Joan and Dan in Paris

Dan had a couple of day trip tickets to Paris with Eurostar so he and Joan went on 28 December for lunch and a walk around the sights.

Joan in Eurostar business class on return trip. Cold meal choice of quiche or salmon. Wine in airline sized bottles, a VdP Merlot, but lounge in Paris has self-pour Champagne

Xmas Wines

Picture of some of the planned wines, full list actually opened is

27 Dec 2016   
    2014 Kanonkop Pinotage Estate
    2004 Kanonkop Pinotage Estate

Boxing Day lunch with Dan, Toby & Emma
    N.V. Zonin Prosecco Brut
    N.V. Zonin Prosecco Brut

Boxing Day dinner with Dan, Toby & Emma, Brionnie & Mick and James, Jess, Josie Mae
    N.V. Andre Carpentier Champagne Brut
    N.V. Andre Carpentier Champagne Brut
    2015 Les Producteurs Réunis Vin de France Baron de Baussac Vieilles Vignes
    2015 Les Producteurs Réunis Vin de France Baron de Baussac Vieilles Vignes
    2013 Beyerskloof Pinotage Reserve Selection
    2013 Beyerskloof Pinotage Reserve Selection
    2015 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora

Christmas Day 
    N.V. Lanson Champagne Brut Black Label
    2007 Napier Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Peter F May
    2015 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora

Christmas Eve
    N.V. Francis Boulard Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Grande Montagne 
    2014 Kanonkop Pinotage Estate 
    2014 Kanonkop Pinotage Estate
    N.V. Blind Spot Muscat Rutherglen Muscat  

Pantomime with Brionie & family, Toby Emma & Dan

Boxing Day, Monday 26 December 2016

Thanks to M25 incident Brionnie, Mick, James, Jess and Josie-Mae missed lunch but just managed to get to Alban Arena for start of pantomime,

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, starring RITA SIMONS (EastEnders),  Dame, BOB GOLDING, Alban Arena favourite, IAN KIRKBY and a top-quality cast.

Toby and Emma on way to show

Toby, Josie-Mae, Jess and Brionnie

Josie-May and Jess

James

Mick

Tuscan Tasting at The Wine Society

15 December 2016.


To The Wine Society in Stevenage with St Albans U3A Wine Tasting Group 1 to learn about Tuscan wines. The Tuscany Workshop was presented by Sebastian Payne MW.

(L to R) Gill, Anthony, Peter, Richard, Mary

 

Sebastian Payne MW

This was the most expensive of the ten wines, the cult 'Super Tuscan' Sassicaia. The 2005 vintage currently retails at £210 a bottle.

We finished with this sweet dessert wine, served from half bottles (£32 half) accompanied by mince pies. 

From 18:30 they were very generously pouring an aperitif Prosecco. No price info was given but checking TWS website afterwards it’s listed at £17 a bottle.

Upstairs each setting had 8 wine glasses with a good measure, I estimate an eighth of a bottle pour. A 9^th glass would be filled with the final wine, a dessert served with mince pies.

4 of the 9 tasting wines were marked as ‘for tasting only’ and no price was shown. Afterwards I checked winesearcher.com and show the prices below.

The 9 wines tasted were

1) Meriggio Fontodi 2014 £17

This was a Sauvignon blanc shown as ‘for tasting only’ but its on the TWS website at £17

OK savvie, Sebastian said little about it except that he felt it was too expensive to compete in a crowded SB market

2) Chianti Rufina, Frascole 2013 £10.95

80/20  Sangiovese/Canaiaolo

Soft, light but theres a good tannin grip on the finish

3) Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Tre Rose, Santa Caterina 2013 £13.30

70% Sangiovese. Beautifully perfumed, soft fruits dry tannins on finish. My second favourite of the night. I will buy this one and try it with food.

4) Cepparello Isole e Olena 2010 Magnums (£99.50 magnum

100% Sangiovese, aged in wood. Could be labelled as Chianti Classico but they don’t as they’ve been making it since before Classico rules changed in 2000 to allow 100% Sangiovese.

My favourite, beautiful balanced wine, lovely fruit/tannin.

5) Colledila Chianti Classico Gran Selzione, Brolia)  2011 £34

Another 100% Sangiovese, but not for me. Had a dusty smoky nose and a sour finish, but others on the table really liked it.

6) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Gianni Brunelli 2010 £55

Ripe sweet fruit, delicious. Equal 2^nd favourite

7) Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido Bolghere 2005 ‘for tasting only’

Well, what a surprise! Introduced without a fuss, no indication given of its cult status or price. The Super-Tuscan!

Good vintage, picked early before grapes raisined, Cabernet Sauvignon 90% Cabernet Franc 10% 13.5% abv.

It was a lot less expressive than the previous Sangiovese, it was dry, taut with sweet fruit and finesse. Winesearcher lists this at £210

8) Flaccianello della Pieve,  Fontodi 2004 Magnums ‘for tasting only’

Enjoyable with good fruit structure.

Winesearcher lists this by the bottle at £82.50

9)   Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Fontodi 2005 half bottle ‘for tasting only’

Dark colour, treacle sweet, gorgeous, mmm, another mince pie please.

Winesearcher lists this at £32 a half

So some expensive wines, presented by a MW. It was a good evening, and good value. Total cost of flight (Halving magnum/doubling half) is around about £554

 

Probus Christmas Lunch

8 December 2016 - Probus Christmas lunch at Verulam Golf Club

Road Restored

On 1 December our road re-opened, 14 months to the day since 1 October 2015 when the huge sinkhole blocked entrance to our road.

However two houses are still inaccessible and a third unocuppied, their families living in rented accommodation for the past 14 months