TN Solihull Fine Wine Soc. 26th Annual Dinner

Pol Roger 1996, a sparkly sparkler , deep straw, fine mousse and complex cardboard biscuit nose. Very soft and balanced, again biscuits up ones nose. A very fine fizz, drinking now.

Hot smoked Bradan roast salmon from the Isle of Arran with a rocket, balsamic glaze and orange and cardamom reduction, orange dust. , the finest smoked salmon many of us had tasted.

Puligny Montrachet les Combettes, E Sauzet 1999, a very restrained dumb clbuttic nose, smokey, intense entrance with buttery balance, silky smooth and long. Much too young, nose is shut down, will be superb, try 5 years. Opened up after an hour in the glbutt, but still closed.

A simple pheasant terrine with a cider and sage jelly.

Condrieu Domaine Porte Vincent 2004, a new one for many of us, close to Grillet and half the price (£45) All it said on the label, tinned tropical fruits spilled from the glbutt and exploded on the palate, fruit salad yet not cloying, good balance, very gewertzy but complex. We are told a wine for early drinking, like all Condrieu, one of my wines of the night.

Burgundy beef stew with roast winter veg. A pair of Beaucastels to stand up to the beef.

Beaucastel 1989 and 1990 1989, much brighter and younger than the 90!!, almost claret like spice and tomatoes, a hot entrance and all in balance, soft tannin a spicy fruit, even better after an hour....I really love Beaucastel. 1990, much more restrained, tight, burnt beef and onion nose, organic and complex, big tannins, not ready but a good drink now.

A selection of English cheese

Ribera del Duero Vega Sicillia 2001, not Vega, but made by the same company up the road, 100% Tempranillo. Half the price of Vega. Garnet bright red young thing, with that intense spice, cinnamon and fruit and heat. Big mouthful, allspice and tannin. long. Young, try again when the tannins soften.

Dominus Napa Valley 1998, a port like stunner, dumb tobacco and leather, big tannins out of balance. Much too young. Some wondered whether the fruit would stand the pace...like 75 Lascases. Usual mutterings of the colonials trying to emulate the Medoc!!!

Leoville Barton, 1990, now on home ground, no hint of age and that nose that just said, "I am Claret, love me"and we did. Elegant and complex, bit armpitty, but a true clbuttic claret. Years of life ahead.

Pears poached in stem ginger infused syrup.

Clos du Bourg Vouvray Molleux Le Haut Lieu, Huet 1989. An old fave , I have a few left, Pale gold, apples and pears, fresh and young, quite tart and complex chenin, to be drunk on a summers evening with a ripe pear. Wonderful.

Riesling Icewine Niagara Inniskillin 2004 Riesling syrup and nowt else, a good example to demonstrate the Riesling grape but intense cloyness was off putting. And bloody expensive, well you try these things..........

Monbaziallac, Chateau Caillou 1943...yes 1943, this wine was kept in the wood till after the war, then into demijohns and bottled for the owners granddaughter,s wedding in the 80's Deep brown amontillado nose, , very interesting, a bit like the Ch Chalone, a flor wine, wonderful dry sweet palate with balance very long like a good sherry yet only 11%

Warre 1970, very sad, ? duff bottle, ? storage, dried out and like cough linctus, sad way to end the night.

I've pasted a couple of pics, so you can see what some of the old farts are like.