When I first heard about Cloudy Bay it was, I think, £11.99. According to the new Majestic offers, it is now £22, reduced to £17.59.

Goosegoggs, do you rate it? My last experience was particularly underwhelming. I remember rather liking the Chardonnay.

A lovely wine to serve at a dinner party, because even the most uneducated drinker has heard of it, but I'm not sure it would stand up well against others. Perhaps a blind tasting of the best MSBs. If we ever do manage to find a date that we can all do, perhaps we can start with that? There seems to be a bit of a white/SB theme going with you boys.

My supper's just beeped. Sorry, but it's a ready meal. They were on offer. TF Butter Chicken or Korma. Amelia gets first choice.

Why?

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mel

Cloudy Bay is/was £16.99 at Sainsbury. It's not my style of sauv. It's not herbaceous enough for me. More rich and tropical. I have always thought though that of it's type it was very good.

Just not my thing.

I am more Clifford Bay/Jackson Estate/Saint Clair/Waipara Hills.....where the blackcurrant leaves and the capsicums lurk.

Have I mentioned that I like blackcurrant leaf and capsicum

Talking of CB I still have some 93/94/95 in the cellar.

Anyone sampled these vintages recently ?? should really drink the 93 this year though.
Got wine friends booked in at the end of Nov so might open then with a Leoville Barton 81 to follow. Now that is a outstanding wine !!

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

No, but Id be interested to know if these are still drinking well.

Richard,

I don't think I can get my head around someone who had left Cloudy Bay Sauvignon blanc in the cellar since 1993. 16 years for a straight SB. In Pessac, a large amount of semillon is added to SB in order for it to be capable of evolving, and the fresh oak provides a structure to support the fruit, and even then..........16 years. The mind boggles .
I'd be amazed if that SB was not now like gently composted hay, with a distinct fino sherry nose, but none of the fino flavour .

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 1993 may be fairing a tiny bit better though. It was a small harvest so it may have been firm and concentrated enough. But even then, I would have drunk it by the Millenium at the very latest. I don't know ! Was there any oak in the Cloudy Bay chardonnay, if it is the chardonnay we are talking about ?
Surely Richard, this must be a typo - Do you mean 2003/4/5 ?

Leoville Barton is Saint Julien if my memory serves me well. a 3rd Cru classe is it ? I have drunk lesser years when they were bargains. I remember when I was in the money that the Barton's can remain asleep for ages, and you have to catch them right, I particular remember one that was so asleep that it was only ciggar box and pencil shavings - but that was my fault, I was trying to impress a host, I think it was an 87, and drunk at 11 years.

The 82's were spectacular, and we lushed out with much cheaper left bank on my 45th & 50'th, but 81's are they holding ? My memory says it was not a laying down vintage per se' (even for the top cru's) and I can't say I bought a lot of 81's even when I was in the money, because the petite chateau's weren't that great.

If you have many left, I'd enjoy before they go over.

That my two cents...

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Duncan

Duncan,

Hi, no typo !!
Dont know why I have left these for so long, but will open the 93 with friends on the 28th of this month to check.

Sorry been away for a few days for late relpy

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Will be very interested to see whether these are still drinkable.
Never heard of MSB being kept that long.

Cloudy Bay Te koko spends some time in oak and as a result is released a couple of yrs after their standard SB and I think can be kept a while

Assume it might be the same for JE Grey Ghost too altho not sure how much time either spend in oak

Still yet to give my 2005 Te Kokos a go yet

No probs Richard.

Pleased that you weren't offended, I was a tad brusque about your cellar neglect Your Leo Barton SJ is a 2nd cru classe'.

Enquiring minds - Let us know how that 1993 CB sauvignon tasted after 16 years in the rack

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Duncan

We did a vertical of CB a few years back - in the late 90s I think, and we had about 7 wines, not completely sequential. There was one particularly old one that had evolved to be a completely different wine, but in fact was good, but odd. Will see if I can lay my hands on the notes. 1989 rings a bell.

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mel

No, can't find it.

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mel

Thanks for looking Mel

Before Smith Haut Lafitte blanc got trendy and expensive (big investment there) it would tip over at 5 yrs or so, whilst La Louvierre from a good year could go 8 at a push. Espirit Chevalier blanc also tipped at 4/5 years or so and Carbonnieux maybe a bit longer. Tourteaux-chollet a 50 + 50 sb/sem mix was best at 5 or 6. Those were..... when I was in the pink, and white graves was not as trendy, I must have tried most of the affordable ones.

For me, chilled graves was all about fresh floral bouquet and sweet oak, with some body and nice mouth feel, oh yeah - until it got expensive and not available in the uk, as it was hitherto .

I really have no idea about cellaring New Zealand SB and their flagship CB - But 16 years ? => ?=> ?

So your vertical on CB '89 was at 8 / 9 years then.

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Duncan

Will email the host and get back to you.

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mel

Tricky....

Do you use Cellar Tracker ?
I see in the whole CT community there are just 1 (maybe 2) holdings of those vintages you have in your possession.
wondered if you're the guilty party

The oldest vinatges most recently tasted on the tasting notes there are around '98 and didn't really get rave reviews.

Think you're gonna need to drink (pour away?) all of these sooner rather than later.
Good luck tho - it'd be immpressive to hear that they have developed into something quite interesting

Shezza,

You got me thinking now !!

Will now do a small vertical on all three but its going to be messy as I already have a fizz lined up to start with plus the LB 81 plus a 78 Rioja plus pud wine between three of us !!!

Must get some headache tablets in stock now !!

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He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.

Fear not about headaches, give us the address and we can all be there in a couple of hours to save you (I'll get my Lincoln Greens out).