Dinner at mine, Friday 18th Jan

Last Friday, I was joined by my friend J for dinner, as she was making a detour to London en route from India back to the US. Girl gets about. I rushed home after work in order to make gougeres. As usual, I forgot that they are supposed to be small and dainty, and they ended up enormous but still pretty damned good even if I say so myself.

To accompany these, we had a bottle of 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Morgeots from Domaine de la Choupette, which was top notch premier cru Chassagne, drinking perfectly now. A great combination!

We were then joined by S, J's friend, who it was a pleasure to meet, and I served beef carbonnade along with a bottle of 2009 Santenay also from Choupette. I've really been enjoying this wine, and think it's absolutely at its peak at the moment, with lovely red fruit. J was suffering from a cold but was still able to appreciate its prettiness.

J had procured this 1968 Barolo which we opened, but unfortunately it had turned to vinegar and the colour of it was something I never wish to see again in my lifetime. It went straight down the sink and glasses had to be washed thoroughly. I might add that this wasn't any old vinegar, but a remarkably pungent variety which lingered in my flat for the next two days.

But all came good in the end with the opening of this "A Midwinter Nights Dram" about which I had heard great things. It did not disappoint. This is made in Utah at High West distillery and is a limited release. It's finished in port and French oak barrels and that certainly gives it an edge over other bourbons, with notes of fig and dried fruits in addition to caramel and vanilla. I soon forgot my some reservations about the kitsch name and I'm rationing myself carefully to make it last longer. Thanks very much J for hunting it down and bringing it halfway round the world - my bourbon education has improved no end under your tutelage!

Burgundy Portfolio en primeur tasting, 14th Jan

A somewhat belated start to 2019 but the blog is still going! Apparently blogs are very 2005 and this is a fading medium as it's so much easier to post a photo on Instagram and be done with it, but this thing is now entering its 10th year so it would be a shame to give up now.

I spent Christmas with my family and then headed off to Pennsylvania to spend the New Year with D. I discovered that in the US they count down to the big moment not with fireworks or performing seals / human pyramids but with something called a "ball drop" in Times Square.... This did not sound particularly worth waiting up for so my own celebration involved a half bottle of Pol Roger brought over for the occasion. I was also dragged into the woods on several occasions during the trip, required to jump over many rocks and streams and somehow lived to tell the tale.

Back in Blighty, normal service resumed on 14th January when ACC held his annual Burgundy en primeur tasting, this year at the Cavalry and Guards Club. The porter gave me a suspicious look but my name was on the list so all was well. There was an impressive turnout from the French growers and a wonderful range of wines was on display, including both some old favourites and some wines new to the selection this year. It was also great to catch up with friends albeit only briefly because this is the tasting where I have to really try to concentrate, there's so much going on.

The following represents a whistlestop tour of my personal highlights, but this is not an exhaustive list as there were others where the photo came out too blurry to include, even by the low standards of this blog. Thanks to G for providing bottle-levitation services as we whizzed round the room and thanks to ACC for putting on such an enjoyable evening.