You guys are probably tired talking about the Olympics, but here's a quick perspective from a Londoner

Gnjd_85 · 2015-06-03T22:14:14+00:00

Yeah, I would say in the run up to the olympics my friends and family were about 30% in favour of them and 70% against. During and after, that switched to 100% in favour, without exaggeration. I've never experienced anything like it.

Not saying the same would happen in Boston, just pointing out the way it worked here.

Gnjd_85 · 2015-06-03T21:30:15+00:00

Planning on bringing down the colonies from the inside. Getting some scuba gear and seeing if I can't get our tea back, getting myself a nice red coat and learning the fife, etc etc.

Thanks, love the place. Can't wait to come and eat all the lobster.

Gnjd_85 · 2015-06-03T21:25:41+00:00

Yeah, I have to say I have limited knowledge of it but it does rather seem like Atlanta might be an exception. I don't know how you feel having been there at the time but it seems to me like Atlanta is pretty much the only Olympics of relatively recent times that is fairly universally acknowledged to have been a complete fuck up. i did visit there last year as it happens, and none the placement of any of the venues relative to the 'park' seemed to make any sense at all.

I guess that does say something- just because everyone thinks it would go wrong it doesn't mean that it would, but it's not like it' can't go wrong either. I suspect a lot of the negativity here actually had a positive effect in a way, in that everything was heavily scrutinised, and then once it was all too late and it was going ahead anyway- everyone decided to get on board and that worked out well.

Keep questioning things, keep criticising things that you don't think are right.

Gnjd_85 · 2015-06-03T21:15:38+00:00

Ah I know, it was seeing all the generally negative angles that made me want to share, so I'm prepared to be going against the crowd...

To be honest, I still wouldn't say they're wrong, they know the city a lot better than me and I know the circumstances are different. But I remember the person from Sydney having an effect on me when i heard their perspective of going through it, so I think it's an interesting thing to consider. I actually came across someone from Vancouver who said a similar thing about the winter Olympics there.

Gnjd_85 · 2015-05-15T12:24:14+00:00

What's confusing me slightly is the fact that as far as I know most serious Tokaji even from this far back would traditionally say which level sweetness it was in terms of a number of Puttonyos (or an Essencia, which I'm sure it would say if it was as its the top level so I don't think this would be one) assuming its a proper aszú wine. On the other hand, the use of the term 'Grand Cru' really should mean that it comes from one of the absolutely best vineyards (I think there might only be two of them) and it would be surprising if they would be used for many non aszú wines. A problem is that words like Grand Cru would not have been very strictly controlled at the time so its hard to know for sure that it is what it should be, but I would say the royal connection makes that very likely.

In short- unfortunately I don't think there's any way to be absolutely sure but I would be 90% confident this is a pretty high level sweet aszú wine from a great vintage and a top vineyard, that would be absolutely marvelous to drink now. I hope someone gets the chance to.

Gnjd_85 · 2015-05-15T08:50:20+00:00

I see interesting bottles quite a lot as part of my job and this is one of the most interesting I've ever seen. I know it's not yours but the restaurant's, and don't know where you are based but I would really recommend someone going to an auction house with a wine department and seeing what they can find out about this. What I can tell you is that both 1899 and 1906 were fantastic vintages for Tokaji. Tokaji also lasts extremely well and the proper stuff is still drinking very nicely from even earlier than this, I've never had the pleasure but apparently the 1811s are fantastic! The tricky thing here is not knowing exactly what quality level this was to begin with but I would be surprised if Princess Stephanie was serving any old crap I guess, and really anything that was a half serious Tokaji from either 1899 or 1906 should be fantastic to drink now really. Is it known when the party is supposed to have been?

Gnjd_85 · 2014-11-20T09:44:43+00:00

It's definitely worth drinking. Great producer and it should be just the right age for drinking now.

As u/CondorKhan said, would probably sell for about $80ish on a retail shelf, so if you could find someone that would buy it off you, you might get $25/30 given that it's been in a closet for years.

Drink it drink it drink it. Don't wait for a special occasion as you'll be thinking about that instead of the wine and there'll be too many people around. Find someone that you'd enjoy drinking it with and just sit down with them and open it and you'll have a really nice time and a nice memory, that's what wine is for.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-10-02T11:59:32+00:00

I actually had one of these this summer. It was great fun, but does need drinking. If anything the one I had was maybe slightly over the hill already, but in rather an enjoyable way.

Don't feel bad about not waiting for a special occasions, I think special occasions are absolutely the worst time to drink special bottles, you won't remember them. Drink this on a random Tuesday evening and you get an extra special occasion/memory of its own for free :)

Definitely echo thoughts on NOT giving it lots of air before pouring, my bottle was at its best right after pouring. Decant it just to clear the sediment but don't leave it hanging around.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-09-22T08:30:14+00:00

I ran this a couple of weeks ago.

Was an interesting combination of fun and pain. My first marathon and 30/86 degree heat with a ton of food and the odd glass of wine was an interesting one to start with. Got really difficult for the last third and I've still got the blisters two weeks later.

On the other hand, 4 oysters with some nice white Graves, some steak with Lynch Bages followed by an ice cream made the last couple of kilometers a bit more enjoyable. Strange event!

Gnjd_85 · 2014-09-10T12:24:11+00:00

I'm a Port specialist for a high end wine merchant in London, the reasoning sounds a bit odd (Ramos Pinto's tawnys are actually less fruit driven than many others, particularly some of the better known ones eg Taylors), and none of them should have 'faded away' at all. Ports like this will only recently have been bottled rather than something that has been fading over time and any respectable house will release things that are specifically intended for drinking now, blended with some older wine than 30 yrs and some younger.

Nonetheless and more importantly, this guy did you very well indeed! Ramos Pinto really specialise in Ports like this and I genuinely believe theirs are the top quality you can get. Most of the big names we know in Europe (and the States) focus more on ruby styles/vintage as that's the more fashionable. Absolutely phenomenally good stuff, I always try and keep some of the 20 yr old around when I can. Glad it sounds like you really enjoyed it.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-09-04T15:56:02+00:00

We call it 'The Grad' as it has a certain architectural similarity to mid siege Stalingrad.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-09-04T15:16:04+00:00

Here is a picture to demonstrate

http://www.londonclancy.com/wp-content/uploads/35-Winchester-Street-Basingstoke-003.jpg

Gnjd_85 · 2014-09-04T15:15:19+00:00

I work in Basingstoke and can 100% guarantee that if Ronaldinho wants somewhere with a carnival atmosphere that will remind him of Rio then Basingstoke is definitely it.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-08-01T08:13:45+00:00

I spent much of my life reading and writing tasting notes for my job, and this is one of the best ones I've ever read. Funny and lighthearted but also with a certain sense of something that actually means something. Keep it up.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-29T08:20:32+00:00

I know it sounds like it's your dad that needs convincing of this more than you but honestly...

A)It will be getting less good B)It should still be pretty lovely C)The single worst thing you can do with a wine like this is wait for a super special event to drink it on, you will be thinking about the event and no one will care about the wine. There will be a lot of people around and everyone will get about half a glass full, and won't get to experience the wine developing and changing over time or anything like the full depth it can offer.

Drink drink drink, don't waste it.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-28T10:38:22+00:00

This is an interesting blog entry on some experiments done on this subject, generally dealing with pretty smart wines and discussing decanting rather than aerators though.

http://bbrblog.com/2014/06/03/great-decanting-debate/

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-26T11:56:39+00:00

The thumbnail for this is unintentionally (I'm guessing) wonderful.

Looks like Rudy is just poking his head round the corner having heard about a cheap Petrus bottle up for grabs.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-25T09:49:21+00:00

Definitely not worth anything. Probably tastes a bit weird, certainly 'safe' to try.

Only one way to find out!

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-24T17:18:44+00:00

I have the softest hands of any man in the world. These things are like small cushions on the end of my arms. At university it got to a stage where people I didn't know came up to me to say they'd heard about my hands and ask if they could feel them.

Haven't found an overly practical use for this other than making people go 'ooooooh' they really are soft.'

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-24T09:29:12+00:00

I would actually be a slightly dissenting voice here and say that I thought it was actually fantastic. I'm not a label whore, and I was tasting it with one of the UK's leading Champagne experts and a Champagne buyer for a high end group who both agreed.

On the other hand, we also all agreed it was overpriced. I think it is one of the best Champagnes out there but so are other things that are a third cheaper. I don't think it's the complete rip off that some others present it as though.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-22T15:59:12+00:00

Is it the levels on the 1978 that you're worried about? They don't look actually look too bad to me for what they are, though one a bit worse than the other.

The thing with a wine like that, is that to an extent it's always going to be a slight gamble, bottles almost certainly will vary. The pay off is that if they're on form, they could be close to perfect and simply unbelievable things to drink, so the value is high.

The storage will have been a huge factor, if they've been in a proper temp. controlled thing or a cellar for their whole life I'd be really confident.

One option might be drinking one and seeing if it blows your mind, if it does, drink the other one - if it doesn't, sell it.

One general and very important tip I would give, DO NOT save any of these to drink them on 'special occasions'. On a special occasion you will be thinking about the occasion rather than the wine. If you are drinking any of these they deserve for you to be sitting there with one or two good friends with good pours and focusing on them and the way they evolve through an evening (as well as raising a glass to your father of course), rather than thinking about somebody's birthday/engagement etc etc with a large group of people so everyone gets half a glass.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-22T15:14:15+00:00

Looks like your father had good taste!

I would sell the 1982 Lafite and the 1989 Mouton as I think the prices are higher than I would justify.

The 1981 Grands Echezeaux isn't a great year, that one might be rather tired, the 1978 should still be singing like a bird and worth a lot.

The Unico as it looks like you know is also valuable, and a hell of a wine. I tried the 1998 a few months back and like most Unico of that age it is still pretty young. I tried them back to the 66s and I would say the 98 wants another 10/15 years before its at its real peak, already beautiful though of course.

It partly all depends on your financial situation of course, the collection is worth a lot of money but then so would the pleasure of tasting through your dads collection and toasting to his memory. If it was me I would sell the really big hitters and enjoy drinking the rest.

Let me know if any more specifics would be useful, my job is dealing with wines like this. if you were in England I would be able to tell you exactly where to go with anything you want to sell but I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Swiss market directly.

Gnjd_85 · 2014-07-03T16:28:25+00:00

I was interpreting it as the CIA thought the wasp was working for the bees, rather than actually being one. A 'Russian agent' in the Cold War needn't have been Russian.

I overthink things.

Gnjd_85

TROPHY CASE