SPNS dinner, 23rd Jan

Last Monday evening, four of us met up for another Swiss Pinot Noir Society dinner, held at the Perseverance pub in Marylebone. I arrived to find T and D sitting at a table at the back of the bar downstairs. We debated whether to order an aperitif while we waited for G, but we held off and our patience was rewarded as he arrived only a couple of minutes later.

The first wine of the evening was this 1997 Brut Saphir champagne from Louis Barthelemy. We weren't familiar with this producer but G came across this wine at another do, and then when he saw it on an auction list, snaffled the lot. Very good it was too - a deep golden colour, with a lovely nose, mature and yeasty. "Smells wonderful. Tastes as good as it smells" said T. High praise was recorded by everyone in the Book.

Next up, also from G, was a Rusalca Alba Crama Oprisor 2009 white brought back from his recent trip to Romania. Sadly, this failed to impress. I found it very bland and unexciting and others recorded that while not actively offensive, it was dull. Nothing going on. As we had a lot of other things to try, we didn't drink much of it. A shame, as I believe it cost a bob or two and was supposed to be one of Romania's finest offerings.

After that, we had a brace of wines provided by T, the rose specialist on the team. These were both Bandols from Domaine Tempier - 2008 and 2010. The 2010 was very pleasant, salmon pink, dry and refreshing. Everyone liked it for what it was. The 2008 was a more orange colour, and pungent on the nose. I preferred it, finding it more interesting than the 2010, but it faded quickly and we felt it was probably approaching the end of its life.

We then moved on to try the two reds side by side. First, a Vougeot 1er cru Clos de la Perriere 1996 from Domaine Bertagna, provided by me. I got this as part of a parcel of mixed Burgundies at an auction, so it squeaked into the SPNS criteria of costing below £20. It would usually cost a good deal more than that. G and I had previously had the 2005 vintage en demi and given it 10/10, so after the debacle of the corked Chambertin at the last SPNS dinner, I fervently hoped this one would turn out to be a good 'un. And indeed it was. It had a wonderful Cote de Nuits style, with lots of fruit and black cherries and was generally rich and serious. Everybody liked it. Phew!

Finally, D's wine, once again something really quite special and different. This time, it was the McGregor Vineyards Black Russian Red 1999. This vineyard is in the Finger Lakes area of New York State and the wine is made from grapes which originated in Russia. It reminded me of a claret, with big blackberry fruit and a sweet finish. It was big and dramatic, a real eye-opener. Very interesting to try against the Burgundy. 

Another great tasting, and it was good to be back at the Perseverance which has a relaxed atmosphere. I wouldn't get away with wearing my Dennis the Menace jumper at the Savile! The food was excellent and very good value, and Dom was very helpful and provided us with all the glasses we needed, being a high-maintenance bunch. This place is a real gem.