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I will be in London on Tuesday 31st January.

Does anyone want to join me as we don't seem to have had very much Port in January?


Date: Tuesday 31st January 2012.
Theme: Bring between 75cl and 150cl of Port to Share (blind or not).
Location: The Bunghole, 57 High Holborn WC1V 6DT
Port Time: 18:30
Beer: starting 17:00 in Wetherspoon’s Penderel’s Oak, 283-288 High Holborn WC1V 7HP.

Attendees: Cookie, DRT, jdaw1, Isobel(IEPA) and, tentatively, RAYC.

Line-up: Martinez 1985, Smith Woodhouse 1985, Quinta do Vesuvio 1998, +Cookie's, +(Tentatively)Dow 1991.

I would love to join you...but I've had a more compelling offer and I will be in Germany that evening.

However, I am very confident that you will be able to persuade someone to join you for a glass or two.

I will not be in Germany that evening, so, lacking AHB’s well-prepared excuse, must accept.

Excellent, we have a quorum. It is a great pity that AHB can't join us but we will do our best to cope.

First post updated.

Any more?

I would love to come, but there's a possibility that work may intervene. Can I go down as a tentative?

RAYC wrote:Can I go down as a tentative?

Done.

My invitation to Germany must have been lost in the post so I will be in Wetherspoons at 17.00hrs for a pre port beer.

Excellent. First post updated.

First draft of the placemats.

• DRT, JDAW, RLC, RAYC.
• JDAW reveals Mz85 and SW85.
• If most will be blind I’ll add a ‟What is it?” page.

Mz85 and SW85: as ever, we must choose between decanting too soon (≈06:30) and decanting too late (≈18:00). Preferences?

jdaw1 wrote:as ever, we must choose between decanting too soon (≈06:30) and decanting too late (≈18:00). Preferences?

My suggestion would be to decant too soon.

Alternatively, could you leave the bottles at TBH the night before and ask them to decant for you around noon?

jdaw1 wrote:First draft of the placemats.

• DRT, JDAW, RLC, RAYC.
• JDAW reveals Mz85 and SW85.
• If most will be blind I’ll add a ‟What is it?” page.

I have amended the first post.

DRT declares Vesuvio 1998 + 1 other, yet to be chosen.

This is going to be an excellent school night.

jdaw1 wrote:This is going to be an excellent school night.

At this point, I have seven free periods the following day

It is possible that my two bottles will be for me and a guest (♀, medium drinkability).

jdaw1 wrote:(♀, medium drinkability)

ThePortForum Emergency Error-handler wrote:General Syntax Error 453.
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Hmmm? Please define "medium".

Team,

Please choose from one of the following options:

Plan A: Mz1985, SW1985, QdV1998, G2004C.

Plan B: Mz1985, SW1985, QdV2006(Mag).

I am concerned that, to drink V06 in mag at its peak, we are rather early. I am also concerned that G Crusted ’04 + SW85 is less than the share of JDAW+guest, which could be fixed by my providing the Mz85 (plan A) rather than DRT. Maybe we should also consider plan C: DRT brings the V06 mag; JDAW brings SW85 + Mz85.

My Plan B and your Plan C are identical.

Personally i like the look of option A - current numbers mean that we will get a very good pour out of single bottles.

But don't go by me since i am not entirely sure of attendance (at least before 8.00 - 8.30).

I looked in my wine fridge this morning and saw a few options, one of which was Dow 91 (which does not seem to have been tasted in a while). How does that sound? There are a few options from 80s as well, if preferable, so feel free to request an alternative.

jdaw1 wrote: I am also concerned that G Crusted ’04 + SW85 is less than the share of JDAW+guest, which could be fixed by my providing the Mz85 (plan A) rather than DRT.

Mz85 could perhaps be a group adoption by all of us?

Now that I don't contain a bottle of claret I am feeling less brave than when the discussion above developed.

Perhaps we should return to normal rules and nominate and bring one bottle each. If JDAW brings a guest, he brings a second bottle. We can easily find a way of ensuring that both the Mz85 and SW85 are present, regardless of how many attendees there are.

So, at this point, the line-up would be SW85(JDAW), Mz85(DRT), D91(RAYC) plus a bottle from Cookie. If JDAW+1 comes, I will change my bottle back to QdV98 and JDAW brings both 85s.

Does that seem more sensible?

Isobel, IEPA, is in. So I’m bringing the Mz85 and SW85.

First post updated.

The Bunghole booked. I left our hosts the flexibility of giving us the now-traditional function room, or table six. If matters change somebody should call on ☎ 020 7831 8365.

Updated draft of the placemats.

AHB wrote:Alternatively, could you leave the bottles at TBH the night before and ask them to decant for you around noon?

Do others also dislike entrusting decanting tasks to strangers who are not absolutely known to be competent at same?

jdaw1 wrote:Updated draft of the placemats.

AHB wrote:Alternatively, could you leave the bottles at TBH the night before and ask them to decant for you around noon?

Do others also dislike entrusting decanting tasks to strangers who are not absolutely known to be competent at same?

I wouldn't feel stressed about asking the manager of a wine bar to decant a bottle of wine.

Apologies - i'm afraid my attendance at this event is now looking unlikely, though i will see whether i can get through enough work over the next couple of days to be able to make it.

I will print the placemats Tuesday mid-afternoon. A final decision can happen shortly before then.

Apologies....I have just realised that all of the wines for tonight have been declared except my contribution.

I shall be bringing a Cockburns 1994.....sorry for the lateness of this post and see you later.

Cookie wrote:Apologies....I have just realised that all of the wines for tonight have been declared except my contribution.

No problem: the theme allowed blind or not.

Unfortunately I am not sure of my ability to attend until later. Accordingly the double decanted bottle of D91 (less angels' share and one 60ml sample to give breathing space) has been left with the Bunghole for collection at the beginning of the tasting.

Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1985 Smith Woodhouse;
• 1985 Martinez;
• Graham’s Crusted bottled 2004 (a);
• Graham’s Crusted bottled 2004 (b);
• Cockburn’s Special Reserve;
• 1998 Vesuvio;
• 1991 Dow;
• 1994 Cockburn;
• Placemats;
• Planning and arrangements.