As suggested in this thread, we are planning to hold a tasting of crus bourgeois to see how well they stand the test of time.
This is scheduled for Sunday 23 June at Caravan, King’s Cross, London as usual. If you’re interested, make a note in your diary. We’ll probably put tickets on sale in mid April, with the usual earlybird discount for Purple Pagers.
Sounds great - will it feature some of your favourites hinted at in the Noble Rot article?
Ah, excellent! Hopefully I will be around to attend.
Can I make one point and I hope this doesn’t sound rude. I have been to two tastings at Caravan, a Barolo tasting and the recent Riesling tasting - and I have found the wines (and the food) to be excellent. I find the system of long tables quite difficult, however. I am from the trade so I am aware of tasting etiquette - so far as that exists - and I make sure I get in and grab my little sample and then step way back. Lots of people do not and honestly it does almost ruin the evening. There are not quite enough spittoons and there are always some people who monopolise the space next to the wine and just do not budge, no matter what. They then look offended when you try to lean in to grab a sample.
I don’t know of the best way it could be done. One way - of course people power might be the issue - would be to have it set up like a trade tasting with someone pouring for you - this in a way forces you to stand back once you have your sample. Alternatively I wonder if it would work to have lots of tables in separate spaces with just say, 4-6 wines at each. Then people would need to move on every so often from one table to the next.
I don’t know how other people have found it?
Lastly, the Jancis glass we were able to get as part of the Riesling tasting - what a surprise it is! I tend to use Zalto at home for ‘good’ wine and a more modest but nice Schott-Zwiesel glass for more modest wine. I thought - How can Jancis be charging more than Zalto?! BUT. The glass is a bit like magic. It seems to emphasise the more attractive traits of the wine in both aroma and taste. How? It looks great, the base is comfortably large and sturdy but the glass is so thin - just like a Zalto! Thank you Jancis, it is a great glass.
Fabulous! Having started the initial thread about Bordeaux 2009, I shall definitely want to be there. Jancis, one of the things I love about this site is that it isn’t ‘all corporate’ with you just lending your name to it (loved the recent articles btw about the brand ambassadors and SJP in particular) - the forum thread develops into a discussion about tasting older crus bourgeois and you then organise one! Brilliant. Whilst on the subject, I opened a bottle of 2009 Chateau de Lamarque this week (4th out of 12) and this was the best to date - suddenly complexity! - first of the case that made me sit up and take notice. I shall be very happy to eat (or drink?) my words over the coming years if it’s just a matter of patience with 2009.
I’ve also been to a couple of tastings at Caravan (, though, as it happens, not the same ones as James: the Chianti one and the Languedoc one), but I’ve found accessing the wines fine. I’m now hoping I’m not one of the difficult people standing in front of bottles, obliviously monopolising the space next to the wines, not budging and ruining the fun for others. I don’t think so, but I’m not from the trade, so may be unwittingly making faux pas! Maybe there are better ways of doing it: I don’t know. I’m not very good on figuring out this sort of stuff. But just to add, from my perspective, it hasn’t been a problem; that isn’t to invalidate James’ experience.
I’d echo Martin’s note about the delight in events arising organically out of forum threads. I’ll definitely hope to be there. It’s not in Lent, so that’s promising for me!
I’ll find it really interesting. I’d hope that the Bordelais would find it interesting too. After all, these will be serious wine enthusiasts giving serious attention to their wines, with a view potentially to developing a taste for their chateau, so I’d hope so.
Great Plan! I’ll be there too.