Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is a fantastic 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) from Wiston estate in England. Below are some remarks from the estate itself and Decanter: Selected from the chalkiest and steepest part of our vineyard, Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2011 is elegant and expressive, with enticing notes of white peach, apricot, brioche and crushed oyster shells. Awarded the very top prize of ‘Best in Show’ in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 (the equivalent of the Wine Industry’s Oscars!), this decadent single vineyard, single vintage, single varietal Blanc de Blancs is perfect for immediate drinking and will also age beautifully. “Time spent on lees after secondary fermentation pays huge dividends for English sparkling wine, endowed as it always is with high natural levels of acidity. That’s a lesson triumphantly proved by this 2011 Blanc de Blancs, with its soft mousse, lifted, almost floral aromas and deft weave of apple, tangerine and pear fruits rippled through with yeasty, bready rich...

Finally a bit of good news thanks to climate change. Southern England with a soil similar to that of Champagne in France is benefitting from a warmer climate over the last twenty years and are now producing delicious still wine and bubbles. The bubbles can not be named Champagne, but this is Champagne quality, especially the cuvee classic from Nyetimber. Lovely pale gold colour with gentle fine bubbles. Apple, citrus, flowers and toast on the nose. Three years on the lees is reflected on the nose. An elegant and crispy taste with a long aftertaste and medium body. This is a very elegant "Champagne". Grapes are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Mix 50/50 black and white. Nyetimber  England, ca 30-40€

This is a very good Cava from Pedregosa based upon Pinot Noir (74%) with the rest being Chardonnay and Macabeo. Delicious fresh nose of yellow fruit, apples, brioche and yeast. Delightful acidity with a very good concentration and balanced aftertaste. Only the best juice used (free run) and stored 36 months on the lees. A very good quality / price ratio. Pedregosa Reserva 2013 Cava ca 170 NOK or 8€

Castelo de Pedrogosa was established in 1993 and has been working ecological since 1997. They have 26 hectares in the heart of the cava growing area in Penedes. The reserva clos brut nature is a mix of the local grapes Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo. Quite a refreshing nose with apples, citrus, yeasty notes and some minerality. Fresh elegant taste with a very good acidity. Try with fish, seafood or as an aperitif. Very reasonable wine.

I first had this vintage for quite some time back. When this one was opened at a local wine bar the other day it felt very different in style compared to the first time. The freshness was replaced by riper impressions like dried fruit, honey and nut. The taste was still big, solid and attractive as I remembered it. Still a lovely wine, but not everyone like old Champagne as their style can be very different pending on the vintage and when it was disgorged (process where the yeast is removed and final cork put in place). Many houses put the date of disgorgement on the bottle but unfortunately Dom Perignon does not. Due to the colour and smell we can only assume that this bottle had been disgorged quite some time ago. It would have been interesting to have tried a 1996 that was disgorged later than this one. Krug for ex, has vintages with different disgorgement dates. High price.

Ten steps towards bottle opening with a sword: 1. Use bubbles based upon the Champagne method (traditional) 2. Bottle should be cold (upside down in ice bucket is perfect but not necessary) 3. Check the bottle and find the "seem" (stripe that runs along the bottle to the top) on the bottle. 4. Take off the wrapping on the cork 5. Hold the bottle at 45 degree angle (away from people and expensive glasses) 6. Run the sword along the "seem"on the bottle in one firm movement 7. Whoops it should be opened and let some bobbles spill 8. Check the top 9. Pour the wine 10. Enjoy!

Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2005 has been named best Italian bubble by  Top delle guide vini 2017 , the prestigious ranking edited by   Civiltà del Bere , which combines the data published by the major Italian wine guides with the aim of identifying the best wines and wineries in Italy. The only Italian bubble ever to receive six excellence mentions in the eight guides taken into account by the ranking is Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 2005, confirming the success recorded by the previous vintages of this wine. Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore is a wine produced only with the best vintages obtained from selected grapes harvested in the vineyards of Maso Pianizza, located on the slopes of the mountains surrounding Trento.  The 2005 vintage, harvested after a hot summer that featured a marked temperature difference between day and night, provided Chardonnay grapes with a faultless balance between sourness and sugar content, combined with a magnif...

I quite adore Cava due to the price level. They apply the Champagne method to the three grapes Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada but the cost per bottle is half of Champagne. Key question is then; is Champagne twice as good as Cava? As with Champagne there different prices, styles and qualities among Cava as well. This Cava by Agusti Torello Mata is a more full-bodied sparkling with at least 24 months on the lees during the second fermentation. Small bubbles in this 2010 vintage, that was actually bottled in 2015. The nose is a bit spicy with ripe apples and yeasty notes. The taste is big and smooth with a decent acidity. We tried it with fresh prawns and it was too big for that. It also collided with different cheese but on its own it was delicious and it went very well with burger and salad for lunch. A decent alternative to Champagne. Cava 2010, Penedes Agusti Torello Mata Ca 12€ or 190 NOK

This is a delightful vintage and single vineyard sparkling from Tillington in England. Nyetimber decided that vines from Tillington were of superior quality and could be bottled separately. Climate change means that the wine quality has increased in England over the last decade or so and this is a very elegant sparkling indeed with predominantly Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay. Only ca 4000 bottles have been released. Delicious clean citrus fruit with some scent of grapefruit and creamy notes. Elegant and pure complex mousse with a long finish. Nyetimber 2010 Single vineyard Tillington England £75

This is a delightful Cava from nearby Barcelona. Juvé y Champs is responsible for different versions of cava which are all regarded as one of the best cava's in Spain. The wines are fresh and fruity with a certain finesse deriving from the time the wine has spent on the lees. Juvé y Camps is behind 40% of all the Gran Reserva cava's produced in Spain which require at least 36 months storage on the lees. This Gran Reserva called Reserva de la Familla is made up from macabeo, xarel-lo, parellada og chardonnay. It has  42 months maturity on the lees. In addition it is the 2011 vintage and not a general blend. Ripe apples, citrus and biscuit on the nose. Mature and clean apples on the taste with a rich and full bodied mousse. Very good acidity. Try as aperitif or with seafood. Juve y Camps 2011 Reserva de la Familia Cava Ca 190 kr or 10€

Back in France and a bit of Champagne in the heat. We found this one in the wine section at Carrefour. Only 26€ for a very decent Champagne is not bad at all. Made from 40% Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and then 20% Pinot Meunier it has an expressive bouquet of citrus fruit, flowers and white fruit. Very fruity, clean and fresh taste with lovely bubbles and viscosity.  With 3 years on average on lees it has turned out to be a delightful wine indeed. Ayala Champagne Brut Majeur 26€

This is a wonderful and reasonable Champagne based on the three different grapes Chardonnay, Pinot and Pinot Meunier. This Champagne is also made by use of the solar system (see below) which has quite an impact on the taste. The smell is dominated by toast, butter, citrus fruit and some ripe fruit and flowers. The taste is complex and delicious with  a long well balanced aftertaste and a lovely acidity. The taste is bigger and has more body than normal Champagne and can remind one of a Blanc de noirs. Perfect as an aperitif or with seafood. Coutelas  Champagne Ca 30€ or 330 NOK ( In the  solera  process, a succession of containers are filled with the product over a series of equal aging intervals (usually a year). A group of one or more containers, called scales,  criaderas  ('nurseries'), or  clases  are filled for each interval. At the end of the interval after the last scale is filled, the oldest scale in the  solera [ ...

This is a unknown Champagne house to me but I was presently surprised by their style which is a more fruitdriven Champagne thanks to the high content of Pinot Noir in their cuvees. Many of them are more like Blanc de Noirs than normal brut. This one has 80% Pinot Noir and a very golden colour separating it from other houses and cuvees. Beautiful aromas of red berries and apples, with hints of butter and biscuit. Big rich and  fruity taste with a lovely balance and mousse. This should be perfect as an aperitif but will also go well with fish and white meat. Drappier Carte d'Or (or Carte Blanche) Champagne Ca 30€  

This vintage BdB from 2008 is already quite drinkable but can also be stored further. 100% Chardonnay with 72 months on the lees has led to a complex sparkling with lovely aromas of apple, citrus, biscuits and some minerality. Quite a creamy and full bodied taste with hints of apple and citrus fruit. Long well balanced aftertaste. A delicious BdB! Fits perfect with Manchego cheese. Simart-Moreau 2008  Champagne Blanc de blancs Ca 30€

The 2002 vintage in Champagne is classic one in line with 1995, 1990, 1989 and 1988. This 2002 by Henriot is available in France for around 40€ which is not a bad price at all for good vintage Champagne. Pale yellow colour with apple and citrus notes on the nose. Fresh, sharp and nice mineral taste. Needs perhaps a bit more time to open up. Henriot 2002 Ca 40€

A nearly 20 year old Champagne which is drinking beautifull right now! Medium yellow colour with small bubbles. Notes of sherry on the nose with toast and yeast. Beautifully balanced taste with a nice minerality and a long aftertaste. A very nice vintage Champagne which is reasonably priced compared to other houses. Henriot 1996 Ca 40€

I found this special club edition at the local wine shop. Not too pricy to be a vinatge Champagne but then again Launois is more reasonable than many other producers. Medium straw colour and with small bubbles, all gathering nicely in the middle. Perfect start. Lovely nose of yeasty flavours, apple and sitrus fruit. On the palate it is very rich with lots of fruit, a bit nutty with hints of orangepeels. A very decent Champagne based upon 100% Chardonnay.

I attended a Pol Roger tasting the other day going through the different Champagne produced by this Champagne house. The Pol Roger Pure was the first one; lively crisp and sitrus like Champagne with no dosage. Perfect with lobster, oysters and fish. Second bottle was the Pol Roger Brut which has 9g/l of dosage and is an equal mix of the three different grapes in Champagne. Green apples and a bit of brioche with some minerality. The Blanc de Blancs from 2004 was very fresh with lots of green apples and citrus fruit. Rich taste with a nice minerality. The Pol Roger 2004, made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay was more full bodied with less minerality but more body yellow fruit. A very elegant vintage Champagne. Then we got the Pol Roger flagship from 2002 which is called Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill . Pricy stuff but oh so elegant with a lovely acidity, great smell of brioche, apricots and lime. This one is an unknown mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the best Grand ...

An unknown Champagne house to me with reasonable prices. Tried this Blanc de Blancs among others and it was very nice indeed, quite a direct style with a nice balance, lovely acidity and minerality. The Champagne house is in Epernay and has a small tasting place open for public. Champagne A.Bergere Blanc de Blancs 21€

This is a very special Champagne as it has no added sugar. Straw colour with a great nose of citrus and green apples. Some biscuits and brioche. The palate is bone dry with just enough fruit to balance it off, but the Champagne is screaming for food. Oysters is possible the best match. But all in all a lovely Champagne; one vintage, one grape (Chardonnay), one single vineyard Larmandier- Bernier  Terre de Vertus