Life is too short to drink bad wine

Where to start? This is a monster of a wine. So big and intense that I had to consume most of it myself. Even on the second day, the tannins were still big and solid. Packed with primary and secondary aromas. Firm, elegant and full bodied with a very long finish. We tried four different cheese with it. Nothing worked. I brought this over from UK but it is way too early to drink. It needs yet another decade in the cellar. I will perhaps try again in five years time. It's so massive, so many fantastic flavours of dark fruit and smoke, leather, wood, pencil case etc. that I used the whole list. Pontet Canet started biodynamic with this 2004 vintage and I am shocked by the quality and style. Rising star indeed! Pontet Canet 2004 Paulliac 50£

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...

This Paulliac Grand cru classe is drinking beautifully now. 2008 is not the best of vintages but at least the price was decent as it was the year before the price rocketing years of 2009 and 2010. The colour is medium to dark red with a red rim. Very elegant indeed. The nose is delightful with dark fruit, some red cherries, liquorice, leather and pencil sharpener. Great stuff! The palate is ever so smooth despite the present tannins which fortunately are of the soft kind. Medium body with a long refreshing aftertaste. Grand Puy Lacoste 2008 Paulliac Ca 35€ 

Magnum bottles are great stuff. Especially if you have visitors of the thirsty kind. I came across this magnum from Paulliac at the local wine shop and just had to buy two although they were slightly pricy. This is a classic and mature Pauillac from the underrated 2004 vintage. Beautiful nose, lovely balance and so easy to drink. Perhaps a slight lack of weight in the middle, but make no mistake, this is top drawer stuff. Lovely Pauillac nose of black fruits, liquorice and old wood. Earthy and soft tannins on the palate. Perfect with the confit de canard. Pontet Canet 2004 Paulliac High price

Jean -Michel Comme, the technical director at Pontet Canet, has been instrumental in converting this chateaux into pure biodynamic mode. All the vintages from 2005 has been un this status but the rise in quality has been increasing ever since the conversion started in 2001. This 2006, not the best of years in Bordeaux, has an amazing deep dense colour and a powerful complex nose of dark fruit, brambles, spices, raspberry, cedar and cassis. Stunning stuff! The taste is rich, pure, big and solid with big tannins that are well integrated. A truly masculine Paulliac and a massive handful. This 2006 costs a mere 120£ at a local restaurant, in stark contrast to the present prices that are roughly the same, but this is first growth quality at price that one sometimes may afford!

Let it be said immediately that this Chateau is really on the way up. The complexity and elegance are remarkable and so am I afraid is the price per bottle. 2006 was spoilt by bad August weather and a storm in September but still when top producers are creating wines they succeed even in mediocre vintages.  Intense dark colour with a strong nose of dark and red berries, coffee and minerals. The taste is dominated by seductive tannins due to the high Merlot content (>30%). The wine is beautifully balanced with a long aftertaste. If you ever see this wine in the shop or at a resto, just buy it Do not worry about the price. It's worth it and 10 times cheaper than the top top ones. Ch Pontet Canet 2006, Paulliac. Starting price ca 80£. Sort of Margaux like in style...

The an old favorite from Paulliac. Ch. Batailley provides consistent quality at a decent price. The smell is very different from Margaux as it has more a bouquet of cassis, burnt toast and vanilla. The body is even bigger and overall this is a more masculine wine. At 31£ you get good value for your money.

The last wine in the tasting was Lynch Bages from the great (but expensive year) of 2005. Purchasing this wine will set you back 96£ but for the money you will get a truly powerful wine of great finesse. Lynch Bages has an intense long and big taste, thats for sure. The tannins are however soft and elegant. On the nose there is more dark flowers, violet and dark berries. This one has a long life ahead and would probably peak in ten years time.

Busy week with lots of meetings in Paris. On Wednesday it was 25c and sunny and just wonderful to sit outside with a glass in the hand. Paris me manque! Went to one of l'Ecluse wine bars where you can buy Bordeaux wine by the glass. After a period with a slightly disappointing selection l'Ecluse is back on song; This second wine of Pontet Canet from 1996 was just fantastic packed with black fruit, ink and pencil case. Lovely stuff for 6€ a glass. Ch. Les Hauts de Pontet 1996, drinking beautifully now, buy buy

Back in Paris for a day and dinner at a local favourite. They had updated their wine list (probably because we had drank most of the old 2000..). On the list was Ch Batailley 2004 5th Grand cru classee from Bordeaux. What hardship..... Dark red colour with lovely smell of cassis, tobacco and coffee. Lovely fruit and balance with firm tannins of the kind version. 2004 is not the greatest of years but the wines are reasonable compared to 2005 and later on and they are drinking wonderfully now and for the next 5 years at least. Ch Batailley 2004, Paulliac, 5 Grand Cru Classe, classy stuff for 36£ or around 30€

This is the second wine of the very famous Lafite Rotschild. At first (the first bottles some time back) this wine was perhaps too oaked but it has now opened up beautifully. Lovely discrete Bordeaux aromas with a punchy solid long taste full of potential. Bought this for 25€ en primeur and its now running at 350€ for some obscure reason. Carruades de Lafite Rotschild 1999, Paulliac should I drink or should I sell?

This 5eme cru from Paulliac shows consistent quality. With more than 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with only 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc it is a wine that require cellar time before drinking.  The 1993 a classic Paulliac with cedar, toast and black berries. Great red colour with just a hint of red brown rim. Lovely velvety tannins and a seductive long finish. A wine worth waiting for! The price only 20 € in 97! recent vintages varies between 40 to 100€ which at the top end is too pricy. Of recent vintages the 2004 at around 40€ is probably the best value for money. Grand Puy Lacoste 1993, (20€) as good as it gets, Score 18,50

So on the same weekend we went to a big birthday party (Jan Terje) in Djupvik where the host came up up with imported french food, local shot products and a Mouton Rotschild 1983. Having been practising on the 1990 the night before we had a good basis for comparison and we all liked the 1983 much better than the 1990. The wine was drank in perfect "hytte" conditions (see picture). Gone was the sweetness and left was delicate red berry flavours spiced up with integrated oak and very well balanced soft lingering finish. Yummy yummy, although at 318€ per bottle the same question again rises: Is it really worth the price? and the answer is simple: of course not, but when it served on a big ocassion like this then it is the icing on the cake with the only recommendation being that its (as in this case) served well before the other wines and the vintage armagnac... According to La Revue du vin de France the change out of the wine maker in 1996 has improved the wines and they are...

During a weekend in Norway with some good friends, a couple of Mouton Rotschild were tasted. This is one of the top Grand Cru Classee in Medoc with the price per bottle varying from 200 to 500 euro. The 1990 is only selling at 333 € at the moment , so lucky us! Not knowing what we were served, we located the wine to be situated in Medoc, but beyond that it was difficult due to a rather sweet smell of red berries and oak. The taste was long, well balanced but also slightly sweet with a nice long aftertaste. It was a very nice Bordeaux indeed, but not enormously exciting. Taking into account the price (333 €) and the fact that nearly a case of Brane Cantenac or Domaine the Chevalier could have been bought for the same price, its difficult to understand why such prices are being paid... Our evaluation was supported by 1855.com, Parker and RVF who all give it around 88 to 89 points or around 17 to 18 points. The only excuse could be the transport down to the cabin, but it was given ar...

I normally don't drink Bordeaux wines this young, but I just had to try this Paulliac from 2005. Lynch Moussas has been underperforming for a long time but has in recent years managed to improve the quality.  Although 2005 prices are ridiculously expensive I got this one for a mere 22€ at the recent wine sale. The wine has a deep dark red purple blue colour with a massive bouquet of cedar, coffee, chocolate and red berries.  The taste is wonderfully smooth with firm tannins and very nice structure thanks to the 30% Merlot used in the blend. On top of that it is long and delicious! For 22 € this a real bargain for the 2005 vintage. I guess the price will as always in good years just increase with time....