Very pale. Looks watery and sharply acidic but the acid is well balanced. Very intense and very correct flavours of blackcurrant and not much else. No oak and virtually no skin contact and despite no talk of lees they must play a part here as there is a richness to the finish that perhaps kills any hope of a bit of boxwood or capsicum ever developing that would put this wine up there with the 2012 VMWR.

Blackcurrant lingers for ages. Impressive but a little boring.

87

Blackcurrant lingers for ages. Impressive but a little boring.

Impressive .....But. I recon I know pretty much how you feel.

State of the art modern methods, and very correct wine making - takes a certain interest, or individuality away.
In this respect, and having discussed the nuances of flavour, I've spoken to draft real beer makers in England who keep their very best, and their most interesting yeast cultures at (minus something C) in a vault.
The two I most remember, were Brewers who wheeled out a special from the vault once every year as a notable Christmas ale.

Should Saint Clair try something different for their basic ? - It's a marketing nightmare, perhaps not so frightening for lovers of the style looking for more, but have not made a large investment in the winery !

I have noticed that the 2013 MSB vintage is a straight down the line, pin striped and pressed trousers vintage. The marketing men will say that this sort of vintage is a huge success for the basic.

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Duncan