Long John (blended) reference
Aberlour, 10 yrs, Speyside
Dalwhinnie, 15 yr, Highland
Lagavulin 16 yrs, Islay
Comments: Was not able to attend the tasting. Lagavulin is as always a popular treat to these guys. (I tasted on Dec 26th Lagavulin with Macallan 12yrs. Macallan has a very prononuced, lovely, oaky bouquet (cognac-styled) but maybe a slightly spirity taste. Easy to drink and understand. Lagavulin had a smokey, peaty bouquet and a long, soft, rounded, balanced taste. The inexperienced may find it too powerful, but is quite lovely)

1. 1994 Foral Reserva, Caves Aliança, Douro, Portugal. 40 SEK in Denmark.
Medium red. Fruity, quite big nose with some prunes and oak. Medium full, fruity, red currants, crisp, some tannins, young. Good and refreshing, nice price too. (13p).

2. 1993 Hacienda Monasterio. Ribera del Duero. 89 SEK.
Dark red. Fine, very fruity bouquet, some black currants and oak. Full, quite tannic but rich chewy fruit, long, almost sweet aftertaste. (15p)

3. 1990 Pesquera Gran Reserva Bod A. Fernandez. Ribera del Duero 399 SEK
Dark red. Medium bouquet, some fruit and oak. Quite full, tannic, a bit thin mid-taste but long aftertaste. Did not really open up, but may develop. A bit disappointing (14p).

4. 1990 Val Sotillo Reserva. Bod. I. Arroyo. Ribera del Duero 159 SEK.
Dark red. Medium bouquet, developing in glass. Quite full, tannic but plenty of fruit, coffee, good bite. Long aftertaste. (16p).

5. 1990 Torremilanos Reserva. Bod Penalba Lopez. Ribera del Duero. 100 SEK.
Dark red. Medium bouquet, warm raisiny. Quite full and tannic, a bit closed but well balanced. (14p)

Comments: I must admit that we had some problems identifying these wines. The spanish wines had a lot in common. Because of the tannins and oak we were thinking of Bordeaux , but the wines did not possess any of the typical black curranty Cabernet flavours. This is perhaps typical for the Tempranillo grape, good fruit, a bit neutral in taste, but in the right hands it has a potential for making a great wine (a red equivalent to Chardonnay?)

1. 1995 Cuvee Napoleon 1er. Bourgogne. Dufouleur P&F. 70 SEK
Bright medium red. Young, clean, fruity, raspberries on the nose. Medium full, some fruit, young, some tannins, crisp. Quite a short aftertaste, but well made. Should improve with some age. Nice to find a good generic Burgundy at a reasonable price. (12p)

2. 1995 Côte de Nuits -Village. Daniel Rion. 130 SEK.
Medium red, clear. Very oaky bouquet, but also good fruit. Medium full, good fruit, and oak. Good length, some tannins, slightly bitter. Aromatic. Should improve with some age. (14p)

3. 1990 Vosne Romanee. Mongeard-Mugneret. 171 SEK (june 1994)
Medium red, slightly brownish rim. Medium bouquet, developing, typical pinot-cabbage. Some oak. Fullish, almost sweet fruit, supple, maybe a little bit short aftertaste. Delicious, a bit open knit. Parker gave this 77pts only, which I think is about 10 to low. (15p).

4. 1993 Vosne Romanee. Mongeard-Mugneret. 190 SEK
Medium-dark red. Corked. Bad smell. What a pity! One palate it revealed a very well structured, fullish wine. Some of us believed that it could have been the best in show.

5. 1988 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru ¨Combe aux Moines¨. Philippe Leclerc. 200 SEK at Leclerc's in july 1991
Dark red. Heavy depôt. Medium, developing bouquet. Oaky, warm, raisiny, portlike, spicy bouquet. Complex. Full-bodied, prunes, oak, quite tannic and well balanced acids. Good length. Could improve further?(16p+)

Comments: Giving a tasting of burgundies for a bunch of Bordeaux addicts is a challenge. On this occasion only one really negative voice was heard. Of course, burgundies are never great bargains, but on this occasion the quality/price-ratio was acceptable to most of us.

1. 1996 Chianti. Ricasoli (67 SEK)
Medium red. Fruity, slightly burned on the nose. Medium full, crisp, quite short aftertaste (11p)

2. 1993 La Forra. Chianti Classico Reserva. Di Nozzole (100SEK)
Dark red, maturing rim. Fruity bouquet, some oak quite nice. Full, tannic, full bodied with nice acids and some aftertaste (13p)

3. 1993 Castello di Volpaia. Chianti Classico (90SEK)
Dark red. Not big on the nose, but some nice fruit and oak. Medium full, some tannins (13p)

4. 1991 Coltassala. Vino di Tavola. Castello di Volpaia (140 SEK).
Dark red, still red rim. Fine, fruity, black-berries and oak. Full, tannic, fruity taste. Good length. Goes well with food. (14p).

5. 1993 Solaia. VdT. Antinori (270 SEK))
Deep, dark red, pigmented in the rim. Very fruity, and plenty of well integrated oak on the nose. Full, fruit, black-berries, black currants and some mintyness, slightly bitter tannins. Also good with with food. (15p)
Comments: All but the first wine were purchased in Italy. I sometimes find Chiantis difficult to judge on tastings, but they often go very well with food. Solaia is a good wine, but slightly disappointing when the pricetag was presented. It keept well in the glass however, and should develop further. It may be going through a dumb phase.

313. Oct 10, 1997. Chardonnays from four continents (Håkan Ohlsson)

1. 1995 Longridge. Stellenbosch, South Africa. (114 SEK)
Golden. Very oaky, plenty of fruit. Full, fine acids, fruity. Quite tasty if you like oaky chardonnays (13p).

2. 1994 Collezione di Marche. Isola Olena (129 SEK)
Medium yellow, greenish tinged. At fitst a bit weak on the nose. Developing. Apples and some oak. Crisp, medium full, slightly bitter, fruit, arrack (swedish punsch), some sweetness. Not a typical Chardonnay (11p).

3. 1989 Ch Musar (129 SEK).
Deep yellow. Powerful, smoky, sulphur, wet wool, stearin. Medium full, flat, short aftertaste. Disappointing (9p).

4. 1994 J. Phelps. Los Carneros (173 SEK)
Medium yellow. Developing bouquet, tight fruit and some oak. Full, oak, nice fruity and a long aftertaste. Well balanced with nice integrated oak. (15p).

Tasting notes by Lars Jonsson. I was not able to attend this tasting because of illness, no doubt due to infrequent winetasting! All wines were purchased in a Portugese supermarket.

1. Alvarinho Branco, Palacio da Brejoeira (22 SEK)
Deep golden, some spritz. Corked. Some fruit, apples and vegetables. Dry, high acid. No points.

2. 1996 Alvarinho Adega Coop (25 SEK)
Light yellow, some spritz. Canned fruit salad, peaches, apricots, citrus, melon, tutti-frutti, slightly toasted on the nose. Good, very fresh, dry and quite a long fruity aftertaste. Voted best by all. (12p)

3. 1996 Ponte do Lima, Branco Adamado, Adega Coop (25 SEK)
Pale golden with spritz. Light fruity, pears. Good, fresh acids, fat structure, slightly bitter. Fruity, but short aftertaste. (11p)

4. Quinta da Aveleda, Branco seco, Agr. ecom. da Quinta da Aveleda (28 SEK)
Pale golden, spritz. Thin, sulfuric on the nose. Apples, canned peaches. Good fresh acid, some bitterness, decent, rather short but fruity aftertaste. Not so good warm. (9p)

1. 1994 Quinta da Cotto Grande Escolha, Douro, Montez Champalimaud (152 SEK)
Dark red, dense, blueish rim. Fine fruity, smoky , spicey bouquet. Full, fresh, well balanced aromatic taste. Good wine. (15p).

2. 1992 Meia Encosta, Dao, Borges (80 SEK)
Dark red, maturing rim. At first closed, but developing. Medium full, slightly low acid, but nice balanced, pleasant wine (13p).

3. 1994 Paco dos Infantes, Almodovar, Alentejo (81SEK) Dark red. Powerful, extremely fruity, puzzling nose. Massive, thick,"portish" taste, not sweet. What is this? Can't make up my mind about this.(13-15p?)

4. 1986 Reserva Especial, Ferreira, Douro (189 SEK).
Dark red. Closed at first, but opens up. Oak. Tannic, quite full, closed, tough, but a long aftertaste. Some rated this much higher. (13p)

5. 1992 Quinta da Lagoalva Garrafeira, Ribatejo (79 SEK)
Dark red. Fruity, quite big, oaky bouquet. Medium full, pleasant, well balanced, long aftertaste. Good wine at a nice price. (14p)

1. 1993 Merlot-Xinomavro, Boutari, Greece. (100 SEK)
Dark red. Good, very fruity, jammy bouquet. Medium full, fruity, well balanced, some oak (12p). Pleasant.

2. 1994 Farnito VdT Toscana, Carpineto (125 SEK)
Dark red, dense rim. Medium developing bouqet with cassis and toasted oak. Full, well balanced acids, still a bit raw. Long aftertaste. Very good, and the well worth the price. A much better buy than many a Bordeaux of today! (15p)

3. Geoff Merrill Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra (149 SEK)
Dark red, maturing rim. Medium bouquet, minty, black currant and oak. Full, soft, almost sweet fruit raspberries. Very drinkable, but lacks grip and a bit disappointing in relation to the pricetag.(13p)

4. 1989 Torreon de Parredes Cabernet Sauvignon Private Collection, Chile (107 SEK)
Dark red, browning rim. Medium fruity, minty Cabernet-petrol!? Full, black currant (12p). A bit uninteresting

5. 1995 Vin du Mistral Pastiche. California. Joseph Phelps (116 SEK)
Dark red. Blueish rim. Medium bouquet, developing fruit mix. Quite fullish, a bit jammy, spicy. Made from a Rhône-mix of grapes,"Pastiche" describes this wine very well, I first identified it as a Rhône-wine. (14p)

1. 1995 Bourgeuil. Loire. Y. Amirault. (89 SEK)
Dark purple. Quite a big nose, very fruity - almost Syrah-like. Quite full, immature, nice balance, needs cellaring and I should like to retaste this after 4-5 years (13p+)

2. 1994 Vosne Romanée. L. Jadot. (210 SEK)
Dark red. Fine, fruity, oaky bouquet. Quite fullish, fine elegante taste and a long oaky aftertaste. Good, but could also probably improve. (14p).

3. 1990 Ch Bernadotte, Pauillac. (173 SEK).
Dark red, maturing. Tight, fruity and smoky Cabernet. Full, well balanced, ripe berries,. Mature, good but not great (15p).

4. 1990 Les Cedres, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, P. Jaboulet (179 SEK).
Dark red, brick. Medium bouquet, warm, fruit, developing - port! Full, chunky fruit, port! We had some discussion whether this bottle was OK. (15p)

5. 1989 Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais. L. Jadot (139 SEK).
Dark red. Fruity - strawberries and raspberries. Medium full, slightly sweet fruit (12p)

1. 1990 Creso Rosso. VdT del Veneto. Italy. Bolla (120 SEK)
Medium red. Fine fruity and oaky bouquet. Medium full, good fruit, some chocolate quite long aftertaste. Very pleasant. Almost spanish in character, but the typical Italian acid was there (14p)

2. 1991 Juris. Neusiedlersee. Austria. G. Stiegelmar (c 100 SEK)
Dark red. Fruity, dark berries, some oak, oriental spices. Full, well balanced, rich (15p)

3. 1992 Ch Tahbilk. Victoria. Australia. (79 SEK)
Dark red. Corked. Plenty of fruit and seemed well balanced otherwise. In proper bottle it would perhaps have received 14-16p.

4. 1993 Kallista. Stellenbosch. South Africa (98 SEK)
Dark red. A bit weak, some fruit, slightly burned bouquet turning to tequila(!?). Quite full, burned, dry fruit, a bit tannic. (11p)

Comments: The Austrians can turn out some pleasant reds which may surprise some. Try Georg Stiegelmar, Gesellman and Hans Igler. Pity the Tahbilk was corked. This is one of my favorite Australian wineries. Their 1982 Cabernet was super a year ago, as was th 1984 Shiraz earlier this summer.

307(300). The Celebration. June 28, 1997 at Björn Aksell's residence

1. 1982 Ch La Lagune. Haut-Médoc (80 SEK in 1984)
Dark red, still a red rim. Fine, fruity bouquet, oak and violets. Medium full, quite tannic, slightly burned taste. A somewhat short aftertaste (16p)

2. 1983 Ch Rausan Segla. Margaux (185 SEK in 1992)
Deep red, slightly brownish rim. Bouquet develops in the glass. Intense black currant fruit, some mint and oak. Full, well balanced, elegant, long aftertaste (17,5p)

3. 1985 Ch Margaux (650 SEK in 1995, those were the days!)
Dark red, well pigmented rim. Very powerful, cassis, cedar-leathery bouquet. Full, aromatic, well balanced. Chewy, prunes but still edgy (18p)

4. 1928 Ch Margaux. (2450 SEK in Denmark)
Level: mid-shoulder. Dark brick-red. Medium. Nice, very mature bouquet with dried fruit: raisins, figs. Some volatile acid. Very tannic, slightly sweet, some leather, velvety but drying out. (14p?)

Comments: A memorable evening. The old Margaux was singing its swan song, interesting bouquet, still drinkable, though past its best. We know nothing about how this bottle has been stored, the low level was a warning sign. We found it in the cellars of Jørgensen's in Hellerup (Copenhagen). You can find interesting bottles here, sold in commission by private customers. It is alway a risk, but we were prepared for a lot worse. About the other wines: La Lagune was very good but slightly disappointing, and hardly worth the 93 Parkerpoints, while the other two was in our view better than their 90 P-pts. The prices of the wines were very reasonable in light of the 1996 en primeur campaign.

306. June 13, 1997. Wines with Syrah. (Ulf Ottosson)

1. 1993 Crozes Hermitage. Alain Graillot. (100 SEK)
Dark red, slightly blueish rim. Powerful, fruity, meaty-spicy bouquet. Full, fresh, some tannins, a bit edgy. (14p)

2. 1992 Crozes Hermitage. Alain Graillot. (97 SEK)
Dark red. Red rim. Powerful, fruity, some oak, spices - allspice, cloves. Full, spicy, good balance between acid and tannins. Long, complex aftertaste. Very good. (16p)

3. 1989 Ch Musar. Lebanon. Hochar. (120 SEK)
Medium red, mature looking. Very fruity, and an oxidized tone. Improving in glass. Very full, sweetish (14% alcohol!), big body. Raisins and refreshing acids. Long aftertaste (15p)

4. 1991 Crozes Hermitage. Alain Graillot. (100 SEK)
Dark red. Big fruity, spicy, slightly burned oaky bouquet. Full, initially very fruity, but rather short aftertaste. (13p)

Comments: Graillot's wines are almost always classical examples of Syrah, and well worth looking for. The wines were very similar on the nose, the differences were mainly felt on the palate. Parker gave 85pts to both 1991 and 1992. The 1992 was to us much better, and my 16p can be compared to 90 Parkerp. We do know the actual content of Syrah in Chateau Musar. This varies from one year to another, and in this case the Cabernet was not obvious.

Before the tasting a glass of a unknown white wine was served: Pale yellow. Neutral bouquet, slightly oxidized, but not bad. Very fresh, some fruit, but short taste(9p). It was a non vintage "Riesling Issyk" from Kazakhstan. Matured in casks, which was absolutely unnecessary. Actually it was not a riesling , but a rkatsiteli, a wide-spread grape in the ex-USSR, and of Grusian origin. Anyway, a country new to us, and by far the best from ex-USSR (apart from one nice red from Moldovia)

305. May 23, 1997. Tuscany vs Bordeaux. (Lars Jonsson)

1. 1994 Nemea. Kourtaki, Greece (‰35 SEK in Denmark)
In the tasting as a reference. Medium red, thin edge. Young, fruity, raspberry nose. Light, fruity, some acid. Simple, but OK as barbeque wine (10p).

2. 1989 Coltri Uno. VdT. Melini (110 SEK).
Dark red, some brown in the rim. Undeveloped bouquet, slightly burned. Medium full, tannic, some dusty fruit. Unbalanced (11p).

3. 1989 Ch la Tour du Pin Figeac. Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Moueix. (‰100 SEK)
Dark red, Maturing. Medium, developing bouquet, raisiny, some oak. Full, very fruity, soft tannins and a nice aftertaste (15p)

4. 1989 Coltri Due VdT. Melini (110 SEK)
Dark red, maturing. Nice, developing fruity bouquet. Full, fine acids and tannins. Fine length, supple yet with a good attack. (15p).

5. 1991 Brunello di Montalcino. Argiano. (199 SEK)
Dark red. Developing oaky bouquet. Full, some butterscotch. Tannic, but balanced. Long aftertaste (15p)

Comments: Hard to say which wine was the best. The Bordeaux fans of course liked the St Emilion. Personally, I preferred Coltri Due at first, but the Brunello developed nicely, and should perhaps have another point added to its score. Castillo de Montblanc was served with the food. Again, it's one of the best buys in the world (See tasting 296, April 4). Don't miss this wine!

304. May 2, 1997. "Riesling, Riesling über alles" (Olof Persson)

1. 1988 Bernkasteler Badstube Spätlese. Mosel. Wwe Dr.H.Thanish (42 SEK*)
Light yellow. Nice maturing slaty-petroly. Semi-dry, medium full, some nice acidity. Rather short. (12p)

2. 1988 Bernkasteler Badstube Spätlese. Mosel. Reichsgraf von Kesselstadt (44 SEK*)
Medium yellow. Good fruity bouquet, some honey and petrol. Good, fresh acidity, slaty. Rather long taste, well balanced. Not so good when warming up. (13p)

3. 1988 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese. Mosel. Dr Loosen (97 SEK)
Medium yellow. Fine developing bouquet, fruity-flowery, mineral "diesel". Semi-dry, fine fresh acidity, lots of fruit and a long aftertaste. Perfect balance. Keeps well while warming up (15p).

4. 1988 Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese. Mosel. Dr Pauly-Bergweiler (48 SEK*)
Light yellow. Low-toned bouquet, some petrol. Semi-sweet, rather thin and short (11p).

5. 1983 Herxheimer Honigsack Riesling Auslese. Rheinpfalz. Gabel-Peth (69 SEK)Golden yellow. Big, powerful, ripe, fruity bouquet, mature. Semi-sweet, very fruity, prunes-gooseberry, apricots, honey (14p)

and

6. 1993 Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Auslese. Rheinpfalz. Müller-Catoir (189 SEK)
Medium yellow. Powerful, very fruity, tropical fruitsalad. Semi-sweet, very full, fruity, complex, spritz, fine acidity. Long aftertaste. Delicious. (16p)
*Purchased in Germany 1991-1992

Comments:I find it difficult to score these wine. We have tasted very few German wines recently. Most of us rated Dr Loosen's wine highest, and it is a perfect example of a Mosel riesling. Wish I had some more of it left! The Scheurebe was new to us, and a fascinating wine, at least to me. Should like to taste it again, but the price is high. On the other end was Dr Pauly's auslese. Drinkable but rather unexciting. The 1994 of the same wine is now on sale in Sweden for 182 SEK!

303. April 18, 1997. 1985 Bordeaux . (Nils Kjellén)

1. 1985 Ch Clerc Milon. Pauillac.16p

2. 1985 Ch Lynch Bages. Pauillac.17p

3. 1985 Cos d'Estournel. St Estephe.16p

4. 1985 Pavillon Rouge de Chateau Margaux.15p

5. 1985 Ch Leoville Lascases. St Julien.?p

Comments: Couldn't attend this tasting. The marks are those of Lars Jonsson. The wines were of course very good, except for Leoville which was corked. Bad corks has become an increasingly serious problem these days. To many wines suffers from them, not to mention the waste of money for the poor consumer!
Lynch Bages was voted the best, closely followed by Cos.

302.April 4, 1997. "On thin ice or Claret taste-a-likes". (Hans Eriksson)

1. 1993 Kanonkop Paul Sauer. Stellenbosch. RSA. (156 SEK)
Dark red, dense, purple rim. Tight, fruity, cedar, blueberry, some spice. Full, tannic, very fruity, immature. Fine balance. (15p)

2. 1993 Castillo de Montblanc. Cab S. Conca de Barbera, Spain. (45 SEK)
Deep red, dense pigmented rim, purple. Tight, oaky, fruity bouquet. Tannic, fruity, immature, some mint. (14p)

3. 1993 Hargrave Q.E.D. Cab S. Long Island, NY. (300 SEK)
dark red. Medium, compact, undeveloped slightly synthetic bouquet. Medium, acid, tannic some fruit but unbalanced (13p)

4. 1990 Mas de Daumas Gassac. VdP Herault (120 SEK on location)
Dark red, maturing rim. Medium developing bouquet, oak, fine fruit. Full, blueberry, tannic, well balanced. Long mouthfilling aftertaste (16p)

5. 1989 Ch Musar, Lebanon (139 SEK)

Medium red, mature brown rim. Mature, plummy, oaky, will soon be over the hill. Mature, round, good acid, pleasant taste, maybe a bit too jammy and sweet (13p?)

Comments:Castillo de Montblanc is one of the world best buys, which Parker not yet has found out. Today, it is a little bit more expensive, about 65 SEK at Erik Sørensen's in Copenhagen. Get a case or two before it is to late! We were very enthusiastic about the wine from Long Island on Nov 8, 1996. This luxury cuvée was however disappointing. It seemed overworked, as if someone had tried to hard. Mas de Daumas Gassac was excellent, and will probably score higher within a few couple of years. Kanonkop is also very good (as it was on Jan 10, 1997) and should also improve with some age.

301. March 14, 1997. Bordeaux. (Håkan Olsson)

1. 1987 Ch Margaux (295 SEK, taxfree 1990)
Deep red, red rim. Fine, well developed, oaky, warm fruity bouquet. Full, fresh and tannic, rather long taste, rounded and well balanced (15p)

2. 1987 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (159 SEK taxfree 1990)
Dark red, brown rim. Nice, medium bouquet, mature - almost burgundian. Full, rounded, mature and a rather long aftertaste (15p)

3. 1985 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (239 SEK taxfree 1990)
Deep red, well pigmented rim. Fine, ripe fruit and oak. Full, rounded with tannins in balance, good fruit, some tobacco, long aftertaste (17p)

4.1975 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (145 SEK in 1982)
Dark red, brownish rim. Medium bouquet but developing nicely with some fruit. Full, tannic, long aftertaste (16p)

5. 1989 Ch Coufran. Haut Medoc (99 SEK)
Dark red. Fruity bouquet with some burned rubber. Medium, very tannic and slightly low on fruit. Not really balanced. A bit medicinal aftertaste (13p)

Also tasted: 1993 Delheim. Stellenbosch, RSA. Medium, undeveloped fruity bouquet. Young, full, some mint. Some development in glass.

Comments: Very good wines, and the difference between the wines, at least the classed growths, was not big. The two from 1987 was nice, probably as good as a 1987 could get. The 87 P-L was probably at its peak, while the Margaux could take a couple of more years. To me, the 1985 P-L was the best, but the 1975 was a very pleasant surprise, without the excessive bitter tannins so typical of this vintage. Perhaps some '75 at last has reached some maturity. Parker gives the two latter 90p, i. e. very good but not great. I agree.

300. Feb 28, 1997. Sauvignon Blanc (CG Dahl)

1. 1995 Villa Maria. Marlborough. New Zealand (79 SEK)
Medium greenish yellow. Godd, fruity gooseberry nose. Full, supple, well balanced acids (14p)

2. 1994 Ch Ste Michelle, Washington, USA (86SEK)
Light greenish yellow. Medium nose, apples, pears and gooseberry. Fresh, good fruit and some oak (13p)

3. 1996 Hamilton Russel, Walker Bay. Rep of South Africa (117 SEK)
Light yellow, a greenich tinge. At first undeveloped, but improving. Apples and gooseberry. Fresh, fruity long aftertaste (14p)

4. 1994 Duc de Tarente, Sancerre, France (110 SEK)
Light yellow. Developing nose. Smoke, wax, petrol. Mineral, very fresh and a long aftertaste (15p)

5. 1995 Taltarni, Victoria, Australia (103 SEK)
Light yellow. Fruity, smoky nose. Rounded, slightly sweet, fruit. Cloying when getting warm (10p)

Comments: Very typical Sauvignon blancs with the typical gooseberry and cat-piss flavour, which is actually much better than it sounds. The Sancerre was the best, and worked well with the food, shrimps and aïoli. This is the kind of Sauvignon that could easily be mistaken for a riesling. The Villa Maria was good value, while the Taltarni was disappointing because of its sweetness and low acid.

299. Feb. 14, 1997. White Wines from the Rhône Valley. (Ulf Ottoson)

1. 1994 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Guigal, (40 SEK)
Medium yellow. Developed, fresh, fruity nose. Medium full, fine extract, good length (13p)

2. 1992 Ch Beaucastel Blanc, Châteauneuf du Pape, (185 SEK)
Deep golden. Rich fruity, thick bouquet. Full, round fruit and oak. Maybe little low on acid and no great length. (14p)

3. 1988 Hermitage Blanc, Guigal, (155 SEK)
Golden. Strange, waxy, oxidized nose but not unpleasant, like a fino sherry. Tastde almost sherry. Fresh and balanced. But should it really be like this? (12-14p??)

4. 1993 Condrieu Les Chaillets, Vielle Vignes, Yves Cuilleron (230 SEK)
Medium yellow. Big perfumed fruity rich bouquet. Full, masses of tropical fruit, fine acid and great length. Excellent. (16p)

Comments: All wines were purchased in Luxembourg. Our experience with white wines from the Rhône is very limited. The Condrieu was super, and I now understand what the Viognier-hype is all about. Some found it to flowery. The Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc is a bargain. It costs 89 SEK in Sweden though, but is still good value! The Beaucastel was rated higher by some in the group, who liked its full round flavours. Should like to retaste the Hermitage again.

298. Jan 24, 1997. Bordeaux (Björn Aksell)

1. 1988 Ch Batailley. 5th cru. Pauillac. (120 SEK*)
Dark red. Nice maturing fruit, raisin and butterscotch on the nose. Full, well balanced, rather long taste. A slight touch of vegetables. (14p)

2. 1988 Ch Pichon Lalande. 2nd cru. Pauillac. (190 SEK*)
Deep red, dark, maturing rim. Big, fruity, smoky, oaky bouquet. Full, well-balanced very fruity taste. Long wellbalanced aftertaste. Delicious. (16,5p)

3. 1988 Leoville Barton. 2nd cru. St Julien (121 SEK*)
Deep red, darkest of all. Corked, but is probably a very good wine. No rating.

4. 1988 Ch Palmer. 3rd cru. Margaux. (252 SEK**)
Deep red, maturing rim. Deep, smoky, meaty nose, tobacco, complex. Full fruity, tannic, oak. Long velvety aftertaste. Very good (17p)

*Purchased en primeur in Denmark. ** Tax-free.

Comments: 1988 is a good vintage. Good fruit and a fresh acid ensures a long life ahead. Ch Palmer was slightly better than Pichon Lalande, but the latter may develope further. Batailley was a great disappointment to some of us. (But not so much to the author of this page, give it a couple of more years!).Unfortunately the Leoville was corked, but we rated this highly on Sept 1, 1995. Bad corks has become BIG problem in recent years. Shame on the cork producers!
It is interesting to compare with the wine gurus' opinions on these wines:

	Batailley	Pichon	Leoville	Palmer
Parker (1993)	85	90	88	87
Broadbent (1991)	-	(***)?	(****)	(***)??
Decanter*	***	*****	***	****

*March 1992

Broadbent's ratings were given at an early stage. Maybe his ratings are a little bit low, but he may be correct in that the Leoville may have the greatest potential. Time will tell. The difference between Batailley and Palmer in Parker's ratings is in our opinion to small. Palmer should be compared to a 90p wine.

297. Jan 10, 1997, Wines from the Republic of South Africa (Erling Jirle)

1. 1994 Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon, Paarl (84 SEK)
Dark red. Big, fruity, raisiny bouquet. Oak and butterscotch. Fullbodied, balancing acids, good fruit. (14p)

2. 1993 Kanonkop Paul Sauer (156 SEK)
very deep red, dense-pigmented red rim. Big fruity complex bouquet, oak, blue-berry, violets. Immature but very promising taste. Lots of fruit, well balanced tannins and acid. Oak. (15p)

3. 1991 Meerlust Rubicon (119 SEK)
Dark red. Well pigmented. Medium fruity bouquet, some oak. Medium full, fruity rather tannic. Balanced and an easy drink. Slightly disappointing, bottle variation? See below. (12p)

4. 1991 Meerlust Merlot (119 SEK)
Dark red, maturing slightly brownish rim. Rather big oaky bouquet, with blueberry and spruce (!). Full, slightly burned, blueberry, but too much acid (13p)

5. 1994 Brenthurst Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon (117 SEK)
Dark red. Thick, fruity oaky bouquet. Full, flavory, oak, black-curranty slightly minty, short finish (14p)

Comments: Very well-made wines. Delheim was the best buy, but the Kanonkop has a very good potential. The Meerlust Rubicon was disappointing, and tasted much better on Oct 4 1996 when it received 14 to 15 points. Is there bottle variation? At the earlier tasting the other wines were simpler (not bad though,) which made the Meerlust outstanding. Perhaps the ratings of the recent tasting generally should have been 1-2p higher? Unfortunately, we have no reference wine with a fixed score.

1996

1. 1992 Cab S, Toso, Mendoza, Argentine (64 SEK)
Medium red, brown rim. Good, ripe fruit on the nose. Mature, well balanced. Long aftertaste. (13p)

2. 1986 Ch Coufran. Haut Medoc (83 SEK)
Dark red, dense red rim. Mediumfull nose with blueberry. Full fruity, rather tannic, bitter, disharmonic. (11p)

3. 1994 Hedges Cab S-Merlot. Washington. USA. (69 SEK)
Dark red, dense rim. Powerful, fruity bouquet. Full, lots of fruit, well balanced. Long aftertaste. (14p)

4. 1981 Ch Musar. Lebanon. (255 SEK)
Medium red, brick-coloured rim. Mature oaky, high volatile acid. Mature, medium full, rather long , almost sweet, taste. (13p)

5. 1990 Penfold's Bin 707 (200 SEK)
Dark purple. Very fruity, oaky - brutal blackberry nose. Full very fruity, well balanced. Very long aftertaste. very good. (16p)

Comments: A surprisingly good South American - a bargain. Musar was slightly disappointing. There is probably some bottle variation.

275 Feb 2, 1996. Mixed wines. (Erling Jirle)

1. 1990 Castel Pujol, Uruguay (68 SEK)
Dark red. Medium, mature nose. Medium full, rather tannic and fresh acid. Short aftertaste. (11p)

2. 1993 Roodeberg, KWV, Rep of South Africa (59 SEK)
Medium red. Slightly burned, but good fruit. Full, fruity, fresh, slightly bitter. Short aftertaste (10p)

3. 1992 Droosty-Hof Pinotage, (66 SEK)
Dark red. Small bouquet. Medium, rather fresh leathery, tannic. Short aftertaste (10p)

4. 1993 Oak Village Cab S, Stellenbosch, Rep of South Africa (69 SEK)
Dark red, dense rim. Developing bouquet with oak, smoke and prunes. Medium full, fruity tannic and some aftertaste (13p)

5. 1986 Garrafeira Arrabido, JM Fonseca, Portugal (105 SEK)
Medium red, brownish rim. Medium bouquet, rather oaky and some prunes. Rather full, oaky, tannic, nice length (13p)

1. Ch l'Enclos, Pomerol (68SEK)
Dark red, brick-red rim. Mature, well developed, raisin and some oak. Medium full, tannic, dry fruit-typical Merlot. Nice length. (14p)

2. Clos des Jacobins , St Emilion (225SEK)
Dark red, mature rim. Fine mature, spicy bouquet. Medium, elegant, supple tannins, good length, well balanced. Delicious!(15p)

3. Ch Batailley, Pauillac (80SEK)
Dark red. Medium, fruity Cabernet. Medium full, a bit edgy, some volatile acid, a bit short (13p)

4. d'Angludet, Margaux (76SEK)
Dark red, dense rim. Good fruity Cabernet. Full, tannic, good fruit and fine length, developing in glass (15p)

5. Ch Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc (213 SEK)
Dark red, well pigmented rim. Fine fruity bouquet, oak, developing in glass. Full, well balanced, fruit and oak. (16p)

Comments: This tasting clearly demonstrated the high quality of 1983 in Bordeaux. They were all drinking well, but l'Enclos may just be past its best and Cantemerle may have several more years to go. Some of the prices seem to be very modest, but wine 1,3 and 4 were bought en primeur in Denmark 1984-85! Those were the days! If you have any 1983's left, it is time to drink them now.

1. 1988 Naoussa Grand Reserva, Boutari, Greece. (81 SEK)

2. 1988 Crozes Hermitage, V&S (62 SEK)

3. 1988 Ch Leoville Barton, St Julien, Bordeaux (169 SEK)

4. 1988 Hermitage, Guigal (169 SEK)
No notes by me since I was not there. The Leoville was reported to be excellent.

278 March 15, 1996. Zinfandel (Anders Lidén)

1. Kenwood, Sonoma (128 SEK)

2. Butterfly Ridge, Amador (89 SEK)

3. Storybook Mountains, Napa (154 SEK)

4. Ridge Geyserville, Sonoma (199 SEK)

Couldent attend this tasting either. Ridge was reported to be excellent.

1. 1988 Viña Real Reserva, CUNE. (102 SEK)
Medium red, brownish rim. Big, warm, oaky, smoky bouquet. Medium, rounded, fruit, some length (14p)

2. 1988 Viña Imperial Reserva, CUNE (114 SEK)
Medium red. Medium bouquet, some fruit and oak. Red currant. Rather short (12p)

3. 1988 Baron de Chirel Reserva (Marq. de Riscal) (307 SEK)
Medium. Big, oaky fine bouquet. Full, rather tannic, fruity, balanced, long. (16p)

4. 1988 Torres Mas la Plana (145 SEK)
Medium. At first closed and strange. developing. Some fruity bon-bons, cherry, cedar, honey on the nose. Medium full, tannic, almonds. (13p)

Comments:Typical Spanish wines, but the Imperial, usually a reliable wine, was disappointing this time. Its sibling Real was much better. Mas La Plana has not been what it used to be in recent years. Not bad, but not exciting any more.

1. 1989 Ch L'Angelus. St Emilion Grand Cru Classe. (225 SEK tax free)
1. Very deep red, dense pigmented rim. Powerful complex, very ripe fruit, smoky, tobacco. Full, well balanced, round fruit. Long aftertaste. Excellent, Wow!(18p)

2. 1989 Ch Beychevelle, 4th Cru St Julien. (265 SEK)
Dark red, maturing rim. At first closed, later developing coffee. Ripe fruit, medium full, closed, difficult to judge (13p??)

3. 1989 Ch La Croix de Gay. Pomerol (230 SEK)
Dark red. Undeveloped, some fruit, lingonberry. Medium, dumb, low fruit, rather tannic and short. (11p)

4. 1989 Ch d'Issan 3 cru Margaux (160 SEK)
Dark red, some maturity. Very fruity, butter-scotch and oak on the nose. Good, ripe fruit, maturing. Good balance. (15p)

5. 1989 Ch Batailley, 5 Cru Pauillac. (145 SEK)
Dark red, dense rim. Fine fruity nose, cream? Full, long, tannic but fruit and acid in balance (15p)

Comments: L'Angelus is a great wine. If find it - buy it and drink it!!
Let's compare with Parker and Broadbent:

	L'Angelus	Beychevelle	La Croix	d'Issan	Batailley
Parker (1993)	94	91	87	83	87
Broadbent (1991)	(***)	(***)	(****)	(****)	(****)
Decanter*	***	***	*****	-	***

*Dec 1992, March 1993, Nov 1995 Diverging ratings. Broadbent's notes were made already in 1990, which may explain some of the discrepancies. L'Angelus has apparently developed much better than expected. La Croix de Gay was a most disappointing wine to us. What has happened? Is it so that the gurus taste samples from the very best vats? Are there different bottlings?
Would like to retaste Beychevelle. Is it going trough a dumb stage? Batailley is a reliable wine, and a long-time favorite of ours,. The is '89 one of the best vintages we have tasted. We also liked the d'Issan very much. Sometimes Parker overlook elegance to power. Having said this, elegance is in the british wine press to often used as a synonym to thin and diluted. Nevertheless, 1989 is a good vintage.

281. April 26, 1996. Chianti (CG Dahl)

1. 1991 Riserva Ducale (81 SEK)
Dark red, slight ly brownish rim. Medium fruity bouquet with currants and oak. Medium full, tannic and acid (11p)

2. 1991 Querciabella Riserva (122 SEK)
Dark red, dense coloured rim. Medium, fruity. Tannic, full but not in balance (12)

3. 1990 Riserva Ducale (81 SEK)
Dark red, brick-red rim. Nice fruity bouquet with oak. Medium full tannic but in balance (13p)

4. 1990 Carpineto (105 SEK)
Dark red, dense red rim. Quite nice, fruit, oak, butter scotch. Full, fruity, tannic, balanced (14p)

Comments: 1990 seems to be a much better vintage than 1991.

282. May 10, 1996. Portugal (Nils Kjellén)

Was not there. The wines were OK. Periquita is currently a favorite, but remember to decant it at least an hour before drinking.

1. 1982 Ch Branaire, St Julien
Dark red, red rim. Nice, mature bouquet. Medium full, tannic and some length. Well balanced, but not complex (15p)

2. 1981 La Conseillante, Pomerol
Dark red, slightly diluted brownish rim. Subdued, oak ripe fruit. Full, nice fruit, tannic (14p)

3. 1982 Ch l'Enclos, Pomerol.
Dark red, brick-red rim. At first powerful, fruity bouquet of dark berries. Full, well balanced fruit, tannins and acid but fading. (13p)

4. 1982 Ch Lagrange, St Julien
Dark red, still bluish rim. Deep, powerful bouquet, some oak, smoke and cedar. Full, rather tannic, improving in glass, maybe a little bit short (15p)

5. 1990 Ch La Croix Grand Saveur (72 SEK)
Dark red. Fruity, lightly burnt, raisins, strawberry jam. Rather edgy, slightly bitter and tannic, but improves slightly in the glass (12p)

Comments: Good wines, but not the best of '82. Branaire is a good wine but hardly worth the 92 Parker-points. I have almost always been slightly disappointed with this wine. Are there two different bottlings on the market as RP has suggested? Maybe, as the first time I tasted this wine (1989) it was from half-bottle, and it was lovely. (And so was the girl, she's now my wife.)

1992 Chablis 1. cru. Montée de la Tonerre. Droin. (130SEK)
Medium yellow. Fine fruity bouquet, some oak. Medium full, fine, slightly minerally, long taste. Good also when warming up. (14p)

1987 Ch de Meursault (320 SEK)
Deep yellow. Medium bouquet, some oak and tropical fruit. Full, soft, oaky long and some complexity (15p)

1989 Pinot Gris Cuvée Exceptionel. Alsace, Schleret (110 SEK)
Golden. Thick, powerful bouquet, with bacon and very ripe grapes. Full fruity, some sweetness, long. (17p)

1987 Clos Papillon, Dom. de Closel. Savennieres, Joly (70SEK)
Medium yellow. Slightly weak on the nose, wet wool. Dry, medium full, some mineral, apples and honey. (11p)

5. 1990 Ch de Cruzeau, Graves
Medium yellow. Fine fruity, nettles, goose-berry, some oak. Full, fine balanced fruit and fresh acids. Typical. (14p)

286. July 12, 1996. Wines from 1990. (Lars Jonsson)

1. 1990 Raimat Abadia, Spain (64 SEK)
Darkred, dense colour. Fine, fruity, oaky intense developing bouquet. Full, well balanced, rather tannic and very fruity taste (14p)

2. 1990 Rosso della Boemia, Liedholm. Piedmonte, Italy (105 SEK)
Dark red. At first subdued, but developing to a nice fruity bouquet. Full tannic, long taste, a slight touch of sweetness. (13p)

3. 1990 Hermitage Monier de la Sizerranne, Chapoutier (187 SEK)
Dense, dark red, blueish rim. Developing, meaty, olive-laurel, spicy bouquet. Full, chewy, plenty of fruit, long taste. (16p+)

4. 1990 Val Sotillo. Reserva. Ismael Arroyo. Ribera del Duero. (160 SEK)
Dark red, purple rim. Fruity, slightly rubbery - burned, flowery bouquet. Full, fruity and tannic (15p)

5. 1990 Vino Nobile de Montepuciano. Vigneta Antica Chiusina. Fattoria del Cerro (114 SEK)
Dark red. Mature, oaky bouquet. Medium full, quite tannic, lacking fruit. Bitter finish (12p)

Comments: Some interesting wines. Raimat is usually a safe bet, but this vintage is something extra. A super bargain! The soccer-trainer Liedholm's wine is quite nice but the 1988 is much better. Hermitage is a text-book Syrah-wine and will probably develop more. Hard to find a better wine at that price! The Ribera was also good, one of the better of its kind.

1. 1990 Ch Rahoul, Graves (198 SEK)
Medium yellow. Big, fruity bouquet, prunes, oak, arrack. medium full, fruity, some smoke and oak, balancing acids. (15p)

2. 1993 Sirius (78 SEK)
Light medsium yellow. At first a bit strange, wet wool, some smoke. Fresh, fruity taste, slightly bitter (11p)

3. 1992 Ch Rochemorin (99 SEK)
Medium yellow. Big fruity bouquet, some oak, smoky-mineral. Full, fresh, oak, long aftertaste (14p)

4. 1992 Ch Couhins Lurton (187 SEK)
Medium yellow. Quite nice, fruity, waxy. Full, fresh, oak well balanced (15p)

5. 1995 Ch Bonnet, Entre-Deux-Mers
Nice wine, but I can't find the tasting notes!

1. 1990 Barbera d'Alba. Minuto. (43 SEK)
Mediumred, thinly pigmented rim. Medium, dense fruity nose, red currant, some tobacco dried fruit on the nose. Medium full, fresh and fruity taste, rather short. OK

2. 1990 Vigna del Noce, Barbera d'Asti, Trinchero.(80 SEK)
Corked.

3. 1990 Poggio del Ciabot, Barbaresco Riserva. (118 SEK)
Dark red. Rubbery, rather powerful fruit, almost petrol and oak. Full, tannic and lots of fruit acid. Long aftertaste.

4. Conteisa Cerequio, Barolo. Gromis (354 SEK)
Dark red. Fine bouquet with tobacco, fruit, some mint, dark berry and oak. Full flavoured, fruity tannic and a long aftertaste.

Comments: The wines were purchased in Italy, and prices are rather high. No points were given, but the Barolo was excellent. The price tag? Well, Gaja distributes this wine.

289. Sept 6, 1996 Hellenic Wines. (C G Dahl)

1. Kouros Kourtakis. Nemea (67 SEK)
Dark red, blueish rim. Good fruit on the nose, slighly "synthetic". Fruity, fresh and some tannins, with some nice spiciness, short aftertaste. (11p)

2. 1990 Cava Boutari (68 SEK)
Medium red, brownish rim. Medium nose, some fruit. Full fresh, tannic. Dry aftertaste (11p).

3. 1990 Boutari Grande reserve Naoussa (82 SEK)
Dark red, brownish rim. Nice bouquet with dried fruit. Medium full, sweet fruit, acid and tannins in balance (12p)

4. 1991 Ch Carras (72 SEK)
Dark red, slight brownish rim. Rather big fruity, raisiny bouquet. Full, round fruit, medium tannic. Some spice and smoke. Long aftertaste. (13p)

Also tasted but no notes: Paros, Boutari (60 SEK) and Naoussa, Boutari (57 SEK). OK.

Comments Winemaking in Greece has improved. All these wines were OK, if not exciting examples of modern wine making Chateau Carras was the best, at least for a Bordeaux lover. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon-wine, while the others were (probably) made of indigenous grapes.

290. Sept 20, 1996. Wines with a 99 SEK ($ 13.95) price tag at Systembolaget (Håkan Olsson)

1. 1988 Campillo Reserva, Rioja.
Dark medium red. Brownish rim. Fine fruit and oak on the nose. Medium full, long well balanced taste.

2. 1994 Lincoln Vineyard Cab S-Merlot, New Zealand
Fine, powerful bouquet with oak and butterscotch. Full-flavoured, oaky, fruity, well balanced.

3. 1989 Ch Coufran, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux.
Dark red, well pigmented. Powerful. dense fruity nose. Full-bodied, tannic but low fruit.

4. 1989 Ch Verdignan, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux.
Deep reed. Closed on the nose. Full-bodied, blueberry fruit, tannic but more fruit than Coufran.

5. 1992 Gallo Cab S. Sonoma Valley, California.
Dense, deep red. Fine, very fruity, black currant and oak. Full, very fruity, brambles, long aftertaste, slightly sweet. Massive.

1. 1996 Cape Soleil Cab S (59 SEK)
Dark red. Full fruity nose, some oak. Fullish, fresh, some tannins, edgy short finish. (9p)

2. 1995 Amfora Cape Cab S. (61 SEK)
Dark red, dense on the rim. Fine aromatic oak, heavy fruit. Full, maturing, some length, slightly bitter (11p).

3. 1995 Robertson Cab S. (64 SEK).
Deep red. Nice aromatic young fruit. Full, fruity, prunes, some tannins (12p)

4. 1991 Meerlust Rubicon (119 SEK)
Dark red, maturing. Good powerful, fruity bouquet. Oak and violets. Full, very fruity well balanced, soft tannins. (15p)

5. 1990 Ch Planton Bellevue, Bordeaux (69 SEK)
Dark red, mature rim. Mature bouquet, developing in the glass, some oak and grassy, blueberry. Fullish, tannic, good length, dry aftertaste and loosing fruit. (12p)

Comments: Some nice wines for us on a budget. Meerlust by far the best wine, and demonstrating the great potential in South Africa.

1. 1989 Pommery
Golden colour. Fine fruity bouquet. Full long taste (16p)

2. 1994 Chablis Premiere Cru ¨Montee de la Tonnerre¨, Droin.
Medium yellow colour. Fine, pure fruit and some oak. Fresh, medium-full. Does not really match the food. (14p)

3. 1994 Puligny Montrachet ¨Les Garennes¨, Dom. Larue.
Golden. Big fruity, toasted oak. Long, fruity, well balanced. Perfect with the food.(16p+)

4. 1990 Corton. L. Latour
Medium red. Big fruity bouquet. Smoky and oak. Full, good acid, fruity flavour, but perhaps not with great complexity.(14p)

5. 1986 Chambolle Musigny. De Voguë.
Pale medium-red. Not a very big bouquet. Medium full, short. OK to drink, but drying out.(13p)

6. 1993 Fixin Premiere Cru. ¨Les Hervelets¨ P. Gelin.
Dark red. Very young, fruity, slightly vegetal nose. Dense, compact, oaky immature. Great promise.(16p+)

7. 1991Tokaji Aszu 5 putt Royal Tokay Wine Company.
Golden amber. Big fruity bouquet. Sweet, very fruity, prunes, apricots, and a perfect refreshing acidity. Long. Superb.(17p)

8. 1992 Tokaji Aszu 5 putt. Disznokö.
Amber. Fruity and plenty of botrytis. Good fruity taste. More Sauternes-like than the wine above.(15p)

293. Nov 8, 1996. Wines from Long Island, N.Y. (Hans Eriksson)

1. 1994 Hargrave Cabernet Franc.
Dark red. Nice blueberry fruit, some oak. Powerful, tannic, immature. Fairly long aftertaste (14p)

2. 1993 Hargrave Merlot
Dark red, purple rim. Fruity, oaky-cedary bouquet. Full, very fruity taste, Well balanced, still immature. East bank in Bordeaux?(15p)

3. 1993 Bidwell Merlot
Dark red, red rim. Full, very mature fruit, almost auslese-like (!?) Rather tannic, and a fairly short aftertaste. East bank in Bordeaux?(13p)

4. 1993 Bidwell Cabernet sauvignon
Fairly dark red. Nice plummy, fruity, blueberry. Full, tannic with a long aftertaste, good balance. Mistaken for a 5th Cru Pauillac. (15p)

5. 1993 Lenz Merlot
Very dark purple, almost opaque. Powerful, deep but stillclosed. Cedary. very full,mature fruit. Toasted oak. Complex. Well balanced. Very good. A good Pomerol! (16p)

Comments: Surprisingly (at least to us) well-made wines with true varietal characters. Much more Bordeaux-like than many other ¨New World¨-wines. The Lenz Merlot was rated best by all participants in the tasting.

294. Nov 29, 1996, Tasting of Italian grapes (Olof Persson)

1. 1991 Campofiorin, Masi. Vino da Tavola del Veronese (85 SEK)
Dark red, with a slight brownish rim. Unfortunately a bad cork with a distinct smell of 1,1,1- trichloranisole. Judgement reserved. (?)

2. 1992 Sagrantino di Montefalco. Antonelli. DOCG Montefalco. (119 SEK)
Fine, dark red colour. Deep fruity, spicy but still closed bouquet. Full-bodied, very fruity with a nice aftertaste. Well made. (13p)

3. 1989 Vigna La Rosa. Fontanafredda. DOCG Barolo (166 SEK sept 1995)
Dark red, with a mature brownish rim. Mature, rich, smoky oak. Full mature, rather tannic. Good length. (14+p)

4. Castello di Querceto Riserva. DOCG Chianti Classico. (108 SEK)
Dark red, well-pigmented red rim. Rich oaky, fruity bouquet. Full-bodied, fruity some tannins, well balanced, some complexity. Good value for the money. (14+p)

5. 1994 Kunde Century Wines Zinfandel. Sonoma Valley USA. (133 SEK)
Very dark, purple. Rich, very fruity, powerful, brambles and oak. Very full-bodied, oaky, loads of fruit. Perhaps too much of everything. A wine for wine-tastings, but works less well with food. (13p)

Comments: We did not all agree on these wines. The Barolo was rated very high a year ago, but on this occasion not so by all of us. Sagrantino was a nice wine, previously unknown to us. Not a super bargain, but still good value and recommended. To me (OP) the Castello di Querceto was most delicious, almost a bargain, and worked very well with food. Wonder how Parker would rate the Kunde Zin.

6. 1993 Morgon, Duboeuf (79 SEK)

Morgon was a wine. The rest is silence.

1. 1992 Mc Dowell Syrah, Mendocino (72 SEK)
Dark red, slightly blue rim. Good, fruity bouquet. Rather full, tannic. Well balanced (14p)

2. 1991 Beringer Meritage. Knights Valley. (95 SEK)
Dark red, almost opaque, brownish rim. Impressive bouquet, lots of fruit. Fullbodied, very fruity, cedary, well balanced, long aftertaste (16p)

3. 1993 Saintsbury Pinot Noir (116 SEK)
Dark medium red. Oaky, burned fruit. Medium bodied, good acid, oaky, well balanced, rather long after taste. (14p)

4. 1989 Firelands Cabernet Sauvignon Ohio (90 SEK)
Deep red, brown rim. Raw, chunky, fruit, dry tannins, steely, acid midtaste. (10p)

5. 1989 Turning Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon, Gallo (70 SEK)
Dark red, blue rim. Big, black-curranty bouquet.Young, fruity, slightly sweet, butter-scotch. (13p)

Comments: The Beringer was impressive and a super bargain. The Mc Dowell Syrah was also good. The Ohio wine looked and smelled OK, but the taste was boring.