Masi Campofiorin 2007

Wine and Mexican food has never really in my mind worked well together. The problem is I love wine and I love Mexican food. I've tried all kinds of variations on the theme, and have never succeeded, until tonight. Mild Burritos with mince & beans, baby spinach, cheese and medium salsa. Make sure it's medium, otherwise you won't taste this wine, or any wine for that matter, which means you'll end up settling for an ice cold beer instead.

I recently received two of these bottles of wine for my house warming party. I've never had this one specifically, but have had two others in the Masi range. What makes this wine special is that it's double fermented, which affects the taste. To make a long story short, I'll quote from the label: "Campofiorin. Double Fermentation - Ripasso. Exclusive Masi 'Supervenetian' wine made since 1964 by refermenting red wine produced from freshly picked grapes from the Verona area with a percentage of semi-dried grapes of the same style. This doble fermentation technique gives wines greater concentrations of colour and aromas with a bigger structure and a longer life."

This very dark ruby red wine, for me, didn't have such a strong, or should I say too strong aroma. What it did have though was a lot of cherries in the taste. Very spicy and very good. It was soft and smooth, and had a long after taste. It made an excellent companion for our Burritos. It helped that the food was mild though. The grapes in the wine are 70% corvina, 25% rondinella och 5% molinara.

The price is very reasonable at 105kr, have a look at SystemBolaget.se

Jacobsdal Pinotage (2004)

Wine tasting 6

Here we have my favourite wine in the world. OK not really but I love it. This is what a Pinotage is supposed to smell and taste like. It's a 2004 vintage, so 5 years in the bottle only made it so much better. We've tasted it before during wine tasting 1, where it also scored 4 stars. Have this wine one night with a cheese platter of strong blue vein cheeses and some preserves, just to bring the best out of it, you won't be disappointed.

Panel's rating: 3,84 out of 5




Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape: 100% Pinotage
Price: 110SEK

Colour: Deep ruby, garnet.

Nose: Large, slightly developed, fruity, burnt aromas with hints of barrel, tobacco, plums and meats. Plum and cherry. Subtle oak and vanilla spice.

Taste: Something developed, lightly smoked, tasteful wine, with hints of barrel, tobacco, tar pastilles and plums. Mulberry, raspberry and hints of cedar. No rough edges with fresh succulent fruit and great tannin structure.

Stellenzicht Pinotage (2006)

Wine tasting 6

During wine tasting 5 we tasted the Double gold Veritas award winning Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz (2005) which didn't score so high with the panel. This time around it was their Pinotage, which managed 4 stars. During the Veritas 2008 awards which is South Africa's premier award ceremony, no less than 6 wines from this farm scored bronze medals or better, including this wine, which scored a Silver medal. Really quality wines from a fairly unknown South African wine farm. If you can get your hands on a wine from their Cellar Master release, then buy some. It's really fantastic wines and still fairly well priced.

Panel's rating: 3,94 out of 5




Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape: 100% Pinotage
Price: 110SEK

Colour: Dense, blue red colour. Dark ruby colour.

Nose: Very fruity, slightly smoky aroma with barrel character, elements of dark berries, plums and chocolate. Mulberry fruit with rich plum, blackcurrant and earthy aromas.

Taste: Very tasteful, fruity, slightly smoky wine barrel character, plums, herbs and chocolate. Darker berry flavours on the mouth- filling palate with oak and fruit seamlessly integrated. The solid tannin structure and sturdy acidity will allow this wine to improve with further maturation.

Pongrácz Brut

Wine tasting 5

If I buy Champagne, or more correctly, Sparkling wine here in Sweden, this is what I buy. It has a lot to do with the fact that it comes from South Africa, but more so with the fact that it's a really tasty well balanced sparkling wine, with just the right amount of bubbles. We had this with strawberries out in the garden as it's a brut and very dry and the strawberries compliment it really well. Serve nice and chilled.

Panel's rating: 3,47 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Berg Kelder
Grape: 37% Chardonnay and 63% Pinot Noir
Price: 109 SEK

Colour: Light yellow colour.

Nose: Youthful, fruity fragrance with little bread smell, elements of apples and nougat.

Taste: Dry, slightly roasted flavor with hints of apples, nougat and grapefruit.

Allesverloren Tinta Barroca (2007)

Wine tasting 5

Tinta Barroca is a Portuguese red wine grape that is grown primarily in the Douro region with some plantings in South Africa. It's a common blending grape in Port wine while in South Africa it is normally made into a varietal. It's a fairly unknown variety in South Africa, so it's not very common. It took some getting used to for me, because it's not a taste that fits the regular South African palate, but has since been a regular purchase of mine. It goes really well with meat dishes that have lots of flavours. Do not try it as a stand along wine with your favourite book, because you'll be disappointed. This wine needs a busy kitchen with lot of action around it, lots of colours and lots of flavours.

Panel's rating: 3,36 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Swartland
Grape: 100% Tinta Barroca
Price: 109 SEK

Colour: Purple.

Nose: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt aroma with a hint of barrel, cherry, liquorice and grass.

Taste: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt taste with hints of barrel, plums, cherries and liquorice.

Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz (2005)

Wine tasting 5

This is a multiple award winning wine in South Africa. Double-gold Veritas and the Wine Magazine gold winner. I really enjoyed it, but not more than say the Allesverloren Syrah we had on the same night. Don't get me wrong though, in a tasting of just Shiraz wines, this wine will score in the top ten every time. It's really worth a try, to see what South African award winning wines taste like. Here's a list of all the other wines that also scored double gold in 2008, as well as a link to the Veritas website, so you can see how the wines were judged.

Panel's rating: 3,57 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Stellenbosch
Grape: 100% Shiraz
Price: 110 SEK

Colour: Dark red blue colour.

Nose: Very fruity, slightly smoky aroma with barrel character, plums, pepper, nuts and chocolate.

Taste: Very fruity, smoky flavour of barrel character plums, peppermint and liquorice.

Allesverloren Tinta Barroca (2007)

Wine tasting 4

Allesverloren is a very well known wine farm in South Africa that produces really good quality wines. My favourite is their Cabernet Sauvignon that has been aged between 5-8 years. This Tinta Barroca grape is not a well known variety but will stand tall amongst the better known wines such as Shiraz or Merlot. The flavours are not what you might expect, but midway through your glass it is surely to become a favourite.

Panel's rating: 3,51 out of 5




Price: 109SEK
Country: South Africa
Grape: 100% Tinta Barroca

Colour: Purple

Nose: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt aroma with a hint of barrel, cherry, licorice and grass.

Taste: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt taste with hints of barrel, plums, cherries and licorice.

Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva (2004)

Wine tasting 3

One of the better Riojas on the market, but a bit pricey if you consider the Lat 42 Rioja for 79kr. I did however still love this wine, just because it is a complete wine with a wonderful bouquet and full flavours in the mouth.

Panel's rating: 14.94 out of 20

Price: 102SEK
Country: Spain
Grape: Tempranillo 100% from the Rioja Alta

Colour: Brick-cherry red
Nose: Aroma with slight hints of oak standing out over the ripe fruit. Developed, spicy fragrance with hints of barrel, plums, chocolate, leather and vanilla.

Taste: Tasty, tannic, fresh fruit. Pleasant to drink. Mature, perfumed Tempranillo fruit with round, complex flavours from long-aging in American oak casks. Developed, spicy taste with hints of barrel, plum, cherry, chocolate, leather and vanilla.

Farnese Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (2005)

Wine tasting 2

This wine was also tasted at the first wine tasting, and although it scored a little lower this time, it was still the winner for the night. 85kr for a fantastic wine that's soft, smooth and basically and excellent wine. If you haven't tried this wine before, then buy it. You won't be disappointed. We tasted this wine during the first wine tasting as well, and also received 4 stars with a score of 4,2 out of 5.

Panel's rating: 3,8 out of 5

Price: 109SEK

Country: Italy

Grapes: 100% Montepulciano

Colour: Deep red scarlet, Very dark red, Scarlet to blue red, Very deep red with pink undertones, Scarlet,

Nose: Floral and earthy, Cherries and vanilla, Dark cherry chocolate, Smells of a garden, Jasmine, fruity and a bit yeasty, Liquorice and flowers, Oak barrel with a smell of flowers and vanilla, Full-bodied with a smell of oak and vanilla.

Taste: Smooth, chocolate with hints of cherries and plums, Soft taste that lingers forever, Pepper and vanilla, Alcohol taste with cherries and vanilla, Liquorice, Dark cherries, Spicy and velvety smooth.

Bourgogne - Couvent des Jacobins (2005)

Wine tasting 1

Another winner on the night, but one that I'm afraid most forgot shortly afterwards. It had everything and yet lacked that little something to make it memorable. I am buying this again though to have with a meal, because I find it intriguing and love the label story about Dionysus or Bacchus.

Panel's rating: 3,4 out of 5

Price: 105SEK

Country: France

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Colour: Ruby | A little lighter | Light | Lightish red | Ruby | Christmas red and ruby.

Nose: Wild stawberries, vanilla and caramel | Strawberry sweet, cinnamon fragrance with a caramel finish | Sweet smell of strawberries and caramel | Wild strawberries | Wild strawberries and cinnamon.

Taste: Butter caramel, light with less cedar | Short with a little caramel | Light with wild strawberries | Light and some mushrooms | Very light with a berry taste | A little volatile.

Jacobsdal Pinotage (2004)

Wine tasting 1

My wine collection consists 50% just out of Pinotage, that's how much I love it. It is by far my favourite wine. Jacobsdal is one farm in South Africa that produces proper Pinotage wines, the other is Beyerskloof. I prefer strong, dark wines that feel as if they come from the deepest darkest parts of the barrel. Pinotage is that for me. The thing with it though is that because it's such a strong wine, you need to smooth it out a bit, with some blue cheese and fig preserve. The best way to enjoy this wine.

Panel's rating: 4 out of 5

Price: 105SEK

Country: South Africa

Grapes: Pinotage

Colour: It has begun to leave the blue | Dark red | Red to orange | Very dark red, purple, even blueish.

Nose: Burnt rubber, maybe plastic and gunpowder | Petroleum | Burnt rubber | Burnt smell and vanilla | Burnt rubber and gunpowder | Cherries and oil | Strong smell that lingers.

Taste: Light tannins and cherry stones | Dark berries, long taste, a tad bitter and long tannins | Tannins | Sharp | Brazillian nuts | Deep tannins with a long smooth taste.