Sommelier - Fall 2024

No. 3 - 2024

The Danish Championship for Sommeliers was conducted on the 2nd of September.

In this issue we are celebrating the day! In a participants report we get close to the tasks in the final. Inspired by the dedication of our competitors we then venture to lesser-known parts of Europe as well as take a glance at the most recent vintages of Barbaresco and Barolo.

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I M P R I N T:

B OA R D O F DA N I S H S O M M E L I E R A S S O C I AT I O N:

Sommelier #3 2024 27.Year Deadline for next issue (#4 2024): 18. November Editor in chief: Nina Højgaard Jensen / Nhj@sommelier.dk Layout og art director: Morten Nybæk Print: Nybæk Grafisk, 26 25 82 50 Issuer: Dansk Sommelier Forening

PRESIDENT: Christian Aarø ca@sommelier.dk VICE PRESIDENT: Tim Vollerslev tv@sommelier.dk TREASURER: Heine Egelund he@sommelier.dk SPONSER MANAGER: Bonnie Reinwald bonnie@buttandbons.com

R E S P O N S I B L E F O R TA S T I N G S: - Copenhagen - Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen ctj@sommelier.dk

P RACT I CA L I N F O

- Fyn - Heine Egelund he@sommelier.dk

SOMMELIER is published four times annually and sent to members and friends of the Danish Sommelier Association. The magazine is run by volunteer work. All profit goes to education, competitions and professional events. As a private person you can support the association with 700 dkk/year by becoming “Friend of Danish Sommelier Association”. Apart from working to improve the Danish sommeliers, you will then receive a diploma.

- Jylland - Kim Thygesen kt@sommelier.dk

CO M P E T I T I O N S & E N T RA N C E E XA M I N AT I O N S: Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen & Jess Kildetoft ctj@sommelier.dk & jk@sommelier.dk

T RAV E L S:

For membership contact: Heine René Egelund he@sommelier.dk - all enquiries in realtion to change of address, contingent and invoices are kindly asked addresses to Heine Egelund as well.

Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen & Kim Thygesen ctj@sommelier.dk & kt@sommelier.dk

Ads and anything in that relation: Bonnie Reinwald Mail: bonnie@ buttandbons.com

Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen ctj@sommelier.dk

We ask kindly that invitations to tastings, travels etc. are directed to Editor in chief Nina Højgaard Jensen på mail Nhj@sommelier.dk

Kim Thygesen kt@sommelier.dk

N E W L E T T E R S & CO M M U N I CAT I O N: F AC E B O O K & W E B M A S T E R:

W R I T E F O R T H E M AG AZ I N E

S E C R E TA RY:

You are welcome to contribute to our magazine. For contributions or questions in that regard, contact Nina Højgaard Jensen by email nhj@ sommelier.dk. Please note that photos should be a minimum of 2MB.

Christian Høj-Jørgensen chj@sommelier.dk

Front page: Danish Sommelier Championship

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no. 3 - 2024

Best Sommelier of Denmark 2024 ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6 Barolo 2020 and Barbaresco 2021 - two sides of the same coin �������������������������������������������������� 26 Notes from Northern France - Reims - Auxerre - Angers - Paris �������������������������������������������������� 34 Historic classification revived ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 48 An interview with Christop Hoch about mousiness in wine �������������������������������������������������������� 56 Slovenian wine - SLV, what's that? ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 60 Dairy: Slovenian trip - Maribor ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 64 Dominio del Águila ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 70

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Best Sommelier o B Y: K E T I L S A U E R

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of Denmark 2024

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T H E DAY B E G I N S The competition this year started at AOC with a blind tasting of 3 wines with 10 minutes for each: Riesling from Germany, a white from Jurancon and a red Rioja.

2 of the wines were straight forward (when you know what it is). The Riesling had a lot of green fruits, fresh acidity and a

short finish. The Rioja had oak, dark fruits and was full bodied. The white wine from Jurancon was unexpected; it had oxidative nuances, ripe pear, ripe quince, hay, beeswax and honey. The test was more to see how we described the wine than to guess it. Multiple of the candidates were going for Chenin Blanc from Loire valley on it.

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Second task was 3 spirits in 3 minutes: 2 oak aged ones and 1 white. A Japanese whisky, 40 years old calvados and Nonino Grappa. The 40 years Calvados was a bit hard since it was mainly the oak that showed.

Whisky form Japan is not a new thing but it's still hard to pinpoint, and usually not your first thought for whisky.

The Grappa was a classic and I think everyone nailed that one.

The last task was, as always, a written theory test with around 60 questions and 1 hour on the clock.

Next up there we switched location to Matrikel1 at Højbro Plads. We had a short break, some sandwiches a great wine tasting with the sponsors that started at 13.00, before the finalists were announced at 14.00 as well as the new member of Danish Sommelier Association who passed the qualification test: Congratulations to Joachim Jæger from ATerre!

Finally, the clock stroke 14.00 and the competition continued.

Jakub Filipek, Michael Rønne Sørensen and myself (Ketil Sauer) were announced. Jokub and I had done a final before, while it was a first for Michael from Falsled Kro. Numbers were drawn at random resulting in Michael being first up, Jakub second and myself last.

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THE FINAL The tasks were divided into 2 segments; a solo segment of 4 tasks followed by common tasks where all three finalists are together on the scene.

The first task was to correct a wine list – Identify different producers in wrong locations, wines not made, wrong category placement, wrong grapes etc.

The next 2 tasks were linked to the first one as the wines available from the list were stored in a refrigerator on stage. Here the candidate had Jonathan Gouveia as commis to help us get the , as well as say if something wasn't available.

Next up was serving of 2 glasses of sherry, 4 minutes for the task, a straightforward task, 10

where the option to suggest a pairing for the Fino Sherry, talk about the area of sherry, the new regulations, the new grapes allowed, fortified wine etc. will get extra points.

The third task was to recommend and a bottle of white wine with Label Rouge Chicken, sauce Blanquette, crudité of fennel and ”hasselback”, decant and serve the wine - since some of the wines listed in the first task weren't available, and it was limited to the ”correct” wines, here one could run into a challenge. The first 2 wines I asked for were duds that I had

failed to recognize, so I asked a third time, this time for a Grüner Veltliner from Austria Wachau.

A choice to enhance the herbaciousness of the fennel, the creaminess of the Blanquette and cleanse the fattiness of the Label rouge and potatoes. Here was a possibility to talk about the 3 tier quality system in Wachau, recommend a cheese or another serving after the chick11

en, coffee/tea, digestive, maybe even a cigar.

The last solo task was to serve and decant a bottle of Mas La Plana 2017 that the guest had brought themselves, explain about the bottle since it was a gift from a former colleague, and recommend a suitable dish to go along with it.

It's the Spanish flagship from Torres, made on Cabernet Sauvignon in Penedes DO. Here it was possible to talk about the house of Torres, the area of Catalunya, Cabernet Sauvignon (where Mas La Plana was the first premium red wine in Catalunya to be made on Cab S. in 1970), maturation of the wine, multiple food servings, recognize the gift, talk about why you would decant it, talk about the classic areas for Cabernet Sauvignon etc. there were many options. It's easy to remember everything when you are off stage but being put in the spotlight, I tend to forget half these things. There was no light available for the decanting – I don't know if this was a mistake or intended, but there were no sediments in the bottle making it easy as far as the craft of de-

canting goes: no old corks, no heavy sedimentation, readable label, bottle in good condition.

into 16 glasses within a total of 5 minutes, and we couldn't return to a glass.

R E CO G N I T I O N S G A M E

The one with the most points is, as always, the one who makes the least mistakes and has spent the most time on training, reading, tasting, looking at maps, pictures of different wine related stuff etc. This year Jakub Filipek was that guy and earned his victory! I finished 2nd and the new face on stage Michael Rønne Sørensen with a third place. Congratulations to all and thank you to Danish Sommelier Association for a wonderful day!

Before the common final, Star Wine List, Wine lists of the year recognized the best wine lists in Denmark in different categories, where the sommeliers and venues behind the winning lists were congratulated on stage.

The common finale started with a picture task. Recognize the wine area by looking at a river. 10 pictures and 10 wine regions. 2nd task was blind tasting; 4 wines were put in front of you and we had 90 seconds to identify the wines, with country, region, vintage, grape, sub-region, special comments, producer. The last task was to pour a bottle of magnum Champagne 12

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Niepoort 10 Years Tawny Her får du en absolut forførende Tawny fra Niepoort. Med en yderst smuk og let gyldenorange tone i glasset, fremstår den yderst indbydende med duft af mandler, krydderier og moden og sødmefuld frugt.

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Barolo 2020 and – two sides of

T E X T A N D P H OTO:

Udsigt mod alper fraVigna Rionda.

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Barbaresco 2021 the same coin

: THOMAS ILKJÆR

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It is not often that the release of the most current vintages of Barolo and Barbaresco bring two groups of so relatively identical wines on the market. There are differences but in general, we are looking at a bunch of balanced, approachable wines in what could maybe be described as a new-classic style in the two famous appellations.

C’era una volta…The Italian equivalent of “once upon a time” comes to mind, when reflecting on the most recent Barolo and Barbaresco vintages on the market and making an overall judgment. There was a time when the assessment of a vintage of the two nebbiolo wines was a binary decision: worth seeking out or not. As a consequence of this simplistic approach, common in the latter half of the previous century, many a great wine has been missed because it was from a “wrong” vintage, but back then it was a common position that only three or four vintages each decade were capable of making wines of real interest. That is not the case anymore. The change came around the turn of the century with a combination of climate changes and accumulated winemaking competencies in an ever-growing group of new small-scale producers.

Between 1998 and 2021, only 2002 and 2003 stand out as disappointing vintages. Some years undeniably offer higher average quality, and certain vintages produce more top-tier

wines. And the point is not that vintage assessment no longer is of any interest in Barolo and Barbaresco. The point is that instead of mere quality, the debate now focuses much more on style. We can see the same kind of development in many other wine areas, especially in Europe and instead of a simple buy/not buy attitude, today there are three main parameters used to make the overall vintage judgments.

Firstly, whether the vintage has yielded approachable and “easy drinking” wines in a more fruit-driven style or more structured ones with less immediate fruit that require time to open.

Secondly, whether the wines in the first group are relatively short-lived or with the potential of a medium to long positive development in bottle and whether the wines in the second group will reach a stage of balance and top complexity or remain somewhat hard and unharmonious. And thirdly whether the overall assessment is consistent across the majority of wines (an even vintage) or more variable (an uneven vintage).

These are the main parameters for my take on the 2020 vintage in Barolo and the 2021 vintage in Barbaresco. Most of these wines are now on the market or will be soon. That was not the case when I tasted nearly 200 Barolo 2020s and more than 60 Barbaresco 2021s back in January at the annual Nebbiolo Prima event in Alba, but except for a tiny part of the wines they were showcased in their final

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bottled versions. Tasting about 80 young nebbiolo wines in one morning session leaves little room for a fair and precise judgment of individual wines but provides a solid foundation for evaluating the vintage as a whole.

2020 B A RO LO The 2020 growing season began with a mild winter, leading to an early start under near-perfect conditions in March and April. However, May and June brought more rain than usual, prolonging flowering and presenting challenges with humid conditions and downy mildew.

Regardless of vineyard management practices, this required extra effort, and the final harvest quality and quantity depend on your ability to keep up with the disease. Fortunately, due to the COVID-19 lockdown during this critical period, most producers had time to focus more on their vineyards than normally, mitigating potential problems.

The humid situation continued during summer and well into September with both rainfall and heat summation somewhat above average. More importantly, though neither rainfall nor heat was never excessive but rather evenly distributed which meant that the vines in general did not suffer having sufficient access to water and experiencing high temperatures that secured ripening without causing stress and blocking maturation.

Nebbiolo prima

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In September and especially October temperatures went down delaying what up till then had looked like a rather early harvest. At the earlier ripening sites, many producers started harvesting in the last week of September but on October 2nd and the morning after the area experienced extremely heavy rainfall causing a harvest break. Since the weather quickly returned to dry conditions the rain had little effect on the overall quality and most producers completed their harvest by mid-October, aligning with the average harvest dates from 2007 to 2016.*

As with any vintage, there are exceptions and 2020 also produced wines with an overripe, acidity- lacking character as well as austere, fruit-lacking, rustic ones. But they were few and it seems that 2020 was a very consistent vintage with no clear standout subzones or communes. These are wines that you can drink and serve with pleasure more or less from the start but with no need to rush, and you can confidently look beyond the usual top-25

Smagning Nebbiolo prima

In many ways, the Barolo 2020 wines reflect the weather report quite nicely. Overall, these wines exhibit harmony with neither a lack of nor abundance in tannin, alcohol or acidity. They are definitely more on the welcoming, approachable side with a mature, red fruit sensations and well-integrated tannins. Unlike for example 2014 and 2017 I believe that most of the wines will both keep very well and develop for 10-15 years, but I am less convinced we will see a lot of wines with a positive development in the very long run.

This is based on a returning comment in my tasting notes that many wines lack real midpalate density and what I call nerve or vitality, as well as the fact that many producers (for example Claudio Fennocchio from Giacomo Fennochhio and Fabio Alessandria from G.B. Burlotto) told me that they took their 2020 Barolos from barrel much earlier than normal.

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list of producers since there is a fine chance you’ll get your hands on a good wine. Every vintage is unique but if pushed hard I would mention 2004 and 2012 as vintages reminding me of 2020.

2021 B A R B A R E S CO There are of course many similarities between growing seasons in the neighboring areas of Barolo and Barbaresco, but the latter’s lower average altitude and proximity to the Tanaro

river do make a difference and 2021 is a good example. The heavy rains and snowfall in the winter leading up to the 2021 growing season were the same in both areas though, and that turned out to be very important later in a season when the water reserve helped in a year with significantly less rain than average.

It was also a year with higher temperatures and generally warm to hot weather if compared with a historic average.

But things have changed and

in a more recent context, 2021 was only the second warmest year between 2017 and 2023.

The beginning of the season was generally cooler with a later bud break than many of the previous years. This was fortunate since even an early starter as nebbiolo was less hit when frost arrived at the beginning of April. But in lower vineyards as in many areas in Barbaresco, there was significant damage, and some producers reported a

subsequent drop in quantity of 20-30 percent. April and May were relatively cool delaying flowering and even though summer temperatures rose significantly there were no excessive heat waves at any point. Compared to Barolo, Barbaresco had more summer rain which added to the already good water reserves and ensured a balanced and steady maturation with no water stress. Some hail in late July caused some local damages but nothing like the rather catastrophic situation in some areas in Roero.

During summer the 2021 harvest looked to become a very late one but high temperatures and dry weather in the last part of August and especially September speeded things up. In general, the harvest was done in the first part of October with minimal impact from some late rains.

Despite the differences in weather and growing conditions, 2021 in Barbaresco is in many ways a reflection of 2020 in Barolo as far as the overall judgment goes. The wines are generally balanced and approachable with well-integrated and sometimes even soft tannis. nins.

* Data provided by Alessandro Masnaghetti (www.baroloMGA360.it)

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May24326

Best Luxury Estate Winery 2024 - Denmark As Denmark’s first officially licensed estate winery, Skærsøgaard Wine, in Southern Denmark’s Dons region, is a pioneering entity in the emerging field of Danish winemaking. Founded by revolutionary winemaker Sven Moesgaard, Skærsøgaard today provides cold climate wine to neighbouring Scandinavian countries and those across the world. From sparkling to red, white, rosé, and even dessert wines, Skærsøgaard is the luxury winery of choice for the finest handmade Danish wines and spirits.

Until the 1st of August 2000, people in Denmark were technically only allowed to produce grape wine if they were consuming it for themselves. However, since about 1993, members of the Association of Danish Wine Growers have been arguing that Danish wines can be made that rival those of any almost anywhere else in the world in terms of quality and taste. Thus, after receiving EU approval at the turn of the century, the country’s wine industry has slowly but steadily grown, with more than 100 commercial wineries operating today.

do not rely on awards however, and it is their passion for this landscape and its produce that continues to drive the business forward, with help from many volunteer grape pickers.

Skærsøgaard believes its wines are the physical embodiment of summer nights in Denmark in a bottle, complete with the aromatic smell sourced from the ripening of its grapes and the unique artisanal quality that can be tasted across this stellar range. In fact, quality has become synonymous with this operation, and is present in every last drop. This all starts with the selection of grapes grown here, including blue staples Léon Millot, Rondo, and Regent, and famous green varieties such as Orion, Solaris, and Souvignier Gris, to name just a handful.

One such operation is Skærsøgaard Wine, and it is the mission of Founder Sven Moesgaard and co. to provide high-end, sustainable wine that performs incredibly well in international competitions.

Skærsøgaard achieves these aims almost effortlessly, and today enjoys an industry-leading reputation across the country, having won the most awards and established a dedicated customer base.

Leveraging one of the largest vineyards in Denmark at ten hectares and more than 30,000 vines, this winery is located in the EU’s most northern wine region.

Going back in time almost 25 years, it was 2001 when this luxury estate winery first produced its signature DONS range, including its acclaimed sparkling wine that often steals the spotlight. Not only has this sparkling wine received more than 90 medals on the international stage for its excellence in the years since, but it also boasts the claim of being the first, and as of right now the only, Nordic wine to have been stamped with the EU-approved PDO (protected designation of origin), a feat it accomplished back in 2018.

This remarkable site itself is usually open normal working hours Mondays and Wednesdays, but private appointments are available.

The location is a sight to behold in and of itself, but it is made even more appealing by the fact that all of Skærsøgaard’s wines, as well as the other spirits which it makes on-site in its micro-distillery such as liqueurs and brandies, are housed in its farm shop. Specialist stores across Denmark also have the privilege of selling wines that are exported straight from the vineyard, and the full range can be found online here.

The acclaim that Skærsøgaard’s wines have had heaped upon them does not end there, as the vast majority of other wines in its range are PGI, or protected geographical indication, certified. Essentially, this underpins the distinction that is innate across this underrated wine producing region in the south of Scandinavia. Sven and his team of five employees

Having not only made Danish winemaking feasible, but also top quality and sustainable, the future is bright for Skærsøgaard Wine and its small but incredibly successful team. Producing cool wines in this, our warming world, we recognise Skærsøgaard Wine as the Best Luxury Estate Winery 2024 – Denmark. On the back of this, we encourage any of our wine-loving readers to sample wines from this region to see exactly what makes them, and this winery in particular, so special.

Contact: Sven Moesgaard Company: Skærsøgaard Wine Web Address: https://dansk-vin.dk/

EU 18.

Business News- Q1 2024

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Notes from Northern France Reims - Auxerre - Angers - Paris T E X T A N D P H OTO: K E N N Y J E S S B R A N DT, M AY 11T H, 2024, PA R I S

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Since I entered the world of wine in 2008 and began working at wine bars in Copenhagen, and later started Vincaféen in Aarhus on my own, my approach to working with wine has always been closely connected with wine travels. You can learn a lot from studying, tasting and serving wine, but to experience first hand the places where the wine is made, is something quite special. Not only does it give you an extra dimension in form of the contact with the producers themselves, their work in the vineyard and in the winery, but travelling also expands the knowledge of what a singular area represents in context of its history, self-understanding and future.

My focus as a wine importer has always been to find small, family-owned producers, who make authentic wines that represents the areas they are made in.

Therefore, it also seemed obvious to choose Northern France as our next destination because, for a long time, the wine list in Vincaféen has lacked lesser known, but very interesting appellations such as Saint-Bris, Irancy, Pouilly-Fumé, Touraine, Anjou and Savenniéres. The traditional wine understanding of the Danish people, the smaller appellations often pale or even dissapear in the heavy shadows of Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux - Luckily it the general horizon has been broadened these days with more and more searching outside the big classics. And now I was about to make the journey myself.

So, the 5th of May, very early in the morning, I placed myself in our rented Dacia Lodgy and turned my gaze South with four of my very talented and curious wine waiters. For several of them it was their first wine trip, and the expectations were high when we left the city of smiles and ventured 1.200 km to Reims in Champagne.

C H A M PAG N E The first you see, when you enter the district of Champagne from North, is the change from countless of cornfields to just as countless fields of vineyards.

They are everywhere; big, flat areas, uniformly stretching over 34.300 hectares divided into no less than 280.000(!) different vineyardsites. The 16.000 wine farmers in the area own on average no more than 2 hectares each, yet only 2.000 of them make their own wine. In other words, Champagne is still a heavily négociant driven region, which one might percieve as somewaht old-fashioned. You get the picture: A place where the small, vigneron families sell their grapes to big companies, that each year produce millions of Liters of identical Champagne. No matter if you like it or not, Champagne is a brand, selling itself in the past as well as now.

This becomes even more evident as you enter Reims, where the same companies have their main base either here or in Epernay. Their dominance is impossible to get around, and in Champagne they bottle almost 35

90% of the total production, which leaves little room for the renewal many of the younger producers crave.

Luckily there is a group of pioneers that have turned towards nature, beginning by enhancing biodiversity and dialing down the chemicals in the vineyards as well as in the winery. However, they are outnumbered which is why the development dawdles in comparison to an area such as Loire, which for a long time has been advocating a more natural way to grow and make wine.

After a short Sunday evening in Reims that naturally involved a couple of glasses of Champagne, we leave the city Monday morning and drive the 50 km South to Vertus, where the first visit on the trip awaits: A small, organic and family-owned producer René Rutat. Of the 12 planned visits, Rutat is one of just two we already work with.

7 hectares divided into 26 plots with 93% Chardonnay and 7% Pinot Noir and a production of 40.000 bottles a year. Run by the brothers Flavien and Baptiste Rutat - 5th generation in the family to throw themselves into winemaking - they have, unlike their forefathers, chosen to make clean, organic and linear Champagnes with minimal dosage.

When we tell Flavien about our tour program, he wrinkles his eyebrows and tells us about the vast amount of rain that has fallen in Chablis, the rest of Northern Burgundy and in Loire. As the case would prove to be at all our visits on the trip, the conversation quickly turns to the many climate changes we experience these days making it harder and harder to produce wine the ways known in the traditional wine districts. A tendency that perhaps doesn’t have as severe of an impact in Champagne of all places, but poses a challenge in the majority of the old wine districts in the world.

We will leave out the more detailed description of the tasting and jump back in our Dacia Lodgy and drive South, where todays second visit in Chablis, Burgundy, 166 km later lies ahead.

B U RG U N DY The difference from Champagne to Burgundy is obvious to us, when we enter one of the most famous wine districts in the world. The big, identical vineyards have been replaced with smaller parcels that bears the mark of greater diversity, more colours and in general more life. The wineries are smaller, the terrain more versatile and there is more difference in the landscape than before. A much-needed change everybody agrees in the car, where the expectations are building.

The numbers in Burgundy tells us that there are 30.052

hectares distributed over 84 AOC’s, 3.477 wineries, 266 wine merchants and 16 cooperatives. 145 million Liters of wine are annually produced, and the grape percentage says 51% Chardonnay, 39,5% Pinot Noir, 6% Aligoté and 3,5% Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc etc.

Mostly when the talk is about Burgundy, the famous villages, producers and wines of Côted’Or, take center stage. That is, however, not what brings us here. Our goal is to explore the fifth and most northern part of the area in form of Chablis that also counts the two small appellations Irancy and Saint-Bris.

However, our visit this day is a bit atypical because Marie Ange Robin from Domaine Guy Robin has told us in advance that she only has 30 minutes due to overtime in the vineyards and winery. She is running a one woman show and prefers to do everything herself, which she hopefully soon realizes is impossible. Luckily, I know her well because we have worked together since 2015, so the short amount of time isn’t a problem. We are given a short tour, talk a bit about the great amount of rain and the climate changes in general before she gives us a tasting box, which we enjoy during the next couple of evenings in the charming city of Auxerre, where our base is for the next two nights.

The day after we have squeezed four visits in the program, which is only possible due to 36

the short distance between the producers. Normally we stick to three visits a day, but we are very keen on finding at least one good Irancy and Saint-Bris producer. However, the visits this day turns out to be more disparate than first anticipated.

We start at Domaine Gueguen, a medium sized, organic family business with 36 hectares spread over the AOC’s Chablis, Saint- Bris, Bourgogne Aligoté and Irancy. Quite soon it becomes evident that an austere, dry, and unoaked style is consistent through all their white wines. It almost seems like they are afraid of fruit and with all their power seek to tame their wines. All of the wines are good but also with a lot of similarities like pearls on a string. Bit of a shame because we like free wines that are permitted to show what they are capable of.

Next visit is at Franck Givaudin in Irancy, and the moment I taste his entry level Irancy I know that this is going to be my wine highlight on the entire trip. Ever since I began as a wine waiter, I have had a special relationship with Pinot Noir, but not necessarily the great and famous wines from the previously mentioned Côte-d’Or - rather from the level just below; from small family producers that, in the shadow of giants, make well produced and rustic wines that permit Pinot Noir to show its here-and-now-potential instead of trying to make long lived wines.

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And that is exactly what 54-year-old Franck does. From the moment we meet him outside his house in Irancy, where he comes cycling towards us, until we stand in his old basement and taste his organic wines, it is clear to us that this is old fashioned good craftsmanship. Franck is a 4th generation winemaker, and has been at it since age 20. Around 50.000 bottles a year is produced from his 13 hectares; 10 of them are in Irancy and the remainder in Saint-Bris, where he has planted Aligoté. All his wines are spontaneously fermented, the average yields are modest 40-45 hl/ha and the amount of time in oak are the same for all his three reds with 12-14 months in new as well as old barriques.

everybody else. Either his dear wife Anita, who I made our appointment with several weeks before, hasn’t told him about our visit, or he simply doesn’t care. Unfortunately, I believe the latter to be the case. When we are thrown away by the man and instead spend the time at a small, cozy lunch restaurant, we are told that this treatment is quite normal from the Colinot!

LO I R E

We start with Aligoté 2023 and continues with Rosé 2023 before we taste his three Irancy’s, that all are vintage 2022 and taste absolutely fantastic from their perfumed and minty aroma, over the dry and spicy fluid to the elegant and long finish.

Rarely I have tasted so expressive, rustic and at the same time elegant country wine Pinot Noir before, and I am not the least in doubt whether the first producer of the trip has been found.

The fourth day of the trip starts with the usual cleaning of our Airbnb apartment after a quick breakfast, upon which we get in the car. There are 94 km to the first visit of the day in Tracy-sur- Loire, which is located in the middle of the Pouilly Fumé appellation. When we enter the 3rd largest wine district in the country with its 57.200 hectares divided into five regions – Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, Centre-Loire & Auvergne – 14 departments, 51 appellations, 6.200 wineries, 250 wine merchants and 16 cooperatives, we immediately see that the vineyards take up less space in a landscape dominated by many small villages and the the mighty Loire river - the longest river in France running a startling 1.012 km.

Next visit is just as flat an experience as Franck was uplifting.

We walk the 450 meters to our next appointment at Domaine Colinot. The first we meet is a grumpy, old man – Jean-Pierre Colinot – who in French tells us, that we in no way can taste his wines unless we pay for it like

As we drive into the parking lot of Domaine Roger Pabiot, we, mere meters away from the river, also notice the water level to be rather high. We are welcomed by the 5th generation of the family in the shape of the young Pauline Pabiot who, since 2017, has been running 38

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the Domaine. Organic certified as of this year, she owns 23 hectares, of which 22 are planted with Sauvignon Blanc and one with Chasselas, and produces 94.000 bottles a year. Added sulphur levels are kept at a minimum, always below 37 mg/l and her overall production approach is clean.

We taste her two Pouilly-surLoire and three Pouilly Fumé wines and leave the place a couple of hours later with a good feeling in the body. That feeling of 'we got what we came after';

which means Sauvignon Blanc with fruit, acidity and elegance, without too much of the generic and clouding notes of gooseberry and elderflower.

The second and last visit of the day is at Pascal Jousselin who owns Domaine Jousselin & Fils in Touraine. In advance I am a little sceptical because his export prices are very low; rarely a good sign. When he starts with telling us that he will sell the winery next year and move to Costa Brava where his brothers expect him, I admit defeat,

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lean back and just enjoy the tasting that actually shows to be quite alright.

The enjoyable evening becomes night in Angers – a city always is worth a visit with its multitude of restaurants, life and young people. The next day, which is the fifth of the trip, we have three visits in Anjou at respectively Domaine Les Goelands, Domaine Garo’Vin and Domaine La Ferme des Caudalies. In other words, we have arrived in the French stronghold of natural wine. Corresponding

to the notion of a natural wine producer, we are greeted by the laissez fair attitude of the former math teacher Philippe Delmée, who arrives half an hour late to our appointment at Les Goelands. Since 2006 he has produced natural wine from his 4,5 hectares with an annual production of 15.-25.000 bottles. 'Work in the vineyard,' he says in French and smiles disarmingly. The visit itself is the hallmark of being with a natural wine producer; we taste the new vintage from the barrels in an old, dirty garage and pour the rest of the glass back into the barrels; very liberating and welcoming. Not surprisingly, most of the wines are Chanin Blanc and Cabernet France. Afterwards we taste vintage 2022 on his porch, before we set off for our next appointment with Cédric Garreau at Garo’Vin. Cédric is 42 years old, owns 4 hectares and produces 20.000 bottles a year. Everything is spontaneously fermented, no sulphur is added and he uses biodynamic practises in the vineyard. His assortment consists of two sparkling, two whites, one orange, two reds and one sweet wine, which we taste with him and his wife outside in the sun, while their two young daughters run around and play in the garden. Very idyllic and an overall good experience.

We will leave out the last visit of the day, which was just as sad an experience as tonight’s cup final where AGF lost to Silkeborg in quite a tedious match.

The sorrows were drowned in wine in the streets of Angers, while looking back at a day with natural wine. Like so many of our Danish wine colleagues, we are aware of the natural-wine-wave that has sweeped over the wine bars in our coutry over the course of the past 10 years. Our presence in Anjou however, is due to a wish of finding a lot of funky natural wines that smell of manure and tastes like vinegar, but more to look for small, family-owned producers that make wines from local grapes (Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc) without adding chemistry neither in the vineyard nor the winery.

If you ask me, this whole natural wine trend we see today is misunderstood. It is an either-or instead of both-and.

Why need natural wine be excessive and funky to ful fill the perception of being just this; a natural wine? It only scares all other wine lovers away and feeds into a biased idea of the term, exactly because they only have tasted vinegar sour white wines and bubbly red wines.

It is a selffulfilling prophecy if you will. Rather than putting a lid on the natural wine term – which most of the producers of natural wine by the way don’t do – we should realize that it is only grapes, whose must is fermented to wine during spontaneous alcoholic fermentation, and bottled with a minimal or no addition of sulphur or other chemicals. Nothing else. Hands off. Natural wine. The wiser 41

we become about what natural wine is and not necessarily needs to be to live up to the term, the more joy people will get by drinking natural wine.

The next day is the last wine day of the trip before we move towards Paris where we will be the last two nights. We have two visits in the amazing Savenniéres; a small appellation with 140 hectares owned by 30 wineries that only produces wine made of Chenin Blanc. It is at once our last day with and one of the days I have been looking most forward to because, Savenniéres ranks highly on my personal wine preferences.

First visit is at Clément Baraut in the small village Murs-Erigne, 15 km east of Savenniéres, where we, on a beautiful sunny morning, are greeted by Clément, who makes organic and biodynamic inspired wine from his modest 4 hectares, whereas 2 of them are in Savenniéres.

The expression of his wines are clean and well composed, and when we leave him a couple of hours later, it is with a good feeling.

The last visit on the trip is at Château d’Epiré in the heart of the small, charming city of Savenniéres. We park the car in front of the towns ancient church which has been changed into a wine cellar, and enter the garden. Here we are met by a great, beautiful castle that has been in the family since 1850.

A stone’s throw away, we are greeted to Paul Bizard who is the 5th generation in a wine family that dates back to 1882.

Unlike many of the other visits on the trip, Paul right away brings us into his vineyards that stretch over 11 hectares, all located in Savenniéres. As we step into the field, the most amazing sight meets us: beautiful, healthy and well-kept vines as far as the eye can see, placed in the heart of the appellation with a view to Nicholas Joly at the left, Domaine Aux Moines at the right and the Loire River running right in front of us down the hill that constitutes this unique and vast vineyard.

The sight is nothing less than overwhelming. Even if the water level of the river is unnaturally high, and even if the conversation quickly turns to the extreme climate changes, it is such a beautiful sight that I for a moment forget why we are here. But maybe that is why we are here. For the beautiful experiences; those experiences we take with us through our lives.

Be it a unique wine, a beautiful vineyard or a producer that is so dedicated to his wines that he would rather undersell them than selling them too fast. And that is how Paul is; modest but confident, concious of the treasure he carries yet earnest about the things that happen around him.

After the tour in the vineyards, we walk to the cellar where we taste his four Savenniéres, three 42

dry and one semisweet. Luckily his wines live up to the rest of the visit, which is also why we uplifted bid him a very fond farewell. 'When will we get it home?' is the first question once we are back in the car. To myself I answer soon with a little smile.

Before we turn our gaze 300 km Northeast towards Paris, we swing by Nicholas Joly, taste his 2022 vintage and buy a couple of bottles for our cellar list.

A beautiful and enriching day is over, and some well-earned relaxation is in sight with the next two days in the city of lights, Paris!

--I now sit at the famous book café Shakespeare and Company and look out on Île de la Cité where the resurrection of Notre Dame de Paris is taking place. As always there is leben in the streets of Paris. The sun is shining from a cloudless blue sky and in less than seven hours we will sit at the Michelin restaurant La Dame de Pic behind Louvre, where the last experience of the trip awaits. 12 visits lie behind us, more than 100 different wines have been tasted at the different producers, not to mention the many glasses and bottles at wine bars and restaurants in Reims, Auxerre, Angers and Paris. A sensation of gratitude overcomes me - think to work with something as vivid, beautiful and giving as wine.

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And what have we then learned on our journey? Perhaps precisely the fact that we often a bit hastily take something for granted. That our privileged and convenient lives in the North sometimes clouds our vision, like the shadows of the famous wine districts makes us forget the smaller. When it rains in Chablis it resonates in Champagne, the flood of Loire is not a local matter, and the world is inextricably bound together whether we like it or nor. The climate is changing, viticulture travels further and further north, and all the traditional wine districts in Europe are affected. So, what can we do other than try to affect and follow the changes and enjoy the beauty of the present; to appreciate what we experience instead of expecting something that lies in the past. Bring the light and mineral style of Aligotés out of the oaky shadow of Chardonnay, drink elegant and well composed Sauvignon Blanc without thinking about elderflower, experience the sloppy, natural and immediate lightness of Cabernet Franc and Grolleau and then finally appreciate Chenin Blanc from the divine Savenniéres.

A grateful and wiser sommelier says thanks for now, au revoir and bienvenue at one and the same time. Learn from what you experience, take it with you on your journey and always be open towards the small events of life.

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IT’S ROSÉ.

BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT…®

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NYHED HOS OTTO SUENSON

HAHN FAMILY WINES Hahn Family Wines’ historie er et episk eventyr om transformation, vision og pasDer tages forbehold for trykfejl, årgangsskifte og udsolgte varer.

sion for vin. Grundlagt af det eventyrlystne ægtepar Nicolaus ”Nicky” og Gaby Hahn.

I 1980 erhvervede Nicky Hahn vinmarker i Santa Lucia Highlands, Californien, primært beplantet med Cabernet Sauvignon.

Imidlertid indså han hurtigt, at terroirets unikke, kølige klima var ideelt for Bourgogne-sorterne Pinot Noir og Chardonnay.

Denne indsigt ledte til en dristig beslutning om at omlægge vinmarkerne, en risikabel manøvre, der ultimativt resulterede i exceptionelle vine og bekræftede overfor alle kritikerne, at Nicky Hahn var et vinøst geni.

Nicky spillede en nøglerolle i anerkendelsen af Santa Lucia Highlands som en American Viticultural Area (AVA), og hans visionære tilgang og ihærdighed har efterladt et uudsletteligt præg på regionen og vinindustrien.

KOM DIREKTE TIL HAHN FAMILY WINES

Founders Chardonnay Vejl. udsalg 159 kr.

Founders Pinot Noir Vejl. udsalg 159 kr.

Founders Cabernet Sauvignon Vejl. udsalg 159 kr.

Scan QR-koden med din smartphone og kom direkte til vinen.

OTTO SUENSON OG MERE VIN FOR PENGENE Hos Otto Suenson har vi fokus på kvaliteten af den enkelte vin, og uanset prislejet går vi efter at tilbyde vine i den gode ende af spektret - der hvor du får mest kvalitet for pengene.

Vi tilbyder dig både vine fra de klassiske områder og nogle af de nye og mere fremadstormende. Du kan læse mere om geniale Nicky Hahn og Hahn Family Wines på ottosuenson.dk eller komme forbi en af vores butikker i København, Roskilde eller Hørsholm og få en snak med vores dedikerede medarbejdere. Vi ses hos Otto Suenson.

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www.ottosuenson.dk • info@ottosuenson.dk

Historic classification revived T E X T: T H O M A S I L K J Æ R

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One of Europe’s oldest wine classifications was rediscovered only a few decades ago. Now, a Frenchman with deep ties to Burgundy is generating local excitement with a project designed to bring it to the wine world’s attention.

of Beaune five years later published what could arguably be said to be the first official classification of the crus in Burgundy.

But which area witnessed the emergence of an official classification of wine villages more than half a century earlier?

It is basic wine knowledge that the Grand Cru Classé classification in Bordeaux was published in 1855. Maybe it is less known that the Committee of Agriculture of the Arrondissement

The answer is complex, as this area now spans two countries and several wine appellations.

We are in the Northeasternmost part of Italy and the western

B R E A K I N G B O U N DA R I E S

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part of Slovenia, a region historically known as the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca. This territory was once part of the Erblande of the House of Habsburg, which later became the Austrian Empire and, subsequently, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War II, a new border between Italy and Yugoslavia divided the area into a western Italian part and an eastern part that is now in Slovenia.

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Today, this county—referred to as the Contea—encompasses all or part of three Italian PDOs: Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Isonzo, and Collio Goriziano, as well as three Slovenian PDOs: Goriška Brda, Vipavska Dolina, and Kras. This region of Europe has seen centuries of conflict and changing rulers, with Romans, Longobards, and Franks among the many who held power before the House of Habsburg took control in the 16th century.

Despite Collio and its Slovenian counterpart, Brda, gaining some well-deserved recognition as wine districts with worldclass producers, the area has not yet attained the prestige of Europe’s most coveted wine regions. However, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the situation was different. When the French Revolution forced many vineyard-owning nobles to flee France, several chose to settle in Gorizia and its surrounding areas. One notable figure was Count Teodoro La Tour from the Loire, who founded the still-operating estate of Villa Russiz in 1868 and introduced the first cuttings of varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot to the region.

The area was a significant wine source for the Habsburg court.

When Emperor Charles VI died in 1740, his daughter Maria Theresa inherited the throne.

She ruled until her death in 1780 and was an active reformer, particularly in education, science, and agriculture. Around 51

20 years ago, Italian historian and wine enthusiast Stefano Cosma discovered documents revealing that Maria Theresa had initiated a thorough survey of the wine quality in the Contea area. Botanists and geologists were commissioned to assess the qualitative potential of the wines produced in the united principalities of the County of Gorizia and Gradisca, with the goal of creating a “classification of the wines produced in the united principalities of the county of Gorizia and Gradisca with regard to their goodness”.

Maria Theresa did not live to see the outcome of her idea of a quality-based ranking of the villages, but on March 17th 1787 the Commission Caesarea Regia Superiore published a classification for the regulation of contributions – a classification that primarily was used when determining taxes on the wines.

The classification ranked nearly 200 villages across nine levels, or crus if you like, with 14 villages in the first category and 16 in the second.

KNIGHTS OF THE CRU This classification might have remained only a fun fact for wine geeks had it not been for Charles-Louis de Noüe. The Frenchman from the renowned Leflaive family in Burgundy fell in love with the region and, in 2019, founded the Domaine Vicomte de Noüe-Marinic in Goriška Brda together with Alis Marinic. When the discovery of the old classification came to his knowledge, he embarked on

a mission to revive this work.

He founded the Association of Knights of the Cru Classification of The Empress-Queen Maria Theresa aiming to unify the Contea area as a recognized wine district and to rally local producers around this historic concept.

In 2022 he organized the first auction of barrels of wines using the classification and the second edition – once again settled in

the Monastery of Castagnevizza in Nova Gorica – took place in October last year.

The association is still in its infancy with 27 members from both Italy and Slovenia, and it remains to be seen whether this will stay a local curiosity or evolve into a concept with widespread support from producers and consumers, potentially gaining international recognition. Already having a classification with a solid historical foundation in place is on the one hand a great advantage eliminating the need to start from scratch with all the discussions that would create. On the other hand, is it difficult to ignore the fact that producers with vineyard holdings only in the lower-classified crus might have little interest in joining.

But the ambition is high and there are already considera-

tions towards an application of a cross-border appellation with the EU. It will probably be based on the current rules that all producers using the classification on the label are supposed to follow.

The wines must be from a single plot in one of the classified villages whose name must appear on the label along the cru ranking.

It must be a single-variety wine made from either Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Friulano/Jakot, Malavsia d’Istria, Pinot noir, Refosco or Merlot. 12 months of barrel ageing is a minimum requirement. In my opinion, the general quality of the wines from this area deserves more attention and the Maria Theresa classification could very well play a role in that in the future.

To date only a few producers have released wines using the Maria Theresa classification. Domaine Vicomte de Noüe-Marinic is not surprisingly at the forefront. The wines are imported by Vinrosen.

Goriška Brda Attico San Pietro III Cru 2020 (Chardonnay, 13,5%) Captivating, classic aroma profile with notes of yellow stone fruit, butter, toast and a hint of iron.

Dense yet juicy, creamy yet firm with great harmony and balance. The mid-palate features mature citrus fruit, leading to a salty finish. 92 points

Goriška Brda Sotto la Chiesa Bigliana II Cru 2020 (Chardonnay, 13,5%) Somewhat reduced on the nose with sulfur and smokey notes, but opens up with air to reveal citrus fruits, anise, and a touch of wild herbs. Very linear with a salty/stony character and very well integrated oak. Straightforward and elegant wine. 93 points

Goriška Brda Tejca Vedrignano II Cru 2020 (Chardonnay, 14%) Smokey and buttery notes with a supplement of lemon, yellow apples and anise. Superb balance with great precision in acidity and a slightly creamy mid-palate. Very engaging indeed with a classic attitude. Like a mix of Puligny and Chassagne. 94 points

Goriška Brda Groblja Vedrignano II Cru 2020 (Chardonnay, 13,5%) Fruit-dominated nose with a battle between lemon and pineapple complemented by toasty notes as well as a hint of butter. Firm and dense on the palate with great fruit maturity, a touch of sweetness (honey/fudge) and a more stoney, salty finish. 93 points

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Abbaye de Lérins er et historisk kloster beliggende på Île SaintHonorat, en lille ø i Cannes-bugten, ud for den franske riviera.

Klosteret blev grundlagt i det 5. århundrede af Saint Honoratus og har gennem årene spillet en betydelig rolle i religiøst og kulturelt liv.

En bemærkelsesværdig del af Abbaye de Lérins er dets tradition for at producere vine og likører. Munkene har siden slutningen af 1800-tallet produceret både likører og vine, og helt i Cistercienser munkeordenens ånd benyttes udelukkende håndarbejde. Munkene fortsætter med at følge Saint Benedicts regel, der lægger vægt på et liv med bøn, arbejde og fællesskab.

Blandt de berømte likører, produceret af Abbaye de Lérins, er Liqueur Lérina Verte, Liqueur Lérina Jaune og Liqueur Mandarine. Lérina Verte og Lérina Jaune er lavet af en maceration af 44 forskellige planter og urter i alkohol.

De udviser unikke og karakteristiske træk med en rig og kompleks smagsprofil.

Liqueur Lérina Verte, 50%, 50 cl.

Liqueur Lérina Jaune, 43%, 50 cl.

Liqueur Mandarine, 42%, 50 cl.

Besidder intense aromaer af blomster, anis, mynte, timian og verbena. Intens og velafbalanceret smag. Blød og kompleks.

Besidder intense og friske aromaer af vilde blomster, bark, citrusfrugter og kandiserede citroner. Rund og glat mundfornemmelse.

Besidder intense aromaer af mandarin, appelsinskal og kandiserede citrusfrugter.

Cremet konsistens, afbalanceret og frugtig.

Priorparken 845 • 2605 Brøndby • Tlf. 70231211 54 • info@jmk.dk • ordre@jmk.dk • www.jmk.dk

FRA CHABLIS TIL ØKOLOGISK ORANGEVIN - KVALITET PÅ FUSTAGE Wine on tap serveres via anlæg på samme måde som

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fadøl. Denne vinopbevarings- og serveringsmetode er

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20 LITER

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ØKOLOGISK

ROSÉ PROVENCE

MAÎTRES VIGNERONS

An interview with

Christoph Hoch about mousiness in wine B Y: K E T I L S A U E R

Please introduce yourself: Christoph Hoch, family-winegrower in Hollenburg a.d.

Donau/ Austria

What are your experiences with mousiness in beer/wine and what has this thought you about mousiness?

Mousiness was not a topic for us before 2018 – we didn’t hear a lot about it before nor tasted any extreme examples – it was simply not on our radar.

2018 was a crazy hot and early vintage – it brought us, so far the closest and most intense contact with mousiness – after that vintage we definitely KNEW what it was and how it tastes, but not necessarily were it comes from and how to avoid it!

After that we found it also in beers – but not in ours. We started small first batch in 2019 What is mousiness?

Hell, this is a really good question!!

I only can answer it from our CURRENT POINT of knowledge (by 2024) – collected by all the experiences it is a by-product of strain of Lactobacillus hence from a malolactic bacteria strain.

When did you first experience mousiness?

Clearly 2018 How does it affect a wine?

I would describe it like a slight cork.

It hides the soul and flavours of the wine, like kind of a veil.

You can still drink the wine, BUT it is not like it should be, like it supposed to be!

So, speaking to our access to quality, even a small mouse is not acceptable – just as we perceive wines with cork; we want to have the pure wine!

How does it happen?

Again, from our knowledge right now: 56

We think that it happens in the very beginning of vinification, somewhere between pressing, sedimentation and beginning of alcoholic fermentation. So, before the natural alcohol acts as a preservative. Some (strange) Lactobacillus are working already before fermentation.

In our area, this is only happening in very early and hot vintages, simply BECAUSE the temperature of the grapes and therefore the pressed juice is abnormally high - way too high.

See, everything about 15-18°C is OK, but when it goes up to 25°C+ it is getting dangerous!

We just hope by an early vintage like 2024 that all our knowledge is proofed well and we don’t need to learn more from negative influence this year!

How do you avoid mousiness?

Well, again – so far, I can only tell by feedback from wineries and breweries, but so far never tried as well.

• Since we know temperature is an issue, harvesting early in the morning and stopping when it getting too warm/hot could be crucial • What when it is also warm in the nights (because the harvest is so early)? Then the chilling fast and quickly after pressing is important • Add a (spontaneous) fermenting grape juice already at grapes, so that the right culture is working right away on the grapes • Add some wine from last vintage – to have already some alcohol and avoid these Lactobacillus to appear Besides the temperature, the pH value is of course also a big factor which can influence mousiness and/or their Lactobacillus.

In general, it can so be said that what is commonly understood as positive for the winemaker during vinification is prohibiting mousiness:

• Colder harvesting temperatures – around 15°C, or lower • Lower pH value (= higher acidity)

If you get mousiness, will it stay in the tank or can it be removed/disappear with time or by action?

It can and will disappear with time.

In a tank, I have very bad experience – it might take years – in wooden barrel it is faster, but still depending on the intensity, it can take from 2 months to 2 years. We have no experience “by action” once the mouse is here. Too much and fast oxygen will make it more intense.

Sulphur at mousiness will keep it – ONLY senseful when sulphuring before (then you really avoid it, but to recognize the mousiness BEFORE it appears, you need to have many experiences!)

Can we(sommeliers) do anything when a wine is mousy?

Oh shit…. Unfortunately not really….and If so, only for really experienced Somms (same like for winemaker sulphuring before)… So taste wise we distinguish different mousy wines in our family (our own definitions – not official): • Hour mouse: The wine is at opining not mousy, but will get mousy within one hours time.

What the somm can do: Know that wine, know that it will happen and force everyone to drink it in one hour

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• Rope mouse: You don’t recognize the mouse in the beginning, only when you swallowed the wine, you will have a mouse coming up the throat with a rope. Difficult for the somm…

Maybe only possible to solve in combination with food – combine with more spicy or heavy food, so that you don’t have the mousy feel return to the mouth • Rat: Super fat mouse. No chance for anyone. In any way, to keep a bottle which is mousy for a long time until it disappears is very difficult and might take very long time and costs – so to be honestly, for restaurants I don’t see that as an option.

Will it always be "full-on" or can it be in a small amount?

See party above, there are small mouses and rats… Meanwhile we are mega sensible and do not accept ANY of these kind of mice in our wines! Different people might have different sensitivities, and some might be entirely unable to taste it.

In others wines it depends – an hour mouse we accept and drink fast.

CHAMPAGNE JACQUES SELOSSE GUILLAUME SELOSSE DE SOUSA LAUNOIS PHILIPPE LANCELOT MARGUET ` FLEURY CHANOINE FRERES RUINART ´ KRUG DOM PERIGNON CLICQUOT PONSARDIN EGON MÜLLER SCHARZHOF MAXIMIN GRÜNHAUS SOFIA THANISCH SCHLOSS JOHANNISBERG PETER JAKOB KÜHN EYMANN KAI SCHÄTZEL NICOLAS JOLY LEROY DOMAINE LEROY DOMAINE D’AUVENAY GUILLAUME VRIGNAUD DOMAINE PIERRE MOREY DOMAINE J.C. RATEAU DOMAINE CHANDON DE BRIAILLES LAURENT ROUMIER DOMAINE DU COUVENT DOMAINE DES VAROILLES ´ DOMAINE DU TRAGINER MAS PAILLET NENU CHATEAU CRU PEYRAGUEY CHATEAU GRILLON CHATEAU MOULIN SANT VINCENT GRAND FERRAND CHATEAU TOURNEFEUILLE CHATEAU ROCHEYRON DOMINIO DE PINGUS PETER SISSECK QUINTA SARDONIA GALIA TERRAS GAUDA CASA LOS FRAILES See more producers and tastings on www.esprit-du-vin.com L’Esprit du Vin · Snaregade 6 · Copenhagen · T +45 70 20 10 60 · email@esprit-du-vin.com 58

WINE, ONLY APPRECIATED IN MODERATION

Funded by the European Union

AFTER EXTREME HEAT AND COLD,

COME UNBEATABLE MOMENTS

THIS IS RIBERA DEL DUERO. WHOEVER HAS TRIED IT, KNOWS IT.

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Made to Move You

Slovenian wine –

B Y: K E T I

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SVL, what's that?

IL SAUER

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With an invitation from SVL – Slovenska velika lega, a rather new private organization in Slovenia, currently 8 members and new classification system to visit Slovenia, I had a chance to look at the steep vineyards, talk to the people and of course taste the wines.

W I N DY S LO P E S A N D G R E E N G ROV E S Slovenia is a green country with around 60% of the country being forest, the land is valleys and mountains with steep slopes that have wild vegetation growing on the one side and (in some regions) on the other side with the best exposure, vines are cultivated.

The vines are mainly planted on steep calcareous marl terraces with inclination of up to 65%.

The terraces planting system was introduced around 1970,

before this it was single pole, vertical plantings and one vineyard would take up to 30 vineyard workers to manage. Today 4 people can manage the same vineyard since it's horizontal plantings and tractors can be used.

It's still possible to find single pole plantings and looking at these vineyards it's easy to tell that machine work is impossible, so everything has to be done by hand.

In recent years, there has been large amounts of rainfall. Here cover crops come in handy to prevent erosion and suck up the surplus water. Yet, even with the cover cops the biggest problem for the wineries is humidity. The highly humid environment creates perfect conditions for the downy and powdery mildew, so wind over the slopes is a crucial

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viticultural partner, drying out the canopy and the landscape helping to abolish grey rot. To get the best out of the wind-effect, plantings on the slopes are limited to just 1.500-2.000 plants pr. hectare.

Hail has also constituted a large problem so today, multiple vineyards are covered with an anti-hail net. However, these nets also help with training the vines into VSP as well as protecting against sunburn caused by direct solar rays – in fact the nets can reduce the sun exposure with as much as 30%.

TRIO Slovenia has 3 wine growing regions: Posavje (the smallest), Primorska (the warmest) and Podravje (the largest). They are further divided into 9 winegrowing districts.

Slovenska Velika Lega - The organisation is about showcasing the quality of the different regions, not just the single vineyard vines but also village and regional wines. The classification is made up of 3 levels: The highest level “SVL Lega” – Cru single vineyard, the 2nd level “ SVL Vas” Village and the 3rd level is SVL Okolis the district/ regional wines. As a cool feature, the “SVL Lega” wines have the latitude and longitude written on the label: Plotting the info into a GPS will take you to the vineyard.

On our trip we were presented with wines from Edi Simcic, Marof, Vino Gross, Šuklje, Roka, Domaine Ciringa and sparkling wines from Domaine Slapšak and Bjana I think half the wines we tried were made on international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and pinot noir and the other half on local varieties: Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch), Furmint, Rebula, Laski Rizling(Welschriesling). I found that the wines made on international varieties had the same

quality levels that you will find in other recognized areas of the world, but the local varieties are more interesting, showcasing a more terroir driven and unique taste. The producers all specialize in different wines: Sparkling, local cultivar or international varieties.

The wine industry of Slovenia is trying to expand its borders and showcasing that they also have what it takes to be on the international scene. On this trip trying the wines from quality producers I found that they deserve to be a part of this.

Small translation set: Kakovostno – Quality

Ekolosko pridelano v Sloveniji - Organic produced in Slovenia

SUHO – Dry

Popolnoma suho – Brut nature

SLADKO – Sweet

Penece/Penina – Sparkling

Sladkor – Sugar

Vrhunsko vino z zašcitenim geografskim poreklom (vrhunsko vino ZGP) – In place of PDO/PGI

Vsebina – Contains(Amount) Letnik – Vintage Ekolosko – Organic Pridelano – Produced

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Dairy: Slovenian trip - Maribor T E X T: P E R P O U L S E N TO U G A A R D

Arriving 28/05/2024 Arrived in Maribor, by train at night time.

Maribor is the 2nd largest city in Slovenia of just about 100.000 folks. It's hard to get lost since the city has Pohorje mountain range with its Southfacing vineyards on one side, and Drave river on the other.

The wine production in Podravje is 90% White wines Welsch Riesling being the primary grape. Not only is it the most planted grape in Podravje, it is the most planted in entire Slovenia.

There are 2 fractions in Slovenian wine market: The bigger wineries and smaller grower producers – It takes a lot of effort for the smaller producers to break into the market and showcasing their quality.

Back in the days, wine quality was decided by sugar levels, while today it is all about producer profiles, since the quality and the quality is hard to deduce just by looking at the bottle.

Some Vintagenotes: Vintage 2020 – strange vintage, hard to get sugar accumulation, but if the grapes were left on the wines – it gave good wines.

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Vintage 2021 – Great vintage – with amazing wines.

V I S I T AT V I N O G RO S S 28/05/2024

Tasting: Podravje region - Silvaner, Welsch Riesling (Laski Rizling), Rhein Riesling, Sauvignon Gris(Piwi) - allowed from 2021 to be recognized as a variety. Chardonnay (Orange)

Homemade Pizza with tasting.

The vines are mainly planted on steep calcareous marl terraces with inclination of up to 65%. This was started around 1970 and today almost all vineyards are trained like this.

There is a lot of tradition for orange wine in Slovenia. The ties with NE-Italy have cultivated a culture around it that grew strong throughout the 1990’ies, and created a popular demand.

Today, you can find wine bars with focus on orange wines.

Apart from domestic consumption, the export in mainly to Japan, Korea and Italy.

Before that, the vineyards were all worked by hand with 30 vineyard workers, today it's 4, as the single pole plantings have been converted to vertical plantings. It's still possible to find single pole plantings, where it's not as steep. Looking at the vineyards it's easy to tell that it's not possible to work with machines and everything has to be done by hand. In recent years there have been large amounts of rainfall. Here cover 65

crops come in handy to prevent erosion and suck up any excess water. The altitude of the vineyards is between 300-500 m.

One of the largest vineyards is around 30ha and is shared between 5-6 wineries.

The biggest problems for the wineries are downy mildew and

powdery mildew. The highly humid environment provides an easy target for the downy mildew and powdery mildew – though on the slopes you will find winds that helps to dry out the vines, since the plating density on the slopes low and limited, just 1.500-2.000 plants pr. hectare, the wind flow will really help out.

2018 Furmint, Brut Nature, Bottling date 20.3.2020. Disgorging 10.3.2023 2022 Maribor Blanc, 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Laski Riesling, 2022 Gorca – Haloze - 100% Furmint 2022 Colles - Haloze - Saivignon Blanc

S O M E T E R M S: Kakovostno – Quality SUHO – Dry SLADKO – Sweet Sladkor – Sugar Vsebina – Contains(Amount) Letnik – Vintage Ekolosko – Organic Pridelano – Produced

Ekolosko pridelano v Sloveniji - Organic produced in Slovenia Popolnoma suho – Brut nature Penece – Sparkling Penina – Sparkling

DAY 2 – O L D V I N E AT THE RIVER SIDE WA L K 29/05/2024 Sparkling wine tasting.

Domaine Slapsak – Methode traditionel – Penina All wines are made NV. Brut reserve – Zametna crnina – Modri Pinot - 2 g/rs 15 months on the lees, reserve refers to the wine being only reserve wine.

Brut Nature ZC – Zametna crnina - 100% Stainless steel – Blanc de Noir – 57 L wine of

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100 kg. Grapes. - 3 years on the lees – 1 year in the bottle.

The taste is quite nice and has a great freshness, showcasing with red fruits, raspberry, underripe strawberry and Lactic.

Good length, balance and intensity.

Brut Rose – 4g/rs - Zametna crnina Bjana Sparkling wine – 100.000 bottles a year.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plantings. Manual harvest in 20 kg boxes – morning picking Brut – 3 g/rs – 12% reserve wine – 45% PN 55% Chardonnay – 24 months on the lees

M A RO F – V I S I T – 29/05/2024 The different producers of the Slovenska Velika Lega showcased their wines.

Slovenska Velika Lega - The organisation is about showcasing the quality of the different regions, not just single vineyard vines but also village and regional wines. The classification is made up of 3 levels: the highest level “SVL Lega” – Cru single vinyard, 2nd level “ SVL Vas” - Village and SVL Okolis the district/regional wine.

First flight of wines from Vino Gross, 1 village wine made on a blend of Sauvignon blanc and

Furmint and 2 Lega wines made on 100% furmint.

Second flight. Wines from Domaine Ciringa 3 wines on Sauvignon blanc with 2 wines in the SVL Vas category and 1 SVL Lega. 2022 Fosilni Breg Sauvignon Blanc SVL Vas, 2017 Fosilni Breg Reserve Sauvignon Blanc SVL Vas, 2015 Pruh Sauvignon Blanc SVL Vega Third flight. Wine from “Roka”.

2017 Laski Riesling(Welsch Riesling) 2018 Furmint and 2018 Modra Finkinja(Blaufrankisch). Since the producer is quite small all 3 wines are inside the Svl Lega category and the same vineyard.

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Fouth flight. Edi Simcic Wines.

SVL Vas 2022 Rebula, SVL Lega 2021 Rebula and SVL Lega 2020 Chardonnay.

Fifth flight. Marof Winery.

Wine 1blend: 2021 Goricko Blnac(Laski Rizling, Rizling Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc) SVL Vas, 2nd wine 2020 Kramarovci Chardonnay SVL Vega, 3rd 2020 Mackovci Modra Finkinja SVL Vega Sixth flight. Winery Suklje. 3 levels of Modra Finkinja. 2021 Bela Krajina Modra Frankinja SVL okolis, 2nd 2022 Lodoma Modra Frankinja SVL Vas, 3rd 2020 Vrbanjka Cru Plesivica Modra Frankinja SVL Vega.

HÅNDLAVET EUROPÆISK VIN VINOVA.DK - TLF. 20 80 50 22

VISION FOR KVALITET OG NYDELSE Høj kompetence og erfaring siden 1979 ligger bag Adriats spændende sortiment, der omfatter vine fra vingårde i hele Italien. Flere hører til blandt verdens førende producenter, andre er på vej, og nogle er stadig ukendte. Alle er de omhyggeligt udvalgt med samme store kærlighed til vinen.

www.adriatvinimport.dk

Adriat Vinimport as 68

I TA L I E N S K E K VA L I T E T S V I N E

BRASH HIGGINS REDEFINING WINEMAKING IN THE MCLAREN VALE

Brad Hickey is no stranger to unusual winemaking that flies in the face of tradition in the McLaren Vale of South Australia. In a region known primarily for full-bodied reds of high alcohol and extraction, the Chicago native has quickly made a name for himself making minimal intervention wines that favor fruit, finesse and freshness over brawn.

While working as a wine director in New York City, Brad had often visited Australia on wine buying trips, but when he went to join a harvest at a winery in McLaren Vale, it sparked something more. He discovered that making the wine was a lot more fun than serving it to wealthy businessmen in TriBeCa. Later, he met Nicole Thorpe and decided to stay for good.

His … gave him the nickname Brash, and he also adopted the fake surname Higgins, which

helped him stay low and out of sight of the authorities, as his visa had long since expired.

AMPHORAS, FLOR AND FIELD BLENDS After becoming a permanent resident, Brad took to making his own wine under his new pseudonym, Brash Higgins. Nicole already owned a small family vineyard by the name of Omensetter, planted to the region’s classical varieties of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

But the Vale was suffering a serious drought, and the two Australian stalwarts were hit hard, so the couple decided to investigate if other varieties might fare better in the extreme conditions. Steve Pannell, a local legend, had previously suggested that the Italian grape, Nero d’Avola, could potentially thrive here. Being nomadic by nature, Brad and Nicole went to Sicily to see the grape

Juul’s Engros er sponsor af Dansk Sommelier Forening.

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in situ. That also allowed for visiting, among others, legendary producers Frank Cornelissen and COS, and learning about their use of amphoras in winemaking. Back home, they planted Nero d’Avola, but also sought out other unusual varieties like riesling, semillon, mataro and crystal. Inspired by Cornelissen, they commissioned an Adelaide-based potter to make a number of 200-liter terracotta amphoras from local clay. In particular, their aromatic zibibbo, which ages on the skins under a layer of flor, has gained a serious cult following.

Brash Higgins is a major part of a serious wine revolution in McLaren Vale, one that proves the region is capable of renewing itself in the face of climate change.

Repræsentant fra Juuls Engros: Anders Regout // +45 25 94 06 14 // Andersr@juulsengros.dk

JUUL S E NGROS

K Ø BE N H A V N ETAB. 1926

Dominio del Águila

B Y: N I N A J E N S E N

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In Ribera del Duero new energy is afoot – one doesn’t have to take many sips of Dominio del Águila to realize that. That energy made its way to Denmark in June, where winemaker Jorge Monzón visited Copenhagen. Jorge grew up in the small town of Águila, witnessing firsthand the shift in winemaking: Elegance and juiciness was rejected in favor of extraction and power.

This sparked a fire in him – determined to bring back the authentic Ribera del Duero, he defines his vision as “Old New”. Since founding their family winery in 2010, Jorge and his wife Isabel Rodero, have steadily been building a reputation for a different representation of the area, which many perceive as a new and fresh take on the region, when it in fact is a return to the roots of the region’s winemaking heritage - this old style just happens to align very well with a contemporary vision of wine as something distinct from a specific area, as well a taste for less oak and more juicy styles.

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B AC K TO T H E RO OT S Their great passion is the vineyard! Jorges connection to the land runs deep, coming out of a family of vignerons. He pursued formal education in soil, viticulture and oenology at the prestigious universities of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Honing his craft at some of the most iconic wineries on the planet, Jorge can write more than two years at Domaine De La Romanée-Conti a year at Vega Sicilia Group and nine yearsa as technical director of Bodegas Arzuaga-Navarro on the CV before committing full time to Dominio del Águila in 2013.

The domain's greatest asset is the vineyard. Returning to Ribera in 2003, Jorge already then started to add to the small holding of family vineyards little by little. These were not the vineyards others coveted; they were the cooler locations where you would get less ripeness and less color than conventionally desired. Yet, Jorge saw potential where others did not. Upon returning to his birth town, Jorge received a touching back up from the local community – many local families, facing the pressures of urbanization and without younger generations to continue their farming traditions, entrusted their small parcels of land to him, just wishing to see it on good hands. They recognized his mission to preserve the traditional Ribera del Duero, and their support was both a testament to his vision and a reflection of the region’s changing landscape. To Jorge, the abandoning of the coun-

tryside is a great tragedy, only heightening the importance of his mission.

Today, Dominio del Águila has built a solid foundation owning over 30 hectares of ancient vines, primarily farmed organically, along with an additional 5 hectares of “younger” sub-50years-vines. The vineyards are meticulously managed, divided into more than 400 plots spread across a 10-kilometer radius – a witness of the relentless detail orientation that has made his reputation. The vineyards run on an ore limestone, interspersed with varying amounts of clay and sand in between. Some places where the limestone is almost pure, the pH value of the soil can go as high as 8!

C U B I L LO A N D Á L B I L LO Jorge describes is so himself: “Through all those years learning and gaining experience, we were also devoted to the recovering of family vineyards, till we have managed to get together as owners a very high quality vine patrimony, some real Grand Crus… where the ‘tempranillo’ is the true protagonist, living in a very friendly way with other varieties such as blanca del país, bobal, garnacha, albillo, tempranillo gris, etc.”.

At the heart of this we find Tempranillo – particularly the Cubillo selection, a local strain that fell out of favor after phylloxera due to its low yield. The Cubillo strain has a stellar quality potential, producing grapes with small, intensely flavored berries. Another, perhaps even

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more unique specialty, is the work Dominio del Águila does with Albillo. Put together their holdings of Álbillo counts for 30% of the total acreage of Álbillo in Duero, and thy are one of the few wineries producing a pure Álbillo white wine. Behind that is the most demanding harvest regime – not due to any genetic probabilities but instead because the plants stand one by one in between the red varietals in the fashion of co-plantation, originally intended to be mixed with the red varietals. Some of the Álbillo will still be used for co-fermentations and some goes into rosé making, but the star of the show is really this one single white wine matured in ex-DRC-Montrachet barrels that has gained almost a cult following. With that, the Álbillo has come to represent the progressive, less traditional part of winemaking at Dominio del Águila, but it is a way for Jorge to bring what he learned in Burgundy to Ribera in a very specific, delicious manner.

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PAT I E N C E I S K E Y Producing 80,000 to 100,000 bottles annually in a truly artisanal manner, most of the cuvées are produced in small quantities below 3000 bottles per year and are intended for aging. Surely they do have a few bread-and-butter wines, but even those receive the same attention in the vineyards and are great wines, perfectly aligned with the philosophy. The winery employs 18 full-time, year-round workers — three times more per hectare than other quality producers in the region. During the harvest, which can last 4050 days, the team swells drastically to over 80 people. Each vineyard may be harvested up to four times, ensuring that only the best fruit makes it into the vinification; Jorge calls it “harvesting in tries but for dry wine making”. The harvest will typically finish in mid-October concluded by the Hoyo Morto and Iesu Vinum as the last.

Patience is really the keyword throughout vinification, where the craftmanship is at its highest as a natural continuum to the vineyard work. “The grapes go through rigorous sorting: 15 people from 14.0002.000 just to sort 2000kg of grapes, and individual berries are picked off of the bunches if they are less than perfect,” Jorge explains. The grapes are then foottrotten without any destemming and, for the reds, a maceration of 50 days followes with the objective of getting a good extraction, but in a controlled manner; none of the wines are dark and inky, but rather a bright ruby with purple reflections and less color density. Jokingly Jorge says: “The color is not too black… It is not really the color of Spain”.

Most of the wines then goes on for three years of aging in a 500-year-old cave for a cellar, during which, the malolactic fermentation will also take place.

While the alcoholic fermentation is long – lasting a full month! – it is nothing to the malolactic which typically takes 1-2 years in cold years and 6 months in warm years!

Even when leaving outside of Jorges domain of control, he does his utmost to share his beliefs, conveyed by the beautiful finish each bottle gets with wax and sleek label design. To Jorge, it is important to help encourage the craft of the sommelier and upkeep the etiquette and ritual around opening a bottle of wine – it is the direct extension of his philosophy as a winemaker. As he says: “A moment to pay respect”

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Three highlights from the tasting 2019 Canta la Perdiz: Sunny Grand Cru with very sandy, white soils. Changes label every year to represent a musical reference and Perdriz means singing. Mith a moderate to subdued color intensity, the color is significantly lighter than the rest of the lineup. Extremely aromatic in a most charming way with hints of red fruit refreshing up the dark berries and plum. Very extroverted. Narrow structure, way finer and more silky tannins than any of the other cuvées. High acidity. Extremely elegant. Production is normally just above 1000kg/ha. Screams limestowne but with refined tannins of good clay. Extraordinary wine with so much x-factor. It puts emotions into movement and is something you will not forget.

2017 Canta la Perdiz: Complicated vintage, but fantastic quality.

“People in Spain easily give up on the difficult years.” Jorge says. In late April -12C frost wiped out a lot of the crop and complicated the vintage.

No sulfites before after the malo. No racking during 3 years of elevage.

Reduced wine that needs to open up in the glass. Amarena, almond in between garrigue, plum, blueberry and violet with a roselike lift. Fennel, liquorice. More focused and narrow. Tannins that spread and lingers on the gums long after the fruit sensation is gone. Very fine tannin texture.

Label Inspired by the rare good electronic music: “Out of 100 tracks 1 is good. The rest is copy-paste-copy-paste” according to Jorge.

2016 Iesu Vinum: First plot to be harvested. More liquorice.

Sandy-calcaire soil. Rounded, very finely grained tannnins. More chocolate, earthy, sweet tobacco, dense, blackberry, dark forestberries. 74 months in oak. Just released two weeks ago (tasting in June). Extremely rapid ripening and can go 2% abv .up in sugars in a single day.

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26 25 82 50

info@nybaekgrafisk.dk

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”MAGISK SAUVIGNON BLANC OG SOFISTIKEREDE FLØJLSBLØDE PINOT’ER AF HØJESTE KVALITET”

”KVALITETSVINE MED PASSION, ÆRLIGHED OG DANSK ISLÆT” Leo Steen Wines

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CHAMPAGNE

ROGER COULON DEPUIS 1806

W W W.V I N F O R S Y N I N G . D K

”Roger Coulon remains one of the under-the-radar names in Champagne. I find a purity in these Champagnes that is hard to fully describe with words. It’s a sort of transparency - an expression of vintage, variety and place - that is both singular and compelling.” (Vinous.com)

HERI HODIE 1. CRU EXTRA BRUT (90 points Robertparker.com)

L’HOMMÉE 1. CRU EXTRA BRUT (95 points Vinous.com)

ESPRIT DE VRIGNY 1. CRU BRUT NATURE (93 points Vinous.com)

2013 MILLESIME BLANC DE NOIRS (95 points Robertparker.com)

CHAMPAGNE ROSÉLIE ROSÉ DE SAIGNÉE (91 points Robertparker.com)

FØRES EKSKLUSIVT AF 83

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