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Christmas Wine

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More rumblings from the Rosé Liberation Front.

Two old gits who hadn’t seen each other in years found an excuse to meet up for a day out today. After a stroll round Goodrich Castle, phase 2 took the form of a picnic on the riverbank at Ross-on-Wye. Here is the scene of gentle devastation after an hour or so.

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My friend said he wasn’t drinking so much these days (shooting me a meaningful glance) and would limit himself to one small glass. Mentally I punched the air, but it turned out his will collapsed when presented with an excellent bottle of Tavel. Château de Ségriès 2019 if the picture isn’t good enough to show. Quite soft and floral - with almost a touch of sweetness - to start with, then a bit of a whack to follow up. The first Tavel I’ve tasted, and definitely came up to expectation. Perfect accompaniment for French and Welsh cheeses, Uncle Marchbanks’ Olde Original Sourdough Loaf and discussing Old Git subjects (why Young People are incomprehensible, where to buy the comfiest slippers, at which album Yes and Joni Mitchell lost the plot, etc.)

Phase 3 was a stroll around Ross. A pleasant little town, and I showed great restraint by not throwing up when I saw a cushion in a shop window emblazoned with the homily ‘A family tree starts with two golden hearts.’
 
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A good number of the meanings of life, at least those most important after various waypoints have been passed, charmingly encapsulated in your tale, Uncle Marchbanks.
 
^^ Nice to see you maintaining standards with proper glasses. Is that a table though ? Does it count as a picnic unless you drop to terra firma ? Food and weather looks perfect but where are the wasps ?
Not surprised you felt a 'whack' as it was 14.5% wasn't it ? Warnings of global warming on the label of wine bottles...
Surely the answer is TFTO (really didn't need to be a double did it) for Yes; and Joni is a deity above such musings ?
Comfy slippers should not be an old gits subject: the idea that you walk around outside and then all over your house in the same shoes is disgusting when you think about it.
 
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She even went up the aisle barefoot. She tells me that it was 23 years ago. I recall the dog drinking out of the ice bucket. Just to keep on topic, the Champagne was Billecart-Salmon.
 
eternumviti said:
What was the upshot, incidentally, on Joni and Yes?
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My alarm bells started ringing loudly at Don Juan and TFTO. My friend kept the faith up to and including Mingus and Relayer respectively. He’s a more generous, forgiving soul.
wacko said:
^^ Nice to see you maintaining standards with proper glasses. Is that a table though ? Does it count as a picnic unless you drop to terra firma ? Food and weather looks perfect but where are the wasps ?
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I supplied Riedels and collapsible stools, we took the table out of his ’64 VW camper van. Although the idea of dropping to terra firma is OK, returning to upright whilst retaining dignity is tricky for an Old Git. Keeping everything well above the level of dogshit always seems like a good idea to me as well. As I left my house I had grabbed two of the small bags in the bottom of the wardrobe that I thought contained the stools. Something didn’t feel quite right so I unzipped one to check. I had picked up a couple of folding music stands. I spent the journey wondering how I would have explained that away. “I clearly remember you saying you were going to bring the violins!” was the best I could come up with.
 
^ Wasn't Don Juan another double that should have been a single ? The double was usually a sign of hubris.
There are some stemless Riedels that I rather like and are cheaper. But better for red.
Adding a violin duet on the banks of the Wye would have been superb.
 
wacko said:
^ Wasn't Don Juan another double that should have been a single ?
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A single is all it was worth IMO. I would have put ‘Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter’ on one side, ‘Otis and Marlena’* on the other and junked the remaining seven-and-a-half hours or whatever it was.

*includes the words ‘it’s a cheap pink rosé’ so this post is completely on-topic. Obviously Joni not referring to WBA there.
 
^ I hope she wasn't thinking of a cheap pink rosé when she wrote the immortal line 'I could drink a case of you darling, and I would still be on my feet'.
 
For lovers of 'Spot The Difference' competitions, here's the same scene as pictured above from the opposite angle. Note who has the empty glass. Note treacherous 'I took the opportunity to hide the bottle while you were getting your phone out' grin.

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Marchbanks said:
Although the idea of dropping to terra firma is OK, returning to upright whilst retaining dignity is tricky for an Old Git. Keeping everything well above the level of dogshit always seems like a good idea to me as well. As I left my house I had grabbed two of the small bags in the bottom of the wardrobe that I thought contained the stools. Something didn’t feel quite right so I unzipped one to check. I had picked up a couple of folding music stands. I spent the journey wondering how I would have explained that away. “I clearly remember you saying you were going to bring the violins!” was the best I could come up with.
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Ah yes, sitting on stools to avoid sitting in stools is my preference also. And as you say, the sitting down is good in theory, but the getting up again afterwards isn't a foregone conclusion. Having your folding music stands in their own little bags is well posh, innit. Mine used to lurk, naked, in that little gap behind the piano.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Having your folding music stands in their own little bags is well posh, innit. Mine used to lurk, naked, in that little gap behind the piano.
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I think my demons lurk naked there. Also it is home to some of the finest exhibits in the award-winning Marchbanks Towers dust museum, so that makes two reasons to avoid the area.
 
Marchbanks said:
I think my demons lurk naked there. Also it is home to some of the finest exhibits in the award-winning Marchbanks Towers dust museum, so that makes two reasons to avoid the area.
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Indeed. I probably still have a few of the primordial creatures that dust bunnies evolved from. I'd be happy to make a donation to your museum, if they're of any interest.
 
Tonight will see the end of this...

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Back story here...

I drank the first half last night, and it was lovely. Soft and approachable, very much a mini-Mégaphone. I’m trying to avoid the damning-with-faint-praise stuff like ‘quaffable’ and ‘easy to drink’ but at the same time I don’t think (and I quote)...

‘Stewed fruit linked with liquorice and grilled aromas together with a slight minerality.’

...tells us any more either. I reckon this is better than the Perrin CdR Reserve, and at the price I paid it should be my everyday go-to. Oh look, their offer is back, for the 2019 this time. In fact cheaper than before. Even given our basket-case currency that works out at £4.10 per bottle. ‘Authentic, sincere and tasty’ they say. That’s better! Should I order some more for delivery in France next month, or should I pay Virgin Wines three times as much? Really the only question is - 24 or 36?
 
I’ve just opened a bottle of Martha’s Douro 2015 it’s really excellent.

Martha’s has been producing wine (port I suspect) since 1713 or something.

Value for money it’s untouchable.

A customer very kindly gave me a bottle of 2018 Bordeaux today think I’ll keep it for a couple of years, £10 in the coop.

ComTess Saint Hillare ST Emilion 2018.
 
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