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.
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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. I have a new favorite. A beautiful white everyday wine, full of personality and elegance, and it’s from Spain. I’ve written about Dominio do Bibei before. Brilliant winemakers from Galicia, with a great portfolio of wines. The whole operation is situated in the Bibei valley. A dry and rugged region, with steep slopes and vines averaging about 50 years. Elevation is between 350-650 meters above the sea and the soli largely consists of slate, granite and clay. Tasting Notes
Storms are hitting our shores, one stronger than the next, and so we need respite from this terrible weather. Ideally one would jump on a plane to someplace warmer, say the Greek island Crete for example. Unfortunately travel is not on the books for some time, so the closest thing we can think of is grabbing a bottle of great quality Cretan wine and enjoying that in the comfort of our own home. The Liatiko grape, one of the queens of Cretan grape varieties, makes one of the Lyrarakis Winery’s staple wines. It is produced from vineyards at 650m altitude. The vines are planted in Sitia and Rethymno and provide high-quality low yields, making for a fine, high quality wine. Tasting notes:Lyrarakis Liatiko 2022 - 200,- Light ruby red colour. Impressive aromas of wild berries and red fruit, with hints of herbal and butterscotch flavours. Balanced and Juicy on the palate with fine tannins and an expressive fruity aftertaste. Try it with mediterranean dishes like moussaka, pizza and pasta with red sauces. In the northern most areas of Piedmont, Italy, a tiny winery lies on the border to Switzerland. Cantine Garrone produces a fun red wine I came across recently. A smart blend of Nebbiolo, Croatina and a touch of Barbera grapes, scattered across small plots in the mountainous area in the Ossola Valley. It’s actually a local variety of the Nebbiolo grape called Prünent, sourced from vines that average between 60-80 years old. Fermented in steel tanks and served young, natural and fresh. A fantastic wine to be enjoyed on its own or paid with Italian classics. A real value for money purchase. Tasting Notes
As most of you know we do like the Vinmonopolet here on KulTour, but the shops themselves aren’t very nice. All too often they are in a shopping centre and the stores are sterile and boring. But there are exceptions and my favourite Vinmonopol has to be the one in the little industrial town of Høyanger in the middle of the Sognefjord. The shop is on the corner of the old Dairy house, which also holds the Police station(!). The store it self is small and quaint and reminds me of nice French wine shops in a small village. As with most Vinmonopol-shops the people working there are friendly and knowledgeable and they have a nice selection of wines to choose from. From their selection we have gone for a nice Côtes Du Rhône from Le Petite Bellane. As we are in the middle of a snow storm, we need something big and solid and a nice Syrah will always do the trick in my opinion. Tasting notes:La Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône 2021 - 189,80 kr Deep and dark red, almost violet in colour. Some pepper notes on the nose along with the signature blackberries and some licorice also. Jucy and with a lot of dark berries in the mouth with good structure. A great wine to enjoy by it self or with some game. Some 20 years ago I was about to taste propper Malbec for the first time. The winemaker had just popped the cork of a barrel in a prestigious Chateau in Cahors, southern France. The barrel sample of their red flagship wine was mind-blowing. Though it was almost undrinkable because of the overwhelming tannin structure, I could still taste the pure elegance of the Malbec fruit. I knew Malbec from Argentina, but this was something else. Elegant, earthy wines that would be fantastic for cellaring. And at a fantastic price. Still Malbec wines from Cahors keep intriguing me, and they still make one of the best deals at Vinmonopolet. Today we’ve selected a bottle from renowned Chateau Haut-Monplaisir. A family run operation in the heart of the region. If you search the wine at Vinmonopolet you will find a range of available vintages, at different prices. This is a Chateau which produces wines that can be both enjoyed young, and can cellar for decades. A fun thing to do, would be to gather some wine loving friends, buy different vintages and have a tasting. Tasting Notes
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