TN : Palazzo Simoncelli Sangiovese Merlot 2005, IGT, Umbria, Italy

This wine was bottled by Barone Montalto for Oenoforos AB Sweden. It has spent 6 months in French and American oak.

Colour : Dark plum

Aroma : Oak, spice, dark fruits

Taste : Fruity, dark and red fruits, oak and spicy finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 69 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Oenoforos AB
Website : Barone Montalto

TN : Brennfleck Iphoefer Kronsberg Silvaner, Kabinett Trocken, 2005, WG Brennfleck, Franken, Germany

This wine is imported by Occasion Wine AB.

Colour : Pale yellow, lemon

Aroma : Grapes, pear, tropical fruits

Taste : Apple, pear, lemon, almond

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 91 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Occasion Wine AB
Website : Weingut Brennfleck

TN : Les Perruches, 2005, Domaine de la Cotelleraie, St Nicolas de Bourgueil, France

This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc. It is imported by Granqvist Vinagentur.

Colour : Dark deep blackcurrant

Aroma : Cedar wood, blackcurrant, blackberry

Taste : Cedar wood, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry, drying tannins on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 115 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Granqvist Vinagentur

TN : Chateau d'Aqueria. Rose, 2006, Tavel, France

Tavel is situated in the southern end of the Côtes-du-Rhône across the river from and roughly five miles west of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its name is thought to be derived either from the word "taveau," meaning "ridge," or from the River Tave, a tributary of the Rhône. The Romans first introduced the vine to this very old viticultural area by way of the Rhône River, from where it gradually spread northward. Grape seeds dating from approximately 200 AD indicate some sort of pressing operation, suggesting that wine was produced in the area in that period. Tavel later claims a mention in history in a 13th century reference to King Philippe le Bel, who on a journey through his territories passed through Tavel. Without dismounting his horse, he downed a goblet of the local wine and exclaimed, "There is no good wine but that of Tavel!" Various brief historical references are made to Tavel thereafter, and the notoriety of the wine was doubtless spread as a result of the relocation of the papal seat to Avignon in the 14th century.

While it is clear that the wines of Tavel were over time increasingly widely consumed, it is likely that they were frequently blended and shipped northward with other wines of the region. Documentation prior to and during this period citing wines named for villages a few miles distant supports the conclusion that the wines of Tavel were for some time confused with those of surrounding villages and specifically with wines produced around the river port of Roquemaure from which they were shipped, a point which from the 17th to 19th centuries was an important port of embarkation to Lyons, Paris, Great Britain and Holland. Tavel's recognition as a wine from a specific area only became established in the first quarter of the 1800s.

The Tavel appellation covers 2,000 acres defined by law in 1936, of which a tiny part lies in the adjoining commune of Roquemaure to the east. The distinguishing feature of the area's soils is that, in contrast to the red, stony soils on the left river bank, Tavel's soils are characterized by hillocks of sand over a chalky clay subsoil, very well-drained, arid and without limestone content. The long growing season and intense, sunny summers yield fruit of extraordinary ripeness, concentration and richness in sugar.

The Tavel appellation designates rosé wines only, which are produced from a blend of red and white grape varieties in varying proportions. In 1968 the percentages of permitted varieties were modified to allow at most sixty percent Grenache and at least fifteen percent Cinsault with Syrah, Bourboulenc, Mourvèdre, Clairette, and Picpoult in various proportions at the producer's discretion. Syrah and Mourvèdre had not previously been included among the permitted varieties.

In 1595, the monks of the Abbey of Villeneuve-les-Avignon transferred a large portion of their landholding northeast of Avignon, on the right bank of the Rhône River, to a citizen and aristocrat of Avignon, Louis Joseph d'Aquéria. This district, known as the "puy sablonnier," or "sandy hill," covered the east-central quarter of what was then and is now Tavel. Aquéria planted vines there and built a residence at the beginning of the 1600s, and the area became known by his name. Over the next two centuries the vineyard remained productive, but was sold and subdivided many times; at the beginning of the 18th century the present château was constructed. Sometime in the vicinity of 1830 the wines from the vineyard of Aquéria became recognized in their own right and under their own name.

Jean Olivier purchased Château d'Aquéria in 1920 and began to reassemble the original vineyard parcels surrounding the château. It is one of 45 estates in the appellation, but one of only four properties in Tavel which is a domaine in the sense that its vineyards are contiguous as opposed to lying on holdings scattered throughout the appellation. It is also the largest of the four, covering 244 acres of which 161 are planted in vines. Of these, 120 acres are under production in Tavel and the balance under production in red and white Lirac. Production in Tavel averages 24,500 cases annually, with that in Lirac Rouge and Blanc at 4,500 and 1,000 cases, respectively. Château d'Aquéria is now owned by the son of Jean Olivier, Paul de Bez, and his sons Vincent and Bruno, who over the end of the 1980s renovated the vinification facilities and cellars with the addition of stainless steel fermentation tanks and exact temperature control over wines in storage.

Colour : Strawberry

Aroma : Black Cherry, raspberry

Taste : Dry, fruity, hot finish, slightly herby

Alcohol : 13.5 %

Price : 125 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Chateau d'Aqueria

TN : Achaval-Ferrer, Malbec, 2005, Mendoza, Argentina

The grapes came from Vistalba, Medrano and the Uco Valley. It spent 10 months in 95% French oak and 5% American oak. Achaval-Ferrer was founded in 1998 by Santiago Achaval and Manuel Ferrer. The winemaker was Robert Cipresso. This was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Plum, blueberry soup

Aroma : Blueberry, plum, oak, violets

Taste : Fruity, blueberry, plum, oak, slight vinegar note on a lean finish

Alcohol : 13.5 %

Price : 174 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Divine AB
Website : Achaval-Ferrer

Wine Growing in Sweden : Skåne

Will Skåne be the next big wine growing region in Europe ?. See these two articles, published in Expressen in Helsinborg, for more detailed information :

Website : http://www.helsingborg.expressen.se/Nyheter/1.674509
Website : http://www.helsingborg.expressen.se/Nyheter/1.674257

TN : 2004 Reichestal Pinot Noir, WG Franz Kuenstkler, Rheingau, Germany

Reichestal means "rich valley". The soil consists of loess and heavy water storing clay. The wine is imported by AB Nigab.

Colour : Pale red

Aroma : Stewed fruits, violets, oak

Taste : Stewed mouthwatering unsweetened strawberries, herby, spicy, hot, slight burnt rubber like finish which spoilt the wine

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 169 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Weingut Kuenstler
Website : AB Nigab

TN : Villa Wolf, Pinot Noir, 2005, Pfalz, Germany

This wine is made by Ernst Loosen, who took over the estate in 1996, and was fermented and matured in old French oak. 5% of the total J L Wolf estate is pinot noir. This wine is imported by Modern Wines Sweden; however, there is no information about this wine on their outdated site !!.

Colour : Pale raspberry

Aroma : Mostly violets, some red berry fruits

Taste : Violets, slight oak, stewed fruits, lingering violet finish

Alcohol : 13%

Mark : C

Website : J L Wolf
Website : Modern Wines Sweden

TN : Rietburg Creation, Grauer Burgunder Trocken 2006, CWG Rietburg, Pfalz, Germany

Imported by Granqvist Vinagentur

Colour : Very pale yellow

Aroma : Honey, grapey, melon, almond

Taste : acidic green apple, citrus like and almond finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Mark : C

Website : Granqvist Vinagentur
Website : Moselland

TN : Chakana 2006 Malbec Rose, Mendoza, Argentina

This is the best rose I have ever had except for the very full flavoured Fetzer vineyards Valley Oaks Syrah Rose which is, of course, not available by the bottle in Sweden thanks the people-controlling, anti consumer freedom, attitude of the goverment. It is imported by Primewine Sweden AB. Unfortunately, there is hardly any information about this wine on the Primewine website and it is not even present on the Chakana wines website. However, I include the links in the hope that these websites get updated.

Colour : very deep colour for a rose wine. Canned cherries

Aroma : Summer fruit pudding

Taste : Clean, summer fruits

Alcohol : 13%

Mark : B+

Website : Primewine Sweden AB
Website : Chakana Wines

TN : Valiano Toscana IGT 2005

This was a smooth easy "glugger". It is a blend of 60% sangiovese, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. The wine was vinified in stainless steel tanks for 15 days and then spent 3 monthd in 500 litre oak barrels It is imported by Fondberg.

Colour : Dark plum

Aroma : oak, cherries

Taste : soft tannins, slight almos non-existant oak, slight cassis, plum, cherry

Alcohol : 13.5%

Mark : C

Website : Fondberg

New Glasses

I just traded in my old Schott-Zwiesel Vina Bordeaux glasses to the Diva range. Both are made with Tritan crystal glass which makes them a bit stronger. The Divas are quite a bit bigger, can hold up to 770 ml, and will only fit on one of the shelves in our kitchen cupboard at home. But to make up for this only drawback, the aromas are much more concentrated with these new glasses and I would recommend them as they are not that expensive.

Website : Schott Zwiesel

Champagne Charlie DVD

I just finished watching "Champagne Charlie" yesterday. It is a 2 DVD set and stars Hugh Grant who isn't too bad in the role. It is the story of Charles Heidseck who travels to America to promote his champagne and ends up spying for the French prior to the American civil war. In the end he regains control of his vineyards and winery from his uncle who is jealous because his mother didn't marry him.

New Wines for May 2007

New wines will be available from Systembolaget on Wednesday May 2nd (well mostly; there is another "delivery" on May 14th). Wines I will try (good value and within my budget) are :

• Chakana, Malbec Rose, 2006
• Chateau d'Aqueria Rose, 2006
• Villa Wolf, Pinot Noir, 2006
• Kuenstler, Reichestal Pinot Noir, 2006
• Zisola, Marchesi Mazzei, 2005
• Les Perruches, Domaine de la Cotelleraie, 2005
• Rietburg Creation, Grauer Burgunder Trocken, 2006
• Tourquinheiras, Vinho Verde Reserva, 2006
• Brennfleck Iphoefer Kronsberg, Silvaner Kabinett Trocken, 2006
• Samos, 2005, Union Cooperatives Samos

Tasting notes will be published as I consume these "interesting"-looking wines.

I just got the latest newsletter from Vinunic. These guys have to be the best importers in Sweden; great selection of wines at great prices. I am trying to join their wine club right now (just waiting for a response having filled out the registration form). One interesting looking wine on their new release list is the Zind 2004 from Zind Humbrecht of Alsace. It is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Auxerois. I might give this one a try. It claims to have undergone fermentation in old oak barrels so no oak should be apparent. I guess this is to add extra complexity via oxygen transfer. I hate oaky white wines so I hope this is true. It got an 89 from Wine Spectator and there was no mention of heavy oak. I just hope the Systembolaget haven't sold out (or that I haven't ran out of money) by the time this is available and I get to the shop after work.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt May 2007
Website : VinUnic "Våra vinner" May 2007

Chateau Pichon-Lalande Visit 2006

During August 2006, I visited Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande for a tour. The tour itself was private i.e. nobody else but us and personal guide. We went by public transport which was pretty easy; direct bus from Bordeaux to Saint Lambert and then a two minute walk. Thus we could taste a lot without fear of being caught drunk-driving. We had a tour around the winemaking facilities, barrel aging facility and glass museum. The glass museum is filled with wonderful pieces that May Eliane de Lencquesaing received during her travels around the world promoting her wine. In addition, I bought a golfing cap and a copy of the book "Magic of Wine" by May Lencquesaing. The wines we tasted were Chateau Bernadotte, the other winery that May Lencquesaing owns, and the grand vin.


Website : Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Website : Chateau Bernadotte

TN : Chateau de Parenchere, Cuvee Raphael 2003, Bordeaux Superieur

This is a blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon with 45% merlot that was aged in Troncais oak barrels, 30% of which were new. The wine was aged between 14 to 18 months on its lees without racking or other exposure to air. Micro-oxygenation in barrel was used though. The grapes come from a 65 ha vineyard with vines of an average age of more than 40 years. This wine is the chateau's flagship wine. The name "Raphael" is the name of the current owner's father, Raphael Gazaniol, who renovated the estate. The wine is recommended to be drunk between 4 to 8 years after the vintage date so in theory I caught it at the right time to get maximum fruit flavours.

We only drank half of this bottle at first and put the rest under a vac-u-vin for 24 hours. This didn't tamed the alcohol but the green vegetable flavours disappeared and the wine itself became drinkable; it is probably worth decanting this before drinking.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrants, damsons, green vegetables

Taste : Hot alcohol, blackcurrant, harsh oak, smooth drying tanins

Alcohol : 14.5 %

Mark : D (C- after 24 hours under vac-u-vin).

Website : Chateau de Parenchere

TN : Kuenstler 2006 Hölle Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau QmP

This wine is sealed with a screwcap. It is imported by AB Nigab, Sweden. When kept cold it threw a lot of tartaric acid crystals. This would be because the wine has not been cold stabilised. This does not impact the quality of the wine but the last thing you need is a moothful of these crystals so take care when pouring the final glass of the bottle.

Hoelle in this context is the name of the vineyard and means steep mountain.

Aroma : Apples, slight honey

Colour : Pale yellow / straw

Taste : Spritzy, sweetish, fruity. grapey, minerals

Mark : B

Website : Weingut Kuenstler
Website : AB Nigab

Wayward Tendrils Quarterly

I just received my copy of the April 2007 edition of Wayward Tendrils (Vol 17 No 2). It contains book reviews, book announcements and excellent book reviews. There is an interesting article about Samuel Lachman who was a notable and wealthy California wine industry pioneer. The publication also contains a tribute to Len Evans, the man to first set up The Australian Wine Bureau. In addition, Wayward Tendrils contains the next installment of a series of articles about Martin Ray and his friendships with eminent oenophiles. The current articles focus on Martin Ray's friendship with Maynard Amerine of UC Davis. What is especially interesting is what Martin Ray thought about other Californian vintners and his fight for quality wine. I would be very curious to hear a response from thos vintners such as Robert Mondavi to hear their side of things.

A list of updates to James Gabler's Wine Into Words and the current membership list (168 members) is also included in the mailing.

Wayward Tendrils Quarterly is the publication of a wine book collector's society. I have been a member since 2004. There are 4 issues a year published. The subscription price is $25 Overseas and $20 for USA/Canada.

Website : Wayward Tendrils

TN : E. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone, Red, 2003

This is 55% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre and other varieties. The average age of the vines is 35 years. It has spent 1 1/2 years in oak foudres. The yield was 41Hl per hectare. The production was a staggering 3,000,000 bottles. According to Guigal it can be aged for up to 8 years.

Aroma : White pepper, cloves, cinamon, plum

Colour : Plum red with brown tinge

Taste : Red plummy fruits with pepper and clove

Alcohol : 13%

Mark : C

Website : E Guigal

TN : Dr L Riesling 2005, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

This is bottled under screwcap by Loosen Bros of Bernkastel. It is imported by Modern Wines Sweden.

Aroma : Lemon, honey

Colour : pale lemon

Taste : Lemon, honey, off-dry, clean acidic lemony finish

Alcohol : 11%

Mark : B

Website : Dr Loosen
Website : Modern Wines Sweden