So the real reason that I was back in bonnie Scotland was a wedding invite from my good friends Paddy and Katie. Paddy is a “wine professional” that I worked with back in Edinburgh and Katie runs a cupcake company, rainbow cupcakes, http://www.rainbowcupcakes.co.uk/. I took the invite up with gusto in hope that I would get a nice piece of cake and a good glass of wine. And with two hog roasts for supper courtesy of Oink in Edinburgh, www.grassmarket.net/oink.asp ,the evening was sure to be one to remember.
Being cake eating drunks they were not short of a friend or two and so invites were squeezed, and thus I had the task of finding my way down to Peebles in my kilt on my lonesome. Soon I was to make my acquaintance with guest number one (see photo). A funny rugby chap who had a weekend ticket to Glastonbury. Thursday and Friday Glastonbury, cycled then to Bristol airport with suit rolled up in a rucksack, plane to Edinburgh, suit out of back, bus to Peebles (where we met), and back again to Glastonbury for the finale on Sunday. His Thai bought suit held up well and he wore his weekender pass like an award. Good effort.
After the ceremony I was shown to my table, the only other person I knew was across the table hidden by flowers, I knew she had a penchant for hiding miniatures in her bag for emergencies but she was too far away to be of any use. I had to make friends. Everybody looked ever so polite and reserved but Katie had provided personalised cupcakes so at least names were not going to be a problem. After my introduction I deduced I was on the Bridget Jones/binge drinking table and so all was deeply good, drinking games were underway way during the speeches. All perfect until the rugby chaps ate all the cupcakes thus meaning I had no idea what anybody was called. Thanks. The final seat was then taken up by, guess who, Glastonbury boy. The set was complete. Drunk as a skunk. Wines as follows:
South African red, Ormer Bay Cabernet/Merlot £7.65 Frairwood
Full of flavour but a bit flat in body, smoky and rustic but with plenty of fruit, pleasant example.
South African white, Ormer Bay Chenin Blanc £7.65 Friarwood
The Chenin was much more interesting than the red with light and fruity apple aromas and a bold citrus tang on the palate. Nothing out of the ordinary but a good home run. A “ticks the box” wine that went down all too well!
..........The morning after...
The day after was reserved for hangover which never came and thus did preparation for my next wine tasting with my wine group. The full group is a mixed bunch of ex-wine professionals and wine enthusiasts with the total number being 7. We sadly lost one of our Antipodean friends to the lure of the heat of Sydney and so on that night there were only 6. Word on the street is that he is bored of one dimensional wine and has a particular lust for red Burgundy and therefore will be Europe-based very soon. Good boy. Please forgive the foppish and ridiculous tasting notes and read through the nonsense as the wines really were very good. Our theme was: "Summer Wines" and so we all typically gathered in a downpour in one of the member’s conservatory in leafy Blackhall on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Here’s how it went.
Fizz 1- Laurent Perrier N.V. (£25-£30 nationwide)
On the nose it showed potato skin and butter and on the palate a complex mix of granny smith apples, lemon thyme, animal cage. Very interesting and unlike anything we had ever had before. We had talked ourselves round to it being a very interesting single producer in favour of biodynanisism and all things natural, but in truth after an hour of being open the corky taint came out on the nose, the palate and the flavour had been stripped out. How we didn’t notice was beyond me but in the end the fault became apparent. Shame
Fizz 2- Bollinger R.D. 1995 (£65+)
A very mature nose with one member describing it as a “clarty wee bitch”, oxidised aromas, balsy, slightly dirty with an edge of tangerine peel. The palate was big with unbelievable concentration, long and lemony with overripe apples. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it was at odds with the vintage which still should be razor sharp and at odds with previous bottles we have had. Again I think a heatstroke scenario was to blame for the not at all unappealing oxidised flavours. In short, not on par, but delightful all the same.
White 1- awkward teenager of an Albarino that I won’t bore you with
Sherry 1 – William Humbert Palo Cortado 20years old (£25 for 50cl) Hendersons Wine, Edinburgh
A mistake rare sherry that has the dryness of a fino yet the colour and flavour of a rich amontillado. With just 4g/l or residual sugar it would give most Champagnes a run for their money on the dryness scale. The nose was very, very, big. Nutty, with a woody smell, cream, herbs, eucalyptus. The palate was very dry with the promise of spice, unctuous cinder toffee, salted caramel and pickled walnuts and a finish that went on and on and on. Everyone loved it. A cool summer hit. Olives optional, but a welcome addition.
Red 1- Domaine Borgeot 2007 Santenay 1er cru les graviers (£20-£25)
A pinot moment! Doesn’t often happen but it did that night, from head to toe, raspberry, bit of poo, dark chocolate, cumin, spice, tamarind paste. Generous yet polite. Everything you want from Burgundy, a feral undertone but high octane light and powerful red fruit, subtle toasty oak that plays its part and doesn’t overtake or feel separate from the flavours. Pinot along with Nebbiolo can on seemingly rare occasions walk that tightrope of delicacy, power and intrigue and create an ethereal taste experience. This, my friends, was one of them.
Red 2- Georges De Boeuf Morgon 2008 (£11.50) nationwide
I pray Pop doesn’t read this, but I really enjoyed this gamay! Blackcurrant, spice, cardomon and menthol. The palate was sprightly, relaxed with light strawberry and cherry. Not particularly complex but it was a perfect little summer wine.
Red 3 – Shelmerdine Yarra Valley Pinot Noir (£10 Waitrose-great value)
Screaming New World, violets and cherry cough drops and sweet burnt cherry on the palate, it got slightly thin and alcoholic at the finish but it was easy to like and a good shot at a New Zealand style. I do not think Australia has quite found its feet with Pinot yet but it was a great effort and tremendous price in comparison with red Burgundy.
Red 4- Neudorf 2006 Nelson Pinot Noir New Zealand (-£30 on average)
Very exotic and stinky. It was so intense it literally caught the back of your throat. Once over the trauma, the wine revealed a rich almost donkey-like smell that made me think of just-cooked liver and fried bacon. Too much to handle for some but I dived on in there. Rich and in my opinion delicious, sanguineous, sweet kidney again but with low acidity. Somebody popped up with “road kill in a jar." I believed I muted “badger and prune casserole”. Getting drunk. You get the picture. Half loved, half were not sure and preferred the cleaner flavours of the other Pinots. Check out bobswinereviews.com for more of similar.
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Red 5- Giaconda 2002 Shiraz Victoria
Saved from previous blog and re-opened. This time it had oil, gasoline and anchovies on the nose leading to a dark and very tannic, blackcurrant palate. Incredibly concentrated, big and mature. Too much for me at the end but the other lads were lapping it up, in particular one member with a bad cold. Cough medicine perhaps?
Sweet 1 – Dartin Estate Scheurebe 2005 Pfalz Germany(£9.59 M and S when purchased)
A beautiful botrytis Riesling nose, with orange blossom, leading to a sweet palate of lychee and peach, a cross between Viognier, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer but certainly toned down a notch or two. Lovely and looking for some more. A good palate freshener after the Aussie bomb.
Sweet 2 – Huber Berg Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling 2005, Austria (£20 approx, Oddbins)
Deep earthy and sweet which tasted of one thing and one thing only, rhubarb and custard sweets. Depending on your point of view you would either hate it or love it, I loved it.
Sweet 3 – Arnaud de Villeneuve hors d’age 1982 Rivesaltes (Waitrose) £11.86
This I believe was too dry to go after the TBA and so felt it showed under par yet still retained a dark cooked marmalade and toffee essence. Without the sweetness of the former it felt quite bitter. Will try again but in a different order.
Taxi home. Brill, thanks guys.
Bon aperitif
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