BKWine Magazine’s reporter Tobias Karlsson recommends some favourite wines from the importer Primewine Group. Several of them are widely available in other countries too.

BKWine has often informed the reader that Systembolaget’s monopoly range unfortunately, is considerably less than what one normally thinks. In total there are around 2000 wines sold by the Swedish monopoly. When we quote that number we do not count the “on order” list. You may ask why we don´t?

The truth is that Systembolaget is only a delivery point for wines that are available in the “on order” selection and it’s up to the country’s wine importers who select the wines to handle storage, logistics and risks. Thus, it is thanks to these (private) importers in Sweden that we have access to as many wines as we have in Sweden (even if it is much less than in the rest of Europe). This system unfortunately makes it easy to miss a very large part of the wines available in the country if you just go to the monopoly store. Instead, you have to have an eye on what the various importers offer. It might even be so that it is easier to find favourite wines if you find an importer with the same taste as yourself instead of looking for a particular country or grape in the monopoly range.

Most importers have an annual tasting where they show the different wines that they have for sale. Here is a short review of a number of the wines that I thought was most interesting at Primewine Group’s autumn tasting. It is far from a complete picture, but rather a collection of wines that I found of extraordinary value or that are interesting in terms of region or style. Hopefully you can find something fun and new.

Reds

2013 Hardys HRB – D640

Accolade Wines, Australia, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. ~18 euro

Full and round wine with blackcurrant, and some floral and vegetal tones. Good balance even though it is a bit too fiery. 88

2014 La Vignée Bouchard Père et fils

Bouchard Pere et Fils, 100% Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France. ~12 euro

A very light pinot, could feel a little watery to someone. Some cranberries and relatively low acidity. Good considering the low price. 82

2015 Terlan Pinot Noir

Cantina Terlano, 100% pinot noir, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. ~15 euro

I am very fond of wines from Trentino-Alto Adige, but unfortunately, they are very difficult to obtain. One of my favourite grapes is Lagrein which unfortunately is rarely found in Sweden. This wine is a very interesting pinot noir. The wine has a cool approach and really nice length. 87

2013 Terlan Torilan

Cantina Terlano, 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. ~15 euro

Although this wine is very nice with pronounced aromas, almost marmalade-like. But charming in a good way. 85

2013 Mongrana

Querciabella, Tuscany, Italy 50% sangiovese, 25% merlot, 25% cabernet sauvignon. ~17 euro

Nice balance and good structure. Pronounced tannins. Very affordable. 87

2015 Luigi Voghera Barbera d’Alba

Luigi Voghera, Barbera d’Alba, Italy. 100% Barbera. ~11 euro

This is a bit of a favourite wine for me and at this price it really is a good buy. It is a well-balanced wine with a long finish and balanced fruit. 87

2011 Luigi Voghera Barbaresco

Luigi Voghera, Barbaresco, Italy, 100% Nebbiolo. ~25 euro

Very elegant wine, with light hints of red berries and a little tar. Very nice finish. 89

2013 Pétalos, Descendientes de J Palacios

Bierzo, Spain 95% Mencia 3% white grapes and 2% Alicante Bouschet. ~18 euro

Mencia is a very nice grape that unfortunately doesn’t show up very often. Often it has an obvious tone of blueberry as is the case here. The wine is pretty big and fruity and has almost a slightly sweet sensation that ends with a long and fruity finish. 86

2013 Clos du Val Carneros Pinot Noir

Clos du Val, Napa Valley, United States, 100% pinot noir. ~26 euro

Very interesting Pinot, especially since it comes from California. There are a lot of berries but also some green and some earthy notes. 87

2011 Clos du val Carneros Zinfandel

Clos du Val, Napa Valley, United States, 100% zinfandel. ~22 euro

This is an elegant wine for being a zinfandel. The wine has a lot of dark fruit, but manages to keep a good balance. 86

Whites

2015 Domaine du Bouchot Pouilly Fumé

Pouilly-Fumé, France, 100% sauvignon blanc ~20 euro

I often find that Sauvignon Blanc can give a too pronounced aromatic character. This wine is however pretty restrained and has a lot of pleasant flavours without being overwhelming. Besides the traditional sauvignon blanc tones there is a lovely region typical flint. 88

2014 Petit Chablis William Fèvre

William Fèvre, Chablis, France, 100% chardonnay. ~14 euro

A very affordable wine that shows a type of chardonnay that I really like. A distinct and clear mineral acidity, moderate amount of yellow apples. Not a very big wine but very affordable. 83

2014 Bourgogne La Vignée Bouchard Père & Fils

Bouchard Pere & Fils, Burgundy, France, 100% chardonnay. ~14 euro

A very different style than the previous wine. This wine has a richer texture and feels almost a bit waxy. The wine gets a nice structure and is very good, especially considering the low price. 87

2015 Comtes d’Isenbourg Gewurztraminer

Comtes d’Isenbourg, Alsace, France, 100% Gewurztraminer. ~13 euro

Gewurztraminer is a grape that is often considered a bit too exaggerated in aroma and can produce wines that feel pretty sweet, although they often have less residual sugar than what you would expect. Personally, I think Gewurztraminer can be really nice, especially to spicy Asian food. This is a well-balanced Gewurztraminer which I really like. Gewurztraminer is often drunk very young, but personally I think that they can become better with a couple of years of ageing. 85

2014 Riesling Réserve Domaine Weinbach

Domaine Weinbach, Alsace, France, 100% Riesling ~24 euro

A lot of green apples in the beginning that is balanced by a lovely acidity. The wine is fairly broad but still fresh thanks to the high acidity. 87

2014 Constitution Road Robertson Winery

Robertson Winery, Western Cape, South Africa, 100% chardonnay ~16 euro

A really lovely chardonnay that begins with some nutty notes with yellow and green apples to follow. The wine is full-bodied and gives a little waxy feel. All these tones balance each other in a pleasant way. A very nice wine. 88

Tobias Karlsson writes on BKWine Magazine on wine tastings with wine merchants and importers.