The sun was shining in Cheshire when a large number of Commanders, their partners and guests descended upon the Alderley Edge Hotel for a wine tasting and lunch.
We were greeted with a chilled glass of Dourthe Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and it felt good to see so many smiling faces. How we have missed meeting up with both new and old friends.
At the tasting we tried two further white wines. These were Ch. de la Grave 2020 from the Cotes de Bourg and Ch. Doisy-Daene Sec 2019. Both wines met with general approval. We next tasted three red wines. These were Ch. Poujeauex 2013 from Moulis and Ch. Pindefleurs 2012 and Ch. Gaillard 2010 from St-Emilion. All three red wines were enjoyed as were the tasty canapés we consumed with them.
Before we started our lunch a ceremony of intronisation took place. Our intronisee was Mark Greaves. Having heard about his considerable merits from Commander Appleby we were unanimously of the view that Mark would be an excellent addition to our Commanderie.
Our starter was a fillet of sea bream served with jersey royal potatoes and a crab hollandaise sauce. This was perfectly paired with a long established favourite of our Commanderie Ch. Thieuley Blanc. The 2019 vintage we drank maintained the high standards set by this property.
With our main course of rack of lamb we drank Ch. Du Tetre 2008 a fifth growth wine from Margaux. This wine was rightly praised by our Maitre elect, Colin Smith, when he was called upon to comment about it. With a selection of cheeses we drank Ch. De Sales 2012 from Pomerol. Drinking this most enjoyable wine brought back many happy memories for those Commanders who were fortunate enough to enjoy a splendid lunch at this property in May 2018 hosted by Bruno de Lambert.
Finally with our pudding of thyme roasted peaches and strawberry ice cream we drank Ch. Coutet 2014 a premier growth wine from Barsac. For many attendees this was the star of the show and it marked a perfect ending to a splendid occasion. Roll on our next event.
