Celebrating in style

I write this following your recent discussions on cellaring wine. I recently celebrated my 60th birthday, with lots of friends and a quantity of 2009 Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz, including three magnums under cork. I’m happy to say that all were in perfect condition. The following week, at dinner with a much smaller group, it was time to open a magnum I’d bought in 1996 of 1991 Tahbilk 1860 Vines Shiraz. I’d stored it in the wooden box, heavily wrapped in bubble wrap, inside a standard wine carton to minimise temperature variation, but otherwise no special treatment, though the wine had been moved several times. On the day, I approached the wine with trepidation as it was sealed under cork and I knew the winemakers had decided against bottling under cork a long time ago given the uneven experience it had brought.

That morning, as luck would have it, I went to my local wine store and Tahbilk wines were on tasting – though not, of course, the 1860 Vines Shiraz. While talking to the winery representative, we agreed that the early 1990s were probably a safer bet for cork than later in the decade, and that 1991 was a brilliant year. That night, I decanted the wine as it had some interesting sediment. The first glass started very pleasantly, if not initially a knockout, but our collective relief that the cork had remained untainted was palpable. Towards the end of the glass, things were changing, and relief gave way to huge pleasure, as the power of this snatch of history overcame us. We were a group of eight, so there were two glasses apiece. The second glass was a triumph, with its smoothness, complexity and length. We guessed it still had a decade to live. None of us had tasted wine with that kind of provenance and it was an education to all. Apprehension resolved, patience rewarded, and thanks to the Purbricks for maintaining this amazing tradition that’s so well suited to special occasions!