May all at have a very merry, productive and prosperous 2014.
We are foregoing the forced entertainment tonight and will dine simply at home; a couple of pigeons and a pheasant, some Lustau PX, a Beaucastel 04, and a suspicious-looking Niepoort 97 half (the last one was actually very good). Oh, and some of the Graham 82 SHT that arrived this morning.
What will you all be drinking tonight?
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
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Just call it the 1982 Graham Colheita, because that's what it is.
I haven't decided what I'm going to open tonight, but I want something a little more special than usual to celebrate the start of the year in which I turn 50. Too bad Taylor didn't think to send me a preview bottle of their 1964 Colheita or I'd open that!
In 1965 two merchant banks were merging: M. Samuel & Co. and Philip Hill. One of the entities in the merger was an investment trust. The initial plan was to name the merged entity Samuel Hill, but, upon reflection, for acronymic reasons, they went with Hill Samuel.
Glenn E. wrote:Just call it the 1982 Graham Colheita, because that's what it is.
I haven't decided what I'm going to open tonight, but I want something a little more special than usual to celebrate the start of the year in which I turn 50. Too bad Taylor didn't think to send me a preview bottle of their 1964 Colheita or I'd open that!
You mean you have no Krohn lying about..?
Yes the acronym is unfortunate. Colheita is much safer...if you introduce the second letter of 'Harvest' in order to make a pronounceable acronym it's even worse.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
djewesbury wrote:Blue Top Heidsieck was half price in Tesco so we might substitute that for the PX.
The PX was going to be an aperitif? You sir are made of sterner stuff! Go with the champagne, I always think that a bout of giggly silliness from champagne followed by the mellowing fuddlement of the port is a fine combo. Whatever the old prohibitions may be.
djewesbury wrote:Blue Top Heidsieck was half price in Tesco so we might substitute that for the PX.
The PX was going to be an aperitif? You sir are made of sterner stuff! Go with the champagne, I always think that a bout of giggly silliness from champagne followed by the mellowing fuddlement of the port is a fine combo. Whatever the old prohibitions may be.
Yes I think we have our game birds all in the correct order now: champagne is chilling, giggles are imminent.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
djewesbury wrote:By the way, what would anyone here do with a 2004 Châteauneuf in terms of decanting? Not at all? One hour? More?
Empirical evidence shows that if you decant a bottle of 2004 Châteauneuf at the same time as you begin drinking a bottle of champagne the Châteauneuf will be ready at exactly the point at which the champagne runs out.
Remember to open a bottle of something else before starting the Châteauneuf.
Repeat cycle ad infinitum
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
djewesbury wrote:By the way, what would anyone here do with a 2004 Châteauneuf in terms of decanting? Not at all? One hour? More?
Empirical evidence shows that if you decant a bottle of 2004 Châteauneuf at the same time as you begin drinking a bottle of champagne the Châteauneuf will be ready at exactly the point at which the champagne runs out.
Remember to open a bottle of something else before starting the Châteauneuf
This kind of advice, gleaned from years of dedicated labour, is what I am here for.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
Glenn E. wrote:Just call it the 1982 Graham Colheita, because that's what it is.
I haven't decided what I'm going to open tonight, but I want something a little more special than usual to celebrate the start of the year in which I turn 50. Too bad Taylor didn't think to send me a preview bottle of their 1964 Colheita or I'd open that!
You mean you have no Krohn lying about..?
Yes the acronym is unfortunate. Colheita is much safer...if you introduce the second letter of 'Harvest' in order to make a pronounceable acronym it's even worse.
Of course I have Krohn on hand! It's my largest stock of birth-year Port, followed by Noval's Colheita and then (oddly) Dow's Grand Reserve. My problem is more along the lines of trying to open something special, but not too special because the group I'll be with wouldn't appreciate something too good. (Read: not opening any of my four 1964 Ruby Ports.) A Krohn might do it, but then again this group might not grok a white Port. Might need to open a Noval Colheita instead.
Best wishes from Cologne for a happy new year 2014 or as we say here: Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr (A happy slipping into the new year).
I don't know what fate has in store for me tonight in terms of wine. I will go to a big party with friends, so I don't know what the bar there will offer. I will be expecting the worst (beer) and hoping for the best (some decent red wine or bubbly).
Gesendet von meinem GT-I9100 mit Tapatalk
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
djewesbury wrote:By the way, what would anyone here do with a 2004 Châteauneuf in terms of decanting? Not at all? One hour? More?
Empirical evidence shows that if you decant a bottle of 2004 Châteauneuf at the same time as you begin drinking a bottle of champagne the Châteauneuf will be ready at exactly the point at which the champagne runs out.
Remember to open a bottle of something else before starting the Châteauneuf
This kind of advice, gleaned from years of dedicated labour, is what I am here for.
Please re-read my original post. I made a critical addition between the last "Châteauneuf" and " ".
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
djewesbury wrote:By the way, what would anyone here do with a 2004 Châteauneuf in terms of decanting? Not at all? One hour? More?
Empirical evidence shows that if you decant a bottle of 2004 Châteauneuf at the same time as you begin drinking a bottle of champagne the Châteauneuf will be ready at exactly the point at which the champagne runs out.
Remember to open a bottle of something else before starting the Châteauneuf
This kind of advice, gleaned from years of dedicated labour, is what I am here for.
Please re-read my original post. I made a critical addition between the last "Châteauneuf" and " ".
This is now my new year's resolution. Thank you.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
Happy New Year to one and all. This is most definitely an evening best spent with family and/or friends away from public houses and the like! I worked out today it is probably 25+ years since I last spent NYE in a pub or the like! Dinner at home or being hosted is my preference.
Tonight we are being hosted, not for the first time by said friends, and tradition now dictates I provide the port! A Quevedo 40 year old tawny and a Graham's 1970 should do the trick!
Ben
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Vintage 1970 and now proud owner of my first ever 'half-century'!
i'm going to stand up a 99' vieux telegraph la crau
You're just a big show-off. Julian and I were sitting at the next table to Mr. Vieux Telegraphe a little while ago, so there.
The giggliness of the Blue Top has segued effortlessly into the laid-back relaxation of our Beaucastel, which is growing nicely with each glass. And the nail varnish has blown off our Ni97 too, with a little sloshing in the decanter, so hopefully the befuddlement will be along soon.
Daniel J.
Husband of a relentless former Soviet Chess Master.
delete.. delete.. *sigh*.. delete...
The Champagne is chilling, a bottle of 1974 Taylor has been decanted and shortly I'll start preparations for our celebratory leg of lamb dinner. It is shaping up to be quite an enjoyable evening!
Sadly, I have been "advised" by SWMBO that I should give up alcohol for January - although I will be allowed dispensation for one or two port evenings during the month. This means traffic from me will be of a yearning nature over the next 4 weeks. But it should give me chance to update the offline summaries.
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
have a very merry, productive and prosperous 2014. 
