1. 1991 Taylors Late Bottled Vintage.
Dark red, purple rim. Good, powerful, very fruity nose with raisins and some oak. Full, chunky sweet taste, oak and young fruit. (15p)
2. 1985 Taylor's Vintage Port.
Dark red, red rim. A bit closed bouquet, but opened up and displaying good fruit and oak. Full, balanced taste, sweet, nutty, elegant and quite complex with a long aftertaste (16p)
3. 1980 Calem Quinta da Foz. Vintage
Medium red, brownish rim. Medium bouquet, pleasant fruit and a touch of vanilla. Long aftertaste (15p)
4. 1957 Calem Colheita Reserve Port.
Tawny. Mature, oaky bouquet, medicinal and a touch of volatile acidity. Mature, slightly burned taste, dried fruit and oak. Controversial. (15p)
Comments: The wines were purchased in Portugal a couple of years ago. Unfortunately Björn has forgotten the prices.
436. Dec 5, 2003. La Lagune Vertical. Håkan Olsson.1. 1997 Ch La Lagune. 3. Cru. Haut-Médoc. Bordeuax. 170 SEK
Dark red, brick-red rim. Good mature bouquet, leateher, stable yard some oak. Medium full, quite tannic, high acidity, some fruit, but lacks concentartion, and a bit short aftertaste. Will not improve any further. (14p)
2. 1999 Ch La Lagune. 200 SEK
Dark red, slightly brownish rim. Pleasant nose, red berries, tobacco, raisins, butter-scotch. Fullish, tannic, good fruit, high acidity nice balance, medium aftertaste (15p)
3. 1982 Ch La Lagune. (94 SEK in 1983 = 180 SEK today)
Dark red, brick-red rim. Mature bouquet, fruit, spices, olives and artemisia. Fullish, tannic, mature taste, good acidity, and a pleasant aftertaste. Some of the group detected a whiff of volatile acidity. Drink now. (16p)
4. 1990 Ch La Lagune. (113 SEK in 1991 = 140 SEK today)
Dark red, still lots of pigments. At first a bit closed but developed a rich, harmonious bouquet. Full taste, good fruit and well balanced. Long aftertaste. Maturing, but will keep for several years (17p)
Comments: One thing that struck us was the high acidity in these wines. My initial thought were a group of Bordeaux look-alikes from Italy! I increased my inital rating with 1 point for the two oldest wines since they kept so well in the glass. Their quality became also so evident when we were served further wines with the food. (This doesn't meen that the extra wines were bad!)
Robert Parkers ratings are: 86, 81-84, 92 and 90. I think his scores are to low on the 1999, while the score for the 1982 seems to be bit high. I my opinion the 1990 (and 1989) are better.
435. Nov 14, 2003. New Wines at Systembolaget. Nils Kjellén1. 2002 Talus Shiraz. Lodi, California. 69 SEK
Dark red, puple rim. Young, berry nose, black currant leaves, medicin spices. Young, fruity taste, good acidity, some tannins, dark berries, full bodied. Medium aftertaste. (12p)
2. 2002 35 South Carmenère. Viña San Pedro. Lontué. 69 SEK
Dark red. Rich, quite tight, fruity aromas. Rounded, fruity taste, vanilla, chewy cassis and mint (13p)
3. 2002 Graham Beck Shiraz-Cabernet Sauv. Western Cape, South Africa. 69 SEK Dark red. Medium nose, pleasant warm, fruity casssis and toasted oak. Young, fruity taste, good acidity, medium full taste. (13p)
4. 2000 Yalumba Barossa Shiraz. Australia. 100 SEK
Dark red. Rich, fruity raomea on the nose, plenty of balanced oak, chocolate and spices. Full, rich taste, tasty, chewy fruit with loads of dark berries, well balanced. Good aftertaste (15p)
Comments: A pleasant selection of moderatly priced wines. The Yalumba was tasted on Nov 3 (see Op's Diary) with similar notes and rated 14p, but I actually was close to give it 15p.
434. Oct 31, 2003. Californian Zinfandels. CG Dahl.1. 2001 Ravenswood Vintner´s Blend. Sonoma. 129 SEK
Dark medium-red. Pleasant, very fruity nose, spicy and some burned rubber. Full, rich fruit, good acidity, dark berries and spices. (14p)
2. 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel. Sonoma. 179 SEK
Dark medium-red, brick-red rim. A bit closed, some fruit and varnish. Full taste, over-ripe fruit, tough acidity, slightly bitter. Has probably been better and seems to have lost fruit. (13p)
3. 2000 Beringer Zinfandel. Napa. 99 SEK
Dark medium-red, purple rim. Rich, powerful nose, lots of blackberries and raspberries, oak. Full, ripe fruit, dark berries, cassis and oak, well balanced (15,5p)
4. 1998 Beringer Zinfandel. Napa. 97 SEK
Dark medium-red. Fine fruity nose, slightly spicy and some oak. Full taste, high acidity, good, spicy fruit and a nice aftertaste (15p)
5. 1996 Beringer Zinfandel. Napa. 97 SEK
Dark medium-red. Quite good, maturing, spicy bouquet with red and black berries. Fullish, high acidity, tannic, good aftertaste but past its best (14,5p)
Comments: The first wine was quite Syrahish in character which fooled me. The wines were good, but they don't seem to improve with age. I´m requently accused of necrophilacy but on this occasion I preferred the youngest wine!
433. Oct 17, 2003. Pinot Noirs from five countries. Hans Eriksson.1. 2001 Artesa Pinot Noir. Carneros. Napa Valley. 220 SEK
Light medium-red. Fruity, pleasant nose with a touch of oak. Medium full, good fruit, red berries, oak, some tannins, good acidity and a reasonably long aftertaste. Developed nicely in the glass as the evening progressed. Quite an elegant wine (13p ->14p+)
2. 1999 Beaune du Château Premiere Cru. Bouchard Père & Fils. 189 SEK
Medium red. A bit restrained nose, some fruit and oak, red berries, sloe (blackthorn). Medium full, quite tannic, high acidity and a bitter slightly unbalanced aftertaste. (12p)
3. 1999 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley. 155 SEK
Dark medium-red. Fine, fruity bouquet, some oak, kirsch and a touch of volatile acidity. Fullish, quite tannic, good acidity. agreeable, but controversial among the tasters due to the volatile acidity. (14p)
4. 1998 Torres Mas Borrás Pinot Noir. Penedès Superior. Catalonia. 140 SEK
Medium-red. Interesting nose with fruit, varnish, oak and burned matches. Medium full, quite tough, slightly bitter taste (13p)
5. 1998 Jekl Villányi Pinot Noir Reserve. Vinoland Kft. Hungary. 96 SEK
Light red. Medium nose, slightly spicy, red berries. oak and creamy vanilla. Medium full. Good, fruity taste, nice acidity but finishes a bit short (13p)
Comments: Interesting tasting. Pinot Noir is a tricky grape to grow. The french wine was generally the least liked, and note that the inexpensive (relatively, that is!) Hungarian wine did quite well. With the food was served a less than good Romanian Pinot Noir and a light but nice Swiss wine; 2001 Dôle de Salquenen from Valais.
432. Oct 3, 2003. Amarone. Lars Jonsson1. 1997 Amarone Costasera. Masi. 200 SEK
Dark red. Interesting bouquet with dried fruit, raisins, black currants, bread and oriental spices. Full, spicy taste, full-bodied, good balance with tannins, acidity and fruit. (16p)
2. 1997 Villa Borghetti. Pasqua. 122 SEK
Dark red, brick-red rim. Nice bouquet with fruit, smoke and oak. Closed taste, some fruit and licorice, tannic, undeveloped, slightly bitter. (14p)
3. 1997 Amarone Classico. Tommasi. 199 SEK
Dark red. Very fruity nose, oak but possibly a bit corked. Full, quite tannic, but balanced taste. Slightly corked (?)
4. 1997 Ca´Florian. Tommasi. 259 SEK
Dark red. Fine bouquet, spices, cherries, tobacco, plums. Full, very fruity taste, well balanced taste with lots of extract. Not fully developed, but good to drink now. (17p)
5. 1997 Amarone Classico. Allegrini. 359 SEK
Dark red, lots of pigment. Very fruity nose, black-berries and oak. Developed very well in the glass. Full, very fruity, full-bodied, chewy taste. Well balanced. Long aftertaste. Will keep and should develop for many years (17p)
Comments: For some reason Amarones have not been put to test so often in this group. We didn't have any problems in identifying them as Italian and Amarone was about the only choice. They well well liked, not surprisingly. The majority, incl. me, liked the Ca´Florian best, the rest voted for Allegrini. During the evening it became evident how well the Allegini kept and evolved in the glass, and it should perhaps have been awarded another point. Parker has by the way rated it 95p.
431. Sept 12, 2003. Made in Japan. Anders Lidén1. nv Toriino Select Highlands Tamba. (79 SEK)
Medium yellow. Mature, flowery, fruity bouquet, some honey and apricots. Off-dry, mature, good acidity, medium fruit, some length (Riesling?)(13p)
2. 1996 Ch La Lumière. Grand Vin. (118 SEK)
Pale yellow. Slightly vegetal, flowery nose, burned rubber. Quite light, dry, minerals, some fruit, short aftertaste (Chardonnay?)(11p)
3. nv Ch Lion. Suntory. (198 SEK)
Deep amber-yellow. Mature, apricots, apples and sherry. Strange, dry, sherrylike taste, apples, some sweetness. Strange wine, but not undrinkable if you have sherry on your mind. (?p)
4. 1993 Ch Brilliant. Sadoya. (380 SEK)
Golden yellow. Mature,bouquet, bread, smoke, flowers and wool. Dry, crisp taste, bread and minerals, some fruit. (Chardonnay+) (12p)
Comments: Interesting tasting and our first experience of Japanese wines. The wines were not bad, but prices terrible. All were purchased in Japan. The labels were in Japanese so there were no understandable information on the grapes.430. Aug 29, 2003. South African Shiraz. Erling V. Jirle1. 2001 Zonnenbloem. Stellenbosch. 70 SEK.
Dark red, purple rim. Tight, young, fruity nose with cassis and oak. Medium full, crisp taste, unpolished fruit, quite tannic, short aftertaste. (12p)
2. 2001 Kumkani. Stellenbosch. 80 SEK.
Dark red, purple rim. Fine, young fruity nose, black currants, cedar, oak. Full, very fruity taste, chewy soft tannins, good oaky aftertaste (14,5p)
3. 2000 Simonsig . Stellenbosch. 96 SEK.
Dark red, well pigmented, red rim. Medium nose, a bit closed with cassis, oak and a bit yeasty. Medium full, "hot" taste, some oak, high acidity, slightly bitter unbalanced tannins - absinthe (13p)
4. 2001 Landskroon. Paarl. 85 SEK.
Dark red, red rim. A bit shy, undeveloped nose, black berries, dill, and oak. Fullish, sweet ripe fruit, lots of oak, full bodied, cedary, pleasant, long fruity aftertaste (14p)
5. 2002 Black Granite. Costal region. 79 SEK.
Dark purple-red. Good, fruity nose, spices and dark berries. Medium full, soft, spicy taste, well balanced. Typical Syrah/Shiraz, and the most French styled of them all, not unlike a Crozes Hermitage. (15p)
Comments: Nice wines, and the price was quite favourable too. Maybe my scores are a little bit high, 1 point or so. 429. Aug 15, 2003. Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Olof Persson.Flight 1. Neues Deutschland 1. 1999 Gf.Ga47-42. Deutscher Tafelwein. 10%. Fachgebiet Weinbau der Universität Hohenheim. Stuttgart. Price ?
Pale yellow. Open, very fruity nose, pineapples, peaches, tutti-frutti. Medium full, some sweetness, pure, fruity taste, quite OK, but could do with some more acidity (10p)
2. 2001 Nordweiler Herrenberg Regent Trocken QbA. 13%. Badischer Winzerkeller, Breisach. 4.60 EUR Dark red. Very young, creamy-fruity nose, butter-scotch. Medium full, quite fruity, moderate tannins, tart acidity and a bitter unpleasant, short finish. (9p)
3. 1997 "Antiqua" Erzinger Kapellenberg Spätburgunder Rotwein Trocken QbA. 13%. Badischer Winzerkeller, Breisach. 10.20 EUR . Pale red, thin edge. Medium nose, pinot-fruit and oak. Soft, light taste, high in alcohol. Short, woody finish. Very disappointing (9p)
Comments: The wines in this flight were some samples of new-styled German wines. The white was quite OK, not exciting but drinkable, especially when chilled.
The red Regent is a new hybrid that has become popular. It ripens early, it is fungus resistant and has also found its way to some Swedish vineyards like Gutevin on Gotland. Let's hope that it its possible to tame its tart acidity and bitterness.
There has been reports of some good Burgundy styled Spätburgunders from Baden. This was not a good example. It was probably chaptalized, and was then kept long on barrels. An unoaked 2000 Merdinger Buhel tasted on July 7, was much better.
Flight 2. "Vino Italiano" 1. 2000 Merlot "Viti". Ticino. Svizzera. Cantina Sociale Mendrisio 12,5%. 10.50 CHF. Dark red. Soft, round, spicy fruity nose, raisins. Medium full, soft, spicy fruit, quite well balanced with some tannins. Quite nice. (13p)
2. 1999 Franconia. Gianni Vescovio. Isonzo del Friuli. 13%. 7.50 EUR (12.50) (Franconia = Lemberger = Blaufränkisch = Kékfrankos)
Dark red. Medium bouquet, spicy, red and black berries and a touch of oak. Medium full, crisp fruity taste, red and dark berries, well structured acidity and medium tannins More like a Cabernet than one might expect. (15p)
3. 1999 Riserva Elzana. Carmignano. Fattoria Ambra. 13,5%. 18.60 EUR . (Sangiovese + Cabernet Sauvignon)
Dark red, well pigmented. Rich, powerful complex bouquet with cherries, cassis, oriental spices and oak. Full, quite tannic taste, black currants, tobacco and oak. Lovely balanced with a long aftertaste. Good now, but will keep for many years. (17p) 4. 2001 Serrata di Belguardo. IGT Maremma Toscana. Marchesi Mazzei. 13,5%. 129 SEK (40% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot) Very dark red, Very tight on the nose, but opened up, loads of young fruit and toasted oak. Full, young, sweet fruit, lots of tannins and a long aftertaste. Impressive and will develop further. Lovely price too!! (17p)
Comments: Now we are talking. Wines 1- 3 were picked up during our summer holiday in Italy
428. July 25, 2003. German Rieslings. Björn Aksell.1. 2001 Moselland-Classic Riesling Kabinett. 54 SEK.
Light yellow. Young, fruity nose with pears and gooseberries. Medium-dry, soft uncomplicated, fruity taste. Best chilled. (11p)
2. 2002 Forster Mariengarten Riesling QbA. Wv Deidesheim. 59 SEK
Light medium yellow. Nice, fruity nose with apples and peaches. Medium full, medium-dry, good refreshing acidity , slightly bitter finish. (12p)
3. 1994 Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Spätlese. Wv Deidesheim 79 SEK
Golden yellow. Fine, rich, mature bouquet, petrol, minerals and peaches. Fullish, good acidity, medium-sweet, long aftertaste of peaches, apricots and honey. (14p)
4. 1990 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese. Dr Pauly-Bergweiler 99 SEK
Golden yellow, greenish tinged. At first a bit raw and unpolished but developed a nice, typical bouquet of fruit and petrol. Medium-dry, medium full, very typical acidity, elegant, balanced long fruity, flowery aftertaste. Lovely. This is what a Mosel Riesling is all about. (15p).
Comments: A nice collection of summer wines and they all represented good value.
427. June 27, 2003. The Wine Writers Favourites. Håkan Olsson
Tasting notes by Lars Jonsson. 1. Vila Santa 2001, Joao Portugal Ramos, Alentejo, Portugal. 99 SEK
Youthful, dark red.
Earthy, oaky, lots of fruits and berries, violets, butter-scotch. Quite a long taste, nice, fruity and spicy, lots of soft tannins, soft and easily drunk. Worth its price but not a good as the 2000. (15p)
2. Cardinal Degrezette 1999, A. Perrin, Cahors, France. 99 SEK
Young, dakt red, purple rim, dense. Fresh, youthful nose with blackberries and vegetables, oak. Quite a long, light taste with dark berries, fresh acidity, still with some sharp edges. (14p)
3. Réserve de la Condamine, Mont Tauch, Fitou. Bag-in-Box
Young, dark red, purple rim. Young, quite powerful, grapey nose, dark berries and candies. Young, fruity, slightly estery taste, high, sharp acidity but soft taste. (13p)
4. Chateau Beliza 2000, Damenitzon, Bulgaria. 79 SEK
Young, very dark red with purple rim. Tight, fruity nose with cedar, blueberries and oak. Full, quite long and fruity, blueberries, plums, high acidity, tannic. (75% Merlot, 25 Cab. Sauv).(14p)
5. Merlot 2000, Zenato, Delle Venezie, Italien. 109 SEK
Very dark red, darkest of all. Rich, ripe Cabernet-nose, complex with plums, cassis, dark berries, dill. Full taste with plums and cassis, mature, good, rich acidity, quite tannic, cellary, velvet. A bargain. (16p)
426. May 30, 2003. Bordeaux. Nils Kjellén.1. 1996 Michel Lynch. Bordeaux 78 SEK (in 2000)
Dark medium red. Nice, mature bouquet with raisins and slightly spicy, typical Merlot. Medium full, tannic, high acidity, pleasant fruit but finishes short. Good value though! (13p)
2. 1988 Ch. d'Angludet. Margaux. 216 SEK (in 1996)
Dark red, diffuse brick-red rim. Good bouquet, mature, dried fruit, plums, cassis, some oak. Medium full, oaky taste, warm, very mature - still alive, but living dangerously Drink immediately!(15p)
3. 1988 Pavillon Rouge de Margaux. 281 SEK( in 1996)
Dark red, clear brick-red rim. Medium bouquet - opened up with rich, pleasant fruit, cassis, violets and toasted oak. Full, oaky, tannic, full bodied taste, spices, cassis, balanced acidity. Good aftertaste. Perfect to drink now. (16p)
4. 1988 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Pauillac.
Very dark red, lots of pigment. Rich, powerful bouquet, mature, complex, warm fruit and some oak. Full, chewy fruit, well balanced and a focused long aftertaste. Very good and perfect to drink now, but there is no hurry. (17p, at least)
Comments: Back on our own playground; Bordeaux!
425. May 16, 2003. Pinot Gris, Alsace. CG Dahl.1. 1999 Brandhof. A & R Gresser, Andlau. (62 SEK in 2001)
Golden yellow. Fine fruity bouquet, ripe fruit, grapes and slightly smoky, mushrooms. Medium full, fullbodied, crisp, fruit, and a nice aftertaste (14p)
2. 1999 Brandhof Vielle Vigne. A & R Gresser, Andlau. (110 SEK in 2001)
Golden yellow. Nice, very fruity bouquet with minerals and mushrooms. Semi-dry, full, fruity taste, full-bodied, crisp and a long aftertaste (14p)
3. 1998 Tokay-Pinot Gris Cuveé Martin Zahn (70 SEK in 1999)
Corked, not rated. From the cooperative in Ribeauvillé
4. 1998 Brandhof. A & R Gresser, Andlau. (56 SEK in 2000)
Golden yellow. Medium nose, nice, grapey, flowery. Light, pleasant acidity, mineral, plums, well balanced, kept well in the glass. (14p)
5. 1997 Brandhof. A & R Gresser, Andlau. (99 SEK in 2000)
Golden yellow. Fine, rich fruity nose with ripe tropical fruit. Medium sweet, oily, grapey taste, soft. Quite complex but could do with some more acidity (14p)
Comments: Gresser is a small grower in the pretty village of Andlau in the northern part of Alsace. I have visited them twice and I have found their wines very reliable. Apparently they are related to Marc Kreydenweiss residing in the same village, but the prices of Gresser's wines have remained on a more more reasonable level. Gresser's have a large range of wines from different terroirs and the rieslings are really beautiful.
We identified the wines easily, and it was quite obvious that there were wines from Gresser among them. I rated them identical, since I'm not sure that I liked the sweeter styled vielle vignes better. 424. April 25, 2003. Czech Wines. Lars Jonsson.1. 2000 Ryzlink rynski. (Rhine Riesling). Pozdniská Sedlecá vina. 56 SEK
Medium yellow. At first a flowery, fruity nose which died away. Light-medium full, some fruit and minerals, crisp. (11p). 2. 2000 Chardonnay. Pozdniská Sedlecá vina. 75 SEK
Medium yellow. Medium nose with some fruit and smoky minerals. Light fruity taste, crisp acidity, short finish (10p) 3. 2000 Rudlandské sede (Pinot Gris). Pozdniská Sedlecá vina. 69 SEK
Medium yellow. Medium nose with fruit and minerals. Medium full, good fruit and some acidity. (11p) 4. 2000 Muskat Morovski (Morio muskat?). Pozdniská Sedlecá vina. 49 SEK
Medium yellow. Intense, grapey, sweet nose, very Muscatish. Medium full, nice spicy fruit with raisins and pears, good acidity. (12p) 5. 1997 Svatovarineché (St Laurent). Vinium 60 SEK.
Light red. Medium nose with dried fruit and strawberries. Light, spicy taste, some tannins and slightly bitter aftertaste. A bit tired (10p)
Comments: All wines were purchased in Czech Republic. They were quite OK, if not terribly exciting.
423. April 4, 2003. Sauvignon Blanc; Old World vs. New World. Anders Lidén1. nv Sauvignon J&F Lurton. Bordeaux. 79 SEK
Medium yellow. Lots of fruit on the nose, flowers, perfume. Medium full, crisp, fruit and minerals, gooseberries, medium aftertaste (13p)
2. 2002 Stoneleigh. Marlborough. NZ. 79 SEK
Pale yellow. Young fruity nose, fruitdrops, elderberries. Fullish, very sweet-fruity but a bit unpolished taste, nice acidity. (12p)
3. 2001 Ch Coucheroy. Pessac-Leognan. A. Lurton. 84 SEK
Pale yellow. Medium nose with plenty of toasted oak, pears and apples. Medium full, well balanced , elegant taste. Oaky aftertaste. Worked extremely well with cheese which seemed to enhance the fruit (14p)
4. 2001 Montana Reserve. Marlborough. NZ. 109 SEK
Medium yellow. Medium nose, tropical fruit, lychees, fruit-drops. Medium full, lots of sweet nice fruit. (13,5p)
422. March 21, 2003. South African Chardonnays (+1). Håkan Olsson1. 2002 KWV Chardonnay. 63 SEK
Pale yellow. Very fruity nose with gooseberries and black currants - like putting your nose in a can of Tavener's Fruit Drops. Medium full, high acidity and not unlike a Sauvignon Blanc. (12p)
2. 2001 Simonsig Chardonnay. Stellenbosch. 88 SEK
Medium yellow. Medium bouquet, nice fruit, peaches and toasted oak. Fullish, ripe fruit, peaches and apricots, oak, coconuts, crisp. Tasty. (14p)
3. 1997 Savigny-les-Beaune. Chartron & Trebouchet. 129 SEK
Medium yellow with a slight orange tinge. Medium nose, apples and a bit smoky. Medium full, high, almost tart, acidity, old apples and finishes a bit short (12p)
4. 2001 Bon Courage Prestige Cuvee. 80 SEK
Medium yellow. Good bouquet with mineral, pears, pleasant fruit, some oak. Medium full, crisp, fresh acidity, mineral, fruit, oak and a nice aftertaste (14p)
5. 1998 Meerlust Chardonnay. 160 SEK
Golden yellow. Rich nose with plenty of toasted oak and some fruit. Full, full-bodied taste with plenty of oak (a bit too much for my taste!), balanced acidity. (13p)
Comments: Some pf these wines performed quite well, especially the Simonsig and Bon Courage, while the Burgundy was a bit disappointing. Others liked the Meerlust better than I did.
421. Feb 14, 2003. Madeira. Björn Aksell1. Henriques & Henriques, Sercial 10 years. EUR 18,45
Light amber. Big, intense, slightly oxidized bouquet with tones of ethyl acetate and ketones. Semi-dry, refreshing acidity, medium full, nutty taste. Long aftertaste. (15,5p)
2. Barbieto, Verdelho 10 years. EUR 16,70
Medium orange-brown. Fine bouquet with burned plummy fruit. Semi-sweet taste, some oak, raisins and almonds. Nice balance. (16p)
3. Cossart & Gordon, Bual 10 years. EUR 17,50
Orange-brown. Rich bouquet with dried apricots and plums. Quite sweet, good acidity, fruit and a long aftertaste. Good. (16,5p)
4. Blandy's Malmsey, 10 years. EUR 17,50
Yellowish brown. Rich, fruity nose, raisins. Sweet, fruity-oaky taste with some wine-cellar notes, balancing acidity. Quite a long aftertaste.(16p)
Extra. 1962 Vintage Blandy's Sercial. Price ?
Amber. Interesting, intense complex bouquet with some fruit and acetone. Dry, citrus-crisp, full taste with petroleum. Long aftertaste.(17p)
Comments: Madeiras have occurred rarely on our tastings. Björn got these collection on a recent holiday trip to this island. The vintage Sercial was brought to the tasting by our guest Stefan Rosell. Many thanks for a pleasant evening!
We identified the different grape varieties quite easily, but found it quite difficult to score them properly. I have to admit that don't drink Madeiras that often.
420. Jan 24, 2003. Spain (and a dark horse). Olof Persson1. 1997 l´Arc. Vinícola del Priorat. Garnatxa negre, Carinyena, Cabernet Sauvignon. DO Priorat. 13,68 EUR
Dark brick-red. Medium bouquet with raisins, oak, red currants and ethyl acetate. Full, high acidity, medium tannins and oaky aftertaste. Resembled Ch Musar! Good if you like that style (14p?)
2. 1998 Dehesa La Granja. Vino de Mesa. Tempranillo. Bodegas y Viñedos Fernandez Rivera, Zamora. 12,00 EUR
Very dark red, purple. A bit tight at first, but opened up. Lots of dark berries, butter-scotch, vanilla, some burned rubber. Full, fine acidity and plenty of velvety tannins, rich fruity taste in harmony with the oak, lovely balanced, long aftertaste. Will probably improve further with cellaring. This is a new wine from Fernandez of Pesquera. (17p)
3. 1997 Mas Vida. Cabernet Sauvignon. But 521/700. Fernandez Riera. DO Empordà - Costa Brava. 15,48 EUR
Deep red, lots of pigments. Big nose, black currants, black currants and black currants with some vegetal tones, and cellar. Full, very fruity taste: black currants and a bit one-dimensional, high acidity, tannic aftertaste which finishes short. Overambitious effort, something went wrong along the way (13p)
4. 1999 Mas de Guiot. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon - Syrah 40%. Vin de Pays du Gard. 4,10 EUR
Dark red, still some purple in the rim. Rich, fruity bouquet with dark creamy berries, cassis, Syrahmeaty, spices and some oak. Full, well balanced taste, fruit and a nice aftertaste. A GREAT bargain (16p!)
5. 1998 Ijalba Graciano. Bodegas Ijalba. DOG Rioja. 110 SEK
Dark red. Nice, interesting bouquet, intense, perfumed fruit. (US 622 mosquito repellent to some!). Full, interesting, spicy taste, nice balance, mature and will not improve. (14p)
Comments: Interesting tasting as the Spanish character was not very obvious. All but the last wine were purchased during our summer vacation in Northeastern Spain (Catalonia) and Southern France. Most were bought at the Montserrat supermarket in Empuriabrava, a small, but very touristic town at the Costa Brava. Some of the prices I found quite favorable, but the Torres wines are sometimes cheaper in Sweden, believe it or not! There are few things that worries me. I also got four bottles of Abadia Retuerta "Rivola" (5,77 EUR), which we drunk during this summer and autumn. Two of them were excellent while another two had an odd musty smell. As both l'Arc and Mas Vida also appeared slightly strange well in this tasting, I'm beginning to wonder if some bottles from this supermarket could have been exposed to excessive heat somewhere. There were no signs of leaking corks though. Hm.
419. Stellenbosch, South Africa. Jan 10, 2003. Erling Jirle1. 1997 Delheim Grand Reserve. 154 SEK (Oct 2001)
Dark red. Medium bouquet, mature spicy fruit, black currants and some oak. Full, mature, licorice, good acidity, soft tannins, medium aftertaste. Tasted one year ago, when it felt a bit undeveloped. (15p)
2. 1993 Kanonkop Paul Sauer. 156 SEK (July 1997)
Dark red, brick-red rim. Fine, nice minty fruit and oak on the nose. Full, well balanced, quite tannic aftertaste. Good at first, but did not develop well in the glass. Also tasted in 1996 and 1997. (16p, but later only 13p)
3. 1996 Kanonkop Paul Sauer. 183 SEK (Feb 2000)
Dark red. Medium bouquet, war fruity bouquet, red berries, plums, tea, quite complex. Full, creamy fruity taste, well balanced and good length. Drink now. (17p)
4. 1997 Kanonkop Pinotage 150 SEK (At the winery in 1999)
Dark red. Powerful, deep nose of spicy fruit and dark berries, oak. Full, very fruity taste with plenty of tannins. Good initial taste, but a pronounced bitter aftertaste. Could work with food. (15p?)
Comments: We could fairly easy identify these wine as South African. Nice, tasty pleasant, well balanced, quite French-styled wines, but perhaps lacking the ultimate structure. They should be drunk within their first 10 years as was also stated on some of the back labels. Here are some pictures from this tasting.
1. 2000 Merlot "Viti". Ticino. Svizzera. Cantina Sociale Mendrisio 12,5%. 10.50 CHF.