Christmas Wine II
- Thread starter Dogberry
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Dogberry
pfm Member
I've never understood the phrase "drive to distraction" until now.
I could come and practice in your house - when I stop most of your pain will have disappeared. Most of the wine will have disappeared before I start, of course.
mandryka
pfm Member
Ibuprofen. For teeth, it's magic.
mandryka
pfm Member
You pay a high price for beautifully filled, curving, bending, twisting canals.
Dogberry
pfm Member
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It's like you saw my x-ray exactly.I know you're a stickler for detail ,so what's the outcome with RCT.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
I admit I don’t really know what RCT is, although I do know it’s a kind of by-word for discomfort and pain. So as a fellow member of a tiny brotherhood (Christmas Wine, I mean, my lips are sealed about the other one) I hope it all goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
Dogberry
pfm Member
It doesn,t take much to bring out your inner St. Francis though beware imposters.
You're having a beverage.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
Indeed I am. Same Sorg as last night. It’s a lousy job, but someone has to do it. Not so sure about St Francis though, life could get annoying with a continual entourage of small creatures. As a follower of the hat and beard religion I look to St Thelonious or St Eric.
mandryka
pfm Member
Well, either the wine improves considerably with age, or it's an acquired taste and over a few days I acquired it. I shall be ordering some more Bread and Butter, thanks for making me aware of it.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
A serious bonus alfresco night tonight - after a dismally wet day the skies cleared around 1930 just in time for Rochefort and dinner outdoors. Admittedly an amount of wrapping up warm was involved, but we Marchbanks are nothing if not hardy. And blockheaded, and arguably a little insane.
Although there are plenty of 2001 Musars left in the coffers, I thought I'd try one of the 2003s I got in the Waitrose vintage lottery. Lovely it is too, almost claretty but with that added Musar minty freshness (but definitely not in a toothpaste way.) Really good, I think this trumps the last 2001 I tried.
It began by being paired with the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Les Stances à Sophie, but as usual I lost interest a little after the wonderful Thème de Yoyo. I switched to another Marc Ribot project, the disco tribute ensemble Young Philadelphians. Always thought there was a bit of Nile Rodgers lurking in his guitar mangling. Do The Hustle!
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Had dinner with friends, venue allowed corkage so we brought our own:
The ‘99 Bollinger was fantastic. The bubbles had mellowed and the flavour concentrated. Delicious served as an aperitif. The ‘12 went with a starter selection of prawns in garlic sauce, Parma ham croquettes, and seared scallops.
The Avvoltore was delicious. Rich, textured, balanced acidity and tannins; hugely satisfying. A great foil for chateaubriand and roast lamb.
The Sauternes was good. Not too sweet, it was a great complement to panna cotta and sorbets. Not shown is the box of chocs I was able to pick up in Zürich airport in the morning, which rounded off the meal very well. A total indulgence, but hugely enjoyable.
The ‘99 Bollinger was fantastic. The bubbles had mellowed and the flavour concentrated. Delicious served as an aperitif. The ‘12 went with a starter selection of prawns in garlic sauce, Parma ham croquettes, and seared scallops.
The Avvoltore was delicious. Rich, textured, balanced acidity and tannins; hugely satisfying. A great foil for chateaubriand and roast lamb.
The Sauternes was good. Not too sweet, it was a great complement to panna cotta and sorbets. Not shown is the box of chocs I was able to pick up in Zürich airport in the morning, which rounded off the meal very well. A total indulgence, but hugely enjoyable.
Far from posh. Great food, relaxed atmosphere, but their wine list (and glasses, ability to pour, knowledge of wine) isn’t up to much.
We asked about corkage when booking and were told “no, our wine list is extensive enough for all tastes”. A read through the wine list suggested otherwise, and I’m afraid I said as much. I’m an open minded wine snob, but there was nothing there that I would be happy to drink at the price they were charging. Rather than tell us to go elsewhere, they allowed us to bring our own, charged us £8 a bottle, and were happy to open/chill/etc. for us.
The owner and chef came out to see what we were having, and approved of the selection (especially when we invited them to pull up a chair and grab a glass). They assured us the wine selection will be changing soon…
The Barsac was very nice. As I mentioned above, not too sweet, lots of fruit.
We asked about corkage when booking and were told “no, our wine list is extensive enough for all tastes”. A read through the wine list suggested otherwise, and I’m afraid I said as much. I’m an open minded wine snob, but there was nothing there that I would be happy to drink at the price they were charging. Rather than tell us to go elsewhere, they allowed us to bring our own, charged us £8 a bottle, and were happy to open/chill/etc. for us.
The owner and chef came out to see what we were having, and approved of the selection (especially when we invited them to pull up a chair and grab a glass). They assured us the wine selection will be changing soon…
The Barsac was very nice. As I mentioned above, not too sweet, lots of fruit.
^ Wonder how they arrived at £8 a bottle, but it was reasonable. They got £32 clear profit and you were happy.
More restaurants should be flexible towards 'open-minded wine snobs' ! Especially on quiet evenings such as Mondays or Tuesdays. I've been asked for up to £25 or given a flat "No". The worst was a restaurant that charged corkage per head and included our 2 under-age (at that time) children ! Never went back there.
More restaurants should be flexible towards 'open-minded wine snobs' ! Especially on quiet evenings such as Mondays or Tuesdays. I've been asked for up to £25 or given a flat "No". The worst was a restaurant that charged corkage per head and included our 2 under-age (at that time) children ! Never went back there.
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Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
Joguet Rosé 2018. Probably not the ideal wine for a cool summer night, but as I have virtually given up daytime drinking nowadays there probably won’t be many more suitable occasions this year.
It’s quite a slow burner - initially it seems underwhelming, then there are changes to a good sweet/acid balance with a little bit of ethyl acetate. It is also definitely tasting more complex and powerful as the night progresses (I opened immediately before drinking, a mistake it would appear.) It’s 100% CF, but I can only taste that with prior knowledge and even then by trying really hard. Good stuff.
Tonight this has been paired with The Great Concert of Charles Mingus. It’s not as great as Cornell 64 but then (a) Cornell was released afterwards, so I guess that should be called The Even Greater Concert... and (b) in Paris they were a man down - hence the audience’s bemusement when CM introduces ‘Johnny Coles - trumpet’ or rather ‘Johnny Coles’ trumpet’ as it remains on the stool unplayed all night because its owner was in hospital. Deadpan humour, eh? One of many reasons why I think of Zappa as rock’s Mingus.
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