TN : Ramspeck Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Rowland Cellars, Napa Valley, California, USA

The Ramspeck family has been making wine since the 16th century. In 1991, Gerry and Linda Rowland reintroduced the Ramspeck label, more than 450 years after the Ramspeck family's first release in 1537, in Europe.

This wine was imported by Andersson Wines International.

Colour : Blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, chocolate, cedar, plum

Taste : Blackcurrant, cedar, oak, plums, tanni grip on finish, needed half an hour to open up and soften the harsh tart tannins

Alcohol : 13.5%

Mark : B-

Website : Rowland Cellars
Website : Andersson Wines International

TN : A Amarone Della Valpolicella 2006, DOC, Alpha Zeta, Italy

This wine came in a 375ml half bottle.

Alpha Zeta’s Veneto wines come from a collaboration involving the winemaking consultant Matt Thompson, Canadian Master of Wine and Decanter contributor David Gleave, and cooperative manager, Gaetano Tobin, who oversees several growers who have vineyard plots in Monteforte and Valpantena. Gaetano is a longtime acquaintance of David Gleave’s. The venture was started in 1999. When not making wine for Alpha Zeta, Matt also makes, or assists in making, the wines for Saint Clair and Kim Crawford in New Zealand.



Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Rum raisins, spice, milk, chocolate, oak, vanilla, cherry

Taste : Fruity, cherry, rum raisins, fruit cake, spice, vanilla, oak, chocolate, warm long finish

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 97 SEK (375ml bottle)

Mark : C+

TN : 35 South Wild Ferment Rose 2008, Vina San Pedro, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

This wine was made from organically grown grapes. These grapes were all hand harvested. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation was carried out using native yeasts.

This wine was imported by V&S Vin & Sprit AB. This wine is not mentioned on their website however.

Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Earthy, strawberry, red fruits, slight vanilla

Taste : Dry, strawberry, raspberry, mouth watering, citrus notes

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 75 SEK

Mark : B

Website : 35 South Vina San Pedro
Website : V&S Vin & Sprit AB

TN : Domaine Gioulis Cabernet Sauvingon Agiorgitiko 2007, Regional Red Dry Wine of Korinth, Greece

This wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Agiorgitiko. The grapes for this wine were grown at an altitude of 750 metres in hilly Klimenti, Korinth. The grapes were grown organically; certified by DIO.

Colour : Red

Aroma : Red fruits, earthy, herbs

Taste : Blackcurrant, earthy, herbs, oak

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C

Website : DIO

TN : Tavel Rose Bargeliere 2008, Ogier, Tavel, France

Ogier was founded in 1859. The vines are situated in Tavel the district of Gard on the right bank of the Rhone. The grape varieties used were Grenache, Clairette, Cinsault, and Mourvedre.



Colour : Pale strawberry

Aroma : Strawberry, liqcourice, herbs

Taste : Strawberry, liqcourice, herbs, fruity, dry

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 119 SEK

Mark : B+

TN : Pinot Noir Rouge Vielli en Barrique 2005, Domaine Viticole de la Ville de Colmar, Alsace, France

The domaine was founded in 1895 by the famous ampelographer Chrétien Oberlin and is now maanged by Mr and Mrs Jean-Rémy Haeffelin.

The vineyard soil is very gravely and stony. The wine was fernmented for twelve days under controlled temperature in standard tanks. After the first clarifying filtration, the wine was matured in new barrels made of Vosges' oak. The wine is preserved from 12 to 14 months in the barrels before bottling.

Colour : Light red/brown

Aroma : Stewed red fruits, leather

Taste : Tart, stewed red fruits, soft tannins, leather, acidic

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 143 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Domaine Viticole de la Ville de Colmar

TN : Leonardo Rosato 2008, IGT, Cantine Leonardo da Vinci, Tuscany, Italy

The Cantine was established in 1961. It is situated 5 km from the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. The Cantine, today, consists of 160 members.

The grape varieties used are Sangiovese and Trebbiano. Two types of vinification were used in the production of the wine : soft pressing of the grapes, using pneumatic presses, whose juice is sent for fermentation at 17-19 degrees in temperature controlled containers; in addition, the pomace is left to macerate in the same juice for a brief period, approximately 12 hours, and afterward spart or all of the liquid obtained is drawn off. The must is fermented at a low temperature in the same temperature-controlled tanks.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

Colour : Light raspberry

Aroma : Raspberry, herbs, blackcurrant

Taste : Fruity, raspberry, herbs, blackcurrant, dry

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 87 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Cantine Leonardo da Vinci

TN : Zweigelt Rose 2008, Trocken, Weingut Rabl, Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria

Weingut Rabl have been in business since 1750. Rudolf Rabl has been in charge since 1986.

This wine had lots of great fruit but an overwhelming herbiness that I did not like. The wine was sealed with a screwcap.



This wine was imported by Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB.

Colour : Light pink, copper tones

Aroma : Blackcurrant, strawberry, raspberry, oranges

Taste : Herbs, grapefruit, strawberry, blackcurrant, dry

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 85 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Weingut Rabl
Website : Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB

Fridge Magnet : Chateau Leoville Barton

Fridge Magnet : Chateau Langoa Barton

Fridge Magnet : Antinori Tignanello

Oz Clarke's Wine Guide on CD-ROM

I possess four versions of Oz Clarke's Wine Guide on CD-ROM and wondering why he doesn't produce another version; either online or on DVD with online updates. It could combine his Wine Atlas along with his Best Buys, Pocket Wine Book, Grapes and Wines, and Wine Atlas books. This would be a phenomenal resource.

The four versions I possess are depicted below.

This version was produced by Microsoft in 1995 and ran on MacOS System 7 or later, required 5Mb of memory and 2Mb of hard disk space :



This version was produced by Websters in 1997 and ran on MacOS System 7 or later, required 8Mb of memory and 1Mb of hard disk space :



This version was produced by Websters in 1998 and ran on MacOS System 7 or later, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 3.1, and Windows NT 3.51 or later, required 8Mb of memory and 1Mb of hard disk space on a Macintosh and 10Mb of hard disk space on a Windows box :




This version was produced by Dorling Kindersley in 1999 and ran on Windows 3.1, 95, 98, and NT, and MacOS System 7.5.3 or later, required between 8 and 32Mb of memory and 20Mb of hard disk space on a Windows box and 16Mb of memory and 6Mb of hard disk space on a Macintosh :



Website : Oz Clarke

Wine Blog Study

Do wine blogs matter ?

Tracy Rickman, a doctoral candidate at Auburn University is calling on all wine bloggers and wine blog readers to undertake a survey which will be used to obtain information on how consumers obtain and use information about wine.

Please help Tracy by taking the survey (see the URL link below).

Website : Wine Blog Study Survey

Systembolaget New Wines June 2009

The Systembolaget have published their latest newsletter detailing the new wines that will be available for June 2009. It can be downloaded in PDF format from the Systembolaget web site.

Website : Systembolaget Varunytt June 2009

TN : Peter Lehmann Barossa Cabernet Sauvingnon 2006, Australia

The label on this wine is the Queen of Clubs icon which symbolises the gamble that Peter Lehmann took when starting up his wine business. The Cabernet Sauvignon Queen image was painted by Michelle Wheadon.

This wine, 2006, is the third successive vintage of Barossa Cabernet.

Since 2003, Peter Lehmann Wines has been part of Hess Family Estates.

Colour : Red, cassis hues

Aroma : Cedar, blackcurrant, milk chocolate

Taste : Crisp, blackcurrant upfront followed by cedar and then milk chocolate and smooth tannins on a long finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 122 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Peter Lehmann Wines

Argentinian Wine Day (Argentisk Vindag) 2009

On 27th April 2009, the Argentinian Wine Day was hosted at the Hotel Hilton in Stockholm. The event was organised by the Embassy of Argentina in co-operation with the Nordic Wine Institute.

There were twenty exhibitors which are listed below :



My tasting notes and scores were :

A Wines

• Rolland Collection Val De Flores 2004

B+ Wines

• Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvingon 2005
• Catena Zapata Nicasia Malbec 2004 (very concentrated)
• Bodegas Universo Austral Finca Roja Rose 2007

B Wines

• Norton Privada 2006
• Norton Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
• Catena Chardonnay 2007 (Oak, pineapple, drinkable now but would benefit from some ageing to let oak integrate)
• Catena Alta Malbec 2004
• Andeluna Cellars Merlot 2006
• Rolland Collection Yacochuya 2004 (lots of oak, very concentrated, will this calm down ?)

B- Wines

• Fabre Montmayou Patangonia Malbec 2007
• Zuccardi Z 2005
• Norton Barrel Select Malbec 2004
• Altos Las Hormigas Colonia Las Liebres 2006
• Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Reserva 2006
• NQN Picada 2007
• Finca La Celia Furia Malbec Rose 2008

C+ Wines

• Caligiore Malbec Reserva 2006
• Finca La Chamiza Polo Amateur Malbec 2008
• Trivento Amado Sur 2006

C Wines

• Fabre Montmayou Grand Reserva 2005
• Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2007 (too much oak)
• Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec 2007
• Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Pinot Noir 2007
• NQN Colleccion Malbec 2005
• Telteca Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
• Telteca Gran Reserva 2005

C- Wines

• Tapiz Malbec Reserva (too much oak)
• Caligiore Staccato 2008

Weblink : Argentinian Wine Day 2009 Catalogue

Vinkällaren Grappe Newsletter May 2009

The May 2009 newsletter from Vinkällaren Grappe can now be downloaded from their website in PDF format.

Website : Vinkällaren Grappes Nyhetsbrev maj 2009

TN : Casa Patronales Rose Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008, Central Valley, Chile

This was wine was packaged as a 3 litre bag-in-box. The filling date was 19/02/2009.



The wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.



The wine was imported by Primewine Sweden.

Colour : Bright strawberry red

Aroma : Jellied strawberries and raspberries, herbs

Taste : Herbs, raspberries, strawberries, crisp, long fruity finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 185

Mark : B-

Website : Vina Casa Patronales
Website : Primewine Sweden AB

Center Party wants to allow direct sales of wine from Swedish vineyards

The Center Party wants to make the countryside more alive. One of the party's main proposals is that it wants to allow Swedish wine, spirits and beer producers to sell directly to consumers, writes Dagens Nyheter.

This comes from a manifesto for sustainable agriculture which is now published.

Previously, the Minister for Agriculture, Eskil Erlandson (C), announced that he wanted to see this opportunity for the Swedish producers of alcoholic beverages.

In an alcohol study, which was presented in spring, it was suggested, however, that it would not be allowed. However, the investigation was conducted by The Public Health Ministry whose responsible minister Maria Larsson has expressed a very different wish.

This is not the first time that the Center Party has proposed permission for direct vineyard sale. Already in 2007 the Agriculture Minister expressed high hopes producers around Sweden to be allowed to sell their alcoholic beverages directly to consumers.

Website : World of Wine News 29th April 2009

Pinot Noir at Lyngby Vingård, Sweden

Ola Johannesson has finally got hold of a small number, five, different clones of Pinot Noir for test planting. These clones are 115, 777, 512, 792 for SO 4 and 667 on the rootstock Fercal.

He will also try Saphir, that is approved in Germany, but not so widespread. Saphir is a cross from Geisenheim between Seyve Villard 1-72 and Arnsburger which in turn is a cross between two clones of Riesling. Its origin is that it does not ripen really early but instead has the good fungus resistance.

Website : Lyngby Vin