Identical to the 2011 at the same stage. Dry, quite rich with strong blackcurrant bud and no minerality at all. Like an overpriced Touraine. The 2011 turned into a great wine. As should this.

Hi G,
TF,PF Sounds quite good then, considering 2011 was a wash-out, and the wine was like an SB and carrageenan Jelly - You said ! And the '12 was jolly hard work, the growers said. Preumably you did not take advantage of the 20% off two cases of T Finest and Free delivery on orders over £50, to get your TF Puff. The last Puff '11 I had recently, not Tesco's started with an oily feel in the mouth, zero pungency and tasted like very dull Muscadet - but did improve on day 2.
G - You drunk the '11s at two years on. Alright on the night, as it were.


Whilst talking Pouilly Fume and the Loire valley in general, you may know that singles of Arnaud Lascelles PF 2013, now a perrenial Waitrose listing, is now available at £9.66 until next Tuesday - I think.
Jolivet and others say that 2013, although a decent, almost Indian summer here, still presented many problems for Sancerre and PF growers - very late budding as well. The warm end to the season, late September and up to 7th October for the best vineyards, and there was grape bunch end rot due to warm and moist conditions under foot - picking out by hand the damaged grapes on a sorting table at the illustrious domaines ! Some bulk affordable producing properties picked early and added sugar ! Said Jim on his Loire blog

Have you ventured on to the 2013 Loire yet ?

Talking NZ SB, We knew that the new Villa Maria WV reserve should be very ok, cos some of us found the Cellar Selection 13 at the Co-op for £7 and it had all the necessary attributes but was fizzy, so your confirmation is duly noted.

Everything 13 from the northern hemisphere is very spritzee just now, I was carrying the A. Lascelles PF'13 back from Waitrose, I went to put the bottle into my stock, and I could have been looking at a flute of older champaigne when I got the bottle out of the bag. . . . . . . .

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Duncan

I've not had a 2013 Loire sb yet. The TF PF needs time. I wouldn't buy it again for at least a year. The VM is very good but would be better still if VM did away with the lees. Not so food friendly without the decaying yeasty bits I suppose.

I have Goldwater 2013 to try.

We are at odds on this more recent lees aging that Villa Maria receives, and I wonder if VM Clifford Bay is also (now) matured on its lees. The ** extra weight from the lees is sought after here, but it has to be done correctly of course, the weight in my view balances a vintage which otherwise may be unbalanced due to excess acidity.
Perhaps I'm not an MSB purist in this respect.

"I wouldn't buy it again for at least a year" I'm coming to that conclusion if only to repair my thoughts on the Loire 2011 vintage ! Well, at my budget end of the wines that I would buy. I never thought I'd be saying this yet I've been having much more pleasure in consuming the two year MSBs from that vintage recently. Giesen's ** "The Brothers" 2011 is a prime example, and cheaper when on offer. You've got to feel sorry for the Loire growers, well I do. I'm hoping that Loire 2013 does actually deliver for them, and in spite of their small crop as well.

I've never had a problem consuming Astrolabe or top Saint Clair with food, we just don't pick anything dull & stodgy for a starter ! Maybe I'm serving IMHO a suitable chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc based on instinct and 40+ years at it.

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Duncan

Had one last week...not impressed. Too young ? Will improve ?

Would value a second opinion (even one from the wild west).

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