Event: Happy birthday Roy

[Marco D.]

Fifty years old? Let's see... that makes your birth year 1957.... hmmmm, tough year for birth year wines, no?

Congrats and have a great birthday!

[Al B.]

Happy Roy Day!

I've had the Maury - gave it 89 points but too sweet for more than a glass or two or maybe three . . .
The house Maury is now a 28 whatever you call it when they keep adding stuff to the mix, Solera or Sombrero or . . .

Seriously, happy birthday Roy. As we say in Greek, Na ta katostesis (may you make a hundred)

Ted,

I'm really interested in your comment as Maury wines are not often seen in the UK. This particular wine is a single year vintage from grapes harvested in 1945 and then kept in Barrique for over 50 years - not sure exactly how long it was in barrel as there is no bottling date (but the label clearly says the wine was in barrique for over 50 years). From the state of the cork we estimate that it was probably bottled a couple of years ago.

Also, your comment on how the wine you tried was too sweet for more than a glass or two is a real contrast from what we found with this particular bottle. We were commenting on how the acidity and touch of VA made this a very madeira-like wine.

I know virtually nothing about Maury as a region or as a style of wine but it seems to me that your description and our experience might demonstrate two very different approaches to wine-making.

Thanks for the comment!

Alex

[Bjørn Tore Aastorp Ruud]

Happy birthday Roy, or as we say in Norway " Gratulerer med dagen".
I opened a Taylors LBV 2001 to join the party.

[Richard Henderson]

Happy Birthday Roy! The Henriques 1957 Madeira is supposed to be great. I plan to open one for my wife's 50th this year.

[Bjørn Tore Aastorp Ruud]

Roy.
I put the Taylors to rest in the decanter for tomorrow and opened a half bottle o f Rozès LBV 2001. Have a good one.

[Frederick Blais]

Happy Birthday Roy!

Cheering atm with a 2002 Perrières Meursault from Bouchard, amazing white! You deserve it!

[Stewart T.]

Andy and I met up with Alex mid-morning in downtown Seattle, and we decided to take a tour of the Pike Place Market. We sampled some of the wonderful Rainier Cherries from the fruit-vendors' stands and around lunch decided that we'd better eat up in preparation for the evening's wine activities.

Like moths attracted to the flame, our wine radar veered us into "The Tasting Room" (http://www.winesofwashington.com/) in Post Alley. This tasting room is a consortium of six Washington State wineries, and I thought it would be fun for Alex and Andy to try some of our state's wines.

We decided to forego the tasting notes for any of the wines below, but ordered a couple of tasting flights and some food to nibble on. The Salumi cured meats and the cheese plate were great, but the dessert wines with paired chocolates turned out to be a great choice.

We tasted the following wines in the "Staff Pick" flight:

2004 Camaraderie Cabernet Franc
2004 Apex Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Rich Harvest
2003 Wilridge Winery Merlot
2005 Harlequin Wine Cellars Pinot Noir
2006 Latitude 46 N. Gewurztraminer

We also tasted the following wines in the "Dessert & Chocolate" flight:

2004 Apex Ice Wine Gewurztraminer
2001 Wineglass Cellars Reserve Port
2006 2006 Harlequin Wine Cellars Late Harvest Chenin Blanc
2004 Apex Cellars Late Harvest Semillon

Finally, we tried the follow wines in the "Wine and Cheese" flight:

2005 Apex Savignon Blanc
2004 Latitude Merlot
2004 Camaraderie Syrah

A special thanks to Jen at The Tasting Room, who made our tasting fun and memorable with her great sense of humor and great recommendations.



After the Tasting Room, we hiked ALL THE WAY next door to Kells, a great Irish bar in Post Alley (http://www.kellsirish.com/). We dined on Irish stew, and Alex and I sipped a "2007" Magners Irish Cider, while Andy opted for the "2007" Guinness.

Ample warm up, we hope, for the evening's tastings.

[Andy Velebil]

Wow, Alex and I look like a couple of robbers coming out of Kells

[Axel Probst]

As we are a very international family: all the best from Germany as well to your 50th birthday.

All the best and many more to come

Axel

[nicos neocleous]

ROY,

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!

Your humble friend & Port brother,

Nicos

[Vinotas]

Happy Birthday Young Man!

We'll try to open something yummy in your honor!
Cheers! :twisted:

[Stewart T.]

A small group gathered on Friday evening to share some wonderful wines and some great food.

Andy has been drafted to recount the evening and post tasting notes on the wines, but we thought we'd post a short teaser to give you an idea of what a fun evening it was.

2002 Hanzell Chardonnay
Ramos Pinto White Port
1985 Krug Champagne from magnum
2003 Joh Jos Christoffel Erben Urziger Werzgarten Reisling Auslese
1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
1999 Cadence Tapteil
2003 Vallegre Douro Vinhas Velha
2004 Niepoort Batuta
1985 Chateau Lynch Bages
2001 Karl Lawrence Reserve
1982 Penfolds Grange Hermitage
1997 Henschke "Hill of Grace"
1952 Presidential Golden White Port
1957 Barbeito Boal Madeira
1999 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
1971 Pedro Ximenez PX

We will follow up this summary post with a more detailed accounting of the evening, but we have to head out and start getting ready for this evenings' festivities at Kaspars.

More photos and recounting of Friday evening to follow!

[João Rico]

Happy Birthday Roy,

Half a century is a remarkable achievement. From the country were the Port wine has born i really salute you and thank you for what you've been doing to Port and to my country. So....keep up the great work and hope to coun t on you for another...let's say half a century more?



Um Forte Abraço,

João Rico
Portugal

PS - Been Fishing all day long so unfortunately i will not opena anything today but tomorrow i will, in your honor.

[Andy Velebil]

Well, its almost 1am. Stewart and I just got back to his place after an incredible Cohleita tasting. In addition to the great dry wines we had, a couple 1940 Cohleita's were the youngest Port we had One more day to go and I cannot wait, as their will be a number of Ports from the 19th century well, its time to get my rest for day 4......more later

[Andy Velebil]

WOW, Stewart and I just got back to his place. We both are a bit...well Although there will be an article later, here is what we drank...

1935 Barros White Colhetia (Bottled specially for this tasting, and one of 2 bottles that exist in the world!)

1815 Royal Oporto (Bottle date unknown)
1815 D. Antonia A. Ferreira (Bottle #16)
1853 Whitwams Reserve King Pedro V Colheita (Bottled by Niepoort in 2001)
1863 Royal Oporto (D. Antonia A. Ferreira)..Possibly bottled in 1890???
1890 AJS Da Silvas Colheita
1900 Ferreira Reserve Colheita
1900 Borges & Irmao (Bottled in 1947)..(recorked in 1982)
1910 Andresen (Bottled in 1973)
1912 Niepoort Colheita (b. 1976/1977...label partially missing)
1920 Calem (Vinho do Porto) Colheita (B. 1943)
1927 Constantino's Colheita
1931 Niepoort Garrafeira (decanted in 1938..bottled in 1979)
1957 Barros Colheita (B. 2001)
1957 Kopke Colheita (b. 2002)


The following are the dry wines we had at dinner. Sorry for any spelling errors or mistakes...

2005 Alvarinho "Portal de Fidalgo" white
2001 Hanzell Chardonnay
1972 Chateau Musar
1978 Chateau Musar
1989 Vina Ardanza Reserve Rioja
1999 Kanonkop Pinotage (South Africa)
2003 AP Vin Pinot Noir Gary Vineyard
1996 Romanee St Vivant
1983 Chateau M. Rothschild
1989 Chateau Pichon Longueville Pauillac
2003 Cote Rotie "Ogiea"
1997 Quilceda Creek Cab. Sav. "Champoux Vineyard"
1997 Seghesio Barolo (From Italy, not California)
1997 Ramos Pinto "Duas Quintas" Reserva
1991 Camus Special Selection Cab. Sav.
1997 Eberle Faso Cab. Sav. reserve
2003 Northstar Merlot Walla Walla Valley

OMFG what a night..I am exhausted and my bed is calling....see you all in a couple of days after I recover.

[Dave Johnson]

Happy 50 Roy. man, i'm glad i'm not that old.....................

[dave leach]

wow andy and stewart, pretty lame lineup. couldn't you guys do a little better?

dave

[Andy Velebil]

wow andy and stewart, pretty lame lineup. couldn't you guys do a little better?

dave

We'll try to do better next time

[Roy Hersh]

Andy is being modest as that list was just one of the days' events. Andy, please feel free to share the "other list" as well.

[Andy Velebil]

Stewart already did, but put it into a new thread by accident...we were too tired and drunk to fix it last night...so here they are again.

SATURDAY's fun

For the Port tasting, we did a great horizontal of 1937 and a few 1938 and 1940 Colheita Ports:

One of only two existing bottles of "Roy's Blend" - 50% Kopke 1937, 20% Kopke 1957, 20% Kopke 1967 and 10% 1984 Kopke, this started us off and then we dove in:
1937 Fiest
1937 Burmester
1937 C. da Silva
1937 Niepoort
1937 Noval
1937 Ramos Pinto - older bottling
1937 Ramos Pinto - younger bottling
1937 Rocha
1938 Kopke
1938 Barros
1938 Moreira
1940 Kopke
1940 Barros

Dry wines:

Broadbent Vinho Verde (white)
1998 Richebourg
2003 Longboard Vineyards, Russian River Dakine Vineyard
2003 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines
2004 Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines
1995 Le Bonheur "Prima" (South Africa)
2002 Clos Mogador (Priorat)
1990 Caymus SS Cab Sav.
2001 Chryseia Douro
1997 Penfolds' Bin 707 Cab Sav
2004 Quinta das Maias Reserve White
1996 Quinta dos Roques Touriga Nacional (Dao region)
1998 Chateau de Beaucastel CDP
1997 Tignanello
2002 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Combe Aux Moines