Inspirational knowledge and the people behind the drink

June INTERNA TIONAL 2008

Quietly flows the Rhone sid 5

contents > 5 Quietly flows the Rhone Invigning hos Torres sid 26 14 time to discover the Loire 18 Paul Dolan visit Copenhagen 19 creative meeting between and Journalists 22 the Diamant Process - revolution in the business 26 one man and his dreams 28 the trendiest in the Wineworld right now 31 A few questions upon the consumer role The Diamant process sid 22 32 Wine adventures in Argentina 33 creating perfection 34 Grans Muralles Fine Wine winner 2008 35 succes for the newly opened Wine Bar in Stockholm 37 With wery old you take your chances INTERNATIONAL notiser

A Weak in Bordeaux Gives Great Botrytis Experiments With White Spain’s absolutely most famous bodega the Vega Sicilia in , It’s been a tough year for Bordeaux will be launching a in the future. If this happens and it looks producers. The vintage hasn’t been like it will, then the wine will create a sensation. Because this wine bodega one of the best - for the red wines. is famous for its high quality red wines. The mere thought of a white wine launch is enough for wine aficionados to roll their eyes in wonder. But down in it’s all cele- brations. Already many wine experts It is more than 15 years ago that the 20 hectares of land was planted with around the world have hailed as one green grapes. Pablo Alvarez had declared earlier that he was very fond of of the very best ever. Great wine both from the Rhône and the Bourgogne though you wouldn’t know balance between fruit and acidity, to- that by looking at his vines in the . nes of citrus honey, dried apricots and They are the Rhône grapes , , which play a do- lot of complexity is what is waiting for minating role with . us in the noble red in the future. Apart from that even the lowest levels ap- For those familiar history, this won’t come as a surprise. pear to higher than ever. So the wine White wines have already been made at the Vega Sicilia, that have gained experts are recommending us to buy international reputations and that can still be found at auctions around the the 2007 noble red Bordeaux. world.

JFC JFC

Welcome to a new number of Fine Wine, your wine periodical on the net din vintidning på nätet

Summer is upon us and with that a new auction in Stockholm on the 10th June. Interest and turn over has increased steadily and is now the largest in the Northern countries. Interest in wine has reached the top. Slowly we are awakening for our winter sloth. The amount of time we spend outdoors in restaurants and bars is now on the increase, at least here in the north. Many hours spent in the beautiful light, with good food and drink and with the fantastic Midsummer celebrations as the season’s high point. In this edition we have several other high points. How about a trip to the Rhône, to meet the river Loire’s interesting wineproducers, find about new trends in New York and read Peter Thustrups commentary about the beverage auction and a whole lot more.

Happy Summer - Until September Ove Canemyr Chief Editor

It is perfectly allowed for you to send Fine Wine to friends and acquaintances who are over the age 20 and are interested in fine wines. Let us know about anything interesting in connection with Fine Wine [email protected] We cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material. Please feel free to quote from us but always reveal your sources Editorial: Ove Canemyr, chief editor, Fine Wine Trendsetter box 24013, 10450 Stockholm Layout Sophie L Slettengren by Design AB sophie@ bydesign.se English translations Roger Brett, Broadcasting Arts, [email protected] Coverphoto Per Karlsson BKWine 2 INTERNATIONAL notiser

ALL THIS? Wine Tourism Generates Millions AND HEAVEN AS Wine tourism is the new fad. There has been a complete explosion in inte- WELL, is the name of rest for this kind of holiday, an industry that generates a lot of money and the new restaurant as such has become very important for the wine producing countries. on top of the old In- In California where they take a more relaxed attitude towards its industry, land Revenue buil- the number of visitors to the has shot up. Worst hit is of course ding in Stockholm. the Napa Valley. Last year the wine producers had more than 8 million Earlier this spring visitors, which in round figures generated more Tania Jourbert , wine- maker from KWV on than 300 million dollars. The statistics in Europe are not quite as impres- the western Cape in sive. receives about 3 million visitors every year, which are spread South Africa and responsible for the Roo- over the whole country. Even though there is still expansion potential. deberg Restaurant put in guest appearan- But then the vineyard owners will pull themselves together ce. She brought with her something new. Namely a white Roodeberg, which was And make the visitors really welcome. grown in 2005 and has finally reached the In Spain they are lagging quite far behind with only 1.8 million visitors shelves of the SystemBolaget last year, which actually is an all time high. (Swedish state owned off-license). Fresh However within the foreseeable future they hope to be able to catch up and fruity with a long taste is a good way with France. Information material is available in English, and the Bodegas of describing it. WE drink up to 46% of are slowly waking up. One of the most visited Bodegas, not surprisingly is their Roodeberg export every year. Quite the Torres in Catalonia which alone had 130 000 visitors in 2007. More is an impressive sum and even more proof of expected, because the industry is in its infancy at least in the old world. the fact that interest in better wines is on the increase in Sweden. JFC

Alsace Comes To Stockholm The Intelligent Wine In April it was Alsace’s turn for a guest Bottle has arrived appearance in Stockholm. Or more To guarantee the quality and the authenti- to the point it was Benedicte Claudel city of the new fine wines from Bordeaux, from the Chateau de Riquewihr, who a new system based upon RFID tags (radio came and told us about their long and frequency identification) has been imple- venerable history. mented with within the bottle itself. It is Everything started around the 6th called eProvenance. century when a rich French landow- ner called Richo founded a large vine- To deliver this unique information about yard every bottle’s journey from the produ- at a place called Roquewihr. The name cer, through the chain of delivery to the stems from Richovilla which means customer, every bottles is fitted with a tag Richo`s area. Thanks to its good wine containing a unique code in the bottom reputation the area flourished during the middle ages of the bottle and the cap. Neither of these And Roquewihr`s wines were sold all over Northern Europe. A lot of this can be manipulated. Apart from that there was thanks to the river Rhine which was essential for transport during are also tags in the crates during transpor- those times. Today they export 35% of their 2 million bottles yearly. tation. Most of it Goes to Scandinavia, after that, Canada and USA: Even Russia has ac- In this way it is possible to tell whether the quired a palate for Doff & Irion and high quality Alsace wines. It was wines have been exposed to low or high the family Dopff and Irion that took over the property and castle in the temperatures simply by taking a reading. fifteen hundreds. It used to belong to the Prince of Wurtemburg, who This will mean the end of fake fine wines reigned as mayor at that time. Today the castle contains both Dopff and in the future. Good news at last for all of Irion and a museum well worth visiting for any body who is passing by us wine lovers. during the summer..

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STARLINGS DISTURB THE PEACE IN AUSTRIAN VINEYARDS In the spring Austria is invaded by millions of starlings who spend the summer nibbling away at lovely grapes. They are tired of eating any old insects, scraps and other animal’s fodder. They are pleased to change over to a rather more delicate menu of ripe grapes. In Austrian a starling is called a star. That’s why they have christened the solution to get rid of them the “starfighter” project. They are light aircraft that don’t spray them or poison them but rather swoop over the vineyards and frighten the life out of the gigantic number of starlings that have settled in the vineyards and shoo them all away. Naturally they all drift back after a while, but then it’s time to swoop over them again. This continues throughout the summer to protect the from these thirsty birds. But there are other tricks that work as well. Alarms, fireworks, flood lights, banging things. If you are looking for some fes- tive fun in Austria during the summer months, then make your way out to the vineyards and join in. Everything to protect the harvest of course.

The new Champagne district Vinordic har blivit The communes named in the are: Baslieux-les-, Blacy, Bo- en nordeuropeisk issy-le-Repos, Bouvancourt, Breuil-sur-Vesle, mötesplats Bussy-le-Repos, Champfleury, , Courcy, , Fismes, , La- När Vinordic 2008 slog upp dörrarna på Ville-sous-Orbais, Le-Thoult-Trosnay, , Stockholmsmässan i slutet av april hade Montmirail, Mont-sur-Courville, Peas, Ro- pressmötet inte mindre än journalister main, Saint-Loup, Soulanges, . från 26 olika nationer på plats. Under de dagar som mässan pågick konstaterades The communes named in the Aube depart- att fler och fler besökare både från bran- ment, which also includes part of the histo- schen och bland konsumenter från norra ric province of Champagne are: Arrelles, Bal- Europa hittar till Stockholm och Vinordic. not-la-Grange, Bossancourt, Bouilly, Etourvy, En spännande utveckling och helt i linje Fontvannes, Javernant, Laines-au-Bois, Ma- med det internationella rykte som Sverige cey, Messon, Prugny, Saint-Germain-l’Epine, och svenskarna fått som trendsättare när Souligny, Torvilliers, Villery. det gäller nya viner. ”- Fullständigt otrogna och hela tiden nyfikna på vinnyheter från In the Aisne area the commune of Marchais-en-Brie, and in the Haute- hela världen”, som Bengt-Göran Kronstam Marne there is Champcourt and Harricourt. uttryckte sig i sitt inledningsanförande.

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Quietly flows the Rhòne By Britt Karlsson Photo Per Karlsson

The Rhòne valley begins at the old roman town of Vienne and finishes to the south of the Popes Chàteauneuf-du-Pape. We are then in a district rich in history and with such a variety of wines that not even the most fastidious consumer can complain.

We are standing on the border illeron, explained to us. Yves is one between Cóte Rótie and Condrieu of the top growers in Condrieu ,he and are looking upwards at the continues. “ We need 1-2 people tremendous gradient of the wine per hectare here, whereas a single slopes. That all of the work in the person in another district, can vineyard has to be done by hand handle 10 hectares single handed. is understandable, so it’s a great advantage if you don’t suffer from Condrieu is a unique white wine, dizziness. made from the flowery and aroma- “If you think that the wines from tic Viognier. An amply rounded the Northern Rhòne are expensive, wine with a character that goes then you have to understand that excellently with as an aperiti, as labor costs are higher here than in well to tasty dishes like fish and other districts“, our guide Yves Cu- seafood dishes, goose liver and not >>> 5 INTERNATIONAL least white asparagus. When Yves pears and dried apricots. A wine Cuilleron made his first vintage in with a strong personality. 1987, there weren’t many people that had ever heard of either Con- Condrieu lies on the border of Có- roe or Viognier. tie Rótie, so in that strong “I was part of the young vanguard there is a promise to blend in a that helped restore the Northern small amount of Viognier if requi- Rhóne as a wine district.”, he red. Guigial, the most prominent tells us. Toda , Yves is one of the producer here has between 7-12% big stars in Condrieu. But it can’t Viognier in his Cótie Rótie. Other be an obvious choice to become wise, like everywhere else in the a wine grower when you look at Rhòne valley it is the that those break neck slopes, as steep hall marks the wines. Few grapes as the hardest ski slopes. But appa- have the ability to characterize a rently many have had the calling. wine like the Syrah does. It is a gra- pe that is easy to get to like even if some consumers are initially a little bit hesitant to its bouquet. At any rate when the grape’s characteris- tics are particularly conspicuous in the wine, and are really screaming out asphalt, tar, violets, cured pork, red hot and newly ground pepper. The thick skin doesn’t only give off a lot of aroma but also lends the wine its dark color, rich in tannins. Syrah is grown today in many pla- ces around the world and is quite a rewarding task as long as it is suitably warm. But if you’re going In 1971 the acreage was down to to make a really good Syrah wine a meager to measly 12 hectares. then you need a little more specific The majority had abandoned wine conditions like those that are to be growing in favor of the more lu- found here in the Northern part of crative apricots. Now the acreage the Rhóne district like Cótie Ró- is up to 125 hectares split between tie, Hermitage, Crazes Hermitage, all of 65 growers. So quantity wise Corneas and Saint-Joseph. there has been a veritable explo- It’s warm here but not hot, , maybe sion, but what about the quality?, even cooler than you would nor- well at the present time Condrieu mally believe thanks to the mistral is considered to be one the great wind which can be both a blessing French white wines, mentioned (moisture dries up quickly and de- in the same breath as Meursalt cay can’t take root) and a curse,(can and Montrachet. The difficult to destroy tender buds.) The loose cultivate the Viognier which the soil which often contains granite only grape allowed in a Condrieu, and slate which keeps the yield accomplishes when it’s at its best, down, which is a precondition for well rounded and elegant wines, achieving that real intensity in the flowery with fragrances of citrus, wine’s character. >>> 6 INTERNATIONAL

ments. Nowadays it’s not only In 1987 he produced his first vin- about Còte Rótie, Guigals makes tage, St Joseph and the property wines from the whole of the Rhó- now covered some 20 hectares of ne valley from the North to South. Saint Joseph Condrieu, Cóte Rótie Their own vineyards cannot sup- and Vin de Pays des Collines Rho- port the demand for grapes, so daniennes. It is one of the best pro- every year they buy in grapes from perties in the area when it comes to the wine growers in the various ap- both Red and White wines. pellations. Interestingly they don’t have any kind of running contract Further South with the growers, every year they We’re traveling southwards and select the grapes that stand up to pass the St Joseph appellation. the rigorous quality control. Here we find a lot of nice wines Marcel Guigal inspects the newly mostly red. harvested grapes himself that the Like those for example from Eric farmer deliver to the Guigals works and Joel Durand, Pierre Courso- Guigal does more than 30% pf in Ampuis. don, Pierre Gaillard and Andrè Per- all of Cóte Rótie wine. Old Eti- And the grapes that he rejects? ret. After about ten or twelve miles enne Guigal who died in 1988 is Well I’m sure that someone else or so, we come to the ancient town something of a legend in the area. will snap them up. of Tournon with its fine old castle. He made his vintage Cóte Rótie at Crossing the river here towards the age of 14 at the firm of Vidal A little bit away from the river, Tain l`Hermitage and at the same Fleury in Ampuis where he started up some winding roads and with time pausing to admire the dra- Working in 1927, n 1946 he fi- an enchanting view lies Domaine matic mountain slope which lies gured that he had learned enough Pierre Gaillard. directly in front of us. This where and could start making wine under Pierre began his career with Vidal the Syrah grows- the grapes for the his own name. Fleury in Ampuis. In was actually Hermitage, you can’t fail to notice He moved into a cellar just a few Pierre himself who planted the vi- hat they are the biggest producers hundred yards away from Vidal nes on the La Turque slopes, which around here because of the gigantic Fleury. He was quite successful but today is one of Guigal´s prestige signs on the slopes proclaiming the he didn’t become really renowned wines that Guigal received as part legend “Jaboulet and Chapoutier”. until his son Marcel started wor- of the deal when he bought Vidal At the present time Chapoutier is king for him. It was in the begin- Fleury back in 1986. one of France’s most interesting ning of the eighties that the world During his tenure at Vidal Fleury, wine houses, which for several ye- started taking notice of Cóte Ró- Pierre was planning his own future ars has been run in a biodynamic tie, and since then there has been and began to buy up and plant bits fashion by Michel Chapoutier. no let up for Guigals accomplish- of land. >>> 7 INTERNATIONAL

The Hermitage’s little brother, the ne district went through a re-birth Crozes-Hermitagen doesn’t quite about 20-25 years ago when a load have such steep slopes as the Her- of new and resourceful wine gro- mitage, but here on the other hand wers appeared on the scene”, Gil- we get a lot of wine for our money. les Robin of the property with the During the 80´s a bunch of new same name tells us.” One of the and innovative growers popped up, first was Alain Graillot, who be- which brought a kind of renais- came something of a role model sance to the district. Which today for me and the other new pioneers. natural compost as fertilizer in means that with Crozes-Hermitage Alain Graillot`s wines belong to the the vineyard. The strong Mistral you definitely get a your value for more powerful in Crozes and one winds, helps to dry every out and money. can recognize his style in Gille`s protect the plants against different There are different kinds of soil, wines. There are many good wine kinds of mildew. like gravel, clay and slate, which growers in Croze-Hermitage at the All of the grapes are harvested ma- means that within the appellation present time, but the special thing nually. “I haven’t invented anyth- there are several styles represented about this appellation Gilles tells ing, I just follow good common here: fruity berries for the impa- us is that 70% of the wine is made sense” tient and a stronger, robust, more by the Cave du Train co-operative. he says on his working method. rugged wine for those that are prepared to bide their time. Most Like Graillot`s, Gille`s wine has a Powerful Cornas and Fruity of them of may be enjoyably imbi- very good Syrah character. But it is Pèray bed after 2 or 3 years, but they will important for them here, that Cornas is the southernmost of the keep for 10 at least. “ le ” is prevalent in the wi- Northern Rhóne appellations and nes. The easiest way to achieve that has always been considered the “The Crozes-Hermitage, like the is through biological cultivation. strongest. It is a small appellation rest of them in the Northern Rhó- That is to say, no insecticides and and for a long time was quite unk- >>>

8 INTERNATIONAL nown. But now there are many fa- full Syrah, the wine growers of the mous names and the prices of the southern Rhône have a multitude better wines are starting to be com- of grapes to choose from. parable to the Hermitage and Cóte One grape however has a dominant Rótie. Domaine Alain Voge is one position and that is the Grénache. of the well known names an out- This grape lends warmth and al- standing producer with 12 hectares cohol to wines but for questions in Cornas and the neighboring St. of balance and body it should be Peray. Alain Voge preparing him- blended with other kinds of grape, self now for his pension and as he specifically Syrah and/or Mourvé- doesn’t have any offspring to take dre. Occasionally one talks about over after him he looked around in somewhat disparaging for another solution. That became tones, but in the right hands it per- Albéric Mazoyer, who left Chapou- forms well with excellent results. It tier where he was technical director is of course a grape that is so abso- and wine maker to work together lutely right for Provence. with Alain to run Domaine Alain It manages to withstand the Pro- Voge. Bearing in mind Alberic`s vencal mistral winds which can work at Chapoutier then we can blow quite forcefully through the expect some even more interesting of Syrah. But many Cornas growers southern Rhône and has nothing wines in the future.” But these are make white wines in the neighbo- against burning sunshine and hard times, says Alberic, we have ring appellation of St Peray. drought . In meager soil like in the no place in the world of fine wines Gigondas and Chateau-Neuf-du- if we don’t turn out a high quality Provencal Atmosphere in Pape, the Grenache thrives parti- product every year. We must always the Southern Rhône Valley cularly well. enlighten our wines, tell the world Cornas and St: Péray, are the last The leanness of the earth gives the about our passion. We have a great wine districts in the Northern wine a concentrated color and a potential for high class wines, we Rhône. After that comes Valance powerful tannin rich wine which just have make become more well and Monteria, in itself combats the tendency the known.” well known for their excellent grape has to oxidize. nougat. We are down in southern At its best the Grenache is a wine of Cornas, which is shaped like an Rhône valley. The landscape and southern fragrances, or sun ripened amphitheatre spreads itself out the climate have changed in cha- berries, a generous fruitiness, soft over some 90 hectares of rather racter, it starts to feel like we have and well rounded. It is important steep inclines. It’s quite easy to arrived in Provence. We are not far to hold back the yield so as to en- gain an overview of all of the hec- from Nyons the home of the “oli- tice the aroma, while at the same tares that are included in the ap- ve”. Even the wines have changed time go sparingly with fertilization pellation. The soil is rich in granite character. and the right choice of cloning. and the slopes are lay protected The difference between north and from the cold winds. Mostly there south Rhône is amongst other There are no shortages of brilliant are no problems in harvesting the things the composition of the gra- Grenache wines. Albeit there are thoroughly ripened grapes. Cornas pes. to choose while the north only 13 grape varieties allowed in the is exclusively a red wine appellation allows a blue grape, the character Chateau. Neuf-du-Pape, but it is >>>

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mostly the Grenache that domina- Cótes-du- Rhóne is famous for: Amongst my favorites we notice tes always to 60-70% of the blend. Domaine Marcel Richaud. Marcel In the neighboring district of Gi- Vinsorbres, Séguret, Sablet, Ras- really shows just how well an un- gondas they are very particular teau, Cairanne, Gigondas, Beau- complicated appellation like this about their Grenache, claiming mes-de-Venise and so on. can be with old vines, low yield that it is imperative for the typical Gigondas was the first village in and a good assortment of grapes. character of the wine. In 1986 the the Cótes-du-Rhóne to receive its Marcel began his career as a wine wine growers convinced the autho- own appellation contróleè. Now maker with very little collateral. rities to raise the maximum level of the best Pape but at much reduced Back in 1970 when he was just 20 Grenache from 65 to 80%. prices! A big and relatively new star years old he already knew that he in Gigondas is Louis Baroul of Do- didn’t want to part of a co-opera- The great appellations in the maine Saint Cosmé . He took over tive. In spite of his modest begin- southern Rhône are, Cótes- du- the family property in 1992 and is nings, his vine yard has expanded Rhône and the Cótes -du-Rhône a big supporter of terroir (habitat)- to encompass 40 hectares and he villages. These are extended over “the most important thing with a has gained a reputation as a first an area of some 42000 hectares wines is, “ he says, its origin.” The class wine maker. on both sides of the river Rhône Chateau Raspail Ay has belonged Marcel is also very aware of the soil from Montèlimar down to Avig- to the classics in Gigondas for a and how it varies between different non. Obviously the quality varies long time. The 18 hectare property parts of his 40 hectares. He is of enormously in such a great expanse is run by Dominique Ay, conscien- the opinion that clay and chalk are of cultivation as well as great dif- tiously and fastidiously. Grenache responsible for the structure of the ferences in prices. There are many is used to about 70% and the wines wine, while the sand/gravel gives ambitious wine growers sprouting are a tad rustic, a little bit peppery it its elegance while sand and clay up a little here and there, and they with good fruit and gentle tannin. lend harmony and finesseto it. really take advantage of poten- tiality that the area possesses. On The rural community of Cairanne Chateauneuf-du-Pape the east bank of the river down is certainly just a Cótes-du-Rhó- Historical and seasoned towards the mighty Dentelles de ne-Villages but here you will find wines Montmirail mountains with “bro- many outstanding properties. The Now we’re getting close to Avig- ken teeth” summits, we find many best vines are planted on the steep non, but before that let’s pause of the picturesque villages that the slopes surrounding the village. >>>

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awhile in Charteauneuf-du-Pape. vines should be pruned. This then The great round stones, the galets became the foundation for the “ roulès , which are so characteristic of appellation controlée” law which the area and have the ability to store was adopted by the whole of Fran- heat from the day and keep the vines ce in 1936 and has been allowed to warm until late into the night. prevail since that time. People have The wines take on a warm and gone to great lengths to protect seasoned character. But the Cha- their wines in Chateauneuf-du- teauneuf-du-Pape is not just excel- Pape. In 1954 for example it beca- lent wines, it is an interesting wine me prohibited for flying saucers to historical district. Baron Pierre le overfly the area. With hindsight it Roy de Boiseaumatie, normally re- would appear to a very astute and ferred to as Baron le Roy, was the effective piece of legislature. owner of Chateau Fortia in the be- ginning of the nineteen hundreds AS we drive out of the little town and which is still one of the princi- the Baron to the forefront began to of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the pal properties in Chateauneuf-du draw up guide lines for a rule book direction of Avignon, we soon see Pape today. The baron has gone to protect the wine from plagia- the characteristic silhouette of the down into history as the initiator rists. This set of rules was comple- Chateau des Fines Roches, and founder of the ted in 1923 and specified the area Chateau Neuf`s most spectacular the French appellation contrólèe in which Chateauneuf-du-Pape castle. The fact that we’re being foo- system. In the 1920´s the Pope’s wines could be produced and with led matters not the slightest. The Wine was selling so well that a which grapes, the lowest accep- castle looks like a Knight’s fortress number of serious growers, with table alcohol content and how the from the middle ages, but in fact in was built in the nineteenth century to cover up a . But it’s not only the castle that’s impres- sive but also its location. The view out over the vines is magnificent. In one direction we can clearly see the ruins of the Pope’s summer palace while from the other in the distance we can see the pompous Pope’s palace in Avignon about 25 kilometers away. The family that own kit, don’t live in the castle any more. It was a little bit impractical, so now they hire it out as a hotel, restaurant operation. The Hostel- lerie des Fines Roches. There you can stay and eat well in a luxurious and delightful surroundings.

The quality of the castle’s wine has improved immensely since the new generation in the shape of the agreeable sisters Gaèlle and Amelié Barrot took over. Their red Cha- teauneuf-du-Pape gives you that

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warm feeling that you’d expect, with a spicy and berry like aroma. Their white Chateauneuf has a fragrance of apricot, almonds and honey as well as certain stoutness in the taste. In the year 2000 the sisters made a prestige cuvée for the first time cal- led Fines Roche Chateauneuf-du- Pape. Which was a great success. The composition of the grapes is a little unusual for the region, a third of them of well selected Grenache, Syrah and Mourvédre. The wine has been stored for 2 years in old barriquer (little casks 225 liters) which is quite extraordinary in view of the fact that their Father was a fa- Jean-Pierre took over when Fran- Avignon however is a much more natic opponent of the Barriquer. cois died in 1978 and he proved imposing building. Another must He has admitted however that he that he could manage his inhe- if you are in the area is to visit the likes the wine very much because ritance more than well. Ecolo- Pont D´Avignon /Pont Bénézet) the oak doesn’t dominate the wine’s gical cultivation is still a natural the famous half of a bridge (you original character. The old man can choice for the Perrin family. It’s remember the song “sur le pont still recognize it as Chateauneuf- important that the earth is well ba- Davignon, etc) that was construc- du-Pape and that naturally pleases lanced. Chemicals, crop spraying ted (completely) him. and synthetic fertilizer destabilize In the 12th century. It’s often da- the soil and take away the taste of maged by floodwaters and by the Another of my personal favori- “terroir” from the wines. Father 17th century they definitely gave tes in Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the Jacque’s plating of the Mourvedre up repairing it. Hardly realizing Chateau du Beucastel, moreover grape has increased and now is that the bridge was to become of one of the best. The property was responsible for 30% of the blend, the most famous sights in France. bought up about a 100 years ago which in this Grenache dominated by the olive producer Gabriel Tra- appellation. Mourvèdre which has mier, and soon the vines were been grown near its northernmost Taken over by his son in law Pierre border has become something of a Perrin. He recognized at an early symbol for Beaucastel stage that the recipe for quality wi- And contributes perhaps to the nes was low yield, and fine ripened animalistic tone the one often find grapes. Is son Jacques continued in Beaucastle. down that well trodden path and in many ways he was long before his There’s not much left of the Pope’s time in his reasoning. For example castle in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. in 1950 he already introduced There is only one tower that stands ecological cultivation and planted intact. Time, religion and finally a what was then modern grapes like German explosive charge during Mourvedre and Roussanne. He world war two put an end to the was a very respected wine produ- rest. cer and his sons who followed him The enormous Pope’s palace inside Francois and Jean-Pierre.

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Primewinebar Östermalmstorg 5, Stockholm wwww.primewinebar.se

13 INTERNATIONAL Time To Discover The Loire by Johan Franco Cereceda

The wine district is full of surprises. Not only because of its variety of white wines, its beautiful surroundings with majestic castles in every little nook and cranny and mildly eccentric producers. The Loire catches us unawares with its red wines. But now is the time to discover them. Soon it might be too late. Ok, I’ll admit that a crispy, mineral vignon Blanc were boring, a little we will be returning to our roots, tasting, is what pale, insignificant . “They’re not at to the original wines, the classic the Loire is most well known for. all as fruity as those from New Zea- countries and the classic grapes. Say, San , and wine enthu- land,” he says. We’ll probably hear siasts go all bleary eyed and begin comments like that more often as Which of course is just great for salivating. While at the same time the New World’s wine visions and the Loire, as they have produced al- the new world with its exaggerated methods of gain tempo most unnecessarily fine wines here one grape wines have displaced our and take up more room on the since the fifteen hundreds.R egard- references (and possibly our pre- world’s stage. less of what the New world disco- ferences) in what different grapes At the same time it’s quite exciting verers might say, Didièr Dagenau actually possess for basic characte- to take a look at one of the absolu- is … well perhaps not in quantity, ristics. A while ago I met up with te strongest trends at the moment. but definitely one of many quality a wine lover that felt that Loire Just to gain our breath, because the wine producers. Now he is a very wines, and in particular the Sau- trend `s rumor is that once again strange producer, perhaps he is >>>

Marcel Gitton

14 INTERNATIONAL

Three generations Haverst

more well known as the “bad boy” the contrary, it would naturally most of the producers in the area, of French wines, especially as he be in everyone’s interest to come he will disregard malolactic fer- , amongst other things allows the out onto the international market. mentation, that is to say the sharp street on which he lives to be re- Not only to the converted, that is apple acid in favor of a soft lactic christened the Rue Ernesto Che to say those who are already enthu- acid. Here acidity is the founda- Guevara. At the same time this is siastic. No!, to the new generation tion of the wines that enables us to perhaps one of his most harmless of wine consumers. But the Loire lay them down for several years. pranks. Many people tell of his is diffused, large and variety crea- violent temper, his intolerance and tes confusion. But of course this Price wise we shouldn’t worry at his enormous focus. He seldom re- is also their strength, their strong all. Many of the wines are priced ceives visitors, but one you’ve got point. This is the reason why they around d 10 euros and even here your foot in the gates of his vine- can accommodate eccentrics like the Sauvignon Blanc from the new yard in Fumè in the eastern M. Dagenau. world has superseded these prices. Loire valley, then you can’t help but Laportes le Grand Argentier 2004 be impressed by his passion, his While at the same time there are for 10 Euros is a good example of skeptical position towards journa- many other quality producers to a typical original grape from clas- lists and his almost frenzied labor mention. Well acquainted with sical wine habitat. Just 15 minutes in the vineyard. Alone his work Sweden Domaine LaPorte in San- south of here by car we find another in getting the international wine cerre the Loire’s, most emblematic big Sancerre producer. The Gitton consumers to raise an eyebrow as district in all categories is situated family or Vinobles Gitton Père et they reach for their wallets, has me- on the edge of the valley La Cas- Fils, as the wine company is actu- ant a lot to the region’s reputation. sure de Sancerre. The soil is unique ally called. Show me someone who Which is course exactly what the here. Chalk on one side and flint hasn’t had a glass of their pheno- Loire needs. on the other and because the gra- menally inexpensive Les Belle Da- pes are vinified separately it produ- mes in Sweden. A veritable faithful Though there are some traditiona- ces almost unique wines. Unbeata- old retainer that has been on the lists who feel that the Loire should ble in their crispiness and mineral SystemBolaget´s ( state owned off- be left in peace to do what it does content. license) books for more than 30 best…Wine!, without any inter- Forget everything that the Marl- years. But the Loire, that gigantic ference to make the wine they borough district in New Zealand area, often called France’s garden have always made. But course this has achieved. Laporte`s wines are because of its beautiful vegetation kind of idea is doomed to failure. almosty frivolously irresponsible in and the fertile soil, is so much more Not even the Loire producers lis- their character, elegant with a tart than just a crispy Sancerre. There ten with that ear any longer. On acidity. More often than not, like are many other grapes that grow >>> 15 INTERNATIONAL

here. The variety is impressive. On several vintages of his red Sancerre as the sub region is also called. the white wine side alone we find Les Royaux made from 100% Pi- grapes like called Melon not Noir on to the Swedish market. Producers of red wine are le- de Bourgogne, in the west. Nan- Otherwise it looks a bit thin on the gion on the Loire. Domaine La- tais, which is often shelves of the Swedish state owned porte is one, Couly-Dutheil, who called Pineau de la Loire, Chardon- off-licenses called the SystemBola- has his vin Clos de L`Echo , on nay which gives soft, relatively round get. A handful of wines many of SystemBolaget`s temporary shel- wines and lastly the rather large Gros them just incidental launchings. In ves is another, Charles Jugoet plant grape, which the same sort as the shadow of the pas- in Chinon, (which together with the Cognac grape - Folle Blanche. sion, the Loire should be an open Bourgeuil are the most prominent In other words variety wines are so market. But the pinot Noir is not red wine producing districts) with much bigger, in style, relatively easy the big red wine grape in the Loire. his wine the Les Varennes du Grand to recognize, because most of them It is the that of- Clos 2001 , also available in Sweden are one grape wines and are associa- fers the best results, with its grassy is yet another. ted with certain areas. In the West, tone, its harsh herbal character, red Nantais we find then the current and a genuine freshness But this is not enough, their aught which is made according to the that with our partiality Pinot Noir to be enough room for many red “sur-lie” method, which is a stylized should make us glance furtively over wines from the Loire valley. Before method to enhance the mouth feel to the Cabernet Franc. The simila- it’s too late, before the New World of the wine. The wine tastes fresh, rity doesn`t hit you directly, but a decides upon the agenda of just a little effervescent with a slightly certain family likeness is to found in how a one grape wine made from refreshing tone of yeast. With the elegant character present in both Cabernet Franc should taste. But the Chenin Blanc often from the of the grape types. Not least those then it won’t taste like a wine from middle Loire they make everything from the middle Loire or Touraine the Loire! from for its aging potential, sharp tart wines that open up, first after maybe two or three years, right up to sweet rarities also destined for a long life. And the third big gra- pe the Sauvignon Blanc which is grown with perhaps the best results in the eastern sector.

Naturally the most emblematic districts are spelled Sancerre and Pouilly Fumè. But what’s the story on red wines from this reputable white wine district? “Well, since you ask, very good indeed!”. Here we can see exciting developments and this is perhaps just the begin- ning. Of course historically blue grapes have always been grown in this region, but it’s only in the last decade that they have really managed to produce really good red wines.

The above mentioned Domaine Laporte will shortly be launching 16 INTERNATIONAL

Champagne De Saint Gall Premier Cru Blanc de Blanc Art.nr: 7520 268 kr

janake wine group AB | Lindetorpsvägen 17 | 121 63 Johanneshov | www.janake.se

17 INTERNATIONAL Paul Dolan visits Copenhagen

The guru behind, and one of the authors of, the 500 page instructions manual cal- led Real Organic-and Biological wine production in California, was in Copenhagen to impart his knowledge and experiences to us on one of the most important subjects of tomorrow.

“ We should look upon the vines as come an expert on grapes and the our own children”. - re- cycle, use production of wine. Then Paul compost- we must strive to achieve threw out the question to the au- a collaboration with nature . These dience. were a few of the catchwords in his production process. “Well, is there anybody here today that would be prepared During the question and answer to give their own children a finger period that followed , one of the tip of pesticide every day?”.Need- delegates stated that good friends less to say the silence was deafe- of his Europe, didn’t think that the ning. small amounts of pesticides and other chemicals that are used in Amongst the wines that were tested Vineyards today don’t actually play at the seminar we noted, Clay Sta- much of a part in the big scheme tion Viogner 2006(sustainable), of things. Then Paul told us about Merry vale his grandson, who since birth has Starmont Chardonnay 2006 (sus- tasted a finger tip of wine on his tainable) Parducci Pinot Noir 2006 (sustainable), Paul Dolan Biodynamic Vineyards, Agricultural Individuality 2005 (organically grown grapes), rest contains forest, water, birds as Rubicon Cask Cabernet Sauvig- well as all the usual insects and free non 2004 (organically grown gra- roaming cattle. Apart from that pes), Bonterra McNab 2003 (bio- poultry whose job it is to pick up dynamic), Deep Red, Paul Dolan harmful insects and the like. Vineyards 2005(Bio dynamic) 27 In other words there is a manifold Organically grown grapes, what biological abundance to found here does that actually mean? at the same time, which of course tongue every day, and how he has Well on Paul’s vineyard approxima- supports the whole chain and in- grown up to be a healthy and suc- tely 60 hectares of the 120 hectares creases the quality without the use cessful person , who also has be- are devoted to wine growing. The of additives.

18 INTERNATIONAL Creative Meeting Between Winemakers and Journalists Text and Pictures Johan Franco Cerecedaa

Some of world`s most prominent winemakers meet some of the world’s most proli- fic wine correspondents.T his was the scene in the southern Spanish town of Ronda in the middle of April. Two whole days of intensive discussions about trends, terroir and global warming.

“Let`s skip the platitudes and get The spotlight was on the big wi- work is faithful to the soil!” said right to the point”, exclaimed Jan- nes and the pre-requisites for pro- Peter Sisseck, the great Dane be- cis Robinson, one of the world`s ducing them, and what point of hind the cult declared wine Pingus most prominent wine scribes in departure wine journalists should , in an almost passionate defense his opening speech, which was to take to them. The confrontations of a wine maker’s integrity. This of mark the beginning of 2 days of in- were exciting, usually it was two course brought down a tumult of tensive and sometimes heated talks writers against two producers on applause, not least from among- between journalists, who’s area of a particular subject and often they st the participating journalists, expertise is wine and about a dozen would be completely at odds with whom according to Jancis Robin- of the most reputable wine produ- each other. son, “should not forget the parasi- cers on the planet. “We are not influenced by what tic roll they play, not least juxtapo- The first gathering of The Wine the wine experts think. It would be sed to the wine producers. Wine Creators was a fact . insulting to think otherwise. Our makers from every corner of the >>>

Wine Crearor i Convento Santo Domingo i Rondo

Vinmakaren Denis Dubourdieu Plaza de Sorocco i Rondo 19 INTERNATIONAL

Den slovenske Ales Kristanicic bjöd på uppskattade viner

world wanted to talk about “ter- roir”, a tricky expression, difficult to master, that turned out to be a somewhat laden subject. I dislike the word terroir, because it seems to be intimately associated with “la terre” (the soil), historically in France, that’s the way in has been. We would prefer to talk about cru -the habitat, Michael Bettane chief editor of the magazi- ne, La Revue du vins de France ex- plained to us. In this he was given partial support, even though there were many who said that whatever we choose to call the habitat, the ba- sic conditions it offers on the whole Utsikt från den spektakulära bron i Rondo is the deciding factor of whether it “It has taken us many generations words come the closest. “ …a really is possible to grow great wines the- to be aware of the real great wine should awaken in you re. Ales Kristiansen, the extremely import of the terroir concept, he the desire for more. Like a fantastic charismatic wine producer, whose added, but what is a great wine?” night in the company of … “well family has made wine since 1820, At this point their opinions began you all know what I mean. So- added, “the quality of the soil was to differ, even after most of them mething that is unforgettable!” of the utmost significance.B ut also would have selected the same wines that one produce wine in which from a blind test. Maybe the soil and the grape can achieve producer Carlo Ferrini`s closing in harmony together. Footnote: From the wine journalists we noted, amongst others , Joshua Green from Wine & Spirits, David Schildknecht from The Wine Advocate, Amongst the growers were apart from the above mentioned were, Denis Dubordieu, the Bordeux guru. magician, Dirk Van Der Niepoort and Paul Draper from California. After the seminar wine from all of the produ- cers was available for tasting

Fine Wine’s own website

www.finewine.nu Here you will find the last 4 numbers of the Fine Wine magazine in English and Swedish. All you have to do is download them or read them off of the screen. Explore all of the sti- mulating links. Welcome to Fine Wine - your online wine magazine. 20 INTERNATIONAL

Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon finns att beställa på ditt Systembolag.

Art nr 81746, Pris 72 kronor, Alkoholhalt 14 %

Hälfen av alla som drunknar har alkohol i blodet.

21 INTERNATIONAL

The Diamant Process - Revolution in the cork business Text Britt Karlsson photo Per Karlsson, bkwine.com

The best wine in the world can be destroyed by a bad cork. All of us have expe- rienced this. But what do you do as a wine producer if you wish to prevent damaged corks. “Well. Its obvious isn’t it you say, use a !”. Or a plastic cork. Or a BIB. But if a wine producer feels that his customers will forsake him if he doesn’t cork up his product with a natural material what then? If you believe the company called Si- bel, then there’s a solution to that as well. They say that they have invented the per- fect cork, with absolutely no risk of cork damage.

>>> 22 INTERNATIONAL

The secret’s called, Mytik (for Well the answer is yes, almost. I isn’t so clever to explain about an champagne) and Diam (for still don’t think the punters will no- improvement which between the wines). Natural corks treated with tice the difference. If you are par- lines means that there a patented process ticularly observant then you’ll see might have been something wrong Which is called Diamant. Sibel that the Mytik looks a little pret- with the old cork. says that with this process up to tier and unused as it pops out of 100% of the 2,4,6-TCA (the mo- the bottle. It is a little bit too good For Sibel, their initial goal was to lecule that gives the cork taste) is to be true! Which invites the spe- remove the TCA. removed by treating it with super culation amongst consumers that But studies have shown that there critical carbon dioxide. it can’t be real cork at all, it must are more than 150 different mole- It is predominantly with champag- be plastic or something. cules in the cork that can disturb ne that Sibel has had a lot of suc- the taste cess with. Naturally enough, the Yannick Collet , the head wine ma- Of the wine. These of course also Champagne district will be the last ker at Champagne de Saint Gall , disappear with the Diamant pro- people in the world to give up the who is in the throes of testing the cess. Emmanuel Fourny of Cham- Natural cork. Would the consume- Mytik on some cuvée, thinks there pagne Veuve Fourny, thinks that rs accept something other than the is a problem here. what entices the champagne pro- characteristic mushroom shaped natural cork in their champagne bottles?

Regular champagne corks consist of three parts A champagne cork is bigger than a normal wine cork and cannot be pressed out in one piece. Because the champagne cork is made out of little pieces of cork compressed to- gether. At one end of the cork are glued two small circles that are not compressed but rather stenciled. “It’s all about marketing. The per- ducers to try out the Mytik is the It is these circles that are in contact fect champagne cork already exists. promise of zero corking. But he with wine. The circles are tighter It is the crown cap, which is fitted also says that Mytik diminishes the than the compressed cork and the- onto the bottle for many years be- risk for bottle variation. refore there is less risk for corking. fore disgorging. However no con- “Which is correct, says Benoit A Mytik is ground cork which af- sumer will accept a cap like that Ecrepont of Sibel. “We think that ter the crumbs have undergone the on his bottle of Champagne. So if the cork should only play a com- Diamant process are glued together you are trying to find a perfect new pletely neutral role during the ma- with approved edible glue. Because cork then it is of the utmost im- turing period.” But not everybody the risk of cork damage is naught portance that the customers accept agrees with this. Pascal Agrapart then the need for the circles has the way that it looks. If they don’t from the Champagne house of been eliminated, which of course then the technical advantages don’t the same name, doesn’t think that the Sibel people say is good. amount to much if you can’t use it. bottle variation is completely nega- So it’s all down to informing the tive. He thinks that the cork plays Sibel insist that they have a cork consumers. But that isn’t so easy to the same role in the process as the that removes TCA and looks like a do, says Yannick. “Here in Cham- oak casks do. normal champagne cork. But does pagne we’re not used to commu- “The cork gives a little oakiness, a it really? nicating the technical aspects. It little grilled tone to the champagne >>> 23 INTERNATIONAL

that I personally am not against. Both the cork and the oak lend an aspect to the wine that is less than technological, rather more a handicraft.

Emmanuel Fourny now uses about 80% Mytik, only his English customers say no, because they don’t like the look of the new cork. On the other hand, His Australian buyers refuse to purchase un- less it has a Mytik cork. Melanie Tarlant of Champagne Tarlant thinks the taste of the champagne is im- proved by Mytik. “When we first started using Mytik we tested the bottles regu- larly, already after a six month period, we noticed the difference. The champagne was elegant and fresher “. Frédéric Bouchè head at the famous L´Assiette Champenouse in hasn’t experienced a single case of corking with Mytik. He thinks that the >ff[e\nj cork is easily accepted by his guests when he explains to them why. ]fiZfeef`jj\lij Yannick Collet believes that Mytik will @k`jk`d\]fik_\e\okJ\c\Zk\[N`e\Xe[Jg`i`kj8lZk`fe% prove itself to be extra good for a spe- cial Champagne, namely the Rosén. This 8lZk`fe champagne, he says is more sensitive to K_\XlZk`fekXb\jgcXZ\feAle\('#Xk)gdXkJkfZb$ corking than other . Rosé _fcdj8lbk`fejm\ib#EpYif^XkXe*)#JkfZb_fcd%Pfl Champagne isn’t easier to produce, it ZXeY`[`ek_\jXc\iffdj`eJkfZb_fcd#>fk_\eYli^fi develops unpredictably so it is an advan- DXcd#gi\j\ekXni`kk\eY`[#gXik`Z`gXk\Ypk\c\g_fe\ tage to have a cork that is even and stable fife$c`e\XkXlbk`fejm\ib\k%j\% without any risk for corking. Gi\m`\n There is an alternative cork to 8ccfYa\ZkjXi\fem`\n`e=i`_Xde\e#DX^Xj`e,# still wines called Diam. JkfZb_fcdfeAle\0#Y\kn\\e*Xe[.gd%=fiXgi`mXk\ But at the present time it hasn’t had m`\n`e^gc\Xj\ZfekXZkJkfZb_fcdj8lbk`fejm\ib# the same amount of success as the My- k\c\g_fe\"+-/+,*-.(,%Pfln`ccÓe[XccfYa\ZkjXk Xlbk`fejm\ib\k%j\Xjn\ccXj`ek_\gi`ek\[ZXkXcf^l\% tik. Probably because of its appearance which differs even more from the tradi- I\X[dfi\XYflkk_\XlZk`feXk tional natural cork. Xlbk`fejm\ib\k%j\Xe[jpjk\dYfcX^\k%j\ There are in fact a lot of competing seal- ing methods for still wines around.

In 2006 320 million corks were sold, of which 12 million were Mytik. In the 2007, this figure was doubled.

24 INTERNATIONAL

”Mer än prisvärt!” Allt om mat, sept 2007

”Fynd!” Dina Viner

Lutter & Wegner Sekt 12% vol Art nr 7601 75 cl 69 kr

Var det Martin Lutters släkting som vid Gendarmenmarkt i hjärtat Richard Wagner, Josephine Baker, Marlene Dietrich, Tillerflickorna, av Berlin skapade en Sekt? På restaurangen Lutter & Wegner myn- Claire Waldorf m.fl. har varit stamgäster genom åren. Nu efter tades namnet sekt för tyska mousserande viner redan 1825. Genom murens fall har Lutter & Wegner åter blivit stället som gäller i Berlin. åren har restaurangen varit den heta mötesplatsen för gourmeter Här i Sverige kan vi glädjas åt att uppleva en smula av Lutter & och gourmander, artister och intellektuella. Carl Maria von Weber, Wegner genom deras lovordade sekt som nu finns på Systembolaget.

Apricot Tel 08-663 10 80 Fax 08-662 90 51 [email protected] www.apricot.se

Alkohol är beroende- framkallande.

25 INTERNATIONAL One Man and His Dreams The warm sun was making its way down to the horizon as Spain welcomed about 50 wine journalists from all over the world to the grand gala opening g of Miguel Torres new La Bodega Waltraud. It was a black tie affair.

The Bodega Waltraud is situated Estudio BC. The demands upon within the Paca del Penedés Wi- the structure were that it should nery. The new main building, as contain the soul and the feeling of the name suggests room for the all of these wines. production and storing of Torres Single Vineyard Wines. From the The Bodega consists of three storeys D.O. or appellation del Penedés and cost about 12 million Euros to and Caca de Barbéra: Fransola, build. Down at the bottom, there Milmanda, Mas Borrás, Mas la is three underground parts with a Plana, Grans Muralles and Reserva capacity for storing 3000 casks. Real. The house which has already The middle floor is rather monastic been awarded the epithet with pillared walkways all the way Wine Cathederal is designed by around. It is from here that the Tor- the architect Susans Zanón under res Single Vineyard Wines are sent the direction of Javier Barba, from >>>

26 INTERNATIONAL

out. But it is a place for relaxation completed a circuit with the train, and reflection based upon the clas- suddenly television screens were sic medieval tradition. It was here revealed. Then the curtain goes that the evening´s opening wine up on the wellplanned wine cell- was served. Marimar Estate Acero ar, with casks standing in orderly Chardonnay 2006, in conjunction rows. Very elegant indeed. with a string quartet. The fountain which is centrally placed is made middle of an illuminated pool. The evening continued in very from transparent glass and was illu- much the same style with a well minated. It is to symbolize life and The whole of the Walrus Cellar is thought out menu. (The entire the flow of time, bringing the two built according to the bio-climate menu was constructed from non together in a beam of light, wherein architecture principal. This guaran- threatened animal species) a union is created between the inner tees the minimum amount of en- Completely in accord with the spi- and outer elements. Well that´s the ergy is employed to allow Torres’s rit of Miguel Torres’s intentions. thinking behind it anyway. wine to age in style. No less than Everything was of the very best in- 2592 solar panels are installed on ternational class. Amongst the va- Naturally enough it was Miguel the roof and they generate 860 riety of wines that were served was Torres who was the mastermind 000kWh per annum. The whole Fransola 2006, Milmanda 2006, behind this masterpiece. It is com- building is energy selfsufficient. Mas Borras 2006, Mas La Plana pletely in line with His own view of After we had by way of inaugura- 1997 as well as Vendemia Tardia. life and the things that happen on tion experienced the wine muse- the long journey. Particularly nowa- um at close quarters and went for After a short speech by Miguel days that we are careful we preserve a ride on the “wine train”, which Torres where he revealed his in- and not destroy the soil upon which chugged round the vineyard, the tention of eventually going into we live and depend on. production plant and finally took retirement, the evening ended us on a tour underground, where with Spanish music and Flamenco On the upper floor there is the nobody was surprised by the holo- dance well into the night. In truth tasting room, revamped into a di- grams telling about times gone by an inauguration that will go down ning room for tonight’s festivities. in narration and pictures jumped into the annals of history. Outside we see a sculpture in the out of the walls at us. After we had

27 INTERNATIONAL The Trendiest in The Wine World Right Now! -Wines from New York State

Exciting things are happening in the City that never sleeps. Everybody knows that. But now fantastic things are happening in New York State. Here we find a number of old and new wine producers that really do listen to what their customers are saying. The oldest is from the days I

Very few people know that it was Manhattan that started to pro- duce grapes for wine production around 1650. It was the Dutch that brought the vines with them from Europe. Those vines actually didn’t survive but other places in New York State managed to get into production.

The main region for wine pro- duction today is Long Island, the Hudson River, Finger Lake, Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment.

Long Island is the latest wine re- gion. The soil is sandy and the cli- mate is moderate. They are mostly known for their classic reds, Bor- deaux blends (which incidentally are called Meritage blends in Ame- rica) They mostly grow Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gewuerztra- miner and . The Hudson River is the oldest wine region. French-American. They mainly grow European varia- tions and white French-American grapes in the Shawagunk Moun- tains. >>> 28 INTERNATIONAL

Finger Lake is famous for its spark- ling wines, Reuiling, Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. There are also a number of French -American variations.

Lake Erie is the biggest produ- cer of wine in the United States apart from California with its 20 000 acres. The mostly grow classic French-American types and classic European.

The Niagara Escarpment is known for its complex powerful nature. Even here French-American grapes are grown and a number of new European clones are on their way in.

The new Yorkers are well known for their sensitivity to trends. They Millbrook 2005 from the Hudson like to talk with a European accent Valley. (22.99 USD) and love to try new wines with Light, vibrant taste of cherries and their food. red fruits, a touch of vanilla, ac- The latest watering hole is called companied by a mature tannin. A the Wine Bar, it’s been around for lot of Europe. a year and is situated on the corner of 482 Broome Street and 2492 Laurel Lake 2004 (25.99 USD) Broadway in Soho. Here both good From Lake reserve on Long Island. food and good wine can be tasted. Complex taste of plums, and black Before that it used to be only wine berries. Scrumptious, very Europe. tasting for about 10 years. There are more than 800 wines here to try. Warm Lake 2006 from the Niagara To get a somewhat special impres- Escarpment (44.99 USD) A lot of sion of wines produced in New taste, tight with a heavy after taste, York State we tried out Pinot Noir The tannins dance in the mouth. from 5 different producers. So what’s up in the Big Apple? Yo! have snapped up the European First there was New York’s wine enthusiasts have the Atwater 2006 tones in the wines. Light and ele- started to select the locally produ- from Finger Lakes (17.99 USD) gant. a classic Pinot Noir region. Light ced wines instead of heading out west at every culinary opportu- tannin, soft and elegant and with The style is European and is com- nity. a light fruitiness. It tastes like a bit pletely at home in the city that of Europe. never sleeps. Unfortunately, none What’s the secret with these wines of the wines that we tried here are Ravines from Finger Lake. from New York State? (24.99 available in Sweden at the present Well the French winemakers have USD) Moderate acidity, soft tan- time. nin, a long and somewhat spicy af- worked wonders here in recent ye- ter taste. It too tastes European. ars and naturally the New Yorkers

29 INTERNATIONAL

30 INTERNATIONAL A few questions upon the Consumers role in the development of the certification of a sustainable Wine production

We tossed a few questions to Anna Rosenberg, buyer for The SystemBolaget (Swedish sta- te owned off-licensed retail outlets) and who is engaged in certification all over the world.

-Recently we have noticed in- insecticides or synthetic fertilizers -Do you think there will be a creased enquiries about ecologi- demand for ecological wines in cal wine at the off licenses. As a have been used during the culti- Europe come the year 2010? customer, how do we find the right vation process. The advantages are Yes I think so. Except that there assortment? obvious: lower energy costs, in- are a lot of people thinking that In our shops creased biological variety. ecological cultivated wines include we have cho- emissions, when in actual fact it is sen to mark -Who is pushing for these certifica- tes within the EU? tightly limited to the actual culti- the shelves vation. There is however scope for that contain I don’t actually know, If somebo- a complete certification concept. the ecologi- dy out there does know, I would There is a lot of activity within the cally produced be grateful if he or she would get EU at the moment concerning the wines with a in contact with me. As long as the certification of ecological cultiva- green square as certificates don’t exists, then it’s tion. But you must remember that well as a green ring in the catalogue actually constant improvement these things take 3 years to push and the which is the order of the day. through. “what’s new” lists. At the present Which of course is all good for us consumers. time there is no universal symbol -How are we going to get the pu- blic to understand which wines are within the EU that is used on the -On the question of certificates for certified in the future? labels sustainable wine growing, what of the bottles. will Europe be like in the year The ecological wines are discernible Something that 2010? by labels on our shelves. That’s California, New By then California will in all pro- what we’re doing today. Tomorrow Zealand and bability have created a certification I hope that we can do much more. Australia have in system. The question is if we in common is that Europe will have become Global are all working with sustainable enough. I’m sure that New Zea- wine production. Though at the land and Australia will be along for present time there is no verified the certification ride however. The sustainable wine growing. growers will adopt it locally. The Ecologically cultivated wines me- universal implementation on the ans that no additional chemicals or other hand is difficult.

Make your voice heard

www.finewine.nu 31 INTERNATIONAL Wine Adventures in Argentina by Christopher Jarnvall Editor and Publisher of the news letter Alcohol Update.

From the eastern slopes of the Andes to the wine cellars of Buenos Aires. After finishing a hunting trip on the borders of Uruguay in good company, together with an old buddy of mine, I had a wine experience during a couple of days in Argentina’s fantastic capital city. We had been 400 kiss upstream hunting pigeons and wild goats. I hadn’t come to taste wines.

However one cannot leave such a fine wine land without botanizing through their finer assortment.

Finca Los Nobles, (Chardonnay) 2003 from Luigi Bosca, from the Mendoza district was brilliant to- gether with the fish and crusta- tions. This was imparted to us by our sommelier in one of the city’s better restaurants- the “La Bour- gogne” one flight of steps down in elegant Alvear Palace Hotel. Natu- rally he was right! been converted into apartments What do you drink to a first class, and restaurants. peppery Argentine steak, I won- At “Marcelo’s” they served Italian dered? Yes, It’s a bit difficult with food with lots of fish and crusta- because of the savory spices. The tions. To this we drank Angelica Za- wines go well with a whole pata (Chardonnay) 2003, another range of dishes. A Malbec 2005 heavenly revelation from Mendoza’s from the Marchiori Vineyard was slopes. It goes equally well with fish the absolute best that out somme- as it does with Paella and crustations. The Swedes expect that all South lier could recommend for us. Right She really was an Angel! American wines shouldn’t cost again, of course! more than 60-70 crowns. Just like I wonder what the wines would it used to be in the old eastern Eu- have cost in a Swedish restaurant - I haven’t been able to find any of rope. This means that we miss a lot if they were available there?- Well these wines at the SystemBolaget of good stuff fromA rgentina, Chi- I shudder to think - down here we (Swedish state owned off-license), le or for that matter Hungary and were paying a couple of hundred either in the ordinary lists or the Bulgaria- which as far as I under- crown notes per bottle. specially ordered selection. stand are the same full class as the The next day we ate lunch in the There is always a risk that they will decidedly more expensive drinks old harbor. Puerto Madero, where be too expensive for Sweden, un- from the well known wine districts the old waterfront warehouses have fortunately. It would appear that in Western Europe and the USA. 32 INTERNATIONAL Creating Perfection

On the approach road to the City of Reims there lies an historical monument. It consists of excavated wine cellars, burrowed out of the living rock. It is here cham- pagne is made. Not just any old champagne, we are talking about Ruinart.

Ruinart took possession of these tence that only comes with years Champagne Ruinart is born. old cellars in 1931. Here the wine of experience. The filtered wine is could mature in peace and quiet. It bottles and “liqueur de tirage” is Apart from the location, the cell- is the factor that contributes partly added. This is a special mixture of ars dug out of the chalk, and the to the character of Champagne Ru- yeast and sugar that initiates the special manual care that is lavished inart. The depth of the cellars play fermentation process. This is follo- on the production, there is ho- a part as well, providing the cor- wed by the maturing process for a wever still a demand for a careful rect humidity and a constant low duration of between 3 and 12 ye- balance between a calculated bold- temperature which gives in turn ars, depending upon the vintage. ness and quality control. The Ru- the particular effervescence, that inart winemakers possess special results in its distinctive quality. After 6 weeks have passed then the craftsmen like tradition where still bottles are rotated at regular inter- wine is transformed into an excep- But first of all the selected grapes vals. The reason for this is collect tional Champagne. Throughout have to ferment separately, then the sediment of the wine under- the centuries, those responsible for are carefully blended together with neath the cork. When the wine is Ruinart have had only one goal great precision. The Ruinart wine- later disgorged these substances with their champagne. To create makers possess a special compe- are removed and a new bottle of consummate perfection. 33 INTERNATIONAL Grans Muralles Fine Wine Winner 2008 Text: Johan Franco Cereceda

In the last edition of Fine Wine Grans Muralles 2001 was voted Fine Wine of the year and Producer Miguel Torres to Fine Wine producer of the year. The Award in veri- tably well earned, but what kind of wine is it and where does it come from. Fine Wine flew down to Barcelona to find out.

Grans Muralles is actually just one Miguel Torres, who put Spain on treasure trove that will go a long of the flagships that sail under the the Swedish wine map more than way , just like the Torres Family flag of the company anybody else. We are little bit to have done with their great Grans Miguel Torres. This famous produ- the lies south of Barcelona, in a Muralles wine. cer is name behind such classics as district called Cona de Barberá, Mas la Plana, Reserva Real and a which measures about 6000 hecta- whole cadre of other exciting wi- res. Here lies Torres´s Finca, Mil- nes, reds as well as white. His latest manda where the vineyard’s white project in the Priorat has already Milmanda wine is produced from generated yards of coverage in the the Chardonnay grape as well as international wine journals. the red Grans Muralles. The name But in the Grans Muralles we dis- comes from the great walls that cover more than just a delectable li- partially surround the vineyard quid. Here we find an investment, and from where they pick the gra- partly in grapes that have always pes. These are not just any old gra- found grace and favor amongst pes. The wine is put together with the wine critics and local grapes a blend of five grapes. Garnacha, that are so unique that they were Monastrell and Carinena all of ancient history in the Catalonian them indigenous as well as the very region were they were grown for unusual Samsó and Garrot which many decades. are unique to Catalonia say Miguel Torres. Well then Grans Muralles is more than just a wine. That is a signifi- It perhaps herein that the wines cant expression for what the family and maybe even the whole wine of Miguel Torres wants. The wine company’s greatness lies. To con- itself is quite distinctively different centrate on the unique and not from many of our other top wines, least the regional distinction. wine from an individual vineyard, a Outside of their head office in Vila- “Finca” . “We take the grapes from franca del Penedés we find another 30 different Vineyards.I n this way example of how far one can go i9n The Grans Muralles Wine is stored we can assure the high quality of experimenting with unique grapes. for 18 months in French casks cal- the wine year after year,” say Mi- There are more than 40 different led Troncais before they are ready for the sale. On average 12000 guel Torres jr, son of the legendary local grapes planted here. A grape bot tles are produced. 34 INTERNATIONAL

Success For The Newly Opened Wine Bar In Stockholm`S Wine Belt

A new wine bar opened in March in Östermalm`s Torg in Stockholm. The Primewine Bar. They have about 90 wines by the glass, and 600 on the wine list. With this the Primewine Bar will be offering Sweden’s broadest assortment of wines.

The dream of owning a wine bar The combined knowledge of the colleagues lends a certain weight has been for the Primewine Bar’s PrimeWine and Mondo Wine of expertise and one of the Trades quartet of owners, around for some broadest contact network with the time. Peter Stern, Filip Grufman world’s producers of wine. “Now and Henrik Björk who together we quite simply settle down and are the founders and owners of the enjoy their wines together with import firm PrimeWine and Fred- a bite to eat in pleasant surroun- rik Bengtson who owns Mondo dings. Says Peter Stern one of the Wine together with the others. initiative takers in this grape in- vestment. >>> 35 INTERNATIONAL

Already PrimeWine has been gra- our product as fresh as is humanly We won’t know that for a couple of ced by the presence of many per- possible. years“, Antoine concludes. sonalities. In “What is so special about cham- April Antoine pagne?” - “Region, soil, and cli- The PrimeWine Bar is open bet- Billcart-Sal- mate is the be all and end all! ween 17.00 and 23.00, Friday bet- mon was vi- - Does it have any importance that ween 15.00-00.00 and Saturday siting Stock- 30 new producers have received between 13.00-00.00. Other days holm. Over a permission to call their products and times the bar will be used for glass of excel- Champagne? private tasting, dinners and custo- lent champag- “It’s good for the economy, but mer events. ne, he told us what about the quality? about his main market and who were his biggest customers. It turns out that France buys 30% of the approximately 2 million bottles that are produ- ced every year. Great Britain is in second place and the USA third. Surprisingly enough Australia is in fourth place and Italy in fifth. On the Swedish market the brand is mainly on the special orders and restaurant list, but sales are in- creasing steadily. What is Billcart- Salmon`s secret? - To chill the juice is an idea my grandfather had back In the 50`s. before that he was in brewing. In this way we can keep

Facts: . name: PrimeWine Bar . Public wine bar that also offers tastings as well as sales of a small selection of olive oil, vinegar and hand thrown wine glasses. . Address: Östermalms Torg 5b . Assortment: The whole of the PrimeWine and Mondo Wines`s assortment with almost 600 different wines of which approximately 90 are available by the glass and supplementa- tion by colleagues in the trade. . chairman of the grape, Andreas Carlsson, who has a pedigree as a Chef and Sommelier from the restaurant Gondola . Architect: Thomas Sandell

Make your voice heard

www.finewine.nu 36 INTERNATIONAL “With very old Champagne you take your chances” by Peter Thustrup

With very old champagne, you take your chances. It all depends on RD! (That is to say reccement desgorge , or as the English say, disgorged. Which means recently re-corked, and that until recently it has been stored in the bottle together with its sediment. Or on the other hand the sediment was removed back in the 60´s. A bottle which has been bottled in 60´s has matured appreciably more and probably has very little effervescence left. A RD is much fresher because it has matured along with its remains. 4105 4109 4133 Château dZYquem 1949 Château Suduiraut 1967 Bâtard-Montrachet 1993 Sauternes, 1er Cru Supérieur Sauternes, 1er Cru Classé Etienne Sauzet, Côte de Beaune, Stored in private cellar Stored in private cellar Grand Cru u. ts, slightly stained label u. ts Stored in private cellar 1 hf.bt Stained label 6 bts 2.000 - 2.500 Slip label: A. Delor, Bordeaux 8.400 - 9.600 EUR 210 - 270 1 bt EUR 900 - 1.030 An unbelievable wine, I think that 2.000 - 3.000 An acerbic vintage from , good, Yquem should be at least 40 years EUR 210 - 320 but not especially complex when old before it is enjoyed in the glass. A big vintage for Sauternes and the I tried it last 2003.It has probably The sweetness has faded and the Suduiraut is no exception. Either gone on to develop even more. wine has developed a number of to be saved or drunk. interesting aromas that conceal the 4135 sweetness. Nuts, honey and son 4132 Le Montrachet 1996 on. Le Montrachet Marquis de Lagui- Etienne Sauzet, Côte de Beaune, che 1988 Grand Cru 4107 Joseph Drouhin, Côte de Beaune, Stored in private cellar Château dZYquem 1962 Grand Cru 5 bts Sauternes, 1er Cru Supérieur Stored in private cellar 12.500 - 15.000 Stored in private cellar 2 bts EUR 1.350 - 1.600 u. 2vts, 1ts 2.400 - 2.800 It´s a little like the 1993, but with One dark coloured EUR 260 - 300 a better balance. A concentrated fi- 7 bt I drunk this many years ago 1n nesse and a divine acidity. 9.800 - 12.600 1995 and the wine was at its best EUR 1.050 - 1.400 then. A good wine but not any 4144 The dark color doesn’t necessarily longer. However with the intensive Le Montrachet 1998 mean that the bottle is bad. Yuen is acidity in the wine, that is to found DRC, Côte de Beaune, Grand Cru very robust and can stand the sha- in many of the white 88´s from Stored at Vinkällaren Grappe, dowy color, which denotes age and Bourgogne , maybe it has kept and Stockholm oxidization. It might be brilliant, developed even more. 2 bts better even than the other two. 10.000 - 12.000 EUR 1.070 - 1.300 37 INTERNATIONAL

Young, concentrated and complex. the Chateàu bottling which was 6.000 - 7.000 Needs time in the glass, perhaps fine, earthy and black berry, on its EUR 640 – 750 even the following day. way down but very enjoyable. A reasonable vintage, very enjoya- ble the 2 times that I´ve tried it. 4147 4178 Meursault - Perrières 1998 Château Mouton Rothschild 1928 But the risk is a little greater than the Latour 29 because the wine is Comtes Lafon, Côte de Beaune, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé more delicate. Premier Cru Stored in private cellar To be completely agreeable it Stored at Vinkällaren Grappe, u. hs would have needed to have been Stockholm Bin soiled label stored perfectly. Because the stan- 6 bts Slip label: Joh. Fr. Schalburg, Kø- dard is so “high shoulder”, then 4.200 - 4.800 benhavn the danger is relatively great. EUR 450 - 510 Danish tax label 1 bt Still my favorite wine from Lafons, 4183 1998, pedigree, well defined fruiti- 10.000 - 12.000 Château Pontet-Canet 1947 ness, a trifle smoky of oak cask, will EUR 1.070 - 1.300 Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé keep at least another 5 years. One of the classic vintages from the Stored in private cellar of late artist beginning of the last century. I’ve tri- Povel Ramel 4152 ed 4 times, the last being 1995. The Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne u. 2hs 2002 wine had kept remarkably well even Bottled by Cruse & Fils Frères, Etienne Sauzet, Côte de Beaune, today it is very enjoyable. Bordeaux Premier Cru But of course it is still a very old wine. 2 bts Stored in private cellar 4179 2.800 - 3.200 Two slightly stained labels Château Latour 1929 EUR 300 – 340 12 bts Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé 1947 is a fantastic vintage and Pon- 4.800 - 6.000 Stored in private cellar u. us ter-Canet made better wine then EUR 510 - 640 Slip label: J. Lebègue & Cie, Mar- than they do now. So it might be a A wonderful vintage that Gerard gaux fantastic experience, though much Boudot has managed to 1 bt of it depends upon the storage. Produce, wonderful, a little plump 12.000 - 14.000 4186 and concentrated . Wine with a fine EUR 1.300 - 1.500 Château Latour 1949 This is one of my top 5 wine expe- balance and energy: La Gerenne is Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé riences of my entire life. situated high up on the hill and Stored in private cellar I´ve drunk it 3 times, the last was often gives us,l like this one refined u. us some time ago 1986. and quite complex wines. Slip label: Cruse & Fils Frères, But then it had to be decanted in 4165 Bordeaux spite of its great age.Fantastic fi- Château Cos dZEstournel 1959 1 mag nesse, concentration, the balance, St-Estèphe, 2ème Cru Classé 20.000 - 25.000 complex, in fact everything you Bottled by V&S, Stockholm EUR 2.150 - 2.700 would wish for in a wine. Stored in private cellar The magnum flagons are always u. in 4181 safer 75cls. Because the volume 1 bt Château Mouton Rothschild 1934 is greater they can stand the va- 1.600 - 1.800 Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé riations in temperature in another EUR 170 - 190 Stored in private cellar of late artist way. Personally I have never en- A fantastic opportunity to sample Povel Ramel countered a bad magnum. 1949 an old vintage from Cos. u. hs is the last of the great 45 47 49 It is interesting and unique that Slip label: Flouch Fils Aîné, Bor- vintages. If you can afford to buy Vin & Sprit bottled it. It has often deaux one then I´m sure you will not be been good and in perfect condi- Bin soiled and stained label disappointed. tion for a reasonable cost. I tried 1 bt 38 INTERNATIONAL

www.arvidnordquist.se ”SVERIGES MEST PRISVÄRDA RÖDVIN 80-99:-" VINORDIC WINE CHALLENGE 2008

“BÄSTA KÖP!” Allt om Vin

Café Culture är ett helt unikt vin från Sydafrika. Det har en extremt kraftfull doft som domineras av riktigt mörkrostat kaffe och choklad, mycket fyllig men samtidigt mjuk smak – det påminner inte om något annat vin du smakat! Perfekt till sommarens grillmiddagar CAFÉ CULTURE Alk. 14,5 % Art.nr 2369 Pris 89 kr

Ingår i Systembolagets ordinarie sortiment men finns ännu inte i alla butiker. Saknas det i din tar de gärna hem det åt dig, oftast redan till nästa dag.

Alkohol är beroendeframkallande.

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