Tues 24th July - Bring a bottle to share

[jdaw1]

[…] Edit: the placemats added to first post.

Thanks Julian - I was going to do that this evening, but only just back now.

Quite simple, but nonetheless, please check for errors.

[PhilW]

Quite simple, but nonetheless, please check for errors.

All looks correct.
I should arrive at 6; I can print and bring unless anyone else will be arriving earlier.

[flash_uk]

I can print...might not get there until around 7 though...

[idj123]

My eta will be 6.30pm.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I should arrive around 6pm but can’t print.

I decanted both bottles last night about 11pm and have kept them in the fridge or an insulated container as much as possible.

[PhilW]

I have decanted (2pm) and smells... glorious (what else!).
Have printed, and will be there ~6pm.

[jdaw1]

Great theme.

[PhilW]

Train cancelled (no driver). Alternate route train cancelled (breakdown). Next train running late, will miss connection. I may be slightly late...

[PhilW]

Update - should be there by 6.30

[Monkey]

Are we ready to guess and vote yet?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Much laughter.

We’ll let you know when we’re ready.

[Monkey]

Well I'm ready so here goes:

WOTN Votes:

3pts - MPM
2pts AHB
1pt PW

Tasting notes:

PW - lovely rich colour, perfectly mature with strawberry, vanilla and a slight herb note on the nose. Delicate and perfectly mature. Warre 77, obviously.

IDJ - very dark and a bit closed on the nose. Huge mouthful of dark fruits and tannin - I'm thinking Dow 1980

JDAW - 32.5% opaque, clear rim and very dusty nose, perhaps with some pepper? Nice, but not getting better - drink up! Sandeman 1958

MPM - rich golden red with violets on the nose. A huge mouthful of loveliness - Taylor 1963

CPR - {corked?} Maybe not. Good colour but very dull nose, which makes it very difficult for The Monkey to guess. Full and rich on the palate but something not quite right. Niepoort 1970?

AHB - great colour with a delicious nose of gently softened bunberries left to cool in a slightly humid garden shed. A sparkle of Japanese candy floss truffle in the mid-palate followed by a long slow pause while I eat some of my steak. Has the nose changed? How humid was that shed? Did I tell Elizabeth I'll be home late tonight? Concentrate, the guys want to vote! Back to those bunberries - delicious mythical flavours with a backbone of tannin that faded four decades ago. A fabulous Port with a very long finish. So long that I have to keep everyone waiting until I've almost missed my train! - Unmistakable. This is obviously Taylor 1927.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Voting has finished for WOTN. The monkey’s votes were nonsense. The monkey clearly has no taste.

WOTN votes (excluding the monkey) were PW 15, CPR 7.5, MPM 5.5, AHB 4.5, JDAW 3, IDJ 0.5.

[Alex Bridgeman]

The monkey’s prose won much praise, but his ability to identify ports tasted blind is very poor — and scored zero. Everyone else scored 1 or 2 points.

But we thank the monkey for his help.

[DRT]

I think you will find that The Monkey got all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order

[Christopher]

Great report from the Monkey! Glad you had a great night with some World Class Port!

[PhilW]

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1955 Graham;
• 1955 Cockburn;
• 1970 Gould Campbell;
• 1983 Graham;
• 1977 Smith Woodhouse;
• Planning and arrangements;

[PhilW]

The monkey did a fantastic job, had us all laughing (especially with the tasting notes, very well observed and written), even if he didn't score any points on guessing the wines; his efforts were appreciated.

Talking of the "What is it?" scoring, this is the first night I remember where nobody (except the monkey) scored zero; everyone scored 1 or 2 points, which considering the small number of wines present is above our usual average, I believe!