TN : Xavier Cotes du Rhone 2004, Xavier Vignon, France

This wine is made by Xavier Vignon who is an oenologist whose laboratory works for leading estates in the Southern Rhone. He has been making his own wines since 2002, although he has been an oenologist for the past fifteen years now.

Colour : Red/purple/brown

Aroma : Spicy, red fruits, blueberry

Taste : Long spicy finish, raspberry, blueberry, red fruits

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 96 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Xavier Vignon

Systembolaget Drinks Auction 2/2007

I received my catalogue for the Systembolaget drinks auction, to be held on Tuesday 11th December 2007, yesterday. Lots of Bordeaux and Burgundy of course. Not much in the way of pictures and no tasting notes; this doesn't live up to the qualty of the Sotheby's or Christie's catalogues for instance. The catalogue is available for online browsing at the Stockholms Auktionsverket website.

Website : Systembolaget
Website : Stockholms Auktionsverket

Systembolaget Varunytt December 2007

The December 2007 list of new wines to be releases on Saturday 1st December 2007 is now released an available for download. Lots of good priced Italian reds and German whites to buy for over Christmas drinking.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt December 2007

TN : Les Bateaux 2006, Rose de Syrah, Vin de Pay d'Oc, Les vins des Salices, Jacques & Francois Lurton, Languedoc, France

The J&F Lurton website contains minimal information this wine.

I bought this wine in the Kista Galleria Systembolaget and have not seen it anywhere else on sale.

Colour : Diluted strawberry cordial

Aroma : Simple sweet red fruits

Taste : red fruits, rosehip, flabby, dry

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 67 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Jacques & Francois Lurton

Divine new wines November 2007

I have a newsletter in my mailbox from Divine which details their new wines for November 2007. These are for the beställningssortiment. Wines that I am interested in are the Copain l'Hiver Syrah 2005 (169 SEK), Copian Madder Lake Syrah (249 SEK), and the Laurel Glen Counterpoint Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (299 SEK).

You can subscribe to the Divine Newsletter via their website.

Website : Divine AB

VinUnic Press Reviews November 2007

The press reviews for VinUnics November 2007 offerings can now be found on their website.

Website : VinUnic Novembernyheter 2007 Pressrevy

Mondowine strengthens portfolio

I received an email yesterday from Mondowine saying that they will be the new representative for Champagne Henriot in Sweden. Henriot dates back, as grapegrowers, to the mid 1600s. Henriot was founded in 1808 by Apolline Henriot. Back then she sold the champagne to close friends and family under the name "Veuve Henriot Aine". Nowadays, Henriot own 115 hectares of vineyards in Cotes des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Vallee de la Marne. What distinguishes Henriot champagnes is the high proportion of Chardonnay in the blends and almost no Pinot Meunier.

Website : Mondowine

TN : Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Leconfield wines, Coonawarra, Australia

Leconfield estate was established in 1974 by noted oenologist Sydney Hamilton. Today, Paul Gordon is the winemaker and Richard Hamilton is the winegrower.

The vineyards are situated in Coonawarra. The soil is terra rossa over limestone. The clones planted are Reynella, CW44, and 125. The age of the vines vary between 1974 and 1988. The grapes were machine picked between 13th April and 7th May 2004.

The wine is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. The actual alcohol, as reported on the Leconfield website, is 14.4%. The acidity is 7.03 grammes per litre. The residual sugar is 1.9 grammes per litre. The pH is 3.38. Oak maturation was in 60% new French, 3% new American, 29% in 1 to 2 year old French, and the rest in older oak. The wines was left in contact with the lees for three weeks in tank. The fermentation temperature was between 22 and 28 degrees. The yeast used for fermentation was Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The wine underwent blending in January 2005 and was bottles on the 23rd February 2006.

Robert Parker gave this wine 87 points in the edition 161 of his Wine Advocate. James Halliday gave this wine 92 points in his 2008 Australian Wine Companion. My conclusion is that this wine could do with a couple more years to let the oak marry and die down.

This wine was imported by Premium Wines Nordic. Though there is almost no information about this wine on their website.

Colour : Dark maroon

Aroma : Oak, vegetal, mint, coffee, some dark fruits, cold tea

Taste : Oak, blackcurrant, coffee, red fruits, lacking in fruit, overwhelming oak on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 154 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Leconfield Wines
Website : Premium Wines Nordic

TN : Caitec Pinot Noir 2006, Bodega del Anelo, Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina

Caitec is from the Quechuas Indian language meaning "firelight".

The vineyard is located on the banks of the river Neuquen in Anelo. The vines are planted on red alluvial soil.

This wine was imported by Oenoforos AB. There is no mention of this wine on the Bodega del Anelo website.

Colour : Stewed dark fruits

Aroma : Violets, blueberries, plum, spice

Taste : Spicy finish, violets, blueberry, plums

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Bodega del Anelo
Website : Oenoforos AB

WineFinder

Britt Karlsson pointed out the company WineFinder to me which specialise in the Internet purchase/delivery of wine to customers in Sweden. They have a small but very interesting range currently. I noticed Almaviva 2004, Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2004, Chateau La Tour Carnet 2004 Errazuriz Syrah La Cumbre 2005, and Luce 2003. All of these wines I would like to purchase.

However, they have an annual membership fee of 2000 SEK. This seems to be excessive and I don't understand why it exists given that I only want to buy wine. I don't need a membership fee to buy from Berry Bros & Rudd for instance.

There is a wine club where you get 12 bottles of wine a month for only 1600 SEK plus moms. There is no mention of what these wines might be. There are also wine investment possibilities; 50000 SEK appears to be the minimum investment.

Website : WineFinder

TN : Eclat 2004, Vina Valdivieso, Maule Valley, Chile

This wine was imported by AB Nigab. It is a blend of 50% Mourvedre, 38% Carignan, and 125 Syrah. Vina Valdivieso was founded in 1879 and the current winemaker is Brett Jackson.

The grapes were harvested during March and April. The wine was aged for 12 months in barrel (70% French oak and 30% American oak). The barrels were one to five years old. The fruit was all sourced from the Maule Valley, Carignan was sourced from old (more than 50 years old) dry farmed head pruned vines in the Maule Valley. The sites are free draining sandy clay loams. The bunches were destemmed, not crushed, and cold soaked for 48 hours before being inoculated with yeast. Fermentation was in small stainless steel tubs for 7 days. During fermentation the cap was hand plunged three times a day. After alcoholic fermentation, there was post-fermentation maceration on skins for 14 days, before pressing. The wine went directly to barrel, and underwent a natural malolactic fermentation in barrel.

Colour : Dark red/black

Aroma : Spicy, oak, liquorice, red and dark fruits, blueberry

Taste : Spicy, dark and red fruits, liquorice, coffee

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B

Website : AB Nigab
Website : Vina Valdivieso

TN : Monteregio di Massa Marittima 2004, DOC, Vendemmia, Morisfarms, Italy

This wine was imported by Carovin AB.

The wine is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards lie in Monteregio di Massa Marittima in South West Tuscany. The soils are clay and rich in fossils. The yield was 6000 kilos of grapes per hectare. Harvesting was during the second and fourth weeks of September. Fermentation was in cement tanks for 18 days with pumpovers twice a day. The wine was matured for one year in seasoned barriques. The total acidity in Tartaric acid is 5.00 grammes per litre. the volatile acidity in vinegar acid is 0.53 grammes per litre. The pH is 3.58 and dry extract is 27.10.

Colour : Deep plum

Aroma : Plum, oak, dark chocolate, dark fruits

Taste : Dark fruits, slight tartiness , slight oak

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Carovin
Website : Morisfarms

TN : Mineralstein Riesling Vom Blauschiefer 2006, QmP, GP Winery, Mosel, Germany

This wine was imported by Oenoforos.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Mineral, apricot, citrus marmelade

Taste : Oranges, grapey mid-palatte, citrus lemony finish, minerals, off-dry

Alcohol : 11%

Price : 77 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Oenoforos

TN : Pangea Syrah 2004, Vina Ventisquero, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Only 120 bottles were imported into Sweden.

This wine is from vineyards in Apalta.



It is made by a collaboration Felipe Tosse of Vina Ventisquero (Chief Oenologist) and the famed Australian winemaker John Duval (ex-Penfolds).



Colour : deep dark purple

Aroma : Violets, blueberry, spice, oak

Taste : Pepper and spice on long finish, silky, mouth coating, dark fruits, blueberry, violets

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 269 SEK

Mark : A-

Website : Vina Ventisquero

TN : Gran Caus Rosado 2006, Can Rafols dels Caus, Penedes, Spain

This wine may have been slightly oxidised (a bad bottle ?) but at the price I wasn't going to buy another one to be disappointed again.

This is 100% Merlot and 53300 bottles were produced.

Only the 2004 vintage is mentioned on the Can Rafols dels Caus website.

Colour : Deep red fruits

Aroma : Red fruits, slight vinegar

Taste : Red and dark fruits, slight sherry

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 169 SEK

Mark : D-

Website : Can Rafols dels Caus

TN : Eroica 2006 Riesling, Columbia Valley, USA

There was only 120 bottles of this wine imported into Sweden.

This wine was produced and bottled by Chateau Ste Michelle, Woodinville, WA, USA. It is made from a joint venture between Washington State's Chateau Ste Michelle and Mosel's Dr Loosen.



The wine received 90 points from Wine Spectator and was named as a "Smart Buy".

Colour : Gold/yellow

Aroma : Lemon, orange, minerals

Taste : Lemon, orange, lime, minerals, slight petrol, spritzy finish, slight sweetness, long long finish

Alcohol : 12.%%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : A

Website : Chateau Ste Michelle Partners Eroica

TN : Piccini 2005, IGT, Picinni, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were harvested by hand and then vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 15 days. The wine was then stored in 500 litre oak bottis for three months before bottling.

Piccini was founded in 1882 by Angiolo Piccini and is run today by Mario and Martina Piccini.

The wine was imported by Fondberg & Co.


Colour : Dark deep red

Aroma : Spice, oak, cherry, plum

Taste : Sour cherry, liquorice, oak, spice, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 85 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Fondberg & Co

TN : Pink Billy Rose 2006, Philip Shaw, Orange, Australia

This wine comes from the Koomooloo vineyard which was established in 19988 at 900 metres altitude.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap. It is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Shiraz. The clones used are Merlot D3 V14 and Shiraz BVR CL20/CL12/CL30, 1654. The pH is 3.36. The TA is 5.50. The wines was harvested between March 16th and April 3rd.

Colour : Pale raspberry/strawberry

Aroma : Muted red fruits

Taste : Red fruits, spice, long finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 179 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Philip Shaw

TN : Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2005, Montes Wines, Casablanca Valley, Chile

This wine was slightly overpowered by too much oak for my liking.

The wine was vinified with clean must separating three different lots using three different strains of selected yeasts: D', Montrachet and native. It was fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 1 year, 40% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. The grapes sourced from Casablanca Valley. The wine remained in its original cask for one year using a monthly batonage.

This wine was imported by Av Hjo Grosshandel AB though no mention of this wine is on their site.

Colour : Yellow

Aroma : Mango, melon, sweetcorn

Taste : Oak, mango, sweetcorn, butter

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Montes Wines
Website : Av Hjo Grosshandel AB

TN : Poacher's Blend 2007, St Hallett Wines, Barossa, Australia

This wine is a blend of classic Barossa varieties Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. The winemakers were Stuart Blackwell and Matt Gant.

This wine was imported by WineWorld AB Sweden. There was no information available on their website as it is currently being updated.

The St Hallet website contains information about Poacher's Blend but sadly not for the 2007 vintage.

Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Apple, pear, honey, apricot

Taste : Apple, pear, apricot

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Wine World AB
Website : St Hallett