itWine Update April 2012

I talked to Christer Johansson (owner of itWine) who sent this picture of the state of his vineyard (April 29th 2012); the buds were still quite small at this time but progressing well.

Website : itWine
Facebook : itWine

TN : Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Bodega Catena Zapata, Agrelo Appellation, Mendoza, Argentina

All of the grapes were hand harvested. The vineyard soils consist of nine metres of 30% sand, 40% silt, and 30% clay, over round rocks. The wine spent one year in a combination of French and American oak. The winemaker was Alejandro Vigil.

This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Deep blackberry


Aroma : Blueberry, blackcurrant, herbs, oak

Taste : Coffee, liqourice, blackcurrant, blueberry, drying tannins and herbs on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 129 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Bodega Catena Zapata

TN : Studert Pruem Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spaetlese 2007, Mosel, Germany

The owners of Weingut Studert Pruem are Gehard and Stephan Pruem.

This wine was imported by Granqvist Agentur.

Colour : Very pale straw

Aroma : Honey, lemon, minerals, green apples

Taste : White grapes, honey, lime, minerals on finish

Alcohol : 8.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Website : Weingut Studert Pruem

TN : Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2009, Girard, Napa Valley, California, USA

The winemaker was Marco Digiulio. This wine spent 14 months in oak of which 85% was French and 15% was American. 40% of the barrels were new, 40% were one year old, and 20% was two years old.

This wine was imported by Terrific Wines AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Blueberry, blackberry, raisins, mint, white pepper

Taste : Blueberry, blackberry, fruity, mint, oily texture, pepper and raisins on finish

Alcohol : 15.5%

Price : 159 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Girard Winery

TN : Tenuta Belguardo 2008, Marchesi Mazzei, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The total acidity of the wine is 5.9%. The vineyards for this wine are located at an alititude of 70 to130 metres with a south ot south-westerly exposure. The soil is ocmposed of mainly sandstone. The average age of the vines is eleven years. The canopy management system used is spur cordon training. The vine density is 6,600 vines per hectare. All of the grapes were hand picked from september 9th, for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and from september 12th, for the Cabernet Franc. The temperature at alcoholic fermentation was between 28 and 30 degrees. There was a period of maceration of 18 days. The wine spent 18 months in small 225 litre french oak barrels of which 70% were new.The wine was bottles in October 2010. 16,000 bottles were produced.

This wine was imported by Johan Lidby Vinhandel AB.

Colour : Deep red, blue hues

Aroma : Cherries, oak, vanilla, blackcurrant, herbs, tobacco

Taste : Cherries, oak, vanilla, milk chocolate, blackcurrants, tobacco, herbs

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 249 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Marchesi Mazzei

TN ; Poggio Rosato Toscana 2011, Poggio Argentiera, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 105 Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine was imported by Mondo Wine Sweden AB.

Colour : Bright strawberry pink

Aroma : Raspberry, herbs, strawberry

Taste : Herbs, strawberry, raspberry. bitter acidic finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 209 SEK (3 Litre Bag-in-Box)

Mark : C


Website : Poggio Argentiera

TN ; Kaesler Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia

The grapes for this wine come from the Matthew's Block which was planted in 1985. The soil is red brown loam over clay. The winemaker was Reid Bosward.

This wine was imported by Divine AB.

Colour : Deep blackcurrant


Aroma : Blackcurrant, coffee, liquorice, burnt toast

Taste : Fruity, mint, coffee, blackcurrant, vanilla, burnt toast and cherries on finish

Alcohol : 15.5%

Price : 219 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Kaesler Vineyards and Winery

TN : Clos de los Siete 2008 by Michel Rolland, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine is a blend of 56% Malbec, 21% Merlot, 105 Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, and 2% Petit Verdot.

Colour : Dark blackberry

Aroma : Milk chocolate, blackberry, plums

Taste : Blackberry, plums, milk chocolate, spice, raspy oak on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 13,90 Euro (Silja Shops Tax Free)

Mark : C+

Website : Rolland Collection

TN : Hoepler Erwein St. Laurent 2007, Burgenland, Austria

The Hoepler winery is loated in Breitenbrunn, South East of Vienna on the West bank of lake Neusiedl. Every tenth bottle of Austrian wine exported to the USA is from Hoepler.

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

Colour : Dark cherry

Aroma : Cherry, oak, spice, coffee

Taste : Cherry, spice, violets, blueberry, raspberry

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 12,90 Euro (Silja Shops Tax Free)

Mark : C

Website : Hoepler

TN : La Parinna 2010, IGT, Gancia Parinna, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy

This wine is  a blend of 30% Sangiovese, 205 Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Syrah.

This wine was imported by Interbrands Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark red, black cherry

Aroma : Vanilla, spice, herbs, cherries

Taste : Cherry, spice, herbs

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 259 SEK (3 litre bag-in-box)

Mark : C

Website : Gancia Parinna

TN : Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley, California, USA

This wine is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. All the grapes were harvested between the 4th September and 8th October 2008. The wine underwent maturation for one and a half years in French oak of which 55% was new. The winemaker was Nicki Pruss. The wine is named after the Greek goddess of the hunt who is often pictured with a stag at her side. Stag's Leap Wine Callars was founded in 1970 by Warren Winiarski whose 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won first place in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting.

This wine was imported by Ward Wines AB.

Colour : Deep purple/blackcurrant

Aroma : Mint, blackcurrant, coffee

Taste : Blackcurrant, coffee, mint, milk chocolate, cedar on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 319 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

TN : Kloster Eberbach Riesling Spaetlese Crescentia 2010, Rheingau, Germany

 This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Granqvist Vinagentur.

Colour : Bright lemon

Aroma : Honey, lime, mandarin

Taste : Honey, mandarin, pineapple, racy lime acidic finish

Alcohol : 8%

Price : 115 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Kloster Eberbach

TN : Enira 2008, Domaine Bessa Valley, Bessa Valley Winery, Bulgaria

The Bessa Valley Project was started in 2001. It is situated in the region around Ognianovo village. The name of the winery "Bessa Valley" means Valley of the Bessi . The Bessi were a Thracian tribe that inhabited this land.

The wine is a blend of 48% Merlot, 40% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petit Verdot. All of the grapes were hand-picked. The whole berries then underwent a a old maceration  performed from five to eight days at 16 degrees. Alcohol fermentation, with addition of selected yeast strains, was controlled at 26 to 28 degrees for 8 to 10 days. followed by maceration from 5 to 8 days in thermo-regulated concrete tanks. Malolactic fermentation continued in tanks follwed by ageing for about twelve months in oak barrels (10% one-year old oak, 56 % two- years old, 34% three years old).

Colour : Dark red/black

Aroma : Raisins, oak, toast, blackcurrant, spice, plums

Taste : Blackcurrant, plums, cherry, spice, raisins, concentrated fruit

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 12.90 Euro (T2 Duty Free, Helsinki Airport, Finland)


Mark : B-

Website : Bessa Valley Winery

TN : Masi Passo Doble Malbec Corvina 2009, Masi, Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

 This wine is a blend of 62% Malbec, 30% Corvina, and 8% Merlot.

This wine was imported by Philipson Soderberg AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Plums, cherries, raisins, spice

Taste : Fruity, raisins, cherries, plums, vanilla, spicy finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Masi

TN : Saint Clair Pinot Noir 2010, Saint Clair Family Estates, Malborough, New Zealand

Matt Thomson was the winemaker. This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

At the winery each batch of grapes was held cold for five days prior to fermentation. Cultured yeasts were used for the primary alcoholic fermentation during which the fermenting must was hand plunged six times daily and then up to eight times daily during the height of fermentation. When dry, each batch was pressed to tank, settled and then racked off gross lees to either stainless steel tanks or a mixture of new and older seasoned French oak. The wine then underwent 100% malolactic fermentation before being blended and prepared for bottling.  The Titratable Acidity is 6.2grammes per litre and the is pH is 3.46.

This wine was imported by Sigva AB.

Colour : Raspberry, blue hues

Aroma : Raspberry, plums, strawberry, spices, vanilla

Taste : Fruity, spicy and gingery on finish, strawberry, oak, cherries

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Mark : C+


Website : Saint Clair Family Estates

TN : Chateau de Lamarque 2008, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France

This wine received 87 points from Wine Spectator (May 31st 2011 issue)

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plums, cherries, milk chocolate, liqourice, herbs

Taste : Liqourice, blackcurrant, plums, oak, drying herbs and tannins on finish

Alcohol : 13.5%


Price : 195 SEK

Mark : C

Website : Chateau de Lamarque

TN : Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Concha y Toro, Puente Alto, Chile

This wine is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. All of the grapes were hand-harvested between April 26th and May 19th 2007. The vineyard soils were alluvial and the climate was semi-arid Mediterranean. The wine spent 15 months in French oak barrels. The pH is 3.58 and the residual sugar is 3.77 grammes per litre.

This wine received 93 points from Wine Spectator (November 30th 2010 issue). 8,900 cases were produced.

Colour : Dark blackcurrant

Aroma : Blackcurrant, blackberry, herbs, coffee


Taste : Earthy, blackcurrant, blackberry, coffee, herbs, drying tannins on finish, try again in two more years

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 349 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Don Melchor

TN : Magnas Sauvignon 2009, Isonzo del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia-Giula, Italy

This wine is partly produced from a vineyard from the Isonzo zone called "Marzul" and partly from an old vineyard in the "Boatina" zone. This wine was bottled with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by Chris-Wine AB.

Colour : Very pale lemon

Aroma : Nettles, gooseberry, stone fruits

Taste : Blackcurrant leaf, stone fruits, earthy, creamy texture

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 125 SEK

Mark : C+

Website : Azienda Agricola Magnas

TN : Au Bin Climat Chardonnay 2009, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County, California, USA

This wine was imported by Muram International AB.

Colour : Light lemon

Aroma : Pineapple, buttered sweetcorn, buttered toast

Taste : Lemon, pineapple, butter, toast, zingy acidic finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : Au Bon Climat

TN : Rosenberg 2009, Gerhard Markowitsch, Niederoesterreich, Austria

This wine is a blend of  Zweigelt, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine was imported by Fondberg.

Colour : Dark red/blue

Aroma : Herbs, blueberry, plums, spice, coffee

Taste : Concentrated, glycerol, blueberry, plums, spice, sandalwood, oak and liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 299 SEK

Mark : B

Website : Weingut Markowitsch