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Christmas Wine

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Did you actually go to the Hospices sale?
Clos du Marquis 2010 would normally be about £40 a pop!

Well worth going for anyone vaguely into wine, the town gets busy so book ahead for a good hotel and book tables for dinner if you want anywhere in particular.

The auction is relayed onto a 10m screen in the centre and the buyers are from all around the world.

I didn't go to participate but did have a rather gorgeous Marsannay.

Got home to find my grandfather used to go when working for Grand Met.
 
^^ may not be worth bringing the likes of Guigal CdR post-Brexit though. You can get that at Waitrose for £8.99 sometimes (like now). Either way a great VFM drop: enjoy.
 
^^ may not be worth bringing the likes of Guigal CdR post-Brexit though. You can get that at Waitrose for £8.99 sometimes (like now). Either way a great VFM drop: enjoy.

It’s a triple whammy with that one. The possible extra duty, the collapsed exchange rate and additionally the price has rocketed in France. I bought some during the Autumn wine fair at Aldi a couple of years ago for 5€49. On my last trip a few weeks ago I saw some on a supermarket shelf at 8€99.
 
We don't do Christmas Traditions at all here, so with the roast lamb last night there was a bottle of Haut-Marbuzet 2000. Very nice too. Tonight, with roast lamb phase II there will be (maybe upping the ante slightly) Lagrange 2000.

I've already decided which wines should help us celebrate the end of 2018 (I think that's a better way of putting it than the start of 2019)

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I last tried these about five years ago. They were stupendous. Of course, it's possible they are now past their best, but then that goes for me too. I've still got a few bottles of 1995 Dioterie left as well - by all accounts they still have a little life left in them.

I remember buying these at the vineyard in the 90s. I always looked forward to visiting, the tastings being supervised by M. Joguet's manager with a bottle in one hand and a cheroot in the other. On this occasion he gave me a sample of the Dioterie 1990 virtually straight out of the cask and told me it was going to be a very, very special wine indeed. I seem to remember it tasted like industrial strength black tea that had banana peel dipped in it. I made a mental note to leave the tasting of young wine to others in future but bought six bottles anyway. Good decision.

I met M. Joguet once at a wine fair. He was great fun, nearly as wobbly as I was. A few years ago I revisited the same fair and asked after him. I was pleased to hear he was living in happy retirement near the vineyard and still indulging his passions for sculpting and writing poetry.

BTW if you ever stumble across any Joguet Chinon Rosé, grab it. It is wonderful.

Sadly I never met the man, but I have sold the wines. I believe he is still living in Sazilly, painting rather than sculpting. He is well into his eighties. The domaine is said to have gone through a rocky patch in the 1990s, though both 89 and 90 were superb, the vintages that really made the name of the domaine, and it sounds as though you struck lucky with the 1995.

1989 and 1990 were spectacular for red and white. I’m sure I’ve already droned on about my Gaston Huet Vouvrays from those years - if you search for his name you’ll find it if I have. Those and the Joguets are on the list for drinking soon, not least because they are reaching ‘how much?!!’ prices and if I am ever tempted to sell wine I hate myself for it.

An interesting story relating to Gaston Huet in the book Wine & War by Don & Petie Kladstrup. Apparently Huet, who had been called up into the army, was captured by the Germans at Calais in 1940, and spent the war in Oflag IVD in Silesia. There were some 4000 French POWs there, amongst them many vignerons, including André Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages, and Robert Senard from Aloxe Corton. Bored, and pining for the viticultural world of which they often spoke, they decided to hold a wine fête, celebrating the Quinzaine des Vins de France. They formed a committee, and by blackmailing the camp commander by threatening to disclose to the authorities the fact that he had been disobeying regulations in a neighbouring labour camp with regard to alcohol, they were able to have a few bottles of wine sent to them in their parcels from home. Over a period of many months they amassed 600 bottles, enough for each of the 4000 camp inmates to have one very small glass of wine during the course of a two week celebration of wine, with wine related posters on the walls, exhibits which included a mocked up wine press, theatrical skits and seminars. "Take your time to appreciate what is in front of you," said Huet to his hushed audience. "Admire it before you bring it to your lips, this mustard glass now filled with nectar, and take the time to remember that tonight our goal is to do nothing but glorify one of our greatest treasures." To the cheer that followed, Huet said that he had never been so moved.
 
Well worth going for anyone vaguely into wine, the town gets busy so book ahead for a good hotel and book tables for dinner if you want anywhere in particular.

The auction is relayed onto a 10m screen in the centre and the buyers are from all around the world.

I didn't go to participate but did have a rather gorgeous Marsannay.

Got home to find my grandfather used to go when working for Grand Met.

I went to the Hospices sale years ago, the culmination of a two week wine course that I was attending in Beaune. The end of the auction coincided with the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau, and Beaune was full of Brits in old sports cars and vignerons in a celebratory mood. I foggily recall a night in an Irish bar drinking Guinness with various of the younger Drouhins, Leflaives and Sauzets, and many others who I can't remember. Lots of fun.
 
I had several meetings with M. Huet, both at his house and at the domaine cellars. My stories about those encounters would probably ramble on for several pages - some other time and place maybe. I am convinced he is the only truly great man I have ever met.
 
I had several meetings with M. Huet, both at his house and at the domaine cellars. My stories about those encounters would probably ramble on for several pages - some other time and place maybe. I am convinced he is the only truly great man I have ever met.

I would love to have met him. He sadly didn't have a successor interested in running the domaine, and it has now been sold out of the family, though by all accounts it is good hands.
 
I went to the Hospices sale years ago, the culmination of a two week wine course that I was attending in Beaune. The end of the auction coincided with the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau, and Beaune was full of Brits in old sports cars and vignerons in a celebratory mood. I foggily recall a night in an Irish bar drinking Guinness with various of the younger Drouhins, Leflaives and Sauzets, and many others who I can't remember. Lots of fun.

Drink too much of anything you just get jaded and need a change. Guinness would certainly clear the wine off the palate. Or did the French wine elite view it more like chefs night out at the burger bar ?
I have seen more Morgans in Europe than in the UK: where do they put their luggage ?
 
It's interesting the way people rationalise their recreational drug use by talking about taste, flavour and playing down alcohol content when the real reason they drink it is alcohol releases dopamine which is the reward chemical in the brain, personally I just pick a high ABV wine that doesn't rip anyone's tongue out, if it's too strong it can be diluted with fruit juice which always makes it taste better anyway, as you can guess anything more expensive than chateauneuf-du-pape is wasted on me, I drink alcohol because I like the effect.
 
It's interesting the way people rationalise their recreational drug use by talking about taste, flavour and playing down alcohol content when the real reason they drink it is alcohol releases dopamine which is the reward chemical in the brain, personally I just pick a high ABV wine that doesn't rip anyone's tongue out, if it's too strong it can be diluted with fruit juice which always makes it taste better anyway, as you can guess anything more expensive than chateauneuf-du-pape is wasted on me, I drink alcohol because I like the effect.

Maybe, maybe not. I can't speak for you, but if a wine is poorly made, or I don't like it, I don't drink it. If its good but I've had enough, I don't drink any more. Add fruit juice? No.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape isn't exactly cheap. Drink a co-op Cotes du Rhone from Lidl at a quarter of the price, or less, and if you strike lucky you won't even need to add fruit juice...
 
It's interesting the way people rationalise their recreational drug use by talking about taste, flavour and playing down alcohol content when the real reason they drink it is alcohol releases dopamine which is the reward chemical in the brain, personally I just pick a high ABV wine that doesn't rip anyone's tongue out, if it's too strong it can be diluted with fruit juice which always makes it taste better anyway, as you can guess anything more expensive than chateauneuf-du-pape is wasted on me, I drink alcohol because I like the effect.
if you like, but this is like saying that you can slake your appetite with pizza and chips, so why eat anything better? If you like, sure, but I like to think that I can do better.
 
It's interesting the way people rationalise their recreational drug use by talking about taste, flavour and playing down alcohol content when the real reason they drink it is alcohol releases dopamine which is the reward chemical in the brain, personally I just pick a high ABV wine that doesn't rip anyone's tongue out, if it's too strong it can be diluted with fruit juice which always makes it taste better anyway, as you can guess anything more expensive than chateauneuf-du-pape is wasted on me, I drink alcohol because I like the effect.

Tongue in cheek as you drink ? The general attitude that the reason to drink alcohol is to get drunk is prevalent everywhere except wine-growing countries. All wine people I know would prefer a lower alcohol choice if it tastes good.
 
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Maybe, maybe not. I can't speak for you, but if a wine is poorly made, or I don't like it, I don't drink it. If its good but I've had enough, I don't drink any more. Add fruit juice? No.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape isn't exactly cheap. Drink a co-op Cotes du Rhone from Lidl at a quarter of the price, or less, and if you strike lucky you won't even need to add fruit juice...

Was it Michel Montignac who said something along the lines of you'll only drink 30,000 bottles of wine through your life so why waste one of those opportunities drinking rubbish?

We have a rack of rejected wine next to the cooker. I may be tight but life's too short to force down a bottle I don't enjoy.
 
Was it Michel Montignac who said something along the lines of you'll only drink 30,000 bottles of wine through your life so why waste one of those opportunities drinking rubbish?

We have a rack of rejected wine next to the cooker. I may be tight but life's too short to force down a bottle I don't enjoy.

MM must have done the calculation after the second bottle.
Hope you don't store your wine anywhere near the cooker or that would explain your bad luck: have only had a couple of bottles in last 10 years I poured away (and 1 of those was a gift :rolleyes:).
 
if you like, but this is like saying that you can slake your appetite with pizza and chips, so why eat anything better? If you like, sure, but I like to think that I can do better.


I don't like the taste of alcohol so any drink has to mask it, it's just cheaper to add fruit juice than to buy an expensive bottle of wine and I like the taste of fruit juice.
 
I don't like the taste of alcohol so any drink has to mask it, it's just cheaper to add fruit juice than to buy an expensive bottle of wine and I like the taste of fruit juice.

Why drink wine in the first place, and not simply fruit juice?
 
MM must have done the calculation after the second bottle.
Hope you don't store your wine anywhere near the cooker or that would explain your bad luck: have only had a couple of bottles in last 10 years I poured away (and 1 of those was a gift :rolleyes:).

I've taken back loads; best wheeze was end of lines / special offers from uk supermarkets around Calais. Take them back and we used to get a UK price refund.

Worst was a magnum of Burgundy from Adnams in Southwold, just too far to drive to take it back. Ruined my day.

The close to cooker storage is for rejects which go into everyday cooking.
 
The trouble with fruit juice is that it's generally too sweet. I'm a teetotaller, and it's a bit of a struggle to find nice soft drinks that are either not sweet or laden with additives. Some good alcohol- free beers around, but not the case with wine at the moment, that I've found anyway.
 
WTF is going here ? :) The only comforting thread in off topic has now got people who don't like alcohol so add fruit juice to wine, or are teetotallers ! Or 'special offer' off wine specially for the Brits in Calais. Is this thread crapping ?
I don't know whether to be grateful that the thread is still active, or go and open a bottle of wine. Am trying to save my liver for tomorrow.
 
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