Skip to main content

Posts

Leoville Lascases 1988

Last week was a special week for me as I received my last pay check from my previous employer. An event that required some sort of celebration with some good friends. Of the many bottles opened during that evening was a Leoville Lascases 1988. This Bordeaux wine from St. Julien is second Grand cru classee but it has the quality of a first growth. This chateau was also the wine that made me change from beer to wine as I had the pleasure of tasting a Leoville Lascases 1945 back in 88.  The 1945  just knocked me off my guard and I remember thinking what a fantastic wine it was and what an experience to drink this wine from the year when world war 2 ended. I was in shock and I then just decided to enter into the world of wine. I have always had a soft spot for this chateau ever since. And to my pleasure  it has been performing well at much more reasonable prices than the much more expensive first growths in the 1855 classification. Nowadays a bottle of this wine costs around 180€ while a p
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Beaune premier cru 2015

The Beaune appellation is a bit underrated by many compared to the more well known "red" villages like Vosne Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin etc. So what does that mean for us consumers? This is in fact good news as the quality is still high and the price more affordable. I came across this Domaine while in London. Domaine Lois Dufouleur. A totally new domain to me. Lovely silky textured wine. Smooth delicate fruit. Great balance. So I asked the sommelier if he could tell me about the "manager" of this wine. To which he responded; I can, but you might as well talk to the young man next to you- that's his son! So here I was in London drinking this gorgeous Beaune premier cru and next to me was the son of the producer nipping a to great Barbaresco. A place he had not visited but which I had. And he was in London as he wanted a change from Beaune, a place I just love. Isn't life just fun sometimes? Beaune 1er cru Le clos des Perrieres 2015 Lois Dufoule
Post a Comment
Read more

Condrieu 2014 by Cuilleron

In the steep hills north in  the Rhone valley there is a small appelation which is called Condrieu. Here the rare grape of Viognier is grown. A grape not well known to many people but which gives a fantastic wine when grown here. It is a full bodied white with a very pronounced and overwhelming smell of flower, peach, apricot, tropical fruit etc. The taste is dominated by ripe fruit, medium acidity and a long finish. Very good to outstanding quality. This is not a white for the fainthearted as the style is rather opulent. But with 2 year old Comte it is the perfect match. Cuilleron (manager) has many different styles. The wine is pricy and rare to get hold of. Condrieu 2014 "La Petite Cote" Yves Cuilleron ca 30€ or 400 nok
2 comments
Read more

Ch Soudars 2005

A bit north in  Medoc in Bordeaux you will find Ch. Soudars. A mix of Merlot and Cabernet in a very good but warm vintage. Fermentation in steel tanks and maturation 12 months french oak barriques. Deep ruby colour. Delicate smell dark fruit, leather, spice and tobacco. Fresh warm fruit on the palate with a distinct tannin structure that requires some food to match. Try with heavy meaty dishes or BBQ. A very good example of a decent Medoc within budget. Ch Soudars 2005 Haut Medoc Ca 20€ or 300NOK
1 comment
Read more

Mont d’Or and wine matching

The cheese Mont d'Or is French and have been made with raw milk. The cheese can have a strong smell but the taste is quite approachable and kind. The cheese can be served at room temperature or slightly heated (like on the picture). As the cheese is from the Jura district and quite umami rich, a wine from the same district is a good option. There are some very good Chardonnay wines from Jura that has enough body and texture to match the wine. Further south you have Viognier from Condrieu which is also a very good match thanks to the full bodied style. Also Chardonnay from central Burgundy would match the wine nicely. I would stay away from basic Chablis for ex as there is not enough body. Pinot Noir might work but then you might need a wine of Village or Premier cru rating. Sherry fino (biological matured) can also work nicely if you appreciate this style of wine. Good luck!
1 comment
Read more

Wiston BdB 2011 - England

This is a fantastic 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) from Wiston estate in England. Below are some remarks from the estate itself and Decanter: Selected from the chalkiest and steepest part of our vineyard, Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2011 is elegant and expressive, with enticing notes of white peach, apricot, brioche and crushed oyster shells. Awarded the very top prize of ‘Best in Show’ in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 (the equivalent of the Wine Industry’s Oscars!), this decadent single vineyard, single vintage, single varietal Blanc de Blancs is perfect for immediate drinking and will also age beautifully. “Time spent on lees after secondary fermentation pays huge dividends for English sparkling wine, endowed as it always is with high natural levels of acidity. That’s a lesson triumphantly proved by this 2011 Blanc de Blancs, with its soft mousse, lifted, almost floral aromas and deft weave of apple, tangerine and pear fruits rippled through with yeasty, bready rich
1 comment
Read more

Chianti Riserva 2016

Castello de Farnatello has a basic Chianti and a Riserva on the market. Both of them are good value for money. We tried the Riserva the other day, in two different glasses; Riedel Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Syrah glass is more closed at the top (to the right). The colour of the wine is medium red and the nose discrete smell of cherries, leather and nuts. Attractive acidity with a firm well balanced taste. This is perfect with lamb for ex. 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot has been added to the wine as well and that gives it more body than the pure Sangiovese. And which glass works best? The Syrah glass enhances the smell much more than the CS glass in which the wine seems much more closed. Chianti Riserva 2016,  Castello de Farnatello Ca 230 kr or 13euro
1 comment
Read more