Scotland's favourite son, Rabbie Burns, wrote in 1785 to a "wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie" that oft misquoted line "the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men, gang aft agley"
I have no idea if was the effect of over 7,000 earthquakes / aftershocks
800km to the south in Christchurch (are you still planning a sojourn in NZ next year Professor Lipton?)
Or maybe it was winter solstice gremlins.
But our monthly dinner of the Rangitoto Beefsteak & Burgundy club was far from the orderly affair. Our group, comprises the "glitterati" of the Auckland wine scene - winemakers, wine scribes, marketers and hanger-onners (your truly is the token country member - yes, we remember!)
Usually, we visit an accommodating restaurant who designs a menu to support wines from the club's cellar - this time, the cellar master was clearing out a few bin ends from 2000-01.
As usual, all wines were served blind - with discussion encouraged at various stages during the meal.
The aperitif totally baffled everyone - is this Riesling; maybe Pinot Gris - not chardonnay - is that a hint of Gewürz spice?
Yes - and no! Marlborough winemaker John Forrest writes "In my winemaking experience, I have found the whole is often greater than the sum of the parts and "The White" is my expression of this belief. To achieve this, I have chosen from my vineyards only those varieties which have won acclaim in that region. From the warm, stony Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay - Viognier; from the limestone soils of North Otago - Pinot Gris; from Central Otago - Pinot Gris and Riesling; and from Marlborough's patchwork of riverbed soils - Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Gewürztraminer."
Odd ball - definitely, but this rather bizarre wine had great fruit concentration and finesse. Apart from its novelty value, not something of which I would be inclined to spend $50.
Nine reds had been selected and decanted (to be served in three flights of
3), and to assist us in our deliberations, we were provided with a list, obviously in a random order.
First flight of three. #1 - I have never been the greatest fan of Daniel Schuster (North Canterbury, NZ) but he does have a reputation from producing decent Pinot Noir. Fruity, maybe a little herbal but a bit "simple" for my liking.
#2 was no mystery to me (although, surprisingly others struggled) - 2000 Ch Lynch Bages - beautiful nose; Pauillac perfection.
#3 was when the rot set in. To author and judge Michael Cooper and I this one had all the elements of classic Rioja - and a very good one at that!
But no! We were told Australian Nebbiolo. (about now, we suspect that this is not going to an ordinary night)
Next flight! #4 Another NZ Pinot Noir - complex; fine texture; ripe tannins; wild cherry and spice - Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2001 (at 10 years, drinking beautifully)
#5 - Oops - hold on! #3 was not Nebbiolo - it was CVNE Imperial Reserva Rioja 2001 (Of course it was!) And what's more, #5 is not Nebbiolo either. Identified as a 1998 Penfolds Bin 389 - the wine was definitely Australian - but not on the list!
Sorry guys, one of the bottles of Dom. Jean-Louis Chaves Hermitage 2001 is corked, so we had to include a substitute.
#6 - another Bordeaux? No says mine host - a Chateau Neuf du Pape.
(Reader, please imagine John McEnroe styled exclamation "You can't be f*****g serious!!!)
From this point, while the food served was quite excellent, there was no point whatsoever relying on the cellar master/presenter to get anything right. Decanters were shuffled and mis-numbered.
In no particular order, we also partook of Ch. Marguax Pavillon Rouge 2000; Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo Res. 2000; Primo Estate "Joseph" Nebbiolo 2002; and a Cuvee du Vatican CNP 2001.
Did I say that only one bottle of the Hermitage was spoiled? Well, yes - and the other was left forgotten until many had left - and it was really quite superb (my WOTN closely followed by CastelGiocondo and the Lynch-Bages.)
So, what happened? Brain explosion? Who knows.
We are quite sure that we eventually correctly identified all the wines - or did we?
I blame the aperitif - such a wine was bound to cause mayhem!