Life is too short to drink bad wine

Here is a review of the 2016 in Chablis as seen by J Moreau & Fils: Vintage 2016 was really rough on us in Burgundy, but it was nothing compared to the living hell we went through in Chablis!  It all started with a mild winter followed by a chilly and rainy spring that lead to a bud bursting in mid-April. We could have settled for that, as we were in the average trend of the 10 previous years. Unfortunately, a first frosting incident in the end of April caused some huge damage in the vineyard. The first assessments estimate that about 20% of the Chablis vineyard was harmed...and if the vines were to grow again, the new vegetation would not bear fruits.  The damage even went to the extent of jeopardizing the pruning for the next vintage. It was a hard blow to take, and the gloomy weather that seemed to settle didn’t help much: the growth slowed down and the vegetative cycle started running late. And as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours...a second frosting inciden...

Barbera is a very user friendly grape variety. It can go with many dishes due to its low tannin level and pleasant acidity. Barbera has quite often a very dark purple red colour which is very pleasant to observe. The nose is filled with ripe red and dark fruit, cherries and some herbs. On the palate it is full bodied with lots of fruit and also delightfully refreshing acidity and some very soft tannins as well. Many producers from Asti claim that their Barbera is better than those from Alba as the Barbera in Asti are grown on the best plots while in Alba they grow Nebbiolo on the best plots. Food for thoughts at least and I must say that I have many times been very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Barbera from Asti, this one being no exception. Barbera d'Asti 2014 La Vigna Vecchia Cossetti Clement&Figli Ca 15€ or 180 NOK

Arneis is a local aromatic white grape in Piemonte in Italy. The best area for this grape is in the hills of Roero northwest of Alba and Giacosa Fratelli produce an elegant and reasonable of example of this grape. The colour is medium yellow and a refreshing bouquet of tropical fruit, sweet apples, lime and yeasty notes. Bone dry white wine with lots of fruit and nicely balanced acidity. This is not a wine for storage and should be drunk young. Perfect as an aperitif or with fish, salad and cheese. Roero Arneis 2016 Giacosa Fratelli ca 150NOK or 7€

This is just a wonderful complex and drinkable Barbara d'Alba by Bruno Giacosa. Not the most reasonable one but certainly an example of how good a Barbara can be. Dark red purple colour. Wonderful and complex nose of dark fruit, chocolate, plum. Big juicy long and perfectly balanced taste with soft tannins and great finish. Just love it! Barbera d'Alba 2015 Bruno Giacosa Ca 20€ or 290NOK

Camille Giroud is a new name to me on the Burgundy scene. In an effort to find good value Burgundy from the glorious 2015 vintage I bought some of these from the local wineshop. An expressive bouquet of ripe red cherry fruit, spice and raw cocoa introduces a rich, supple palate with a nice chassis of tannin, acidity and gentle grip on the back end.  A blend of fruit from the Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, this wine really is a microcosm of the vintage, and makes a lovely Bourgogne. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030 Ca 20€ or 300NOK

This has been one of my absolute favourites for a very long time. Unfortunately the wine has caught other's attention as well and the price has now shot through the roof as it happens with most good wines. Beaucastel owns 110 hectares (ca 140 football pitches) where it grows all the thirteen different garpe varieites that are allowed in Chateauneuf du Pape. The vines are older than 50 years and have been grown organically all the time. The grapes are fermented separately in different casks and cement tanks before they are blended in oak barrels for a year before being bottled. A very dark coloured wine that at first just smells of oak and dark fruit. It needs time to open up in the glass and we let 3 glasses with Beaucastel just breath for two hours before being drunk and they were just pure delight after that time. Dark fruit dried fruit, cellar, ripe red fruit, spices, cigar Long wonderfully balanced taste with massive but firm attractive tannins. It does seem to be 19 ...

The 2015 is a very good vintage and the prices have gone up once again. The prices for a village wine both for red and white have gone through the roof and now starts at 35-40€. In order to survive you have to buy smart. Choosing the generic Bourgogne in top vintages is one solution like this Pinot Noir by Michel Bouzereau. Similar wines from different producers exists as well. Here the starting price is around 15€. Medium dark red colour with lovely dark and red fruit on the nose. Beautifully balanced taste with smooth tannins and a nicely integrated acidity. Drink now but best in 2-3 years from now. Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2015 Michel Bouzereau ca 15€ or 300 NOK

While lots of people have queued up to buy the 2015 vintage from Burgundy the vintages before that are all very good provided you stick to the great producers. This premier cru called "Clos des Argillieres" from Nuits Saint Georges is just a brilliant example of a full bodied Burgundy with a smooth finish. This Clos is situated on the top of the hill just across the road from Rion premises in Premaux. The 50+ year old vines grow on poor brown soil on top of pink limestone. The plot is just 1,8 hectare (or two football pitches) and gives a yearly production of 7500 bottles. The grapes are hand harvested and scrupulously sorted  before fermented in open stainless steel tanks. Maturation is done in oak barrels, out of which 50% is new, for 18 months. The colour is dark red with hints of purple. Blackberries on the nose along with blackcurrants and blackberries. Classy notes vanilla and some liquorice as well. Very attractive. Full-bodied and beautiful balanced taste ...