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Hello; To widen the experience of the members of the Tastevins of Helsingborg, regular courses are offered, starting with the 'one-point' and working its way up to the 'three-point' which is very difficult indeed. The second stop in this obstacle race is, slightly counterintuitively, the 'variety-course' where wisdom concerning 6 base varieties (CabSauv, Pinot noir, Syrah, Chard, RIesling, and Sauv Blanc) is dispensed. Last week our beloved teacher heöd a blind tasting of what was possibly Chard. Possibly, because the good teacher has the idea that it adds tot he understanding if he puts in a few mavericks, cats amongst the ermine ... No 1 c very light yellow n fruit candy, bit of yeast p tea and hon ey, violently buttaultive acidity, badly structured with short, biter ending. I clbutted this as a cheap Riesling, which proved correct: Ropertsberger Nussbien 2003 Riesling, SEK 60 No 2 c as light as the first one n laid-back, unclean, volatility? woollen mittens p acidity in the attack, fatty, toasted, quite nice structure, apples Overall impression: Pretty OK, particularly after aerating in the glbutt for a while Proved to be a Cal Chard, Bon Terra 2002, SEK 129 No 3 c golden highlights n butter, toast, fudge, cured meat p juicy, bitterness, oaky, something like egg yolk?! broad acidity, gutwarming Overall impression: THis was more like it. Price however, wasn´t ... Mercurey Les Veleyes 2002 SEK 229 No 4 c another almost colorless participant n gooseberries, stings in the nose, candy, soda pop ... p straightforward Sauv Balnc, no doubts about that, and nonen of the "tropical fruits" of NZ SB´s - French? Yup, it was Sancerre Rimbault Pineau 2003, SEK 149 I didn´t like this one, but, wine is to be drunk with a meal, not with other wines (quote or paraphrase from Jean Delmas), and in this congregation it appeared a bit on the thinny side. No 5 c deep, deep gold n Low key, wet woolly mittens, toasty and ... ptoast, nuts, fruit is waning, acidity and fruti does not hold together but grows on you, Meursault? No, a few miles down the road. Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru 'Les Folatières' 1990 Leflaive, auction-bought at c. SEK 700 This wine definitely grew on us (us being self and Xina) but the verdict was very divided, some considering it square, dumpy and uninteresting. No 6 n whiff of stable, flowers (hawthorne? elder?) sweetish p frutiy sweetness, sfot and verdant, good structure, little acidity, v good length This was Cloudy Bay Chard NZ 2002, SEK 219 and not bad, qpr almost acceptable.

Teach is mad about old wines - spends his spare money on French wine auctions, and cosniders no wine worth drinking before it´s at least 20 years old. This night, he was a little like a revivalist preacher, trying to convince a congregation of out and out heathens - he had brought a Puligny-Montraxchet 1949 (a village) which we tasted and ... I don´t know. I must admit to being unable to quite find all the qualities purported to be there. Perhaps I´ll learn, and get out on the auction circuit, and spend all my hardearned mney there? We´ll see.

CHeers

Nils Gustaf

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