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Tasting the November 3, 2017 new releases (små partier) at Systembolaget
Stockholm
Tasted March 25, 2018 by Omar Khayyam with 380 views
Introduction
This tasting took place in October 2017 and the set up for this is like a tasting at the systembolaget, you get to sample wines provided by different private import firms, which are due to be released by the government retail monopoly twice a month. Although the whites are mostly covered up in wine chillers, you pour all wine yourself and you are provided lists in advance of the wines to be tasted, so I am treating this as a fully open tasting.
I write up reviews for the Swedish based website www.finewines.se (non-profit, non-affiliated member driven web-site).
There's not much time to ponder each wine (usually somewhere between 70-90 wines to sample and review each time) so I record ratings in intervals, at the end of each note.
Please take these tasting notes with a grain of salt. Reviewing wine when you have the time to meditate over a full bottle, in your home, over the course of an evening, with and without food, is something completely different.
Flight 1 (39 notes)
White - Sparkling
2008 Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Oenophile
fine nose, but a very young champagne, lemon wedges, Flintstone, the smell of pizza dough straight from the fridge. Dry, lots of acidity, very energetic mousse. Champagne for oysters! Could become really good, but felt tight at the time. 88-92
White - Sparkling
2012 Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Special Club
Lovely in its generous nose, wide open for business, newly grilled bread. A big champagne, quite the opposite of elegant Blanc de Blancs with ripe, grilled lemon, pineapple, with just a hint of refreshing bitterness at the end. This could be ready to go now, I think it can take pretty heavy fare, but the ceiling may not be as high as for the Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus, tasted side by side. 89-91
White - Sparkling
2010 Larmandier-Bernier Champagne Premier Cru Terre de Vertus
Very fine and complex aromatics, cellar cool vinous fragrance, with some discrete oak (?) if I am not mistaken. Reminds me of the very best white burgundies. On the palate it is really good but also tight and driven by acidity at this stage, good length, not zero dosage. should be stored. my favorite amongst the champagnes sampled at this industry tasting event. 92-94
White - Sparkling
N.V. Larmandier-Bernier Longitude
could not find as much on the nose as with the Terre de Versus, which felt strange as I believe this wine should include some older reserve wines. On the palate, very good, could probably gain a lot from some storage. Good acidic bite. Had higher expectations but not easy to pin down where it will land. 87-91
White - Sparkling
N.V. Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige Brut
quite different from the champagne tasted side by side. Very fruity on the nose. On the palate, it is better than what the nose would have me believe, but it is in the more sweet and instant pleasure category of sparklers and doesn't really hold up. If you want cheap bubbles there are better (and cheaper) alternatives out there, and if you want the real thing, go with a champagne for just a little more. (82-84)
White
2016 Weingut Keller Riesling von der Fels
A little primary fruit sallad and pear flavored popsicle (which is typical for this wine in its youth) - and it is lovely. On the palate, it is really good, with high acidity, good ripe fruit, and some grapefruit at the very end which adds structure. Long and elegant, will be even better when the primary fruit subsides just a bit. (88-91)
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White
2016 Dönnhoff Riesling Trocken
Stony and mineral on the nose, really different compared to the Keller Rieslings. Like it a lot. On the palate, this is simpler than the von Der Fels. But dry, fresh, and fine. No extra complexity and what you see is what you get and this does the drick. recommended. (88-89)
White
2016 von Winning Deidesheimer Kalkofen Riesling Großes Gewächs
Great nose with lots of gravel, minerals, some citrus fruit and apples. A sort of middle way between the very fruity Keller and the dry fresh mineral appearance of Dönnhoff. Very slim and elegant with very long and fine finish at the same time as there is a lot of fruit. Great stuff! (91-93)
White
2015 Juliusspital Würzburger Stein Riesling Großes Gewächs
open and friendly nose with some cool peach wedges and chilled mandarins. Lots of body - and not low alcohol, but still in general quite balanced. If you like fruity new world style riesling without petroleum or lime dominated palate, this is really good stuff. (89-91)
White
2015 Terrazze dell'Etna Terre Siciliane Ciuri
very light color, looks a little thin actually. But the nose is happening, there's gunpowder smoke, lemon wedges and some roasted hazelnuts and macadamia nuts, quite interesting on the whole. The attack on the palate is soft, the wine is quite full bodied, lacks a bit freshness and has a little bitter finish that detracts. (82-84)
White
2012 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Capellanía
charming with new oak on the nose, but really tired on the palate (low acidity, too big). (78-80)
White
2016 Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño 1583
fresh lemons, but also a little detergent lemon ester, some unripe yellow plums. Has a full body, good acidity and a lot of energy. (84-88)
White
2015 Château D'Anglès Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Grand Vin
rubber and artificial vanilla. Not so much fun, has a strange side note that stings a bit on the palate. (75-79)
White
2015 Domaine R. DuBois & Fils Côte de Nuits Villages Les Monts de Boncourt Blanc
Wide open "chard" with ample amounts of new oak. Medium body, decent acidity, quite simple, but enjoyable. Nothing for the cellar but good now. (85-87)
White
2010 Château La Louvière Blanc
Greenish tinted yellow color. On the nose, oak, veggies, some honeydew melon. Quite full bodied, and big wine, short finish. Not sure if I feel this taking it all the way though. (83-85)
White
2016 Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Very light yellow color. Nose has some peppery flower vase water going on which is frankly a little odd. On the palate it's like chewing on black currant leaves and unripe gooseberries. Not my cup of tea. A curiosity. (76-79)
White
2015 Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard W Block
there's so much stuff going on on the nose, very expressive with sweet yellow apples and some sheep that it has rained on. Quite full bodied white wine, with a long finish , the acidity comes from underneath at the end and clearly is there, but it's primarily a big and expressive wine. I was surprised that I liked it so much! (87-90)
White
2016 Springfield Estate Chardonnay Wild Yeast
Quite straight forward new world chardonnay with ripe tropical fruit. On the palate it veers toward sweet&sour and is not so much fun. (74-76)
White
2015 Bodega El Esteco Torrontés Old Vines 1945
the instant smell as I dip my nose in the glass is of new yoga mats, shredded cucumber and elderberry flowers. Quite good palate with acidity and energy. Like a newly mowed lawn. Not sure what to pair this with though. (84-85)
White
2016 Weingut Keller Riesling Kabinett "Limestone" Goldkapsel
Mountain Dew! On the palate it's spritzy and quite sweet. I know this has it's fan base but for me it's a little much. (77-79)
White
2009 Domaine Maire Château-Chalon
Just plain lovely! great vin jaunt, lacks a little acidity but it's very nice and everything you could want in a vin jaunt, accessible already at this stage.(90-92)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2014 Groot Constantia Muscat Grand Constance
cloudberry liqueur! A bit too concentrated for me but has all the sweetness of a really sweet wine, and would pair well with many desserts. (80-82)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2003 Dobogo Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos
lovely Tokaji with lots of honey sweetness and botrytis depth, warm fruit, not sure about how much acidity is there as it is so sweet. at any rate its delish! (88-89)
Red
2016 Montsecano Pinot Noir
dark red color. Some red and black currants, lilacs. odd nose. Big lots of grip, very extracted. (81-82)
Red
2013 Wooing Tree Pinot Noir
dark color, lots of black fruit and generous amounts of new oak. Very open and charming: drink me! very modern and forward pinot noir that manages to stay clear of being jammy. (87-88)
Red
2016 Domaine Chasselay Côte de Brouilly “L’Héronde”
Wine gum candy, some rancid butter. Very candy oriented on the palate and big and oaky. (76-79)
Red
2015 Mommessin Saint-Amour Grandes Mises
herbal and berry driven, with good freshness and grip - very structured and serious wine! I really liked this, has so much structure, fruit and body. (90-91)
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Red
2015 Karl Haidle Stettener Häder Lemberger Großes Gewächs
some Christmas spices on the nose, quite sweet and with a lot of grip. (83-85)
Red
2016 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso
Finetuned Etna wine with some red and black berries, although it is most about structure, very tannic. (86-89)
Red
2006 Pierre-Jacques Druet Chinon Clos de Danzay
ripe berries, peppery, some green peppers, but perhaps a bit too simple with more raw green pepper on the palate. I liked the nose more than the palate. (82-84)
Red
2015 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Pétalos
Blackberries, plum cake and some vanilla. Soft and forward with lots of structure underneath though. needs time. (87-90).
note: I bought a bottle, but it was not as good as at the tasting, but I am just giving the impression as I wrote it down at the time here (that is, before I opened an entire bottle at my home, some time later).
note: I bought a bottle, but it was not as good as at the tasting, but I am just giving the impression as I wrote it down at the time here (that is, before I opened an entire bottle at my home, some time later).
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Red
2014 Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Vigna Asinone
More saddle leather than in a classic western movie. Loads of black fruit. Very nice on the palate, modern sangiovese with a lot of fruit but also good balance. Good now and good later. (90-92)
Red
2009 Rocca di Castagnoli Stielle Toscana IGT
some brick color on the edges. lots of berries, some figs, raisins, noticeable oak, dried tobacco and leather. somewhat simple on the palate with a strong grip and some bitter finish. good price though. (82-85)
Red
2015 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage
stern, tight, demanding and not giving a lot these days. There's quite a bit of fruit underneath and it has a very fine and long finish. Put inte the cellar for ten years. (86-90)
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Red
2015 Domaine des Bosquets Gigondas
Violet pastils, floral, sweet black cherries. Generous and charming without too much complexity. Easy to enjoy already. Would not store it for too many years. (86-87)
Red
2010 Château Peyrabon
Classic Bordeaux nose with cassis, some graphite, ice coffee. good structure, decent fruit, balanced. Not the most complex but still good stuff. (86-88)
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Red
2015 Spice Route Grenache
spicy (duh!) with some raspberries that surprisingly are not as sweet as could be imagined. Fairly simple wine, but in the sweet Grenache fruit register where it is, this holds up quite well. Could see this doing well at many not so expensive restaurant wine lists. (83-85)
Red
2014 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Luxurious Cabernet! some volatile acids on the nose. Dense fruit, good freshness, structure, spicy, a little unripe blueberries but there's potential for sure. store for a long time. (84-85 now, but with potential around 89-92)
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Red
2015 Ridge Geyserville
Fine smelling wine with lots of different berries, leather, oriental spices. Good mixture of sweet blackberries and cool sloe berries on the palate. Great structure and balance. Good now with a grilled cheeseburger, and good fifteen years from now if stored properly. (92-93)
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