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

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.

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...

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