The Hosts Just too get everyone in the mood fizz, (connection
"a sparkler", I was quite surprised this was the only one!) People were
pleased with the fruity, yeasty, oily combination and guessed non-Champagne
from all over the world. It was Sainsburys Cava, N.V. £4.99
Karen Roberts Classical flinty (connection!), gooseberry,
cheesey hay smells and a clean balance of acidity and fruit put everyone in
the Loire, Gary and Ed even contrived to proffer 91 Fume... which it was!
Les Criottes, Blanc Fume de Pouilly, 1991 £9
Alison Drasdo (or is that Goodman!) Strong smells of brussel
sprouts and tuna fish had everyone confused, the taste immediately had
everyone saying, What's this doing here it should be at the end, because of
the sweetness (Alison protested that the Wine Merchant had led her
astray...!), putting this aside the wine showed pleasant acidity and a little
bit of botrytis character. A mumbled consensus thought it sweet Loire and
again teamwork got it right. Clos St. Catherine (Catherine Wheels.. get it
!), Coteaux du Layon, 1989. £11
Nicola Cobb (special house guest for the day) Her wine was
viciously savaged by the previous sweetie, but was unfortunately faulty as it
was oxidized. Loire Tourraine 1992
Silke Knippschild and Jonathan Foweraker The smells of diesel,
petrol and apples had most people heading for Germany and the dry, fruity acid
taste narrowed it to Trocken, but people were confused by the weightiness of
the finish. I guessed Franken (I had had a bottle recently) and was proved to
be correct. 1990 Franken Riesling, Kabinet Trocken, Wurzburger
Pfaffenberg No connection with the theme.
Mike and Clare Brown Most people were dubious about the smell
of marmalade, honey and rot on the nose and the tired honey taste and little
acidity, we wern't at all surprised to find out it was 1988 TsingTao
Chardonnay(!) from China (inventors of fireworks).
Tim Robinson Confident as ever Tim bet his house that people
wouldn't guess the connection (good job Catherine wasn't there!). This light
red wine smelled of prunes and glue and the taste was pretty non-descript! (I
think his house was safe because people couldn't identify anything at all!
Revolutionary Red (connection!) Table Wine, Mellea Vineyard,
Massachusettes, £ a few dollars!
Clare and Mike Brown (again) People thought the connection
with this wine was that it smelled and tasted like a spent rocket case! Not
very complimentary but descriptions were, smells like coal tar and tastes like
charcoal! It was worth it though, because the connection was excellent as the
name of the wine Vesuvius had most people reminiscing about all of the names
of the fireworks in their (sometimes distant childhood!!!!), it was finally
decided, I think, that the Vesuvius was a cone shaped one that stayed on the
ground and sprayed out a fountain of sparks! Oh the wine was 1985 Lacima
(Tears) Christi, from Laviano in Italy.
Andy Howard This dark wine had smells of chocolate,
blackpepper and a host of red fruits! The taste was really fruity with a
pleasing peppery/tannin finish. Everyone thought it a great guzzler and
guessed Aussie Shiraz...all wrong! It was Australian Cabernet Sauvignon
from Preece in Goulburn Valley, 1989.
Steve Gibbon After a lot of ribbing about the lack of a screw
top Steves wine smelled as if it had been made from black peppercorns not
grapes, Gary and Ed gave knowing smiles and watched everyone else! The taste
was of concentrated super ripe red fruit described as like drinking a liquid
summer pudding. Most guesses were Shiraz, Gary and Ed knew it was Grenache,
Catalyst (Guy Fawkes wasn't a transition metal but was supposed to set
off a Catholic reaction against Protestantism!) from Bonny Doon,
California, N.V. Steves reputation was saved by the alcohol content 13.9%
The Hosts (again) This wine was flatteringly described by Mike
Brown as the hairdresser after the previous boutique, having natural
complexity after the constructed catalyst. The smells, leather, vanilla, aged
oak, roast meat; the taste meaty, peppery, fruity and complex. Most people who
offered a guess went for Burgundy, but it was Prado Enea from Bodegas Muga,
Rioja 1982 (Guy Fawkes served with the Spanish army in the Netherlands
before the Gunpowder plot... you live and learn!)
Davey Macallan The same connection was employed for this wine
which people described as smelling of sewers and burned sugar, and the taste
was described as caramelled fruits, people guessed Spain but couldn't get
Valdepenas Crianza 1988 Senoria de los Hanos
Ed Kay Ed's inky looking wine smelled of sweet damsons,
liquorice and cherries and tasted of prunes, with a meaty/cherry finish with a
slightly bitter bite, everyone thought it was lovely (even if our tastes were
a little jaded by now), I guessed that it was one of my favourites Reciotto
della Valpollicella Amarone, and it was, a 1986 Classico example from
Zenato.
Gary Hunt I thought this was vaguely similar to the previous
wine and others 'ummed and arhhed and told me to shut up, that Gary and Ed
wouldn't pick the same wine. This wine was sweet, rich and ripe fruit flavours
on the nose and in the mouth. Most people gulped it down in enjoyment, Mike
Brown somehow managed to atomize his by spitting or choking his half way
across our lounge (no mean feat as it is a through lounge 22 feet long!!). The
wine was unveiled as 1986 Reciotto della Valpollicella Amarone, I
failed to take down the estate name.