Endings

It was a time to reflect on the past, and think about endings. Such topics arise in all situations. After a function where we tasted the wines made by The Dice Man, it was appropriate to end the night with a meal, accompanied by some good drinks. So off we went to the local ethnic eatery, bottles in hand.

It was lovely to compare two German wines, Riesling Spatlesen no less. A 2007 Loosen Erdener Treppchen was pure and fine with exciting acidity, and that hint of exoticism that this site injects into its wines. Match to a heavier, denser, more compact, but bigger 2006 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke. To me the Loosen won out - partly the vintage as a factor. A red is mandatory, drier and textured for food purposes, of course! Here The Enduring One brought along a 2006 Clos Salomon Givry 1er Cru. Lightish, softening, and savoury, all in a nice way. But that was it. However, his 2004 Conterno-Fantino Barolo 'Vigna del Gris' was quite spectacular. Very ripe dark fruits, almost chocolate and liquorice, with tannins and acid to die for. Great finesse, in an obvious way.

The meal finished, and we really didn't want it to end, so we all headed off home. The Library Man and the Brazillette hadn't been our way before, so it was novel for them too. In honor of all the Burgundy lovers present, SWMBO thought it was good to bring out the twin=set from Domaine Bertagna. A rare 2007 Bertagna Vougeot Blanc 1er ' Les Cras'. Faintly reductive and tainted by TCA, but rather four-square without the deft and delicate nuance that makes real southern white burgundy special. But 'it is what it is' and was accepted. Slightly better received was the 2006 Bertagna Vougeot 1er 'Clos de la Perriere', quite modern, dark berry fruited and all good, but unexciting and without soul in the final analysis.

In honour of The Library Man, who has a liking for Ch. Montrose, we brought out a 1980 Ch. Montrose St Estephe. Darkish, almost ripe, clean from horses, a little green and acid, but actually enjoyable and a revelation for a poor vintage. The Library Man was enamoured. So the 1979 Ch. Montrose St Estephe was to be a step up for him. But no, he kept on liking the 1980. Everybody else preferred the 1979, bigger, denser, sweeter, livelier and with a future still. And no brettanomyces! The Enduring Man was taken.

This should have been the end, but we thought we'd better do it properly. So out came a 1986 Penfolds Grange. A great year. Still youthful, and very Aussie, but not sickly so. Instead, refined massiveness, and just the beginnings of secondary complexities. Softened tannins, but still substantial with grip. Most thought it a decade younger. The Brazillette had only tried one Grange before....

It all settled down to a quiet time with The Dice Man, SWMBO and me. The End, it had to be. So a nice wee half bottle of 2004 Ch. Suduiraut Sauternes. Liquified hokey-pokey, but with the Semillon lanolin undercurrent, and lush fine, clean mouthfeel. Decadent, yet pure. Technocrats would say too much VA. Too much oak. But no, it was perfect to sip. To the end.