What has happened here ?

Beautiful. Blackcurrant and more blackcurrant. Lashings of the stuff. The nose alone is worth the price.

Very Saint Clair Oh Block 6 in style.

Staggering stuff.

Yeah - staggering in disbelief

I was informed when in at my local last Friday, that it "appeared" that a change had been made by Brent Marris - but I didn't risk it on the tasting table and tried a LL Marsannay chardonnay, and the Nic Potel chard instead Did the '11 harvest SB characteristic force him to make something acceptable ?

£6.99 at Majestic can't be bad - Goose, I'll let you check for bottle variance before I allow that reformed character back into the stable, and even then, I'll need to cover it with a brown paper bag.

Brent now needs to change the label ! Seeing it, reminds me of sulphur. My mates will think I've gone a bit demented, if they see it lurking anywhere in the larder.

_________________
Duncan

Happy New Year, MrD !

Dunc...this is Saint Clair Block any Block you like.

Simple as

~~~ Huppie Hogmanay ~~~

Amazing - Wonders Will Never Cease.

_________________
Duncan

Bottle no2 bought at a different CoOp.

Same wine.

Buy one MrD, buy one..

About 10d is best.

The pungency fades if colder but still holds on.

Still a star for me.

That's just over 4p !

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

Well G, I've shaken your tree, and you're still coming back with a star ! So I will try, when I collect that Rob Gibourg Beaune, that I've been stalking.

Yeah, I wos miffed with 10d (4 and one sixth) so loft temperature will be fine.
Talking about dosh, don't forget that wholesale prices are moving after the third Friday this month (I believe). Majestic normally move on 1st February or (Monday the 30th).

Enjoy your week-end folks

_________________
Duncan

Just got in from watching Cardiff beat Pompey 3-2 after being 2-1 down. Opened another at room temp. This oozes that same pungent boxwood/grapefruit note as the PB 19 when warm. Tis lovely stuff.

I can't believe that none of you have tried this so i'm assuming that none of you liked it.

You probably served it too cold. It can't handle it.

Off to watch the snooker !

Huh ! - I rarely check out the talent when it's too cold for them to get undressed !

I will G, I will.......

Just parted with a ton twenty for the '09 beaune and some '09 Belleruche at my local. So give me a chance - Yeah, enjoy a sunny Sunday at the tables

_________________
Duncan

Some of that there boxwood too.

Lovely !

ok, ok!
I'll give it go...

Goose, I think you've bought an early release of this Huge volume wine.

Worth £6.99 - £7.99 is about it. Balanced, minor pungency, when measured against the stars we've done here - after you get over the spritz

I find the xtra xtra spritz very similar to Corona lemonade, a citrus and sherbet hit (lift) which is giving accelerated life, but I don't get boxwood or capsicum or anything exotic, such as lychee and fresh mango. Cant find any minerality (terroir wise), other than that which is induced by the acidity. I will go looking for that blackcurrant leaf.

It is pretty sweet, perhaps it is me after all the winter rhones, clarets and beaunes ! - my Misses liked it though

I feel sure that an early release may be different, in order to get the critics amused. I bought on 3rd March.

Please Check - in the meantime, I will try another, and report back. I served at my cellar temperature then allowed the bottle to warm in the kitchen for 40 minutes. Our kitchen is not hot - more skullery temp 18-20C.

_________________
Duncan

Again this Waihopai River MSB is much better the next day.

It has been in a refrigerator overnight, not a particularly cold fridge, but tightly re-sealed.

What is it with these. Who is spritzing these wines up ? Are they doing stuff in the bottling plant to eliminate oxydization ?

For £6.99 I now mark the wine with good value against the competition - When taken after decanting or 24 hours later. There are tropical fruit notes to be found, pungency has gone though. I'll look for that classic blackcurrant leaf. It is a fairly sweet style.

_________________
Duncan

Oh dear, again !

Ba didn't rate the developing Sacred Hill and you don't rate The Ned. I didn't get any spritz at all but will agree that I bought a fair number of early release bottles at £5.99. I just opened one bought on Monday for £8.99 ( no old stock left now ) and the flavour fades like Saint Clair 2009 when it was falling over. The first half glass was fine though and still no pop. This last bottle did seem sweeter...perhaps because the flavours faded

To drawing board back the a bloody again ...bugger !