ewallo wrote:Drinking window: 4-8 years out, if you can wait that long....

As a matter of clarification, the 4-8 drinking window, is that for all three of the wines? Would the PV have more aging potential or are they all really about the same?

ewallo wrote:If you're old enough, please think back to the late 80's. Cab was around. Merlot hadn't been discovered yet (would come mid-90's). We decided to make a Bordeaux blend to planted all the main varietals, having never tasted a Petit Verdot (couldn't), Malbec (we're being imported from Argentina, etc. After seven long years [1 yr to plan + 1 yr to plant + 3 yrs to a commercial crop + 2 yrs in the barrel, Deborah (wife and partner) and I finally got to taste all these varietals. We found each unique and extremely interesting and immediately did a 180 and decided to produce each as a separate varietal.

I have a friend you said, "If I had a dollar for every Petit Verdot I've tastes............... well, I guess I'd have a dollar. They are very rare. When grown in to hot of conditions it can be flabby. But in typical Bordeax-like conditions, it creates a beautiful, spicy wine - very unique. It adds color and tannin to the blend. The other night we enjoyed a 1996 out of our library with roast pork and can confirm Petit Verdot ages well.

We're very happy we have Petit Verdot. The last couple years according to published stats, it has on average been the most expensive grape for wineries to buy from growers - even higher than Napa Cab. That's because there is so little of it and all the Meritage makers want a little for their blend.

Thanks for the reply. Would you mind commenting on 'the field'? I may only have tried the KR PV from woot, which tasted strongly of dirt.

MaxAlex wrote:I think I am safe this week. Only time & comments could change that. The reds I have had from this AVA typically feel sharp in my mouth. The smoothness you feel from its neighbors to the South are more to my liking. Hopefully the rats will have some great comments that might change my thoughts about choosing this woot.

WD, thanks for bringing so may different wineries and AVA's to our pallets.

Try some of the petite sirahs from Mendocino. Eaglepoint vineyard (their own, Rosenblum) in particular makes nice round blueberry-flavored PS

bkarney wrote:As a matter of clarification, the 4-8 drinking window, is that for all three of the wines? Would the PV have more aging potential or are they all really about the same?

These wines have about 2 yrs in the barrel and a year of bottle aging. Like properly made Bordeaux varietals, they will go through their ups and downs but several more years of bottle age will definately improve the overall experience. You're right that the PV could go out the longest. That is, of course, with proper storage which isn't always a given although increasing Americans are learning about cellaring. However, still don't see the British tradition of laying down a case of claret for a newborn to have on his/her 18th birthday.
Since 95% of wine is consumed within 48 hours of purchase, and only a tiny fraction of wine drinkers have ever tasted a wine more than 10 years old, a lot of the discussion about aging is much more theoretical than practical. Aged wines (the oldest I've tasted was a 1928) do require an adjustment of the pallet as you're trading off some of fresh fruitness for the patina and richness. To summarize a whole book "Vintage Charts" by MW Jancis Robinson when you're tasting a 3-4 yr-old newly released wine made from Bordeaux varietals, you're getting maybe a third, give or take, of its potential. But most can't wait!

*sigh*

The problem with offerings like this is i want 2--1 for now, 1 to cellar. But can afford neither.

*sigh*

MaxAlex wrote:I think I am safe this week. Only time & comments could change that. The reds I have had from this AVA typically feel sharp in my mouth. The smoothness you feel from its neighbors to the South are more to my liking. Hopefully the rats will have some great comments that might change my thoughts about choosing this woot.

WD, thanks for bringing so may different wineries and AVA's to our pallets.

Perhaps you could consider being a little more open minded about Mendocino. We have very similar growing conditions to Napa and Sonoma. In fact, about 2/3rd of the grapes grown in Mendocino end up in Napa or Sonoma labeled wines. In the last decade or so more Mendocino branded wines have done exceedingly well with the top competitions and critics. The Wine Spectator just did a story in its Nov 15th edition on Mendocino>
http://www.mendowine.org/documents/MWWC_Wine_Spectator_Nov15.pdf

Unfortunately Yorkville Cellars wasn't included as the writer focused on just six of the winemakers.

ewallo wrote:Perhaps you could consider being a little more open minded about Mendocino. We have very similar growing conditions to Napa and Sonoma. In fact, about 2/3rd of the grapes grown in Mendocino end up in Napa or Sonoma labeled wines. In the last decade or so more Mendocino branded wines have done exceedingly well with the top competitions and critics. The Wine Spectator just did a story in its Nov 15th edition on Mendocino>
http://www.mendowine.org/documents/MWWC_Wine_Spectator_Nov15.pdf

Unfortunately Yorkville Cellars wasn't included as the writer focused on just six of the winemakers.

Thanks. I do remember the story and printed it out to read it again. I didn't want to come off being closed minded; that truly is far from the truth when it comes to my wine consumption. I was looking for someone to help me in my decision making on buying this woot. I will wait for the reviews. Bottom line is that I probably will buy before Thursday comes along. Have a great day.

I received a $50 check today at work for nothing. And I am very intrigued by these since I have not had any of them as single varietal.

I am soooo close to the edge. The rats can whisper and I'm in.

Very, very tempted. My love of Cab Franc is well documented. I also love Bordeaux varietals that are underutilized. Just the fact that Yorkville produces a straight Carmenere means mad bonus points in my book.

I'm pretty full up on wine, though, especially in terms of stuff that needs a bit of aging in a temperature controlled environment.

The stats on the wines are interesting. All sub 14% ABV, pH varies widely between Malbec (relatively low) and the other two (relatively high), while the RS is at the higher end of dry, .4% to .5%. IIRC .2% is the dry threshold, so .4% might be noticeable depending on context. My concern is that the higher pH wines with a pinch of RS might be a little soft for my taste (i.e. not razor edged) and might not age as well.

So that's my question for the winemakers: what style are they shooting for with these wines and how structured are they. Is there a good dose of tannin and earthiness to balance the little bit of RS and higher pH of the PV and CF?

ewallo wrote:Perhaps you could consider being a little more open minded about Mendocino. We have very similar growing conditions to Napa and Sonoma. In fact, about 2/3rd of the grapes grown in Mendocino end up in Napa or Sonoma labeled wines. In the last decade or so more Mendocino branded wines have done exceedingly well with the top competitions and critics. The Wine Spectator just did a story in its Nov 15th edition on Mendocino>
http://www.mendowine.org/documents/MWWC_Wine_Spectator_Nov15.pdf

Unfortunately Yorkville Cellars wasn't included as the writer focused on just six of the winemakers.

I agree, when I was at Folie a Deux, I used a small percentage of Mendocino Cabernet in my Napa Cabernet to give the wine more varietal character. We still purchase Mendocino Riesling.

I'm in for 1. After that Iron Horse Cab Franc a while back, I've been hooked on the varietal. I love the fruit forward flavor. Nice to see it by itself.

kylemittskus wrote:I received a $50 check today at work for nothing. And I am very intrigued by these since I have not had any of them as single varietal.

I am soooo close to the edge. The rats can whisper and I'm in.

You'll never have the opportunity to try them at a lower price...

gcdyersb wrote:The stats on the wines are interesting. All sub 14% ABV, pH varies widely between Malbec (relatively low) and the other two (relatively high), while the RS is at the higher end of dry, .4% to .5%. IIRC .2% is the dry threshold, so .4% might be noticeable depending on context. My concern is that the higher pH wines with a pinch of RS might be a little soft for my taste (i.e. not razor edged) and might not age as well.

So that's my question for the winemakers: what style are they shooting for with these wines and how structured are they. Is there a good dose of tannin and earthiness to balance the little bit of RS and higher pH of the PV and CF?

In short, yes, we go for balance. These wines do have solid structure (see posting below this one). In the Yorkville Highlands at 1,000' elevation we have virtually the same season heat summation as Bordeaux. Yet we are about 10% cooler than the Alexander Valley. So, due to our terroir and by style, we are more European rather than the high alcohol Calif. wines from hotter areas. Most tasters can not detect the difference between 0.3 and 0.5 RS in a red wine, yet it can contribute positively overall

ewallo wrote:You'll never have the opportunity to try them at a lower price...

That helps a lot.

Plus, Gerard comes through with a very favorable volrat report.

I am most certainly in.

Is my credit card maxed out? Yep! Will it be paid off in a week? Yep! Am I tapping into next month's budget? Yep! Is my fiance going to hang me? Yep!

ewallo wrote:We'll look into this and get back to you...
Thanks for your interest.

Arizona has a regulation where to order wine you must visit the winery. Please see>
http://wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com/StateDetail.aspx?StateId=31

Thanks for your interest. Perhaps you can visit one day.

gcdyersb wrote:Very, very tempted. My love of Cab Franc is well documented. I also love Bordeaux varietals that are underutilized. Just the fact that Yorkville produces a straight Carmenere means mad bonus points in my book.

I'm pretty full up on wine, though, especially in terms of stuff that needs a bit of aging in a temperature controlled environment.

Thanks for the mad bonus points
We truly deserve them. Out of over 500,000 acres of wine grapes in California there are only 59 acres of Carmenere (versus over 13,000 in Chile). It is an extremely late ripening grape and most farmers don't want to mess with it. It take big kahunas like we have in Yorkville!

Edward; is each varietal 100% of that grape or is there a small amount of blending you do for taste/profile purposes?

ewallo wrote:Arizona has a regulation where to order wine you must visit the winery. Please see>
http://wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com/StateDetail.aspx?StateId=31

Thanks for your interest. Perhaps you can visit one day.

Are sure (relly sure) you don't see that wooter standing in your winery as we speak?

Someone mentioned temperature controlled storage,and I just bought thermometers today to check temps in my basement.What do I need for medium term storage?I have been buying lots of wine lately,don't know how long I can keep from drinking them but plan on keeping some as long as I can.

I was NOT going to buy any more wine for a while,but I think that RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! on this one.

crabbyman22 wrote:Someone mentioned temperature controlled storage,and I just bought thermometers today to check temps in my basement.What do I need for medium term storage?I have been buying lots of wine lately,don't know how long I can keep from drinking them but plan on keeping some as long as I can.

I was NOT going to buy any more wine for a while,but I think that RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! on this one.

IMHO, the most important thing is keeping the wine protected from significant temp swings. generally speaking, reds like it at 55 and whites at 43-48.

Oh yeah, I assume you were just asking about temp, but being protected from damaging light and 60%-70% humidity are important as well (especially for long term)

ewallo wrote:Arizona has a regulation where to order wine you must visit the winery. Please see>
http://wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com/StateDetail.aspx?StateId=31

Thanks for your interest. Perhaps you can visit one day.

Thank you for getting back to me, most appreciated!

jwink wrote:Are sure (relly sure) you don't see that wooter standing in your winery as we speak?

haha I was just thinking this same thing.

jwink wrote:Edward; is each varietal 100% of that grape or is there a small amount of blending you do for taste/profile purposes?

Excellent question. Regulations are that to put a varietal name on a wine label, it must be made of 75% or more of that varietal. (side note: a lot of low priced wines use this as a way of lowering their cost as they put 75% Cab in and then add a much less expensive grape to purchase like Rubired).

When we produce each varietal each vintage, we do try adding small amounts of the other varietals (more like adding salt or pepper) to see if it enhances the complexity and appeal. But the basic test is: Can we improve the wine while remaining what could be called varietally correct ?
Malbec kinda like Pinot Noir is very touchy and doesn't generally like other grape varietals blended with it. Ours is typically 100%, as is this 2006 vintage. Even a little of some other grapes begins to shift it away from the true Malbec characteristics.
This vintage of the Cab Franc has a tiny amount of Malbec in it because during our blending trials, it added some additional fruit favors and didn't get in the way of the traditional Cab Franc aromas and taste. Our Petit Verdot is often 100% but this vintage has a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. In some artful way that you really can't explain it improved the taste while keeping it unmistakably Petit Verdot.

ewallo wrote:Excellent question. Regulations are that to put a varietal name on a wine label, it must be made of 75% or more of that varietal. (side note: a lot of low priced wines use this as a way of lowering their cost as they put 75% Cab in and then add a much less expensive grape to purchase like Rubired).

When we produce each varietal each vintage, we do try adding small amounts of the other varietals (more like adding salt or pepper) to see if it enhances the complexity and appeal. But the basic test is: Can we improve the wine while remaining what could be called varietally correct ?
Malbec kinda like Pinot Noir is very touchy and doesn't generally like other grape varietals blended with it. Ours is typically 100%, as is this 2006 vintage. Even a little of some other grapes begins to shift it away from the true Malbec characteristics.
This vintage of the Cab Franc has a tiny amount of Malbec in it because during our blending trials, it added some additional fruit favors and didn't get in the way of the traditional Cab Franc aromas and taste. Our Petit Verdot is often 100% but this vintage has a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. In some artful way that you really can't explain it improved the taste while keeping it unmistakably Petit Verdot.

Oh, gribblesnarf. That's the wrong answer. Shoulda checked before buying; I was assuming 100% to help on My Quest.

Glad I only bought one; I'll hide them away and forget about them for now.

JOATMON wrote:Oh, gribblesnarf. That's the wrong answer. Shoulda checked before buying; I was assuming 100% to help on My Quest.

Glad I only bought one; I'll hide them away and forget about them for now.

Not sure what your quest is. Yet suspect you may it impossible to find another winery in the world that grows in the same vineyard and produces all six of the main red Bordeaux grapes as separate varietals.

ewallo wrote:Not sure what your quest is. Yet suspect you may it impossible to find another winery in the world that grows in the same vineyard and produces all six of the main red Bordeaux grapes as separate varietals.

I'm trying to join the Century club using only 100% varietals. I was hoping all three of the offering were 100%; it turns out only one is.

Any chance you could slip in a 100% varietal vintage into my order instead?

Before I fill my new 500 bottle wine cellar, is a five degree swing 53-58 over a two day period too much? The temp varies outside here in Texas from 25 to 80 in two days. Thanks for the help, I could tear a wall down and isolate it better (if I have to,).

Joatmon,

If you are looking for 100% Cabernet Franc, it's a very common varietal in Virginia wine. I don't have a specific winery for you to look at that has 100% Cab Franc, but there are a number of Virginia wineries that bottle a Cab Franc so there's a good chance that one of them has a pure CF. I'd start at Linden as they have a particularly good Cab Franc, though I don't know if it's 100% or not.

Back to the thread, I'm on the edge of ordering this... Always been a fan of Cab Franc and Malbec; Petit Verdot not so much. It's probably worth it just for the other two though so I'll probably end up ordering.

Like everyone else, I'm on the edge about this one. I like cab franc, although i've only had a few. i'd say i dislike most of the malbecs i've tried...they tend to be too fruity with no body or balance.

the petit verdot, on the other hand, is the most interesting. i've only had one in my life. bought it at the ballentine winery in napa valley and it was delicious. both me and my SO loved it...if anything does it this round, it'll be the petit verdot. (i would've loved to labrat that one, but i think i'm a day late and a dollar short)

burrnini wrote:Like everyone else, I'm on the edge about this one. I like cab franc, although i've only had a few. i'd say i dislike most of the malbecs i've tried...they tend to be too fruity with no body or balance.

the petit verdot, on the other hand, is the most interesting. i've only had one in my life. bought it at the ballentine winery in napa valley and it was delicious. both me and my SO loved it...if anything does it this round, it'll be the petit verdot. (i would've loved to labrat that one, but i think i'm a day late and a dollar short)

Would be willing to bet that you'd like this Malbec. In our tasting room where people get to taste these side by side, the percentage who don't like the Malbec is very tiny.

These are relatively new releases, so they do not yet have accolades. But prior vintages of these from our same vineyard have won many gold medals and double gold medals in the major wine competitions and as high as 93 points. That's why to consider purchasing from a small-lot, vineyard designated north coast producer - every bit of TLC possible is put into the wine.

treznor70 wrote:Joatmon,

If you are looking for 100% Cabernet Franc, it's a very common varietal in Virginia wine. I don't have a specific winery for you to look at that has 100% Cab Franc, but there are a number of Virginia wineries that bottle a Cab Franc so there's a good chance that one of them has a pure CF. I'd start at Linden as they have a particularly good Cab Franc, though I don't know if it's 100% or not.

Back to the thread, I'm on the edge of ordering this... Always been a fan of Cab Franc and Malbec; Petit Verdot not so much. It's probably worth it just for the other two though so I'll probably end up ordering.

That's kinda the point, you never really know if a wine is 100% of one varietal. Of course, the French, as one example, have found that there are many sets of grapes including those from Bordeaux that make a better wine with some blending - more interesting, more complexity.

ahhh... the itchy trigger finger...

cab franc and malbec... so in.

Looks like a WD winner again. But I'll wait on the Ratz to figure how many to order.
~glad I waited for Ratz and got 2 sets of the O'Neill offering- 3 bottles down and 3 to save~

burrnini wrote:Like everyone else, I'm on the edge about this one. I like cab franc, although i've only had a few. i'd say i dislike most of the malbecs i've tried...they tend to be too fruity with no body or balance.

the petit verdot, on the other hand, is the most interesting. i've only had one in my life. bought it at the ballentine winery in napa valley and it was delicious. both me and my SO loved it...if anything does it this round, it'll be the petit verdot. (i would've loved to labrat that one, but i think i'm a day late and a dollar short)

That's funny that mention the Ballentine Petit Verdot, I have 7 bottles of that in my wine cellar.

I love all three of these varieties when done correctly. I might wait for the rats to see how many I order but I'll definitely be in on this offering.

JOATMON wrote:I'm trying to join the Century club using only 100% varietals. I was hoping all three of the offering were 100%; it turns out only one is.

Any chance you could slip in a 100% varietal vintage into my order instead?

Maybe you could lower your standard merely to varietal-labeled wine? Blended is usually better. It seems like a winery lacks creativity when a wine is 100% varietal.

JOATMON wrote:I'm trying to join the Century club using only 100% varietals. I was hoping all three of the offering were 100%; it turns out only one is.

Any chance you could slip in a 100% varietal vintage into my order instead?

Just curious as to your thinking here... this would leave many of the greatest wines, and winemakers, out of your collection. If someone were to give you some Cheval Blanc, or Phelps Insignia, or any of hundreds of great wines at all prices would you exclude them?. Seems an odd criterion for a collection -- but if it makes you happy, it's cool. Good Luck in your quest!

dylandog wrote:Just curious as to your thinking here... this would leave many of the greatest wines, and winemakers, out of your collection. If someone were to give you some Cheval Blanc, or Phelps Insignia, or any of hundreds of great wines at all prices would you exclude them?. Seems an odd criterion for a collection -- but if it makes you happy, it's cool. Good Luck in your quest!

Here's a Century Club thread. It doesn't mean he doesn't drink anything else. It's not even a collection. It's just a yes, I've tried 100 varietals thing. Most of us are more lax in what we count and not demanding of 100%

I'm in for two. Thanks for the "Birthday" coupon Woot!

In for one. How can I resist the name?

My brother planted PV last year. Anxious to try some.