21 Club Lunch

Report of MW 21 Club Lunch held at The Oxford & Cambridge Club, Pall Mall (8 October 2018)
Twenty MWs and Penny Richards, Executive Director, sat down for the sixth MW 21 Club Lunch to be held at The Oxford & Cambridge Club in Pall Mall, enjoying Sole and Prawn Terrine, Supreme of Guinea Fowl and a Cinnamon and Orange Cheesecake. Four new members from the 1997 crop joined the Lunch for the first time, Rebecca Hull MW, Laura Jewell MW, Jane Masters MW and Sabrina Sykes MW. We were delighted that once again both David Burns MW and Colin Anderson MW made the effort to attend the lunch and they received their MW pins from Penny numbered 009 and 014 respectively. Bollinger Special Cuvee was served as an apéritif.
As ever there was an eclectic collection of wines brought to the table. Mature whites included Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot 2005 from Ravenau, a 1997 Erdner Treppchen Riesling Spatlese from Dr Loosen and a 1955 Gruner Veltliner from Austria (brought by Lynne Sherriff MW but discovered by Dr Josef “Pepi” Schuller MW ). The New World appeared with Hancock’s Fiano 2017 from McLaren Vale and an Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2016.
Claret dominated the red wines with a Magnum of Ch Angludet 2012, Ch. Gazin 2002, Ch. Brane- Cantenac 2001 while older Cabernet wines were Buena Vista 1990 from Carneros and Brands Laira 1981 from Coonawarra. Pinot Noir appeared from Burgundy, Chile and Australia; and Chateauneuf du Pape from Beaucastel 2008. Italy was well represented from Sicily to the Valtellina and especially by a serious Barolo 1978 from Fratelli Barala.
A sweet end to the lunch was provided by Samos and Vin Santo, both from 2007, and a Borges 30 year old Malmsey.
We will be welcoming the MWs who passed in 1998 to their first 21 Club Lunch in October 2019.