[TN] Two generations of Meursault

Years ago, I questioned a sommelier at a ** Fr restaurant, regarding the " decanting" of our Montrachet. He corrected me slightly, by stating that he had "caraffed" the wine, and though it might look like decanting, it served only the purpose of aerating the wine. At the time, I thought he was spitting-hairs (or hares, as we WERE having rabbit), but soon learned about that of which he spoke. Though he knew full well that I was from US, he was extremely friendly to me, and went deep into his explainations - pretty much just as you noted. In many circumstances, I have taken the same tack and have done, just as you did. Live, and learn.

Help me though. I do not understand your reference to things "political." Maybe there is something just lost in my inability to translate. Can you break it out for me? Given your last comment, I assume that there is a joke here, but it flying above my pointed little head.

Thanks, Hunt

PS I am the lucky owner of a few bottles of TomS's CH. Burbank, including his yet to be released vintage. As soon as I get my taste buds back from a lingering cold, I plan on doing a side-by-side-by-side of two of his Chards v several Meursaults, and maybe a Montrachet, as I think they will all be in a fight for top-dog white. More to come...

"Hunt" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news1.newsguy.com...

OK - I'll settle for "caraffe"

Sorry about that. The thing political is that aPPARENTLY THE scion of Jaboulet-Vercherre is heavily into the Front National, a party, sort of, rather more right-leaning than self, if you can believe it [1]. He was described in one article as, "the vintner of Le Pen". While of course respecting his inalienable rights to his opinions, and being prepared to suffer modest discomforts in defending said rights, I just feel, very slightly, uneasy about them. OTOH, you should of course never meddle in the politics of other countries, particularly when you are a guest there.

As for adding that the opinions are not those of my employer's, that is a custom I picked up in tech groups. The not very funny joke is of course that I am, in fact, self-employed.

Ohohohoh can I come? Oh wait - you're in the US. Drat!

Cheers

Nils Gustaf [1] In my foolish youth, the common wisdom was that a Swedish conservative was about the equivalent of a Continental communist. _European_ continent, of course. Today, that wisdom is as foolish as I was, and were so at that time too.

Thanks for the clarification. I knew that there had to be more to it, than what I was was understanding.

I have to plead almost total ignorance to any aspect of politics in Sweden. Other than Bjorn Borg, Ingmar Stenmark, Annika Sorenstam and THEIR contemporaries in their respective sports, I've had unfortunately little contacts with your country. When I followed Bjorn around during his heyday, photographing him in different tennis venues, he never spoke of politics. Other than a direct focus on his tennis - and his wife at the time (I hate senior moments, as I cannot, for my life, recall her name... almost had it, but it slipped away again. Both were players on the Cleveland, soon to be New Orleans, World Team Tennis team. Drat!). It's like listening to the Royal Canadian Air Farce. You know that you are missing a lot of the inside stuff, being from and of, the US, but there is a lot of good material that isn't all Canada-centric.

As for the tasting, it'll be a very informal affair on the pool level. Don't let the word get out, but it will be a "TASTING," and I won't even have any food - just glasses and a notepad.

As an aside, I have a comment on tastings and notes. I've recently hosted two tastings, that I found quite interesting. However, as the "host" /moderator, I couldn't really DO the tastings, having to keep busy "running" the show(s). Afterwards, I asked several well-respected participants for their notes, so I could post them here, but NO ONE had really taken enough notes to make it all worthwhile!!!! Bummer. You, DaleW, TomS, Mark, et al, seem to do a really good job of making worthwhile notations at non-trade tastings. How do you do it? Oh, it's one thing to attend a pure tasting, and scribble away, but at a dinner, or more social event, there is far too much conversation (usually wonderful conversation) and too many distractions for me to do it effectively. I perform much better, as a scribe, when I plant mayself with a few bottles, the laptop, and eliminate all other distractions. Throw in hosting duties, and I find it difficult to come up with coherent thoughts about some very nice wines, even just the next day. I'd appreciate other's thoughts on how best to do it - micro-recorder? Secretary with steno-pad?

Thanks, Hunt

"Hunt" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news3.newsguy.com...

My congratulations. The best reason for taking an interest in the politics of other countries is that, by observing the absurdity of theirs, it helps clarify the idiocy of ones own. THis is, e g, the reason I try to follow the election campaign in Italy.

IT honors me to be mentioned in the same context as Dale, TomS, and Mark. As for me, I tend to surreptitiously produce my Nokia Communicator and jot down notes on that, or, I carry a notepad - most of our friends are wine geeks so it is no big deal. Besides I have a fairly good memory for my own reflections on the wines - I don't remember the tastes and smell very well, but I do remember what I thought of them at the time which is something else.

HTH

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

Thanks for that observation. Being in the US, I have to work hard to dismiss the "absurdity" of OUR gov. Maybe a bit more rationalization will help!

Nils, it is an honor, that I think you deserve. Maybe I get a tad too hungup on the minutae of the tasting notes. I'll follow your suggestion and try for some a bit more general in these situations. As I usually try to make sure that I save a bottle, or two, from each flight, I can always go back and drag a few down to the pool for a more detailed look.

In a recent case, we did Bordeaux v Meritage, with a de-emphasis on the tightly defined term "Meritage." I really wanted to do an article on this tasting, but spent so much time "running" the damned thing, that I barely got to do any tasting. As some of the prime members of the IW&FS chapter could not attend, I have hopes of repeating it for a small group. I'll be able to do some sensible notes then - kind of a reflection on the original.

Thanks for the suggestion of the recorder. It's difficult enough holding the tray of finger-food, and balancing my tasting glass, even with "clippies" that written notes fall by the wayside. Note to those staging tastings - more bistro tables, please!!!!!

Thanks, Hunt

"Hunt" skrev i meddelandet news: snipped-for-privacy@news3.newsguy.com...

Not a recorderv- the Nokia 9500 Communicator is a mobil phone cum computer cum whatever with a full qwerty keyboard. My 4th in that line, starting with the immensely clunky old 9000, which caught the discerning eye of Jean Lipton back in 2001.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf