08 Vin de Constance

2008 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
Bright amber. Rich, nutty, raisins, almond flowers and grapey notes nose, intense. Fresh acidity, lively, fruity, fresh, delicate and nuanced, intense, long finish. 93

Trapiche Collection

Trapiche Fond de Cave Nature
Lemon yellow, small bubbles. Apples, minerals, dry autumn leaf, yeasty nose. Freshish acidity, elegant mousse, fruity, rounded, enjoyable, good length. 85

2011 Trapiche Oasis Chardonnay
Pale lemon yellow. Apples, light tropical and yellow fruity nose. Freshish acidity, fruity, rounded, fairly fresh. 80

2013 Trapiche Sauvignon Blanc
Pale lemon yellow. Cats pie and some gooseberries nose. Fresh acidity, lean and straightforward, refreshing. Bit warm finish.  78

2012 Trapiche Oasis Malbec
Deep ruby. Dark berries, herbs, some vanilla notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, easy going, slightly spicy, short. Warm finnish. 81

2012 Trapiche Pure Malbec
Opaque. Rich, fruity, big nose, chocolate and black fruits. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, big, bit sweet, warm, fruity, if you want a rich and fruity wine, no oak, this is for you. 85

2011 Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec
Towards opaque. Rich, fruity, black berries and slightly spicy nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, rich, leaner finish, good length. 85

2014 Trapiche Sauvignon Blanc
Pale lemon yellow. Gooseberries, yellow plums nose. Fresh acidity, fruity, fresh, bit lean and easy going. 78

The range below are rich and extracted wines with a lot of alcohol, but carries it better than many. If you are one of those Amarone afficionados, this could be spot on for you, and many of these have better balance than some Amarones.

2010 Trapiche Iscay Syrah-Viognier
Deep ruby. Rich, dark berries, fruity nose, chocolate, vanilla. Freshish acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity, rounded, alcoholic but not to warm (15%), long. 87

2008 Trapiche Iscay Malbec & Cabernet Franc
Towards opaque. Rich nose, dark berries, coffee, spices, vanilla, lots of oak, fruity. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, sweet and dark fruity, fairly fresh, warm finish but handles. 86

2010 Trapiche Malbec Finca Suarez Lastra
Towards opaque. Dark berries, fruity, some floral notes, vanilla, rich nose, bit of alcohol. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, rich, rounded, leaner palate, alcohol bit up front, warm finish, long. 88

2009 Trapiche Malbec Finca Suarez Lastra
Towards opaque. Dark berries, rich nose, fruity, plums, chocolate and vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity, intense, slight sweet fruity, ripe, less showy alcohol but it's there still, long.89

2009 Trapiche Malbec Finca Jorge Miralles
Towards opaque. Dark berries, fruity, coffee, almost a mineral note behind layers of ripe fruit. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity, sweet fruity, ripe, bit sweet and alcoholic, long.89

2007 Trapiche Malbec Vina Adolfo Ahumada
Towards opaque. Rich nose, dark berries, some graphite, anise and vanilla nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity, sweet, big, shouting from the roof tops, refreshing, 14,5 alcohol and handles it better. Long. 90

2007 Trapiche Malbec Vina Domingo F. Sarmiento
Towards opaque. Dark berries, fruity, intense, graphite, liquorice, deep fruit. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, fresh, big, ripe, bit sweet, long. 91

2007 Trapiche Malbec Vina Fausto Orellana de Escobar
Towards opaque. Rich nose, alcohol, sweet and massive, blueberries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, big, intense, fruity, sweet, ripe, bit more grippy tannins in the finish, warm and a bit alcoholic finish.89

2011 Tres 14 Tinto de Garage
Opaque. Rich, fruity, intense, very ripe berries, chocolate, big, alcohol. Freshish acidity, ripe tannins, big, fruity, alcoholic, sweet, quite massive, lacks refinement and big more than complex.88

2011 Tres 14 Imperfecto
Opaque. Rich, big, massive nose, chocolate, black fruits nose, vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity, ripe, sweet, big and massive, alcohol shows, candy wine. Oak on top, dry finish.89

1974 Château Musar

1974 Château Musar:
Late release from Musar. Bright garnet, broad orange rim, lot's of sediments. Leather, anise, figs and almost flinty minerals beneath, dried red berries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively palate, cherry stones and leather, bit drying in the finish, this bottle is drink now. Long. 90

Some Burgundies, Bordeaux' and more

2008 Pierre Morey St Aubin 1 er Cru:

Pale lemon yellow. Some barrel notes and butter, ripe apples nose. Fresh acidity, apples and butter on the palate, rounded. 87

2009 Maison Roche de Bellene Meursault les Charrons:

Pale lemon yellow. Focused, lime and minerals, tight. Fresh acidity, fatter body, lemons, good length. 88

2009 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Meursault 1 er Cru Les Perrieres:

Pale lemon yellow. Rich nose, nuts and butter, some popcorn. Fresh acidity that isn't quite handling the richness, rich and intense palate, fuller bodied than last bottle. Long. 90

2011 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Josepshöfer Riesling Kabinett:

Watery lemon yellow. A bit closed, apples and minerals nose. Fresh acidity, lovely balance, elegant, could have been longer. 87

2010 Taupenot Merme Chambolle- Musigny:

Bright ruby. Elegant nose, strawberries, pure feel. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, redcurrants and raspberries freshness, good length. 88

2006 Occhipinti Grotte Alte Cerasuolo Di Vittoria:

Pale ruby. Vanilla, barrel notes, cherries and spices on the nose. Fresh and lively acidity, ripe and few tannins, narrow and mouthwatering, pure. 89

2004 Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay:

Ruby. Barrels, dust, blueberries and ripe plums nose. Fresh acidity, tannins bites and are rough, this is stil one of the fruitier, and in this case better for it bottles I've tasted of this. Barrel finish. 88

2010 Château Peybonhomme Les Tours:

A quite boring and somewhat herbal Blaye. 82

2005 Château La Tour de By:

Ruby. Fresh and youthful, ripe berries and a touch of herbs. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity palate, can easily be cellared another ten years. Good length. 87

2005 Chateau Musar:

Slightly more VA than most bottles, still the lovely cherries and licorice and fruitier style of the vintage. Refreshing and transparent. Long. 90

2008 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte:

Ruby. Sweetish vanilla, ripe cherries, morellos, rounded. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, quite mouthwatering, elegant if on the ripe side. 90

2006 Oremus Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos:

Golden. Raisins, cinamon and the typical pure feel of Oremus. Fresh acidity, lean bit elegant and fruity, a lovely 3 putt. 86

05 Musar, two 07's from Cappelano and Corton Rognet

2005 Château Musar:

Ruby. Typical cherries, leather and stone fruit. A slightly leaner and firmer bottle. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, very long. 92

2007 Cappelano Barolo Pie Rupestris- Nebioli Oti  Fiorin:

Bright ruby. Tar and roses, scented and a bit up front. High acidity, high of ripe tannins, refreshing palate, good length. 90

2007 Cappelano Barolo Pie Franco Michet Otin Fiorin:

Bright ruby. Tar and roses, some leather and licorice. High acidity, ripe tannins, quite mouthwatering and refreshing, subdued feel to it, long. 92

2010 Taupenot Merme Corton Rognet Grand Cru:

Ruby. Red berries and floral nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, a bit rich style but lean body. Good length. Another Corton that isn't rustic. 92

08 Catena Zapata and more

2008 Nicolas Catena Zapata:

Deep ruby. Intense blue- , blackberries and cassis nose. Freshish acidity, ripe tannins, soft and sweet, long. 91

2009 Château du Levant: (Sauternes)

Pale golden. Some pineapples and apricots. Fresh enough, easy going, simple. 80

2009 Hervé Souhaut Sainte Epine:

Deep ruby. Some pepper and dark berries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, sweet but lively feel to it, good length. 89

2010 Domaine du Coulee Cornas Brise Cailloux:

Deep ruby. Licorice, blackberries and redcurrants. Spicy. Freshish acidity, fruity and nicely balanced. Rounded body, good length. 90

2010 Frédéric Cossard Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Damodes:

Pale ruby. Vanilla, strawberries and some herbs. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rounded, good length. 89

2004 Haut Médoc de Maucaillou:

Made by Château Maucaillou but not the second wine. Made from a different vat and from a plot of Garonne gravel mostly located in the commune of Lamarque. Ruby, almost scented, cassis and touch of vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rounded and elegant finish. 86

Musar vertical

2011 Musar Jeune White:

Pale lemon yellow. Tropical, apples, touch of bananas and vanilla. Fresh acidity, elegant balance, creamy texture, good length. 87

2010 Musar Jeune Red:

Bright ruby. Fruity nose, blackberries, licorice but also ripe redcurrants to freshen it up. Freshish acidity, fruit driven, easy but lovely and balanced. Good length. 85

2007 Hochar Père & Fils:

A different story than most producers serve you when they havent made a vintage, the 06 of this one wasn't made because of war. 'Single Vineyard' from two vineyards in the villige of Aana near Bekaa Valley at a 1000 meters altitude. Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright ruby. A bit of VA notes that blew off in the glass after ten minutes giving licorice, raspberries and ripe cherries. Slightly floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity palate, leaner style and refreshing, slightly warm finish. 88

2005 Chateau Musar White:

Towards golden. Intense nose of beeswax, some grapefruit, touch vanilla, rich nose, honey. A bit lazy acidity, waxy and creamy texture, quite lovely together with gravlax with cucumbers and a mild mustard sauce. Late harvested wine (dry), in October, vineyards high in the mountains and the wine is only 12% alcohol. Quite long. 89

1986 Chateau Musar White:

Bright golden. Intense, minerals, some lime and lemons. Lazy acidity, fruitier, more elegant and lovely balance compared to last bottle. Creamy texture, orange, vanilla and just a touch of nuts. Long. Serve it at same temperatures as a red wine. Actually not my style as I have problems with whites with this level of acidity, but this one worked for me. 91

2005 Chateau Musar:
Ruby. Needed a bit of air to get rid of some banana notes. Licorice, ripe cherries, blackberries, scented and exotic spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, refreshing and lively, fruity for Musar and refreshing. This is even more nuanced than my last few bottles. Lovely. 93

2000 Chateau Musar:

Gorgeous bright garnet red. Cherries, touch of licorice, some red currants, scented and floral. Fresh acidity, lovely balance, elegant, really lovely and as fresh as a bottle probably four years back. A bit more together and polished, really lovely. Long. 91

1998 Chateau Musar:

(Magnum) Opened for about eighteen hours. Deep ruby, garnet rim, lots of sediments. Floral, cedar, spicy, scented, licorice, figs and prunes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant and slightly fruit sweet, elegant and refreshing, long finish. Lovely. Norway is one of the only markets to have this in magnum. 92

1995 Chateau Musar:

Ruby, garnet rim. Cherries, licorice, VA, somewhat floral and scented. Sweet and ripe feel, plums and figs, fresh acidity, tannins polished off, up front and still nuanced, a vintage with a lot of everything, lots of VA, lots of alcohol and it's a bit warm in the finish, but also lovely. Long. 91

1988 Chateau Musar:

Ruby with thin brick rim. Licorice, figs, prunes, cedary, lots of exotic spices and some VA. Layered. Fresh acidity, few ripe tannins, gamey and thyme, fruity and long. Again lovely. 92

08 Catena Argentino

2008 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino:
Deep ruby. Scented, rich, dark berries. Freshish acidity, ripe tannins, alcohols shows too well, sweet finish. 85

86 Musar blanc and lovely Gevrey.

2010 Taupenot-Merme Saint Romain blanc:
Pale lemon yellow. Fresh nose, apples and lemons, very refreshing. Elegant acidity, fresh palate, good length. 86

1986 Château Musar blanc:
Towards golden. Touch of apricots, minerals, yellow plums and stone from fruit. A bit lazy acidity, some bitterness and wax on the palate, creamy. Long finish. 89

2011 Jean Paul Brun Fleurie:
Bright ruby. Lightly scented and red berries nose. Fresh acidity, elegant fruit, easy, good length. 85

2010 Castello del Trebbio Anfora Sangiovese:
Brigth ruby. Earthy and terracotta over lovely cherries and licorice. Scented behind. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, good length but drying finish. 87

2010 Taupenot-Merme Gevrey-Chambertin:
Bright ruby. Scented over red berries. Sweetish and lively palate, strawberries and cinamon. Refreshing finish. 88-89

27th of December

Kusmi Anastasia:

An intensely citrusy Earl Grey that is a little discerning on it's brewing temperatures. Can easily become a bit bitter.

Ji gong Buddha Tea:

A nutty, ever so slightly woody and herbal tea. Transparent and tender and superb balance, very long indeed. 

2009 Clos Floridene blanc:

Straw yellow. Honey over some citrus and minerals. A bit heavier than last bottle about a year back. Fresh acidity, almost creamy texture, mineraly and very ripe lemons. Evolving nicely, long. 90

2005 Château Musar:

Deep ruby. Fruity and full nose for Musar but cherries, anise, somewhat scented and, well, VA is wrong, but towards, a touch. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fuller body, lovely balance. Slightly sweet and sour as usual. Long. 93

2007 Montecillo Reserva:

Ruby. Vanilla and a bit lean blueberries and licorice. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, lean fruit, slightly dry, oak shines through, short oaky finish. 85

Spritzy 02 Musar

2002 Château Musar;
Ruby. cherries, anise, stone fruit, slightly on the sour side, some VA. Fresh acidity, some spritz, the glass needs to stand for about fifteen minutes to loose it, shaking the bottle gives a pressure, so a slight refermentation or something has occured in the bottle. But after the spritz has gone, it's a typical, and lovely Musar. I haven't encountered this in the 02 before, but it's been a while since my last bottle. Without the spritz. 89

93 Musar

1993 Château Musar;
(Served blind) Bright ruby, brilliant garnet rim. Some VA, cherries, redcurrant's, leather, layered. Rounded texture, fresh acidity, ripe tannins, mouthwatering, elegant and fruitdriven. Some VA sort of carries the whole thing about. 92
My guess was Musar, 2000.

From Croatia, 08 Zlatan Crljenak

2008 Zlatan Crljenak Makarska Croatia;
Crljenak is supposedly the parent of Zinfandel. Deep ruby, plums, figs, cooked jam, just a touch oxidized feel to it, coffee, dust and black tea. Medium acidity, but feels acidified later on the tasting curve, ripe tannins, fairly elegant, good length. 80

07 Antonij Rupert

2007 Antonij Rupert, Coastal Region Cabernet Sauvignon;
Deep ruby, spicy, tobacco, cassis and coffee. Intense palate, nice acidity, ripe tannins, slightly hollow finish, needs time to hone off the edges. 90

99 Nicolas Catena Zapata

1999 Nicolas Catena Zapata;
The bottle is as heavy empty, as others are full! Dark ruby, a lot of alcohol on the nose, coffee, violently intense and single minded. OK acidity, good length, ripe tannins, alcoholic over-tones throughout the palate, hardly balanced, a hooligan of a wine. 85

Georgian Saperavi

2005 Marani Saperavi;
Ruby, fruity nose with some funky side aromas difficult to describe, maybe some licorice/ tobacco mix of some sort. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, one dimentional and fruity, quite long length. 78

Different perspective, wine from superstars!

Wine from superstars can mean different things to different people. On this Saturday in New York, a special tasting took place with some superstars. I had heard of three of them before to be honest.

Christian Moueix, owner of several prestigious Bordeaux estates, amongst them Château Trotanoy was first out. It wasn't actually in quite the same setting, but anyway, the same people were there to taste. Christian, making wine for drinking, took big gulps of his 2005 Trotanoy, and I cant blame him. 2005 Château Trotanoy; Ruby, leather, anise, cinamon, layers of spices and herbs, vanilla, tea hints lingering above, mint. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, balanced, elegant palate, long length. 94

In my world, Christian is a superstar. Today talking lot's of fact's, proclaiming how frost is rarely an issue in Bordeaux, but can be so in California, how there are 200-250 berries in a bunch normaly, how one berry weighs in at about one gram, that a dried and shriveled grape (because of draught) way in at 0,7 and one bursting from exsessive water (from rain) weighs in at between 1,4 and 1,6 grams. Fascinating man to listen to.

I have also heard of Greg Norman, golfer. "-I love the way you drink your wine." he said to Christian after seeing how he drank the Trotanoy. When Christian said that he still had a way to go, his father had been drinking two bottles a day, but so far Christian was only doing one, Greg replied asking if anyone had ever answered truthfully at their doctor's, when asked how much they actually drink? He drinks two bottles a day. 2006 Greg Norman Estates Shiraz South Eastern Australia Reserve; Ruby, leather, touch of anise and cinamon in the back, peppered beef, vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe and soft tannins, elegant play of slightly sweet dark berries and milk chocolate flavours and the acidity, good length. An elegant Aussie Shiraz! 90

Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s. He is nicknamed The Great White Shark or sometimes simply The Shark – a reference to Norman's blond hair, size and aggressive golf style and the shark inhabiting Australian waters.

Was it here Mr Norman found out that grapes tastes better than grass?

This guy was totally unfamiliar to me, Drew Bledsoe, quarterback of New England Patriots in American football. This is quite a small sport here in Norway, and I know that because my (half-)brother plays it (different genes). Anyway, seeing the gear he wears for practice, it's tough... No. it's on the verge of insane. They say that if one of these guys hits you, meaning runs you down on the field, it's like a truck hitting you at 30 km/h. It's a reason why I drink wine instead.... Was it after one of these collitions he started dreaming of something elegant to drink?
Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise. Bledsoe, a Pro Bowler, All-American for the Washington State Cougars and #1 overall draft pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, announced his retirement from the sport on April 11, 2007.

New style Lagare treading in Walla Walla Valley

Expecting a wine as harsh and violent as the sport, finding something completly different.... 2008 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley; Ruby, fresh fruit, spicy, floral and cinamon. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant and quite refined texture and structure, quite cool and refreshing, lovely finish. 90

Let's hope they don't do this with wine!

Then a Baseball star, again a tiny, if excisting sport at all here in Norway, with Tom Seaver. George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets. During a 20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage ever recorded (98.84%), and has the only plaque at Cooperstown wearing a New York Mets hat. As of 2010, Tom Seaver and Gil Hodges (played for the Mets in 1962-63) are the only Met players to have their jersey numbers retired by the team (Gil Hodges' number was retired as a manager even though he also played for the Mets).

2008 GTS Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District Seaver Family Vineyards;
Ruby, sweet plums, blackcurrant's. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, sweet and quite long finish. This was the simplest wine here, and the most easy going with bunches of ripe fruit. 88

What a wine glass, even if I preffer Riedel....

Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els (born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands 1.91 metres [6 feet, 3 inches]) along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing. Among his numerous victories are three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1994 at the Oakmont Country Club and 1997 at the Congressional Country Club, and The Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield.
Other highlights in Els' career include topping the 2003 and 2004 European Tour Order of Merit (money list), and winning the World Match Play Championship a record seven times. He is the leading career money winner on the European Tour, and was the first member of the tour to earn over 25 million Euros from European Tour events. He has held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings and holds the record for weeks ranked in the top ten with over 780. Els was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2010, on his first time on the ballot, and was inducted in May 2011.
2007 Ernie Els Stellenbosch Signature; Ruby, intense of herbs and nettles over cassis and chocolate. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant and refreshing, even if some around the table felt it a bit to green on the nose, I admired the freshness, and it's one of the best red's I've ever tried from South Africa. Long length. 91

98 Tissot Vin Jaune

1998 Tissot Vin Jaune Arbois;

Golden, some VA, apples and yellow plums, some deliberate oxidation. Dry, minerals and stony, good acidity, a bit lean body, long length. 93

1938 Massandra Krim White Muscat

1938 Masandra, Krim White Muscat;

Gold-orange, grapey aromas, some VA and orange peel, lemon and grapefruit, layered. Nice acidity, lively enough if not that high, stunning raisins, gorgeous balance, lemon and raspberries, very long finish. 93

Served blind I was on Muscat at once, but place and age, forget it....

An enormous thank to the Wichstrøm Winebar for the generosity of opening such rare and special wines, and the curiosity to actually get hold of these rarities, for the superb lamb, the fantastic chantrells, and to all the guests for a truly remarkable evening.

1995 Musar

1995 Château Musar;

Fill bottom neck, and that was one of the very top fills in the case, many at top shoulder. I found this a bit worrying for such a young age, but anyway. This bottle turned out very fine. Bright ruby, thin brick rim, some VA, but not excessively for Musar, leather, anise, plums and figs. Evolved style, drinking very well now. Acidity on the fresh side, especially with a somewhat lean body, but mouth-feel is rounded enough, it's leaner towards a slightly sharp finish. Tannins ripe, good length. 90