Rare & Vintage Wine Dinner/s 2012

[RedVelvet]

On the 02nd of January i posted a thread with regard to the annual dinner i organise and host in July each year. Unfortunately the post was lost when the forum was moved over to a new server on the 03rd of January. Even more unfortunate was the responses i had received as PM’s to my initial post were also lost. There were 3 people who had sent me PM’s which were unread and have now been lost. If you were one of these 3 people could you please send your PM again as i did not receive it.

I did not save a copy of my original post so i am going to try my best to remember what i posted and repost it again below:

With the beginning of the year upon us i am in full swing making preparations for the Annual dinner i host each year in July. I am currently in a position to perhaps host more than one dinner due to the amount of good wine i have on offer to me through my good friends abroad. With the ever impending financial situation in Europe (my opinion) there seems to be more and more great wine treasures being offered to me through my good friends abroad.

When i posted the details of last year’s event here a number of people expressed an interest in possibly attending such a dinner if they had the opportunity to do so. With the wine currently on offer to me i may now be able to host a second dinner in Sydney or even in another city if there are enough people interested? The opportunity to try such wines may never be repeated as our neighbors in the east continue to push up prices and consume as much as they can find. The truth is these wines are disappearing and the chance to ever try them is decreasing. The reason i host these dinners is because i am passionate about sharing the experience with like minded people. Discussing our opinions and impressions while learning from and educating each other at the same time.

This is a quick break down of how it works: A list of wines is prepared including Champagne, Whites, Reds and Sweeter styles. The list of wines along with tasting notes (if available) are given to the restaurant where the dinner will be held and the chef prepares a special degustation menu based on the wines. The cost of the wines (including: shipping, tax, duties and any expenses incurred) is calculated and split by the number of attendee’s to arrive at a cost per person for wine. The maximum number of attendees is 14 and i would recommend no less than 12 as this will significantly increase the cost of the wine per person.

The cost of the meal per person which includes: corkage, a bottomless glass of still or sparkling water, gratuity, the use of the private dining room and our own sommelier for the evening is then added to the cost of the wine to arrive at the total cost for the evening. A deposit must be paid at the time of booking to confirm your seat. This is usually a minimum 8 weeks in advance and is the full cost of the wine component. This leaves only the cost of the meal to pay on the evening at the conclusion of the dinner.

If you are interested in attending please contact me via PM or email and i would be happy to discuss it in more detail with you.

For those who have not seen the thread please check the link below:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12154

[markg]

Hey Shannon,

I would love to come, either in Adelaide (if it is on the cards) or interstate, given enough notice to organise flight and accomodation.

[Rossco]

wow epic!!........just....im speechless as to how good this looks.

[dlo]

wow epic!!........just....im speechless as to how good this looks.

Your enthusiasm may ultimately be tempered by how much such an evening may/will cost. This comment in no way attempts to diss the organiser .... I'm sure honesty and value for money are not an issue here judging from the feedback from the link attached. I wonder how much the last dinner pulled everyone back?

[rita]

Hi Shannon,

Please count me in for this one.

Happy to travel to a city other than Sydney with enough notice.

Cheers
Rita

[via collins]

Hi,

Like David, I'd be curious to get a ball-park figure on what last year's dinner cost before making any commitments.

Much appreciated.

[crusty2]

not in the same league but a previous thread with some pricing included
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10000&p=77923#p77923

cheers
phill

[via collins]

Thanks Phill, I recall astonishment at the wines that were opened that evening, and as many said in the thread, the price more than covered for the enjoyment and special nature of the event.

I'd be very interested in attending future events.

cheers.

[RedVelvet]

Thank you to all that have responded thus far and for the encouraging comments above. I have responded to those via PM who have shown an interest and would ask anyone else that is interested to please send me a PM or email.

[TiggerK]

Suggest you start a new thread on that topic chardonyes, we're always happy to help out, but this is not the right thread to be filling up with posts about your introduction to wine!

[phillisc]

Tigger K, I think you are being too kind, as is Mr. Trott and Bert on the other forum.
Must be the season...silly Christmas and NY season where we get these trolls looking at anything and everything on the web and posting the most inane comments.

I do wonder if you were to go to a porn site, car site, antique site, real estate site etc. where there is the opportunity to post comments on a blog ( such as we do here on Auswine) you would also find buffoons posting dribble such as Chardonyes....when I am in a romantic moment, or driving my vintage roadster etc I prefer this wine for its taste, as it suits the fine rolling hills of my country estate...blah blah blah

My post is probably as inane as the one I refer to.....but you get my point

Craig.

[RedVelvet]

For those who may be interested here is a list of the wines for the dinner on Saturday 05th May 2012

1982 Champagne Taittinger, Masson
1988 Champagne Taittinger, Imai
1947 Chablis J.Faiveley, Chablis, Premier Cru
1969 Chablis Marcel Servin, Chablis, Grand Cru, Les Clos
1971 Riesling Staatsweinguter Raunthaler Baiken Spatlese
1971 Riesling Staatsweinguter Raunthaler Baiken Auslese
1929 Burgundy Henri De Bahezre, Romanee St Vivant, Grand Cru
1949 Burgundy Marion, Chambertin, Grand Cru
1952 Barolo Bourgogno & Figli, Barolo Riserva
1971 Barolo Marchesi Di Barolo, Gia Opera Pia, Barolo
1950 Bordeaux Petrus
1961 Bordeaux Chateau Latour a Pomerol
1949 Riesling Peter Lotz, Gaubischofsheimer Herrnberg, Riesling & Sylvaner, Trockenbeerenauslese
1953 Riesling Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium, Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling, Beerenauslese

If this list suddenly sparkes your interest i may have a couple of seats left if you get in quick enough.

[rens]

Wow. I can not wait to see the photos and note.
Very nice list

[Adair]

Okay, I am already being tormented by one of the attendees of the dinner.
Any impressions would be most welcome.
Adair

[dave vino]

For me 1 - 5 on the night.

1961 Bordeaux Chateau Latour a Pomerol
1929 Burgundy Henri De Bahezre, Romanee St Vivant, Grand Cru
1950 Bordeaux Petrus
1952 Barolo Bourgogno & Figli, Barolo Riserva
1949 Riesling Peter Lotz, Gaubischofsheimer Herrnberg, Riesling & Sylvaner, Trockenbeerenauslese

As always it is pretty amazing the life still in these wines even after 60 years. The Latour was beautifully balanced I could have sat on it and savoured the smell all night, the RSV had the most wonderful Strawberries and Cream aroma, and a delicate flavour on the palate and seem to turn to air as you worked it around your mouth, the Petrus was showing lots of power with a hint portiness but it had massive length. The 52 Barolo as someone said had bulldozing tannins which reached out for every crevice in your mouth carrying along the fruit as it went (blew me away how it did this) felt like the woman in the Listerine ad with the mini-explosion in my mouth. The Tba was almost black in colour, it was like drinking a young PX without the cloying sweetness at the end of it, amazing stuff.

The food was impressive and worked well with the wines.

[Adair]

Thank you.
Danny sent me pictures of the 1961 Latour a Pomerol, 1929 Henri De Bahezre Romanee St Vivant and 1950 Petrus... as an early Monday morning torment!
FWIW, he had the 1950 as 1 and the 1961 as 2... with words like "heavenly" and "as good as it gets".
Adair

[TiggerK]

The anticipation is building for the next one on 14th July!! Always the highlights of my tasting year.

I see there are still two seats available if anyone is tempted by the lineup....

1985 Champagne Krug
1979 Champagne Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame
1953 Riesling Staatsweinguter Kiedricher Grafenberg Auslese
1976 Riesling Langwerth Von Simmern Eltviller Sonnenberg Auslese
1978 Chardonnay Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Le Ruchottes
1962 Chardonnay Masson Dubois Meursault Charmes
1964 Barbaresco Enrico Serafino (Magnum)
1967 Barbaresco Enrico Serafino (Magnum)
1949 Burgundy Marey C & Ligier Belair Richebourg Grand Cru
1961 Bordeaux Chateau Montrose
1929 Bordeaux Chateau Abel Laurent (Chateau Margaux)
1953 Riesling Staatsweinguter Steinberger Edelbeerenauslese
1961 Sauternes Chateau Coutet
+ A very very special surprise wine to be unveiled on the night

@ Arras Restaurant, Sydney CBD.

Cheers
Tim