Now. I think Craig is due to be pounding the pavements, ruining the knees this weekend. Once over, He maybe due for a
drink or two. Time to think about the Rare and Cult Wines offline before Xmas? Seem to recall offers of Paritua 2112, BFV
Redd Gravels, Bell Hill Pinot............ or am I just over excited?
Training going well again thank god after a few weeks of struggles. Just about to clock over 1000 miles running for the year and knock off the Auckland Half Marathon on Sunday. Weather forecast looks good. Then will cash in my extra fitness hiking the big peaks of the north island this summer with my now very fit family, and of course some good wines with the big 4 0 next feb!
Id be tentatively keen for a cult wine "tasting" this year, being aware it is a busy time of year. If we could make it work i'd be keen although i am already booked quite a few dates YTG. It could turn out to be a cat herding exercise. If not we could look at the holiday season where everyone is lazing about relaxing. It would also be kind of nice if Peter was keen that we do all we can to fit it in with a time he is in Auckland...where is Peter? Are you around mate? I know Curt is keen too.
My thoughts are....lets make every wine a "wow" top shelf effort - ie genuinely wines that we would very rarely have any opportunity of ever tasting outside a forum like this?
Wines that are in:
Wines that get the heart racing, the smiles appearing at the mere sound of their name.
Wines that make use druel at the very thought.
Wines that if we were richer or more reckless we would buy more than the handful we can afford.
Wines that perhaps only sit in the cellars of one or two of us.
Wines we usually only pull out on very special occassions
Top vintages of the great classics and yes exclusive wank wank cults that we would all love to try but are too cool to admit (we all give in to curiousity and hype occassionally)
Wines that are out
No wines that in any way could be seen as even a shade below the definitions above
No lesser vintages
No "who cares" wineries or labels
Imagine the only wineries allowed to exist in the world were your top (i dunno) 25-50 wineries, then if the wine you are thinking of bringing now does not exist in that dream then forget it.
Nothing that too many of us have already tried
Nothing bought from the wine society $120 selection
Nothing that anyone will just skip over when reading our tasting notes after the event
I would envisage that these wines would be worth <>$100 a bottle or more, though there could be exceptions
ie. make a true hard dent in the cellar and pull out one of those really special wines that you know you want to drink alone, and share with nobody, and make the sacrifice. If we all do that, the experience will well outweigh the "loss" of such a wine.
So perhaps I could offer somethong like 2006 Bell Hill Pinot Noir and I can neither confirm or deny that Mel could come with a bottle Puriri Hills Pope (and it wont be labelled with the 2005 vintage either).
Format
One bottle = one entry. Wine organised and listed beforehand so we know exactly who/ what is coming.
8-10(max) would be ideal?
No white coats and spitoons. Farked if im gonna watch people spit these sorta quality wines! Top wine as top wine was designed to be enjoyed, with good food and friends.
Whether it is at a byo as last time or someones house where everyone brings a plate of wine friendly food? I am open for discussion here too. Something to explore
I just think what I have proved over the years is that the tastings organsised that are well themed and involve genuinely special wines are the ones that live with you as wine experiences forever. Tastings that are an uncordinated mish mash of all and sundry i have less enthusiam for. I can go to work drinks for that
So the great SRL tasting clocked up nearly 200 posts from memory before it was organised. I am sure we can do that justice with this thread? So discussions to be had, just laying out my ideas and not to say all my ideas are bang on gospel. Id also be happy if after all discussion and consensus that someone else took final responsibility to lay down the law as to where/ what/ when/ how, otherwise it begins to become like a MMP parliment and nothing is ever achieved
