This week we’ve picked a fun and great wine from Burgundy. But it’s made from 100% Aligoté, which makes for a very different experience than the traditional Chardonnay. Maison Chanzy was founded by Daniel Chanzy in 1974 in Bouzeron, located in the northern part of the Côte Chalonnaise region of Burgundy. Since 2013 the operation has been owned by a group of wine enthusiasts, and spans an impressive 40 appellations in 8 villages. Our pick of the week is their flagship and grapes are harvested from vines averaging 35 years, but some are more than 100 years old. It’s a complex and beautiful wine that will match a wide variety of foods. And with a price this low, it’s one of the best bargains at the moment. Tasting Notes
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It’s been a cold winter and spring has been late in showing up so when we finally get some sun and warmer weather we definitely need to celebrate! Those of you who have read this blog often know that we do love our Champagne and English Sparkling wine here, but this week we travel further south, to Italy's premier region for producing sparkling wines, Franciacorta! The first sparkling wine from the Franciacorta wine region was presentet to the world in 1961. Located northwest of Brescia, Italy, the role model was not Asti in Piedmont or the hills of Conegliano and Valdobiaddene, where Prosecco comes from, but Champagne. Franciacorta is made of nearly the same grapes as Champagne, chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc, using the same method, second fermentation in the bottle. The house owned by Fratelli Berlucchiof is one of the historic houses in the area. IT is run and owned by five brothers and sisters. In charge is one of the sisters, Pia Donata. She is assisted by her daughter Tilli. Together they manage the 70 acres of the property. The vineyards are managed in an environmentally friendly manner, with very limited use of herbicides and insecticides. The company is housed in an ancient building complex, located in the historic hamlet Borgonata, near an idyllic church. Tasting notes:Fratelli Berlucchi Casa delle Colonne Franciacorta Brut Noir 2019 - 299,90 kr. Nice golden yellow colour. Ripe, yellow apples, lemon, lime and herbs on the nose. Very pleasant indeed. It shows some age in the glass, but the apples, lemon and lime continue with hints of biscuit, herbs and good minerality. Very long as well. This works very well as an aperitif, but will also be good with white fish and any kind of shellfish. Benito Ferrara is one of Italy’s best white wine producers. Located in Campania, south in this beautiful country, our pick of the week comes from 35 year old vines. The Greco grapes are planted in steep volcanic soil, at an elevation of 450-600 meters above sea level. Grapes are carefully hand harvested and left to ferment in stainless steel tanks. It’s aged on the lees for seven months and finally two months in bottles before release. It’s a complex and delicate wine, that will pair very well with a wide variety of dishes. Tasting Notes
Some people choose April as their favourite month, most notably Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, but I have some reservations about the month myself. If there ever was a month with all the seasons come in one day, April is the one. I say pick one season and stick with it! And the right pick is nice sunny weather of course! So what do you drink on these days? You want to break out the rosé and pretend it is May, but looking outside you see winter is still there. So how about a red wine that is light and refreshing to drink and feels like a rosé? Austrian wine are more known for their white wines, based mostly round the grapes Gruner Veltliner and Riesling, but they do mage red wines here as well. Weingut Claus Preisinger, led by an innovative winemaker Claus Preisinger, is known for its dedication to organic and biodynamic practices. The winemaker's philosophy revolves around respect for nature and allowing the grapes to express their true essence. The result is wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Puszta region and showcase the winemaker's artistry. This weeks wine is a captivating and unique wine that showcases the creativity and craftsmanship of the Preisinger winery. This wine offers a delightful combination of grape varietals and a taste profile that is sure to enchant wine enthusiasts. Tasting notes:Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre - 219,90 kr There is a very nice balance of fruitiness, spice, and earthy undertones here. Aromas of ripe berries, cherries, and plums, accompanied by hints of herbs and spices. On the palate, good acidity, velvety tannins, and a long, satisfying finish. Will go well with most chicken dishes and salads. Also very good as an aperitif. It’s here, it’s very fresh and just in time for Easter. Rosé from Provence is the holy grail of spring signs to me. «Pomponette» from Domaine de Sulauze has become one of the most popular rosé wines and sells out pretty fast. While most rosé’s arrive for the May release at Vinmonopolet, a few had an early release this month. «Pomponette» keeps delivering consistent high quality and is one of the best buys during its short shelf life each year. In writing moment, «Pomponette» is available at selected stores. Check your app or website, and secure your bottle. Happy Easter 🐣 Tasting Notes
As readers of this blog will have figured out some of us are prone to choose French and Italian wine, and might venture to Germany for a white wine when summer comes round. But lately we been encouraged to try wines from other far away places so this week we’ve gone all the way to … Spain. Not that far I know, but at least the wine has a new world feel to it. Hammeken Cellars are a modern and innovative producer of Spanish wines, with a portfolio focused on branded products developed through the understanding of consumers' needs. Started by Danish wine trade Nicholas Hammeken in 1996, they now have several wines in their collection. Their wines gather the best of the Spanish local grapes and traditions, with the winemaking style and techniques of the "New World". The result is a distinctive collection of wines, modern, fruit forward, fresh and easy to understand. A brand new way to understand wine, unknown in Spain, until now. Tasting notes:Tosalet Priorat Old Vines 2021 - 208,80 Clear deep dark purple colour. Pure and very intense aromas reminiscent of red berry fruit such as cranberries, red cherries and raspberries combined with mineral notes of flint and hints of eucalyptus. The palate is dry, full bodied with rich concentrated juicy fruit, firm but ripe tannins and a refreshing acidity making this a great food wine. P.A. Larsen. An old wine shop in the heart of Oslo, established back in 1847 and run by Peter Andreas Larsen from Løiten and his buddy Hans Poulsen. Originally they sold both groceries and wine, but the wine part of the business soon grew very popular and became the main focus. In 1922 Vinmonopolet was established and selling wine from private companies came to an end. P.A. Larsen sold their cellar to Vinmonopolet and closed shop. In 2022, 100 years after Vinmonopolet ended their business, the name P.A. Larsen again emerged. This time as a brand of wines from Rebel Group. The first launch received great reviews and sold out during 10 minutes after release. Wednesday, this week, they launched their Rieslings and today we write about their Bordeaux. The P.A.Larsen hype keeps delivering. Their Bordeaux blend consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. It has been fermenting in both steel and oak casks. The current vintage is 2022. Tasting Notes
When you think of wine from Africa, the first place you think of is of course South Africa. The southern nation has a long tradition for wine and is a popular choice here in Norway. But they do make wines in other parts of Africa and this week we are in the opposite end of Africa, Morocco. Syrocco was founded by the late, legendary Rhône vigneron Alain Graillot, and now run by his sons, Maxime and Antoine. Alain stumbled upon these vineyards and the Thalvin winery while bicycling in the Zenata region of Morocco between Casablanca and Rabat. This gorgeous area is an organic dream, with cool winds blowing off the Atlantic and no polluting industries whatsoever. The Thalvin winery has been around since the 1920’s, and when Alain found their gorgeous property, he formed a partnership with them to provide Syrah and Cinsault vines for his own Moroccan wines. Maxime and Antoine craft these wines as a fruit-forward and juicy, yet they are made in an Old- World style with soft extraction, excellent balance, and complex aromatics. Tasting notes:Alain Graillot & Thalvin Syrocco 2021 229,90 kr Lots of dark black fruit, thick layers of plum and violet with plenty of plush, velvety tannins boxed in with cigar and a hint of vanilla. The alcohol is constrained, surprising when you think about the heat in Morocco but it frames and supports the length of the wine nicely. Great with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, lamb, falafel and especially grilled food. We love the new wave of innovative winemakers that hit South African vineyards a few years back. Some of my all time favorites now come out of this beautiful country. Today I’ve picked a white wine from Scions of Sinai, and winemaker Bernhard Bredell. Named best young winemaker of the year in 2019, he’s been running the winery since 2016. «Rocinante Blanc» is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. There is partially skin contact for one day, bringing more structure to the wine and then fermented in steel tanks. Then wine is matured in old oak barrels and bottled using reasonable low amounts of sulfur. It’s a fantastic bottle of wine with sort of a rockstar feel to it, that quickly has become a favorite of mine. Tasting Notes
We’ve just had our Burgundy release of wines here in Norway, and people were lining up for weeks to pay extortionate prices for a bottle of wine. That is unfortunately the way of capitalism and Burgundy has been for a while now the most expensive wine district in the world. The reason is the wine - they are very good, maybe even the best in the world - but are they worth the prices they are getting? No, is the simple answer and we are going to leave it at that. But you can find good wines from Burgundy at a reasonable price and we are recommending one for this week. This week's wine comes from one of the largest producers in Burgundy with98 hectares spread over 35 prestigious climats. It presents a rare combination of climates on the three coasts: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. Through its vines and its origins, the Domain tells the story of this mosaic of landscapes which makes the particularity of the Burgundian vineyard. We have gone for a white wine from Saint Aubin. The Clos De La Chaise Dieu Monopole is an extension of the Philippe le Hardi wines. A monopole is an appellation or vineyard controlled entirely by one owner. It's labelled as a Bourgogne Cote-D’Or that was aged on its lees in a mixture of both small and large oak casks. The idea is to emphasise the freshness and fruitiness that Chardonnay has to offer. Tasting notes:Philippe le Hardi Bourgogne Côte-d'Or Clos de la Chaise Dieu Monopole 2022 - 249,90 kr This wine is gold in colour with a very expressive nose. Notes of yellow peach, apricot and citrus fruits are supported by vanilla nuances from judicious oak ageing. The elegant palate has good concentration and medium body. Ripe fruit, well-balanced oak and bright acidity highlight the complexity of the wine. Fits perfectly with shellfish, white fish and white meats. |
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