Hi, a brief post tonight as I'm in a hot hotel room in Luxembourg and it's hard to sleep. Why am I in Luxembourg? Well, a good friend just turned 80 today and we went out for a lovely meal - myself and my sister Mary, Martin the birthday boy and his partner Cliodhna, plus two other friends of Martin, Jake and Diana. Our dinner was at the Jaegdschlaas, a very reliable restaurant - though not the best for vegetarians - where I had a lovely filet de cheval!
To drink, a 2006 Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage - a winery I know well and this was a beautifully balanced wine with classic "black olive" syrah characters with pepper and cherry. Quite youthful and showing very good ageing potential.
Last night we had a big party where Concha Y Toro's Casillero del Diablo 2007 red was served alongside the Cave de St Martin's 2007 Pinot Gris Cotes de Remisch. The red was good, the PG was lovely; both however were under cork and 4 out of 28 bottles were corked.
Tonight, we repaired chez Martin & Cliodhna where we opened a bottle of 1963 Taylor's - at least, that's what Martin said it was although there were no identifying marks other than on the wax seal. It was gorgeous - almost tawny in colour, with a lovely nose of soft, rich raisined fruit and some nuts, and a beautifully smooth palate. By the time we'd finished I didn't have the wherewithal to check the cork (which had crumbled anyway) but I'll take it as stated. Nice way to finish what has not been a good day for the Irish wine trade.
Jake had a good story about an Oxford dinner where one Fellow asked another about the new Bishop of Ely: "Nice man, but not a passing man!" was the response. Meaning, he spent too much time talking and didn't pass the port quickly enough!
About Me
- DermotMW
- Dublin, Ireland
- Hi, I'm Dermot Nolan, and I became a Master of Wine (MW) in 1997, and resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2023 after being an MW for exactly 26 years. I opened a wine shop in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, called The Wine Library, which closed in 2018, and this is my personal wine blog. I will do my utmost to be fair and responsible in my posts – please read my Who Pays article in re the ethics of wine trips and writing. I have worked in wine education, retail, and consultancy since 1990. I was a Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) from 2008 to 2014 and was also a member of the Events Committee, founder of the Trips Committee, and member of the Governance Committee. Having had problems with potentially libellous comments from unidentifiable posters, I now require that if you post a comment, you must identify yourself properly or it won't be published. Please note that I do not review products or services on request so kindly don't ask. I value my independence and I believe my readers (few that they may be) do so also.
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