Sweet and sour Porc

Perhaps it was the memory of the great Doisy Daene Porco had the previous week but he has been on a bit of a sweet wine campaign in the last few days – starting with some Klein Constantia from South Africa (both the 2000 Late Harvest Noble Savignon Blanc and the 1990 Vin de Constance were quite impressive although Porco probably preferred the former to the latter). Yesterday, a bottle of cheap Brown Brothers Moscato 2005 was opened in the spirit of adventurous experimentation. It wasn’t very good – so Porco went out and got some Two Hands Brilliant Disguise 2006 to see if it was the year, the terrior, the country or just the winery. Watch this space.

Last Saturday night was also South African tasting night in general – too many sub-par wines in a tasting. Too much oak especially in the whites and most of the reds although the Thelema reds showed quite well.

Yesterday, Porco went out and bought half a dozen bottles of Domaine Edmond Cornu Burgundy whites – shame they only had the cheap stuff which made Porco a little sour.    

Masala tea

Porco never ceases to be amazed that there is at least one person a day out there in the blogosphere who visits this site in search of a recipe for Indian tea with spices and by the way, it is spelled masala not marsala as originally printed. Pig mistake.

Les Palais des Grands Crus 2007

Another year, another million dollars. There was no reasonable way to taste more than 100 wines and enjoy them – no, not even poor Porco could manage that so he made a few rules to drink by early on in the evening. No Champagne, nothing from the 70’s, none of the 2000 Bordeaux (mostly questionable chateaux) and no Domaine de Chevalier.

The white Burgundies were good but not spectacular, quality was consistent across the flight but predictable - with the Bouchard Montrachet 2001 being the pick of the bunch. The reds were far more interesting – showing different styles of winemaking and weather variations. As with last year, DRC was patchy with the Romanee St. Vivant 2001 coming across closed, thick and wooden and the La Tache 1988 from a methusalem was slightly soured but the Echezeaux 2000 was exotic – slightly wild and slightly spicy. In contrast, the Louis Jadot Echezeaux 2000 was thinner, more alcoholic and more typical of the style of winemaking. Best of the Echezeaux was the 2003 from Domaine des Perdrix – warm, open and highly characteristic of that hot summer in France but without any hint of burnt grapes. Dubious longevity, though.

On to the Wines of the World section. The Opus One 2002 continues to disappoint, coming across hard and leathery, as did the Dominus 2001 which was dry and tannic even though it had a decent finish. The pick of the Napa wines was a surprise (after our disappointing trip to the winery last summer) – the 2002 Joseph Phelps Backus was classic Napa, a little soft and even a little flabby but huge fruity sweetness and alcohol. Only the finish was a touch short. The Italians, a Tignanello 2001 and an Orneillaia 2001, both disappointed as did the Vega Sicilia Unico 1995 (both bottles) which was dense and tannic, requiring at least another ten years in the cellar.

The Bordeaux Lefties were the biggest disappointments of the evening, containing the undisputed dog of the tasting, the Chateau Margaux 1993. Porco has $38 reds which drink far better. The imperial of the Haut Brion 1995 also disappointed – probably storage issues contributing to a great wine of structure and balance starting to fade. The Right Bank did far better. The Cheval Blanc 1986 was young, vibrant with notes of smoke and new mown hay – the 78 on the other hand, was ageing gracefully into floral magnificence, a wine that was only holding on gently to memories of the tannins it once contained. The one for the future though was the Ausone 1989 – creamy vanilla decked out in silky smoothness. It was outstanding.

Moving to the verticals. The Mouton Rothchilds disappointed – both the 1989 and the 1996 were both slightly woody and green but should have enough acidity to give some hope that time will improve them. Likewise the Cos D’Estounels were not impressive – the 1966 had nothing left in it,  the 1988 was also flat and the 1989 tasted like cough syrup. Top of the verticals was the Chateau Angelus (with added glamour as it was hosted by Coralie de Bouard herself). The 1970 showed an older style of winemaking with a lot more of the terrior and the 1983 was drinking well for a year that should have been less impressive. The 2001 was already nearly ready, a product of garagiste philosophy and with the extraction to show for it – nevertheless, it was well made (with a touch of flabbiness) and while it will not last forever or even 50 years, it should drink well for at least 20 years from 2010. The star though was the 1990 – rich, succulent, still settling and rounding out with more structure than recent offerings which should see off the youngsters as well.

There were a couple of random isolated and opportunistic sips here and there – none worth writing about except the Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 which was aged, smooth and creamy in a most un-Rhone like manner. It could have been a Merlot and it would have been hard to tell.

Finishing off the evening, a trio of Sauternes. The Y’quem 1999 lacked the characteristic citrus notes which usually stands the Y’quem out from the rest of the sweeties and a little age on the Rieussec 1979 did a world of good for it but neither stood up to the inestimable Doisy Daene 1924 which was not only the oldest wine tasted but possibly the best – second cru notwithstanding.

Age before beauty.   

History Pig

In the spirit of historical education, Porco was in the National Museum last weekend with a too trendy gadget around his neck. It was called a museum companion but it was really an oversized iPod. Listening to David Marshall’s 1955 election victory speech, Porco was struck by the great man’s repeated offers of thanks to the electorate for electing him and his party to be their servants. On another occasion, he referred to himself as the thamby’s thamby (thamby being a Tamil word for younger brother but then used in a colonial context to address servants or junior members of staff).

Sure, the word minister derives from the Latin ministro which means to serve but to be real, there is precious little service in the political sphere anywhere on the planet but be that as it may, it is useful and timely to remind ourselves of that politics is about public service first and foremost (and not just primus inter pares).

Back to history, Porco has also commented elsewhere on what happens when a society decides what its people should devote their lives and careers to but gets it wrong. Here it is also useful and timely to remind ourselves of Bury’s thoughts (in contradiction to Gibbon’s theory of moral decay) as to why the Roman Empire fell:

“The Empire had come to depend on the enrollment of barbarians, in large numbers, in the army, and that it was necessary to render the service attractive to them by the prospect of power and wealth. This was, of course, a consequence of the decline in military spirit, and of depopulation, in the old civilised Mediterranean countries.”

Pick out the key words – foreigners, necessary, service, attractive, wealth. Sounds familar? Two thousand years – plus ca change etc. Then think again on the words decline, spirit and depopulation.  Somtimes Porco thinks we would be much better off if we gave our children the benefit of a classical education but Porco also thinks there are two lessons that history teaches us – that history repeats itself and that we destined never to learn the lessons of history. 

Things Porco misses about England (1)

• Mushy peas at Petergate Fisheries, York. Now closed.
• Rococo chocolates, London – map.
• The view of the lake from Castle Howard – link.
• Royal Native Oyster Stores – link.
• Napping on top of Primrose Hill – link.
• The beach at Aldeburgh – link.
• Outlet mall shopping at Bicester – link. 
• Sausages from Lidgate Butchers – map.
• Three Horseshoes pub, Madingley – link.
• Albert Bridge – link.

Seven Days

It’s been a mixed bag of bottles the last week or so. Working backwards, dinner last night was a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Special Reserve Merlot 1999 (WS86). Slightly sweet and flabby but pleasing in a typical Napa fashion – good for the price. Porco’s only regret was that he chose this slightly more expensive wine over the cheaper Simi offering (WS93) which may have turned out better.  Saturday night was good – Mrs P and P had a bottle of Domaine Cornu Ledoix 2003 which was just starting to achieve its potential and with its acidity, probably has a few good years to go. Saturday lunch – a bottle of Stag’s Leap Petite Syrah 2000 which was soft and supple but straight and big on fruit and alcohol. Little known, good price, not too hard to find.

Friday night’s wine was nothing to shout about except the bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rich Reserve 1998 we brought (a vintage prestige cuvee which I have never heard of) was much better than I thought it would be and perhaps should not have brought it along.  Hmmm.

Wednesday’s bottle was some unremarkable Australian Chardonnay called Tempus Two which for the price compares really poorly against the cheapo Villa Maria entry level Sauvignon Blanc which we had last Monday. In between, we had a strange but wholesome red blend – a Laughing Magpie 2004 from Hawkes Bay. Drinks like a wine that is unable to decide whether it is Old World or New. Clue is to look for the tag – Gimlett Gravels.

Going back a little to the weekend before last, the pick was certainly the trio of Burgundy whites from Louis Lequin – the 1997 Batard Montrachet and the 1999 and 2000 of the Chassagne Montrachet. Creamy, fragrant and smooth – but not cheap. 

Porc luck

So last weekend was a bit of a kitchen disaster – Saturday lunch was jellied eggplant, ravioli filled with prawn and watercress, braised mustard stems in chicken broth, consomme flavoured with Earl Grey tea and beef brisket with roasted sweet potato mash. Everything was fine except Porco failed to notice the olive oil had gone off. Bugger. 

Political Capital

Porco thinks “Singapore for Singaporeans” is an idea whose time has arrived – when all is said and done about foreign talent, the real question is – what’s left in it for us now? And don’t say “ask not what your country can do for you” because that is the ministers (and not the civil service, by the way) are asking.

Pots and pans

Porco had a biggish evening last Saturday – averaging a bottle a person but the one that stood out was the 2004 Cab Sauv from Hestan – yes, the same people who make your Meyer cookware. Like the pots and pans, not the best you can get but not most expensive either.