RSR Rendez-vous December 1997
AGM
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I’ve just come back from the AGM. Held at the Casino de Hull. Nice place .. fancy building, beautiful grounds with a huge reflecting pool, lights, fountains and vistas. Dinner was fun. If you had black lettering you were having the roast beef, red you got salmon. Clever. The food was good, or, as good as it gets when you try and serve 250 odd people at the same time. Don’t try this at home, trust me!
There was the usual speech making, no, make that unusual, the speeches were mercifully short. Nifty door prizes and various awards. I was astonished that Howard Weld (That’s Doctor Weld actually) handed me a plaque. Go figure, a dentist passing out plaque. Usually they remove it using a fiendish torture instrument that uses cosmic rays (or something) to heat a thingamajig (sorry for the technical terms) hotter than the surface of the sun to burn it off..along with collateral mouth flesh.
Now I can..
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We got the election results. I’m now a director. Thank you to everyone who made that possible. I realize it’s a responsibility which I’ll try to live up to. On the other hand are there perks? Does this mean that I can now write about race-cars in this column? Heck, I’m going to try this out right now. Race Car! Speed! Tire Smoke! Skid!!
There, I feel much better. (What an opportunity for an Editorial commentthis is!).
Holiday Wines
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Since we’ll be into the Christmas Party scene by the time you read this, and because I was chided by Barb Martin, I’d like to share some of my favorite Porsche wines (sic) with you at this most appropriate time of year.
Wine : Chateau N’apas de Turbo (Red)
Don’t let the “napas” fool you. This wine isn’t from California. This vintage varietal comes from the lakeside district of
Beaconsfield. De Turbo is pleasant to the eye and features deep but subtle undertones; not a big wine, but powerful nonetheless. Noteworthy qualities are very long legs, moderate nose and a very fast finish. Napas de Turbo is one of my favorites at any time of day especially in the summer sun and country like atmosphere of a race track. Sadly, it is costly but those who have sampled it consider it very good value for the money. Best years are 1996 and 1997. The ’98 is also superb but much more costly.
Available from: If you need to ask you don’t really want it.
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Wine: Chateau PasdePneu (Red, White)
PasdePneu is very dry wine. Remarkably, the red and white have identical characteristics, a very unusual trait. It’s complex with a remarkable range of sensations. It first caresses you, tantalizes then excites, leading to greater expectations of pleasure. Sadly, the finish is not as good. Tannic undertones rise to the surface and it leaves a
bitter taste in your mouth. In its favor, PasdePneu is quite inexpensive.
Available on a limited basis at Le Shack (Mt-Tremblant) only on DEW weekends.
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Wine: Cabernet Sus-pension (Red)
A delightful wine. Full of surprises. Very smooth most of the time, it occasionally startles with a pronounced bounce! A firm and supple wine derived from the Cabernet grape. Foxy, a very small nose understates the delightful coil over coil complexity. The finish is very smooth, with perhaps a slight leaning towards being pushy. Still in all, a very fine
wine which is a delight at most times. Its the perfect before dinner sip, and should always be drunk between 7 and 8.
Available: Le Circuit Mt-Tremblant Qc
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Wine: Namerows Leap (Red)
A very complex red, Namerows exhibits a very different character than most full bodied reds. This wine starts very quickly and suddenly slows to a rather drawn out finish. At first blush, your taste is uplifted then, rather suddenly, the taste slows and twists on your tongue. The finish is slow but not to worry, after a second or two, another sip will
speed your pallet to another high. A very big wine, long legged, with a big nose, usually pointed to the right at the first taste and to the left for the finish.
Available: Le Circuit Mt-Tremblant (exclusive).
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Wine: Wertzdammencostlyparts (white)
What summary of fine wines would be complete without a fine white from a location near the Porsche dealer. Wertz (for short) is a soothing drink, served at slightly less than room temperature. Ideally “sang-froid”. Slightly sweet I find it the perfect before dinner drink, especially after I’ve collected my car from the service bay of my favorite Porsche Garage. Its fruity blend with woodsy undertones will caress away any bitterness. While not inexpensive, it’s
well worth the price. Curiously, it does not vary in price with vintage, with prices being quite similar from the late sixties up to present.
Available at QLC and OLB outlets near Porsche dealers.
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Wine: Bin 9-64 et al (Red, White)
The origins of this wine are unclear. The name suggests “Down-Under” but the bottler does not reveal its source. This curious product changes designation from one vintage to another, although not every year. For instance the 9-64 was never available in 1964, since it was first produced in 1989. This might suggest a lengthy aging process, but the quite similar Bin 9-93 was introduced in 1994. Don’t be mislead into thinking that the 9-93 is harsher because it is actually much smoother that the -64. Labelling oddities aside, these are outstanding wines, perhaps the best ever. On my personal P-wine scale, these are 99/100. Exciting at the start with a lovely nose, first impressions are never disappointed. Your taste is rewarded with a growing pleasure and a very strong finish. Highly recommended. Note the recently introduced 9-96 might be a little young and a little patience might be prudent.
Available: Porschefans Wine Club www.ninewines.com
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Happy Holidays to all!
Bob