The Auswine Forum

JamieBahrain wrote:Jamie + 1 : SKAK white + 2 x HofG 1990, 1992, or 1994

Crusty: 78 Grange maybe white?

MarkW+ 1: Salon 96 + HofG

MarkJ+ 1: 73 Grange vintage Krug

n4sir: 1999 Chateau d'Yquem 750ml

benchmark + 1 : ??

tonsta: ?

jeff: Grange or HofG?

Who's missing? I think those numbers maxed out now?

mjs wrote:Think I was in just after crusty, but I am not absolutely 100% certain starter

Seven was tentatively in after MarkW, subject to a suitable night.

Jamie + 1 : SKAK white + 2 x HofG 1990, 1992, or 1994

Crusty: 78 Grange maybe white?

MarkW+ 1: Salon 96 + HofG

MarkJ+ 1: 73 Grange vintage Krug

n4sir: 1999 Chateau d'Yquem 750ml

benchmark + 1 : ??

tonsta: ?

jeff: Grange or HofG?

mjs: ??


OK places full. Standby's now.

This escalated quickly!

I am afraid I just don't have this level of quality to bring along.

I will give my (and my +1) spot.

Sorry about that.

Have a great night guys.

Pretty sure I don't want to add to the Grange-fest.

I could bring that classic campaigner: Wynns 1991 Centenary

A few different options: Chateau Laville-Haut-Brion 2004 white or Croft 1977 VP

Or for something a little outside the square: all 3 1996 Rockford SVS wines: Hoffman, Flaxman, Moorooroo - for comparison's sake.

-- George Krashos

Is there a definite date?
Can i take benchmarks place?
I have an 82 mouton

George Krashos wrote:Pretty sure I don't want to add to the Grange-fest.

I could bring that classic campaigner: Wynns 1991 Centenary

A few different options: Chateau Laville-Haut-Brion 2004 white or Croft 1977 VP

Or for something a little outside the square: all 3 1996 Rockford SVS wines: Hoffman, Flaxman, Moorooroo - for comparison's sake.

-- George Krashos

Hi George, great to hear from you!

As Jamie outlined in the original post we are looking at seriously expensive top shelf wines for this one, Sell-A-Kidney stuff - Grange, HOG, First Growth & Grand Cru Burgundy, etc.

As good a wine as Wynns Centenary is, for the spirit of this tasting it would be relegated to backup status. If in doubt, please feel free to add to the Grange-fest

Cheers,
Ian

VINH NGUYEN wrote:Is there a definite date?
Can i take benchmarks place?
I have an 82 mouton

Welcome aboard! I am not sure where the list is at now with the latest changes and possible drop outs, but if you are not already on you would be first reserve.

The date and venue at this early stage is still to be determined.

Cheers,
Ian

Benchmark wrote:This escalated quickly!

I am afraid I just don't have this level of quality to bring along.

I will give my (and my +1) spot.

Sorry about that.

Have a great night guys.

Ha ha +1.

I was thinking great my first offline! I'm a bit out of my weight division here.
Sounds amazing guys. Plenty of pics and notes please.

Scotty vino wrote:

Benchmark wrote:This escalated quickly!

I am afraid I just don't have this level of quality to bring along.

I will give my (and my +1) spot.

Sorry about that.

Have a great night guys.

Ha ha +1.

I was thinking great my first offline! I'm a bit out of my weight division here.
Sounds amazing guys. Plenty of pics and notes please.

Don't worry too much guys, I think a few of us are thinking of getting together for something a bit more humble soon as well - it has been way too long since the last offline, we have a bit of catching up to do

John Mack has asked me to add him in. He prefers a school night. I appreciate that he might need to go as a reserve at this stage given the numbers. Gail is very iffy for any school night due to work interstate. I can't do Thursdays but am otherwise flexible.
Thoughts on a venue?

At this level of wine back up bottles can be hard to procure. If anyone has a spare icon wine or two it might be handy to have them along. I would be happy to buy one on the spot if one of my wines is dead. Always a risk with champagne given you can't decant.
I am still embarrassed by a centenary of mine which fell over at a previous event.

What is our max number of people?

VINH NGUYEN wrote:Is there a definite date?
Can i take benchmarks place?
I have an 82 mouton

Hey Vinh, would be great to meet you. Will you be flying over specifically for the dinner ?

Mark Jappe wrote:John Mack has asked me to add him in. He prefers a school night. I appreciate that he might need to go as a reserve at this stage given the numbers. Gail is very iffy for any school night due to work interstate. I can't do Thursdays but am otherwise flexible.
Thoughts on a venue?

Weekend or Friday probably better for me as I would come over from Melb.

Had in mind '96 Block 42, with a 90A as a backup

Mark Jappe wrote:What is our max number of people?

Going by Jamie's previous post I gathered it was going to be a maximum of 12.

Mark Jappe wrote:John Mack has asked me to add him in. He prefers a school night. I appreciate that he might need to go as a reserve at this stage given the numbers. Gail is very iffy for any school night due to work interstate. I can't do Thursdays but am otherwise flexible.
Thoughts on a venue?

I was thinking of giving La Bonne Table a call, the $69 five or $95 nine course degustation look like good options (maybe even tailor something in between) - Nick mentioned last year they had good glassware but a $20/bottle corkage fee, although I heard recently they may be flexible for a group like ours. I think the major issue will be if they will do a deal for a Friday/Saturday night, that could be a headache virtually anywhere outside of Chinatown.

http://www.labonnetable.com.au/function.aspx

Cheers,
Ian

n4sir wrote:Going by Jamie's previous post I gathered it was going to be a maximum of 12.

Even 12 is pushing it too far imo unless we have two of everything

markg wrote:

VINH NGUYEN wrote:Is there a definite date?
Can i take benchmarks place?
I have an 82 mouton

Hey Vinh, would be great to meet you. Will you be flying over specifically for the dinner ?

Yeap hahah
Saw the lineup and knew i had to attend pending date lol

Let's plan for 10 but keep the 12 we have . Assuming a few drop outs we will end up with 10 anyways.

Ok. I have been speaking to Nick, the owner of Chloes.. he can give us a private room and do a degustation menu for us (probably be $100+) and work with us on the corkage fee. Not the cheapest option but we are talking quality wines and Nick runs a quality operation. Anyway.. a restaurant to throw in the mix.

markg wrote:Ok. I have been speaking to Nick, the owner of Chloes.. he can give us a private room and do a degustation menu for us (probably be $100+) and work with us on the corkage fee. Not the cheapest option but we are talking quality wines and Nick runs a quality operation. Anyway.. a restaurant to throw in the mix.

If we can get a private room on a busy Saturday night thrown into the mix, I think that would be worth paying the extra for.

Hi guys. Just picked up on this thread. Looks like it's fully booked however if there are any drop outs I + 1 could be first reserves. I agree a maximum number as a healthy tasting is best. There's a Penfolds Bin 90A that needs to be drunk and something else to be dug out of the cellar - 98 John Riddoch?

Carl

Also I have had a chat with Justin who runs Utopia@waterfall gully, he also has Glanville Hall http://glanvillehall.com.au/ and will do a degustation with the run of the place (I think) but cannot be a weekend.

Depending on menu and number of people degustation and corkage included would be somewhere between 95 and 140 per person depending on how many courses and the food.

Great. There seems to be appropriate venue options.

I'll work with Ian on the list but we are keeping the original 12 but then dropping back to 10 which gives 70ml pours which works well.

We just need to sort a date then. How about you lead us with a list of candidates then Jamie ?

Chuck wrote:Hi guys. Just picked up on this thread. Looks like it's fully booked however if there are any drop outs I + 1 could be first reserves. I agree a maximum number as a healthy tasting is best. There's a Penfolds Bin 90A that needs to be drunk and something else to be dug out of the cellar - 98 John Riddoch?

Carl

Looking at the quality level it's a bit out of our league so we are not reserves. Looks like a fab night so plenty of TN's would be great.

Carl

I picked up a 1999 Mumm Cuvee R Lalou today. A little more interesting than a vintage Krug. I will bring that to go with the 73 Grange if there are no objections. Happy to grab a 2000 Krug from unnamed retailer or a 2002 Bollinger RD instead if people are not keen on the R Lalou.
Any update on a date and venue or thoughts on how to arrange back up bottles ?

Hi everyone,
I've just had dinner tonight at Publisher. Very good evening.
Had a conversation with Peter, the owner. He is quite keen to to have us with a private area, and to put together a menu that would complement Grange, HofG etc. Maybe with a an extra wine or two included.
I can follow up with him in the next 2 days, with more detail and cost, if there is interest.
Based on what I had tonight, the quote would be very competitive.
Cheers
Jeff

jeff wrote:Hi everyone,
I've just had dinner tonight at Publisher. Very good evening.
Had a conversation with Peter, the owner. He is quite keen to to have us with a private area, and to put together a menu that would complement Grange, HofG etc. Maybe with a an extra wine or two included.
I can follow up with him in the next 2 days, with more detail and cost, if there is interest.
Based on what I had tonight, the quote would be very competitive.
Cheers
Jeff

Publisher sounds great Jeff. Nice and centrally located and big red wine friendly food.

La Bonne Table got back to me this afternoon, for a five course degustation including corkage we would be looking at $85/person. That deal would be available for a Saturday night if we choose to do it during a weekend (say June 11th or 18th).

The do not have a private room, but would look to isolate the table as much as possible from the other diners - they said they are typically booked solid during weekends, so it may not be ideal in regard to noise, etc.

This at least gives us a starting point to compare, it will be ineresting to see what Publishers come up with for Jeff.

Cheers,
Ian

I'd prefer the 11th for the event but I'm about all month so we could do a second offline if interest though I'd prefer during the week. Be nice to escape the in-laws on two nights. Perhaps the second a more traditional ADL offline?