Saturday Skeels BBQ

Tasted Saturday, November 16, 2013 by JulianSkeels with 705 views

Introduction

Regular Saturday dinner party at the Skeels house, this week with a selection of journalists (6 guests in total)

Flight 1 - Aperitif with parmesan and 18 month daniele parma ham (2 Notes)

  • NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siecle 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    Very acidic and crisp. A fine aperitif, but not very complex. Bottle was cellared for a few years before opening, but I don't know details. Sour green apples at best. Everyone far preferred the aged Krug NV. Me too. 92-93pts

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  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    Stunning, yet again. Made sure the bottle was at my end of the table, but this was still the favourite champagne for everyone! From one of my June 2007 release regular bottles. Fairly dark, with vibrant bubbles which are so fine it is unreal. With air the wine becomes even richer with strong almond and biscuit/toast. A compelling champagne.

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Flight 2 - Starter with salmon and prawn cerviche with chilli and orange (2 Notes)

  • 1981 Nicolas Potel Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

    I described this to guests as "fresh butter in your mouth" and this was a perfect description. Slox-oxed 7hrs, and served just below room temperature. One of the most popular wines of the night. Deep yellow with mouth coating wax feel, and butter. Some almond aromatics, but this is all about mouth feel and length of rich finish. Glorious, and the best bottle yet.

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  • 2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Very consistent, my ~6th bottle of this wine in the last month. Very smooth with rich old-vine taste, some wood aroma with lemon curd, wax and honey. I've enjoyed this with sushi and it was an excellent match for cerviche here. Very popular. Popped and poured chilled.

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Flight 3 - Skeels whole beef tenderloin (2 day dry rub of basil, sage, garlic, salt/pepper and parsley - carved rare), 2 pink pork tenderloins (marinaded 1-day in sun dried tomatoes and chilli) and lamb tenderloins (peri peri marinade) (5 Notes)

Served with tonnes of seasoned Australian asparagus. Not wood-smoked (BBQ now in UK), but still excellent and universally recognised as the best steak in Hong Kong.

  • 2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 96 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Spent a bit of time to properly evaluate this wine... and I like it! Slow oxed 7hrs, double-decanted and cooled-down. One of the most popular wines with the steaks. A ball of fruit, with gorgeous mixed herbs and white pepper long finish. Compared with my last bottles, this had much more concentrated fruit, and no prominent alcohol. This cost me the same price as the 2010... and is clearly the better wine to drink now. Recommended.

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  • 1999 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Renardes 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Very satisfying albeit fairly simple. A big ball of rich fruit. Dense, dark and wonderful with the various meats. 7hr slow-ox and double decant was perfect. Slight taste of blood, a rustic Grand Cru with big fruit frame. Little aromatics, but a whole lot of fun. No hurry to drink.

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  • 1997 Château Pavie Decesse 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

    My initial warning to guest was to expect a wine that had fallen apart. Was true initially, but this significantly improved with air so i've re-rated. Not a patch on the 97 Pavie Macquin though for me. 7hr slow ox, a glorious floral and blueberry aroma, with cocoa in the mouth leading to an initially nice mouth feel with finishes very suddenly. Where did the taste go? Improves a bit, but I sense this could have been so much better. Shame.

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  • 1997 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards 94 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Described as a mango/ fruit salad and this delivered. Initial olive oil nose, the wine held up very well considering the 7hr slow-ox. Lovely rich mouth feel, with a dash of acidity, but this is all about the fruit-salad... all guests were shocked how accurate the description was!

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  • 1985 Château Talbot 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

    St Julien 85s are my Saturday night party pieces, and this wine delivered - yet again. Everyone's favourite red wine of the night, and the cheapest wine served. A wonderful St Julien 1985, cedar and graphite explosive nose and typically thin, but very rich (think butter) and long finish. Decanted for 90 minutes, the wine held up well for a few hours without signs of fading. People that say this is fading or past it as just wrong - sorry!

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Flight 4 - Served with fresh chocolate mousse, 4 types of Pralus chocolate (Venezuela, Madagascar, Ghana and Columbia) and 4-year aged Comte (3 Notes)

  • 1975 Graham Porto Vintage 92 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Very popular, but not a great vintage port imho. After 30mins in decanter the wine is a dark tawny port colour. Love the wonderful toffee and butterscotch nose. Perfectly integrated with a buttery finish leading to only slight heat. With further air the nose becomes orange peel, raisin, cake - it's Christmas pudding with coffee cream! Really enjoyable, but drink in the next 5yrs.

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  • NV Berry Bros. & Rudd Porto "William Pickering", 20 Year Old Tawny 90 Points

    Portugal, Douro, Porto

    Sebastian Melmoth has provided a great description. In summary, this is a convenient cheese and/or chocolate port to store in the fridge and drink now. Some chocolate, prunes, cinnamon, but the Alcohol is a bit too prominent. Good stuff, but pretty basic at the same time. Nice in small doses. Outclassed by the 75 Grahams (which for me is a tawny port killer!)

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  • 2001 Château de Malle 85 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    The only wine of the evening avoided by everyone after a glass. Popped and poured. Consistently disappointing, despite loving sauternes I really can't recommend this - there are just so many better alternatives! Quite dark already, good initial pineapple and apricot taste, but then little complexity, breadth or finish. Boring, with little finish.

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Flight 5 - Served with aged Oolong aged tea, home-made vanilla fudge and Pierre Herme macaroons (1 Note)

  • 1995 Glenrothes Select Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% 95 Points

    United Kingdom, Scotland, Speyside

    I'm a Glenrothes junkie. This is no 88, and maybe the 98 has more convenience, but the 95 is so user friendly and great value - my favourite current value-whiskey! Lots of butterscotch and a dash of nutmeg, this was a smooth, light and aromatic wonder which needed very little water for anyone at the table. Universally liked.

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Closing

6-7 hours of great fun, fantastic good and wine. Life is good.

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