Life is too short to drink bad wine

The big freeze in Norway continues but the blind tasting panel has kept it's performance hot hot, something that was confirmed through the tasting last Thursday; Wine # 1 Medium red colour with slightly brick coloured rim, with discrete smell of smoke, flowers. On the palate juicy, well balanced with nice acidity and a good length. Somewhat sweet on the aftertaste. the panel shoots for Pinot Noir from a warmer climate than France like perhaps down under or due east in USA. Stangeland Pinot Noir, Oregon, 2006, 324 NOK or 35€ Score 17,20 and a P Stangeland Vineyards & Winery Wine # 2 Wine 2 was a similar style, perhaps more jammy like and thus more like the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir tasted late last year. It was slightly more acidic but still well balanced juicy soft and elegant. Again the panel went for "hot" Pinot and was right again! The higher acidity of this southernmost vineyard in the world was explained by higher altitude and cool nights. Felton Road Pinot

This Dolcetto by Vajra from the two vineyards Coste and Fossati are probably as good as it gets when it comes to Dolcetto. This very juicy Italian grape variety grown in Piedmonte should be drunk young and chilled, just like your Martinis! Its a lovely wine with white fish, poultry and cheese. No tannins just lovely fresh red berry juicy wine with a fantastic purple colour. Just straight forward un-oaked food friendly wine with a long and pleasing finish! Great stuff for easy drinking! Dolcetto d'Alba "Coste Fossati" 2008 by Vajra as good as Dolcetto gets! ca 12€ in Italy or 220 NOK

Tried another purchase from the tax free the other day, this time much better luck due to a lovely Chablis 1er cru by J Moreau from the vineyard Fourchaume. Lovely smell of minerals, sea and lime with a long rich and complex minerally taste. Perfect with fresh prawns or scallops! Great stuff ! Fourchaume, which lies to the north of the town Chablis, is often considered as one of the best of the Premier cru and Moreau's creation is supporting that view. Jack Moreau Chablis Premier cru Fourchaume ca 180 NOK or 22 €

Having tasted quite a few of Nicolas Rossignol different premier cru reds from Volnay during the wine tasting Paris early December, we had the Volnay 1er cru 'Santenots' 2006 the other day. And what an experience! Lovely great red colour with wonderful complex smell of dark berries, leather and oak. Although still a very young wine the taste was balanced, with a nice acidity and  along firm and seductive taste which would improve even more with time. A extremely well structured wine that required 3 to 5 years to develop in order to peak, but again absolutely fabolous right  now as well. Volnay 1er cru ' Santenots' , Nicolas Rossignol  385 NOk or 45€, lovely stuff and worth every penny! Nicolas Rossignol - Vins de Bourgogne - Accueil

Bought two bottles of red Burgundy by Pierre Andre at the tax free the other day. Thought I check the quality of this unknown producer being sold at reasonable tax free prices: Gevrey Chambertin 'Champlain' 2007 at 210 NOK or around 26€ Vosne Romanee 2006 at  270 NOK or around 33€ Although someone said that there are no ordinary wines from Vosne Romanee, I am afraid yes there is (no rules without exception) and Pierre Andre is one of those producers. Totally off normal Vosne Romanee style and quality, but boring red wine smelling of oak and vanilla, nothing to do with a great delicate Burgundy of great length and finesse. Just to add to the awful experience, or perhaps being saved from yet another negative wine experience, the Gevrey Chambertin wine was corked!! On top of that it cant be exchanged as no liquids are allowed through security.... Wonderful , just wonderful Its a perfect day! If you are to pay 30€ for a wine , please don't buy any of the Pierre Andr

Some days into 2010, the weather is still cold (very cold actually as it is minus 10c or so). We are all fed up of big meals, coffee and cakes and looking forward to the normal daily life again. We had lots of Champagne bottles going into the festive season but now there is only two bottles left. So to round off the festive period I felt like trying some Burgundy wine and this time another Gevrey Chambertin was poured into the glass. Lovely dark red colour with a wonderful elegant smell of red berries (cherries / raspberries) with hints of wet wood or forrest (we have already thrown out the Xmas tree by the way..). Gevrey Chambertin is slightly more northwards (from Beaune that is) and the wines have slightly more body than those further south and this one was no exception. Big seductive mouthful of "cold (not frozen)" fruit, lovely length and body with wonderful balanced tannins and acidity. A great start to the New Year of 2010. A very impressive Burgundy indeed. Gevre