Magnum Memorial Dinner

[Red Bigot]

Magnum Memorial Dinner

Last year at the age of 55 Chess ended his life the way he lived it, on his own terms, after drinking most of the really good wines in his cellar, he still left far more than I hope to when my turn comes.

This dinner (at Sage) was a memorial for Chess, with the wines being a selection of magnums from his remaining cellar.

Tyrrells Chardonnay 1986 Still fresh, with lively fruit, clean acid, just not very complex.

Kaiser Stuhl Barossa Cabernet 1971 Some of you may remember the KS Red Ribbon Shiraz as a staple buy before the label got demoted to mostly cask wine. I don't remember buying much of the cabernet and there was some concern as to whether this wine would have lasted the distance. All concerns disappered as quickly as the initial bottle stink blew off, the lovely soft mellow wine with once berry-spectrum fruit still in abundance, mature and seamless integration, but holding with only a little fading in the glass after 45 minutes. A tribute to the wine-maker of that era and Chess's cellaring conditions.

Balgownie Cabernet 1979 Curious wine, very dumb nose, never really opened up un the glass, yet the palate showed some moderately intense fruit still there, but fairly firm tannins a distraction, a little hard and angular.

Brokenwood Hunter/Coonawarra Cab-Shiraz 1978 A fair bit of bottle-stink took a while to breathe off, never entirely gone, leaving a quite rich palate, an easy-drinking wine of no great pretention, but unbowed by 26 years under cork.

Tyrrells Hunter Cabernet Sauvignon Vat 70 1980 Don't remember that much of this one, sound and not over the hill, earthy in a pleasant way,

Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet 1992 A fairly leafy vintage of JR, too lean and leafy for some people, blossomed in the glass though and went well with food, classiest wine of the night, but not necessarily the best to drink on the night, the Kaiser Stuhl took that spot for me.

Things went a bit downhill from here...
Rymill Coonawarra cabernet 1995 I can see why this one was left behind, difficult vintage, the wine is hard and angular, fruit a little subdued beneath hard edges, not sure it will ever come good.

Browns of Padthaway T-Trellis Shiraz 1995 Sweet plummy fruit, overripe and very simple, pass.

Kaiser Stuhl Vintage Port 1973 Good colour, still fresh and quite sweet, easy drinking, a little thin on the palate, lacking the class of the Hardy's / Ch Reynella of the same era.

All in all, not a bad result from the leftovers in the cellar, none of the older reds faded at all, thanks Chess.

[markg]

Nice notes Brian, interesting to see the Kaiser Stuhl performing so well.