Etikettarkiv: organic

Spanish red wines, Uncategorized

Smooth raspberries and earth from Terra Alta

Lämna en kommentar

From the southern part of Catalunya in Spain called Terra Alta I try the Interstellar Organic Garnacha 2022 from the producer Herència Altès. This wine gets 79 points (Good wine). The price at Systembolaget is 101 SEK, and the nr 20065.

De Haan Altés was founded in 2010 by Nuria Alte and Rafael de Haan, and after having bought grapes they bought the vineyard La Serra and started their own winery in 2013.

This wine is made from the black grape variety Garnacha (which is called Grenache in France). The wine has a medium light ruby colour, and on the nose I sense fruity raspberries, strawberries, cherries, bay leaf as well as earthy notes and medium intense notes of oak like cloves and vanilla. On the palate the wine shows smooth raspberry and cherry notes, paired with spice, vanilla and chocolate.

This wine is dry and has a medium (+) acidity level and a high alcohol level of 14,5 % abv, however the tannins are medium and smooth. The flavors are not very pronounced and the body is medium, so all in all the wine feels fruity and fresh with a medium light finish.

The wine has been matured for 4 months in large Austrian oak barrels, and its smooth texture, balanced acidity and fruity red flavors makes it a good wine to match with lighter meat dishes, such as grilled pork chops with creamy herb sauce or roasted lamb with oven-baked potatoes. Also good with salads with cheese or similar vegetarian dishes.

It is best served at 16-18°C, and is best to drink now and will not improve with bottle-ageing. Surprisingly good though at this price-level!

Italian red wines

Savory Sangiovese from Marche

Lämna en kommentar

This red organic wine from the region of Marche, in the middle of Italy, is a very nice pairing to especially Italian food like pasta, pizza, cheeses with complex notes as well as most meat dishes… just think of any Italian dish you fancy 🙂

This wine is made from 100 % Sangiovese, which is the most planted grape variety in Italy, with slightly acidic fruity notes as well as herbs and spices. Il Segreto Sangiovese 2019 (nr 73684 at Swedish Systembolaget) is produced by Poggio Fiore in Marche, a region bordering the Adriatic Sea south of Emilia-Romagna.

It has a deep ruby color and on the nose you find black cherries, vanilla from oak, as well as chocolate and coffee. On the palate the balance between acidity and tannins is good, adding also herbal notes and cinnamon.

This wine is, as mentioned already, very easy to combine with food! One suggestion is Oven-roasted pork fillet with mushroom sauce. Try also Roast lamb with potatoes gratin! I give this wine 83 points since it is balanced with typical tasting notes and easy to combine with food dishes and well worth its price!

French red wines

Xavier Grenache vieilles vignes

Lämna en kommentar

Rhône is one of the most famous wine regions of France, and the red grape varieties you find there are typically Grenache and Syrah. Xavier Grenache vieilles vignes Organic 2015 (nr 2151, 95 SEK at Systembolaget) is produced from 85 % Grenache and 15 % Syrah, and it is organic. I give it 81 points.

The producer Xavier Vignon is famous for using the terroir (soil) of the grapes to enhance their flavours, and this wine is a great example of this. The wine is made of a selection of grapes from more than 50 years old vines, called ’vieilles vignes’.  The deep roots give mineral salts from deep down which results in rich tastes of dark fruits like cherries and raspberry, spices, lavender, cinnamon and minerality. The local tones with herbs and lavender from this region is also called ’garrigue’.

The alcohol level is 14,5 %, and it is best served at 16-18° C.

CHEESE: The spicy notes from this wine go very well with the Corsican cheese called Brin d’Amour. It is a goat/sheep cheese rolled in spices like Rosemary, Chili and other local spices/herbs. You can also use soft cheese and roll it is spices and herbs to get this effect, and it goes very well with the fruity and spicy character of this wine! But this wine would also go well with cheeses that are salty, a bit acid and have some spices/complexity – like the Swedish cheese ’Västerbotten’ or the French Gruyere!

FOOD: This wine can be enjoyed on its own, but is goes very well with spicy and grilled dishes (meat and/or vegetables).