Annual Bath Tasting

Place: The Garden of 23 Park Street Bath, 22nd July 2000

Present:

Apologies:

Other business:

The wines

1. Billecart Salmon, Champagne, NV

Quentin

Lemon, bread, powdered chocolate, vanilla, creamy, doughy. Germany-Ed, Champagne-Chris. Ermmm: yes. Actually, Billecart NV from France purchased during the Millenium tasting. Price approx £12.49. Connection = billeCART, geddit?

2. Clos de la Marche, Sauennieres, 1998

Chris & Ed

Williams "Mount Pleasant Elizabeth", Australia, Vintage?

Steve Mills

Lime cordial/curd, Masento says almost tropical fruits. Steve says that the wine has probably changed since last time we tried it. Mark M quips "10% of your cells have probably changed since last time we tried it" – a good point. Everyone goes "Riesling" except Mark who exclaims "Lapidopterum foreplay" watching two butterflies about to have it off in mid air. "No" says Steve. "Semillon" says Mark M, "Yes", says Steve. All is revealed, we should have known. It is Williams "Mount Pleasant Elizabeth". General amusement amongst Bath Uni Winesoc members as the last time Steve brought this wine was that it reminded him of Eb the current secretary of the Uni winesoc (Eb is short for Elizabeth). Steve’s next comment was "Goes like a train" which we are assured refers to the wine and is meant to be the transportation connection. I’m not reporting the next bit because it is far too rude. The wine is £7.99 from Tesco’s only. Interlude whilst Mark reports that he "doesn’t do it very often so he makes sure he brings multiple wines".

Mark M – white: Quentin: barley sugars, Mills: oak oak character, botrytis – Ed M, asparagus – Guy, sweet – Philippa. Steve says he thinks it is a Californian Chardonnay. Not bad because it is a Macari Long Island Chardonnay from New York State, £15. The connection "Macari = My Car E"!

Mark M – first red. Bubble gummy and thus probably Beaujolais/Gamay. Steve thinks it is Brown Brother’s Tarrango; not its not says Mark. "Quite nice" – Chris and Philippa. Turns out to be Pinot Noir – rose style from Alsace: Cuvee Excellence Renee Spar (transport connection, there’s a reindeer on the bottle, v dubious).

Gareth (first Ed K smears yoghurt all over his leg and then makes some comment about chilling red wines. Of course you DON’T chill red wines say Guy and Mark M). Chris Kay says "blurgh" so we decide it must be burgundy/pinot noir. Yup, turns out it is "Chevalier", Ladoix AC (Philippa got that one). £11.95 Great Western Wines

Ed & Sue Moya. Cherry fruit. "Spanish Cabernet Sauv.", Mark M/Bordeaux-Rioja, Steve M/damp cardboard, Guy/Philippa sticks on Rioja/Ed K: I’m still thinking. It goes the Bordeaux way: Pomerol, 1990, Chateau Vieux Maillet, £10 at the time.

Ed & Sue Moya. "Grassy green", another Bordeaux? Mark M: I think its very green; Javier: "aaaaeurgher"; Mark M "It smells quite rich, big vintage". Ed K thinks it is Bordeaux. Philippa says it is not "Rocky Rioja". Big and usual discussion about left bank/right bank etc. Turns out to be St Emilion Grand Cru 1990, Moulin St-Georges (excellent wine and year)

Ed and Chris, Kay. Quentin: "roast coffee beans". Other comments: "liquorice & blackcurrants, sweet black cherries". Quote (Mark M I think) ``Oh no, not one of Ed’s Amarone’s again. He couldn’t possibly foist one of these on us again’’. Mark M (paradoxically) "a claret". Steve M: "American". Everyone: "cabernet? green". Ed M "no pepper". Claudia: "cabernet". We didn’t get it. It was "Concha y Toro, Merlot 1998, Casillero del Diablo, Rapel Valley. Apparently Diablo is some car. It cost £5.50. Roger says "I had a tankful last night. I’m shagged". "You wish" someone says disengenously.

Claudia. Every one says "Cabernet"! Roger slowly rousing says "burnt from a hot country". Steve "a bit of something else" (??) . "Old world" someone says. Mark M says "a claret". He’s right. It is Grand Cru Classes, Chateau Belgrave, ’94, Medoc. Theme: There is a horse on the label. £15 from Sainsbury’s.

Guy and Philippa. Mark M "This IS Claret". Everybody else thinks it is Claret. Steve says ``Lynch Barges". Ed M says "Haut Medoc", ’96. They are all right! What is going on? It is indeed 1996 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac AC, 5eme, Cru Classe, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux. £35 from Avery’s.

Mark M (who took notes whilst the author gobbed down some bread) "gherkins, gooseberries, blackcurrant leaves", Ed. "leafy": Qwentwin. Steve/Sue say Zin? Turns out to be Macari (AGAIN), Cabernet Franc, 1997. Price unknown.

Steve M. "Does anyone get Gamay – Joke", Mark M. "A monster from the gates of hell", Guy. "Bin 707?", Ed. Then someone, thinking up transport connection: "Kangeroo Vale"? "McClaren Vale"? Clever. Quentin: "Is it Australian?", unanimous YES. Guy: "Straight cab", Gareth "Penfolds", Ed K "Coonawarra", Ed M "Cabernet Shiraz", Apparently it was refridgerated even though it hadn’t been in the fridge. Logic prevails once more. Ed K was completely correct. It is Bin 707, Penfolds, 1996, £38. The connection? 707 is the name of a plane. Everyone is glad nobody brought Concorde.

Roger Jardine. Mark M "An Amarone type wine", Sue "prunes", gorgeous, nice. Ed M "Greek hermaphrodite?" It IS port! Grahams, LBV, 94. Connection is PORT, geddit?

Mark M. Sweetie! No botrytis, does it need it? Clean fresh acidity, not that sweet, honeyed. Steve erroneously thought Chenin Blanc. Loose knit. Turns out to be Chateau Jolys (?)1998, Jurancon, Cuvee de Pic.

End of tasting and note taker a little bit tipsy so the quality of the notes decreases (as usual) and I forgot to note down which wines won, somebody tell me please.. This time omitted the rounders (lack of time) and went to Papa Capetti’s wonderful, cheap restaurant for din-dins.