TN : Doennhoff Riesling Trocken 2006, Hermann Doennhoff, Nahe, Germany

On the label, the alcohol content is stated as 11% whereas in Systembolaget's March Varunytt it is stated as being 11.5%.

The grapes were harvested in October 2006 and the yield was around 50 hectolitres per hectare. The fermentation was slow, taking two to three months in large German oak and steel tanks. The winemaker was Helmut Doennhoff. There were 600 bottles of this wine available for purchase from the Systembolaget on March 1st 2008.

Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Orange, white grapes, minerals

Taste : Zingy minerals and lemon, slight rhubarb, long finish, simple

Alcohol : 11%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : C

TN : BenMarco Expessivo 2004, Dominio del Plata, Mendoza, Argentina

The winemaker is Susana Balbo and viticulturist is Pedro Marchevsky.

This wine is a blend of 50% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Bonarda, and 5% Merlot.

The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

BenMarco is Pedro's means son of Marco in Hebrew and with this wine he pays homage to his father.

The wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist AB.

Colour : Deep dark purple

Aroma : Dark berries, violets, blueberries

Taste : Violets, blackberry, concentrated, long finish, blueberries

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 169 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Arvid Nordquist
Website : Dominio Del Plata Winery

TN : Rivaner 2007, Karl H Johner, Baden, Germany

The grapes come from vineyards around Kaiserstuhl. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and bottled under screwcap.

The wine was imported by Giertz Vinimport AB.

Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Yeast, dried pineapple, spice, orange

Taste : Yeast, pineapple, orange, lemon, mouth coating, long finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Weingut Karl H Johner
Website : Giertz Vinimport AB

TN : Tenuta Monteti Caburnio 2005, Tenuta Monteti. Tuscany, Italy

The entry in Systembolaget's March 2008 Varunytt for this wine states that it has 14.5% alcohol but the label states 13.5%. Tasting it leads me to believe the label is correct.

This wine is a blend of 60% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Alicante, and 4% Merlot according to the Systembolaget. The technical sheet on Tenuta Monteti's website states that the wine consists of 68% cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 20% Alicante.

The vines are trellised as spurred cordon. There are 6600 vines per hectare and 49000 bottles were produced.

A winery analysis shows that the alcohol is 13.8%, dry extract is 31.4 grammes per litre, total acidity (tartaric acid) is 5.4 grammes per litre, pH is 3.77, and phenolic compounds (gallic acid) are 2613 milligrammes per litre.

Colour : Dark black cherry

Aroma : Spice, liqourice, blackberry

Taste : Spice, oak, liqourice, herbs, dark fruits

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Tenuta Monteti

Systembolaget New Wines April 2008

The latest Varunytt, detailing April's new wines, can be downloaded from the Systembolaget website. Also in April, a new catalogue is due out.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt April 2008

TN : Heinz Schmitt Riesling 2003, Koewericher Laurentiuslay Auslese, Germany

Colour : Yellow, lemon

Aroma : Lemon, honey

Taste : Long finish, honey, lemon, orange, sugar syrup, lacking acidity

Alcohol : 8.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Weingut Heinz Schmitt

TN : Ampeleia 2004, IGT, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of seven grape varieties, Cabernet Franc 50%, Sangiovese 20% together with other 5 different varieties of Mediterranean heritage, Alicante, Carignan, Grenache, Marselan, and Mourvedre.

The planted area of the vineyard is 35 hectares. The average age of the vines is 15 years. The altitude of the vineyard varies between 200 and 600 metres above sea level. The yield per hectare was 18 to 25 hectolitres. There were 54,000 bottles produced. The wine was matured and aged for 16 months in oak barrels of which 40% were new.

There were 360 bottles of this wine available for purchase within Sweden in March 2008.

Colour : Dark red, purple

Aroma : Oak, cherries, herbs, chocolate, underlying tobacco notes

Taste : Toasty oak, oak tanins on finish, tobacco, cherries, red fruits, dark chocolate

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 257 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Ampeleia

TN : Moutain Sun 2006, Dry Red Wine of Peloponnese, Sereli Wines, Greece

This is 100% Agiorgitiko. The wine spent three to four months in French oak. The Semeli Winery was established in 1979 by George and Anne Kokotos. Semeli was the mother of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

Colour : Maroon/red

Aroma : Raspberries, strawberries, herbs, plums

Taste : red berries, red grapes, herbs, fresh, crisp, slight dry tanins on long finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 64 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Semeli Wines

TN : Chateau Ste Michelle, Dry Riesling 2006, Columbia Valley, USA

This wine was imported by VinUnic.

This wine is 100% Riesling. The grapes were picked at night to preserve freshness. It was fermented cool in stainless steel tanks.

The analysis of this wine at the winery showed that the total acidity was 0.71 grammes per litre, the pH was 3.11, residual sugar was 0.75 grammes per 100 millilitres, and the alcohol was 13.9%.

Colour : Lemon

Aroma : Lemon, pear drops, honey

Taste : Lemon, orange, peach, crisp, honey,slight mineral finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Chateau Ste Michelle
Website : VinUnic

TN : Pauillac 2001, Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Bordeaux, France

This wine was aged in French oak barriques for 11 months. 8% of the oak was new. The wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot.

This is the so-called third wine of this illustrious chateau but there is no mention of the producer on the labels, front or back; only "renowned second class growth".

Colour : Purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, vanilla, green vegetables, red berries, violets, cedar

Taste : Long drying tanins on finish, cedar, thin, blackcurrant, vanilla, oak

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 189 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

TN : Shottesbrooke Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Shottesbrooke Vineyards, McLaren Vale, Australia

This wine was imported by Primeur Vin AB.

Colour : Purple

Aroma : Herbs, blackcurrants, blackberry, eucalyptus

Taste : Blackcurrant, mint, vanilla, oak

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 114 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Shottesbrooke
Website : Primeur Vin AB

Vinkällaren Grappes Newsletter March 2008

Grappe have published their newsletter for March 2008. It can be downloaded from their website.

Website : Grappe Newsletter March 2008

TN : Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel 2005, Sonomo Heritage Vines, Sonomo County, USA

The winemaker was Eric Cinnamon. Rancho Zabaco wines bear the name of one of Old California’s earliest land grants – the Tzabaco Rancho.

Colour : Black/cassis

Aroma : Blackberry, herbs, slight pepper

Taste : Spice, blackberry, slight sweetness, dark berries, rich, long finish, mouth coating

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 145 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Rancho Zabaco

TN : Zaca Mesa Syrah 2003, Santa Ynez Valley, USA

This wine was estate grown and bottled. The vineyard blocks used for this wine were Chapel F, Cushman A, B and D, and Mesa A and F. Clay Brock was the winemaker. The grapes were harvested in early October, 8th to 18th, 2003. The wine is a blend of 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier. The wine was fermented in open topped bins and then spent 16 months in French oak barrels, 25% of which was new. the wine was minimally filtered and then bottled between 4th to the 9th March 2005. An analysis performed by the winery shows that the acidity is 0.57 grammes per 100 millilitres, the pH is 3.74, and the alcohol is 14.6%. 10, 693 cases were produced. Zaca Mesa have been making wine since 1972.

Colour : Black/purple

Aroma : Violets, blueberries, pepper, spice

Taste : Blueberries, raspberries, long white pepper finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 178 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Zaca Mesa

TN : Carabantes 2004, Syrah, Vina von Siebenthal, Aconcagua Valley, Chile

Chile's first wine was brought to the country in 1554 by a Spanish priest called Francisco de Carabantes. This wine is named in honour of this pioneer of Chilean viticulture.

The grapes were hand picked and the wine is unfiltered. This is a limited edition bottling of 17,992 bottles. It is a blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This information is from the label though the winery's website states that it is only 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The production was 1.6 Kg of grapes per vine. The vines were trained in double Gobelet trellising an dthe vineyard is 600 metres above sea level. Fermentation was in 150 hectolitre stainless steel tanks. The wine spent 12 months in a mixture of French and American oak of which 35% was new. The wine was bottles in October 2003. The analysis at the winery shows that the Tartaric Acidity was 5.14 grammes per litre (sulfuric) and the pH was 3.73.

The wine was imported by Carovin AB, Stockholm.

Colour : Purple

Aroma : Violets, red berries, blueberries, spice, herbs, mint

Taste : Sweet, slight toasty oak, blueberry, herbs, red berries, white pepper

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 178 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina von Siebenthal
Website : Carovin AB

TN : Marques de Arienzo Reserva 2002, DOC, Rioja, Spain

This wine is a blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano and Mazuelo. The grapes were harvested from 300 ha of mature vineyards in Elciego and Laguardia. The wine was bottled at Bodegas Domecq, Elciego, Spain. This was a 375ml bottle.

Colour : Red/brown

Aroma : Oak, slight sherry, spice, red fruits

Taste : Red fruits, oak, acidic, long finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 47 SEK

Mark : C-

TN : Montes Classic Series Merlot 2006, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine was aged in American oak for six months. It is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. All of the grapes were handharvested. The yield was about 8-10 tons per hectare (3-4 tons per acre). The wine underwent a light one soft pad filtration before bottling. Interestingly the alcohol level quoted in the information on the Hjo Grosshandel AB website (a PDF flyer) states that the alcohol is 13.5%



This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Deep red/maroon

Aroma : Olive, slight spice, coffee, plums, dark fruits, oak

Taste : Coarse oak, vanilla, dark fruits, olive, slight initial sweetness

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Vina Montes
Website : Hjo Grosshandel AB

TN : Trapiche Malbec Single Vineyard, Vina Carlos Gei Berra, 2004, Lunlunta, Mendoza, Argentina

The chief winemaker was Daniel Pi.

Carlos Gei Berra is an agricultural engineer. The vineyard was planted in 1973 in Lunlunta, Maipu. It is situated at an altitude of 878 metres (2879 feet).

The harvest date was April 16th 2004. The average mean temperature during the ripening month realised 17.7 degrees with a thermal amplitude of 9 degrees.

This wine was imported by Fondberg &Co.

Colour : Dark deep purple

Aroma : Toasty oak, herbs, dark berries

Taste : Concentrated, mouth filling, dark berries, cherries, chocolate, herbs

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : A

Website : Trapiche
Website : Fondberg & Co

TN : Erasmo 2004, Red Wine, Maule Valley, Vina la Reserva de Caliboro, Chile

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. This is the fourth version of Erasmo produced. The vines were planted in 1998 on the alluvial terraces of the Perquilauquen river. The wine is a collaboration between the consultant enologist Maurizio Castelli and the producer Francesco Marone Cinzano. The grapes were hand harvested between February 23rd and March 10th 2004. Fermentation was in stainless steel with a long maceration period. The wine was then aged for eighteen months in French oak barriques. Bottling took place in December 2005. The wine is unfiltered. An analysis of the wine shows the alcohol content is 14.1%, pH is 3.54, total acidity is 5.54 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar is 1.1 grammes per litre.

Colour : Cassis

Aroma : Oak, blackcurrant, violets, vanilla, licqourice

Taste : Blackcurrant, polished oak, licqourice, herbs

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 189 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina la Reserva de Caliboro

TN : Swedish Hill, Dry Riesling, 2006, Finger Lakes, New York, USA

This wine was imported by Andersson Wines International.



Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Floral, grapey, sweetness

Taste : Fruity, mineral, slight sweetness

Alcohol : 12.2%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Swedish Hill
Website : Andersson Wines