Life is too short to drink bad wine

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

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...

The 2014 vintage in Bordeaux turned out to be quite good after all. A warm and sunny September compensated for a dreadful summer and the winemakers managed to create a delightful vintage. This wine from Moulis by Ch. Mauvesin Barton is a fine example of what the 2014 vintage can offer. Beautiful aroma of dark fruit, leather and some vanilla. The tannins are very smooth with a great balance and finish. Lovely dark fruit and a lively acidity. A very good wine for only 20€ or 260 NOK. Unfortunately only 300 + bottles found its way to Norway.

This cru bourgeois from Moulis is very good value for money as the standard is consistently of grand cru classe quality. 2015 is a very good year and this shows here as well. Deep dark red colour with a lovely purple rim. Lovely nose dark fruit, cherries, blueberries and spices. On the palate it is ever so smooth with a great balance, firm body, surprisingly soft tannins and velvety and long finish. It is perfectly drinkable now but will improve over the next year 5-10 years. A great wine for less than 20€! Just stock up! Ch. Maucaillou 2015 Moulis Ca 17€ (on sale)

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...

The 2004 Bordeaux is an underrated vintage both in terms quality and price. It's a cooler vintage than the very warm 2003 and it's much cheaper than the very expensive 2005.  It can also still keep for a long time as its drinking beautifully right now. Chasse Spleen is also one of the best and consistent cru Bourgeois and it outperforms many Grand cru classe both on quality and price. So basically the 2004 Chasse Spleen is a bargain when compared to the outrageous prices one must pay for Bordeaux wines from 2005 and onwards. The wine is dark red with a red rim, not much sign of ageing. Delicious nose of dark fruit, cellar, tobacco and leather. The taste is beautifully balanced with firm, but soft tannins. It's a lovely structured wine with a medium to long aftertaste. Try with meat and cheesier on it's own. Ch. Chasse Spleen 2004 Moulis, Bordeaux Ca 25€

Champion league final today. Had this wine in paris while watching the miracle of Chelsea surviving with 10 men in Barcelona. The 2001 is drinking beautiful now: lovely red berries and pencil case with a velvety taste. Can't ask for more while watching footie. Ch.Poujeaux 2001, Moulis 40€ in Hotel California!!

Ch Poujeaux makes deep dark red wines packed with fruit and a great density. This is not a wimpy gentle Bordeaux wine but rather masculine straight forward stuff that needs years to "calm" down. Lovely chunky stuff at reasonable price for a Bordeaux to be. Ch Poujeaux 2004, Moulis, big body and solid, 20€

This is a Cru Bourgeois, the level below the Grand Cru Classe, but sometimes just as good in quality, only cheaper. Maucaillou is a good priced quality wine that has shown good character the last 5 to ten years. The best years keep well (96 was a good year, tasting notes from end 2007). This 11 year old wine had a red colour with red to red brown rim and typical Medoc smell although discrete. It had a good length and body with soft integrated tannins. This wine can be found at a reasonable price (15€) when bought young, but it needs at least 5 years to peak. Maucaillou means mauvais cailloux/ bad stones which I guess is not representative..... 1996 , More concentrated than the lean, angular 1995, but still pushing the tannin limit, this saturated ruby-colored wine possesses berry, cassis fruit, good spice, medium body, and ten years of ageability.