Made for Majestic.

Blackcurrant leaf and more blackcurrant leaf. Tart finish but who cares. This is proper Marlborough.

8.5/10 for the wine

7.5/10 for the value

Happier of Wales

The final offering in my climb of Mount Essbee. Nice, better than most, but doesn't quite pull it off. Somewhat unfair to make comparisons as my #1 is 2009. Lets call it =5th., Reach, JE, and Wither Hills =2nd. Vive le Ned, clear leader.

Ba, you are a true taster.

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mel

Enjoyable though this was it's the least of the Saint Clair wines. Avery's have the proper SC Marlborough 2009 and some say it's the best ever vintage of what is always a fantastic wine. But hard to get as none of the chains sell it.

Avery's have £25 off your first order. I might buy a case.

Avery's 25% off 12 wines of your choice is a far better introductory offer than Laithwaites or Virgin wines half price case offer of wines specially chosen just for you that always includes two sodding pinot grigios.

How marvellous of Laithwaites to choose pinot grigio just for me.

For fuff sake !

Ba is an extraordinary purveyor of opinion, These web folks who are passing, are massively indebted to him, for the vast array of stuff that he gives a go, and then says so.

I looked in at Avery's when the crunch was strong - some good, very good burgundy deals there 12 months ago - stocks here were high, so did't score. Prices rising fast after 31st Jan 09

Of Laithwaites, I'm tired of being offered their "Fantastic Customer Firm Favourites Selection" of All Bl**dy Time. I don't necessarily want them - thank you very much.
Just because a hundred million people want Oz black reds that will blow a huge crater in the ground - or searing SB that will bleach your wretched tea towels a starbrite white !

So.

That Dan Snook bloke has changed the ambience of Laithwaites - Can We Have A Soft Sell - please...... a padded cell perhaps

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Duncan

[quote="Goosegogs"] Enjoyable though this was it's the least of the Saint Clair wines. Avery's have the proper SC Marlborough 2009 [quote]

What is the "proper" one? The offer on their home page is the one that I had.

The Avery site is a nightmare...almost unusable...belay that, IS unusable.

They do have several SC though. One is 43 degrees, one something to do with "saws".
I had their intro offer some time ago and a few bits & pieces since. The mystery cases are quite good.

The one SC make for Majestic is ' exclusive to us ' say Majestic. The bottle just looks the same. They also taste quite different.

The Avery site is a nightmare...almost unusable...belay that, IS unusable.

Works lovely in firefox

Curiouser and curiouser. All these "blocks" and other names from the same people, plus different wines in the same bottles...

What does one do? one asks oneself.

I love St Clair SBs but their labelling is rather confusing. I see they've now made it clearer on their web site.

It goes (for SB):

1) White label -- is their top SB , has the word Reserve in small letters. Small production

2) Pioneer Blocks -- these are site specific wines with yellowish 'hand written' looking labels. The blocks are numbered and also named. Quite distinctive differences between them. I particularly like the Oh! Block 6, but there are currently 11 Pioneer Block SBs

3) Blue label SB - Premium Range

4) Vicar's Choice - inexpensive inoffensive NZ SB

I suspect the Majestic's own label is a rebadged Vicar's Choice, but there is an enormous amount of unsold wine in NZ and just as likely St Clair bought in grapes or wine and crafted/blended a cuvee for Maj.

Pontac, you are a very useful person to have around.

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mel

Yeah - I second that, and have already said so in the Mary Le Bow posting.

Knows his stuff.

Cheers mate.

Pontac, I recon you know SA - if you know anything about elegant and fragrant pinot noir from the Stellenbosch area - The traditional Hugenot's wine settlements - Ask for my email - Cheers

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Duncan

Stellenbosch is quite a large region and it doesn't have a reputation for Pinot Noir -- indeed Pinot Noir is very much a minority grape in South Africa, just 0.6% of vineyard area is planted to PN.

Of course, the first PN in South Africa was from Muratie Estate which is in Stellenbosch appellation and they have made PN ever since.

But I think for the best PN you need to go south to the cooler Walker Bay. Hamilton Russell pioneered top PN and other vineyards that later joined them in the Hemel in Aarde valley have also gained a good reputation for PN.

Regarding the Huegenots: the influence they had -- if any -- on winemaking is a contentious subject right now. I was doing some research on it.....

They were notallowed tosettel in Stellenbosch but made to live far away from civilisation in a dead end valley called Olifants (Elephants) Valley. This later gained the name Franschhoek (French Corner).

Pontac - you are in exactly the right area:

Pinot Noir from the Franschhoek valley, Paal, South Africa

A beautiful Pinot that was brought back on the plane for me to try.

http://ccgi.quaffersoffers.co.uk/QOforu ... pinot+noir

A new world grown fruit, but with with fragrance and elegance from bottle evolution, and a sediment. One that is associated with the Cote d'Or in style. For my palate, I don't want a sulphited, chaptalised, innoculated "MSG yeast" wine - they will never be beautiful to my way of thinking.

Pontac - Cheers, look forward to hearing about your research.

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Duncan

I think perhaps a new thread should have been started since we are way off the subject of St Clair...

Cabriere are known for their sparkling wines made by methode champenoise (known as methode cap classique or MCC) and that's why they grow PN and Chardonnay, for the fizz under the Pierre Jourdan label. But they do make 2 still table wines under the Haute Cabrierre label: , a PN/Chardonnay blend and PN and a SauvignonBlanc from bought in grapes under the Arnim label.

Quite nice PN I tasted last month at the winery, if only I could find my notes I'd tell you the vintage.

Cabriere are right at the back of the valley, first winery you come to if you descent the steep winding road down the mountains

Pontac - thanks, that is the winery.

If you find more on Pinot Noir from the Franschhoek valley, Paal, South Africa, and your TN when you were there; Please post with a new thread, and we can lift this stuff here over to the subject in hand.

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Duncan