The Auswine Forum

After having a 1/3 share of a mint condition 1976 Grange over Christmas I made a semi serious New Year's resolution to drink more Grange. [BTW that wine almost defies description. It is not wine as you know it. Have you ever had a wine that makes you feel warm and fuzzy in your stomach ? It puts a smile on your face much like pethadene does when you are in hospital. I am 27, and I would not be the least bit surprised or disappointed if I never tasted a better wine than that bottle of 76.]

Right, sorry, I get a bit carried away when I think of that wine. What I wanted to tell you about is that as a part of my new year's resolution a mate and I are holding our inaugural G'Day dinner - short for Grange Day. Each year one of us will buy a top bottle of french bubbles and a Grange while the other shouts a degustation menu for us both at a posh restuarant. Next year I'll buy dinner and so on. Don't get the wrong idea, we are not gazillionaires (although we are in training) but we do enjoy living beyond our means from time to time.

This year it is dinner at Rockpool (Sydney) and I'm bringing a bottle of Cristal and an 86 Grange. Thankfully the good people at Rockpool allowed us to byo for $20 a head - all you have to do with most places is to ask nicely.

Having never tasted the 86 I would like to know what you all recommend about the length of decanting. My view is that older wines generally need little or no decanting, but from what I can gather the 86 is still a bit of a behemoth which leads me to think that I should suck the cork out of it about 1 hour before arriving at dinner - which would give it approx. 2 hours in total while we deal with the Louis Roederer.

Also, what are your thoughts about taking two Riedel Sommelier Hermitage glasses to the restaurant ? Part of me thinks that it is a bit too much a wank, but the other part says "don't be stupid, we are talking about an 86 here !" I don't know what stemware Rockpool has but I assume it is not too shabby.

All your thoughts would be appreciated.

Blake

Blake

Great concept.

The 86 would still be pretty youthful I would have thought, so the best you can do would be to open it, see what it was like and if it smells intensely fruity as I expect it should, decant it for three hours or more prior to taking it to Rockpool. Then decant it back into the bottle just before you go. If it has not been stored in great conditions, then you can judge how much decanting time for yourself - play it by ear.

I'd expect rockpool to have top glasses for top wines, however why not take the Riedels along and leave them in the bag if you don't need them - the worst thing would be to find the glasses they have are not up to par and you have left yours home !


regards
chris

Blake
Fair due to you man great idea with the wine and meal. I'm with Chris and cover all options with the glasses no room for disappointment in that department. Cant help much with the Grange as haven't drunk many bottles of late the last time was some years ago in Auckland was taken out for dinner by a chap who was sponsoring our wine options team and on entering the restaurant instructed the sommelier to put the two best bottles of wine on the table, two Grange. With the passing of time i cannot for certain remember which vintage and alas our sponsor who perhaps did live beyond his means life has not been kind.

Geoffrey