Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is an unusual wine from the McClaren Vale in Australia. Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly affects vineyards allover the world. Often affected vines are replaced or pruned. One half of the an arm of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. The grapes the other arm, while low yielding, display amazing intensity. Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to open fermenters. These batches remain separate until final blending. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and transferred to a mixture of new and used French and old American oak barriques to complete fermentation. The barrel ferments are aged on lees, there is no racking until final blending and no fining or filtration. The Dead Arm Shiraz 2012 displays classic McLaren Vale aromas of plum, blackberry, liquorice and spice. There is also a strong sense of the old vin...

This is the 2013 addition of this Barolo by Borgogno with No Name. It was not classified as Barolo in 2005 so in protest Borgogno has kept the No Name label since 2007 on this Barolo with grapes from Cannubi and Fossati. Medium red colour with hints of red brown rim. Ripe dark fruit on the nose with hints autumn leaves, tar and some spice. Surprisingly approachable taste with quite soft tannins and acidity. It will improve with ageing, but it's drinking very well already now. No Name 2013 by Borgogno Barolo Ca 20€ or 280 NOK

This is a truly special wine from Muscadet Sevre et Maine on the west coast in Loire. This underrated area has very reasonable dry white wines based on the grape Melon de Bourgogne. In addition they use prolonged storage on the lees to create a smooth style of white wine. This one from 2010 that was bottled in 2015 has no less than 5 years on the lees! Medium to pale yellow colour. Developed nose of ripe citrus, yellow apples,  butter, tropical fruit and some  nutty flavours. Beautiful balanced taste with a medium body and medium long aftertaste. Good value for money. Perfect with oysters. Muscadet Sevre et Main Sur lie 2010 Ch Thebaud Clos des Tabardieres Ca 13€ or 189 NOK

I came across this red in the local wine shop and it is an outstanding generic Bourgogne rouge. The notes below are from the Bibendum web site. This bright, racy Bourgogne is drawn from three parcels. One-third comes from some old vines in the Hautes Côtes, one-third from vines in Maranges (villages level) and one-third from a Bourgogne parcel on the edge of Puligny-Montrachet.  The Puligny component brings perfume, the Maranges brings generosity of the fruit, and the Hautes Côtes brings the structure and again, plenty of high grown perfume. Naturally fermented in concrete tanks with less than 10% whole bunches, the Bourgogne Rouge was aged in used barrels this year as Marc Bachelet felt the wealth of the fruit in his reds required no new oak.  This wine habitually sells like the clappers, and the 2015 is as good as we have tasted with deeper, silkier fruit than usual. In other words, be quick!  The 2015 Bourgogne Rouge has an attractive bouquet: raspberry preserv...

This is a bargain in the Norwegian wine shops as it is actually cheaper here than in Australia! The Pinot grapes come from the best sites in Adelaide Hills. Hand picked grapes, basket pressed whole bunches with stems. The wine is unfiltered and unfined. Beautiful nose of ripe cherries, crispy redcurrants and some dark fruit and spicy notes. Young juicy taste with a lovely acidity and a well balanced finish dominated by red and dark fruit. The wine will cellar well but it is so delicious now that any delayed gratification is almost academic. The velvet fog Pinot Noir Heirloom vineyards 2015 Adelaide Hills 40 australian $ or 199 NOK

This is a delightful Chardonnay from Margaret River in Australia. Hand picked grapes and whole bunch pressed. Malolactic fermentation and battonage, just like they do in Burgundy. The result is a wine with notes of ripe peach, grapefruit, fig and nuts. Wonderful complexity with a lovely balance and long full bodied finish. Creamy texture. A great wine that can compete with white Burgundy both in quality and price. Will keep for 5-6 years. Evoi Chardonnay Reserve 2015 Margaret River Australia 55 Australian $ or 399 NOK

"Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur lie" is a very underestimated dry white wine from the very west of the Loire valley. It is reasonable but complex and it is the perfect match with oysters. Forget expensive Champagne, just go for the Muscadet which also has spent time (12 months) on the lees and which gives a very round and big complex taste. Discrete ripe yellow apples, some citrus and brioche on the nose. Ch. de la Ragotiere and this cuvee Amelie was just gorgeous. And Muscadet is easy to find in a wine shop near you.

This wine from Pomerol and 2010 is absolute stunning! Below is an extraction of an article from the Crush wine & spirits site which sums it all up. The 2010 Bordeaux produced wines that are built for the ages. This is a vintage that harks back to the wines of old.  This is a special vintage for Bordeaux. More importantly, for us,  it is a vintage that marks something of a return to a more classic idea of Bordeaux.  These are poised to be some of the longest lived modern-day examples. Vieux Chateau Certan (VCC) has turned out two absolutely stunning wines. And note we wrote “wines” – plural. The 2010 vintage at VCC is not only about the Grand Vin.  In fact, one of the most sought after wines of the 2010 vintage is the estate’s second wine, La Gravette de Certan. There’s no way around the fact that Pomerols are pricey. It’s almost impossible to find sub-$60 Pomerols that deliver the level of quality that have made the area famous.  Forget about fi...

This is a Bordeaux blend consisting of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon. I came across this in the supermarket in France some time back and it is very good value for money at just around 10€. Deep dark red colour. Red fruit and cassis with oaky spicy notes on the nose. Seductive well balanced taste with a medium body. Quite juicy with nicely integrated oak. Dourthe no 1 2009 Bordeaux Ca 10€ or 180 NOK Founded in 1840, Dourthe now sets the standard in winemaking in Bordeaux. Vignobles Dourthe is comprised of nine estates - all elevated to the very heights of their respective appellations. (Château Belgrave, Château La Garde, Château Le Boscq, Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac, Château Rahoul, Château Reysson, Château Haut Gros Caillou, Château de Ricaud, Château Pey La Tour) 

This is a very reasonable wine from the AOC called Puiseguin St.Emilion close to St.Emilion itself. A mix of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the very good 2015 vintage. Deep dark red colour with a discrete and attractive nose of dark fruit, plum and some spice. The palate is full bodied but with soft smooth tannins dominated by dark fruit. It will continue to develop but it is drinkable already now. A bargain at just above 10€. Ch. Branda 2015 Puisseguin St.Emilion Ca 11€