Vintage Club News June 1993

The Bath Meeting- Saturday June 5th 1993

Glorious sunny weather saw a large gathering of the Vintage Club in the traditional haunt of the 4E engineering servery. The local contingent were all in place at 12:30 waiting for the imminent arrival of Ed, Gary and the food !! After an impatient 30 minutes rumbling stomachs were silenced when the scoff from Sainsburys deli. appeared to wild cheering !!

The participants were (in no particular order): Ed Kay, Eleanor Cogill, Paul Stallard, Nicky Thorne, Gary Hunt, Guy Nason, Nicholas Stevens, Liz Wall, Philippa Coates, Jonathan Foweraker, Niel Markwick, Silke Knippschild, Graham Heath, Andy Howard, Karen Roberts, Stan Lovell, Chris Meads, Davie Macallan, Vic Cockcroft, Stuart Ruffle, Katie Cotterell, Mark Masento, Mike and Clare Brown and Colin Dunling, and between us we managed to consume 23 bottles of Wine and "Wine" (see below !!).

Brian Clough connections were few and far between as could be predicted !

We kicked off with a nice cool glass of fizz !

Stuart Ruffle. "it ain't Champagne" was one comment, "where's the crackers" at first I thought this a complaint about the bouquet being none too yeasty until it was pointed out that Ed had neglected to buy our beloved Jacobs !!! Never mind we soldiered on. "Weighty but slightly sweet" was the most flattering comment we recorded for:

Moet et Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial N.V. £17.99
Disappointing and another nail in the Champenois coffin ?

Mark Masento I "juicy" "lychees and grapefruit" "English?" "sweet grapey fruit" Clare Brown correctly identified Bulgaria.

Country Wine Muscat/Ugni Blanc from Slaviantzi, N.V. £2.55
Excellent value

Ed Kay and Gary Hunt I looked cloudy and the consensus was it was a suspension not a precipitate !! This discussion gratefully distracted us from the wine which was "oxidized" and "maderized", tasted "bitter" and "oaky" "Cloudy Bay" was one witty guess everyone else threw it away into the nearest available receptacle.

Moldova Aligote 1988 £4.00
Yuk !

Stan Lovell and Chris Edmead I "aesthetically pleasing" Mike Brown described the smell as "gooseberries nestling in warm cleavage" ! "Honey" "Gooseberry" and "tropical fruit" flavours abounded . Guesses ranged from Sauvignon blanc from Sancerre to the New World but Stuart Ruffle correctly identified its provenance.

Bordeaux Sauvignon AC Ch. Tour de Mirambeau 1992 £5.29

Philippa Coates and Liz Wall "honey" "mead" "petrol" "rapeseed" and "What a snoz"! were the enthusiastic descriptions of the bouquet; similar plaudits were heaped on the flavour although some were concerned by a slightly oxidized taint. New World Chardonnay was a popular guess however several people got it right

France Chablis Grand Cru 1988 Blanchotte Labourne £21:45

Colin Dunling people thought it pleasantly citrussy but young. "Loose knit" was proposed and the retort was "More of a crochet really"!!. Most people got Chardonnay and France.

France Chardonnay Vin de Pays d'Oc 1991 Chais Baumaire £4:49

Andy Howard "Honeysuckle, meths and sulphur with a hint of cardboard" were the predominant smell on a wine that tasted "appley and oxidized" most people binned it but Mark Masento waxed lyrical on our side of the room about how white Rhone should taste.

France Crozes Hermitage Blanc 1989 Pascal £6

Mike and Clare Brown I the classy nose was described as "nutty" " lemons" and "yeast" the taste was a balance of "citrus fruit acidity and oily butteriness" with a rich butterscotch tasting finish. A lot of people thought this was good burgundian chardonnay and were most impressed to find it was:

USA California Central Coast Wild Horse Chardonnay 1991 £7
The days favourite wine.

Gary Hunt and Ed Kay II "Closed" "Dusty Oaky" smells were reported. The taste was mostly the clean acidity of "apples and gooseberries" balanced with oak and a curious finish of "confectioners cigarettes", guesses ranged from Chardonnay to White Bordeaux: we were all shocked to find out it was:

England Tenterden Special Reserve 1989 (Oak Aged Madeleine Angevine) £6

Paul Stallard and Nicky Thorne The "rich, oaky, lemony" nose was followed by an "oaky cardboard" taste balanced with "grapey acidity", everyone got Chardonnay AGAIN! but Ed correctly spotted Pouilly-Fuisse.

France, Burgundy Pouilly-Fuisse Ch. Fuisse 1990 £17

Graham Heath "Oaky Cabbage, bananas, lemons and rich yeasty" smells abounded, the taste was equally enthusiastically greeted "ripe melons" with a nice "peppery finish" YET another Chardonnay people cried, but not any old Chardonnay.

France, Burgundy, Meursault-Genevrieres, 1987 Chansson Pere et fils £25

Guy Nason "a pleasant summer colour" "smells of green leaf tea" "summer pudding" "dental mouthwash" !! The descriptions of the taste varied from stalky, green, tannic to blackcurrant, broccoli and brassicas. Guesses ranged from Loire, Cabernet Sauvignon to those who correctly spotted Pinot Noir.

France, Burgundy, Cotes de Beaune, Monthelie A.C. 1990 Jaffelin £10

Karen Roberts Smells of banana and chocolate put people in mind of Cru Beaujolais, but the peppery, raspberry jam fruit persuaded some that it wasn't but they failed to spot:

France Cotes du Rhone, Ch. St. Esteve d'Uchaux (Syrah/Grenache) 1991 £4.50

Marc Masento II This older looking wine was described as smelling of "mouldy vegetables" and "bitter cherry stones". The taste was rich, mature and still fruity. Many guesses "70's Claret" "80's Rioja" the closest was "76 Rioja" the consensus was "It's one of those that tastes of Claret that isn't !"

Spain, Rioja Gran Reserva, Berberana 1978 £16
(French barrels apparently!")

Katie Cotterell "liquorice" "pepper" with "plummy fruit" smells, tastes ranged from "soft" "peppery" "good fruit". Most thought it was N. Rhone or Chateauneuf du Pape" Colin Dunling correctly guessed Barolo.

Italy Piedmont Barolo Il Podore di ... 1986 (Nebbiolo) £9

Ed Kay and Gary Hunt III "jammy" "blackcurrant" smells leaped forth followed by "juicy" "blackcurrants" "full of bigness" ! with a "bitter finish"; people found it stained their glass !!! Nearly everyone thought it was Italian.

Italy Piedmont Barbera d'Alba 1987 Vignarey Gaja £20
(New oak in this one)

Davie Macallan this deep dark and mysterious looking wine smelled of sweet jammy fruit particulary "damsons". The taste described as "luscious" "packed with fruit" "buxom" ! Guesses were wide ranging the most flattering was "Super-Tuscan"

Argentina, Mendoza, Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon, 1986 £4.29

Eleanor Cogill More "jammy fruit" here on the nose as well as "parsnips" "liquorice" and "banana skins"!. The taste was of "raspberries and cherry stones". "Italian" they all cries some went further and correctly singled out Barolo.

Italy Piedmont Barolo 1989 Cantina Ascheri Giacomo £7.50

Chris Edmead and Stan Lovell II The smells of "green peppers and salami" were proposed here and the taste described as "lovely, rich and peppery" Everyone enjoyed this even though the taste buds were beginning to get a little jaded.

France Cotes du Rhone St. Joseph 1989 Delas, Cuvee Fr. du Tournon £8

Nick Stevens This older looking offering was opulent and described as smelling of "horse manure" "cabbage" and "tarry toffee". The taste was a balanced mature mixture of "plummy fruit" and "rich soft tannin", lots of people guessed Claret some even put it on the East side of the Gironde.

France Bordeaux Pomerol Ch Certan-Marzelle (2nd wine of Ch. Certan-Giraud) 1985 £24

Vic Cockcroft I "Farmyards" "silage" and "blackcurrant" were the contributions for the nose, the taste was mature "peppery, blackcurrants with soft tannins and more fruits". The consensus was Claret from the Haut Medoc 10-15 years old, pretty close !

France Bordeaux Margaux Ch. Lascombes 2me Cru Classe 1983 £18

Mike and Clare Brown II "Sweet fizz" "apples and oranges" The taste was much of the same fruity and gluggable "apricots and nectarines" (very refreshing at this stage of the proceedings !) Everyone (left who cared by now) guessed Moscato and they were right.

Italy Piedmont Moscato d'Asti 1991 Vigna Senza None (I think) £5.50
(The vineyard with no name, more appropriate for Clint Eastwood than Brian Clough !)

FINALLY Vic Cockcroft II The garish colour gave away the fact it couldn't be made from grapes! It smelled of "raspberry" "Benyllin" and "Tixy-Lix" It tasted similar ! People thought it a cure-all or diluted cough mixture.

Finland Mesimana berry (Rubus articus) liquor
The important and saving grace of this liquid was the 21º of alcohol !

Summary

The tasting was excellent even if their appeared to be a glut of Chardonnays in the middle. The shocking thing by V.C. standards was the amount people spent this year which was well appreciated by everyones taste buds, the 22 bottles of wine cost about £245 averaging at about £11 per bottle !