Good Jobs

It had been a while since we all got together. We had a date lined up, but it got shaken to pieces with events down south. The news was that the blokies had all gotten jobs, good ones too, and were gainfully employed. No longer did The Eventress need to support The New Man, nor did the Bassinet Babe need to look after Brucie, and SWMBO with me! Celebrations all round!

So we kicked off with a fabulous NV Nautilus Cuvee Marlborough Methode. Lot 602 is the Champagne Bollinger look-alike, and it did a great job at opening the proceedings. Search for it, if you can. It's worth it. Then two older Rieslings. A 2005 Craggy Range Te Muna Riesling, rare as hen's teeth, was showing lovely toasty notes, just marred by a hint of reduction. But soft, North Island broad, and beautifully harmonious on palate. Perfect hint of sweetness. Wonder why they haven't kept this label going? This was paired with a 1999 Felton Road Dr Riesling. 11.0% alc. Much more linear, like going down a railway track. Great toasty notes with pronounced acidity, and lush creaming soda and custardy textures as in Mosel with age. I would have liked a whisker more sugar.

Heavy duty whites followed. They always do a good job with food. A 2001 Lowe Family Hunter Valley Semillon was full and waxy-toasty on nose. A portent of what might be on the palate? But alas no, there was nothing home except a nice rounded mouthfeel and vinous weight. Will check out the other bottle soon. The shining star, possibly of the night, was the 2006 Sacred Hill 'Riflemans' Chardonnay. It grew in the glass and showed its class with great complex mealy smoky richness. Wow, blam, pow! A thumpingly great guns wine.

As the antipasto platters dwindled, and the venison meatballs came out, we moved to two new-release Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noirs. Now Tim & Judy Finn, with winemaker John have done more than a good job on these 2009s. The 2009 Moutere was tight, backward, and had great weight, depth and power - just waiting to open out. A Richebourg of a wine! Then the 2009 Home Vineyard Moutere. Opulent, decadent, but with sheer class and style. My La Tache of Nelson Pinot Noir. A brilliant pair.

Then the obligatory oldies. Brucie brought along and served blind a 1990 Villa Maria Reserve HB Cab/Merlot. SWMBO figured it out straight away. Except for the year. She thought it 10 years younger, because while it had the secondary earth, dark berry and cedar, it was fresh and lively from the acidity. Very fine-grained, and drinking really well. What a good job the VM team did on those 1990s. At first the critics said 1989 was the better, hotter, riper year. But I reckon the ripening was slower with a better build up for 1990. These have lasted better than the 1989s. With all the talk of old times, out came the 1975 Ch. de Camensac Haut Medoc. I'd been hanging on to this one, not sure of what to expect. These 1975s were fearsomely tannic and hard in their youth. And a lowly fifth growth to boot. The 1975 Ch. Margaux we had recently gave some good hope. And how good was this? Super! Medium weighted, all in good proportion, full maturity, yet fresh and sweet with life ahead. It didn't have all the complex layers, but it wasn't dirty, grubby or spoiled in any way. Fulsome, round and a pleasure. We played 1970s music to celebrate, and SWMBO trotted around on her platform shoes that made her 6 inches taller (that's 15 cm for young folk).

Capping off the night with the baked, spiced apples was a 2001 Rolly Gassmann Alsace Gewurztraminer 'Brandhurst' Vendanges Tardive. Lovely spices, perfumes and hair oil armas, flavours and textures. Drinking beautifully with richness, kept in check by the 12.5% alc. But exotic and a bit of a standout. We sent our guests packing (voluntarily, of course), satisfied with doing a reasonably good job of the night!