Distance

Our special and notable visitor, who we see every quarter or so was in town again to do some work. Also in town was the tall Waiheke man, expounding his wares and the Island's. Down here, in Welly, it's quite some distance to that popular spot in the Hauraki Gulf, and the wines from there just don't get the exposure or the continued promotional push. But the tall Waiheke man overcame distance and re-ignited the flame for these northerly wines in many of the wine lovers down here.
So a dinner out at our favourite pan-Mediterranean eating house was in order. A drop of the ever-improving Bollinger 'Special Cuvee' was madatory before heading out. Fresher, more subtle than in the past, whilst retaining the complexity that the house is known for. At the restaurant, a lovely introductory 2007 Neudorf Moutere Riesling, Germanic in style and delicious, the sugar noticeable, but not intrusive. And a taste of a yet-to-be released 2007 Obsidian 'Weeping Sands' Syrah, lovely and spicy, with a touch too much oak toastiness showing at this early stage.
But the feature was a comparison of 1983 Ch. Haut-Brion and 1983 Ch. La Mission-Haut-Brion from the outskirts of Bordeaux city. Neighbours and rivals at the time, and the distance between the properties negligible. Yet in taste and style terms, the distance was a gulf (not a Hauraki Gulf!). The HB started out piercingly resiny-woody and linear with lightness and leanness. The LMHB full with lovely ripe Cabernet. It looked good. Then through the night, the ethereal nature and harmony, plus subtle nuances came out with the HB. It had 'line and length', and was indeed beautiful. However, our special visitor put a case forward for LMHB with its richness and size. Volume was a feature. Both had the Graves 'bricky' note, but it didn't dominate. Pleasingly, neither wine showed the dreaded brett that seemed to be pervading the clarets at the time.
We had a pleasant night with an old friend and a new one, both who live some distance away. But with friends, distance doesn't matter.