1. nv Killawarra Shiraz/Cab S. SE Aus. 59 SEK.
Medium red. Young, very fruity, unpolished smell. Medium full, high acidity, some tannins, soft, fruity taste. Rather short aftertaste. (11p)

2. 1998 Lindemans Bin 45 Cab S. S Aus. 79 SEK.
Dark red. Quite a big, fruity nose with butterscotch, some oak and slightly minty. Fullish, warm fruity taste with good acidity and tannins. (13p)

3. 1996 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cab S. S. Aus. 89 SEK.
Dark red. Open, warm, fruity bouquet with cassis and oak. Full, creamy, fruity taste, dark berries and oak. Pleasant aftertaste, slightly bitter (14p)

4. 1998 Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Bin 35. SE Aus. 69 SEK
Dark red. Medium big, fruity nose with black currant, oak and butterscotch. Full, fruity taste, lots of black currant, soft spicy aftertaste. Good value! (14p)

5. 1996 Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz. S Aus. 129 SEK
Dark red, lots of pigment. Rich, fine, pure fruity bouquet with toasted oak. Full, quite tannic, full bodied taste, sweet fruit: prunes and cassis. Long aftertaste (15p)

Comments: Nice line-up of pleasant, very drinkable wines. Very typical Australian, with plenty of soft, warm fruit and oak.

1. 1978 Chateau l'Aroc (Sauternes) 70 SEK (Mainly Semillon grapes)
Light yellow, medium sweet, a bit flat and a character of maize (?), probably over the hill. (13p)

2. 1995 Chateau du Juge (Cadillac) 108 SEK
Medium yellow, medium sweet, botrytis character, very nice and well balanced, good after taste. Very good value, available now at Systembolaget. (14p)

3. 1993 Noble One (de Bortoli) (New South Wales, AUS) 159 SEK (375 ml)
Very rich, complex and a bit burned flavour. Sweet full, complex, very long taste. Excellent wine. (16p) (Considered the best wine by the majority)

4. 1990 Chateau Rolland (Sauternes) 135 SEK
Strong flavour with sweetness. Good, long, sweet taste with botrytis character. A bit burned aftertaste. Very nice. (16p)

5. 1997 Chateau Pierre-Bise (Coteaux du Layon) (Loire) 171 SEK 500 ml (mainly Chenin Blanc)
Smell of sweet apples. Very heavy sweetness, the aftertaste long and very sweet, a bit onedimensional as a whole. (15p)

Comments: Tasting notes by Erling V. Jirle and points by Lars Jonsson

1. 1998 Sant Valenti. (Garnacha-Carigena)59 SEK
Dark medium red, purple rim. Young , raw spicy fruit on the nose. Medium full, young, fruity taste, blackthorn, good acidity, quite tannic (12p).

2. 1994 Gran Coronas Mas La Plana. (Cab S) 189 SEK
Dark red, fine red rim. Well developed, quite a big bouquet with cassis and some oak. Full, rich fruit, good acidity and quite tannic. Fine, spicy fruit, still quit young. A very pleasant drink, but lacks focus and concentration one should expect for a wine with this price tag (15p)

3. 1997 Coronas (Tempranillo) 69 SEK
Dark red. Quite a well developed, fruity nose with butterscotch and oak. Full, soft fruit, balancing acidity and tannins. Pleasant fruity aftertaste. (14p)

4. 1996 Gran Sangre de Toro. 73 SEK.
Dark red. A bit closed but started to develop some pruny fruit and chocolate. Full taste, a bit closed, but some nice fruit and good, balancing acidity. (13p)

5. 1995 Gran Coronas. 92 SEK
Dark red. At first a bit closed nose, but developed some nice blackcurranty fruit. Full, tannic, rich acidity, young fruity, unpolished, fullbodied taste. (14p)

Comments: Torres once became famous for its Black Label-Mas La Plana. I can recall some magnificent bottles from the late 70ies and early 80ies. Then something happened (spelled g-r-e-e-d) and quality slipped drastically. There has been reports on a recent recovery, but there is still more to be done. Their more moderately priced wines are currently much better value. The majority of the group liked the ordinary Gran Coronas best!

1. 1985 Ch d'Issan. Margaux. 204 SEK in 1992
Dark red, brickred rim. Quite big, mature bouquet, some oak and cassis. Medium full, supple, aromatic taste and a pleasant aftertaste. Perfect to drink now. (15p)

1. 1986 Ch d'Issan. Margaux. 162 SEK in 1993
From western Ireland? Cork! No further comments.

1. 1990 Ch d'Issan. Margaux. 171 DKK in 1992 Deep red. Medium bouquet, maturing, spicy, blueberries as of a high content of Merlot. Full, slightly dry tannins, some sweet fruit. Medium aftertaste. Developed quite nicely in the glass. (15p)

4. 1990 Ch Pichon Longueville Comtesse de lalande. Margaux. 195 DKK in 1991
Deep red. Fine developed bouquet with cassis and toasted oak. Full, rich fruity taste, acidity and tannins in good balance. Medium aftertaste. Very attractive, but it is questionable whether it will develop further. (16p)

Comments: Again, the 1990 Pichon is not as bad as Mr Parker says (79p). While it is not as good as it perhaps could have been in this great vintage, it is definitely a good wine, and it was previously tasted on May 8, 1998 with similar notes and ratings. Is there bottle variation?

1. 1984 Moulin Touchais. 140 SEK in 1994.
Light amber. Mature, slightly burned bouquet with some oak. Quite sweet, good acidity, quite fruity, straightforward taste. (15p)

2. 1979 Moulin Touchais. 174 SEK.
Light amber. Rich, fruity complex bouquet with peaches, almondpaste. Full, sweet, crisp taste with prunes and arrack that developed well. (16p)

3. 1975 Moulin Touchais. 175 SEK
Golden amber. Rich, fruity bouquet, bananas. Sweet, crisp taste, fruit with some petrol. (15p)

4. 1959 Moulin Touchais. 350 SEK in 1991
Deep amber. Big bouquet, slightly burned, maderised with some ethyl acetate. Full, sweet taste, prunes, good acidity and long aftertaste. (15p)

5. 1987 Moulin Touchais. 158 SEK
Light amber. Fruity young nose, wool and old apples. Full, sweet crisp taste, wet wool, apples and peaches. (15p)

Comments:Interesting tasting. We have tasted very few sweet loire wines during all these years. I was the only one that liked the 1979 best, the rest of the gang preferred the 1975 and 1984.

1. 1990 Ch Pavie. St Emilion. 171 SEK (en primeur in 1991).
Very deep red, brick-red rim. Fine, well developed, complex bouquet, good fruit and some rich, toasted oak. Full, quite tannic, good acidity, fine long taste. Excellent balance. Good now but will keep.(16p+)

2. 1989 Fournas Bernadotte. Haut Médoc. 126 SEK in 1991.
Dark red, mature rim. Medium bouquet, rich spicy fruit, developed quite well in the glass. Full, velvety, sweet fruit. Pleasant aftertaste. (16p)

3. 1988 Ch Leoville Lascases. St Julien. 318 SEK
Deep red, A bit closed bouquet, cassis and oak. Full, tannic and plenty of fruit and oak, but did not open up. (15p+)

4. 1982 Ch Taillefer. Pomerol. Price? Medium red, brownish rim. Medium bouquet, mature, raisins and spices. Mature, soft, spicy taste, blueberries. A bit short aftertaste. (14p)

5. 1978 Ch Cheval Blanc. St Emilion. Price? Medium red, brickred rim. Quite a developed, rich bouquet with oak and fruit. Fullish, soft tannins, good acidity, elegant and a pleasant aftertaste. Not a heavyweight. (16p)

Comments: We had very diverging opinions about these wines and no wine was unanimously voted the best. This is perhaps not so strange since they all were of very high quality. Others have rated the Leoville much higher; Parker and Wine spectator 92. My scoring may be conservative, all the components were there but it did just not open up. Perhaps with some more time?

1. 1995 Condado de Haza. 95 SEK in 1997
Very dark red, browning rim. Fine, warm, fruity bouquet, dark berries, some oak. Full, supple, fruity, butterscotch, good acidity, soft tannins, some oak and a pleasant aftertaste. (15p)

2. 1995 Pesquera Tinto Crianza. 149 SEK in 1998.
Very dark red, red rim. Big, young, smoky, fruity nose. Full, powerful taste with a good bite, rich fruit: cassis and dark berries. Long aftertaste. Should develop further. (16p)

3. 1990 Pesquera Tinto Reserva 169 SEK in 1994
Dark red, orangetinged rim. Medium bouquet, slightly burned, coffee and oak. Full, elegant taste, well balanced, long aftertaste. Probably at its best now. (16p)

4. 1994 Pesquera Tinto Reserva "Janus" 335 SEK in 1998
Very dark red, dense red rim. Big, rich bouquet, cassis, eucalyptus. Full, intense complex taste, tannic yet elegant. Should develop further. (17p)

Comments: No one expected me to have a tasting of Ribera wines. One theme of the evening was: Did we learn something last time? The answer is: Some of us did, like Mr. Dahl!
I like Señor Fernandez' wines a lot. They are not cheap, but given the quality they are usually good value. Compare with the previous tasting! One of the wines was slightly controversial: Janus. Some noted an odd smell and rated it lower, but Lars Jonsson and I had similar ratings. The remains in the bottle had developed a fantastic bouquet by the morning after. It should have been decanted several hours in advance!

1. 1997 Ibernoble. 87 SEK
Deep red. Nice and fruity on the nose. Full, very high acidity, tart (acidified?), unbalanced. (11p)

2. 1998 Briego. 99 SEK
Dark red, purple rim. Creamy, fruity nose, slightly spicy and some mint. Full, quite tannic taste with plenty of fruit and oak. Lively acidity, oaky aftertaste (13p)

3. 1995 Emilio Moro Crianza. 149 SEK.
Dark red, maturing rim. Nice bouquet with cassis, leather and some oak. Full, well balanced acidity and tannins. Fruit and a good length. Good to drink now. (15p).

4. 1994 Torre Albeniz Reserva. 160 SEK.
Dark red, red rim. Young, fruity bouquet. Full, tannic, undeveloped, dumb. A bit short aftertaste. (14p)

5. 1995 Alion. 239 SEK.
Dark red, very dense. Rich fruity nose, cassis and oak. Full, rich, plenty of fruit, lovely balance. Very tasty, long aftertaste (16p).

Comments: They can make excellent wines i Ribera del Duero, but the quality is quite uneven as this selection shows. Prices has steadily been going up, and there are seldom any bargains to be found in this district.

1. 1995 Siflogo. (Local grapes). Levkas. c 50 SEK
Pale red. Unclear, boring colour. Yeasty smell, some fruit. Spritz, yeast, defect? Could be used as a base for sangria if cooled off. (6p)

2. 1997 Denaios. (Agioritiko). Nemea. c 100SEK
Dark medium red. Quite nice fruit on the nose, butterscotch. Medium full, a bit dull and flabby fruit, some spice. (10p)

3. 1995 Ch Lazaridis. (Grapes?) Drama. c. 110 SEK
Dark red, brickred rim. Pleasant, straightforward, fruity bouquet. Quite full taste, plenty of fruit but lacking in mid-taste. (12p)

4. 1994 Damaskenos, Vaeni. (Xinomavro) Naoussa. c 135 SEK
Dark medium red. Good fruity bouquet, dark berries and a good touch of oak. Fullish, tannic, good acidity, and rich fruity taste with oak. (15p)

5. 1996 Medanas, Koutsogiannis. (Xinomavro?). Kampos Mayrovouni. c. 180 SEK
Dark red. Big, undeveloped nose, lost of fruit, spicy, aniseed (ouzo!!), Full, plenty of sweet fruit, tannic, oaky. Long aftertaste. Developed well during the evening. (15p)

Comments: All wines were purchased in Greece during a holiday trip. They seem a bit overpriced, but at least wine 4 and 5 were very good.

1. 1995 Ch Kefraya. 140 SEK
Dark red, red rim. Fine, young, quite developed bouquet, pleasant fruit, some mintyness. Fullish, good fruit and nice length. Very agreeable. (15p)

2. 1994 Ch Kefraya. 140 SEK
Dark red, brick-red rim. Medium bouquet, fruit, vanilla, butterscotch. Medium full, nice, supple. (14p)

3. 1993 Ch Musar. 183 SEK
Dark red. Rich fruity bouquet, black currants and wood. High volatile acidity. Full, soft sweet fruit, aromatic, plenty of oak and a good aftertaste (15p)

4. 1988 Ch Musar 120 SEK some years ago
Dark medium red, brick-red rim. Quite a developed bouquet, toasted oak, prunes, mature. Full, soft maturing taste, good fruit, long aftertaste (16p)

Comments:They make good wines in Lebanon. It was not the first time we tasted Ch Musar. It is quite a characteristic wine, with a slightly oxidized tone. In some vintages, like the 1989, this gets problematic, but in other years it adds a nice, spicy flavour. There may be some bottle variation.

1. 1998 Biferno. Åkesson. 54 SEK.
Dark red, purple rim. Young , fruity, slightly burned nose, dark berries. Medium full, high acidity, some nice fruit, young. (12p)

2. 1998 Bengt Fritjofsson Collection Sangiovese (=Farnese ). 60 SEK.
Dark red, purple rim. Open, fruity nose with dark berries and some oak. Fullish, rich fruity taste, tannins and acidity in balance and a pleasant aftertaste (13p).

3. 1998 BFC Primitivo. 61 SEK
Dark medium red. Medium nose, slightly burned and some fruit. Young, almost raw fruit and high acidity. (11p)

4. 1997 Biferno Gold. Åkesson 65 SEK.
Dark red, red rim. Good, fruity nose with dark berries (cherries, blackberries etc). Fullish, well balanced, rich, fruity taste. A bit short aftertaste (13p)

Comments:They make good and inexpensive wine in Southern Italy these days. Some in the group rated the BFC Primitivo higher than I did.

1. 1989 Johannisberger Goldatzel. Wg Johannishof. 16 DEM.
Golden yellow. Fine, soft, fruity, slightly smoky bouquet with peaches. Semi-dry, crisp, fruity, fine taste with some complexity, but finishes a bit short. (14p)

2. 1983 Winkeler Jesuitengarten. Wg Johannishof. 13 DEM.
Medium yellow, greenish tinged. A bit restrained nose, some fruit, boiled broccoli. Medium sweet, crisp, some fruit. Past its best(12p)

3. 1989 Johannisberger Schwarzenstein. Wg Johannishof.
Golden yellow. Remarkable smell of mushrooms, or like putting your nose in the soil in a forest during autumn. Could be pleasant, but not as a drink. The cork was mouldy. Could have been a good wine though. No points.

4. 1989 Rauenthaler Gehrn. Staatwg Eltville. 16 DEM.
Medium yellow, greenish tinge. Rich, fruity bouquet with petrol, mineral, apricots and asparagus. Quite full, semi-sweet, crisp, rich flavoured taste. Good. Stylish.(15p).

5. 1990 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland. Staatwg Kloster Eberbach.
Golden yellow. Fin, fruity bouquet, mineral, petrol. Semi-dry, crisp, medium full, fruity taste and a long aftertaste. Stylish (15p).

1. 1982 Chateau Lagrange, St. Julien
Good and mature colour. A good earthy and mature nose with blueberries, black currants and horse stable. Fresh taste and still with some tannins. Medium long, typical Bordeaux with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a little bitterness in the finish. Drink now. (14 p)

2. 1982 Chateau de Clary, Lirac, Rhone
Light and slightly old colour. Thin, dried out, with very little fruit. A short taste with some spice and tobacco. Still fresh, but over the hill. Acceptable to drink with Pizza Marguerita at lunch a weekday. (10 p)

3. 1989 Chateau Lagrange, St. Julien
Dark, good, still rather young colour. Big and long, fruity, thick bouquet with complexity. Strong and fruity, plums with black currants and blackberries, chewy and long. A very fine Bordeaux at its best. Now-10 years. (16 p)

4. 1990 Domaine Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-de-Pape
Rather dark, mature rim. Chewy, California-like style, spicy and with some raw meat and grasses. Good structure, crispy and also with chocolate and mint. Unfortunately also with a hint of canned mushrooms. At its best? Now-5 years. (14 p)

1. 1993 Ch de Rochemorin. Pessac Leognan. 89 SEK in 1996.
Dark red, with a mature brickred rim. Lovely mature bouquet, with toasted oak, blackcurrants and violets. Full, supple, some tannins, well balanced, mature taste but a bit short on the finish. (15p)

2. 1990 Ch de Marbuzet. St Estephe. 149 SEK in 1996.
Dark red. Medium bouquet, mature. Quite full, good acidity, well balanced, blackcurrants and violets. (14p)

3. 1990 Ch Moulin Riche. St Julien. 155 SEK in 1995.
Dark red, lots of pigments. Big, open bouquet, powerful, mature with a certain cellar smell that annoyed some. Full, soft, fruity and plenty of extract. Good aftertaste. (15p+)

4.1990 Ch d'Angludet. Margaux. 175 SEK in 1993
Dark red. Medium bouquet, which opened up, slightly vegetal and some oak. Mediumfull, mature, butterscotch, a bit short (14p).

Comments: An unusual tasting by this groups standard as we were presented a list of 7 different wines of which 4 were in the tasting. Should we manage to find out which they were? Not all of them, but we didn't do too bad either. Good wines, but we were surprised how mature they seemed, and it's hard to see any further development.

1. 1982 Casillero del Diablo. Concha y Toro. Maipo, Chile
Dark red. Brick-red rim. Pleasant, fruity, mature bouquet with oak and some volatile acid. Medium full, quite elegant, mature blackcurranty fruit, toasted oak and good length (16p)

2. 1988 Casillero del Diablo. Concha y Toro. Maipo, Chile
Dark red. Fine fruity, lots of minty blackcurrants. Full, good acidity, cassis, slightly one-dimensional (15p)

3. 1989 Casillero del Diablo. Concha y Toro. Maipo, Chile
Dark red. Medium bouquet with good blueberry and blackcurrant fruit. Fullbodied, quite tannic and good fruit, good length (16p)

4. 1990 Casillero del Diablo. Concha y Toro. Maipo, Chile
Dark red. Medium bouquet, blackcurrants, mature with toasted oak. Full, fruity, quite tannic and good aftertaste (15p)

Comments:What should I say? We did not believe our eyes when Björn revealed the bottles. We have always regarded Chilean wines as pleasant, but a bit one-dimensional and hardly age-worthy. The first question was: Did Concha y Toro make better wines in the 1980ies? A fifth bottle appeared on the table: the 1998 (67 SEK). This was very typical, with rich, open blackcurranty fruit, but well structured. It would be interesting to keep a case in the cellar for about 10 years or so . We also got the 1997 Carmen Reserve Grand Vidure-Cabernet (99 SEK) with the cheeese. This is another very good wine, perhaps the best of the evening. Well structured with a good grip and should develop further with some age.
My numerical ratings may be a bit inflated, as it is sometimes a bit difficult to get into the right interval when the wines are so similar in style and quality. Still, the Cassilero del Diablo has a much better potential than expected.

1. 1985 Ch Batailley. Pauillac. 120 SEK in 1987.
Dark red, well pigmented brick-red rim. Fine, maturing bouquet with soft oak and butterscotch. Fullish, good fruit, soft, well balanced taste with some nice oak. Good aftertaste. Perfect to drink now. (15p).

2. 1985 Ch Le Fournas Bernadotte. Haut Médoc. 85 SEK in 1992.
Dark red, orange-brown rim. Medium bouquet, very mature, slightly minty, blueberries. Medium full, quite tannic and high acidity. Some fruit, finishes a bit short, still good but past its best. (13p)

3. 1985 Ch Fieuzal. Graves (Leognan). 147 SEK in 1989 (in Denmark)
Dark red, darkest of all. Fine, fruity, slightly smoky, rich bouquet which developed well in the glass. Full, tannic, plenty of fruit and a good length (16p)

4. 1985 Ch Rausan Segla. Margaux. 175 SEK in 1989 (in Denmark)
Dark red. Powerful, rich, deep, complex bouquet with oak. Full, perfect balance, aromatic, mouthfilling elegant taste and a long aftertaste. Not a blockbuster, but very harmonic. (17p).

5. 1985 Ch Dom de l'Eglise. Pomerol. 169 SEK in 1992.
Dark red, orange tinge. Raisinfruity, aromatic, spicy bouquet. Soft, round, fullish taste, some tannins, sweet fruit. (15p)

Comments: Bordeaux c'est toujours Bordeaux! Good to see that these 14 year old wines still are alive. Six votes for Rausan and one for Fieuzal. These two could probably keep fore several more years, while the others are perfect to drink now. Parker ratings of Batailley, Fieuzal and Rausan were 86, 86 and 85 respectively. These marks are in my opinion misleading. Rausan and Fieuzal are much better than this.

1. Bunnahabbain 12yrs.
Amber. Medium bouquet, quite oaky bouquet with fruit and some smoke. Soft, pure, straightforward taste with some oak.

2. 1979 Bruichladdish
Pale amber. Rich bouquet with oak and varnish. Quite full, oily, oaky, spicy taste.

3. 1988 Caol Ila
Pale amber. Rich, heavy, smoky, medicinal bouquet. Full, powerful, smoky, long taste

4. 1980 Port Ellen
Amber. Medium, smoky, fruity bouquet. Quite full, oaky, soft, oily and slightly sweet taste

5. 1975 Ardbeg
Fine, pure, malty, slightly medicinal nose. Full, spicy, rich taste with tar and slightly salt taste.

6. Bowmore 21yrs
Dark amber. Powerful, estery, fruity and smoky bouquet. Full, oaky, soft, round balanced taste.

7. Laphroaig 10yrs
Amber. Smoky, tarry, rich, slightly medicinal bouquet. Full, soft, round, fruity.

8. Lagavulin 16yrs
Orange-amber. Fruity, oaky smoke, classic. Full, rich, slightly sweet, tarry taste.

9. Bowmore 30yrs
Dark amber. Powerful, oaky fruit on the nose. Full, oily, very long taste, slightly bitter and tannic.

10. Dalwhinnie (from Oloroso casks)
Amber. Good, fruity, sweetish, slightly smoky with oak. Fine, medium full, pleasant taste.

11. Lagavulin (from Pedro Ximenez casks)
Reddish amber. Oaky, fruity, malty nose. A bit sweet taste, quite full.

Comments: KG Örndal arranged a new tasting for us at Grand Hotel. This time it was a comprehensive tasting of Islay whiskies and all distilleries were represented. It is very difficult to give a proper description; our vocabulary seems very limited. I did not score them numerically since I realise that that my experience in rating whiskies is too limited. They all displayed the characteristics of Islays (not the Dalwhinne of course). Best liked were Laphroaig and Lagavulin. Bowmore 30yrs was to oaky for my taste and the Lagavulin from PX tasted a bit to sweet. The Caol Ila is quite extreme, but probably lovely if you like the style. It is not so much about what good and bad, rather on what your personal preferences are.

1. 1997 Bengt Frithiofson Collection Malbec (=Flichman). 75 SEK
Dark red, dense purple rim. Soft, slightly burned fruit on the nose with some oak. Full, quite tannic, young, chewy fruit. (14p)

2. 1995 Trapiche Malbec Oak Cask. 79 SEK.
Dark red, red rim. Medium bouquet with jammy fruit and oak. Full, fruity, lots of oak. Good aftertaste. (14p)

3. 1996 Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon. 67 SEK.
Dark red, red rim. Young, fruity nose with oak. Soft, fullish, rich fruit and a pleasant aftertaste. (13p)

4. 1996 Trapiche Syrah. 95 SEK.
Dark red. Heavy, rich sweet fruit on the nose with raspberries and prunes. Full, soft, slightly sweet taste and short aftertaste. (12p)

5. 1995 Weinert Cabernet Sauvignon. 97 SEK.
Dark red. Big, fine bouquet with oak, blackcurrant and blackberries. Massive, young, rich taste with lots of tannins and fruit. Opened up nicely during the evening (15p)

Extra. 1997 Tacama Reserva Especial. Peru. 75 SEK Dark red. Boiled fruity nose. Full, tannins and acidity in order but a bit boiled fruit in taste as well. New country to us (10p)

Comments: My ratings on reflects the group's opinion well. They make excellent wines in Argentina, and the prices are still favourable too.

1. 1997 Kendall Jackson Pinot Noir. Vintners Reserve. 119 SEK
Medium red. Fine, young, fruity and oaky nose. Very typical PN with beetroot and raspberries. Full, sweet, aromatic fruit with good acidity. Good aftertaste (15p).

2. 1995 Beaune Premiere Cru. Drouhin. 149 SEK
Pale medium red. Medium nose with some young fruit. Lightish taste, some fresh fruit and surprisingly nice aftertaste. Not bad, but just too little of everything to justify its price (12p)

3. 1996 Serghesio Sangiovese. Alexander Valley. 155 SEK
Medium red. Quite a powerful, young, fruity nose with some oak. Full, high acidity and tannins. Lots of young fruit, and a long aftertaste. Should develop further. (15p+)

4. 1996 Beringer Zinfandel. 97 SEK
Ruby red. Big, fruity nose with plenty of toasted oak. Full, fruity taste, blackberries, blackcurrant, aromatic. Good aftertaste. (15p)

Comments: We agreed fairly well on the ratings. The burgundy was not exciting, but the difference in quality between the others was small. Most of us liked the sangiovese best, but the zinfandel was clearly the best buy. In my opinion, Kendall Jackson was best to drink today. I have sometimes on these pages expressed some doubts about some Californian blockbusters, but these were very good, well balanced and elegant wines.

1. 1997 Montagny Premiére Cru. Labourée-Roi. 98 SEK.
Medium yellow. Fine, medium, fruity nose. Medium full, crisp, pure fruit, nice balance. (13p)

2. 1997 Pouilly Fumé. Pascal Jolivet. 129 SEK.
Medium yellow, slight greenish tinge. Quite big, fruity bouquet, flowery, perfumed. Fullish, supple fruity taste, good acidity and a nice aftertaste. (14p)

3. 1996 Chablis ¨Vieille Vignes¨. Brocard. 139 SEK
Medium yellow. Medium bouquet, a bit closed at first. Sweet apples, prunes, almonds. Quite full, rich fruit, supple yet crisp and a long aftertaste (14p)

4. 1995 Ch de Rochemorin. Pessac-Leognan. Lurton. 119 SEK.
Pale yellow. Big bouquet with rich fruit and toasted oak. Full, crisp, rich fruit and plenty of oak in the aftertaste. (14p)

5. 1995 Riesling ¨Hugel¨. Alsace. 99 SEK.
Medium yellow with a golden tinge. Fruity nose with petroleum. Crisp, medium full, ripe fruitiness and good length. (14p)

Comments: This was a nice selection of wines, and the prices were very reasonable too. Most of us (6) liked the riesling best, but 2 preferred the Pouilly Fumé. The Chablis was also liked well, and as the evening progressed it became better and better and kept well in the glass. Perhaps it should deserve another point.

1. 1986 Ch Leoville Barton. St Julien. 155 SEK in 1992
Very dark red, only hints of brown in the rim. Big, developed rich bouquet with cassis, violets and oak. Full, lively acidity, tannic, rich taste with fruit and oak. Long aftertaste (17p)

2. 1983 Ch Leoville Poyferré. St Julien 197 SEK in 1992
Dark red, brownish rim. Quit a big bouquet, mature with stableyard, cassis and oak. Fullish, velvety tannins, aromatic and good length (16p)

3. 1983 Leoville Lascases. St Julien 258 SEK in 1993
Dark red. Undeveloped, fruity bouquet with butterscotch. Very tannic, a bit dumb and undeveloped, slightly bitter tannic aftertaste. Slightly disappointing(15p+)

4. 1983 Ch Margaux c 550 SEK in 1992
Dark red. Developed big bouquet, roasted coffee, complex, lovely. Full, quite tannic, fruity, complex, flavoursome, long aftertaste. Harmony! (18p)

5. 1986 Dominus. Napa Valley
Dark red. A bit closed, but plenty of cassis fruit and oak. Full, fruity, very tannic taste which does not open up. Powerful, but lacks elegance. Not easily identified as a Napa Valley wine. Might develop into a great wine (16p?).

Comments: Pretty nice wines. We agreed fairly well on these wines, though one voted for the Leoville Barton and one for the Dominus as the best. Personally, I thought the Margaux really stood out above the others. My rating may be too conservative, perhaps it should deserve 19 pts. We have tasted Margaux on a couple of times before. In 1991 and 1993 its qualities was evident, but on both occasions I found it very undeveloped. It has opened up beautifully now. By the way, my numerical ratings are very similar to those of Robert Parker: 92, 90, 90, 96 and 90 respectively. (Parkerp = Perssonp x 2.5+50). Please note that I made my scorings before the wines were revealed!

1. 1982 Ch Lagrange. St Julien.
Dark red, mature rim. Fine, mature bouquet, some fruit and oak, keeps well in glass. Medium full, soft, mature claret, some tannins, a bit feeble and and short aftertaste. The fine bouquet was not backed up by the taste (13p+)

2. 1983 Ch Batailley. Pauillac.
Medium dark red. Quite a big bouquet, mature with some oak which does not keep so well in the glass. Fullish, good acidity with tannins but past its best (13p)

3. 1988 Cantenac Brown. Margaux. Dark red. Thick, rich bouquet, not yet fully developed, fruit, coffee and tobacco aromas. Full, fruity, fullbodied, expanding well in the mouth, nice long aftertaste with smoke and tobacco. (15p).

4. 1989 Ch Batailley. Pauillac.
Dark red. Fine, rich bouquet, fruit and butterscotch which developed well in the glass. Full, soft, aromatic flavours, fine balance. (15p+)

5. 1990 Ch Mauvezin. St Emilion Grand Cru.
Dark ruby red. At first there was a foul smell which later disappeared. Ripe fruity aroma, chocolate. Medium full, quite tannic, high acidity , a bit rough edges. Could develop further (14p+)

Comments: We had diverging opinions about these wines, though most of us found the 1983 Batailley a bit tired and uninteresting. Some liked the Lagrange better than I did. Initially I casted my vote for the Cantenac Brown as the best, but as the evening proceeded the 1989 Batailley developed very nicely.

1. 1986 San Giorgio. Cabernet Sauvignon. VdT Umbria. Lungarotti. 120 SEK.
Dark red, brick-coloured rim. Medium bouquet, mature with some oak and black currants. Medium full, marked acidity, fruit and oak, some tannins. Well balanced, but not great. (13p)

2. 1993 Lytton Springs. Zinfandel. California. Ridge. 199 SEK
Dark red. Medium bouquet, dark berries and some oak. Quite full, sweet fruit and some mint, fine acidity and a taste that expanded well in the mouth, a bit woody aftertaste. Good, but a bit disappointing when the the pricetag was revealed. (14p)

3. 1994 Protos. Ribera del Duero. 73 SEK.
Dark red. Medium bouquet, spicy fruit, meaty, and some oak. Medium full, good fruit and oak. well made, straightforward wine (13p).

4. 1995 Cosme Palacio y Hermanos. Bod. Palacio. Rioja. 77 SEK.
Dark red, dense pigmented rim. Quite an big bouquet with young fruit, butter-scotch and oak. Full, rich, young fruit, some oak, well balanced. Should develop with some age. (14p)

5. 1996 Protos. Ribera del Duero. 73 SEK
Dark red. Strong smell of sulphur or gun-powder, which also destroyed the taste. Bad bottle?