Vintage Club Newsletter. Summer 1998

Well the summer meeting of the vintage club took place as usual in Bath on Saturday 6th June. However, I use the term "summer" rather loosely as even three weeks later and a week after the longest day, when I have finally got round to writing this, we are still awaiting this season to arrive. But we were not to be deterred by the inclemency of the weather and though it prevented us from establishing our pitch in front of the Royal crescent, the wines (and our noses!) positively shined (or should it be shone?)

The tasting was held in our usual haunt of 4E Servery, kicking off around 12.30 with lunch followed by the minutes of the meeting.

Present

Apologies

Minutes

Guy also promised to establish a VC Web page and details of this will be forthcoming.

Further discussions on celebrations for the Millenium lead to most people being in favour of a trip to Champagne in May 2000. This would be along the lines of Lancaster, renting a cottage for a long weekend plus hopefully a trip to a Champagne house. I am currently looking in to this to try and assess availability and likely costs but it would be quite helpful if anyone interested at this stage could let me know so I have a rough idea of numbers. The preliminary date of the next meeting was suggested to be Saturday 31st October. Bill volunteered to try and host a tasting in Ipswich where he has just begun a new job but this has yet to be confirmed. The theme for the tasting is obviously Halloween (what else?) - so ghosts, witches, cats, fires, spirits?

The Tasting

Steve

Gooseberries. Might not be Australian, but then again it could be. First impressions SB. Rhubarb- that's oxalic acid. Oh no , no chemistry please but a quick count up reveals more chemists present than anyone else.Rhubarb leaves are poisonous because they contain high levels of oxalic acid - well let's hope this wine doesn't. Ripe, heavy and buttery.Forceful and leggy. Could be Fume

Katnook Estate SB, Coonawarra 1996 BU £10 Theme - Kat

Ed and Chris

Nick advocates we play frisby not rounders later so a long discussion ensues on the merits and team spirit of the two games. When told he can play frisby he announces he doesn't have one! Back to the wine - apple, strongly alcoholic, Diamond White?Could be Chenin, high acidity

Bourgogne Aligote Domaine Denizot 1995 GWW £7 Theme goat (Ali goat ee)

Mark

Definitely SB, sweet blackcurrant, pink grapefruit. Thoughtful chewing. Loire vs NZ. Vavasour? Animal on label OK but bottle shape wrong (OK we're not that good at guessing these we need all the help we can get)

B- Brancott Estate SB Montana NZ 1996 OD £12 Theme bee (B)

Roger

Pooh Poohy, well the animal connection is obvious!. Obviously acquired on a recent holiday. "Which part of the ferry did this come from?" "Actually I went on the train" - Brake fluid?Really cheesy, toffee. White Rhone? Old Chardonnay?

Bourgogne Haut Cote de Beaune Les Perrieres 1993 France FF65

Guy and Philippa

Sweet perfume, acetone, propanone(here go the chemists again). Poss viognier. Peach on nose, poss the other Condrieu (they bought one last time) but if so what's the animal connection? Completely wrong

Stags Leap Chardonnay Napa Valley California 1996 Whole Earth Food / GWW £15 approx.

Gareth

Big woody wine, honey. (For some reason the conversation then drifted onto aftershave although I don't think this was in reference to the wine) Riesling? German or Alsacian (obviously the latter)

Cuvee Frederic Emile Trimbach 1989 FF130

Mark

Smells crunchy! "Smell the acid Mr spectrophotometer nose" (I think this was directed at Nick) Light Cotes du Rhone? It's Italian! Redcurrant, cranberry juice vibrant. "Not Italian but from the same planet" "What?" says Ed, "From the same planet, unlike you". No idea

Bulls Blood 1996 Tesco £3.50

Quentin and Jacqui

Prob pinot, quite astringent, slightly sweet, quite tannic

Pommard Les Rugiens (rugby player- well they're like animals) 1995 OD £19

Oliver

Meaty, prickly, quite sweet, Cabernet? Valpol ?Fairly stumped? definitely

Morellino di Scansano (Chianti) Cecchi 1996 BU £7 Theme picture of a horse on label

Nick and Liz

How strong? Cabernet from down under. Discussion as to whether Penfold (Dangermouse's accommplice is a hamster or a mouse -definitely a hamster just look at the ears) Chocolatty, moving onto to USA

Franciscan Magnificat 1995 OD £15

Roger

Brown and smelly - oh sorry that's the wine not Roger Revenge of the undead. Try and look through the unpleasantness - oh yes you see the table on the other side. Quite old. Tastes worst than it smells. Come on don't be so negative. OK It smells better than it tastes. Burnt chip board

Chateau Musar 1981 (oh dear we'd better drink our bottle soon then) £15 (from an ex-friend). Musar means moose

Chris and Ed

Mind the liquorice. It'a a BIG Cabernet. Buxom, a Pamela Anderson of a wine. Steve sticks his neck out - again

Clos du Val Cabernet Stags Leap Napa Valley 1992 Averys £16

Steve

Black peppercorns and damsons (in distress?)Minty. It's Aussie but no Shiraz. Should link Penfold bin No.s to planes or Peugeots to make them easier to remember (747, 340,205,305)

Vasse Felix Cab/ Merlot 1995 Tanners £9

Billy

Not a cabernet, spicy but not a Billy wine (Rhone)

Ravenswood Zinfandel 1996 OD £8 Philippa says she wishes someone had bought a wine called Wild Pig.

Quentin and Jacqui

Smells of Rotorua (the geothermal area in New Zealand which reeks of Sulphur)Burnt fruit> Quite light, spicy. Ginger , Ginger spice? Bubble gum without the sweetness. It's Bill's kind of wine

Wild Pig Shiraz 1997 OD £4 (They did!)

Stuart

Nutty, walnutor groundnut oil, residual sweetness. Italian. Wine equivalent of dark velvet (Guiness)

Campagnola Amarone 1993 BU £?

Paul

Botrytis, bit of orange Quite cloying, very long

Cranswick Estate 1995 Botrytis Semillon OD £10 (half bottle).

Can't remember the theme - some poor excuse about thinking it was another wine which is made in a place near another place which has a big animal park -yes umm (Very nice wine though so who cares)

The tasting was rounded up with a quick game of rounders (sorry poor pun) and then Down to Trattoria Da Salvo for an excellent Italian meal.

Well thanks again everyone who came. Hope to see a few other faces for the next one.

Please remember to send your membership money to Guy (address on slip) and a quick note to me if you think you may be interested in the Millenium Champagne Trip.

Have a good summer

Chris

N.B Reply slip below - if receiving this on email please print out the slip and return to Guy with your membership money - Thanks