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A visitor from the Port trade visited London briefly on Tuesday and we were delighted to use his presence as an excuse for a small get together for dinner and a few bottles. We washed dinner down with the following:

• Pol Roger 2002 Cuvée Winston Churchill
• Dom Perignon 2003
• Domaine Jean Loius Chave Hermitage Blanc 1991
• Chateau Talbot 1966
• Chateau Palmer 1985
• Artadi Pagos Viejos 1994
• Duas Quintas 1995
• Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte 2003 (en magnum)
• Sandeman Cask 33
• Warre 1981 LBV
• Martinez 1927
• Graham 1945

Wine of the night was voted in 4 rounds with round 1 being Champagne of the Night, round 2 being Table Wine of the Night, round 3 being Port of the Night and round 4 being overall wine of the night. The results were:
Round 1
3 votes - Pol Roger 2002 Cuvée Winston Churchill
3 votes - Dom Perignon 2003

Round 2
5 points - Domaine Jean Loius Chave Hermitage Blanc 1991
10 points - Chateau Talbot 1966
11 points - Chateau Palmer 1985
2 points - Artadi Pagos Viejos 1994
0 points - Duas Quintas 1995
4 points - Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte 2003 (en magnum)

Round 3
2 points - Sandeman Cask 33
6 points - Warre 1981 LBV
3 points - Martinez 1927
18 points - Graham 1945

Round 4
2 points - Pol Roger 2002 Cuvée Winston Churchill
1 point - Dom Perignon 2003
3 points - Domaine Jean Loius Chave Hermitage Blanc 1991
2 points - Chateau Talbot 1966
1 point - Chateau Palmer 1985
0 points - Artadi Pagos Vuejos 1994
0 points - Duas Quintas 1995
2 points - Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte 2003 (en magnum)
1 point - Sandeman Cask 33
0 points - Warre 1981 LBV
3 points - Martinez 1927
15 points - Graham 1945

Paperwork at www.jdawiseman.com/2015/20151124_GeorgeSandeman.pdf.

Thank you, Gentlemen.

This tasting has persuaded me that I should drink my last pipe of Mz27 but hold my pipes of G45 for a few more years.

This is precisely why we do tastings. Very informative.

You boys know how to treat yourselves. Must have been a trial.

Anyway, I was hoping that someone (ahem Alex) might put a thought down about the 2002 Winston Churchill as I am hovering between half a dozen of them or another half case of Dom 2002 as a present to myself for all my hard work this year.

DRT wrote:Thank you, Gentlemen.

This tasting has persuaded me that I should drink my last pipe of Mz27 but hold my pipes of G45 for a few more years.

This is precisely why we do tastings. Very informative.

You are perhaps being a little hasty. The Mz27 was from an ullaged bottle that had been topped up with marbles and so may not be representative of your pipe. If you let me know a convenient date (this afternoon?) I can be at your house to try a bottle or two from your pipe.

LGTrotter wrote:You boys know how to treat yourselves. Must have been a trial.

It was a great hardship, but somehow I struggled valiantly through.

LGTrotter wrote:Anyway, I was hoping that someone (ahem Alex) might put a thought down about the 2002 Winston Churchill as I am hovering between half a dozen of them or another half case of Dom 2002 as a present to myself for all my hard work this year.

I'm a sucker for the round sweet fruit that you find in Dom but I don't think I've drunk the 2002 yet. Given a choice between the 2003 Dom and the 2002 Winston Churchill I would be buying the Dom, but you can see that with some fairly experienced palates there was complete split of opinion.

Let's face it, whichever you buy will be damn delicious.

The DP03 had clumsy bubbles. The PR02 was much superior.

Thanks for the responses. I have found the Winston Churchill a bit heavy and serious for champagne, rather like the Krug NV. I like my bubbles airy, so I should probably stick with what I know. And the Dom is a bit cheaper. If that is the right word.

Besides missing the girls, this was a perfect evening. Thank for outstanding champagne, Port, wines, food (Otto was superb) and above all company.

Best

Axel