Life is too short to drink bad wine

White Burgundies are everyone favourite at my wine courses and finding the right one can be a challenge due to high prices and the chaotic world of terroir and "managers". Mercurey is not the most famous village wines but is good value for money when you have a good manager like Michel Juillot. Packed with lime, butter, ripe apple and herbs. Full bodied taste and lovely acidity. Refreshing aftertaste with some minerality. Mercurey 2017 Domaine Michel Juillot Ca 20€ or 270 NOK

This is a stunning white Burgundy from Meursault and its from 2017. I came across this wine during a wine festival in Oslo and it really stood out according to my taste. Delightful nose of yellow apples. lime, honey and spices. A taste that is super balanced with a delicate long finish. Outstanding wine and just very very smooth and light. Heitz Lochardet is an unknown producer to me but I really need to know about the wines from this one. Meursault La Barre 2017 Heitz Lochardet ca 40€ or 500 NOK Wine does not get better than this just more expensive!

White Burgundy, Saint Aubin is the village and the 2016 vintage in the glass. A first by this producer for me but what a pleasant surprise. Sylvain Langoureau has produced an elegant and refreshing wine with a bouquet so typical of a top white Burgundy. Citrus, yeast and butter notes with a medium body beautiful balanced taste that makes you want yet another sip. A very good Saint Aubin version that does not cost and arm and a leg. Approx half the price of certain other producers. Saint Aubin 2016 Sylvain Langoureau Ca 240 NOK or 18€

Greide å få tak i noen flasker hvite burgundere av PYCM forleden. Hans generiske burgunder fra 2016 er superdelikat og av landsby kvalitet.  PYCM har gått vekk fra battonage og lagrer heller vinen lengre på fat. Helt OK synes jeg.  Superfriskt. Elegant. Nydelig og delikat. Bare så synd det er nesten umulig å få tak i. I managed to get hold of some bottles of white  Burgundy by PYCM some time ago. His generic 2016 white Burgundy is super delicious and of village quality. PYCM has stopped doing battonage but instead he uses extended contact with the lees. Works really well in this version I would say. Super fresh.  Elegant. Beautiful and delicate.  It's a shame it so difficult to get hold of. Bourgogne Chardonnay 2016 Pierre Yves Colin Morey Ca 30£

Two Meursault tried at the same time; both from Domaine Chavy-Chouet, both from 2013. The basic Meursault is the Clos des Corvees de Citeau near the town and the other one of the top Premier cru plots Les Genevrieres. Both with a delicious smell of butter, lime and spices. Perhaps the premier cru was slightly more refined. The taste was beautifully balanced offering great pleasure. The premier cru was pure, elegant and with some mineral notes (0.15 hectare with vines from 1945). De Citeau is 1 ha and has more clay giving a rich and concentrated style. Try with fried or BBQ fish and possibly Brie de Maux (if not too strong) Meursault 2013 by Chavy Chouet Clos des Corvees de Citeau &  Les Genevrieres ca 20-40€

A challenge with older white Burgundies are still oxidation. Therefore I have decided not to keep such wines if they are older than 8 years. Last year when I was emptying my stock nearly half of the 2007 and 2008 vintages were oxidised! This one by Remo Jobard from Meursault is drinking beautifully now. Delicious lime, butter, spice, yeast and oak flavours on the nose. Gorgeous balanced taste with a velvety long finish. Perfect meditation wine at the cabin! Meursault "En Luraule" 2010 Remi Jobard 400 NOK or 35€ (much more expensive from 2015+)

This is a lovely white Burgundy by Bouzereau. The grapes come from plots in Meursault and Puligny Montrachet among others. Delicious smell of lime, butter, white flowers, spices and some yeast. A beautifully balanced taste with a creamy long aftertaste and medium acidity. Perfect for those nice summer days on the terrace. Slightly pricy for being at the Bourgogne level, but this is top notch stuff that could have deserved a village appellation. Bourgogne Chardonnay 2015 Michel Bouzereau Ca 340 NOK or 20€

There are many different producers of village Chablis wines. The grapes are of course 100% Chardonnay but behind the different labels there are quite many different styles. Defaix makes his village Chablis from 45 year old vines. The vinification takes place at 18c and takes about 3 weeks. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and also spend 18 months on the lees which is most unusual. In addition he performs the "battonage" once a week as they do in Burgundy. The end result is thus a Chablis that is much more like a white Burgundy in style, away from the green apple, lemon and minerals notes and more towards creamy texture, butter and floral notes. The wine therefore fits better with food of more substance and umami. We tried it with slightly fried salmon with a creamy sauce and it was a magical match. Chablis 2012 Vieilles Vignes Daniel Etienne Defaix Ca 238 NOK or 15€

This an unoaked Chablis by Louis Moreau. Clean fresh crispy Chablis with a mineral character. Fermentation in steel tanks at 18c over 15-18 days. Thereafter stored at 20c some months to start malolactic fermentation. The wine was finally stored for four months in steel tanks on the lees to obtain more aromas and smoothen the taste. Medium pale straw colour. Medium intense bouquet of green apple and plum. Some notes of flowers and herb. Well balanced taste, high acidity, bone dry, medium body and medium aftertaste with hints of minerals. 120.000 bottles made. Ca 15€. A well made and structured Chablis. Try with smoked salmon and cod.

Photograph: Jason Lowe Here, in this article, Berry Brothers & Rudd Wine Director Mark Pardoe MW offers insight on one of the key factors affecting Burgundy 2016. It is an unvarying truth that, when assessing a new vintage in a series of intensive  in situ  tastings, one or two themes emerge during the sequence of visits that come to define the character and essence of the year. Of course, the severe spring frosts are the headline news for 2016 but, re-reading my notes from my two weeks in Burgundy in early November, two other more arcane topics are also a constant presence. Mildew and whole-bunch are referred to regularly in our descriptions for the wines, so merit further examination and explanation. Today, I’ll be considering mildew; tomorrow I’ll look at whole-bunch. As if the Burgundian  vignerons  didn’t have enough to contend with after the 2016 frosts, nature hadn’t finished with them yet. Mildew, encouraged by a cool and damp late spring, appea...

Photograph: Jason Lowe The BBR Wine Director Mark Pardoe MW reflects on the fashion for whole-bunch: When it came to harvest time in 2016, I wonder how many producers in Burgundy pushed their hats back on their heads and shook their heads in weary disbelief. After the litany of the year’s adversities – frost, mildew, uneven ripening, drought stress and a late harvest – in the end 2016 delivered a perfect harvest of ripe, juicy small berries of Pinot Noir, with perfect skins and wonderful ripe tannins. On reflection, I suspect not many; the ups and downs of recent vintages have created a sense of  Weltmüdigkeit  among some Burgundian  vignerons . Fruit being harvested in such perfect condition brought another of Burgundy’s discussion points firmly centre stage: whether or not, or in what proportion, to use whole bunches (or whole-cluster, as it is also known) in the fermentation process. Until the arrival of de-stemming machines (which remove the berries from t...

OUR VINEYARD The estate currently farms 6 ha. Focused on Nuits Saint Georges and Chambolle-Musigny appellations, we only produce red wines from the Pinot Noir grape variety, although 1.30 ha in Nuits produce a white wine from chardonnay (90%) and pinot blanc (10%). p> Our approach to viticulture is rigorous. The vines are pruned short and bud selection is very strict. Leaf-canopy surface is optimized for greater photosynthetic activity, yields are limited, and disease and pest control is carefully managed. All this allows us to farm naturally, even if we are not certified organic. With our soils, we do not use weedkillers, preferring the plow (and sometimes the hoe!) to control weeds. But as excessive plowing can be bad for the soil and the vine, during the winter we sow a natural grass which helps to avoid erosion, and encourages soil fauna. We are very careful to avoid soil compaction problems, so we use very lightweight tractors for spraying and hedging. In additio...

Photograph: Jason Lowe Here follows the Berry Brothers & Rudd report on the 2016 vintage in Burgundy. Frost, mildew and small harvest are the main items. BBR Buyer Adam Bruntlett details the 2016 growing conditions, and how Burgundy’s vignerons triumphed against the odds The 2016 growing season was one of the most testing for many years. For the Côte d’Or and Chablis, the most significant climatic event of the season came shortly after budbreak, on the night of the 26th and morning of the 27th April. As temperatures descended to -4°C on the night of the 27th, what the  vignerons  term a  gelée d’hiver  (winter frost) caused damage to low-lying parcels, particularly in the villages of Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey and Ladoix. But the frost damage was a two-pronged attack, with a  gelée de printemps  (spring frost) causing damage to many of the best-exposed sites. The previous day’s rain had frozen on the buds and, as the sun rose, its rays had ...

One of the labels on this blog is called Meditation wine. The wines I choose to label like that are wines that do not require food as they are so lovely just on its own. On its own when things are bad and you need to be cheered up or there is something to celebrate. Or maybe because you are worth it! This Meursault by Remi Jobard from 2010is like that. Drinking perfectly now with a super delicious smell of butter, lime, white flowers and some spice. Perfectly balanced with a long velvety finish. Pure and full bodied white. A truly lovely wine. If you want food try with fried cod or Comte cheese. Meursault 2010 En Luraule Remi Jobard Ca 40€ or 500 NOK

Not the best of pictures but it was quite dark in the restaurant when this picture was taken. Quite a delicious nose of citrus, green apple with nicely integrated oak flavours and hint of wet stone. Very concentrated taste with a lovely acidity and a refreshing and quite fruity aftertaste that lingers on for a very long time. A beautiful balanced wine that goes well with most white meat, white fish and cheese. But as many white Burgundies it is also perfect for meditation purposes. Drink now and over next 10 years. Chassagne Montrachet 2013 1er cru Morgeot Domaine Ramonet High price

Some of the older white Burgundies are cheaper than the most recent ones where the price has increased due to high demand and low supply. This 2008 Meursault by Jobard is drinking perfectly right now although the first I opened was oxidated. Lovely medium straw colour with a nose dominated by lime, butter and spices. Perfect full bodied white with a long aftertaste and still with a lot of energy. A truly lovely wine. Meursault 1er cru Poruzots 2008 Antoine Jobard Ca 40€ or 550 NOK

I am not sure what to say anymore about the white Burgundies by Pierre Yves Colin Morey.... The smell, the taste, the balance, the sensation. Everything is so beautifully balanced and elegant that it is mind blowing. A bit of lime. A bit of butter. A bit exotic fruit. A bit of vanilla. Speechless really. His wines are pure mediation. Just buy! Puligny Montrachet "Le Trezin" 2011 Pierre Yves Colin Morey Ca 40€ or 450 NOK

Hubert Lamy and Saint Aubin is definitely one of my favourite combinations when it comes to white wines. This delightful combination gives white Burgundies to die for and if you ever coms across you just have to buy as they are becoming increasingly more difficult to get hold of. This premier cru with the funny name "Les Murgers des Dents de Chien" has it all. Beautiful aromas of lime, butter, minerals and green apples. Lovely fruity and balanced taste with perfect acidity and aftertaste. Use big glasses and drink it not too cold, more around 10-12c. Saint Aubin 1er cru 2013 Les Murgers des Dents de Chien Hubert Lamy Ca 35€

The other day I had a fantastic lunch at the local restaurant called Fish & Cow. Two of the reasons for going there were the wine list and the very knowledgable wine waiter who is one of the few in Norway with a Master of wine title. Pierre Yves Colin Morey, as you can see from other articles on this blog,  has emerged as one of my favourite wine producers in Burgundy. His white wines are so pure, magical,  remarkable and wonderful that they are made for meditation, they do not really require food as the wine itself is such an experience. The four of us started off with a premier cru Chassagne Montrachet from 2011 and a 11 acre plot called Les Chenevottes. It's a cool, flat plot which is not too humid and the wines from here are fine supple wines. Beautiful aroma of discrete lime, butter and lots minerals. Amazing purity all along. The balance was just wonderful and each sip became like a religious ritual. A stunning wine which every restaurant should be proud of ...

Pascal Clement is a wine producer that made his first own production in 2012. Before that he worked with various wine makers in Burgundy as well as New Zealand (mostly Pinot and Chardonnay). He buys grapes from mostly biodynamic growers and his style is clean, pure and with subtle use of oak. Pernand- Vergelesses is pre-dominantly known for it's red Burgundy but this version is a white one. The wine has a clear and pale lime green colour. Nice delicate smell of apple, citrus, hazelnut and minerals (or wet stone). Very refreshing taste with lots of minerality, apple, citrus and some nuts. Beautiful balance and a solid aftertaste. Pernand-Vergelesses 2013 "Les Combottes" Pascal Clement Ca 25€ or 300NOK