Exploring Swedish wine (2) Thora Vingård

September 6, 2024September 6, 2024 jamiegoode 1237 Views

We lunched in the Flora restaurant at Thora Vineyard, which opened this summer, and were hosted by Daniella Lund, a sommelier with winemaking experience who will also help in the winery at vintage time. Then we did a vineyard tour with Daniella and winemakers Emma Berton and Romain Chichery, a young couple from France who moved here last year. Emma’s mother is Swedish, so this was an appealing option for her.

Thora is the project of the Johann and Heather Öberg, who bought this farm near Torekov and Båstad in 2014. They began by planting 300 Fruhburgunder (Pinot Precoce) vines in 2015. Heather was from California, and although they were advised to plant Solaris, she really wanted Pinot.

The first harvest was 2018, but when they arrived to pick the grapes, they found that the birds had devoured them. Fairly soon they realised that if they wanted to make wine, they needed the scale to justify having someone on the property full time. So in 2019 they planted 10 000 vines, and recruited someone from California to come and work here. But it’s a lonely place in the winter, so French couple Emma and Romain came in, after hearing about the opportunity from the Travelling Winemakers Facebook group. They arrived in July 2021.

Then the vineyard was 4 hectares; it has since expanded to 11 hectares, including a block planted this year sur echalas, although with all the competition from other vegetation this has struggled to establish itself. There are 50 000 vines on site, so by Swedish standards this is significant. They use some biodynamic principles and farm regeneratively, with no ploughing. They are planting trees for windbreaks, and fruit trees to encourage biodiversity. Their planting material comes from famed nursery man Lilian Berillon in the Rhône.

From 2023 they have had organic certification, which is tough in Sweden because copper is banned, and this is the only really effective preventive agent for downy mildew. But they are 800 m from the sea here, and have constant breezes that effectively dry the wet surfaces of the vine. It also moderates the winters and helps avoid spring frosts. For spraying, they use sulfur, bicarbonate, talc and mineral oils.

40% of the vineyard is Solaris, with the rest a range of vinifera, including Pinot Noir, Pinot Precoce, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Soils are sandy with some clay, a bit of sandstone in some areas, all over gneiss bedrock.

The restaurant here, Flora, opened on July 22 2024, and is really impressive, set in a beautiful dining room with vaulted wooden ceilings. The region is famous for its potatoes, including one called Estelle that is famous. We had them with some lunch, including a potato flavoured sourdough.

THE WINES

Thora Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Sweden
10.3% alcohol. 60% in French oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel. Full in colour with some savoury, spicy notes framing the bright cherry and raspberry fruit. It’s quite light in body with good acidity. Dark, tight and firm, with a tiny bit of silkiness, finishing dry. Lots of promise here. 91/100

Thora Vineyard Natt Pet Nat 2023 Sweden
Some purchased grapes used here. A blend of Solaris, Pinot Gris, Ortega and Siegerribe. Tart and bright with nice lemon and lime fruit with some juicy, pithy character and a pleasant savoury edge. Complex with some herbal hints, and nice spice and acid. 91/100

Thora Vineyard Pure 2023 Sweden
Solaris in stainless steel. Lovely texture here with nice citrus fruit, with a subtle herbal hint. Some subtle smoky, mineral notes with great balance. Stylish. 92/100

Thora Vineyard Heritage 2023 Sweden
Stylish with nice pear and citrus fruit, as well as some apple. The spicy oak is quite prominent right now. Nice appley detail and texture. 88/100

Thora Vineyard Reserve 2022 Sweden
Woody and intense with tight citrus fruit and some pear. Some almond hints. Good acidity and appealing fruit. 88/100

Thora Vineyard Solaris 2021 Sweden
Lively, bright and focused with lovely pear and citrus fruit as well as a hint of almond. Very classy with nice fruit intensity. Linear and fine. 91/100

SWEDISH WINE

THE WINES

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