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 ...

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

As we all know from recent football events- it's all about the manager. And this is especially true in Burgundy where you can have many different managers making wine from the same terroir and yet the wines are all slightly different. This is a contradiction in itself cause if the terroir theory was correct they should all make the same wines, but they do not. So it's all down to grape selection, fermentation process and temperature, pressing, free run juice, use oak and which type of oak etc etc Ghislaine took over from her father in 1990 and has established herself as a top producer (manager) in Burgundy. Her wines are not the cheapest but it is certainly among the very best. The generic Bourgogne rouge from 2015 is made mostly from grapes from a plot called Bons Batons near the town of Gilly les Citeaux. In the favourable year of 2015 it is a very decent wine close to village standard. Beautiful red fruit, flowers, earth, cherries and pepper on the nose. A very n...

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!

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+)

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

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

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

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

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

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€

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 only single estate in Italy that has it's own DOC! The first time I had it was last week when I found out that one of the local restaurants (Sørensen oppe) had one bottle left. So I asked the wine waiter to set aside the bottle for me. A few days later on a sunny warm late summer day I turned up with a friend and reclaimed the bottle. We sat outside, on a tiny balcony, overlooking the Stavanger harbour, watching the sun go down drinking this stunning wine. Gorgeous aromas of dark chocolate, supple red fruit and lots of cassis. Old cellar, vanilla, ripe fruit. Simply wonderful! But the palate was out of this world thanks to a complexity, balance, body and length that really shocked the both of us. At the same time it was soft and elegant as well as big strong and firm. It had lots of fire power, but at the same time silky. A truly stunning wine. Worth drinking at least once! But of course there are no more 2001 left in Stavanger ....

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 ...

Patrice Rion is one of the masters of Chambolle and he has three different premier crus as far as I know. This one called Les Cras, Les Fuees and the famous Les Charmes. All of them are equally good and elegant although my personal favourite is Les Charmes. Optimum timing for drinking them are at least 5-7 years old to smoothen the tannins that are present in the younger years. This one from 2012 has lots of red fruit dominated by wild raspberries and cherries. Delicate taste with a lovely balance and soft tannins. A lovely wine that will improve even further with a couple of more years in the bottle. Chambolle Musigny 2012 "Les Cras" Patrice Rion  Ca 50€

This one of my absolute favourites; Patrice Rion, Chambolle and premier cru Les Charmes. Delicious heavenly smell of raspberries, cherries, chocolate and some pepper. Very firm structured taste with a gorgeous balance and wonderful red fruit. It's a big solid and smooth wine with lovely firm tannins. Drink now, but will improve if you can wait for 5 years... Chambolle Musigny 1er cru Les Charmes Patrice Rion Ca 50€

Let it be said at once; this 2009 red Burgundy from More-St-Denis is pure magic! It can remind you of a full bodied Chambolle in a way as it has similar bouquet and smoothness. The smell is dominated by delicate raspberries with hints of chocolate. Subtle, but ever so lovely. The taste is incredible smooth, packed with ripe delicious fruit, an enormous length and wonderful balanced aftertaste. Pure magic! I am uncertain what to eat with this wine as I am afraid many dishes would take away the fantastic experience it is just to drink it on its own. Try veal with a discrete sauce....perhaps.

This is wine number 1000 on this blog and the choice of wine number 1000 is not accidental. Chambolle Musigny by Rion is a pure meditation wine with a silky texture and balance that must be experienced in order to understand what the fuzz is all about. I have tried all the Chambolle Musigny's by Patrice Rion since the 2006 and every vintage has been of great quality. The purity, balance, smoothness and delightful taste is just amazing. The wine is so delicate that it is difficult to recommend any food with it and that's why it's for me a pure meditation wine. Serve slightly chilled in a big glass, lean back in the chair or sofa and just enjoy; sip after sip.... Stunning stuff for 39€. Wine does not get better than this, just more expensive.....