Wine-Pages Offline - London
Vinoteca, Soho
Tasted Friday, November 14, 2014 by graemeg with 455 views
Introduction
The last time I was in London for over 24 hours, there was no such thing as an internet to put to use arranging offlines. A near-week-long business trip gave me just one possible evening to fit in a social event, and forumites – at the generous instigation of Nayan, who ran the admin – stepped up in the most hospitable way possible, all bringing a ‘themeless’ bottle to Vinoteca in Soho. Even as late as 2014, we forget how bizarre the idea of an “off-line” dinner is to ‘normal’ (ie. wine-handicapped) people; my two colleagues on the trip were positively incredulous when I explained my planned Friday night activity to them. Nup, never been to the restaurant, never met the people, and I’ll be totally unarmed!
Generously sharing their wines and time with me were Nayan & Anne, Phil & Sonia, David P, Max and Nick A. Thanks for a terrific night folks. Sheer force of habit has resulted in these sketchy notes, offered with as little authority as I would think of claiming…
Flight 1 - Fizz & Whites (3 Notes)
Flight 2 - Reds & Sweet (7 Notes)
Attempting to arrange the entirely random and rather disparate collection of reds into a logical sequence of weight meant we broached my Aussie effort next, with the remaining wines following in what we presumed were a parade of generally increasing size.
Closing
What a great night it was; and I am sorry I didn’t get to move around the table a bit more to chat. The magic of the internet. I must say, I wasn’t in the least surprised to find Wine-Page-ers so generous and convivial; the internet might be full of weird personalities but the fraternal nature of wine-lovers the world over really is a force for good. By sheer co-incidence I ran into my work colleagues (who re-scheduled flights) in the BA lounge in Changi 36 hours later; all they wanted to know about was the dinner with the people I’d never met before! ‘You had to be there’ was all I could say. Thanks to all!
2010 Juvé y Camps Cava Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia Gran Reserva
Spain, Cava
{cork} (Nayan & Ann) From Vinotec’s list; I thought it surprisingly cheesily advanced for champagne; since it turned out to be Cava this was less of a surprise; the apple-ish qualities to the palate should have been the giveaway. Medium acidity, bubbles quite active but obvious. White fruit and brown apples. Fairly decent effort; but not for the cellar.
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2004 Chambers Rosewood Gouais
Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen
{screwcap, 11.4%} Served (blind) a little warmer than I would have liked; but perhaps this emphasized the fairly mild grassy/straw flavours and aromas. There’s a suggestion of developed toastiness that hints at oak, but often misleadingly. This was similar for me to last January’s winery tasting; it’s pleasant enough; with balanced acidity, and gentle hay & toast flavours; it has a light/medium-bodied weight, with a finish that just manages medium length, although it’s not a terribly absorbing drink. The main interest here is the historic connection, Gouais being a grape verging on extinction, despite being credited with chardonnay’s parentage. Nayan had even tasted a previous incantation of this label; at least it was new to everyone else!
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1996 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
{cork, 13.5%} (Phil & Sonia) Aged, wax and lanolin flavours, not without an oxidative character, but enticing none-the-less. Medium/full-bodied, with softening acidity, yes, but this is gloriously at peak; near-20 year-old Roussanne might be something of an acquired taste, but this coats the palate so evenly and with such majestic presence that surely even those unsympathetic to its character could appreciate it. Wonderful; but drink now obviously, unless you’re determined to gamble further with cork!
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