The Auswine Forum

Here is a question,
Would you pay $360AUD for a bottle of wine (750ml) off of a wine list?

The answer for me this weekend was yes, emphatically. Why?, well......

With some friends, I had dinner at what used to be one of the city's best restauarants. This time, the food was average, and the service was almost non-existent. I had to go to the waiters station to serve myself water. Anyway.

While perusing the wine list we started off with a bottle of Te Koko at $65, which was not bad, but not the best TK I have had, I think it was the 04, when my eyes stumbled across a rare find. Was it a half bottle?, was it damaged in some way?, was it real???? Admittedly it was not the top wine of this particular stable but I thought what the hay?.
The waiter/bar stool brought it over and everything looked right, he was just about to pour it into the standard xl5's when I asked him for the right glasses (this restaurant has every riedel you can imagine). With a look of disgust he then returned with the right glasses and poured. All of it. Right down to the last drop. Even in the glass that I had not asked for my non-drinking colleague. Back on track, it was sublime. The label obviously put some bias onto it, but this has to rate as one of my favourite wines of all time, and I am seriously not kidding about the price.
Cut to the chase...what was the wine,
DRC Echezaux 2004!!!!!!
Sorry for dragging that out.

Answer: Yes, without hesitation... unless my wife was at the table as well, in which case I would hesitate, explain, then purchase.

I had the 2001 for $400, whcih was sublime.

Despite many green comments about the 2004 vintage, the top Burgundies I have tasted of the vintage have still been great.

Adair

my eyes would light up

id be tempted

then id repeat the mantra unconvincingly "its just a drink. its just a drink"

and then probably pass.....just like i did for the $600 1982 cheval blanc a couple of months ago

Taswegian wrote: With a look of disgust he then returned with the right glasses and poured.

I would definitely say yes to the DRC Echezaux, can't go wrong with "THAT" price, what it taste like?
Regards,
Boyeah

Taswegian wrote:With a look of disgust he then returned with the right glasses and poured. All of it. Right down to the last drop. Even in the glass that I had not asked for my non-drinking colleague.

As it was an expensive bottle, I hope you left him the tip he deserved.

He poured a wine in that fashion for me, his ears would still be ringing.

That is a pretty good price off a restaurant list!

A group of us paid paid about twice this for an 04 DRC Grands Echezeaux recently and despite the indulgence, thought that was pretty fair. You've done well!

As it was an expensive bottle, I hope you left him the tip he deserved.

He poured a wine in that fashion for me, his ears would still be ringing.

As one industry professional to another, but of course.

As to the glassware, this reminds me of a Len Evans story where he drunk Krug out of a Heineken bottle.

Wizz wrote:A group of us paid paid about twice this for an 04 DRC Grands Echezeaux recently and despite the indulgence, thought that was pretty fair. You've done well!

shame they'd just run out of the la tache, coz at around $1100 it would have been consumed instead....

Good score that one, but it could potentially have been better. Could you imagine the waiter's disgust if it was corked and he had to replace it with another bottle, and then found out what it was really worth afterwards! (aren't I a sadistic Bastard?)

That said, I'm really glad the bottle in question didn't have to be replaced and made for a brilliant experience, despite the waiter's attitude. At moments like these you revel in the fortune of your good luck, and the petty inconvenience of a waiter being a complete tool matters little.

Cheers,
Ian

One great thing about DRC (especially at that price) it totally pwns (excuse the netspeak) any food or service. But maybe you should have thrown the empty bottle in his direction and slurred ....."gis us another gar..sun"..

Lincoln wrote:

Wizz wrote:A group of us paid paid about twice this for an 04 DRC Grands Echezeaux recently and despite the indulgence, thought that was pretty fair. You've done well!

shame they'd just run out of the la tache, coz at around $1100 it would have been consumed instead....

That was an extravagant evening...


When are we doing it again :-0