Congratulations to China; they certainly had no cash/personnel resource issues for the Olympic Games, but that’s not the same as delivering, and they delivered! Sport was the clear winner – apart from Taekwondo maybe…

What about human rights? Well frankly ‘the west’s’ higher ground is very shaky from the self-interest vantage points of Iraq and Georgia, though I do tend to side with Dan Wetzel ripping into IOC president Jacques Rogge for his naïve criticism and targeting of Usain Bolt’s antics after winning his medals – I loved every minute of it – it seemed Usain’s (non-competitive) competitors did too. The wider issues remained under the table!

Lastly, what the hell was that dirty green bus all about – I liked the music, but then I’m ‘old’ 😉 It looks like the world is in for a culture shock in London 2012. I suppose that you also noticed that Boris seems to be perfecting an impression of a buffoon, that, or he thinks he looks like Winston Churchill (aged 75) with hand in pocket…

• John Mariani again
• Dalai Labrador
• and-with-the-snail-porridge?

I’d never heard anything quite like it, and despite there being (still) several minutes of the morning left, I decided to get out of bed and check.

In the garden was this very pretty and wonderfully vocal zebra finch.  I presume it had escaped from its cage and would not be long for a world without hand feeding – even in summer – but it made (the last few minutes of) my morning…

How to balance your pig-in-a-blanket with your Dom Perignon…
I expect the marketing department at Moet will love these 😉

Bruce provides us with something just that little more elegant, but they are no pig-in-a-blanket solution!

People I’ve asked have been polarised about the style of this domaine, so time to check! Very nice presentation, even a half length capsule that shows the end of the cork – in this case it’s more than cosmetic as the cork shows the wine and vintage in small text at it’s base. I guess it’s unlikely that Thibault’s Hautes Côtes will be the focus of counterfeiters, but maybe his Richebourg…
2005 Thibault Liger-Belair, Hautes Côtes de Nuits La Corvée de Villy
Medium, medium-plus cherry red colour. The nose starts with quite a dose of high toast oak, but over an hour this moves more into the background to show a little bacon and slight reduction – even after a couple of hours I didn’t get to the fruit. In the mouth it’s ripe and sweet and the oak is very much in the background. Medium-bodied with largely hidden tannins and very nice acidity. The length is excellent and far from woody. Despite the oak style being my least favourite and the nose missing a little dimension, this is a delicious wine that’s nicely pinot.
Rebuy – Yes

Why not follow a Monts Luisants blanc with a Monts Luisants rouge?
2006 Jean-Claude Boisset, Morey St.Denis 1er Monts Luisants (Blanc)
Medium-plus cherry red. The nose is soft, heavy with cherry-red fruit that’s accented by faint white pepper. Fills your mouth with ripe red fruit that widens into the mid-palate and takes on a slightly savoury element. The acidity is perfectly balanced, lingering in the mouthwatering finish. Understated concentration and intensity. Very primary for sure though accomplished and tasty.
Rebuy – Yes

Ultimately meaningless, but I rather like the interpretation of this webpage as a graph!