Another Crusting Pipe Offline
Posted: 00:40 Wed 21 Nov 2007
I have just returned to my hotel following a very enjoyable evening with Uncle Tom at the Crusting Pipe. Our usual place in the tunnel was secured on arrival and we quickly settled down to the now obligatory medium-rare rib-eye steak.
We had two very nice ports to accompany our meal. A Graham's 1983 that Tom graciously allowed me to select from his Death Row only hours before the event and another wrapped in tin(alumin(i)um)foil.
This was my first memory of having the G83 - decanted 7 hours - a fabulous Christmas Pudding aroma that was so typically Graham's. A lovely thick mouthfeel with the usual abundance of plummy fruits. This bottle was in a perfect drinking window but still showing a grippy tannic dryness that says it's got a while to go before its peak. A beautiful drink for a cold winter night.
My attempts to guess shipper and vintage of the second bottle both failed. Tom started off by declaring it was a big name and big year VP. I initially guessed Croft (wrongly) and then eliminated Taylor, Fonseca and Graham's to narrow the field. Tom helped me out when I mentioned the dryness by saying "it's not Dow's". So I guessed Warre. Wrong again, so I guessed Sandeman and got my first point.
Then to the year. Tom's clue was "slightly developed for the year". My first declaration was pre-1970 - correct. Then my brain told me 66. Tom declared that a forensic investigation of the cork was now necessary. The label revealed Sandeman 1963 but the cork looked like it might say Sandeman 1966. Being an honourable chap I decalred that I definately thought it was 63 on the cork and not 66. So, my composite guess was Croft 66 but the answer was Sandeman 63. No cigar this time
The S63 had an extremely thick and satisfying mouthfeel. Not as dark and youthful as my last two experiences of this wine but very much better than the over-the-hill bottles I have had on previous occassions. A hint of oranges revealed an advanced age but this was by no means on its way out. A very nice glass of port indeed.
Thanks, Tom
Derek
We had two very nice ports to accompany our meal. A Graham's 1983 that Tom graciously allowed me to select from his Death Row only hours before the event and another wrapped in tin(alumin(i)um)foil.
This was my first memory of having the G83 - decanted 7 hours - a fabulous Christmas Pudding aroma that was so typically Graham's. A lovely thick mouthfeel with the usual abundance of plummy fruits. This bottle was in a perfect drinking window but still showing a grippy tannic dryness that says it's got a while to go before its peak. A beautiful drink for a cold winter night.
My attempts to guess shipper and vintage of the second bottle both failed. Tom started off by declaring it was a big name and big year VP. I initially guessed Croft (wrongly) and then eliminated Taylor, Fonseca and Graham's to narrow the field. Tom helped me out when I mentioned the dryness by saying "it's not Dow's". So I guessed Warre. Wrong again, so I guessed Sandeman and got my first point.
Then to the year. Tom's clue was "slightly developed for the year". My first declaration was pre-1970 - correct. Then my brain told me 66. Tom declared that a forensic investigation of the cork was now necessary. The label revealed Sandeman 1963 but the cork looked like it might say Sandeman 1966. Being an honourable chap I decalred that I definately thought it was 63 on the cork and not 66. So, my composite guess was Croft 66 but the answer was Sandeman 63. No cigar this time
The S63 had an extremely thick and satisfying mouthfeel. Not as dark and youthful as my last two experiences of this wine but very much better than the over-the-hill bottles I have had on previous occassions. A hint of oranges revealed an advanced age but this was by no means on its way out. A very nice glass of port indeed.
Thanks, Tom
Derek
