From the cellar

Shortest Day Lunch

Almost 20 years ago, the much-missed practical joker and fortified wine expert, Tim Stanley-Clarke, created the Shortest Day Lunch, attended by his contemporaries in the wine trade and held on the nearest possible day to 21 December at London’s Garrick Club. On that day last year, we celebrated his memory in style.

For aperitifs, my Bride Valley, Blanc de Blancs 2014 was followed by a superb Pol Roger 2006 and marvellously mature Gosset, Grand Rosé NV, both in magnums. With scallops came an uplifting Dr H Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2014, a very fine Les Caves de la Colombe, Meursault 2015 and still-fresh magnum of Domaine Les Vieux Murs, Pouilly- Fuissé 1996. Roast pheasant paired with two lovely Burgundies – Hubert Lignier’s Morey-StDenis 2010 and a magnum of JF Mugneret’s Clos de la Maréchale, Nuits-StGeorges 2004 – as well as a notable magnum of Jonathan Maltus’ Les Astéries 2005. Cheese saw us admire both the 2008 and 1998 Léoville Barton. We ended on Gould Campbell 1977, just nudging the Taylor’s Port of the same great year, from Symington Family Estates, Stanley-Clarke’s long-term employers.