I'm here now. Sorry Mel, have absolutely no idea of things to do. The museum and zoo are perennial favourites. Boat trip to Baff maybe??

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Managed to get out of the trip altogether.

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mel

I'm down to roughly one bottle of MSB a month now.

I must be easily pleased

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Yep, Im still here.

Sampled over 2 nights, a simple fresh SB a little fat though as it didnt develop past the lemony stage just vanished with no 3rd dimension on the finish.
A nice enough drop for a picnic etc but wont buy this again.

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Use the force, your powers are weak.

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Yep, Im still here.

Just got some more. One of the more forceful facets of SB. In your face, but pleasant with it. I lunched on a 13 c bridge over the Monnow today. With a bit more global warming the locals will match this.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Im currently sipping on a glass of MacMurray Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir '07.

I cant make my mind up.....

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Yep, Im still here.

Have you come to a conclusion ? One of the problems with these vaguely affordable coastal pinot noir and chardonnay wines is that they all taste the same. Unless some wise guy oenologist decides to liquidise chunks of californian green oak with the chard, in which case they are dire. In recent years, they have been using a formular to achieve a bloody innocuous consistency for the no complaints, "shove it in a trolley" Mall market. Quick turnover, quick turn on investment scenario.

PN wines from Saintsbury use to be £7.99 to 18.99, now they are £20 - £50.
The western seaboard Americans spend big money on wines, and the cost of vineyards and associated investment is very big money and fashionable for the film stars to buy into now.

One cant help thinking the'd make less accurate and more beautiful and affordable wines, if they dumpted a load of this high end and massively expensive technology. But they are so addicted to this stuff, that they have forgotten the artform.

I'm not buying any of it now. I'll take a risk with an ugly duckling as she matures into a thing of beauty.

OK enough of this grumpy ole man stuff...... GK - How was that Pinot, and how much a bottle in the uk ? ($19.99/1.55) = sterling, but then plus heavy duty and vat on top of that !

Link - http://www.wine.com/V6/MacMurray-Ranch- ... etail.aspx

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Duncan

Strange one this Dunc, spotted it in Home Bargains for £3.99, I recalled the Producer and thought Id take the risk as the store is an hour’s drive away from where I live (was dropping off little one at grans for weekend) and there was no way of jumping online to research it.

The wine has decent concentration, it’s not a thin wine at all, and was quite closed when I first poured it, lots of wood, quite dry on the palate, soft fruit. I struggled to decide if it was passed it’s best or backward. The second night it was better, more fruit, nice texture in the mouth but lacking acidity and bite, vanilla and wood were trampling all over it. I certainly won’t be driving back for more.

They also had the MacMurray Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris '06, given the age I think I took an even bigger gamble on buying one of these too but PG can age if made in a particular style, big, concentrated and with a touch of oak. I haven’t opened it yet and don’t expect anything Alsatian but I’m keeping an open mind, curiosity got the better of me.

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Yep, Im still here.

Indeed GK, strange but true

The initial price was £23 dollars, but I notice the selling price of this in the States was discounted to $19.99 and the same retailer had Montes Alpha pinot noir 2007 up at $19.99 dollars as well.

The Montes is £10.95 in the UK retail, we deduce therefore that the price positioning for Chilean wines are discounted further in the UK than they are in the States.

£3.99 was certainly a big hit on someone's import profitability. I don't suppose you were too upset at your try-out price !

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Duncan

I’ve often wondered if HB (TJ Hughes) buys stock on the grey market, I don’t know how they come to sell this particular wine at the price they do. The Sonoma coast range is a step up from their Central coast range, they are a respected Producer with backing from Gallo*. The bottles are not cheap either, heavy, large punt, quality design, thick foil and natural cork. Throw in import costs, this wine should sell for at least £12 in the UK.

This is why I occasionally pop in to HB, you never know what you might find.



*Have Gallo got anything to do with TJ Hughes?

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Yep, Im still here.

Yeah, totally in accord with you.

The Sonoma coast range is a big step up, particularly at individual vineyard level. Producers with real dosh are in pursuit of Napa'ism these days.

I may have probably taken half a dozen of them @ 4 quid. The better Sonoma PN's do last well, even if acidity is a bit low. Acidity and Brett can multiply alarmingly and take over, so from that vantage point - a better risk.

Ok - too much wood, but then with fuller or more concentrated PN.... over time or with supper - not such an annoying minus factor per se'

Interesting - I'm always wanting to know more about the narcissistic vaigaries of the pinot noir wines.

Thanks for indulging me

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Duncan