Life is too short to drink bad wine

It's  smooth. With a silky texture. Delicious smell. Overwhelmingly harmonic. Well balanced. Pricy. Worth every dollar.

The Schug winery in Carneros lies to the south of Sonoma and Napa valley.The vines are impacted by the  early morning fog from the bay and Pacific Ocean. Their Carneros Pinot Noir is a blend of many different parcels in Carneros. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with with daily punch down. The wine is transferred to big oak casks for malolactic fermentation before it spends 9 months in French oak out of which 20% is new oak. The result is wine which is dominated by red fruit cherry, some smoky flavours and hints of spicy new oak. Beautifully balanced taste with a smooth silky finish. Will probably improve with 2-3 years of storage. Try with lamb, game and cheese. Schug 2016 Pinot Noir Carneros ca 24 usd or 270 NOK

The name of this wine is pronounced similar to the "ujjayi" breathing technique in yoga. And both have a soothing effect on the stress level in your body. Both can be used for meditative purposes. Quite a pale reddish colour with a delightful nose of ripe red fruit, plum and spices. The taste is wonderfully soft and balanced with easy going tannins and sweet red fruit. Typical meditation wine! If food is required try with game. Ojai vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 Kessler-Haak Sta. Rita Hills Ca 30$r 340 kr

Pinot Noir from the cool Sonoma Coast can now compete with Burgundy in quality and taste. All the "cooked" flavours that has been the challenge with Californian Pinot have disappeared and you are left with beautifully balanced wines that have a very decent acidity. Occidental has this basic Sonoma Coast version as well as one called Cuvee Catherine. Both are extremely good Pinot Noir but also a bit pricy very due to the low quantities. This one has a very elegant nose of ripe red fruit with a great minerality. The taste is packed with "chilled fruit" and a beautifully struck balance that goes on and on. It's a very elegant wine indeed! Occidental 2012 Sonoma Coast Ca 40$ or 500NOK

I am not going to make any comments to this delicious wine. Just read the quotes below: This is an impressive and immediately appealing wine displaying lush layers of pure red fruit, velvety tannins and a long palate-coating finish. Aromas of cranberry, pomegranate and plum flow from the glass, underscored by enticing notes of mahogany, fresh-tilled earth, mint and exotic spices. A classic expression of Gap’s Crown!  Retail Price:  $70 Accolades 93 Points | Wine Advocate “A stunner smelling of rose petals, braised meats, black currants and black cherries is the 2012 Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard. This wine, aged slightly longer than most of their Pinot Noirs, is made from relatively new Dijon clones 115 and 828. It is a full-bodied, gorgeous Pinot Noir that should drink beautifully for up to a decade when it is finally released.” - Robert Parker 2012 Patz & Hall GAP’S CROWN VINEYARD – Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – 91 Points; Outstanding; a wine of superior char...

This 2009 Pinot from California and Anderson valley is just pure magic right now. It's not often I drink 7 years old Pinot from that region, normally I would consume them younger, but this example is the proof thet there is absolute no reason why California Pinot should not be kept. Delicious red fruit, chocolate and minerality on the nose.  A wonderful balanced taste which is just amazing. Everything are so velvety. The cool climate and a stony soil have created a truly  wonderful, complex and sumptuous wine. Pure meditation.... Copain Pinot Noir 2009 Kiser "En Bas" Anderson valley High price

This is the basic Pinot Noir from Schug in California. Medium red coloured wine with a fine smell of cherries, red fruit and some flowers. Very surprising acidity on the taste and not "cooked" fruit at all. Good balance and fresh red fruit with dry tannins on a medium long aftertaste. Require a bit of food to balance the taste. Good value for money. Schug Pinot Noir 2014 Carneros Ca 270 kr or 20usd  

Wines from Sonoma Coast is just getting better and better. The cooler climate seems to be perfect for Pinot Noir and avoids the "cooked" and jammy flavours of many Pinot Noir from California. This Cline Pinot Noir is surprisingly reasonable (160NOK or 12usd) and is a very decent Pinot indeed. It's cheaper than most generic red Burgundy with more flavours and Pinot Noir touch than the basic Burgundy in a similar price range. Very seductive smell of red fruit, cherries and some herbs. Lovely velvety taste with some raspberries and cherry. If you are looking for an easy drinking Pinot, then look no further. This is a real bargain despite the unfavourable usd exchange rate.

First wine Medium dark red wine with red rim. Decent smell of dried fruit and ripe cherries. Quite attractive nose. Very soft but big taste. Some smooth tannins and a slightly unripe ripe finish. Good length with taste of dark fruit and cherries. Overall good quality although not fantastic. Score 16.60 Ch. Chantalouette Pomerol Ca 20€ Second wine Purpur red dark colour with long legs. Smell of horse, leather, farm and black currant. Well balanced taste of dark berries with very limited tannins. Smooth. Really nicely balanced wine that are drinking well right now. Bordeaux?? Score 18,50 Ch. Poujeaux 2004 Moulis Ca 25€ (back then)   Third wine Very dark red colour with purpur rim. Sweet red berries on the nose. Some flower and rose as well. Hints of chocolate. Dark chocolate and fruit on the taste. Very big and long. Lovely balance with smooth tannins and delicious acidity. Overall a very good and big Pinot Noir !!! (how wrong can you be...

This is a magical Pinot Noir by Copain in California. Copain has many different Pinot's from different regions and this from Anderson valley is just pure silk. 6 years in the bottle has smoothened the wine without losing structure and acidity. On the nose it is packed with attractive and slightly sweet red fruit, but the taste is what makes this a top wine; Super smooth with silky tannins all the way. Silky long aftertaste and a wonderful balance. Just stunning! The price has increased lately due to increased demand and exchange rate effects. Expect to pay around 40-60$ pending on location.

This is just a gourgeous Pinot Noir made by the magician Sean Thackrey.The grapes are from the Marine County in California and the wine has quite a medium to dark red colour to be a Pinot. On the nose is earthy with ripe red fruit, some chocolate and tobacco. Hints of dark cherries is also present. This is a big, solid and very smooth Pinot with a beautiful balanced fruit. It's also an unusual Pinot due to the density and full body. It would be difficult to believe it's a Pinot if it was served in a blind tasting. It's thus perfect if you want to play a trick on your wine friends. Price starts at 40$ and the 2008 can still keep for many years.

This is a very decent Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley in California. It's also reasonable priced as it compares pricewise to generic Burgundy Pinot Noirs. The colour is medium red. On the nose it has a mix of red and black fruit which is slighly spicy with a sweet undertone. The taste is fruity and harmonic with a firm but very soft aftertaste. It's a delicious wine although it is not as good as the other top Pinot's from the same producer. Try with white meat. Copain "Tous Ensemble" 2013 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Ca 20$ or 250kr

This is just a lovely Pinot Noir from Anthill Farms in Sonoma Coast in California. The colour is light to medium red and the nose is both "fruity" and "refreshing" with delicious aromas of raspberry, red fruit, cellar and plum. The wine is also both light and full bodied with lots of red fruit and a great delightful acidity which is rare in Californian wines. Overall a superbly balanced wine competing with red Burgundy. Anthill Farms 2013 Pinot Noir Sonama Coast  Ca 350 NOK or 30$

This Anthill Farms Pinot Noir is from a single vineyard in Sonoma Coast called Campbell Ranch. It's pricier than the normal Anthill version and the colour is deeper leading towards more medium red. The bouquet is just incredible with a lovely "chilled" red fruit that just explodes in the glass. The taste is big, massive and intense with a great complexity and with lots of cold red fruit and a great acidity. This is just a very very nice Pinot and definitely a step up from the basic version which is also very good. Burgundy watch out! Anthill Farms Pinot Noir 2013 Campbell Ranch   Ca 450 NOK or 40$

This is a superduper drop dead gourgeous Pinot from the Sonoma Coast.The colour is rather medium to dark red suggesting maximum extraction and power. The nose is just wonderfully complex and big with lots of "cold" red fruit with hints of chocolate and some redcurrant. The palate is firm, solid, fullbodied, smooth with firm tannins. Lots of red fruit. Very direct in style and a great acidity to go with it. It's too early to drink now and should be kept for 3-4 years for maximum potential. Some other comments about this wine: “Readers who can find the Occidental Pinots should not hesitate to grab them, as they are truly magnificent.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media Running a successful winery for over 30 years with a long wait list just to get on to their mailing list to get an allocation of wine just wasn’t enough of a challenge for Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. Kistler Vineyards built their reputation on Chardonnay, but many praise their smaller produ...

Two wines by Montille from Beaune, both 2009, which was compared to the ones by Albert Morot and also a Pinot Noir by Copain from California. Beaune 1er cru Les Perrieres 2009 Montille This is a very elegant wine with lots of direct red fruit and minerality. A bit smoky but oh so delicious on the nose. Elegant aftertaste with firm taste that is balancing perfect in the mouth. Beaune 1er cru Les Greves 2009 Montille Yet another lovely wine from Beaune.Lots of minerality and delicious red fruit. More body than the Perrieres and a super nice balance and acidity. Lots of power and energy inthis wine. Super super nice. Copain Kiser En Bas 2009 Anderson Valley This is a slightly sweeter Pinot but without being too sweet. Very friendly style and super easy to drink. Velvet. Dark cherries of the gracious kind. A lovely lovely wine.

Wine # 1 Pale red colour with Burgundy rim. Say no more. This is Pinot Noir! On the nose packed with sweet red fruit like raspberries , hint of chocolate and some dried fruit. Very soft smooth and fruity taste with absolutely no resistance. Velvety tannins and low acidity. Perhaps a bit jammy. Very drinkable wine and the panel concluded it has to be new world Pinot Noir! (and we were right....) Anthill Farms Pinot Noir 2012 Sonoma Coast Score 18,0 (Price 380 NOK or 50$) Wine # 2 Very similar pale red colour as wine no 1. On the nose more darker fruit with hints of pepper. More complex smell as well. Definitely Pinot Noir again. The taste is better with more structure and acidity although it is still a bit "jammy" with some spices. A complex wine and the panel is dithering between new world and Burgundy. We were told Burgundy and then I said it had to be a warm year, not Volnay and not Montille as the producer. and it was in fact all those things...!! ...

This is a very special Pinot Noir as it is a combination of the new and old world; California and Burgundy. Boisset has mixed grapes from the two places and made a delightful Pinot Noir which expresses the two styles; the softness of California and the acidity of Burgundy. Sweet dark fruit on the nose.The colour is atypical Burgundy as it has a medium to deep dark red colour. The taste is a chapter on its own with a big smooth velvety taste that goes on and on. Overall a very high quality Pinot. JCB no3 Jean Charles Boisset California and Burgundy High price December 1, 2013 | The Wine Advocate The JCB 2010 No. 3 Red Wine is a blend of French and California Pinot Noir. The color is dark garnet, and the nose is spicy and smoky displaying notions of underbrush and red cherries. Dominated by Pinot Noir fruit characteristics, it is round, pure and velvety textured with loads of kirsch, plums and black cherries. This medium to full-bodied, elegant ye...

This is quite a dark Pinot Noir from the the Sonoma coast in California. Very often the California Pinot Noir are a bit sweet or "cooked" due to the high temperatures , but not so with this one. Very decent nose of brambles, dark fruit and some violet. Medium to long taste with a nice balance between acidity and soft tannins. Quite a full bodied Pinot with lots of structure on the palate. Radio Coteau "La Neblina" Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  California Ca 380 NOK or 40$

Very light red colour. Amazingly seductive smell of dried fruit, fresh red fruit, raspberries and roses. Incredible balanced taste. So soft and elegant. Loooong taste. Complex. Nearly cream like. Omg...stunning wine.... 6 in a glass? Burgundy??? Yes, but no..... Copain Pinot Noir Monument Tree 2010 Anderson Valley, California Score 19,60 !!! Ca 500 NOK or 50usd