TN : Sophenia Synthesis The Blend 2007, Finca Sophenia, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. 12,900 bottles were produced. The consultant winemaker was Michel Rolland. The winemaker was Matias Michelini. The vineyards lay in the foothills of the Andes at an elevation of 6,000 feet. All of the grapes were hand-harvested in the end of April 2007. The wine has spent 14 months in French barriques.



This wine received 89 points from The Wine Advocate and 91 points from Wine Spectator.

This wine was imported by PrimeWine Sweden AB and 120 bottles were imported into Sweden. The wine went on sale on the 1st March 2010.

Colour : Dense, blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, violets, oak, toast

Taste : Blackberry, blackcurrant, violets, minerals, lashings of toasty oak on finish, smooth tannins

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 249 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Finca Sophenia

TN : Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Columbia Valley, USA

This wine is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The winemaker was Mike Januik.



Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Oak, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, milk, red fruits

Taste : Blackcurrant, red fruits, milk chocolate, coffee, grippy tannic finish

Alcohol : 14.4%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Novelty Hill Winery

TN : Annie Camarda Syrah 2007, Andrew WIll Cellars, Washington State, USA

The grapes for this wine come from Champoux and Ciel du Cheval. The titratable acidity is 0.67 grammes per 100 ml and the pH is 3.7. The wine spent 12 months is 100% new French Gamba oak barrels. The wine was bottles in September 2008 and was released in February 2010. 316 cases were produced.



Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Very fruity, blackberry, plums, spice, black pepper, tobacco, burnt toast, meaty

Taste : Plums, blackberry, tobacco, toast, dark chocolate, meaty notes, spice and black pepper on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B+

Website : Andrew Will Cellars

TN : Chateau de Fieuzal 2007, Grand Cru Classe de Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France

Colour : Red, purple hues

Aroma : Toasty oak, bramble jelly

Taste : Upfront very fruity, blackcurrant, plums, bramble fruit, cedar and toasty oak on finish. This is overoaked but has nice fruit.

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 256 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Chateau de Fieuzal

TN : Quimera 2007, Vino Tinto, Achaval Ferrer, Mendoza, Argentina

"Quimera" is pronounced "key mare ah". 5,280 twelve bottle cases were produced. The wine is a blend of 38% Malbec from Medrano and from Lujan, 24% Merlot from Tupungato, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon from Medrano and Tupungato, and 14% Cabernet Franc from Tupungato. The average yield per plant was less than 800 grammes which is equivalent to 18 hectolitres per hectare. The grapes were harvested between 27th Ferubary to the 12th March 2007.



Primary fermentation was peformed in smal tanks. The wine was then blended and underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, 40% of which were new and 60% were one year old. The wine was then aged in barrel for twelve months. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 5th 2008.



The pH is 3.7, TA is 6.25, and total SO2 is 60 milligrammes per litre.



The wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, oak, plums, blackberry, vanilla

Taste : Plums, blackcurrant, vanilla, smooth tannins, savoury notes, long finish with minerals and tobacco

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Bodega Achaval Ferrer
Website : Divine AB

Beringer Sonoma Chardonnay 2009, California, USA

Colour : Pale yellow

Aroma : Oak, toast with hot melted butter, oranges, pineapple

Taste : Over oaked, pineapple, vanilla, buttered toast, creamy texture

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 149 SEK (1.5 litre Bag-In-Box)

Mark : C

Website : Beringer Vineyards

TN : Chateau La Serre 2004, Saint-Emilionn Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France

Colour : Dark plum

Aroma : Oak, cedar, tobacco, blackcurrant

Taste : Cedar, oak, tobacco, blackcurrant, coffee, drying tannic finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : C

TN : Kuenstler Riesling Kabinett 2008, Weingut Franz Kuenstler, Rheingau, Germany

This wine was imported by AB Nigab. The wine was sealed with a screwcap.



Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Honey, pear, lemon, oranges

Taste : Honey, pear, pineapple, lemon

Alcohol : 7%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Weingut Kuenstler

TN : Riesling Spaetlese 2009, Hessische Staatsweingueter Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau, Germany

This wine was sealed with a screwcap and was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur AB.



Colour : Watery yellow

Aroma : Pear, honey, white grapes

Taste : Sweet, white grapes, lemon, lime, honey, pears

Alcohol : 8.5%

Price : 109 SEK

Mark : C+

TN : Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Saint Clair Family Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand

Saint Clair Family Estate is owned by Neal and Judy Ibbotson, viticulture pioneers in Marlborough since 1978. Grapes were originally supplied to local wine companies; however a desire to extend the quality achieved in the vineyard through to the finished wine led to the establishment of Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994.

The Saint Clair name originates from the vineyard property, first settled by the Sinclair family. Pioneer James Sinclair built one of the first homes in Blenheim and was closely associated with the early development of the town. Over time the name of the property reverted to the original Saint Clair.

The grapes were sourced from two vineyards, one in Dillon’s Point and the other on Thomsons Ford Road. The fruit was pressed off as quickly as possible to minimise skin contact and juice deterioration following harvesting. After settling the juice was fermented using selected yeast in 100 per cent stainless steel at cool temperatures to retain fruit flavour and freshness. The winemaker was Matt Thomson.

A lab analysis showed that the Titratable Acidity was 7.6 grammes per litre, the Residual Sugar was 2.9 grammes per litre, and the pH was 3.41.

The wine was seald with a screwcap.

Colour : Pale straw

Aroma : Passion fruit, gooseberry, citrus fruits, nettles

Taste : Blackcurrant, leafy, nettles, gooseberry, intense, long limey nettley finish, passion fruit

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 149 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Saint Clair Family Estate

TN : Purple Angel 2007, Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine is a blend of 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot. The Carmenere is from Marchique and the Petit Verdot comes from Apalta. The vineyard yield was 3.7 tons per hectare. This wine spent 18 months in French oak barrels and was bottled unfiltered. The pH is 3.61, total acidity is 3.76 grammes per litre, volatile acidity is 0.65 grammes per litre, residual sugar is 2.65 grammes per litre, and free SO2 is 0.026 grammes per litre.



Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Blackcurrant, green pepper, oak

Taste : Vanilla, toast, liqourice, lashings of polished oak, tobacco, green pepper, spice

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 399 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Montes

TN : Querciabella Chianti Classico 2008, DOCG, Agricola Querciabella, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.



Colour : Dark red/maroon

Aroma : Oak, cherries, liqourice, milk chocolate, red fruits

Taste : Concentrated cherries and red fruits, oak, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, long sour cherry and liqourice finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Agricola Querciabella

TN : Chateau Sainte Marguerite Cru Classe Grand Reserve Rose 2009, Cotes de Provence, France

This wine was sealed with a synthetic cork.



Colour : Pale orange/pink/copper

Aroma : Orange, strawberry, herbs

Taste : Dry, oranges, redcurrants, raspberry, minerals and herbs on long finish

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Chateau Sainte Marguerite

The Cigar Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Yalumba, Coonawarra, Australia

Yalumba's ‘The Cigar’ is a wine from the Yalumba Coonawarra Estate. Sibling to ‘The Menzies’, this wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from The Menzies Estate vineyards. The wine is named from the unique cigar-shaped strip of rich red terra rossa soil which defines Coonawarra’s wine region.



Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Vanilla, blackcurrant, mint, liqourice, toast

Taste : Vanilla, blackcurrant, liqourice, mint, toast, very acidic (too much high ?) finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 169 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Yalumba

TN : Punto Nino Pinot Noir Reserva 2010, Laroche, Casablanca Valley, Chile

Viña Punto Alto is located in the Casablanca Valley, between Santiago and Valparaiso, 20 km away from the Pacific.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.



Colour : Pale raspberry

Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry, liqourice, spice

Taste : Red berries, herbs, liqourice, spice

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 79 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Laroche Wines

TN : Mariflor Pinot Noir 2007, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is 100% Pinot Noir. The vineyard is four hectares and was planted in 2002 at 1,100 metres. The soil is sandy-clayey with pebbles in depth.

The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak barrels and 12,000 bottles were produced.



Colour : Red/maroon

Aroma : Spice, coca cola, red fruits, toast

Taste : Concentrated red fruits, coca cola and spice on finish, smooth mouthfeel

Alcohol : 15%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Rolland Collection

TN : Marks & Spencer Classic Claret 2008, Bordeaux, France

I had this wine on Boxing day and remember that it tasted like a Bordeaux so it lived up to its name but was a bit thin, oaky and had some blackurrant fruit.



Mark : C-

TN : Marks & Spencer Bordeaux Merlot 2009, Bordeaux, France

This wine was created for Marks & Spencer by Yvan Meyer. It is 100% Merlot.



Colour : Red, raspberry

Aroma : Plums, earth

Taste : Plums, earthy, cherry, spice on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 7.69 British Pounds (Marks & Spencer, Cardiff, UK)

Mark : C+

TN : Prieur des Jacobins Les Jailes 2008, Maison Sichel, Bordeaux, France

I had this wine on a British Airways flight from Stockholm Arlanda to London Heathrow on Christmas eve. It came in a 187 ml PET screwcapped bottle.

Colour : Red/maroon

Aroma : Plums, earth, spice

Taste : Plums, earth, fruity, savoury note on finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : Free

TN : Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2008, The co-operative, Colchagua Valley, Chile

This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. The wine was bottles by Vina Luis Felipe Edwards.



Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant and toasty oak

Taste : Blackcurrant, plums, vanilla, harsh toasty oak

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 5.99 British Pounds (The co-operative, Worcester, UK)

Mark : C