Brownbag in Göteborg by Finewines.se

20 wines and 7 wine geeks from several parts of Sweden gather in the beautiful settings of Göteborgs Vinkällare.

1982 Chateau Suduiraut was just as marvellous as one could ever dream of...
When this wine was first released by the strange staterun monopoly in Sweden, it blew my then winegroup's socks off. This evening was than planned to be the revisit.

• 1982 Château Suduiraut 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Snappy golden colour.
  Nose is grand and superbly balanced. Saffron-dominated with honeyd botrytis and the usual dried fruits. This one has a special character also, that I still cannot place, even after all these years...
  In the mouth it is ever so lightly, but yet fading. Still a fabulous wine with amazing mature Sauternais characteristics. Still recognizeable from my early days of wine-nerding. Will be quite enjoyable for many years to come.
  If you own some, drink them whenever you celebrate something special. Fabulous wine and deserves it's acclaim.

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With a varied bunch of unusual Italian expressions and one (arguably) failed Champagne, this was more in the direction of interesting.

• 2012 Bisi Pinot Nero Vino Frizzante Provincia di Pavia IGT 82 Points

  Italy, Lombardia, Provincia di Pavia IGT

  In ordinary wine btl, quite unusual.
  Blinded, some suggested cider.
  Light yellow. Nose of fresh pears, pear cider. In the mouth this is quite well done with a pure acidic backbone. Very young and on its straight-forward simple fruit. ...with pears.

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• NV H. Billiot Fils Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Julie Brut Flawed

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Yellow with beautiful bubbles.
  A huge nose of brown licorice that to me was so awful, I just couldn't possibly enjoy this. Over-oaked gone terribly wrong with a lot of foul chemistry. Some loved it though. Usually I'm the one to like the oddballs in tastings, but never this one.
  (Some said it was not flawed, always amazing how much taste can vary.)

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• NV Fallet-Gourron Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Yellow with beautiful bubbles.
  Has a whiff of impurities amidst all beautiful maturing fruit. On the palate this is a very fine Champagne that I'd love to return to. A little sister to Krug GC in style.

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• NV Cantina di Gambellara Recioto di Gambellara Spumante Dolce 86 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Recioto di Gambellara

  My first ever bubbly made from sundried Garganega.
  A yellow, slightly sweet wine with low bubble activity. The nose shows muted and indistinct to me. In the mouth it has a good mouthfeel with it's slight sweetness and good acidic backbone to balance it all off. Would happily have this again, and if I got it with some more bubbles, I'd be even more happy.

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With one CB fooling us all as a Chard, one dead Auslese abd the WOTN...

• 2009 Graham Beck Chenin Blanc The Game Reserve 83 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  We all said without the smallest doubt: Chardonnay.
  The discussion that followed put it in California or more South because of the rather rich oak treatment and extrovert style. Personally, I was absolutely sure it was a rich, buttery, non-prudently oak-chips-drenched Chard...
  We found none of the CB-markers in this btl.

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• 1979 F.u.W. Schmitgen Kloster Liebfreuenberg Auslese Flawed

  Germany, Pfalz

  Dark brown, caramellized and oxidized wine.
  Gone, bye-bye...
  
  A btl from last year was apparently in great condition.

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• 1976 Verwaltung der Staatsweingüter Rauenthaler Gehrn Riesling Auslese 97 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  WOTN (I seem to remember that all ppl agreed.)
  This Riesling clearly speaks German.
  In its perfect stride, where it will remain and slowly fade away over many years.
  The perfect German Riesling nose with superbly balanced petrochem and mature Botrytis notes of distinction. The palate is amazingly elegant and well built with the sweetness reduced from age and a beautiful, tranquil, transparent structure allowing for the stony minerality to take center stage.
  A lovely, lovely wine.

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Especially the Valbuena I could drink on a daily basis. An amazing wine.

• 1975 Château de Sales 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  From reading the other TN's, this was a great btl! According to Michael Broadbent, should have been drunk by 1990... Still hanging on well to life and will fade over many more years to come.
  
  Robe: maturing wine, not browning.
  Nez: immediately Bdx with classic cedar, horse arse style Brett and schoolbook Bdx earth. We thought Pauillac.
  Bouche: we changed our opinions to St Estephe. Has a good spree of sumi-ink. The tannic structure M+ and acids M+ keep this together well. Some meaty and smoked aromas together with some vegetal elements. Elegant, distinct, fully mature but not "advanced" by any means. An excellent wine nevertheless no top-notch.
  It was quite some time ago I last had the pleasure of drinking '75 Bdx. What a great return to this tannic, beastly and (thus) lovely year!
  
  According to Bordueax 2 ed. 1991:
  Merlot 70%, Cab franc 15%, Cab sauv 15%
  18-22 months in barrels.

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• 1982 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5° 97 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Dark, mature red color.
  The nose took a while for me to dissect. With the great noses around the table I soon saw the light. Dark, mellow and earthy notes that grew well. Speaks clearly of age with a fabulous aromatic palette of butter and BBQ sauce with some 'liquid smoke'.
  In the mouth it is becomingly oxidized from its age, has integrated its barrel time well and still both acidic and tannic bite. Dark cherries jam, a hint of dill and a fine pice of butter on top. Full bodied wine and all grapes snuggly and seamlessly integrated.
  
  Our blinded discussions started in Spain, travelled the World, only to return to Spain. We then scratched Rioja and with small assistance from M.E. finally scratched also Priorat and landed with Vega Sicilia. Almost correct :-)
  A fabulous, fabulous wine!
  Owners with good btls can keep their treasures for many more years, however, it is fully mature now.

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The Montrose did exceptionally well tonight, at least according to my impressions.

• 2011 Marchesi Mazzei Noto Zisola Doppiozeta 80 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Noto

  Most of us were way off on grape and country here. I thought it a slightly sweet, simple Cali Cab á la Gallo. Low acids and a slight sweetness on top of unreasonable amounts of American oak. Fell apart in my mouth and just simply not a wine worth my while.

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• 2010 Montalbera Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato L'Accento 70 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Monferrato, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato

  I really don't like this wine. Awful, terrible!
  To my sensory system, it's getting worse with each encounter... Ruché is a never-again-grape for me.
  Bergamot overdose.
  Foul roses overdose.
  Terrible!
  I have nightmares...
  If you like bergamot, than this may well be great for your taste. The wine is well concentrated and intense, albeit light. But it's rather bergamotty...

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• 2010 Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza La Court 86 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza

  What a great timing for reaquainting me with this one. Of course I mistook it for a Sangiovese...
  It speaks Italian with its happy acids, cherry fruit and charm. The intensity for great pleasure with food is there!
  Decision made: a few weeks of Barbera indulgence in the summer. I really need to learn this grape some day...
  
  (Would probably have yielded more, had it been decanted a little more. Because this was one of the last wines I returned to and found it had grown.)

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• 2007 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Screaming of sundrenched Grenache on the nose palate. However, there is great acidic backbone and good tannins here as well.
  This is a pure wine without Brett and other strong personality traits. A little anonymity, I'd say, but blaming it on its youth.
  
  Far too young for my taste, I'd give it some 10 years. At least.

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• 2008 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  I think the Wagnerian valkyries have to continue being the apt analogy for this wine. Powerful, harsh, aweinspiring...
  
  It took some time for everyone to crack the code of this one. But the fabulous structure here is monumental and simply sublime. Polished tannins galore. Acids balancing the fruit that is hard like titanium. This is sharp steel in a bottle.
  
  Not having had all 2008's, I can still easily imagine this being one of the best wines in Bdx in this year. Fantastic effort! And sheer pleasure. Ticks all of my boxes!

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New Zeeland PN is something that I need to drink more and more of.

• 2010 Reyneke Reserve Red 96 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  This wine rocks! Shockingly good. Makes for a great ringer in a Northern Rhône tasting.
  
  White pepper galore on top of CS fruit. I first decided CS (40%) then changed my vote to Syrah (60%). Syrah clearly dominates (today) and there is a precise character and tight structure in this wine. Precisely what makes me love Hermitage and Cornas.
  
  Has a long and beautiful life ahead!
  QPR is a winner here!

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• 2009 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 5 92 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

  This padawan took some time to come out of the closet. Of the three Felton Roads tonight, this was the one I liked the best after a dogfight between this one and the Block 3.
  
  Intense, pure, red berry wine with a refined PN nose and palate incl that twang of bitterness. Well kept and built wine. Beautifully and delicately crafted. Should be kept for some years to allow it to bloom, but it's just such a great wine as it is today.

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• 2007 Neil Ellis Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Reserve 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek Valley

  This has markers from South Africa in the pooh from the Serengeti.
  
  Red wine. On the nose: capsicum, Ajvar, asparagus and general boiled vegetables with a buttery fruity character.
  In the mouth, it is fabulously rounded and mild, even as it sports a good backbone of both acids and tannins. Very fine and concentrated wine, but not quite my rubber duck.

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• 2010 Felton Road Pinot Noir Cornish Point 88 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

  This is the fruity, juicy New World style that is very appealing with its slight sweetness. Same style that makes me love the Yellow Tail PN and other more simple expressions of PN.
  For drinking on its fruit.
  Darn this is delicious!!!

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• 2009 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 91 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

  This padawan took some time to come out of the closet. Of the three Felton Roads tonight, this was the one I liked 2nd best. After a dogfight between this one and the Block 5.
  
  Intense, pure, red berry wine with a refined PN nose and mellow palate incl that twang of bitterness. Well raised wine. Beautifully crafted. Should be kept for some years to allow it to bloom, but it's just such a great wine as it is today. Yumm!

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An evening of some outstanding wines and great company. Next time we meet in Umeå.