TN : The Mentors Grenache Blanc 2010, KWV, W.O. Paarl, South Africa

 The pH of this wine is 3.03, the residual sugar was 2.77 grammes per litre, the total acidity is 3.03 grammes per litre. The harvest, middle of February 2010, at yield was 30 tons per hectare. The wine was matured for six months in oak (15% second and 85% third fill). This wine was sealed with a screwcap. 5,300 bottles were produced. The wine was bottled in October 2010.

 This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel.  

Colour : Pale lemon

Aroma : Oak, lime, oranges, honey, spice

Taste : Oak, lime, minerals, bitterness on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : B-

Website : KWV

TN : Louis M Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley, California, USA

The winemaker was Michael Martini.

This wine was imported by Spendrups Bryggeri AB.

Colour : Dark red, brown hues

Aroma : Cherries, blackcurrant, raisins, tobacco, herbs

Taste : Raisins, cocoa powder, cherry, blackcurrant, tobacco, mint, grippy tannins on finish

Alcohol : 14.5%

Price : 199 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6723

Mark : C

Website : Louis M Martini Winery

TN : Chateau Routas Rouvière Rosé 2012, Rouviere Plan, Coteaux Varois en Provence, France

This wine is a blend of 45% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 35% Grenache. The vines are planted on clay/calcerous soil. The average age of the vines is 15 years. The grapes were gently destemmed, cooled, and pressed. 8% of the Syrah went straight into for primary and malolactic fermentation. The Cinsault, Grenache, and remaining Syrah were fermented in stainless steel tanks and blocked from malolactic fermentation. were aged separately for three months and blended prior to bottling. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. The winemaker was Jean Louis Bavey.

This wine was imported by PWP Import AB.

Colour : Pale copper

Aroma : Herbs, redcurrants, oranges, blood red grapefruits

Taste : Blood red grapefruits, oranges, redcurrants, minerals, herbs

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 115 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95454

Website : Chateau Routas

TN : Domain Road Pinot Noir Rosé 2012, Domain Road Vineyard, Central Otago, New Zealand

This wine was sealed with a screwcap.

This wine was imported by JPC Wines AB.

Colour : Strawberry, copper

Aroma : Strawberry, raspberry, redcurrants, herbs

Taste : Strawberry, raspberry, redcurrants, peaches, herbs

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 149 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90390

Mark : B+

Website : Domain Road Vineyard

TN : Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah 2012. Montes Wines, Colchagua Valley, Chile

The vineyard yield was eight tons per hectare (3.2 tons per acre). The wine was completely unoaked. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. 7,000 cases were produced. The total acidity is 3.8 grammes per litre, residual sugar is 3.99 grammes per litre, pH is 3.08, volatile acidty (C2H402) is 0.44 grammes per litre, and the free SO2 is 0.031 grammes per litre.

This wine was imported by Hjo Grosshandel AB.

Colour : Bright strawberry/cherry

Aroma : Oranges, cherries, ribena, herbs

Taste : Cherry, blackberry, herbs, oranges

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 99 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 95272

Mark : B

Website : Montes Wine

TN : Syrah Le Pousseur 2010, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Central Coast, California, USA

This wine is 100% Syrah. The grapes for this wine come from the Alamo Creek (57%) and Bien Nacido (43%) vineyards. At the time of bottling this wine contained 43 parts per million total SO2 and 27 part sper million free SO2. The total acidity is 6.6 grammes per litre and the pH is 3.63. This wine was sealed with a screwcap. 1,016 cases were produced. The label artist was Bascove.

On the back label it states : "La syrah," the French say—syrah is deeply and elementally feminine—is perfumed elegance. Enchanting and capitvating rather than overpowering, it disarms by its strangeness. Like Borge's Zahir, syrah makes an indelible impression. One will wander the world till the end of one's days, its sublime, haunting fragrance gradually displacing all thoughts and memories, including the knowledge of one's own name.

This wine was imported by Moestue Grape Selections AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Blueberry, blackberry, violets, herbs, lavendar

Taste : Blueberry, blackberry, lavendar, white pepper

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 195 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 99211

Mark : C+

Website : Bonny Doon Vineyard

TN : Heinrich Blaufränkisch Leithaberg 2010, Weingut Gernot Heinrich, Burgenland, Austria

This wine was sealed with a glass stopper.

This wine was imported by Gullberg by Stockwine AB.

Colour : Dark red/blue hues

Aroma : Spice, plums, liqourice, violets, oak, blackberry, blueberry, herbs

Taste : Spice, herbs, blueberry, raspberry, liqourice finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 169 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 97086

Mark : B-

Website : Weingut Gernot Heinrich

TN : Pezat 2010, Bordeaux Supérieur, Château Teyssier, Bordeaux, France

The kernel for Pezat is a vineyard planted literally a pace outside of the Saint Emilion Appellation; towards the river from Château Teyssier near to Branne. Previously this large vineyard consisted of high trellised vines planted three metres apart, the norm in Entre-des-Mers where grapes are machine picked.

Planting down the middle of the rows gave the same density as a vineyard in Saint Emilion. Additionally, on the original vines, a sucker-per-vine was allowed to grow. At which stage the original vine was cut off, almost halving the height of the vines down to what one would expect from a hand-picked vineyard in Saint Emilion. The vines are now pruned on the ‘double guyot’ system. The secondary shoots are removed and the vines deleafed and bunch-thined. The grapes are handpicked and vinified as the other wines of the Chateau; to the standard of a Saint Emilion Grand Cru.

This wine was imported by Tryffelsvinet AB.

Colour : Dark red, blue hues

Aroma : Plums, spice, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla, herbs

Taste : Blackberry, spicy, blueberry, plums, herbs, talcum powder like tannins, liqourice on finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 139 SEK

Mark : B-

Website : JCP Maltus

TN : The Big Zin White Zinfandel Rosé 2012, ViniMundi, I.G.T Puglia, Italy

This wine was imported by The Wine Team.

Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Herbs, strawberry, raspberry

Taste : Off dry, jellied strawberries and raspberries, herbs

Alcohol : 11.5%

Price : 179 SEK (3 litre Bag-In-Box)

Systembolaget Number : 74943

Mark : C

TN : Le Carré 2007, JCP Maltus, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France

Le Carré is a single-vineyard of just over one and a half hectares that abuts Clos Fourtet near the centre of the town of Saint Emilion.The vines date back to the middle of the last century and have been completely re-terraced since the purchase of the vines in 2004 from Château Canon, Premier Cru Classé. The yield is approximately 28 hectolitres to the hectare. The grapes are subject to double-sorting and vinification in oak wooden vats. The wine was called "packed and stacked" by Robert Parker Jnr at it's debut. Whilst the main part of the wine is made up by Merlot, the Cabernet Franc compliment is fermented in 400 litre barrels that are rolled during primary fermentation. 300 cases only are made.

This wine was imported by Mondo Wine Sweden AB.

Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Intense, plums, oak, blackcurrant, cherries

Taste : Spice, plums, oak, vanilla, blackcurrant, cherries, grippy tannic finish

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 550 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 96851

Mark : B

Website : JCP Maltus

TN : Alamos Malbec 2012. Bodega Catena Zapata, Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine was bottled under screwcap.

This wine was imported by Vinunic AB.

Colour : Blackberry

Aroma : Blackberry, plums, cherries, violets

Taste : Cherry, blackberry, liqourice, vanilla, violets

Alcohol : 13.5%

Price : 89 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 6670

Mark : C+

Website : Alamos

TN : René Barbier Rose, Penedes, Spain

This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cariñena.

This wine was imported by Freixenet Nordic AB.

Colour : Bright strawberry

Aroma : Raspberry, redcurrants

Taste : Redcurrants, raspberry, oranges on finish

Alcohol : 12.5%

Price : 199 SEK (3 litre Bag-In-Box)

Systembolaget Number : 2751

Mark : C

Website : Rene Barbier

TN : Taittinger Brut Réserve, Champagne, France

This wine is a blend of Pinot noir 42%, chardonnay 38% och pinot meunier 20%.

This wine was imported by Fondberg.

Colour : Pale yellow, lots of fine mousse

Aroma : Bread and butter, apples, lemons

Taste : Rich tea biscuits, apples, oranges

Alcohol : 12%

Price : 359 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 7422

Mark : C

Website : Taittinger

TN : Goulée by Cos d'Estournel 2010, Medoc, Bordeaux, France

This wine is from Michel Reybier, the proprietor of Cos d’Estournel. The vineyard is planted with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.

This wine was imported by Granqvist Agentur.

Colour : Blackcurrant

Aroma : Cedar, blueberry, herbs, blackcurrant, milk chocolate, oak

Taste : Cedar, blueberry, herbs, blackberry, cocoa powder finish

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 252 SEK

Systembolaget Number : 90711

Mark : B

Website : Cos d'Estournel

TN : The Mentors Orchestra 2009, KWV, Western Cape, South Africa

This wine is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot, and 12% Malbec. The vineyards were located in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Overberg. The wine matured for16 months in new French oak barrels. 13 400 bottles were bottled under screwcap in November 2010.

The pH of this wine is 3.49, the residual sugar is 2.02 grammes per litre,  the total acidity is 5.8 grammes per litre, balling at harvest, April 2009, was between 24-26, and the yield was 5 to 8 tons per hectare.

The wine has won following awards:

• 2012 Veritas Wine Awards - Silver Medal
• Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Bronze
• Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2011 - Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Blend
• International Wine Challenge 2011 - Silver Medal
• Michelangelo CCL International Wine Awards 2010: Silver Medal

This bottle was part of a five bottle box entitled The Mentors.

This wine was imported by Arvid Nordquist Vin och Sprithandel. 

Colour : Dark purple

Aroma : Blackcurrant, plums, spice, blueberry, pepper, tobacco

Taste : Spice, cedar, blackcurrant, blueberry, spice, plums, tobacco, liqourice, mint

Alcohol : 14%

Price : 999 SEK (The Mentors Gift Box, 5 bottles)

Systembolaget Number : 72266

Mark : B

Website : KWV

TN : Chateau Moulin de Duhart 2008, Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The origin of the name "Moulin de Duhart" comes from the former presence of a windmill on the Carruades, next to the Duhart-Milon vineyard. The Rothschild family acquired Château Duhart-Milon, a "Quatrièmes Cru" in the 1855 classification, from the Castejas of Pauillac in 1962. The property was named after the Sieur of Duhart, gun-runner to Louis XIV, who originally owned the property, and from the name of the little hamlet of Milon which separates the Duhart-Milon vineyard from that of Château Lafite. Moulin de Duhart, Château Duhart-Milon’s second wine, is selected from vats of the "Grand Vin". The vineyard covers 50 hectares and is planted with the classical cépages of Médoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Merlot (20%) and a small amount of "Petit Verdot".

The growing season came after a severe winter and spring frosts. Flowering  was not very productive, constant humidity favoured disease and the summer was moderately warm. Fortunately, September was fine and so it was possible to wait for the grapes to fully ripen, with late harvests. The harvests took place from the 1st to the 8th of October 2008 for the Merlot and from the 8th to the 15th of October 2008 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Pumping-over and the maceration time were adapted according to each vat, the origin of the plot and the level of maturity of the tannins. Alcoholic fermentation took place in cement and stainless steel vats with temperature control. Maceration lasted 15-20 days, and malolactic fermentation was carried out in cement and stainless steel vats. The wine was then aged for ten months in barrel and ten months in stainless steel vats. This wine is a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 57% Merlot. The harvest yield was 47 hectolitres per hectare. 156,000 bottles were produced. The total acidity is 3.25 grammes per litre.


Colour : Dark red

Aroma : Cedar, toasty oak, raspberry, blackcurrant, plums, fruity, milk chocolate

Taste : Cedar, raspberry, blackcurrant, plums, milk chocolate

Alcohol : 13%

Price : 295 SEK (The Wine Company)

Mark : C

Website : Moulin de Duhart
Website : The Wine Company