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Month: May 2025

Wine of the Week

Unveiling the naked truth

Published 23. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Here is a skin contact white from the sun-drenched vineyards of Attica, Greece.

Established in 1917, Mylonas Winery is a third-generation family estate situated in the village of Keratea, approximately 30 miles southeast of Athens. With 12 hectares of vineyards scattered across the Attica peninsula, the winery is renowned for its commitment to indigenous Greek varieties, particularly savatiano. Their philosophy emphasizes minimal intervention, allowing the terroir—characterized by mineral-rich limestone soils and a Mediterranean climate—to shine through.  

Attica’s vineyards benefit from diverse soils, including limestone, shale, and sandy clay, coupled with a coastal climate that provides cooling sea breezes. These conditions contribute to the development of grapes with concentrated flavours and balanced acidity. The region’s historical association with bulk retsina is being redefined by producers like Mylonas, who showcase the potential of savatiano as a varietal.  

The wine is crafted from hand-harvested grapes sourced from the single vineyard Vouno in Keratea, situated at an altitude of 250 meters. The grapes undergo a cooling process at 8°C, followed by destemming and spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine experiences 20 days of skin contact at a controlled temperature of 18°C, enhancing its structure and complexity. After fermentation, it is aged on fine lees for six months with regular stirring, bottled unfined, and contains only a minimal addition of sulfites.  

Naked Truth Savatiano 2023 (Mylonas)

Bright golden. Complex aroma of peach skin, honey, and floral notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied and balanced by lively acidity, reflecting the aromatic profile with an unexpectedly long aftertaste. 

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

A cool cinsault

Published 16. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

In the rolling granite hills of the Paardeberg, Adi Badenhorst continues to create some of the most characterful wines the Swartland. His Ramnasgras Cinsault is a profound expression of this place – a wine that leans on history, trusts its fruit, and speaks in fine detail rather than in bold strokes.

The fruit for this wine comes from a dry-farmed bushvine vineyard planted in 1956, rooted in decomposed granite soils. The vineyard, named Ramnasgras, is tucked into the Swartland’s rugged terrain and is naturally low-yielding, producing small, concentrated berries. In keeping with Badenhorst’s minimal intervention philosophy, the 2022 vintage was hand-harvested and fermented with around 20% whole clusters, using only indigenous yeasts. The wine spent about a year ageing in large old foudres before being bottled with low sulphur and no fining or filtration.

Ramnasgras Cinsault 2022 (A.A. Badenhorst)

Pale ruby with a translucent core. The nose is fragrant and inviting, with scents of redcurrant, rosehip, pomegranate and sweet spice, underpinned by a gentle earthiness and a whiff of crushed herbs. On the palate, it is light in body but with a beautiful clarity of fruit and texture – bright, tangy red berries glide over fine, powdery tannins, while a savoury minerality brings balance and length. The alcohol is modest at around 11.5%, but the wine does not feel slight – rather, it is poised and precise, with energy.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

From the 2023 GG release

Published 13. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

At a tasting in our wine club yesterday, we explored a line-up of Grosses Gewächs Rieslings from the newly released 2023 vintage. Among the highlights was Katharina Wechsler’s Morstein.

The 2023 vintage in Germany, and particularly in Rheinhessen, offered conditions that many growers described as “classic.” Early impressions suggest, in short, that this is a year of finesse rather than power. 

Morstein is one of Rheinhessen’s great limestone vineyards, perched above the village of Westhofen. First mentioned in the 13th century, it is now firmly established as a Grosses Gewächs (GG) site, producing Rieslings of impressive longevity and mineral tension. The combination of deep clay and active limestone gives the wines both weight and energy.

Since taking over her family estate in 2009, Katharina Wechsler has become a leading figure in the new wave of German winegrowers. Her style is defined by organic farming, spontaneous fermentation and long lees ageing in large neutral oak, resulting in wines that are textural, articulate, and deeply rooted in place.

The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested in several passes to capture optimal ripeness. After gentle foot-trodding of the grapes, the must was fermented with wild yeasts in large oak casks and matured on its fine lees for several months. The approach is low-intervention but carefully guided, allowing the site’s signature to shine through.

Morstein 2023 (K. Wechsler)

Pale colour. Aromatic with lime, white peach, green herbs and wet stone. Expressive on the palate, with a saline drive and laser-cut acidity. Fine texture from lees ageing, and a long, stony finish that speaks of its limestone origin. Still youthful, probably with an excellent ageing potential, but already compelling in its linear, elegant style.

Price: High

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Wine of the Week

A natural classic

Published 9. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

In the world of natural wines, La Sorga is a classic. Based in Montagnac, Languedoc, France, Anthony Tortul has been crafting expressive, zero-sulphite wines since 2008. His approach involves sourcing grapes from organic and biodynamic vineyards, focusing on the unique terroir of each site.  

This wine was enjoyed at Tempo wine bar in Sandnes, Norway. I didn’t find the vintage on the label, bur the lot number suggests 2023, which seems probable. The Boyfriend is an orange wine that exemplifies Anthony’s commitment and style. This cuvée is a blend of grenache blanc, muscat of alexandria, and marsanne. 

The grapes undergo skin maceration, resulting in a deep orange hue and a complex flavour profile.

The Boyfriend 2023 (La Sorga)

Deep orange. Intense aromas of clementine, tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, and a hint of grapefruit, complemented by floral notes and subtle spice. Juicy in the mouth, dry with soft tannins and a lingering mineral finish. Approachable and fun at 11°.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Clisson

Published 2. May 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Muscadet region has long been synonymous with light, seafood-friendly whites, but a quiet revolution has taken place over the past couple of decades. Producers are now drawing attention to the age-worthiness and complexity that melon de bourgogne can offer—especially when rooted in the right soils and afforded patient lees ageing.

Clisson is one of the cru villages of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, its wines defined by the granite soils and long ageing on fine lees. For a cru Clisson, the regulations demand at least 24 months of lees contact. Ollivier-Cottencau take this one step further. This 2018 vintage spent no less than 42 months on the lees before bottling, allowing the wine to gain both depth and texture.

Ollivier-Cottencau is a collaboration between two families with deep roots in the region. The estate, situated in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, is now in the hands of the younger generation, who have embraced organic farming and a low-intervention approach in the cellar. Their wines reflect a respect for both tradition and terroir, with a particular focus on long ageing.

Over time, the lees (yeast cells) break down and release compounds that contribute to the wine’s mouthfeel and aromatic complexity. The result is a wine that bears little resemblance to the brisk, saline Muscadet of old. Instead, Clisson 2018 presents a broader, more layered profile, while retaining the hallmark tension and freshness of the region.

Clisson 2018 (Ollivier-Cottencau)

Golden hue. Aroma of dried herbs, crushed stone, and ripe lemon peel, underscored by a light nuttiness from the lees. On the palate, the wine is taut yet textural, with a saline core wrapped in notes of orchard fruit and a gentle smokiness. Long finish, with a subtle grip that speaks of granite and time. A wine for the table—and for contemplation.

Price: Medium

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