasty oak, bramble jelly

Taste : Upfront very fruity, blackcurrant, plums, bramble fruit, cedar and toasty oak on finish. This is overoaked but has nice fruit.

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 256 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Chateau de Fieuzal