And another off-line at Crusting Pipe

What happened?
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KillerB
Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
Posts: 2425
Joined: 22:09 Wed 20 Jun 2007
Location: Sky Blue City, England

And another off-line at Crusting Pipe

Post by KillerB »

A couple of weeks ago I got a message from StevieCage saying he'd be in London. With the parks patrolled by the police that arrest and beat-up wine-imbibers, we decided that it was the Crusting Pipe again.

Those present: StevieCage, KillerB, Al-B and Chris G (from FTLOP), Ian Wright (Covvie kid manager of the Crusting Pipe), Ilya (spelling Stevie) and Beth (two more of Stevie's posse of London female friends).

The theme tended towards the "What have I got in my pocketses?" and was a giggle.

Podere La Vigne - Vigna do Tavola, NV

This was me starting things off in style with a Montalcino-based sangiovese wine from Podere, a Brunello producer. I think that it is a 2005 but that was due to a clue on the label. What it definitely is, is over-production wines bottled up and flogged cheap. It was medium dark-cherry red, consistent, so very young. Nose was a bit closed but I could pick up some cherry. In the mouth it was a delight - rich tannins, dark fruits and a bit of pencil-lead. Very elegant, very young and the conclusion was that it would be ready in about four or five years, suggesting it was made as Rosso di Montalcino. Astonishing value.

Eadie's High Class (or something like that) Port NV

I had to decant mine to keep it anonymous, Al-B managed to keep it anonymous with the label on. Sadly, it had stirred up on his walk through London's west-end and was distinctly cloudy. Decanting removed a lot of sludge through a filter but it was still murky. Bottle was old-fashioned and brown and the cork said nothing. Al-B assures me that it was not his Aunt Eadie's Port.

Colour was very pale, like a dry Sherry. Nose was of cooked fruits with a thick sweetness and little alcohol. It was actually very nice, sweet with a dryness at the back. Conclusion was that it was a very old Ruby but we couldn't determine a real producer. I thought it may have been an LBV due to an oxidised taste but nobody else was having it. Very funny.

Niepoort Projectos Riesling 2004

Identified as an Old World Riesling not from Germany very quickly. As Stevie had just come back from Portugal, I suggested Portuguese and 2-3 years old. I remain very proud.

This is one of Niepoort's projects and making Riesling on the Douro may seem a tragedy but it isn't.

Genuinely excellent Riesling of a style I really enjoy. It is not the Germanic power-house type nor the Australian fruity style but something more subtle. Stevie donated another of these to my cellar and I am very grateful.

Campbell's Isabella Tokay

My winnings from Aussie for the Ashes of 2005. This was not tasted blind as I'd already revealed it.

Well, I didn't expect that!

A fairly sever-looking Victorian woman on the front and a half bottle, I presumed that I was getting something similar to a Tokaji Aszu or even Essencia - nope. This is more like a PX but made from 100% Muscadelle.

Very dark and thick it had treacle on the nose and in the mouth with a massive compote of dark fruit and oranges and a big bar of dark chocolate at the end. Absolutely astonishing. Despite the fact that everybody loved it, with seven people and only a half, its density proved to difficult to finish and I had to polish it off on the train with a guy called Walter.

I hate calling WOTN on a bottle that I brought but as it was provided by Aussie I cannot really claim credit - Thanks mate, this was stunning.

Fonseca Vintage Port 1980

Bought from the cellars at the Crusting Pipe, I have a bottle at home.

Basically this isn't like Fonseca. It's far too light for such a young one and I could get no flowers, but could get the coffee at the back. It's not that this is bad Port, it's just not Fonseca-ish. Drinking very well now, probably at its best, it is very enjoyable. A Port that you would enjoy of a night and completely forget what it was like two days later when you are writing tasting notes from your head.

Dow Vintage Port 1970

Chris G bought this from the Crusting Pipe's cellars as his contribution. Al-B knew what it was so Stevie and I went out to guess it. Quickly came to the conclusion that it was either Taylor's or Dow's due to the dryness at the back of the palate. I put a guess on 1985 Quinta da Vargellas as I knew they had it there. Stevie went for Dow 1983, which I disagreed with as I'd had it recently and this was much better. The youthfulness blew it for both of us.

We'd had this two years ago at Berry Brothers and Rudd, it was excellent then, it is excellent now.

Ian dropped the corkage for us and was an excellent host, as always.
bman
Cockburn’s Special Reserve
Posts: 41
Joined: 03:21 Fri 22 Jun 2007
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Post by bman »

BBR? what's that? :oops:
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