Mr Chris Doty was and is fabulous. The man has a well-developed sense of excess.
Two were Lunching on Sunday 15th February 2015 at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. Chris arrives with three ordinary bottles and two half bottles. I was warming up with a small bottle of beer, and later learnt that Chris had warmed up with a half bottle of Port. Did I mention the well-developed sense of excess.
Let’s get to the glory first of all. Nil points. Zero. 1 + e^iπ. If that seems uselessly incompetent, well, it was. I was.
After a few hours Chris had to leave to watch Arsenal beat Middlesbrough, football not being a game of which he speaks well. Some minutes after his departure there arrived two Welsh rarebits — ahh, now I’m so clearly reminded we did order one each. Both were eaten.
There passed a few hours, a fleeting nap, and some decanters, and then he returned.
Comment should be made on the Ports. Cockburn 1983 is always terrible. Except, so it has been rumoured and now I know, when it isn’t. My oh my, mis-guessed as Graham 1970, and a good G70, it was fantastic. Portuguese cork makers owe the world most of a vintage of tip-top Port. Let’s screwcap, and now.
Warre 1983 was weak and disjointed. Four hours later it was rather good. Not up to the lofty standards of Ck83 (blessed be these new words), but rather good.
Dow 1983 went in the opposite direction.
And the two halves of Gould Campbell 1980 were not the same, and both mis-guessed.
Neighbours and staff had a modest number of glasses, such that we cleared 3¾ bottles.
Links:
- Review of the lunch as a whole;
- 1983 Warre (‘I’);
- 1983 Dow (‘II’);
- 1983 Cockburn (‘III’);
- 1980 Gould Campbell (half, ‘IV’);
- 1980 Gould Campbell (half, ‘V’);
- Placemats;
- Planning and arrangements.