Life is too short to drink bad wine

The Beaune appellation is a bit underrated by many compared to the more well known "red" villages like Vosne Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin etc. So what does that mean for us consumers? This is in fact good news as the quality is still high and the price more affordable. I came across this Domaine while in London. Domaine Lois Dufouleur. A totally new domain to me. Lovely silky textured wine. Smooth delicate fruit. Great balance. So I asked the sommelier if he could tell me about the "manager" of this wine. To which he responded; I can, but you might as well talk to the young man next to you- that's his son! So here I was in London drinking this gorgeous Beaune premier cru and next to me was the son of the producer nipping a to great Barbaresco. A place he had not visited but which I had. And he was in London as he wanted a change from Beaune, a place I just love. Isn't life just fun sometimes? Beaune 1er cru Le clos des Perrieres 2015 Lois Dufoule...

In the steep hills north in  the Rhone valley there is a small appelation which is called Condrieu. Here the rare grape of Viognier is grown. A grape not well known to many people but which gives a fantastic wine when grown here. It is a full bodied white with a very pronounced and overwhelming smell of flower, peach, apricot, tropical fruit etc. The taste is dominated by ripe fruit, medium acidity and a long finish. Very good to outstanding quality. This is not a white for the fainthearted as the style is rather opulent. But with 2 year old Comte it is the perfect match. Cuilleron (manager) has many different styles. The wine is pricy and rare to get hold of. Condrieu 2014 "La Petite Cote" Yves Cuilleron ca 30€ or 400 nok

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

The cheese Mont d'Or is French and have been made with raw milk. The cheese can have a strong smell but the taste is quite approachable and kind. The cheese can be served at room temperature or slightly heated (like on the picture). As the cheese is from the Jura district and quite umami rich, a wine from the same district is a good option. There are some very good Chardonnay wines from Jura that has enough body and texture to match the wine. Further south you have Viognier from Condrieu which is also a very good match thanks to the full bodied style. Also Chardonnay from central Burgundy would match the wine nicely. I would stay away from basic Chablis for ex as there is not enough body. Pinot Noir might work but then you might need a wine of Village or Premier cru rating. Sherry fino (biological matured) can also work nicely if you appreciate this style of wine. Good luck!

This is a fantastic 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) from Wiston estate in England. Below are some remarks from the estate itself and Decanter: Selected from the chalkiest and steepest part of our vineyard, Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2011 is elegant and expressive, with enticing notes of white peach, apricot, brioche and crushed oyster shells. Awarded the very top prize of ‘Best in Show’ in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 (the equivalent of the Wine Industry’s Oscars!), this decadent single vineyard, single vintage, single varietal Blanc de Blancs is perfect for immediate drinking and will also age beautifully. “Time spent on lees after secondary fermentation pays huge dividends for English sparkling wine, endowed as it always is with high natural levels of acidity. That’s a lesson triumphantly proved by this 2011 Blanc de Blancs, with its soft mousse, lifted, almost floral aromas and deft weave of apple, tangerine and pear fruits rippled through with yeasty, bready rich...

Castello de Farnatello has a basic Chianti and a Riserva on the market. Both of them are good value for money. We tried the Riserva the other day, in two different glasses; Riedel Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The Syrah glass is more closed at the top (to the right). The colour of the wine is medium red and the nose discrete smell of cherries, leather and nuts. Attractive acidity with a firm well balanced taste. This is perfect with lamb for ex. 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot has been added to the wine as well and that gives it more body than the pure Sangiovese. And which glass works best? The Syrah glass enhances the smell much more than the CS glass in which the wine seems much more closed. Chianti Riserva 2016,  Castello de Farnatello Ca 230 kr or 13euro

German Riesling comes in many different styles pending on area and sugar level. Trocken (dry) is the dry version often with lots of  fruit and a crisp acidity. Mosbacher, producer in Pfalz in Germany, has many different styles based on the geographical location of the vines. This one is from Wachenheimer with a special sandy soil. At first a very petroleum like smell, maybe from the skins of the grapes in a warm vintage? but the day after that had gone and it was more towards ripe apples, flowers and tropical fruit. The taste is beautifully balanced with lots of fruit and perfect acidity. Slightly high in sugar (just below 9g/l). Lovely wine that can be used as an aperitif or with white meat, fish and certain spicy foods. Georg Mosbacher Riesling 2015 Bundsandstein, Wachenheimer Ca 240 NOK or 14€

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

Conterno is well known family name in Piemonte. Franco Conterno, however, is a "manager" that is new to me but having tried this Barbera several times lately I know I need to try more of his wines. There are many Barbera on the market but this must surely be one of the best in the ordinary price range. Complex smell of red fruit, dark cherries, spices and hint of chocolate. The taste is very smooth and fruity with a beautiful balance. The acidity is perhaps on the low side for being Barbera. The grapes have been destemmded and spent some time in 225l oak before bottling. The wine will go with many different dishes. Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2015 Franco Conterno Ca 14€ or 200 NOK

This is a fantastic Garnacha (Grenache) by Terroir sense Fronteres (terroir with no limits).  The grapes are from an area called Montsant which lies like a horseshoe around Priorat. The grapes come from 40-80 year old plots around the village of LaFiguera at around 750 above sea level. The terroir is predominately chalk on steep terraces. The wine has fermented and stored on cement tanks before being bottled. 2017 is the first vintage made and only 4000 btls were produced. The colour is pale ruby. Delicious nose of fresh raspberry, strawberry, flowers and some liquerice. Fresh and light taste with a perfect balance and soft tannins. Very elegant with ripe red fruit and a long aftertaste. Just super delicious. Vertebra 2017 Terroir sense Fronteres Montsant, Spain 370 NOK or 25€ Lys rød farge. Særdeles innsmigrende og lett aromatisk nese av friske bringebær jordbær, blomster, urter og lakris. Svært frisk i munnen med flott frukt, finslepne tanniner og flott tekstur....

Laurence Tribut makes a special basic Chablis that is more expensive than other village wines. His style is also different as the wine is matured by careful use of oak after having gone through malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. He uses only the best % liquid from the pressing of the grapes. Pale straw colour with hint of green. Lovely bouquet of sitrus, apple, yeast and sea. Well balanced creamy taste with great structure and acidity. This must be one of the best basic Chablis that exist! Chablis 2014 Laurence Tribut Ca 290 NOK or 20€

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

Malbec is a grape that used to be grown in Bordeaux. It is still used in southern France but it has sort of immigrated to Argentine where it is truly blossoming. The Hess Family who runs the Colome estate has developed a full bodied, dense and beautiful Malbec. The grapes are grown in high altitude in the Salta region. And when we talk about high altitude it is really high: between 2100 to stunning 3100m altitude. The wine is consequently of outstanding quality and a price of 250 NOK or around 20usd is well worth spending on this elegant wine. Dark purple colour. Lots of brambles, dark fruit, liquorice and spice on the nose. Massive taste, but very fruity and smooth tannins. A long and elegant finish. And what glass to use? We tried Riedel Cab Sauv and Syrah/Shiraz glasses and found the Syrah glass to work best. Malbec Colome Estate 2016 Calchaqui Valley Salta region, Argentine Ca 250 NOKor 20usd

The second wines of top Bordeaux wines are often the way to go due to the high prices for the classified wines. This one was established in 1985 and is actually from 30 years old vines on gravel soil owned by the Ch Lagrange. 2015 is an excellent vintage in Bordeaux and the nose is packed with elegant red and dark fruit, oak flavours and spice. Full bodied wine with smooth tannin structure and velvety aftertaste. Very good overall quality. Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2015 St.Julien Bordeaux Ca 400NOK or 25€

This is a biodynamic produced wine with major parts of the wine fermented in the Beaujolais style- i.e carbonic maceration (fermentation starts within the grapes with no yeast and then normal fermentation occurs). Wines from Morgon are on the more full bodied side of Beaujolais and can also be stored longer than the lighter versions like Chiroubles, Fleurie and Saint Amour. Red colour with a slight brownish rim. Delightful smell of red fruit, earthy flavours and flowers. The taste is beautifully light and balanced with almost no tannins and a delightfully refreshing acidity. This is a very nice, although slightly pricy, Beaujolais. Drink now or keep for a couple more years. Serve slightly chilled. Morgon 2016 Antoine Sunier Beaujolais Ca 14€ or 260 NOK

Bordeaux 2015 vintage is on the market and what is surprising with this vintage is the smooth and silky tannins. Especially if you go for a Merlot dominated version. Clos la Gaffeliere is one of the more reasonable grand cru from St.Emilion and it is widely available in shops and wine merchants. It's supersmooth and packed with dark fruit and plum and with a great balanced taste. Full bodied wine at this stage. Can be kept for 10-15 years without a problem. Lovely wine. Clos la Gaffeliere 2015 St.Emilion Ca 22-28€  La Gaffeliere is about 5€ more expensive and 680 NOKin Norway.

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!

Domaine Faiveley has a number of different Burgundies and most of them are reasonable priced compared to many other "managers". Their Mercurey monopole La Framboise is one of the best buys and especially when it comes in good vintages like 2016. His other Mercurey and Bourgogne rouge are also very good buys and worth a try. Nice and attractive bouquet of red fruit (perhaps towards redcurrant) and flowers. refreshing acidity and reasonable good length. A very good village Burgundy from perhaps not the best villages in Burgundy. Good quality price ratio. Mercurey La Framboise 2016 Domaine Faiveley Ca 280 NOK or 17€