Merry Christmas

a favourite classic of mine. Whats yours?

to all of you wine appreciators browsing by Grapejuices. 


Its been a funny year. First half of the year we had more time to share our wine thoughts among you. The beginning of the second half was more stressy and therefore posts only rarely appeared. Now we are back, and with eyes wide open and looking straight into the new year, we promise to share wine thoughts with pleasure and curiosity. 


We enter our 4th year of the blog, a little idea that kept growing. Yet, as I soon travel off on christmas vacation, my head spins on which wine (or perhaps wines) to enjoy on this years chistmas eve. 


Hidden away backhome lies Portuguese bottles of Barca Velha 2000, Ferreinha 98, some Niepoort's redoma 05 and an italian brunello (a classic for me) La Poderina 2001 (I ran out of 97:)), so my cellar picking may very well be among those bottles for the roast, the duck, the fireplace and piano. Merry Christmas and please share with us what you will enjoy?
/Grapejuices @ anders

A Chardonnay Secret: a little Yeast making a big Difference

A chardonnay with a secret 

….Imagine that you are sitting at a blind tasting among fellow wine passionados and served a great white wine. Notes in the glass are: exotic fruits nectar, citrus and nuts (hazel). The taste is so finely balanced that it touches perfection, between an apple/pear freshness and a sweet creamyness of caramel that make you go for another sip. Thoughts spin; it’s a wine most certainly worth 92 points, perhaps more...

With all your best, it must be a Chardonnay from Bourgogne! But the truth could not be more wrong. The grapes are in fact from the antipode of Northern Europe, from New Zealand.  The sealing is a screw cap and the label reads KUMEU RIVER, MATE’S VINEYARD 08.  It turns out to be a 55 NZ dollar wine (about 230dkk) and certainly worth it. Here I surrendered, threw the prejudices overboard and enjoyed what I may best describe as an overseas Chablis.

A Microscopic Garden on a New Zealand grape

But the New Zealand Chardonnay grapes also keep a secret. A secret only revealed because of the high quality of the wines from Mate's vineyard. A few years ago, New Zealand researchers discovered a new species of yeast with origins from Mate's vineyard, because of the high fruit potential of the wines. Tests were initiated to identify the "taste-maker" in the garden of micro organisms growing on the Chardonnay grapes. The search revealed a new single celled yeast with promsing result's to boost the fruity flavours.

Today, all this went down in history and the biological origins of the slight and tiny tastemaking yeast from Mate’s vineyard is about to impact the global white wine market. The yeast has been commissioned by one of the front runners of world leading companies in wine products, Chr. Hansen, and may now be applied directly in the fermentation process in world wide wine production.

The yeast is released under the name FrootZen, an abbrevation of "Fruit", "Boost" and "Frozen". It is added alive to the wine batch during the fermentation and may now make a difference on global white wine production. / anders

Europa holder

Aftenens vine i rækkefølge

Europa kom klart bedst ud af denne vinsmagning hvor navnligt et oversøisk indslag faldt tungt. 

Schoenbourgh Riesling 2007

Bouquet af kandiseret violer, stjerne-anis, og ananas. Smagen har frished med noget æble/pære islet først, og den vedholder en flot mineralitet. Overordnet set holder vinen et meget flot forløb og den præsenterer riesling flot. Juuls vinhandel 165 kr / 92P

Beaune 1 Cru 2005 Louis Jadot

Bouquet af røde bær, jordbær/hindbær, noget sveske.  Vinen har en flot kølig pint stil. Uhrskov vinhandel 189kr / 90P

Rusden Christines Grenache 2008

Bouquet med stokrose,  hvid chokolade og massiv næse af ribena og blomme. Hvad vinen har i massiv bouquet savnes dog i strukturen. Vinen mangler syre og de 15.5% alc falder tungt. Mere info om vinen fra købsstedet Oxholm vin 209kr / 86P


Sito Moresco 2004

Bouquet af karamel, læder, vanilie, chokolade. Flot struktur med godt tanninbid. købt i Italien (pris i DK 340kr) / 91P


Vinsmagningen bød også på et ekstra-nummer af Pedra basta 07, en totalt ukendt portugiser som i fremtiden vil trække store overskrifter. Vinen har været på bloggen før, men kan desværre kun købes i udlandet. Men hvor er det et forrygende godt glas. 

Hvordan rates din vinkælder?

Winespectator - tidligere issue

Wine spectator (WS) har i disse dage fjernet firewall’en og lægger alle rankings frem på bordet på alverdens vine. Åbningen af hjemmesiden er et kig ind i WS elektroniske arkiver for alle som ikke har abonnement på bladet og hjemmesiden.

Det er en kærkommen lejlighed til at tjekke jeres flasker hjembragt fra ferier, gaver fra onkel Jørgen, eller sidste års firmajulegave. Der er fri access indtil d 28 November – klik her. 

/Drud

Spar 30kr og lad miraklet udeblive

Tredjevinen Petrolo (th) vs Torrione, andenvinen (tv) fra Tenuta di Petrolo

Det er prisforskellen mellem på en flaske Torrione 07 og Petrolo 07 fra samme toscanske hus da de for nylig var på tilbud. Vi har her at gøre med 2 og 3 vinen fra Petrolo hvis første vin er supertoscaneren Galatrona på 100% merlot.

Anden vinen, Torrione, er lavet på 100% sangiovese er en særdeles herlig oplevelse (se tidligere anmeldelse på bloggen). Jeg er da også personligt meget begejstret for sangiovesedruen som i min optik kan producere nogle af de mest elegante vine på kloden. Årgang 07 af Torrione har scoret 94P i Winespectator, og huset holder dermed et meget flot niveau. Så langt så godt.

Men hvordan er så tredjevinen? Indrømmet så kendte jeg slet ikke til tredjevinen ”Petrolo di Toscana IGT”, og den er produceret på den lidt finurlige blanding 70% sangiovese og 30% merlot.

Petrolo di Toscana IGT 2007

Bouquet af mørke kirsebær, rose, læder, tobaksblade, lidt farin og sherry. Først opleves smagen som rabarber-kompot og slutter tørt, som hænger lidt. 

86P, 69kr/fl ved køb af 12fl

Miraklet udeblev, og vi har her at gøre med en vin hvor prisen på 69kr/fl går hånd i hånd med oplevelsen. Derimod er oplevelsen er Torrione særdeles stor og herfra anbefales det at man ikke sparer men går efter 2 vinen (årgang 07 eller måske den nye 08). / drud

The roasted coast

Cote Rotie...we meet too seldomly! 

At my wedding with Birgitte back in 2005, we received a few interesting bottles from the French part of the family. Yesterday we decided to open one of them and the choice was the bottle from Cuilleron who is based in the Cote Rotie of the northern part of the Rhone valley. The wine was a Cote Rotie "Bassenon" 2002. Although the winemaker Yves Cuilleron is mostly known for his excellent whites, his collection of red wines seem to get quite a few positive remarks on the way.

The Bassenon is made from a mix of 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier and stands clear, vivid red in the glass. The nose gives a clear scent of black pepper (the trademark of many Syrah-based wines), sour cherries, some earthy elements with iron in the foreground and a touch of barnyard in the back. In the mouth this wines is first and foremost elegant and gives a good impression of why the Cote Roties are considered the queens of the Rhone valley in contrast to the more masculine Hermitage wines. Considering that 2002 is generally a weak vintage of the Rhone wines, there is still a hint of some ripe black cherries and a complex mix of spices making this wine very compelling. Surely this wines calls for a reintroduction in a more successful vintage. 91p

/Mads

A few wines from Austria

As part of the foodbloggers symposium 2010 arranged by Rasmus Holmgård, a winetasting with focus on Austria was later held one evening back in October. The event was supported by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, to broaden the minds of danish food- and winebloggers to also include this lesser known corner of the European wine production.

The wines we tasted came in the following order:

Prager Riesling Smaragd Achleiten 2008, Wachau

This is one of the top producers of Austrian riesling and a very powerful wine to start out with. The lighting could have been better (it was quite dark), yet the wine appeared to have nice golden hue. In the nose it was mouthwatering with a remarkable blend of fruits, white flowers and minerals. In the mouth there was an immediate acid attack followed up by a plentiness of fruits that I have seldom tried before. The wine seemed a bit awkward in the mouth, a bit fat and the minerality was sort of hiding behind the other flavors. Still I have no doubt that this will develop into a magnificent wine in say 5-10 years from now. 92p

229 DKR., Bergman Vinimport

Wieninger Nussberg Alte Reben Gemischter Satz 2008, Wien

Whereas most wines from Austria are made from just one grape variety, this wine is a mix of several and thus called ”Gemischter”. Quite spicy in the nose, with some white pepper and lemon. There were the same elements in the mouth but also a green sort of unripeness that I was not particularly fond of. Plenty of minerals but not really a wine that tickles my fancy. 87p

130 DKR., Philipson Wine

F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd ”von den Terrassen” 2005, Wachau

Yet again a top producer, but this time a wine made on the grape grüner veltliner. Lots of spices, including the trade mark of grüner veltliner -white pepper, and white fruit in the nose. Again I found a green unripeness in the mouth but also lots of minerals. 90p

189 DKR., Østrigsk Vinimport

Tement Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Südsteiermark

This wine gave me green apples and vaseline!!!! (yep that is a first for me in a wine). Quite spicy and complex but seemed a bit unbalanced. 88p

251 DKR., Østrigsk Vinimport

Franz Strohmeier Schilcher ”Trauben, Liebe und Zeit” 2008, Weststeiermark

Very fresh and clean in the nose with lots of strawberries and red currant. In the mouth the first impression was a serious acid attack followed by same red fruits as from the nose. Lots of spices but the main focus is the mouthwatering acidity. An interesting rosé. 89p

127,50 DKR., Østrigsk Vinimport

Moric Blaufränkisch 2007, Mittelburgenland

Very pinot noir like in the nose, with dark raspberries and strawberries, but more spicy. The same in the mouth. No doubt that this producer has been thinking of Bourgogne while making this wine and it is a great success. For me this was the wine of the night although Prager came in a close second. 92p

260 DKR., Österreich

Claus Preisinger Pannobile 2007, Neusiedlersee

In contrast to the previous wine, this wine was much heavier with darker fruits and much more wood from the barrels. This is a well made wine that aims to please, and it does but I must say that I found it utterly uninspiring. 90p

245 DKR., Österreich

Alois Kracher No.8 Welschriesling TBA “Zwischen den Seen” 2001, Neusiedlersee

A trockenbeerenauslese made from welschriesling (which has nothing to do with riesling). Spicy clean nose. This is a very sweet wine but the acidity has a nice kick to it which keeps the wine on the straight and narrow. Plenty of tropic fruits like mango but also some caramel or burnt sugar. 92p

285 DKR., Bergman Vinimport

After the official tasting we had a number of great cheeses and more Austrian wines that did not take notes of. In all this event was a great success with plenty of opportunity to meet and talk to other food and wine fanatics.

/Mads

Jorden rundt i vinens verden

Aftenens vine

Louis Jadot Clos de Loyse 2008

Vi lagde ud med en lille Chablis. Louis Jadot Close de Loyse 2008, som hurtigt blev gættet. Næse med nødder, smagen dog noget mere frisk med æblenoter. Et fint glas, 86P. Købt for 130kr, vine.dk.

Thomas Fogarty 2007 Pinot Noir Rapley Trail

Ingen tvivl om at man her har at gøre med en ny verdensvin! Næse med jordbærsaft, rosiner, blomme i madera og svage toner af stald. Rund og fyldig med smag af hvid chokolade. Vinen lægger afstand til Bourgogne og har den karakterstiske sødme rettet mod det amerikanske marked. Det er en rigtig amerikaner, ukompliceret og elegant, og måske bedre beskrevet som en "pornovin med læderindtræk". Der er kun lavet 125 kasser af netop '07 Rapley trail. 94P, 50$ (gave)

Conte Bacco 2004

Vinen snød os lidt i starten, og smagte som en super stram chianti. Alle smagsnoterne lå tætpakket og var svære at adskille fra hinanden. I glasset har vinen duft af jern, rust, stenfrugt. Eftersmagen er lidt bitter og garvesyren hænger. Denne vin kan snildt ligge 10 år mere. 89P, 130kr (gave)

Chateau Camensac 2006

Tankerne om hvor denne vin hørte hjemme var her også ude og vende den nye verden, inden vi hurtigt kom i Bordeaux. Vi har haft netop denne vin på blindsmagning tidligere. Vinen er rundet godt til, - virklig drinkable, og med næse af brun farin, pibetobak, læder, våd jord. Smagen er i fin balance og med fadnoter. 90P, 200kr Erik Sørensen

Ekstra nummer - Vinum Africa 2006

Vi nåede også at smage en sydafrikaner som er produceret til at erobre "peberbøfsegmentet" i Danmark. Vinum Africa er glat oplevelse blottet for personlighed, og for sine 99kr har man købt fred på middagsbordet. Navnet og designet skal appellere til safari- og stammedans-associationerne, men de udeblev for panelet. Vinen har en næse med noget peber, tobak/røg, og "kongen af danmark". Smag af brændte figner, tørret abrikos og røg. / drud

There is village and then there is village

Of the wines from the southern part of the rhone valley, the Chateauneuf du Pape is probably the appellation that has the largest reputation. And a well deserved one too. Often these wines a large and full-bodied with lots of spice and often quite high in alcohol. Unfortunately these wines are also quite expensive, leaving many to seek for cheaper alternatives. As is seen for the Italian wines Amarone, Barolo and Brunello, a number of producers have discovered that there is a market for cheap Chateauneuf du Pape. These wines are, however, not only cheap to buy but appears cheap in the glass as well, where the only resemblance to the majestic wines of Chateauneuf du Pape is the name.

This evening I enjoyed another alternative. Instead of a cheap wannabe, I opened a bottle of Mas de Boislauzon, Cotes du Rhone Village ”Les Deux Chênes” 2006, which is in the expensive range for this, the lowest, appellation. Often wines labeled Cotes du Rhone Village can be purchased for as little as 4 euros, where this particular wines is around 12 euros. This wine is made in the same way as their Chateauneuf ”Tradition” (which we have tasted earlier), the difference being that some of the grapes are harvested from outside of Chateauneuf du Pape.

A compact wine with lots of black and red berries. Herbe de provence and a nice touch of some medicinal like in the background. The wine is four years old, but seems to have plenty of vigor to develop further over the next 3-5 years from now. The wine was enjoyed over two nights accompanying a dinner with broiled moose with juniper, lingon berry and roasted brussel sprouts, and the second night boeuf bearnaise. 89 p

/Mads

A Mediterranian Evening with a Douro wine

I have had a few Portuguese bottles lying around with some age, making them vulnable for causal picking, and tonight one of them were up for test. Calabriga 04.

Clearly vintage '04' does classify as old in many other countries in the old world, but so far, and from my experience, many portuguese does not evolve tremendiously. The wine was accompanied with traditional paio, presunto, bread from Portugal.

For my taste, Calabriga, is a very typical Douro wine. The color is deep red, and notes were dark berries, herbs, hints of moist cellar, 'minty' and dry tobacco leaves. At first the taste appear rounded, a bit inky, filly, but ends up dry and spicy.

These were the notes from the first evening tasted. Its a fine wine, without being outstanding. 88P

Away for a while

Wine web surfers passing by Grapejuices will for sure have noticed the silence here on the site, recently. Bear with us, but us behind the site has been struck by a huge load of work, and hence Grape juices has had an exsistence in the shaddows. The good news is that are more good wines than ever out there to explore, and soon posts will appear again. Hope to see you around on the site. / Grape J

Domaine Aalsgaard: Interview med Lars Hagerman

En kold, fugtig vind fra vest slår os i møde da vi stiger ud af bilen. De bare marker omkring os, har krænget deres mørke muld op i den spæde sols svage stråler og overalt stikker de første spæde skud deres lysegrønne hoveder op. En let genkendelig skurrende lyd fanger min opmærksomhed og jeg ser et ravnepar hvor hannen er ved at genopvække hunnens interesse fra sidste år. Med en næsten naturstridig flugt stiger og falder han så let at hunnen ikke kan undgå at lægge mærke til ham. Jo den er god nok, foråret er på vej.

På en bakketop i det nordlige sjælland bliver vi varmt modtaget af vinpioneren Lars Hagerman, der med sin klingende skånske accent byder os velkommen til Domaine Aalsgaard. Det er fra første øjekast let at se, at han ivrigt har imødeset forårets komme og nu næsten ikke kan vente med at komme i gang med årgang 2010. Således er samtlige 2000 vinstokke, jævnligt fordelt på sorterne Ortega, Madeleine Angevine, Kerner, Siegerribe og Solaris, allerede blevet beskåret og bundet op. De mere end 10 tons hestemøg er nænsomt fordelt rundt om de enkelte stokke og snart skal de mellemliggende rækker pløjes for at forhindre at ukrudtet skal få overtaget over de spæde vinskud.

Lars: ”Men senere får rækkerne skam lov til at vokse frit. Det bidrager til biodiversiteten og fordrer et sundt mikroklima der hindrer diverse svampe og øger kvaliteten af druerne”.

Jo, jo de næsten 40 år som marinebiolog kan ikke fornægtes og det skinner da også igennem at det på Domaine Aalsgaard er naturen der skal gøre det meste af arbejdet. Således bruger Lars kun et minimum af kunstgødning og sprøjtegifte, ligesom at tilsætning af sukker under gæringsprocessen, også kaldet chaptalisering, for så vidt muligt bliver undgået. Han fortæller mig at nogle producenter, herunder også danske, går så vidt som at tilsætte importeret druemost til deres vine.

Lars: ”En ting er at tilsætte sukker. Det hæver bare alkohol niveauet, men det ændrer ikke væsentligt på smagsbilledet i vinen. Med druemost så tilsætter man jo smag. Vinen er ikke længere det den giver sig ud for at være”.

Man kan tydeligt mærke at emnet har været diskuteret før og at Lars har taget et klart standpunkt. Vin skal smage af hvad den er lavet af, hvor den kommer fra og hvem der har lavet den. Arbejdet med vinen ligger først og fremmest i marken hvor druematerialet er alt afgørende for kvaliteten. Det er muligt at tilføje lidt ekstra hjemme i ”kælderen”, men ofte forvolder man mere skade end gavn. I Danmark vil disse principper typisk udmønte sig i små syrerige vine med relativt lavt alkohol, hvilket ligger meget langt fra de ønsker som en gennemsnits vinforbruger ofte er på jagt efter. Med et så forholdsvis lille antal potentielle købere kunne man næsten frygte at der slet ikke er en fremtid for dansk vin.

Lars: ”Der er en fremtid, om end jeg ikke er så optimistisk som mange andre i branchen og jeg tror der er mange der vil blive skuffede i de kommende år. Jeg tror udviklingen vil komme til at ligne hvad vi har set i England, hvor man først så en voldsom opblomstring af producenter med alt for høje forventninger til kvalitet og fortjeneste. Grundet den dårlige kvalitet og ringe omsætning, gik mange af disse vingårde konkurs i årene der fulgte. Engelsk vin oplevede en lille opblomstring igen senere, hvor det dog primært var de oprindelige pionerer der viste sig at have overlevet. Ligeledes ser vi allerede nu, at det kniber med omsætningen af vin fra visse producenter og der er, så vidt jeg ved, 2 eller 3 store vingårde til salg for øjeblikket.”

Domanie Aalsgaard producerer i omegnen af 2000 flasker (0,5 L) om året og alt bliver solgt. Selv er Lars er ikke tvivl om, at de trofaste kunder til dels skyldes en konstant og god kvalitet, men også relativt moderate priser der ligger langt under de 4-500 kr som nogle danske vinproducenter ellers mener deres vine er værd. Grundet en langsom opbygning af marker og udstyr, har Lars været i stand til at undgå fordyrende lån og derved holde omkostningerne nede i modsætning til mange af de nystartede vinproducenter. Samtidig står han som ene mand for hele produktionen, så lønudgifter er der heller ikke meget af.

Lars: ”Jeg kender flere i Danmark der producerer rigtigt fine vine, men 4-500 kr flasken er de altså ikke værd. Så køber kunden jo vinen mere som et kuriosum for derefter aldrig at vende tilbage. Det er der jo ikke megen forretningsmæssig fremtid i.”

Lars er da også fastbesluttet på at fortsætte udviklingen af Domaine Aalsgaard i samme stil som hidtil. Produktionen skal ikke være større, da der er rigeligt arbejde i de 2000 stokke allerede. Han vil heller ikke til at lave mousserende vin, da produktionen er for teknisk krævende og dyr. I stedet satser han på at udvikle og forfine de 5 hvide vine han allerede har i sit sortiment og han har især stor tiltro til en relativt ny sort, Solaris, der modner tidligt og giver et højt sukkerindhold.

Lars: ”Jeg fik sendt Solaris 2008 til en vurdering i Tyskland. Den blev virkelig flot modtaget og 2009 ser ud til at blive mindst lige så god”.

Desværre var hele beholdningen af Solaris 2008 solgt for længe siden og 2009 var endnu ikke kommet på flaske. I stedet fik jeg mulighed for at smage hans Ortega 2008. En fin lille vin der dufter forsigtigt af hylde- og æbleblomster samt en lidt krydret form for stikkelsbær. Vinen føles behagelig i munden med en fin stringent syre og lidt mineraler. Den ville helt sikkert passe godt til en stille stund på terrassen, eller hvorfor ikke til et stykke dampet torsk, blomkål moset med dild og fløde samt nye kartofler. Så bliver det vist heller ikke mere dansk.

/Skrevet for winebook.dk af Mads Eggert Nielsen

Old luxurious Bordeaux

Last thursday, we paid a visit to Claus Oxholm vin, which indeed will be printed into our memories. The event took place in Claus' shop in the afterhours with personal stories unfolded from each Chateau and a visit to his private cellar. The theme for the visit was ol' Bordeaux, and this was the program:

• Chateau Fieuzal, 1995 Pessac Leognan
• Rauzan Segla, 1998 Margaux 2 Cru Classe
• Gran Puy Lacoste, 1994 Pauliac 5 Cru Classe
• Pontet Canet, 1996, Pauliac 5 Cru Classe
• Ducru Beaucaillou, 1999 Saint Julien 2 Cru Classe

All wines carefully selected by our host Claus Oxholm, and aquired from previous jobs in the late 90'ties. The youngest wine had 11 years in the bottle, and all wines were perfectly mature. Here are a few scribled notes from a delightfull tasting:

Fieuzal. Slightly bretty with great dry aftertaste held in minutes. My favorite

Rauzan. Soft Bordeaux style, velvet egdes. More leather, coffee, black currant.

Gran Puy-Lacoste. Powerfull bouquet of leather and vanilla, intense yet tight wine

Pontet-Canet. Powerfull oppulent with clear notes of Liquirice.

Ducru Beaucaillou. Darker berries (than the previous), still complex nuances, and clear notes of menthol and mint.

/ Anders

Champions Wine

For anyone with football passion, tonight is the night. At 19 o'clock the finalist of 09/10 Champions league (CL) meet in Madrid. Although the game will be extremely exciting, it was not entirely the final I wished for. With Bayern and Inter, both teams playing quite tactical, it already looks as if the final is going to be won with a single or few goals.

Tonight I am with Bayern and hence my CL wine is German. Although Inter has done a fine job, Italian football is way to often too defensive and tactical for my liking. So I got my hands on a few bottles Schäfer Spätburgunder, a lovely red summer wine and a wish for a good game. / Anders

Danske vinblogs - en opdateret liste

Det er blevet tid til et pæredansk indlæg. Igennem den Irske hjemmeside, Sour grapes, blev jeg inspireret til at lave et lignende indlæg. Listen af danske ikke kommercielle vin-sites vokser og der blogges om vin i Danmark som aldrig før. Er du ikke på listen, er hermed en undskyldning. Skriv gerne adressen i kommentarfeltet. Så opdaterer jeg listen.

1. Winebook, baggrundsartikler/forum/konkurrencer
2. Winefactory et dansk bud på Wine library tv-konceptet/blog. Der er sælges dog også vine igennem firmaet mywine.dk
3. Snakvin, en samlingsportal for stort og småt. Mange brugere.
4. Vinomemo Vinens facebook. Hook op med dine venner og kig i deres vinkældre.
5. Tastingnotes, detajlerede noter om ekskusive vine fra en gruppe passionerede vinentusiaster.
6. Rolfs Vinblog privat vinentusiast med præcise noter.
7. Holmsgaard's hip som hap om smagsoplevelsens anatomi om meget mere. Tjek hans artikler ud.
8. Frederik Kreutzer om skold-burnes vine og egen blog. Frederik arbejder for Tasterwine.
9. Henrik Ehlers vinanmeldelser
10. Terkel's vinanmeldelser
11. Madwine mest om Champagne men også gode vine (nb. flotte fotos).
12. Bobler Fransk familie som producere Champagne og blogger på dansk.
13. Else Bjørn om Champagne.
14. Champagnefreak, Jakobs noter om Champagne
15. Vinforum. En lidt ældre hjemmeside. Med auktioner, artikler og links til butikker mm. Bloggen synes dog at være gået i stå.
16. Vinbloggen Ny blog om vinsalg i Danmark (også konkurrencer).
17. Tue Bach & Petersen bliver klogere på vin. Ny dansk vinblog, ærlig talt.
18. winelover.dk 
19. Druerne.dk - På sporet efter scoopet i Dansk bordvin. 

/ Anders

A Tasmanian Pinot

Stumbled on a Tasmanian Pinot in "Waitrose". I never tasted pinot from there and had to give it a try. Although found on a supermarket shelf it is admittedly quite well done.

Ninth Island Pinot noir 2008

Color vague transperant red (like Spätburgunder). Bouquet of red cherries, perfume, wet soil along with vague hints of wild ferment. Taste is mineral, with notes of iron and blood. The finish is dominated by an acidity somewhat stonefruity which lasts. All in all, a fine cool climate pinot. 13€ locally bought, 89P /anders

A book I just read

Just a quick note from London. Somebody decieded long ago, that books had to cost a fortune in Denmark, regardless the quality. So whenever I'm outside the borders of Denmark, I always find pleasure in exploring book shops. Yesterday, I found Oz Clarkes "Grapes & Wines" (updated and revised version) for 17€.

I turned the pages quickly to see whether it had any interest for person who already has a whole shelf full of books with wines. And it does.

"Grapes & Wines" is actually a neat handbook which deals with 300 grape varieties through great photos, texts and illustrations. There are nice maps (not as good as Hugh Johnsons), interesting anecdotes, and moreover detailed planting data on the every larger international grape. The first 30 pages are dedicated to a larger overview of wine production today, the story of wine, and hereafter you explore 300 pages with describtions of grape varieties from Abourio to Zinfandel. Some grapes are only described with 3-4 lines while others get a whole chapter. Focus for each grape is laid at their geographical origin, taste characterstics, and history. I enjoy reading the book. / Anders

Off to London

If the ash cloud from the Icelandic vulcano with the never ending name does not hinder my plans, then i will be in London already from tomorrow off. Its been more than 20 years since I last walked in the streets of London, and I have high expectations for this visit.

From other blogs, both listed in side and elsewhere, I have come to learn of many good resturants and wine retailers there. So question of the day: Where to find special wines when in London?

ps: Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden's new duo album, Jasmine, was released this morning. Highly recommended.

Spring wines: Soalheiro, Sancerre and Marsannay

With a little delay, I here rush to type a new wine post here on GrapeJuices from last Friday night, which brought new fine wine experiences under the theme of ”Spring”. All wines were served to a great dinner inspired by a series of Portuguese seafood dishes. Summing up, we tried a whole new standard for Vinho verde, a fine Sancerre, and ended the official tasting with a Pinot noir from a Northern commune of Bourgogne. These were the notes:

Soalheiro 2007 Primeiras Vinhas

The nose presents lots of lime, elderflowers and fennel. The taste bears peachy notes with something spicy going and a great dry finish with notes of liquerice. 13% vol alcohol – on the higher end for a green wine.

This green wine is quite unique. With a little googling you will soon learn, that this 100% Alvarinho wine is made up from plants with more than 30 years of age, fermented (4 months) at low temperature with natural yeasts. A certain famous wine maker’s last touch is letting 15% of the wine ferment on used oak casks. See more here. Aquired via Niepoorts projects 16€. 90P

Domanie de la Villaudiere 2007

Bouquet of citrus and pineapple and hazel. The taste is dry and somewhat ”narrow” or strigent, but possibly the wine is meant this way - kind of streamlined. The alcohol volume is 12.5% which is fine/adequate. Price unknown. 88P

Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay 2005

Dark cherries, stone fruit, pomme granate, and iron. Notes of prunes and plums and iron dominated the taste at first. The taste of the wine changed somewhat character over the course of tasting, with the acidity being more and more present. Theis vine 150kr. 87P

The oenologist from Copenhagen and the art of copying nature

Recently I did an interview with the markting director on wine business from a large biotech company in Denmark. It became a rich talk on the future wine making and how science is revealing the secrets of the most prestigeous wines in the world. The interview is published here

- Anders

Conceito Bastardo 2007

I brought back to Denmark a single bottle of Bastardo from Conceito from my last Lisbon trip.

From a quick research on the red grape ”Bastardo”, you will read that Bastardo was formerly widely used in Portugal. Especially in Dao and Douro. It riped in early June, hence is a very early maturing wine, and its sweet grapes were eaten during the popular festival of Sao Joao (June 25). Small amounts of Bastardo still remain today mixed into wine production, where its main characteristics are low acidity, high sugar levels and pale colour. The latter is ideal for fortified or a tawny*, but sounds little flattering for a modern table wine.

However this was not so, and while the bottle may not be Portugal’s best table wine presently, it is surely an interesting bottle which stands completely out from the crowd of table wines in Portugal. From all wines I’ve tried in Portugal, there is no brand which comes close to this taste. Although the label would lead me to pass on this wine, I recommend you to try it.

Conceito Bastardo 2007

Color: pale red (as German Spätburgunder/Pinot noir)

Nose: redcurrant, pine needles, resin, on a base of foxy flavours (barnyard flavours). Taste: quite well acidified, with something sweet towards the end. Finish is medium long. Locally bought 13€, 89P

* From R. Mayson, The wines and vinyards of Portugal

The Portugal report #3: Pedra Basta 07

Posted by Anders

Last december, during my past visit to Portugal, I searched numerous Garrafeiras to get my hands on Richard Maysons wine from Alentejo, the Pedra Basta. Being sold out for christmas, I had to wait until this time around, where I came across only 2 bottles in shop in Almada.

This wine is one to watch, produced from a new and very proffessional approach in Alto Alentejo (Portalegre), at the vineyard, Quinta do Centro. The name (Pedra basta = enough stone) for their first wine refers to the westernly placed granite lands from there the wines are growing. It is made on traditional Alentejo blend (Trincadera, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet), with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. And the last grape material may be essential for its difference compared to so many other Alentejo wines I have tried. It sticks out, and is one to enjoy and remember. The bouquet was very complex and with reference points, for me, from wines produced with wild ferment yeasts.

Pedra Basta 2007

Huge nose of dark berries, wet leaves, and horse leather. The taste is smooth, balanced, and with soften tannins. Locally bought at 12.5 €, 92P

- até àproxima -

The Portugal report #2: Redoma branco and Ma Partilha

Here are two recommendations from Portugal. First up is Niepoorts Redoma branco. Apart from Vinho verde, Portugal is not know to produce any white wine which praise the critics beyond the countrys borders. But here is a high bench mark - for what old native douro grapes (Rabigato,Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho, Arinto) may evolve into when grown between 400-800 meters height in Duoro schist soils, and more importantly in the hands of the right wine maker.

Second, the first 100% merlot on Grape juices, Ma Partilha from Setubal. This region is known for planting the first international grape varities such as merlot and cab. sauvignon. The big producer, Bacalhoa, produces both great blends but Ma Partilha (translates into "poorly or unevenly shared") is a mono casta and 100% merlot.

Niepoort Redoma Branco 08

Bouquet of exotic fruits, peachy, nuts (hazel/almonds) and vague hints of petroleum. The taste is finely balanced and neither”fat” or sweet, but crispy. This reminds me very much of Chablis when its good from Bourgogne. Locally bought 18€, 91P+

Ma Partilha 07

Dark red berries, young leather, tobacco leaves, green coffe beans and ”moist cellar”. The wine is tight with a peppery taste, and keeps its figure, rather than being jammy. Generally mid range Portuguese wine is produced to drink right away, but here I sense potential for development in the cellar. Locally bought 13 eur, 89P

Wine shopping in Lisbon

During the last days I've been around in the streets to find some of the bottles which I have been wanting to try for some time. Here is a little collection of midrange wines from 12-19 eur. The new Douro producer, Conceito with the special Bastardo 07, produced on the old Duero grape varaity of the same name. The label is a bit psycadelic - but I do hope that wines like this will prevail on the market. I briefly tried Conceito's Barstardo in Copenhagen on a tasting, which left me positively surprised. Niepoorts Redoma 08 branco - no further introduction needed. Finally I also found hold of a bottle of Pedra basta 07 from Richard Mayson's Quinta do Centro in Portalegre, Alentejo. Last but not least Ma Partilha 07 a 100% merlot from Bachaloa. Review of the wines will appear on the blog.

Images from Easter Lunch

Easter Sunday is traditional family dinner with roasted cabrito (goat), lamb and roasted tomato rice from the oven in the garden.

The wines has just set their first leaves in the sun and spring is here. Our wine menu included Murganheira superior (bubbles) and different Alentejo wines from the Borba Cooperative, from which the Touriga Nacional 2004 clearly was the best. We also opened an old family produced wine from 1975 kept in the cellar. Everyone had doomed it vineager and spoiled but to all great surprise the wine was still alive.

The Portugal report #1 Colares Chitas 2006

The Colares region is presently my favorite wine region to explore when in Portugal. So the first Easter wine for the blog had to be from here. Antonio Bernardina Paulo Da Silva has been around for centuries according to the Portuguese wine books. He is worth a whole study for those who share a passion for this reknowned, yet tiny wine region where old school values are kept intact.

The Colares whites are made from Malvasia fina and Arinto grapes. The wines are form the traditional sandy soils, which characterize Colares.

Colares Chitas 2006

Color: golden with greenish shine. Little nose with citrus,butter and flowers. There may an additional note which I was not able to tease out. The taste is incredible balanced, sweet hints of elderflowers, fresh and mineral.It is a dry wine with medium long finish. Delightful with a moderate alcohol level (11%), which I liked. Bought in Jumbo 12€ (never seen Colares wines here before!), 87P.

End note: Although, the end score may not be in the very high end, there are several reasons to love this wine. The romantics for it's bottle shape and label. The connoisseur for drinking Colares which is one of the only wine regions unaffected from the Phylloxera disaster, and finally for the charm of having a label with the award given gold medals in following competitions: Panama 1915, Rio de Janeiro 1923 & Yogoslavia 1980.

A well written note on Colares Ramisco by Ryan Opaz can be read Catavino