Life is too short to drink bad wine

So inspired by the wonderful 2004 Barolo Triumviratum we decided to have the 2001 for dinner. Garnet red colour with orangey rim. Great nose as the 2004, but it did not open up as expected as it was perhaps a bit too warm. Lovely balanced taste with a long velvety finish. Not very often my wife drinks Barolo but this one went down easily! sign of quality!!! Barolo Triumveratum 2001 M Chiarlo, 120€ Great and elegant

The first wine at Michele Chiarlo had a deep purple colour with violet reflections. An elegant pronounced smell of red berries, cherry and chocolate.  Very attractive indeed. A fruity and well balanced taste without too much acidity. Barbera d'Asti "Le Orme" 2011 M Chiarlo, 10€ A bargain Goes with meat and white fish

Chiarlo's Barbaresco has been aged 18 months in large French oak barrels. Garnet colour with brick red rim, so typical Nebbiolo! The nose totally different from the Barbera with tones of pepper, spices and earth. Very delicate and and elegant dry full bodied taste. High tannins, acidity and alcohol. A lovely Barbaresco! Can be stored up to 15 years. Barbaresco 2009 Reyna M Chiarlo, 25€ Perfect with roast and game

Barolo from Cannubi fermented 15 days in oak barrels and matured 2 years in 55 hl oak barrels. Garnet colour with brick red rim. Bouquet packed with blackcurrant, liquorice, tobacco and mint. Great balanced taste packed with fruit, acidity and elegant tannins. Great structure and complexity. Barolo Cannubi 2009 M Chiarlo, 55€ Perfect with red meat, game and hard cheese.

The Cherequio is carefully selected with 50% green harvesting. Pale garnet red colour and a very complex nose of ripe fruit like blackcurrant, apricot and cherry. Same aromas on the taste with a long firm tannic finish. Surprisingly drinkable at this stage. Probably slightly better than Cannubi (breaks my heart to say that ) Barolo Cerequio 2009 M Chiarlo, 55€ Ripe hard cheese and red meat/game

What I can say? Just as I thought I had been drinking the peak of Barolo they served a Barolo Reserve made from the three vineyards Cerequio, Cannubi and Sarmassa. A wine that is produced only in the best years and matured for three years in large barrels and another three years in the bottle. Garnet red colour with orange reflections.  Complex smell of dark berries, raspberries, spice and tobacco.  Rich body with very elegant tannins and a well balanced, long finish.  A truly great wine. To be drunk between 10 and 20 years old. Barolo Triumviratum 2004 M Chiarlo, 90€ Big and wonderful

I am totally out of practice when it comes to tasting Chablis. Partly because I prefer white Burgundy and that Chablis can sometimes be a bit wimpy? Anyway, bought this one at the local supermarket. Premier cru for around 20€ is not too bad and Montmains is quite a good one. Pale yellow green colour. Lovely smell of sea, minerals and lime. Surprisingly attractive! Well balanced fruity and mineral like taste. I must admit I really enjoy this wine, it is in fact very nice indeed! Chablis 1er cru Montmains 2011 Closerie des Alisiers Have a bit of faith in me!

Condrieu wines cost anything between 24-50€ depending on the producer and plot. This one, bought at Carrefour, is in the lower price range but gives value for money. The colour is medium lemon green with a pronounced nose of tropical fruit and lots of elderflowers. Big body for a white wine, almost nectar like. But that's Condrieu for you. Bring out your oldest Comte cheese and you will have a ball! Condrieu 2011 Domaine Verrier Ca 24€

Got some bottles of this excellent chateau from Fronsac in my cellar. The 2001 is still hanging in there, but I better hurry now. Big nose of red fruit, vanilla and oak. The taste is full-bodied with a well balanced finish. The fruit is however drying out. Ch de la Riviere 2001 Fronsac, Ca 20€ Good value for money

Found this reasonable Champagne at Monoprix (24€). Pale lime green colour with a nice bouquet dominated by wet bread crumbs. The taste is limy too and rather light bodied. Well worth the money, but when you have been drinking Henriot vintage lately, then this one will not be one of your favorite. More like beach Champagne said my wife. I think she is right.... Lenoble Champagne Blanc de Blancs Ca 24€ Beach Champagne

One of my favorite white wines by Hubert Lamy in Saint Aubin. This is a big bodied white with a wonderful smell of lime, butter, aniseed and vanilla. Great lime green colour and a long fruity (lime)  well balanced taste. It's a wonderful wine and despite it's 6 years it's still drinking wonderfully. Got another 3 in the cave here in Antibes thank God! Had a steak and green salad with this white (too hot for red) and that worked quite well thanks to the great body of this white Burgundy. Saint Aubin 2007 "En Remilly" Hubert Lamy Ca 35€ and worth every penny

Had this St.Emilion at Bistro44 in Antibes. Very dark purple colour with a nose packed with dark fruit (blackcurrant), coffee and dark chocolate. A young Bordeaux that requires further aging but still very drinkable thanks to the soft but still firm tannins. Well balanced taste that require food. Gravier Figeac 2010 St.Emilion Not bad at all...

Ok let it be said; not as complex and wonderful as the 2002 but still a very nice vintage Champagne indeed at a very reasonable price (34€). Beautiful pale lime green colour with perfectly small bubbles. Lovely yeasty smell and an adorable full bodied long balanced taste. Goes with lots of different food as well as on it's own. Henriot makes one of the best and certainly one of the most reasonable vintage Champagnes. Henriot 2005 Champagne Life is good... For only 34€

Oh yet another very drinkable rose. This time Ch. Rasque also from Cote de Provence. Had this at a trendy Lebanese restaurant in Nice called L'Ybane. Medium terracotta colour with a fresh nose of red fruit and some peach. The taste is fruity with a nice minerality and medium body. 50/50% Grenache and Cinsault and 4-6 hours of maceration to obtain the colour. Ch Rasque 2012 Cuvee Alexandra Cotes de Provence. Ca 15€   

A very decent Beaune 1er cru from "Les Cent Vignes" by a producer called Poulet! The wine is no chicken and in fact perfect with veal. Medium red colour with a nose of dark fruit and burnt wood (lots of oak??). Decent well balanced taste with a friendly acidity. Beaune 1er cru Les Cent Vignes 2010 Poulet Pere & Fils Ca 15-20€

The reasonable version from Ch. Minuty called Moments. Bone dry rose with a nice acidity and minerality. Discrete smell of peach and orange. Main grapes are Cinsault and Grenache which means that the alcohol content might be high (13%). Pale terracotta colour (at least when compared to the terrace wall...) Ch. Minuty 2012 Moments Ca 12€

It's hot, it's lunch time and what else than a pale Rose for such an occasion. This one, bought at the local Nicolas, was only around 6€ and it turned out to be a very good one as well. Lots of fruit and no tannins. Perhaps a bit short on acidity but ah so drinkable. Time for a rest before entering the pool site again... La Rose des Vents 2012 Coteaux Varois en Provence What's price got to do with it?

I had the 1996 version of this Champagne house in Berlin some weeks ago and that was just a wonderful experience. Well let it be said : this 2002 is not far behind although is one third of the price! Only 34€ at the local wine shop in Antibes is far from a rip off ! Medium lemon green colour with great small bubbles. Very attractive nose of wet breadcrumbs, toast and yeast. The taste is full bodied , beautifully balnced with with long sweet limy aftertaste. A great wine indeed. Henriot 2002, Champagne

This Rose produced by Ch Berne in Cotes de Provence has a lovely deep terracotta colour and a very hand glass cork that can be re-used. Delicious red fruit on the nose with perhaps a less quality taste, but overall a decent wine for only 6€. Widely available and perfect lunch wine. Romance 2012 Berne Cotes de Provence

One of my favorite Champagne houses and located in Reims. Brilliant vintage and Blanc de blancs but this Rose is also very elegant. Terracotta colour. Pinot Noir dominated fruity taste with full bodied finish. This wine can take many types of food. On the nose it has yeasty flavors, toast and lots of red fruit. A very decent rose! Henriot Rose Ca 34€ Think big and fruity...

It's summer holiday and lunch downtown Antibes at Le Chrono. 50cl bottles are very useful in those situations and Chateau Valentine makes a rose called Caprice de clementine which is widely available in the region. Pale salmon colour with lots of red fruit on the nose and a very nice fruity taste. Good value for money. Caprice de clementine Rose 2012 Cotes de Provence Ca 6€ Bring it on....!

One of my absolute favourite reds!   This is the last bottle of the 2006 vintage but luckily there are other vintages in the wine cellar.   Medium red colour with super delicious nose of red fruit and some vanilla and chocolate. The taste is as always very elegant and stunningly smooth and velvety.    Wine does not get much better than this just more expensive.   And if you are lost in the Burgundy jungle of wine , you can not go very wrong by choosing wines from Patrice Rion.   Chambolle Musigny 2006 Patrice Rion Ca 25€