Finally !

An Awatere MSB that surpasses Villa Maria's Clifford Bay Reserve. Light, medium bodied, silken textured wine with upfront tomato leaf and bramble fruit. A bone dry finish with a gorgeous, lingering aftertaste of capsicum.

Perfect balance.

Now we see the massive gulf between them, as Marlborough develops, the stark contrast between the scrubland wines and mixed up stuff around the unsuitable parts of the region and the Climats and Lieux dits that have been properly established by the likes of Astrolabe, Saint Clair and the Villa Maria reserve wines on the black label.

This will mean that there will in the future become areas where a proper cru may be established. The difference in pleasure is astonishing, and I'm affraid that those growers and producers who are going for quality and terroire will command a significant premium. It is inevitable. Oz Clarke has already exposed the situation but didn't name names, when he flew over the region and saw all the new vineyards, some on unsuitable ground or too high an altitude for ripenning.

Whether Vavasour and Goldwater can still make a lovely style at the old £7.99 / 8.99 price tag I do not know. Enjoy Mr G, but to get to the style and quality and those amazing flavours you look for in a good MSB may become a bit more of a luxury in the future.

I wonder what the Astro basic will be like on the 2012 vintage ? Villa Maria single vineyard Taylors Pass is certainly an impressive effort on the '12 vintage, a good example of a Lieux dit.

Enjoy

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Duncan