Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is a delightful PN from the Russian River in California. Medium red colour with beautiful and attractive aromas of sweet red raspberries, cherries and chocolate. The taste is extremely smooth and well balanced. No opposition what so ever, just silky fruit all along. Enormously difficult to dislike and ever so easy to drink. Most enjoyable! Scherrer Pinot Noir 2007 Russian River Ca 40-50€

While at the Decanter wine fair in November 2013, we had two great and impressive Priorat wines from Clos del Portal. Both dark fruit on the nose and taste. Big dense wines with attractive tannins and beautiful balance. Super delicious stuff…. The first Tros de Clos was made in 2009 from old Carignan bush vines on the Licorella slate so typical of Priorat. Only 1000 bottles produced. A big wine with lots of tannins and depth. Impressive stuff from Alfredo Arribas. Tros de Clos 2011 Clos del Portal Priorat  Ca 45€

The Somni by Clos del Portal is a mix of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Again a stunning wine such depth and complexity that makes you realize that Spain is now really up and coming…. Explosion of Syrah on the nose. Very jammy, sensual, sexy with a great minerality. A truly lovely wine called dreams…..(somni) Somni 2011 Clos del Portal Priorat Ca 34€

Boxing day and a depressive outcome of the football matches so why not just dig into bit of detailed wine drinking…? So we concentrated our efforts on Nuits St George and Gevrey Chambertin in Burgundy… Clos de Argillieres a bit more clay dominated while the soil in Lavaux St Jacques is more red clay soil. Both Pinot noir of course and both produced by Patrice Rion. Both medium red colour, with perhaps the Gevrey Chambertin slightly darker. The nose very different with the Clos des Argillieres more dominated by dark fruit and pomme granite while the Lavaux Saint Jacques is dominated by red fruit and wet wool. On the taste the Nuits St George is powerful with a lovely balanced and a nice minerality. The Gevrey Chambertin got more body and softness to it (perhaps because its two years older) with a lovely smooth finish. The 2009 has more tannins although they are very elegant and soft. Both delicious wines, the Gevrey Chambertin is drinking well right now whil...

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!

This is a very solid and big red from Alentejo in Portugal. Despite the warm climate, the wine has a surprising complex and fresh taste. Dark fruit, spices and  full bodied concentrated finish. Alicante Bouschet is the predominant grape with small volumes of Tricnadeira. One of Portugal's top wines. Mouchao 2005, Alentejo, Portugal Ca 30-40€

I have never been a big fan of oaky Californian Chardonnay's but here in this case I had to surrender… Medium lemon colour with green reflections. A wonderful complex aroma of tropical fruit, citrus fruit and minerals. Very different from white Burgundy but oh so seductive. The taste was bone dry packed with fruit and a surprising acidity. Quite elegant actually! Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay 2010  Santa Cruz Mountains, California 50€

Yet another beautiful Meursault premier cru from the plot Charmes on the border to Puligny-Montrachet. Pale-medium lemon colour. Gorgeous rich smell of lime, butter and nuts. A big lovely balanced mouthful with a long aftertaste. Perfect harmony between acidity and fruit. Yet another great example of what Meursault can bring. Meursault Charmes 1er cru Coche-Bouillot Ca 50€

A truly delightful white premier cry Burgundy from Meursault! Pale lemon colour and an elegant bouquet of butter, lime, minerals and nuts. A complex long well balanced taste and with a lovely minerality in the finish. A very elegant and feminine Meursault indeed and perfect with the fried cod. Meursault-Perrier 1er cru 2006 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Ca 80-100€

This is a very rare and robust red wine made from tempranillo 90% and Syrah. It belongs to the "table wine" category and is from Tudela de Duero in the western part of Ribera del Duero. BODEGAS MAURO  was founded just two years before Ribera del Duero became an officially recognized denomination of origin, and it falls just beyond the DO's official boundaries.  Mauro has been able to define a unique style featuring small productions of fruity yet powerful wines known for their unmistakably Spanish style and an ability to age well. Renowned winemaker Mariano García was the founder and he spent the first 30 years of his career making wines for the mythicical  Vega Sicilia winery). His sons are now captains of the Mauro flagship  -- that have earned a devoted following in Spain and beyond for their satisfyingly complex blends of toasted oaky notes and nuances of ripe fruit. With a continental climate that offers a wildly swinging range of te...

This is a massive Cote Rotie by a producer called Gangloff. It contains 7% Viognier with the rest being Syrah. The expression on the nose is floral, dark fruit, dark chocolate and dried herbs. A big opulent massive taste with great body and finish. A lovely and seductive wine, but also quite expensive (50£). Very limited quantities. Cote Rotie 2007 Gangloff Ca 50£

Last, but not least, a big solid and complex wine from the llicorella soils of Priorat not too far from Barcelona. This is a "black" (dark) wine made from 75% Carinena and 25% Garnacha. Beautiful nose of ripe dark berries like blackcurrant, brambles, chocolate, vanilla and a bit of spice. A massive big taste; complex, long, fruity, big on tannins and alcohol but oh so smooth and elegant. A very concentrated wine which requires big solid red or wild food. Ferre Bobet 2006 Priorat Ca 360 NOK or 25€

The panel being over confidence proclaimed this dark red wine with purple rim and a big spicy blackberry smell to be a warm climate Shiraz. Of course we were finally wrong…. It was however a super lovely big wine with quite a mouthful and firm but soft tannins. Long aftertaste and beautifully balanced. Yet again a really nice wine. The answer though….was 100% Tempranillo from a small area called Toro in Spain... Nymanthia 2009, Toro in Spain Score 18.50 Ca 45£ ( a bargain)

OK the panel back in business! This is Bordeaux and no question about that…. Medium deep red colour and an overwhelming bouquet of pencil sharpener and some dried fruit. A dry complex taste that is long and well balanced although some more fruit would have been appreciated (spoilt by the three others..) Not on the east side but something like St.Julien or something… Ch. Gruaud Larose 2000 St.Julien Score 18.55 (how fitting…) High price...

This Pinot Noir from New Zealand and Central Otago is of stunning quality. Packed with red fruit, cherries, spices and pomegranate. A wonderful velvety and super balanced taste filled with fruit and great balance. Absolutely lovely stuff! Felton Road Pinot Noir 2011 Central Otago , New Zealand Expensive but ah so lovely

The Dead Arm Shiraz is one of my favourite Australian Shiraz. The increased popularity has also increased the price but it is still good value for money. In addition it can survive years for storage which will only smoothen the wine further. Served this one with filet of reindeer with a redwine-sauce and he combination was just superb thanks to the tender meat and the beautiful fruit of the wine. Black fruit, plum and some spice on the nose. Dark cherries, plum, licorice and spice on the palate. Big, solid and smooth taste with well integrated tannins. Dead Arm Shiraz 2008 McClaren Vale At least one side of the vine is growing grapes....

Les Suchots is a premier cru close to grand cru in quality. I was not sure about the 2002 vintage, but it turned out to be just brilliant. Super delicious ethereal perfume and a mouthful so delicate and subtle that it takes your breath away. It's not a big red , but more on the feminine side.... Confuron-Cotetidot is a producer I have never heard about before, but worth remembering. Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Les Suchot Confuron-Cotetidot Hipp hurra for 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen | Restaurant and Bar Marylebone, Mayfair, Fetter Lane London

This is a beast of a Pinot Noir from the unknown area of Marin County, California. The winemaker however is well known for wines of extreme quality, most of them mixed in the back yard of his farm. Sean Thackrey creates wines that are good to drink; as simple as that. The bouquet is very elegant and packed with red fruit, jam and pomegranate. Lovely seductive stuff! The massive taste (can it be Pinot?) has a perfect balance and is wonderfully smooth. Lots of jammy red fruit, but not sweet. The alcohol content is a bit on the high side: 14%+... Andromeda Pinot Noir Marin County, California Sean Thackrey Massive Pinot + high price...

It's really hard to understand how Clos-Vougeot how can be so different from it's neighbours Chambolle and Vosne-Romanee. The two express grace and velvety finesse, while the Clos is most of the time a massive Pinot beast with firm tannins and big acidity. Hmm.. This Clos as well; Great dark red fruit with a massive big, firm and acidic taste that takes your breath away and you wonder: how can this be a Pinot Noir? Anyway a truly great wine and a perfect balance, but it's so solid and big! Clos de Vougeot 2000 Ch de la Tour Grand cru Not cheap at all...

Still at the 28-50 wine bar in London.... So what can wrong when you order a top Burgundy by a top producer that is nearly 10 years old...? Nothing really. A bit slow start , but than the nose opens up with massive red fruit and a touch of minerality. The taste is very firm as can be expected from a Clos de Vougeot, but Arnoux has managed to move towards the soft and elegant side. Big massive finish that seems to go on and on... Omg... Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2004 Robert Arnoux, His plot is 0,45 ha... Not cheap....