Homage to the Masters

It is indeed a treat to have The Master visit. His easy, breezy attitude is a joy to see and he knows so much that his experiences are great stories. We pull out the stops to have a good time and it all adds to the occasion. The last two nights have meant going out to dine at our favourite eateries. Firstly to the best in town, a Temple of Gastronomy. On first impression, it looks expensive, but at the end, the quality delivered makes it worth more. Great finesse and feel in the food is the result of the best produce and skilled hands in the kitchen. Then to our local Ethnic Magic. Tasty, decent food, just delivered with friendliness. These two places are Masters at what they do.

Of course the wines had over the two nights have been fun too. In an order of style and place, I list them here: An NV Mumm 'Cordon Rouge' Champagne, soft, full and gentle, maybe bottle-aged, but drinking well on a plateau. Delicate autolysis and subtle complexities came through well. Great on its own. It was given to the cause by The Chairman, so we called him up and toasted him! The Master provided a 2004 Bell Hill Chardonnay from Canterbury. Also approaching a plateau with savoury and secondary nutty, mealy complexities, but still fresh and citrussy. No hurry, and a great match with warm, moist, smoked eel.

Reds at the ends of the spectrum all delighted us. Very restrained and burgundian was a 2008 Villa Maria 'SV -Southern Clays' Marlborough Pinot Noir. Soft red fruits, understated, but building in intensity, showing how seriously structured it was, with breathing. And what a treat to compare the 1982 and 1983 Chx Margaux pair. The 1982 full, rounded, rich and with massive structure. Quite accessible, but this got funkier with brett, bottle age interest and possibly TCA? Not quite pristine, but impressive nevertheless. A typical 1982. The 1983 was darker, more narrowed, tighter, fresher, with lifted dark fruits and scented berry characters. This seemed a little over-firm, but developed finesse and style. Not as rich as the 1982, but sleeker and livelier. Most of the votes went towards the 1982 first, but changed with time! The Dog Men were in town and they passed a glass of 2005 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Wow, perfumes, very fine, subtle raspberries, warmth, and a tannin mouthfeel to die-for.

And a too-young 2006 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese. Softer than the acid-based Mosels we've been used to seeing lately. But just as pristine, and softly rich. A decadence waiting to happen. It must have been immaculately conceived as it was so clean. These 06s aren't the greatest, but in the hand of a Master, they can be pretty damn smart.

It was indeed a couple of days of paying dues to the best. Homage to the Masters.