TN : Langenloiser Rose Zweigelt 2007, Weingut Bruendlmayer, Langenlois, Austria

Dr. Zweigelt, who managed to interbreed a new variety out of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent in 1921, had vineyards in Langenlois. The Bruendlmayer family owns part of his vineyards.



This wine was imported by VinUnic AB. 1200 bottles were bought by the Systembolaget.



Colour : Bright pink, copper hues

Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry, herbs

Taste : Dry, spritzy, jellied raspberries, herbs, white pepper, bitter finish

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 120 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : VinUnic AB
Website : Weingut Bruendlmayer

TN : Mesh Eden Valley Riesling 2005, Grosset-Hill Smith, Australia

This wine was made by Jeffrey Grosset, Clare winemaker, and Robert Hill Smith from Yalumba.



The wine was bottled under screcap. The pH is 3.04, the total acidity is 7.4 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar is 0.79 grammes per litre.



Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Lemon, lime, slight marmelade, ginger, petrol

Taste : Dry, honey, ginger, orange, minerals, lime, slight spritz, petrol

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 115 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Mesh

TN : Vina Morande Edicion Limitada Carmenere 2006, Maipo Valley, Chile

This wine was imported into Sweden by Apricot AB.

The pH is 3.49, the total acidity is 3.51 grammes per litre, and the residual sugar is 1.9 grammes per litre.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, cherry, spice, vegetal

Taste : Concentrated, blackberry, cherry, currant, green pepper

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina Morande
Website : Apricot AB

TN : Vertice 2005, Vina Ventisquero, Apalta Vineyards, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine is a joint creation between Felipe Tosso B, the Chilean winemaker for Vina Ventisquero, and John Duval, the ex-Penfolds Australian winemaker.

All the grapes were hand-harvested from the Apalta hillsides.

The wine is a blend of Carmenere and Syrah.



Colour : Dark cherry/red

Aroma : Black pepper, spice, red fruits, blueberry, green pepper, violets

Taste : Black pepper and smoke and spice on very long finish, slightly over-oaked, blueberry, violets, slight green pepper on finish, red fruits, concentrated, slight bittnerness on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 189 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vina Ventisquero

TN : Alka Carmenere 2003, Estate Bottled, Hacienda Araucano, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This is an effort from Jacques and Francois Lurton.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Red fruits, black fruits, liqourice, mint notes

Taste : Green pepper, red fruits, dark fruits, liqourice and mint and pepper on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 250 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Jacques and Francois Lurton

TN : Tsantali Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Halkidiki, Greece

This wine was made from organically grown grapes from Agios Pavlos in Halkidiki.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, cherry, herbs, earthy

Taste : Earthy, tobacco, blackcurrant, spice, cherry

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Tsantali

TN : Winzer Sommerach Silvaner Kabinett Trocken 2007, Sommeracher Kattzenkopf, Franken, Germany

Colour : Yellow

Aroma : White grapes, honey, melon, lemon, orange marmelade

Taste : Dry, honey, melon, white grapes, grapefruit

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 94 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Winzer Sommerach

TN : Coyam 2005, Vinedos Emiliana, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Coyam was the word for "oak" by the Mapuches, the original inhabitents of central and southern Chile. Ancient oaks surround the Emiliana vineyards. All of the grapes were organically grown and hand picked. The wine was aged in 80% French and 20% American oak for 14 months. The wine is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.



This wine was imported by Premium Wines Sweden.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Herbs, dark fruits, violets, chocolate

Taste : herbs, spice, chocolate, violets, smooth tannins, minerals, white pepper on finish, concentrated

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 150 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Vinedos Emiliana
Website : Premium Wines Sweden

TN : Simonsig Labyrinth Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Simonsig Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa

On the label "The Malan Family Heritage going back to 1688".

The residual sugar is 2.0 grammes per litre, the total acidity 5.3 grammes per litre, and the pH is 3.6. The wine was matured for 16 months in 77% French oak and 23% American white oak of which 28% was new, 23% second fill, and 49% third fill.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, tobacco, coffee

Taste : Slight smoke, moccha, blackcurrant, tobacco, liqourice, plum

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 150 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Simonsig Estate

TN : Chateau Bel-Air-Ouy 2000, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

Colour : Dark plum

Aroma : Plums, cedar, herbs, chocolate

Taste : Fruity, plums, slight sweetness, very long finish, smooth tannins, tobacco, dark chocolate, strawberry

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 285 SEK

Mark : A

Website : Ets Thunevin

TN : Chateau Limbourg 2005, Jean Maufras, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France

This wine was drinkable now but could be left 2-3 years for the oak to integrate more. It is a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon. Fermentation was carried out at 18 degrees and the wine spent 10 months in French oak (60% new).

Chateau Limbourg is one of two brands produced by Chateau Pontac-Montplaisir. The owner is Jean Maufras (from 1955).

Chateau Pontac Monplaisir is an elegant chartreuse which owes its name to the counts of Pontac. The Pontacs were, according to Arnaud de Pontac in to private letter dated 23 May 1936, above all to military family. In spite of that, for nearly three centuries, (16th, 17th, and 18th), they occupied important positions in the Bordeaux Parliament. Lords of great many Bordeaux viticultural spots: Saint-Estèphe, Queyrac, La Tresne, Roaillan, Podensac, Bisqueyton, “Monplésir” (as it used to be spelt) and even Haut Brion, they were the first to use the family name to personalize and identify their growths, creating to new impetus (the notion of growth, of terroir, of brand-names) and gave to considerable upthrust to the wines of Bordeaux in general, and those of Graves in particular. In one of his books, Gaston Marchou relates that especially in England and Germany their fame was such “that in the 18th century any red “Bordeaux” exported became automatically, for the importer, to Pontac wine...”.

During the Revolution, the vineyards of Monplaisir were broken up and belonged to different proprietors. In 1920, Auguste Maufras bought the estate which at that time consisted of 50 hectares of vines. During the World War Two, the property was allowed to run wild. In 1955, Jean Maufras, his son, undertook to renovate the vineyard as well as the various wine buildings, cellars and fermentation rooms. The vinification and ageing of the wines is done according to the traditional methods of the Bordeaux school under the supervision of eminent œnologists such as Mr. Fakorellis.

Colour : Yellow

Aroma : Lemon, grapefruit, honey, herbs

Taste : Crisp,oak, herbs, honey, grapefruit, lemon

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 184 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Chateau Pontac Montplaisir

TN : Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2007, Vina Errazuriz, Casablanca Valley, Chile

On the front label it states "Made from natural yeats that yield greater depth and complexity".



The grapes for this wine come from the La Escultura Estate vineyard in Casablanca Valley. The grapes were hand harvested into 14Kg boxes during the first week of April. The vineyard features clay and sandy loam soils with low vigour. It was planted in 1997 with the 96, 458, and Mendoza clones. Vineyard management includes drip irrigation and vertical shoot positioning. The aim is to obtain a density of 18 buds per metre, for in yields close to 8 ton per hectare balanced by adequate vegetative growth.

Fermentation took place at temperatures between 14 and 22 degrees and approximately 70% of the final blend was further enhanced with malolactic fermentation. The entire blend was aged “sur-lie” for 10 months in French oak barrels (17% new), cold settled for 4 weeks at -3 degrees, and then bottled in January 2008. The pH of the finished wine was 3.3, the total acidity was 6.76 grammes per litre (tartaric acid), and the residual sugar was 2.64 grammes per litre.



Colour : Lemon/yellow

Aroma : Nutty, oranges, pineapple, buttered toast

Taste : Toast, creamy, lemon, citrus, pineapple

Price : 159 SEK

Alcohol : 13.5%

Mark : B-

Website : Vina Errazuriz

Systembolaget New Wines and Bordeaux 2005 Releases October 2008

Systembolaget will release a new set of wines on October 1st 2008. The complete list can be downloaded from their website. The list of Bordeaux 2005 wines available, from October 15th 2008, is also included.

Website : Systembolage Varunytt Oktober 2008

Systembolaget New Wines September 15th 2008

Systembolaget will release new wines on Monday 15th September. The complete list can be downloaded from their website.

Website : Systembolaget Nyheter 15 September 2008

TN : Duette 2006, Vina Indomita, Maipo Valley, Chile

The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Carmenere. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested between the 25th April and 3rd May and the Carmenere was harvested between the 30th April and the 8th May. The yield was 54 hectolitres per hectare. There was a maceration for 3 days before alcoholic fermentation at 26 to 28 degrees.



This wine was imported by Primewine Sweden AB.

Colour : Deep purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, mint, violets

Taste : Oak, blackcurrant, spicy, liqourice, mint

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Vina Indomita
Website : Primewine Sweden AB

TN : Alfa Crux 2003, Red Wine, Bodegas Y Vinedos O. Fournier, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentna

This wine is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 40% Malbec, and 10% Merlot.



The vineyard was located in La Consulta, Pareditas El Cepillo (Mendoza). The grapes were grown at an altitude of 1,100 metres. The grapes were all hand-harvested into 18Kg boxes during April 2003. Alcoholic fermentation was seven days in stainless steel vats at 28 degrees. There then was a maceration period of 28 days at 24 degrees and then malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. The wine was aged for 20 months in new oak barrels (80% French and 20% American). 38,200 bottles were produced and the wine was bottled unfiltered.



Colour : Black cherry

Aroma : Herbs, blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry, vanilla

Taste : Nice acidity, concentrated, dark and red fruits, vanilla, long finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 232 SEK

Mark : B

Website : O. Fournier

TN : Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Wine of Origin Franschhoek, South Africa

A direct translation of the word Boekenhoutskloof is Ravine of the Boekenhout. A Boekenhout is an indigenous Cape Beech tree that was greatly prized for furniture making. Boekenhout is pronounced "Book-N-Howed".



This wine was imported by HJO Grosshandel AB. There was almost no information on this wine on their website however.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Smoky, blackcurrant, cedar

Taste : Blackcurrant, slight smoke, vanilla, chocolate, slight oak

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : A

Website : Boekenhoutskloof
Website : HJO Grosshandel AB

TN : Roodeberg White Blend 2007, KWV, Western Cape, South Africa

Colour : Yellow

Aroma : Buttered toast, pineapple, almond, oranges, lemon

Taste : Butterscotch, oranges, pineapple, guava, cantaloupe melon, oranges, citrus

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : KWV Roodeberg

TN : Ingenuity 2005, Red Blend, Nederburg, South Africa

This wine is an Italian grape variety blend of Sangiovese (organically grown), Barbera, and Nebbiolo. It was aged in 500 litre French oak barrels for 20 months and then bottles unfiltered.



The wine was imported by Distell (Europe) Ltd.

Colour : Dark red/maroon

Aroma : Plums, red fruits, oak, smoke

Taste : Nice acidity on finish, cherry, red berries, raspberry, bright, slight smoke, spice, plums, liqourice

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Nederburg

TN : Benegas Lynch Meritage 2002 Red Wine, Bodega Benegas, Libertad Vineyards, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot. The winemaker was Federico Benegas Lynch and consultant was Michel Rolland. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. The average yield was 4000 bottles per hectare.



This wine was imported into Sweden by Klunk AB. Though there is no mention of this wine on their website.



Colour : Deep plum/purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plum, spice, oak, chocolate, blueberry, violets

Taste : Concentrated, rich, smooth lingering tannins, blackcurrant, plum, blackberry, blueberry, slight savoury notes

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 269 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Bodega Benegas
Website : Klunk AB