Life is too short to drink bad wine

Last week was a special week for me as I received my last pay check from my previous employer. An event that required some sort of celebration with some good friends. Of the many bottles opened during that evening was a Leoville Lascases 1988. This Bordeaux wine from St. Julien is second Grand cru classee but it has the quality of a first growth. This chateau was also the wine that made me change from beer to wine as I had the pleasure of tasting a Leoville Lascases 1945 back in 88.  The 1945  just knocked me off my guard and I remember thinking what a fantastic wine it was and what an experience to drink this wine from the year when world war 2 ended. I was in shock and I then just decided to enter into the world of wine. I have always had a soft spot for this chateau ever since. And to my pleasure  it has been performing well at much more reasonable prices than the much more expensive first growths in the 1855 classification. Nowadays a bottle of this wine costs around ...

A bit north in  Medoc in Bordeaux you will find Ch. Soudars. A mix of Merlot and Cabernet in a very good but warm vintage. Fermentation in steel tanks and maturation 12 months french oak barriques. Deep ruby colour. Delicate smell dark fruit, leather, spice and tobacco. Fresh warm fruit on the palate with a distinct tannin structure that requires some food to match. Try with heavy meaty dishes or BBQ. A very good example of a decent Medoc within budget. Ch Soudars 2005 Haut Medoc Ca 20€ or 300NOK

Chasse-Spleen is one of my favourite Bordeaux wines from Medoc. Thanks to being a cru Bourgeois the price is more affordable than the Grand cru classes. This does not mean that the quality is any less than many GCC. The price is still high but this is one of for your cellar. The mix is 50% Cabernet and 42% Merlot with the rest being Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Dark red colour with purple rim. A bit closed on the nose with red and dark fruit. Firm and solid taste with high tannins. Needs time to open. Drinking window ca 10 years from now. Chasse Spleen 2015 Moulis Ca 30-40€ or 550NOK

The second wines of top Bordeaux wines are often the way to go due to the high prices for the classified wines. This one was established in 1985 and is actually from 30 years old vines on gravel soil owned by the Ch Lagrange. 2015 is an excellent vintage in Bordeaux and the nose is packed with elegant red and dark fruit, oak flavours and spice. Full bodied wine with smooth tannin structure and velvety aftertaste. Very good overall quality. Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2015 St.Julien Bordeaux Ca 400NOK or 25€

Bordeaux 2015 vintage is on the market and what is surprising with this vintage is the smooth and silky tannins. Especially if you go for a Merlot dominated version. Clos la Gaffeliere is one of the more reasonable grand cru from St.Emilion and it is widely available in shops and wine merchants. It's supersmooth and packed with dark fruit and plum and with a great balanced taste. Full bodied wine at this stage. Can be kept for 10-15 years without a problem. Lovely wine. Clos la Gaffeliere 2015 St.Emilion Ca 22-28€  La Gaffeliere is about 5€ more expensive and 680 NOKin Norway.

Where to start? This is a monster of a wine. So big and intense that I had to consume most of it myself. Even on the second day, the tannins were still big and solid. Packed with primary and secondary aromas. Firm, elegant and full bodied with a very long finish. We tried four different cheese with it. Nothing worked. I brought this over from UK but it is way too early to drink. It needs yet another decade in the cellar. I will perhaps try again in five years time. It's so massive, so many fantastic flavours of dark fruit and smoke, leather, wood, pencil case etc. that I used the whole list. Pontet Canet started biodynamic with this 2004 vintage and I am shocked by the quality and style. Rising star indeed! Pontet Canet 2004 Paulliac 50£

It's possible to get reasonable Bordeaux wines still even in top vintages. If you go to less known areas like Fronsac like this one good value for money can be found. 100% Merlot from 30 year old vines and maturation in french oak for a year. Dark red colour. Medium nose of dark fruit, vanilla and some oak. Quite a firm taste with apparent oak but still smooth enough to enjoy now and especially with some red meat or cheese. Ch. Castagnac 2015 Fronsac Ca 230 NOK or 14€

"Earlier this week, parts of Bordeaux were hit with a hail storm, prompting headlines about destruction of the vineyards.  In the post below, Bordeaux grower, winemaker and writer Gavin Quinney ( @GavinQuinney ) puts the extent of the damage in context. We’ve had numerous messages of goodwill from people who have seen the reports of the hail last weekend in Bordeaux. We’re absolutely fine thanks, as on this occasion the hailstorms passed us by. To the north of us, primarily in Bourg and Blaye, and the southern Haut-Médoc, they were not so lucky, and we send our best wishes to our fellow viticulteurs whose vineyards have been damaged. The hailstorm struck on Saturday morning, 26 May, and we had an early warning from friends in the city of Bordeaux with texts and tweets, mostly accompanied by images and videos of hailstones and flooded streets. The hailstorm then moved up towards the Gironde estuary, damaging vines on the left bank around Macau and at the southern...

There were severe frosts over the entire region on the nights of the 22 nd  and the 29 th  April (you might remember, we experienced the same thing in the UK). These were primarily located in the Côtes de Castillon, Côtes de Blaye, St. Emilion and Pomerol. This is on the Right Bank. On the Left, the frosts affected the areas of vineyard situated outside of 1 kilometre from the river. The good news is that very few of the big estates have been affected, if anything it is the lesser vineyards of these that might have had some damage – those that supply the second or the third wine. This is with the exception of Ch. Angludet in Margaux – a Berry Bros. & Rudd customer favourite. Sadly, this Château, although situated far from the river, had 100% of its crop decimated. We usually open our EP campaign with this Château, often selling out in minutes, but this year we regret to inform, there will be none available. In Pessac, the vineyards have also been affected, more so tha...

Despite 2007 not being the best of vintages in Bordeaux, this Margaux by Ch. Brane Cantenac is just delicious. Spring was wet and summer cold. The harvest was rescued by a warm September. The blend that year was 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The harvest took place late September to 12 October. Only 25% of the grapes were used to make the Brane Cantenac. 18 months maturation in French oak with 60% new oak. Superb medium dark red colour. Delightful nose of dark fruit, chocolate, tobacco and flowers. The taste is full bodied but also "light" with a lovely fresh acidity and perfect soft tannins. Long well balanced aftertaste. A very nice Bordeaux indeed. Brane Cantenac 2007 Margaux Ca 40€ but now more like 70€

2008 is perhaps not the best of years in Bordeaux but Ch. Lanessan continue to provide good value for money. This Cabernet Sauvignon dominated red from haut Medoc near the borders of Saint Julien is drinking beautifully now. The tannins have been sufficiently softened and the balance is just right. Both red and dark fruit on the nose with some vanilla, cedertree, herbs  and flowers. Quite an attractive yet discrete nose. The taste is smooth and beautifully balanced and quite light although quite full bodied as well. This will go well with most food due to the freshness of the fruit and soft structure. Ch. Lanessan 2008 Haut Medoc ca 260 NOK or 20€

This is a cru bourgeois from Medoc in Bordeaux which makes consistently good wines even from tricky vintages. Having tried this 2012 and 2007 recently its quite apparent that this is a Bordeaux wine which provides very good value for money. Medium dark red colour. Gorgeous nose of red, dark fruit, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, stable and hints of minerals. Full bodied wine with firm but soft tannins. Long well balanced finish. Quite a masculine Bordeaux style. More than 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Drink 2007 now and stock up the 2012... Ch, Malescasse 2012/2007  Haut Medoc ca 270/220 kr or 15/20€ The increase in price from 2007 to 2012 reflects the increased Bordeaux market prices due to the great 2009/2010 vintages.

Right now a bottle of Angelus is closer to 300£ than the 30£ I paid for this 1993 last millennium. 1993 is not regarded as best of the vintages in Bordeaux but it's better than the 2011 that now costs 300£. Elegant dark red colour. Lovely and complex bouquet of dark fruit, leather, cellar, forrest and chocolate. High intensity. Big, solid, complex, beautiful balance. Refreshing. Long. Powerful. Tasting notes from blind tasting giving an overall score of 18,70 Ch. Angelus 1993 St.Emilion Grand cru classee Ca 30£

Brane Cantenac is one of my favourites from Margaux in Bordeaux. Part of the 1855 classification as a second growth it has managed to keep and improve their standards since Henri Lurton took over in 1992 (very bad vintage btw). The harvest of 2014 took place between 22 September and finished on 17 October (my birthday :)) and approx 38% of the grapes were used for the Brane Cantenac. The mix this year was 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 70% of the wine spent 18 months in new french oak. Two elements helped the Cabernet Sauvignon to reach the level of a great vintage in 2014 : the grapes grew less after the rain in the summer and they began ripening earlier. The extension of the ripening cycle, due to their growth stopping earlier than the Merlot, allowed them to benefit magnificently from the sunny late summer season. The high quality Merlot from the plateau, incorporated in smal...

Bordeaux 2017 – harvest and weather report Bordeaux 2017 will be a ‘fascinating’ vintage to taste, according to Gavin Quinney (@ GavinQuinney)  of Chateau Bauduc. In the article below, he summarises everything you need to know about this year’s harvest. Bordeaux 2017 will go down as the year of the frost. But now that the harvest is complete, it’s clear that this really is a vintage of haves, have-nots and somewhere-in-betweens. For those growers and châteaux with vineyards that weren’t hit, there has been every chance of making very good wine. Here is a look at how the weather stamped an indelible mark on the vintage, along with numerous images of the harvest. Contents and highlights Introduction – a small crop 45% down on last year due to April frost The growing season Pretty good – rain end of June, dry summer, hot August, damp start to September, fine finish The harvest – a view from the top 80% of top wines from 150 leading châteaux not impacted by frost T...

Bordeaux wines are getting more and more expensive and with the very nice 2015 vintage now on the market, the prices are taking yet another jump in the wrong direction. But it is possible to find good and reasonable wines that are both drinkable now and can be put down for storage. This one created by Ch. la Gaffeliere in St.Emilion are a beautiful example of what diamonds that one can find in the Bordeaux Superior section. The grapes are grown near St.Emilion, but does not qualify as a St.Emilion. It's beautiful crafted wine that has gorgeous red fruit, vanilla and plum on the nose. The tannins are ever so smooth with a wonderful balanced and silky taste. Drink now or store for 5-10 years. At 225 NOk or 12€ its a bargain and can be difficult to get hold of. Ch. Chapelle d'Alienor 2015 Bordeaux Superior Ca 12€ or 225 NOK

Ch. Lanessan, very close to the border of Saint Julien in Medoc refused to participate in the 1855 classification some 160 years ago and we should be ever so grateful for that. It's an undeniable fact that wines classified as grand cru classee today have a higher price than those which are not classified. So here we are then with an affordable very attractive and drinkable Bordeaux in our glass. This 1999 is drinking lovely right now. The tannins have smoothened but the wine is still full of pleasure and energy. Lovely balance and quite a lengthy aftertaste. At 250 NOK or just around 15€ this is very good value for money. Delicious smell of leather, dark fruit, some pencil case, plum and wood. Drink on its own or with cheese of the kind type. Ch. Lanessan 1999 Cru bourgeois Medoc Ca 15€ or 250 NOK

The 2014 vintage in Bordeaux turned out to be quite good after all. A warm and sunny September compensated for a dreadful summer and the winemakers managed to create a delightful vintage. This wine from Moulis by Ch. Mauvesin Barton is a fine example of what the 2014 vintage can offer. Beautiful aroma of dark fruit, leather and some vanilla. The tannins are very smooth with a great balance and finish. Lovely dark fruit and a lively acidity. A very good wine for only 20€ or 260 NOK. Unfortunately only 300 + bottles found its way to Norway.

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)