Sunday, June 23, 2013

White Burgundy and 2011 Vintage Port tasting, 18th June

On Tuesday night, it was over to the City for this tasting organised by ACC for the Burgundy Portfolio.

The location was a new one, the Bakers' Hall near Tower Hill, and initially I wondered if I was in the right place, as I was greeted by a firmly closed door with a small bell next to it, and the street was absolutely deserted. After a certain amount of dithering and checking that the revolving door of the next door office was nothing to do with the Bakers, I plucked up the courage to press the bell. A minute or so later was it my imagination or did the door creak open? and there stood character reminiscent of Lurch from the Addams Family (maybe I'm being a bit mean here). I gave the special password "wine tasting" and was granted entry.

Churchill watching over proceedings

Inside the hall itself, some familiar characters were present including G, S and N, as well as a lot of men in suits who I didn't know. After some preliminary chitchat, we cracked on with the whites. I won't go through these line by line and some of them I've had before but the ones that stood out for me this time were:


In the past I haven't really enjoyed Garaudet's whites but this one now has some age on it and it has come on. Am bearing this in mind for future reference.


This 2009 Puligny from Domaine Joly was also the business. We've been drinking both the Aligote (in kirs) and the Bourgogne Blanc from this domaine and I very much like the precision of the wines. This was a cut above.


Had to check my notes as remember telling G that I'd already bought some of this, which indeed I did, at the spring/summer tasting at Coopers' Hall. Once again it stood out.


This white 1er cru Chassagne from Domaine de la Choupette was also very classy indeed, although at a price tag to match. In the past we've been big buyers of the reds from this domaine and now that access has been granted to the whites, it seems that they're equally good.

Then it was on to the ports, cask samples of the 2011 vintage. I'd already succumbed to six of the Croft and six of the Cockburn on the basis of ACC's tasting notes, so was slightly trepidatious about tasting these in case it turned out I didn't like them, but all was well.


I found the Croft surprisingly fruity and lively - delicious.


The Cockburn's had a richer nose and seemed more serious, to me. Once again, delighted to have some in the bag.




ACC was also showing off new discovery Quinta do Portal, which costs significantly less than the major houses. He had a bottle of the 2003 to compare. I found it interesting but on this occasion I felt like playing safe and sticking to the better-known houses.


I thought the Graham's was very good but it cost significantly more than the Croft/Cockburns and I didn't think it was that good.


The Fonseca, on the other hand, cost the same as the Graham's but was stunning. It was the stand-out port of the tasting and I couldn't resist buying some!

I've never attended a tasting like this before, and it was fascinating to compare the different styles. Normally when I get to taste port, there's one bottle at the end of a meal and so nothing to compare it with. I didn't know enough about the ones being shown here to have preconceptions.

What surprised me was that they were all delicious already, which led us to query the longevity of the vintage. ACC said he thought they would close down in due course and enter the chrysalis phase and would then emerge and be lovely and last for decades to come. I bought some 2007 Warre for my godson and ever since have been rather jealous that I didn't have any vintage port in my own cellar. 2033 is starting to look more promising now!



Saturday, June 15, 2013

Sunday lunch at Hambleton Hall

On Sunday 2nd June, the five of us spurned the delights of the Rutland Show and instead went to Hambleton Hall for Sunday lunch. It was a beautiful day and we were able to sit outside for a pre-lunch snifter and enjoy the view of the gardens with Rutland Water in the distance. Despite HH's proximity to G's childhood home, neither he nor his father had been there before so it was a new experience for all of us.



G chose a magnum of Moet & Chandon 1990 for our aperitif - fantastic mature champagne confirming that champagne really is best en magnum. We received these lovely canapes including what were described as "Parmesan windmills" and some fantastic beetroot macarons with a goats cheese centre, hidden from view behind the "windmills". Our waiter fancied himself as a comedian but soon shut up when G's father told him to put a sock in it, quite rightly.


We went inside to eat lunch and most of us opted for the trad option i.e. roast beef, which was cooked to perfection and served on top of its Yorkshire pudding.


To accompany, we had this Morey St Denis 1er cru Cuvee des Alouettes 1999 from Domaine Ponsot. It wasn't the place to make detailed tasting notes but this went down a treat and we awarded it a 9. I've just had a look on the Premier Cru Project spreadsheet and couldn't find it - eek! - but according to Wikipedia it's part of the Clos des Monts Luisants vineyard, which we haven't had before, so that's very pleasing.


For pudding, I had a strawberry souffle which came with a little sorbet.


Then it was back out to the terrace for coffee and petits fours. 





All in all, a wonderful lunch - great food, wine and company. Thanks G!

Saturday, June 08, 2013

G's birthday weekend

Last Thursday evening the Gang of Four met up and caught a train to a mystery location in the East Midlands aka G's parental residence. We were celebrating G's 40th birthday, and it was quite a weekend.



Even before the train had pulled out of the station, G cracked open this bottle of fizz which he got in Paris. I'd never come across it before but apparently it's biodynamic and it was absolutely lovely. 

On arrival at the mystery location, we were greeted by G's father and soon sat down to a hearty beef carbonnade made to my recipe (mumble actually Nigella's mumble before she got irritating) which went down a treat. I didn't make notes on the booze we drank but I did take plenty of photos.  


Old friend, last bottle




Later on that evening after everyone else had gone to bed, I realised I had better give G his present from me as my intention was that we should drink it over the weekend.


This is a 1950s bottling of marc from the Marquis d'Angerville. G noted that it's actually premier cru marc from Clos des Ducs, Volnay. Gratifyingly, he told me he'd had his eye on this bottle for a long time but due to its hideous price had never succumbed. It was absolutely stunning and even G's father, not normally a spirit-drinker, loved it.

Miniatures of madeira on the fireplace

Breakfast!

Stamford - just to prove we did go out occasionally

G pours the kir, made with Domaine Joly aligote


Benjy

Wild smoked salmon from Scotland

Cheeses provided by me, mostly from Beillevaire bien sur

The next day, G gave us a tour of his cellar which none of us had ever seen. We proceeded down a precarious staircase and G got an electric shock from the light. Fortunately this didn't put him off.


Magnum rack looking sadly empty

Bibelots

Orchard

Man with cat, in orchard



G's brother's ginger ale - rather good, actually

Ancient Tio Pepe



Meursault Les Cras from Latour-Labille - love this stuff!



My piano, in its new home
On the Saturday morning we went into Oakham where G and I went to school, and had a look round.

College House, happy days

School

Pork pies!




William

Hadn't had this before - lovely

What a classy back label too!

A vertical of Darviot Beaune Greves

Ready to start again

G's father's coq au vin cooking nicely



Fruit cake and ginger cake for breakfast on the day itself

Greystoke
To be continued...