Life is too short to drink bad wine

What a wonderful wine! The problem with these wines are that you never have enough to leave some in the cellar to age. A 5 year old white Burgundy is however drinking perfectly now. Packed with lime, butter, spice and minerality it is just wonderful with fried cod in butter. A truly great wine and a great fish! Saint Aubin "En Remilly" 2007 by Hubert Lamy. Give me more ....now!

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...

Sweet white wine that is 24 years old! Not an everyday wine. Very slow to open up. At first I was convinced it was bad, it smelled funny although the taste was alright. After a while however it opened up in the glass and turned out to be a decent surprise. If you want Sauternes this is one of the top Chateau's but at a reasonable price compared to some of the other high performing ones. Ch Suduiraut 1988, Sauternes 1989 still exists in the shop Ca 70€ a bottle of the very old ones

A white Burgundy served with fried cod at a local restaurant called Tango. Let it be said that this combination is just fabulous; the white cod meat matches the slightly "fat" white Burgundy perfectly. The wine was slightly buttery and limy on the nose with a wonderful minerality and long aftertaste. It's very difficult to dislike white Burgundies! Puligny Montrachet 2007, Leflaive Burgundy is far from the sea, but still perfect with cod

What can I say? Premier cru from Chambolle is very difficult to resist due to their fantastic balance and elegancy. So this one as well. 8 years old is the perfect timing for these wines as they do not get better after this point in time. This one is peaking right now with gorgeous red berries and a silky fruity and perfect balance. I am uncertain what more one can want from a wine.... Chambolle Musigny 2004 "Les Charmes" Try with pork or veal Ca 40€ or 65€ in Norway

This is a wonderful dessert wine based on Riesling. The nose is complex with hint of petroleum, minerals, lime and exotic fruits. The balance is fabulous with a perfect match between sweetness and acidity. Lovely stuff! Selbach-Oster 2005 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese I just love sweet white wines...

This Beaune 1er cru by Anne Gros is out in the 2010 vintage. The wine is always good value for money and so this time around as well. Medium dark red colour packed with fruit like red berries and cherries. A bit spicy and some vanilla flavours as well. Very seductive fruity taste with a long aftertaste. Solid wine with nice acidity and soft tannins. Can be kept for 5-6 years. Goes with red meat, lamb and game. Beaune 1er cru "Boucherottes" 2010 by Anne Gros. A moreish wine (u want more) "Maria Mena: Just Hold Me"

Found this old Barbaresco at the restaurant Bovio in La Morra. Single vineyard from the parcel Paje and bottle number 4702.. And what a wine! Barolo maybe the king in Piedmonte but Barbaresco is the Queen. Delicious smell of autumn leaves, cherries and a bit of rose and tar. Long velvety smoth tannic taste. Wonderful balance and drinking perfectly now. Just great with lamb chops... Barbaresco 1995 Paje- Produttori del Barbaresco

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"

Alter Ego is the second wine by Ch Palmer in Margaux (Bordeaux). It's also a 50/50 mix of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium dark red colour and a wonderful elegant bouquet of velvety dark berries and flowers. The taste is superbly balanced with soft seductive tannins and a long lingering finish. Simply a truly great wine that is drinking very well indeed right now. Found this in a restaurant in Stavanger at a price that was not scary taking into account the current sales price of around 40 to 50£. Alter Ego 2000, Margaux Stairways to Heaven.....

This bottle was opened after a horrible day at work some time ago. Getting two majors with their different bosses to agree a press release was a bit like making pigs fly. The day became wonderfully better when this delicious red Burgundy by Arlaud was poured into the glass. Morey-St-Denis 1er cru from the plot "Aux Cheseaux" is a wonderful wine with a stunning perfume of flowers and red sweet berries. The taste is just pure velvet, nothing more nothing less. 50€ or 440 NOK. Morey-St Denis 1er cru "Aux Cheseaux" 2006, Arlaud a-Ha "Velvet" from Minor Earth Major Sky

Bought this wine from BBR in London. Totally unknown to me but Parker has apparantly given this wine 96 points which is the same as many Bordeaux wines from 2009 but at a ridiculous more expensive price. Deep dark color. Lovely smell of dark olives, pepper and brambles (all dark stuff). Very interesting nose. The taste is just enormous. Big. Full bodied. 15% alcohol. Looong. Very long aftertaste but beautifully balanced. A truly masterpiece. I need food! Lamb, duck or something from the BBQ! Chateauneuf-du Pape 2009, Domaine Usseglio Raymond Red Hot Chilli Peppers: Californication

I bought this wine while visiting the producer in the Rhone valley. Dark red colour packed with spicy fruit on the nose. Big solid fruity taste and a lovely and elegant aftertaste. Goes well with game but took the confit de canard on a straight arm. Great value for money and overall a truly great wine. Ca 35€. Cote Rotie 2006 "Madiniere" Yves Cuilleron Guns N Roses: "Knocking on Heaven's Door"

Scarpa is one of those great producers in Piemonte. Getting hold of one of his bottles is rarity itself and so is drinking them. This Barberesco from Tetti in Neive is one of the best I have ever tasted although it was only 5 years old when I tried it. Scarpa's Barbaresco is best drunk from 8 years old and onwards and they even have 1988 up in a restaurant in Harstad (Norway) with my name on it. Ruby red with garnet reflections and a very intense smell of oak, autumn leaves, hint of tar. In the mouth it is big and you wonder where this heading but it balances always in the right direction with firm soft tannins and a long intense and complex aftertaste. I need more of these! 460 NOK or 40€. A bargain.....

This wine is a 2 Grand cru classe and cost 103£. A 1995 vintage with a brick red colour. The bouquet is just lovely with aromas of ripe red berries, dried fruit, old cellar, cedar and leather. Stunning! The aftertaste is long but lacks a bit of liveliness and this wine should perhaps be drunk asap as it could be on decline. But what a great wine! 

Then after the confusing styles of St.Julien it was tiem for three wines from Margaux. First out the second wine of Palmer called Alter Ego with a price tag of 40£. Marguax is furthest to the south and more gravel leading to lighter wines. This one had sensual and elegant aromas of red berries and  flowers. A brilliant light body taste with a wonderful balance. Great stuff!

If you have 132£ to spare then this 2001 vintage from Palmer could be an idea to try. With 40% Merlot this wine from Margaux has a Burgundy floral perfume mixed with pencil case and rose water. Stunning! The taste is very long and big with firm but delicate tannins and a lovely balanced aftertaste. A truly great wine!

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.

When you drink a bottle made by Gaja you are on top of the world as his wines are of extraordinary quality, but do not cheap. I had this bottle in La Morra, in a restaurant near the top (Bovio), with a beautiful view over the Barolo valleys. Let me say that the smell and taste were both extraordinary. His basic Barbaresco is so intense and packed with fruit that you realise that here is a guy who is a devil when it comes to selecting the fruit. Out of this world bouquet with dark berries, dried fruit, chocolate, caramel, sweet dark cherries and hint of tar and mushrooms. An astonishing long and complex taste that just went on and on! Gaja Barbaresco 2006, What's price gotta to do with it?

Third wine in an adhoc tasting. Beautiful red color. Stable smell of dark cherries, leather, cedar and somewhat "cooling" aromas. Big solid long taste packed with fruit and balanced acidity and kind tannins. Panel mislead to Piemonte... Volnay 1er cru "Clos des Angles" 2005, Rossignol Balances on a string... Score 17.80 (a bit tough....)