Life is too short to drink bad wine

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 2008 vintage from Bordeaux is not well sought after but on the bright side they are all reasonable as it was the last vintage before the very expensive 2009 and 2010 which ruined some of the market. The 2008 should in any case not be disregarded as it's drinking quite nicely now. The mix in this wine is 50% Cabernet, 40% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. The second wine of Haut-Bailly in Pessac Leognan is good value for money with a typical Bordeaux nose (ripe red fruit and earth) and a very subtle and smooth style. Very harmonious finish as well with soft tannins. drink now or for the next 5 years. La Parde de Haut-Bailly 2008 Pessac Leognan Ca 25 or 340 NOK

The label is somewhat ruined thanks to the humidity in my cave in Paris. But the cave has perfect storage conditions something which is proven by this 1998 Haut-Bailly from Pessac Leognan in Bordeaux. Medium dark red colour with a surprisingly red rim. The wine has a lovely bouquet of red fruit, old cellar, leather and cigar. A typical  Bordeaux nose of the very attractive kind. In the mouth it is beautifully balanced with lots of structure but very smooth and elegant tannins. It's drinking perfectly now and compared today's prices for this Chateau which are close to 100€ the original costs for this bottle was a pure bargain.

This is the second wine of Domaine Chevalier in Pessac Leognan. 2010 is a very good year and the second wines of the big properties are often more value for money in such good vintages. The wine has around 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and then mostly Merlot as the rest. The colour is very deep red, nearly black. The smell is predominantly dark fruit and spices. Long balanced aftertaste with soft tannins. l'Esprit de Chevalier 2010 Pessac Leognan Ca 20€ or close to 300NOK

This is the second wine of Haut-Bailly in Pessac Leognan. 2007 is not the best of years in Bordeaux but this one is drinking beautifully now. Dark red color and a delicate bouquet of dark berries with hints of coffee and chocolate. Great balanced wine with smooth tannins. A fine example of Bordeaux. La Parde de Haut-Bailly 2007 Pessac Leognan Ca 25€

This is the second wine of Ch Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac Leognan , Bordeaux. This Chateaux makes wonderful complex wines which you can get without emptying your bank account. This 2010 has a great dark colour and a lovely fruity and seductive taste. Wonderful balance and smooth but firm tannins. If you can get hold of some, just buy and stock up…. Les Hauts de Smith 2010 Pessac Leognan Ca 25€

Had this wine at the restaurant/winebar in Berlin called Lutter & Wegner. Brick coloured wine with nice red fuit flavours and earthy undertones. Well balanced with all the tannins gone but still very much enjoyable despite the age. La Louviere 1999 Pessac-Leognan Still going srong

This is a very decent wine for red Bordeaux lovers. Never exceedingly expensive and always of good quality. Medium dark red colour with a nose of ripe red fruit and hints of tobacco and earth. The taste is long with subtle fruit and soft elegant tannins. This wine can be drunk young (after some time in the carafe) or kept for more maturity. Domaine Chevalier 2006, Pessac Leognan Consistent high quality and ca 30 to 40€ pending the year.

I totally  forgot that I had quite a few of the Ch Haut-Bailly from 1998 in my cellar. Sparkling red and purple color, not much indicating that the wine is 14 years old I must say. Lovely discrete smell of sweet red berries and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla. The taste is well balanced with soft tannins and a lively acidity, indicating that it's still got a few more years to go. Ch.Haut-Bailly 1998, Pessac Leognan 25£ (en primeur) or 100£ now U2 - "Sweetest Thing"

The warm vintage of 2003 in Bordeaux is drinking well now. This wine from Graves is deep dark red with a great smell of blackberries and sweet oak. A good Bordeaux texture with soft tannins. A nice and pleasant wine reasonably priced. Ch Fieuzal 2003, Pessac Leognan 20€ Drinking lovely right now...

Wine # 4 Blindtasting Sirdalen Nov 2011 Dark red coloured wine. Beautiful dark berries and blackcurrant smell. A big and well balanced fruity taste. Firm soft tannins. Panel not entirely in the right place. Domaine Solitude 2008, Pessac Leognan Score 18.10 a great value Bordeaux  Price 12€ or NOK 220

This is one of the better performing grand cru classe from the Graves region. Quite a nice mineral taste of dark berries with hints of tobacco and chocolate. Needs time to develop. Packed with nice fruity and soft tannins, but not "chewy"tannins. A very nice Bordeaux that will go with lamb or red meat. Ch Smith Haut Lafitte 2007, high price 40€ or 490 NOK, elegant wine but worth the money..? just..  

This 2005 is one of the few reasonable 2005 Bordeaux wines that can be found in the shop. A great year and perfect with the Easter lamb this year , or the next 10 years... Deep dark red colour. Nose packed with blackcurrent, vanilla and jam (just borderline being Australian...). Lovely velvety big body with fruity and smooth tannins which leads to a solid mouthful. Very hard to dislike the wine and the price, borderline low/medium price range 205 or 12-15 € in country of origin. Not be mixed up with Solitude from Chateauneuf du Pape. Domaine Solitude 2005, Pessac Leognan, the best vintage so far??? DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE - le vin

Went to Paris for the winter holiday. Visited the cave, numerous restaurants and had a nice sleep on a sunny warm spring day in the garden of Louvre. If it was the heat or just the nice bottle of the Ch Fieuzal 2004 from Pessac Leognan, I am not sure. Perhaps it was the combination? Anyway the Fieuzal is a dark red wine packed with spices, black currants and hints of liquorice. Great stuff with lots of body, firm tannins and a long solid aftertaste. Drinking well now but will keep easily for another 5 to 10 years. Ch de Fieuzal 2004 Pessac Leognan, 20€, rich and concentrated wine!

With Bordeaux prices for the top growths only being affordable to Premier league players, normal people could settle for the second wine of these great wines. L'Esprit de Chevalier is one of my favourite second labels (Domaine Chevalier) as the quality is consistently good giving you a feeling of the Grand Vins. 2005 is also a great year where the prices sky rocketed, but I found this magnum version at Auchun for a very affordable price. The wine was dark and packed with warm red fruit flavours , lovely elegant soft taste with a perfect balance. Drinking surprisingly well already. L'Esprit de Chevalier 2005, Pessac Leognan, 30€ for a magnum, wine and size for the cabin

A classic Pessac Leognan in the top 5 list. Great aromas of cherries, tobacco and leather with solid firm soft tannins. A stylish mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) and Merlot (25%) from this gravelly sandy terroir. An elegant wine that could do with another few years in the bottle as well to smoothen the tannins even more. Nothing wrong with the wine right now however, its rock and roll all the way through despite it is almost 12 years since harvest. If u want to buy be prepared to pay between 40 and 100€. Best bet is probably the 2007, coming out soon. Haut-Bailly 1998, Pessac Leognan, rock'n roll for U2, Score 18,60 Château Haut-Bailly - Crû Classé de Graves

One of my favourites, found the 2004 vintage for 25€ at Auchan this week. 2004 is perhaps not a great year, but that does not mean that the wine is bad. In fact we have tasted many 2004 and they drink very well indeed, the big difference with the 2003 and 2005 is perhaps that the 2004 may not have the same storage potential. Anyway the 2004 Chevalier was very different from other Chevalier we have tasted before. It was more closed and perhaps more complex on the nose with  warm spicy fruit. On the palate it was firm and fruity with a creamy texture and very good length. They just dont make bad wines at this chateau! It is a very nice bottle of wine and t 25€ its worth every centimes... Score ca 17

This is one of two second wines of the famous and expensive Ch. Pape Clement in Graves. Although young,  2004, this wine drinks really well already if you put it on carafe a couple of hours before consumption. Dark red colour, with a very attractive smell of blueberries and dark berries, its a full bodied wine with firm but nice tannins that goes best with some food. 2004 although not the best of vintages, keep surprising me with good drinkable wines at affordable prices, because from 2005 and onwards there is a big step up in prices.... Grapes; Cabernet Sauvignon 60% and Merlot 40% Price around 20€ P+

Domaine Chevalier from Pessac Leognan in Bordeaux makes fantastic white and red wines. Yesterday it was sunny and warm so we went around to Lotta´s and enjoyed a 1999 Domaine Chevalier red. Top notch quality red which you can drink young and old. In good years and bad years. Always good quality and reasonably priced for the quality. 1999 is still deep dark red with elegant earthy red berries smell and touch of "wet wool". Smooth long balanced taste with amicable tannins. One of our favourites! Score 18,1 points   A bottle of red would cost between 20 to 30€ depending on the vintage. For white add another 10€.   

This is one of my favourites. In terms of quality and quality for money. You can get it most places for around 25€ if you buy it young, but it needs a few years in the cellar before being at the top.... The 1999 and the 2002 are both great wine with deep dark red colour. Bouquet is elegant slightly earthy with red berries and what I say is wet wool. Its a big wine with soft integrated tannins (they are there but not tea bag like), it is smooth and with a long aftertaste. Just buy it, cause this is like P++ as it can be kept for a long time as well..... They make a great dry white as well, but that is more expensive DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER - Pessac Léognan