Systembolaget New Wines Middle of June 2008

On June 16th 2008, the Systembolaget will be releasing their usual mid month set of new wines. The list can be downloaded from their website.

Website : Systembolaget Nyheter den 16 Juni

TN : Scalabrone 2007 Rosato, Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Marchesi Antinori, Bolgheri DOC, Italy

The grape blend for this rose was 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 30% Syrah and other black varieties. The grapes from the Scalabrone vineyard were destemmed and soft-crushed as soon as they were harvested. Maceration took place at a controlled temperature (less than ten degrees) for 12-14 hours according to the variety. The must was then racked and fermented. The ferment was kept at below 18 degrees and the result was stored in stainless steel.


Colour : Neon red

Aroma : Cherry, raspberry, herbs

Taste : Raspberry, cherry, blackurrant, crisp, clean

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Marchesi Antinori

TN : Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee 2004, Estate Grown, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, USA

This wine is a proprietry blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.

Hess vineyards was established in 1978.


600 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.


Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, cocoa, herbs, red berries

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry, herbs, mint, olive, green pepper

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 229 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : The Hess Collection

TN : Divinus Red 2000, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, Chateau Bonnet, France

On the label it states "Ce grand vin, bel enfant de ma vigne a Bonnet, honore dignement ces lieux ou je suis ne, dans cet Entre-Deux-Mers, berceau de mes ancetre Andre Lurton".

This wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard area was four hectares. Soil is shallow with clay and asteriated limestone and southern exposure. The planting density is 5000 vines per hectare. The average age of the vines was 18 years. Vine pruning was double guyot with debudding. All the grapes were hand-harvested. Fermentation lasted approximately three weeks and the wine went through malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak barrels. The wine was fined with egg whites.



600 bottles of this wine were imported into Sweden.

Colour : Red/cassis

Aroma : Blackcurrant, leather, cocoa powder, cedar, oak

Taste : Cold tea, cocoa, cedar, leather, blackcurrant, oak, talcum powder like tannins on finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 219 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Andrew Lurton

TN : Charisma Pinot Gris 2005, Pierre Sparr, Alsace, France

SenSuous Alsace and unoaked is what is stated on the back label of this wine.



This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



Colour : Gold/yellow

Aroma : Apricot, peach, nutty

Taste : White grapes, apricot, honey, overwhelming nutty flavour, grapefruit, full

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 109 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Pierre Sparr

TN : Kerpen Riesling 2007, Mosel, Weingut Heribert Kerpen, Germany

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : White grapes, elberyberry, melon, pineapple

Taste : White grapes, elderberry, pineapple, melon, off-dry

Alcohol : 9.5%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Weingut Heribert Kerpen

TN : Cambas Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Vin de Pays de Peloponnesos, Cambas Winery, Greece

The Cambas Winery has been in existence since 1882.

Colour : Purple red

Aroma : Spice, cold tea, blackcurrant, earthy, vanilla

Taste : Spice, cherry, vanilla, oak, liqcourice, smoke, dark berries, a bit thin

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 74 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Boutari

Wine and Montreal

Last week, I was in Montreal for three days. Not much time but I looked at some wine stores. Similarly to Sweden, Quebec wine is run by a monopoly, the SAQ. I went to the normal Classique stores but was not impressed, a poor selection. I also looked at the flagship store, the Selection in Sainte Catherine Street. This shop was on two floors. The first of which was devoted to spirits so I avoided it as soon as possible. The basement contained a nice selection of Bordeaux and some Burgundies but not too much of anything else. It opened up to a Classique store which had some local Quebec wines. The duty-free shop at the aiport has no connection to SAQ and was selling some nice Inniskillin Ice Wines but I had to change planes in Europe so could not bring any back to Sweden.

TN : Le Rose de Phelan Segur 2007, Chateau Phelan Segur, Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, France

Colour : Pale strawberry

Aroma : Strawberries and cream, vanilla, herbs

Taste : Strawberry, spice, creamy, vanilla, herbs, blackcurrant lead

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Chateau Phelan Segur

TN : Montes Cherub, Rose of Syrah, 2007, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine had a sticker proclaiming that it had won a double gold medal for Best Rose of Show 2007 at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

The label displays a Cherub, or young angel, called Alfredo, in honour of Alfredo Vidaurre. The label was created by Ralph Steadman.

The wine is 100% Syrah from the Archangel Estate in Marchigue in the Colchagua Valley.

Colour : Pale Red

Aroma : Raspeberries, cherries, jellied fruits, herbs

Taste : Clean, fruity, raspberry sweets, blackcurrant hints, herbs

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Montes Wines
Website : Hjo Grosshandel AB

TN : YBS, Years's Barrel Selection, 2006, Erall Bravo, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine was imported by Carovin AB.



Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Savoury notes, oak, dark fruits, fruits of the forest

Taste : Concentrated, mouth-coating, dark fruits, blackcurrant, bramble jelly, toasty oak, heat, savoury finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 248 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Eral Bravo
Website : Carovin AB

TN : Chinon 2005, Domaine de la Colline, Loire Valley, France

This wine was imported by Primeur Vin AB. Though I couldn't find any information about this wine on their, frankly, exceedingly poor website.

Colour : Plum

Aroma : Dark and red fruits, herbs

Taste : Red fruits, dark fruits, plum, tangy, tannins on finish, herbs, earthy

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 88 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Primeur Vin AB

Devon Vineyard Trail

Available from English Wine Producers is the Devon Vineyard Trail. This consists of a map with each of the nine vineyards shown on it. For each vineyard there is the postal address, email, website, facilities, opening hours, and tour and tasting details.

Website : English Wine Producers

VinUnic Newsletter June 2008

VinUnic have just published their latest newsletter for June 2008. It can be downloaded from their website. Included in next month's releases are wines from Gaja and some very affordable Bordeaux.

Website : VinUnic Våra Viner Juni 2008

Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter June 2008

Vinkällaren Grappe have just released their newsletter for June 2008. It can be downloaded from their website.

Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev Juni 2008

TN : Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Grant Burge, Australia

Grant Burge's great grandfather, Meshach Burge, was named after the biblical Meshach, one of the men who refused to bow to a gold image of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar (after which the largest wine bottle is named, 15 litre capacity). The other two men were Shadrach and Abednego. All three were cast into a fiery furnace for their sins but with the help of angels they survived. This convinced Nebuchadnezzar to give them positions of power and to worship their god.

The grapes for this wine came from individual parcels from Coonawarra, the Adelaide Hills, and the Barossa.

This wine was imported by Fondberg & Co.

This wine received 91 points from Wine Advocate in November 2007. However, it was tasted by Jay Miller and NOT Robert Parker.

Colour : Purple, brown hues

Aroma : Mint, blackcurrant, oak, vanilla, slight vinegar

Taste : Vinegar on finish, blackcurrant, mint, talcum power like drying tannins on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 219 SEK

Mark : D-

Website : Grant Burge Wines
Website : Fondberg & Co

TN : Mora Negra 2005, Finca Las Moras, Tulum Valley, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Bonarda. The grapes were hand harvested. The wine was aged in small oak barrels for 15 months. 18,850 bottles were produced.

Nora Negra means "black mulberry".

This wine was imported by PrimeWine Sweden AB.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Violets, spicy, dark berries, mint, savoury

Taste : Dark fruits, vanilla, savoury, spicy, concentrated, mouth filling, mint, long finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : C

Website : PrimeWine Sweden AB

TN : Agathan 2005, Vin de pays de Mont Athos, Evangelos Tsantalis, Greece

Agathon means precious, noble.

This wine was made from organically grown grapes. It is a blend of Limnio and Cabernet Sauvignon.



Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Earthy, oak, dark berries, mint, violets, talcum powder

Taste : Heat on finish, cherry, violets, dark fruits, red fruit notes, earthy

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 80 SEK

Mark : C+

TN : Ocio Pinot Noir 2006, Cono Sur, Casablanca Valley, Chile

This wine was crafted by Chilean winemaker Adolfo Hurtado together with Burgundian consultant Martin Prieur.



Colour : Cherry, purple

Aroma : Cherry, plum, coca cola

Taste : Tart finish, cherry, blackcurrant, almost no tannins, coca cola, blackberry, minerals

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 339 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Cono Sur

TN : Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2006, Lomas del Valle, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine was made by the Chilean Motes Alpha team.

Kaiken is the Mapuche Indian name for the wild Patagonian geese found on both sides of the Andes.

The details on the Kaiken website are different to that in the Systembolaget Varunytt May 2008. This is what it says on the website. This wine is 100% Malbec. The yield in the vineyard was 6 tonnes per hectare. The grapes were handharvested into 15 Kg bins. The wine was aged in 80% French oak barrels for 18 months. 32,000 cases were produced. A winery analysis showed that the alcohol was 14.5%, the pH was 3.66, the total acidity was 3.38 grammes per litre, the volatile acidity was 0.6 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar was 2.4 grammes per litre.



The wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Muted, herbs, spice, violets, oak, plums

Taste : Overwhelming smothering oak, spice, savoury notes, coffee, pepper, violets, licqourice, dry tanins on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : C-

Website : Kaiken Wines
Website : Hjo Grosshandel AB