Website: https://www.theswedishwinetasting.com/
Marking a significant event in the wine industry, the end of August 2024 witnessed the Swedish Wine Tasting extravaganza, a visionary project by Mikael Mölstad. This event uniquely featured a blind tasting session where Swedish wines were juxtaposed against their international counterparts.
A selection process conducted by Swedish experts in June narrowed down 12 wines out of the original 87 from 27 different wineries for this prestigious event.
The tasting occurred in Skåne, Sweden’s southernmost county, positioned right across Copenhagen with Malmo as its key city. Known as Scania in some contexts, this region is famed for its fertile lands and subtle landscapes, making it a vital agricultural hub producing 30% of Sweden’s food and 90% of its apples. Skåne is pivotal in nurturing the nascent yet expanding wine industry, housing 25 vineyards primarily located along its western and eastern flanks, benefiting from the tempering effects of the sea.
Here I am presenting my personal evaluations of the wines we sampled, followed by the aggregated results from all 18 participants. It’s important to note that my remarks and ratings were made without knowledge of the wines’ identities—only information given was the presence of 12 Swedish and 12 international wines. My original assessments and scores are unaltered even after the wines were disclosed.
The wines were introduced in sets of four, allowing us ample time for each. Looking back, I believe some of my ratings might have been slightly harsh, driven by a more analytical and critical approach than usual. Nonetheless, these ratings reflect a genuine critique.
A film of the Swedish Wine Tasting 2024:
These notes merely represent my perspective. Additionally, I recorded scores for the official competition, where each wine was rated on specific characteristics via a checklist, culminating in a total score out of 100. However, this scheme typically results in lower scores compared to the conventional 100-point scale used by critics. Below, I have shared the collective scores and rankings from the tasting event, along with a complete list of participants. The official outcomes were unveiled on the event’s evening, sparking excitement among the Swedish vintners, journalists, and commercial attendees due to the strong performance of Swedish entries, making this an engaging and informative experience.
In upcoming posts, I will delve deeper into Sweden’s burgeoning wine industry, featuring reviews from visits to seven wineries.
Flädie Vingård Ebba Renässans Brut 2019 Sweden
Marked by distinctive aromatics that include a herbal touch and green notes alongside vivid fruit flavors. The taste offers a blend of herbs and slightly weedy elements coupled with brisk, lemony fruit, underpinned by earthy notes. Although the fruit is appealing, there are particular savory elements that tend to divert attention. 83/100
Langham Culver Classic Cuvée Extra Brut NV England
The nose is characterized by smoky, toasty, and spicy aromas with hints of burnt sugar and citrus. On the palate, there is a richness and spicy depth to the pear and citrus fruits. It features good concentration and depth with a savory, toasty, and spicy aspect to the fruit. It’s satisfying, though not entirely pure. 87/100
Ästad Vingård Mousserande NV 2020 Sweden
The scent is fruity and bright, with notes of lime and pear, and a slight grapiness. The flavor profile is clean, fruity, and straightforward featuring pear and lemon accents alongside vibrant acidity. Driven by fruit and animated, it finishes with a touch of aniseed and sharp lemony fruit. 88/100
Recaredo Terrers Corpinnat Brut Nature 2019 Spain
Characterized by its light body, this wine offers pleasant lemon and melon flavors alongside a nice texture. The taste profile includes pear, almond, green apple, and lemon with a hint of sour cherry and resinous finish. Subtle savory and toasty notes linger in the background, contributing to its well-balanced nature. 88/100
Santa Lucia Franciacorta Brut NV Italy
Exhibiting bright lime and toasty aromas, this wine focuses on fruity sharpness complemented by toast and spice. Its palate is pure and linear, showcasing deep layers of pear, citrus, and peach flavors enhanced by fine spicy nuances and a touch of toastiness. It ends with a slight sweetness. 90/100
Kullabergs Vingård Josefinelust ZD 2019 Sweden
This highly aromatic wine displays a fruity and grapey essence with hints of lychee, suggesting sweetness. The taste is bright and pure, carrying a grape-rich flavor with a slight sweetness, balanced by bitter notes on the finish that add complexity. This wine offers a unique and appealing terpenic profile. 88/100
Ästad Vingård Mousserande Vintage 2020 Sweden
The smoky, spicy nose presents a savory character complemented by taut citrus fruit. On the palate, the wine feels tight and reductive, featuring a mineral, spicy undertone beneath bright lemony fruit and melon richness. It concludes with a short, acidic finish, giving an impression of being slightly disjointed. 83/100
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Collection Organic Extra Brut NV France
Featuring a smoky, toasty aroma with mineral undertones, this champagne integrates savoury wooden elements. The palate is robust, blending a twist of sour cherry with lemon and spicy nuances, leading to an elegant balance of sweet and savory tones. A nicely spiced finish accompanies hints of nuts and honey. 89/100
Flädie Vingård Midnattssol NV Sweden
This wine shows good concentration, presenting bright, somewhat pithy layers of rich pear and peach fruit, complemented by lemony accents towards the end. The flavour spectrum is broad, from rich fruity tones to sharp lemony acidity, culminating in a wine of pleasing density and complexity. 90/100
Veyder-Malberg Liebedich Grüner Veltliner 2022 Wachau, Austria
Characterized by a stony, mineral-forward edge, this wine combines bright lemon and pear fruit expressions. It is midweight and supple, distinguished by clean acidity and pure fruit flavors, concluding prominently with a mineral/wet stone character. The wine is vibrant and energetic. 88/100
Kullabergs Vingård Askesäng 2021 Sweden
With pronounced aromas of table grapes, lychee, and smoky bacon, all sweetly nuanced, this wine offers a broad and flavorful palate. Notes of lychee, Turkish delight, and table grapes prevail, with a balancing bitterness of phenolic characters. Its texture is soft, featuring moderate acidity and a touch of savouriness in the finish. 89/100
Bott-Geyl Les Elements Pinot Gris 2018 Alsace, France
This wine reveals a savory, mineral scent accompanied by smoky, toasty nuances and vivid fruit. On the palate, it is rich, delivering sweet flavors of ripe melon and pear. It concludes with a soft, sweet finish with discreet undertones of cabbage and pastry, leaving a sweet, melony impression. 87/100
Flädie Vingård Four Barrels Barrique 2023 Sweden
This wine features a delightful fruit character, showcasing pure pear and peach flavors, complemented by good acidity. It exudes a floral aroma, with a deep flavor profile that includes spicy notes towards the end. It is easy to enjoy and primarily characterized by its sweet fruit. 88/100
Lottenlund Estate Lotima Selense 2021 Sweden
Vibrant and zesty, this wine combines sweet pear fruit with a vibrant pithy essence, hints of aniseed, and warm spices, highlighted by a tart lemony note. The mid-palate is fruit-driven, boasting an intense and zesty spectrum of flavors from melon, sweet plum, pear, to lime, and grapefruit pith. It is both pretty and expressive. 88/100
Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé 2022 France
This wine has a spicy, mineral aroma with bold, sweet fruit notes. The palate is dense, enriching the rich flavors of lemon, melon, peach, and apricot with a savory twist. This rich yet balanced white wine captivates with its real appeal and concludes with intricate spicy notes. 91/100
Flädie Vingård Aniara Barrique 2019 Sweden
Sweetly aromatic with hints of spice, marmalade, and melon that meld the sweet with the savory. The palate feels fresh and vibrant, marked by good acidity and layered with complex toast and wood accents. It concludes with a sharp acidic finish, blending nicely with the vanilla sweetness for a complex, savory yet well-balanced fruit profile. 90/100
Kullabergs Vingård Immelen 2021 Sweden
Highly aromatic with notes of sweet grape, Turkish delight, apricot, and a hint of spice. The palate is dry yet fruity, featuring exotic apricot and a nice spice touch, reminiscent of a dry Sauternes. A truly rich and delicious experience. 92/100
António Maçanita Arinto dos Açores Sur Lie 2020 Pico, Açores, Portugal
An enticingly spicy and aromatic nose with a savory edge and vivid citrus fruit. The palate is highly acidic and complex, displaying sharp lemon and lime, alongside marmalade/orange peel and a touch of mineral spice. The finish is robust. 89/100
Barco del Corneta Verdejo 2019 Rueda, Spain
This wine features vibrant fruit flavors of pear, citrus, and white peach, supported by a broad and rich palate. Focused flavors of melon, pear, and citrus come through with a nice weight and balance, enhanced by spicy nuances at the finish. 88/100
J M Brocard Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2021 France
Features a bouquet of honey, toast, sweet pear, and table grape aromas. The palate offers a sweetly fruited taste of apricot and spice, complemented by fleshy fruits with a slight jelly-like texture. This wine’s rich, fruity style is reminiscent of hybrid varietals from New York State. 86/100
Flädie Vingård Aniara Renässans 2023 Sweden
Exhibits a lively and pure profile with a mineral touch and intense citrus flavors. Its vibrant acidity enhances the freshness, while the crisp fruit maintains good purity and energy. The fruit presence is notably pleasant. 91/100
Terlan Winkl Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Alto Adige, Italy
This white wine is well-balanced and pure with a nice array of fleshy fruits including pear, cherry, and peach, supported by good acidity and fruit purity. The finish is lemony and slightly exotic with a bright, pithy fruit intensity. 90/100
Klagshamns Vingård Inkognito 2022 Sweden
A fruity and melony profile with substantial depth. It is rich and somewhat exotic, offering flavors of pear and pineapple, a slight jelly-like edge to the fruit, and finishes with notes of aspirin and lemony brightness. The richness of the fruit is quite appealing. 88/100
Weingut Tement Gelber Muskateller Sand & Schiefer 2021 Austria
Luminous scents encompass lemon, melon, delicate herbs, and a touch of juicy mandarin. The taste is fruit-forward with an unusual twist reminiscent of household cleaners: abundant in fruity and floral characteristics with a synthetic sugary flair. The finish is tart yet sweet and reminiscent of grapes. The overall structure feels somewhat unbalanced. 83/100
1. Sweden, Immelen 2021, Kullabergs Vingård, 81.81
2. France, Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé 2022, Louis Jadot, 81.00
3. England, Classic Cuvée Extra Brut, Langham Culver, 80.81
4. France, NV Collection Organic Extra Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte, 80.69
5. Italy, Franciacorta Brut, Santa Lucia, 80.63
6. Sweden, Midnattssol, Flädie Vingård, 80.63
7. Sweden, Aniara Renässans 2023, Flädie Vingård, 77.44
8. Sweden, Askesäng 2021, Kullabergs Vingård, 77.31
9. France, Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre J M Brocard 2021, Chablis, 75.81
10. Portugal, Arinto dos Acores Sur Lie, Antonio Macanita, 75.50
11. Spain, 2019 Barco del Corneta (Verdejo), Barco del Corneta, 75.25
12. Sweden, Lotima Selense 2021, Lottenlund Estate, 74.44
13. Austria, Wachauer Liebedich Grüner Veltliner 2022, Veyder-Malberg, 73.38
14. Sweden, Four Barrels Barrique 2023, Flädie Vingård, 72.63
15. Sweden, Aniara Barrique 2019, Flädie Vingård, 71.75
16. Sweden, Mousserande NV 2020, Ästad Vingård, 70.69
17. Sweden, Inkognito, Klagshamns Vingård, 70.69
18. Italy, Winkl Sauvignon blanc 2023, Winkl, 69.75
19. Spain, Terrers Corpinnat Brut Nature 2019, Recaredo, 69.63
20. France, Bott-Geyl Les Elements Pinot Gris 2018, Bott-Geyl, 69.63
21. Austria, Weingut Tement Gelber Muskateller Sand & Schiefer 2021, Weingut Tement, 69.50
22. Sweden, Josefinelust ZD 2019, Kullabergs Vingård, 68.94
23. Sweden, Mousserande Vintage 2020, Ästad Vingård, 67.50
24. Sweden, Ebba Renässans Brut 2019, Flädie Vingård, 65.44