Intense wine with VM WR flavours but is sharper and more acidic. The flavour stands up to the acid but VM WR has a classier texture and will age better.

Would get a star but VM WR is half a notch up.

First bottle light bodied and pungent and the second rich, almost oaky with a similar but more restrained flavour. Villa Maria WR is also showing similar bottle variation with the last bottle so rich I couldn't finish the first glass.

The Ned, Goldwater and this years Jackson Estate also erratic.

Are these wines meant to be rich and restrained or light and flavoursome.

Mount Riley is the only constant of the blackcurrant/passion fruit style MSB's but sadly it's always rich

G, not many folks have undertaken the sort of new release evaluation of MSB at every vintage at varying release dates such as you.
Given the whole process, every stainless steel tank could be different by degree, some more different than others.

May be the 2012 harvest was erratic ? Rather than the wine production ! Different picking dates, different pressing dates, slightly different fermentation temperatures. The chemists can't cant get it perfectly similar every tme.

I don't think it is yet possible to make a wine, quite in the same way as Heinz make their Baked Beans (afterall, the actual taste of the harricot bean is a very minor part of the flavour ). I dunno - May be it is ?

I hope you are not too "put-out of sorts" by this variance this year. I'm damn near hopeless in judging a new release white wine, they change so quickly after opening. Spritz all over the place with some, I think you've chosen the hardest path to follow, when looking for particular attributes and nuances.

Good luck with them, don't give up.

_________________
Duncan

I don't think it is yet possible to make a wine, quite in the same way as Heinz make their Baked Beans

I'm sure Heinz do a Pinot Grigio

Ta for the reply.

Perhaps storage at this end also plays a part. I've noticed that the first bottle out of say three of the same wine/vintage ordered from wherever will be the closest to how I like it. The others will change. The more fragile ones like Saint Clair normally falling over and becoming apple juice and the bolder ones like JE becoming pithy/rich.

I will try and keep the wines at the temperature they arrive in. The 2011 Ned though was definitely different release different wine.

don't give up.

I shan't but I curse the day I discovered the no longer available Saint Clair Oh Block 6 cos i've been a very picky gog ever since. I used to be much more easily satisfied.

I even liked Oyster Bay....once

Pure boxwood now. Too much. Pungent and rich.