After MUCH procrastination, I have FINALLY settled into this months blog, its not just words on a page (actually a computer screen) to me, I feel I have to re-live the evening and try and make it seem as if you are there too. (Although words on a page sounds much more touchy feely)
It has taken a while to reach this point, this is how its gone…. Mmm must write the Blog I thought a week ago as I sipped my breakfast coffee, inside my head I was shouting for goodness sake it’s over a week, just knuckle down and write the blog. Then in my mind drifted off again as I pondered, just what do these familiar sayings actually mean… so I consulted my friend ‘Google’ for the origin. (My other friend is Amazon but we won’t go there !)
Origin of Knuckle down:
Middle English knokel (originally denoting the rounded shape when a joint such as the elbow or knee is bent), from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch knökel, diminutive of knoke ‘bone’. In the mid 18th century the verb knuckle (down) expressed setting the knuckles down to shoot the taw in a game of marbles, hence the notion of applying oneself with concentration.
So before I knew it I had already become side tracked and another day slipped by..no Blog written.
.. That was three days ago, I’ve still been mulling it over why its taking so long (when I should actually have been getting on with it). I’m probably discombobulated (I love the sound of that word) a bit like when tradesmen want to start working at your home too early in the morning, so you have to get up extra early for your breakfast.. (don’t you just hate that).
Discombobulated sounds like a word from that Blackadder sketch .. here is the extract (Yes, yes, I will get on with the blog and talk about the wine…in a minute !!)
One of my favourite Blackadder scenes is that in which our hero congratulates Dr Johnson, who has just completed his dictionary after 10 years (“Yes, well I’m a slow reader myself” – Prince Regent), on including every single word in the English language:
E: Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafibularities.
J: What?
E: “Contrafribularites”, sir. It is a common word down our way.
J: Damn! [writes in the book]
E: Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I’m anaspeptic, phrasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such pericombobulation.
J: What? What? WHAT?
G: What are you on about, Blackadder? This is all beginning to sound a bit like dago talk to me.
E: I’m sorry, sir. I merely wished to congratulate the Doctor on not having left out a single word. [J sneers] Shall I fetch the tea, Your Highness?
G: Yes, yes — and get that damned fire up here, will you?
E: Certainly, sir. I shall return — interphrastically. [exit] [J writes some more] And later…
E: Leaving already, Doctor? Not staying for your pendigestatory interludicule?
J: No, sir! Show me out!
E: Certainly, sir — anything I can do to facilitate your velocitous extramuralisation.
NOW THE WINE BLOG (Promise won’t leave this chair until it is completed)
This month we were at Steve & Helens for a Valentine themed wine club, if you hadn’t guessed that from the title !
To start the evening off Helen had set us a Valentines quiz, we all got one question right ‘what is the date of St Valentines Day’ things then didn’t progress so well. ‘Who is the Greek God of sexual desire and attraction’ at this point I’d decided to team up with our resident Greek, Nick, who confidently gave me the answer of Venus, well I thought it sounded plausible (if you too are struggling the answer is Cupid). It was a lot of fun with Jackie winning the Star prize.
The two wines to go with the delicious looking Beef Wellington, or beef pie as Nick called it, were a Margaux 2012 & Saint Julien 2013. The challenge was to distinguish which was which.
Now these days I feel I need to do some research and rely on ‘experts’ notes relating to these more expense wines and then add our thoughts.
So in light of this we’ll start with the world famous Margaux. You may already know that this is the most expensive wine ever sold – Chateau Margaux 1787 Insured at $225,000 …. of course Steve had not splashed out on that one for us !
Taken from: The Wine Cellar Insider
In this Margaux Bordeaux wine guide, you’ll discover the best Bordeaux wines from Margaux that marry power with elegance, silky tannins and sensuous textures. Flavors of ripe dark berries, truffle, tobacco, cassis and violets are the signature of the wines from this region located in the southern area of the Medoc. The best wines often have great purity of fruit with velvet like textures. The Bordeaux wines of Margaux, just like those from every wine region come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and prices. Generally speaking, the wines of Margaux are the epitome of elegance complicated by their unique floral characteristics. Read more at:http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/margaux/
We were tasting a 2012, Steven Spurrier of Decanter gives his verdict:
Margaux this, with St-Estèphe, provided me with the most improved wines in 2012. The vintage seemed to enhance the charm so often lost in more powerful years, and it was the over extracted wines that fared less well against their more restrained colleagues. The higher proportion of Merlot helped as well, although Ch Margaux still used 87% Cabernet in its grand vin. Because the appellation is spread over several communes, there is much and expected difference in style from south to north, east to west, so the diversity of Margaux, often a disadvantage in the past, offers something for everyone in 2012. Most will be drinking very well after five years.
We thought it was a really good smooth, velvety, silky wine. Lovely and fruity with a hint of violets.
Next up, Saint Julien 2013
St-Julien from The Wine Cellar Insider
2013 St Julien is the winner of the most consistent appellation in the 2013 Bordeaux vintage. At their best, the wines are charming. They are not dry or under ripe. But they are not wines to age for a long time. In most instances, the best 2013 St. Julien wines are clean, pure and fresh. So what’s the problem with 2013 St. Julien? The wines are also light in raw material. They lack a depth of raw material and focus on cherries, black raspberries and other red fruits.
Saint-Julien offers balanced, age-worthy blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with deep ruby colours and notes of cassis and cedar. Depending on the producer, some style are more perfumed while others exude more power. Situated between the widely popular communes of Margaux and Pauillac in the Médoc of Bordeaux’s Left Bank, Saint-Julien combines the elegance of the former with the boldness of the latter. Often times Saint-Julien can be mistaken for Pauillac; however, rarely do Saint-Julien wines match their intense concentration. (Oh, I thought that too !)
We found this wine to have more tannin, a more robust wine all round but not in the typically cheaper Bordeaux style like the ‘rough rustic’ ones Mark likes to drink..
We thought both wines were good and worth the money and went beautifully with (expensive) fillet of beef.
15 years on from our inauguration, I won’t post the photo of the crowds, because that will upset Trumpy…
We know we are all aging.. there was much talk of reading glasses and trying each others on, Nick had a special pair that he only puts on in the dark..don’t ask!
Talk of retirement, Steve has handed his notice so will be the first of the group to retire.
Our aches and pains, our aging parents and funerals , I know what a happy bunch, luckily we haven’t all reached the point of which are the best incontinence pads .. oh, what wonderful things to look forward to !!
We do have a really good laugh, I think its what keeps us sane.
Well, time to stick a cork in it.
Bye S x
Wine Club Uncorked 