Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is a "reasonable" Pinot Noir from New Zealand. Quite a dark Pinot colour with a nice smell of dark fruit, some pepper and herbs. The taste is fruity, lively and light with a quite distinct acidity towards the end. Quite a decent every day drinking Pinot for 180 kr or 15$. MOMO Pinot Noir 2013 Marlborough,  New Zealand

This is the only white wine produced from the famous Clos de Vougeot area. Le Clos Blanc, which was chosen to be dedicated to white wine production by munks quite some time ago, is situated just to north of the Clos de Vougeot. Pale yellow colour with hint of green. The bouqet is just fantastic with discrete notes of lime, butter and then more apparant almond, smoke and minerals tones. It's a big fat white wine but with plenty acididty and minerality. Harmonious and beautifully balanced. Just superb. Domaine de Vougeraie has monopole on the production.

This is a delightful and fresh red wine from Sicily based upon the Frappato grape. Cherry flavours on the nose and quite a refreshing acidity on the palate. Beautiful balance and taste that can remind one of a red Burgundy, but with quite a high acidity that requires food like lamb for example. A very nice alternative to the expensive red Burgundies. Il Frappato 2012 Occhipinti Sicilia

This is not the most famous of the Saint Aubin plots, but when Colin-Morey is the architect behind then who cares. A truly brilliant wine that I had for lunch when in Beaune during Easter. Lots of lime, butter, all spice and a wonderful balanced taste and finish. It is easy to perceive the quality of his wine-making when you taste his wines. The first thing you notice is the sheer deliciousness: we are talking about intense, yet elegant and exquisitely balanced Chardonnay.  In addition they have something that it seems only great whites from the Cote de Beaune are capable of delivering:  an intensity of minerality that weaves in and out of white fleshy fruit, flowing into a long finish where everything comes together into a clear, balanced and pure mineral-driven focus. Lovely stuff! Saint-Aubin La Pucelle 2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

An unknown Champagne house to me with reasonable prices. Tried this Blanc de Blancs among others and it was very nice indeed, quite a direct style with a nice balance, lovely acidity and minerality. The Champagne house is in Epernay and has a small tasting place open for public. Champagne A.Bergere Blanc de Blancs 21€

This is a very special Champagne as it has no added sugar. Straw colour with a great nose of citrus and green apples. Some biscuits and brioche. The palate is bone dry with just enough fruit to balance it off, but the Champagne is screaming for food. Oysters is possible the best match. But all in all a lovely Champagne; one vintage, one grape (Chardonnay), one single vineyard Larmandier- Bernier  Terre de Vertus

Auxey-Duresses is not the most well known appelation in Burgundy, but nevertheless Leroux produce some excellent wine from this area. Medium straw yellow colour and a wonderful smell of lime, citrus fruit, butter, oak, minerals and allspice. The palate is big, delicious, solid and well balanced with lovely fruit and acidity. A big and wonderful wine. Auxey-Duresses 2011 Benjamin Leroux Ca 330 NOK or 25€

Yet another Burgundy consumed at Ma Cuisine in Beaune. The 2010 vintage is a real beauty with lots of fruit and soft tannins. The domaine Alain Jeanniard was a new name to me, but apparantly he worked as vigneron for the Hospices de Beaune from 2000-2006 being in charge of the Mazis-Chambertin and Clos de la Roche. He has made his own labels since 2003 and has small plots in Pommard, Chambolle, Gevrey and then Morey-Saint-Denis. The wine is very much like a heavier Chambolle with lots of finesse, elegant red fruit, beautiful balance and ever so drinkable. Magical. Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 2010 Domaine Alain Jeanniard

I had this delicious Burgundy at the resto "Ma Cuisine" in Beaune last week. The producer Arnoux-Lachaux creates modern colourfull wines with concentrated fruit. This village wine from Vosne Romanee is no exception.  It's a big and fruity wine with a lovely balance. You drink it and you think it's light but it's not. You swallow and you think it's short but it's not. This is the beauty of many of these Burgundy wines. They trick and tease you. Vosne Romanee 2010 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux High price

This is an unknown Champagne house from Vertus that I had the pleasure of trying last week. It's a special blanc de blancs from the 2004 vintage. The colour was pale straw. The nose had lots of lime, minerals and ripe green apples. Really a nice, attractive and clean bouquet. The palate was dominated by clean, crispy flavours and high portion of minerality. Complex wine  and big wine with attractive fruit and balance. Doyard Champagne Blanc de blancs 2004 Collection de l'Art The Winebar 90€ (normal price 110)

Genevrieres is one of the three top premier cru in Meursault (the other two being Charmes and Perrieres). Meursault has for some obscure reason no grand cru wines, but these three plots are normally of such high standard. The name of this plot derives from the juniper bushes that used to grow in this area. The vineyard has a high mineral content as one of the trade marks. The wine has a pale straw colour with a beautiful nose of white flowers, sitrus and minerals. The taste is amazingly light and refreshing with lots of fruit and minerality. An incredible balance throughout which makes it just heavenly to drink. An amazing white with less butter and hazelnut that normally describes a top white Burgundy. Meursault Genevrieres 1er cru 2011 Domaine Michelot High price

Chavy Chouet is a family owned property in Meursault and they make really nice natural Burgundies. I visited them last week and we had a friendly show around in their small cave. Most of  the wines are sold immediately and now they only had some of the newly bottled 2013 vintage left. Les Charmes being one of the best plots in Meursault was one of my favourites and I even booked a case of the limited 2013 to ensure to have it in my personal stock for the future. Fantastic smell of lime, butter and minerality (wet stone). Delicious taste with an enormous balance. A truly lovely wine for meditation or seafood. Meursault 2013 Les Charmes Chavy Chouet High price

This is a fantastic Champagne based upon a mix 50/50 of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Medium straw colour and an explosion on the nose of sitrus, butter, oak, vanilla, nuts and biscuit. A bit of ripe red apples as well. Complex and beautifully developed. The taste is just enormous with a great balance, acidity, minerality and long "mousse" like aftertaste. It's 40% cheaper than top cuvees from other more famous Champagne houses which makes it a bargain. Henriot 1998 Cuvee des Enchanteleurs High price

Omg what an exciting wine.....only 100 bottles made and this one is 90 years old!!! Tar like colour and substance. Incredible dark colour with close to oarnge rim. The smell is just enormous with lost of burnt prunes, figues, mocca, earl grey tea, walnut and sweet coffee. Just incredible. The taste starts off sweet but ends with a wonderful acidity and balance. This is just an enormous wine, just amazing stuff. Valdespino "Moscatel Toneles" 1925 Jerez