Calvet-Thunevin Cuvee Constance 2005, VdP des Cotes Catalanes, France

This is a blend of 45% Grenache, 45% Carignan, and 10% Syrah.

Cotes Catalanes lies in Roussillon which is north of Perpignan. The grapes come from 10.5 hectares. The soils are 70% schistes and 30% clayey limestone. The average age of the vines is 45 years. Ageing was done in concrete tanks. 19,600 bottles were produced.

The wine is the result of a collaboration between Roger Calvet and Jean-Luc Thunevin.

Colour : Purple

Aroma : Spicy, blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla

Taste : Spicy finish, vanilla, dark fruits

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 109 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Calvet
Website : Thunevin

TN : Falesco Tellus 2006, Lazio, Italy

The blend for this wine is 50% merlot and 50% syrah. The grape varities were vinified separately in stainless steel tanks. The fermentation lasted two weeks. The syrah was stored in barrels for one month.

Lazio is near Rome in central Italy.

The wine was imported by V&S.

Colour : Dark blueberry

Aroma : Dark berries, mint, violets

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, herbs, oak

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : V&S
Website : Barbro Guaccero

TN : Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Medella Real Single Estate, Santa Rita, Valle del Maipo, Chile

This is made from 20 year old vineyards Alto Jahuel in the Maipo Valley. The vineyard has a sub-humid Mediterranean climate. The vineyards are located 500m – 550m above sea level. The rains fall mainly in winter with a 500 mm/year average. Spring is fresh and dry and summer is hot and dry with temperatures occasionally reaching over 30°C. The influence of the Andes Mountains is expressed by an ample thermal oscillation of over 15°C between day and night and a gradual decrease in temperatures towards the end of summer, allowing the grapes to slowly ripen thus, the berries maintain their fruit concentration and proper tannin maturing. The soils are of alluvial origin, stratified and gently sloped with medium depth, a loamy texture and basic pH.

Each lot is vinified separately in accordance with its optimum point of ripeness. Vinification, in terms of temperature and extraction, is performed based on the individual characteristics of each lot, between 25° and 28°C. The extraction is usually more violent at the beginning of the fermentation process and is gradually reduced based on its development and increase in the level of alcohol. Post fermentative maceration is performed on some batches in order to assure the best possible balance. The wine is aged 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, 40% new, 30% second year and 30% third year. The winemaker was Andres Ilabaca. The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The pH is 3.58, acidity is 5.19 grammes per litre (tartaric acid), and residual sugar is 3.09 grammes per litre. According to the winemaking notes published by Santa Rita, the alcohol level is 14.5% (not what it states on the bottle but probably an allowed deviation by law).

It is imported by Amka.

Colour : Cassis, purple

Aroma : Oak, blackcurrant, olives

Taste : Overoaked, sandalwood, blackcurrant, dark fruits, toast, vanilla

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 143 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Santa Rita

Website : Amka

TN : Chateau Ducluzeau 2001, Crus Bourgeois, Listrac-Medoc, France

Château Ducluzeau bears the name of the man who founded it. The vineyards are situated on the Listrac gravel plateau and have been owned by the Borie family for over 100 years. This chateau was classified as an ordinary cru bourgeois in the 2003 classification that has recently been overturned.

The vineyard is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvingon. The grapes were hand-harvested. fermentation and maceration was done at temperatures between 26 and 28 degrees. Pumping over was used during maceration of skins. The wine was matured for 14 to 18 months in 225 litre French oak barrels of which 10 to 20 percent were new.

The wine was imported by Swedish Brand AB. There is no mention of this wine on their website though. In fact, their web site is pretty awful with almost no interesting content.

Colour : Cassis, maroon

Aroma : Blackberry, oak, tobacco

Taste : Oak, some tanins, blackcurrant, dark fruits, sandalwood finish, a bit thin

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Swedish Brand AB

TN : Claude Val Rose 2006, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France

This wine is imported by Bornicon & Salming. It is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. The grapes were grown in the Herlaut Hills in Languedoc. The producer is Les Domaines Paul Mas.

Colour : Pale red, well-cooked salmon with copper notes.

Aroma : Fresh red berries

Taste : Dry, red berries, slight spice & herb finish, liquorice

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 55 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Bornicon & Salming

Website : Les Domaines Paul Mas

TN : Riesling, 2006, A. Christmann, Pfalz, Germany

This wine was bottled under screwcap. It was imported by Enosvezia AB.

Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Lemon, lime, minerals

Taste : Simple lemon, acidic, mineral and dry finish

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 109 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Weingut Christmann

Website : Enosvezia AB

TN : Villa Antinori 2003, IGT, Antinori, Tuscany, Italy

They say that wine is meant to go with food. The only food this would work well is grilled oak plank. This wine is overoaked. What was the winemaker thinking. I would have expected better from a well established and well recognised producer such as Antinori. This also goes to show what a joke the Systembolaget monopoly is. The idea is that all wines are tasted so that it isn't possible to get a bad bottle. This one got through. It was probably bought because the Systembolaget buys it every year. It had some fruit lurking in the background but it was quite well masked.

This wine is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5% Syrah.

Autumn and winter 2002 were rainy and fairly cold. The spring and summer of 2003 were among the hottest and driest in recent years. Budding was earlier than average for all varieties because of the dry mild weather. From June onwards the temperatures were very high and there was no rain at all. Thus the grapes ripened early. High sugar levels were recorded after 15th August for the earliest ripening varieties. Production quantities were low because of the lack of water.

The grapes were destemmed, lightly presses, and macerated in stainless steel tanks for 12 days, at a temperature below 30 degrees. Alcoholic fermentation took place during this time. By the end of 2003, the malolactic fermentation had completed. The wine was then partially transferred to French, American, and Hungarian oak barriques to age for 12 months. The wine was then aged in bottle for 8 months prior to its release.

Colour : Purple, brown

Aroma : Oak, dark fruits

Taste : Oak, sour cherries, slight blackcurrant

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 128 SEK

Mark : D

Website : Antinori

TN : Syrah 2003, Dehesa del Carrizal, Spain

The vineyard from where the grapes come is 2.5 hectares. It was planted in 1997 on the back of 3x2 frames. There were 1666 plants per hectare. An additional 2.5 hectares were planted in 2000.

Alcoholic fermentation takes place at termperatures less than 28 degrees. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is transfered to French and European oak casks for 12 months maturation. The wine is then fined with egg whites and subjected to a superficial filtering and released after a further 4 to 6 months bottle aging.

Colour : Purple

Aroma : Spice, bacon, dark fruits

Taste : Pepper, spice, violets, blueberry

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 137 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Dehesa del Carrizal

VinUnic Newsletter August 2007

I recieved the August 2007 newsletter from VinUnic today. There are new wines launched from both Vergelegen, and Shafer.

Website : VinUnic Newsletter August 2007

TN : Trilogie 2005, Red Wine, Lujan de Cuyo, Domaine Vistalba, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 70% Malbec, 15% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

It was vinted and bottled by Domaine Vistalba. It was distributed by Bornicon & Salming.

Colour : Plum, maroon

Aroma : Red fruits, spice

Taste : Spicy, plummy, hot finish, vanilla oak

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 59 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Bornicon & Salming

Website : Domaine Vistalba

English Sparkling Rose Wine as good as French efforts

Being a fan of English wines, I love to hear news like this.

Ridegview Wine Estate won a trophy at the recent Le Mondial de Rose competition which has the best Rose wines in the world competiting against the French. RidgeView’s Merret Fitzrovia 2004 won the Jean Feraud trophy in the 2007 competition for the Best International Sparkling Rosé.

RidgeView have been producing sparkling wine for the past 8 years, and are no strangers to awards, with 80 medals and 15 trophies to date. Their sparkling wine was the only English Wine on the menu for the Queens 80th Birthday lunch.

Website : English Wine Producers News

TN : Vinahonda Tinto 2005, Jumilla, Bodegas Silvano Garcia, Spain

This wine is a blend of 90% Monstrell and 10% Tempranillo.

Colour : Maroon, blackberry

Aroma : Savoury berries

Taste : Oak, dark and red berries

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 51 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Bodegas Silvano Garcia

TN . Black Tie 2004, Pinot Gris & Riesling, Caves des Vignerons Pfaffenheim, Alsace, France

This wine is a blend of 40% Riesling and 60% Pinot Gris.

Colour : Yellow

Aroma : Lemon, honey, quince, spice

Taste : Almonds, ginger, lemon, honey

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 116 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Caves des Vignerons Pfaffenheim

TN : Claude Val Rouge 2006, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France

This wine is imported by Bornicon & Salming. It is a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, and Merlot. The grapes were grown in the Herlaut Hills in Languedoc. The producer is Les Domaines Paul Mas.

Colour : Deep dark plum, purple

Aroma : Savoury, spicy red fruits

Taste : Red fruits, spicy finish, drying tanins

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 55 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Bornicon & Salming

Website : Les Domaines Paul Mas

Wine Taxes

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said on Wednesday 18th July that the difference in taxes in wine and beer in Sweden breaks EU law. Wine currently is taxed higher than beer. As usual, the Swedish government conjured up some figures saying that the difference is negligible and doesn't affect purchases. However, The European Court usually follows the Advocate General's recommendations, although it can go against them. Sweden's Public Health Minister Maria Larsson and Finance Minister Anders Borg declined to comment on the Advocate General's opinion, saying they would wait for the court's decision.

What will happen, either beer taxes will go up or wine taxes will come down.

Website : Sweden's wine tax breaks EU law

TN : Trilogie 2006, Torrontes, Argentina

This wine was vinted and bottled by Domaine Vistalba. It was distributed by Bornicon & Salming.

Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Stone fruits

Taste : Almonds, apricots, peaches

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 59 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Bornicon & Salming

Website : Domaine Vistalba

TN . Petalos 2006, Descendientes de J Palacios, Bierzo, Spain

This wine is imported by Prime Wine Sweden AB. It is 100% Mencia. It was matured for six months in new French oak and fined using egg whites before bottling.

Colour : Dark cherry

Aroma : Herby, dark berries

Taste : Drying tannins and slight herbs on finish, violets, blackberry, blueberry, dark fruits

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : PrimeWine Sweden AB

Systembolaget Varunytt August 2007

Systembolaget have released Varunytt which details the wines that will be launched on Wednesday 1st August 2007.

Website : VaruNytt August 2007

Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling Classic 2005, Rheingau, Germany

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Lemon marmelade, fruity

Taste : Lemon. fruity, slightly off dry, some minerals on finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 113 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Schloss Reinhartshausen

TN : Poggio Teo, Chianti Classico, 2003, Fattoria di Valiano, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy

Great fruit but overoaked.

The Valiano Estate is situated in the heart of the favored Chianti Classico production area, whose well-defined boundaries were established back in 1716. Valiano is in the municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga.

Poggio Teo originates from slope of the hill to the same name, in a typical Tuscan landscape like a little corner of paradise where time seem to stand still.

The grapes are harvested by hand in late September when they have reached their peak of maturity. Only the most carefully selected fruit is used to create this particular wine.

The wine undergoes further maturation in bottle as well before it is ready to be sold.

This wine is 1005 Sangiovese.

This wine was awarded 88 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Colour : Dark plum

Aroma : Dark fruits, oak

Taste : Cherry, blackcurrant, too much oak

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : C+