A supper with some wine club members and wives.

Served blind

Nyetimber, Sussex. 1998
A bright fizz with a toasty digestive biscuit nose, round soft mousse with
lingering fruit.

Nyetimber, Sussex, 2000
Rather soapy in the glass, a mute nose reminiscent of a NV champers, rather
short on the palate, not a patch on 1998

With a simple chicken terrine

Corton Charlemagne, Chandon de Brialles, 2000
Pale straw with a very muted nose, had to search for any features on the
palate as well. A real let down.
In view of the problems with recent white burgs, I opened this as well.

Meursault-Perriers,1er cru, Pierre Morey, 2001
As one guest noted, this is a benchmark wine.
Pale straw, with bright viscosity, big legs. Classic buttery, complex,
citrus and spice nose, and then a superb mouthful of fruit and a balancing
acidity. Liquid Scottish shortbread. Wonderful.

Yattarna. Penfolds. Oz, 2001
Their white Grange.
Pale gold with huge viscosity, in your face chard nose, yet complex and
beautiful balance of unctuous fruit and acidity, very long and knocked
spots off the corton, yet the Meursalt opened up after an hour and showed
its colours, the Yattarna faded.
--
with Lancashire hotpot
Felton Road Block Pinot Noir, Block 3, 2006 from magnum.
Deep with purple edge, a wonderful nose of intense spice, tinned tomatoes ,
ripe berry fruits and more spice and cinnamon on the palate, firm
tannins....try again 10 years. Most thought it was a Northern Rhone.

With cheese
Latour 1989
Deep with no age, classic textbook claret, old cupboards, dust leather and
cassis, wonderful, but on the palate although essence of cab, we wondered
whether there was enough fruit to support its possible long life. I have
more so will try again.

with ripe William pear, Roquefort, and butter bix.
Ch D'Yquem 1981, liquid gold, an old sweetshop butterscotch botty nose,
wonderful unctuous liquid toffee with acidity to balance, not at all
cloying and very long. Again wonderful with either pear or cheese. WOTN

A great night, and a wonderful morning with the deepest snow of the winter.
Walking the dog in the park, bright blue sky and the trees hanging with
snow. Brilliant

JT