Life is too short to drink bad wine

  Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2011 St. Julien Ca 20-25€ 2011 is perhaps not the best of Bordeaux vintages, but this second wine from the third growth Ch.Lagrange in St.Julien is very good value for money even in a mediocre year. Les Fiefs 2011 is drinking beautifully now with a lovely balance and firm soft tannins. It's dark and dense with delicious dark fruit on the nose. Perfect with BBQ stuff or cheese.

This is a delightful Cote du Rhone by Ch. Beaucastel in Ch.neuf du Pape. It's dark, dense and full of dark fruit with some spicy elements. It will easily improve with time but if decanted first it drinks beautifully now as well. The grapes used for this blend are Grenache 30%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 30%, Cinsault 20%. A bit pricy Cote du Rhone maybe but it's on the border to be classified as a Ch.neuf du Pape and the "mother" wine, Beaucastel, sells for twice to three times the price. this is to be regarded as their second wine really. Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2013 20€

We were served this (without knowing what it was) as wine number one and three in a Blindtasting. On the first one the colour was medium dark red with a clear red brown rim indicating it to be an old wine or a Nebbiolo. On the nose it had discrete dried fruit, plum and cherries. Again it could be a Nebbiolo.The taste was however quite light with very little acidity and tannins (close to none) drifting the panel away from the Nebbiolo track. Overall score 15.60 When it was served as wine number three the story was slightly different: The colour was described as deep dark red with brown rim (it appeared to be darker than the first one). The nose was more apparent with dark fruit, dried fruit and plum, Very similar to wine one. The taste was however the biggest variation as it was fresher, seemed younger with more acidity and tannins. As a consequence it was scored to be 17.50. The panel then agreed both were old Bordeaux probably around 20 years old but that the age differe