Not the Composite, Pathway or Resolute. Just MSB.

Beautiful nose of passion fruit, guava and green capsicum suggests a big flavoursome wine.

On the palate all the flavours are there but it's strangely subdued. A sign of age perhaps. The empty glass reeks of a SC PG but at no temperature can I get as much flavour as the nose promises.

Nice dry ( any sweetness comes from the fruit as opposed to the sugar or is that just the RS in balance ) , light/medium bodied wine for all that and I would buy the lot at £5.99 or less but £9.99 is too much.

When cold there a distinctive flinty edge to it.

Flint is a manly smell.

Unlike meadows.

I had the Ara Pathway '09 over the weekend, pretty good, better on the second day, nice and limey, laid back, quite restained, is this the style for the region?

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Yep, Im still here.

Cardiff got thrashed.

Jones must go. Three years on the bounce City have bottled it at the death.



2nd bottle. How it was meant to be I guess. Blackcurrant, vague capsicum and oak. Oak overwhelms the wine. I expect the Saint Clair Vicar's Choice at Waitrose will be the same. SC always has these flavours and the VC is ' weighty and rich ' according to Bob.

Dunc.......how do you rate the Villa Maria Cellar Selecton 2010. What other MSB is it most like ?

Cardiff got thrashed.
Jones must go. Three years on the bounce City have bottled it at the death

That's about a third of the footys in the land. Yeah just got in just saw the result. Surprised I was, yes. Was looking forward to a blood-bath agin the White boys.

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

Jones likes the older, established players. Problem is, this often attracts the journey men looking for a fat salary before they retire.

Shame, nice guy by all accounts.

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Yep, Im still here.

Goose, I am unable to report. The week-end wayback at the end of January, when I was planning to acquire Cellar Selection 2010 at big T, I found VM Reserve Wairau Valley 2010 at Majestic at the pre VAT and pre general inflation mark-up price, and also less 20% as well.

So - No contest on the buying aspect.

If I remember, the Reserve WM was similar money, and I didn't have to take six to get anything meaningfull off the CS price at big T.

I have a nice array of MSB stashed in the dark. I must take a buying holiday - I must.

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Duncan

No worries, MrD

Tesco now have VM CS for a massive £11.49. Too close in price to SC PB and dearer than JE at full price.

JE Stich 2010 gets a 90 off Bob. I would have rated it 87 but as I say. i've been spoilt by better wines. Perhaps i'm no longer a fair judge of JE.

personally, I'm struggling to give anything for 2010 a score of 90 and above...

the PB 21 is probably the only one I've tried so far that I think is worthy
2010 vintage just doesn't seem to be to my liking

My strategy this year has been all about buying wines that I've rated in '09 or '07 at the offer price, or in January & February when VAT and trade inflation had not kicked in. So I have VM reserve MSBs bought at prices considerably less than middle rank CS above, BUT, no Saint Claire 2010 wines yet as the '09s are waiting patiently

As for glugging MSBs, the VAV '10 is holding the fort, while a couple of VAV '09s have been held back for special supping. The Waitrose in colaboration with Villa Maria '09 has been ok when drunk at friends (£6.49 at the mo), well, nothing to complain about, and Goldwater '10 when on offer was a nice deal. Not tried JE10 yet - just waiting.

For '10, I also think Bob C's scores appear to have been on the high side, yet much more reliable for us here, than Decanter's rating. I believe that: Rating by points assumes that your judgement is able to factor-in your points awarded from the best (enjoyable) and worst (disappointing) of the last 5 vintages or so, and therefore; Very Tricky Stuff, when you get near the top.

I thought Craggy Range Old Renwick '09 with that superb minerality should have got a silver (yet by comparison to others) - But Decanter, a commended ? They are factoring-in a populist & price component.

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Duncan