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
0 Comments
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
The new year has brought freezing temperatures and you only want to stay inside and crank up the heat. For our first wine of the year we have gone to the cellar to find a wine with some age that can help us get through the cold nights. We travel to Bordeaux and the east side for our wine of the week. Chateau Simard is a Saint-Emilion Grand Crum, one of the most famous crus on the right bank of the Dordogne river. Chateau Simard is very well located on the sunny southern slopes of the Saint Emilion plateau, it is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, very typical for the wines of this region. Tasting notes:Ch. Simard 2011 - 284,90 kr Deep, dark, not quite opaque purple-red in color. ripe red & black cherry fruit with lovely vanilla & sweet spices on the nose. Very fresh acidity. The wine is of mid weight & its fine structure is a little drying & cedary. It’s fresh and well balanced with supple texture, lots of pretty red fruit and a good vein of acidity. This is perfect with a juicy entrecote and bearnaise. With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, we finish another year of wine with a classic. Diebolt-Vallois is sort of the essence of what wine enthusiasts treasure about Champagne. Family run, relatively small scaled and keeping the production super classic. Their Prestige cuvée is my go to Champagne and the first bottle I open on prestigious evenings, like New Year’s. It’s also incredible value for money. Keep it classy and have a wonderful finish to the year. Tasting Notes
We’ve selected 20+ remarkable bottles to match Norwegian Christmas food. «Ribbe» - pork belly «Pinnekjøtt» - salt cured lamb and «Julekveite / Juletorsk» - Halibut or Cod in buttered sauces. We also have a killer recommendation for your sweet dessert and a small scale producer of Norwegian Akevitt - Aqua Vita, for the cigar lounge 🥰 Ribbe and PinnekjøttSome of the coolest combinations I find in pairing it with bubbles, Norwegian cider or a quality Riesling. Here are some wines that will work excellent with both "Ribbe" and "Pinnekjøtt". RibbeBoth red and whites will work. A plate of "Ribbe" usually contains a wide variety of flavors. To handle all these you wanna keep the concentration in the fruit high and the acidity vibrant. In contradiction to popular belief, it's much easier to get good combinations with white wines and beer, than with reds. Here are some picks. PinnekjøttSalt cured lamb, sometimes smoked. Often served with a root vegetable puré. This spectacular flavor makes for some potential amazing wine combinations. Juletorsk - JulekveiteClassic world class white fish, traditionally served at Christmas with a rich buttery sauce. Both white and red will work. Keep fruit concentration high and go easy on the tannins if you choose a red direction. Sweets and afterAnd finishing off we give you world class Norwegian cider and Aqua Vita. Merry Christmas :)
Sometimes you just want something that you know very well and that you are certain is good. This week we have gone for a wine that is a classic example from probably the most famous wine region in the world, Burgundy. P.A. Larson was established in Norway again, 175 years after it first started to import wine to Norway. In 1847 Per Andreas Larsen established an import firm in Oslo and it was very successful until the Vinmopolet started in 1922 and import and sales of wines became more difficult. Now the name has been born again and you can read a really good article here about the background and the people behind the new bottles. It is the famous Burgundy producer Albert Bichot who blends the wines we get to Norway and the three wines we have now are based on their great competence. We are really lucky to have these wines in the Vinmonopolet and they are flying off the shelves and people love them. It is easy to understand why, great quality Burgundy wines will always have buyers and these are no different. Tasting notes:P.A. Larsen Coteaux Bourguignons 2022 - 209,90 kr Smells of spring, sweet strawberries and hints of raspberry. Nice, soft and mellow in the mouth, like taking a handful of ripe strawberries and munching on them with joy. A great wine to enjoy with friends or just to to enjoy when in need of some comfort. If you’re having pork/ribbe this holiday season, here’s your companion. It will also be a much appreciated gift or you could just enjoy it on your own. This is the top wine - the flagship from renowned producers Selvapiana, in the heart of Tuscany. Only made in great vintages and crafted using 100% Sangiovese grapes. Sourced from their best vineyard «Bucerchiale», this is a clean, classic and delicious representation of what a Chianti can be. Drink now or cellar for 7-8 years. Tasting Notes
|
|