edthebedhead wrote:Priced at ??

Free.99!!! Thanks WD!!!!! ;)

MarkDaSpark wrote:Sometimes, if you haven't labratted recently, WD will make you a labrat if you order early enough. (I just wish he had done so on the Sadler-Wells offer and not the Chaucer Mead offer last year).


And since there has been no second clue from WD, it's probably Mandolina.

It will be a Trio, since BH has a well-known Jazz Trio.

I'm not so sure. After I made that shot in the dark guess, I went and looked through past offerings. Mandolina has been up twice, and both times it was 4 bottles at $40. It's going to be a night of battles for me. Do homework, or screw off....stay up until 1am or sleep....

and as always, to buy or save...

kylemittskus wrote:Punishment suggestions?

Just like Santa, I'm sure WD keeps copious notes on who rats and who doesn't and the deadbeats will be reported to the big-man so they can get coal in their stocking next year.

I have noticed that lately it seems he tries to get diversity into the group and many of the rats have lower blog posts than the more active members. So it may partially be a tactic to get more opinions and new participants into the forums as well.

Cathy, Thanks again for your input both written and liquid

ahaslett wrote:I'm not so sure. After I made that shot in the dark guess, I went and looked through past offerings. Mandolina has been up twice, and both times it was 4 bottles at $40. It's going to be a night of battles for me. Do homework, or screw off....stay up until 1am or sleep....

and as always, to buy or save...

And it's officially a snow day! Thank you UNH

Less 1 labrat, I'm still in for 2 sets. Today is the third time in 18 years I've seen snow in middle GA... kewl.

psmurf wrote:Less 1 labrat, I'm still in for 2 sets. Today is the third time in 18 years I've seen snow in middle GA... kewl.

I saw that when I was geeking out on the radar maps earlier this evening. How much did you guys get? We're looking at 12-15", maybe more...

bhodilee wrote:mandolina is more likely

Here's hoping. I just recently finished my last bottle of Toccata.

ERMD wrote:Cathy, Thanks again for your input both written and liquid

My pleasure!

Almost to the bottle, 1/3 of the total production of these two wines @ 200 total cases are in the cellars of wooters.

ahaslett wrote:I saw that when I was geeking out on the radar maps earlier this evening. How much did you guys get? We're looking at 12-15", maybe more...

A couple inches in places, and some melted as it fell. But I broke about 2 inches of frozen snow/slush off my car this morning before work.
Schools were shut down(roads were fine though).
Having lived in MI for 16 years, this didn't bother me... and although it was kinda nice for a change, I'm glad I moved to a better climate(HOT summers though).

mgdsh wrote:The thing is, those rat bottles aren't cheap or easy to setup. Each one is overnighted and is basically given out for free.

Are you kidding? If sending out a couple or even a few bottles of wine overnight on a deal that will sell hundreds or thousands of bottles is a hardship, maybe Woot should re-examine its business model.

In addition, the labratted bottles, which are provided by the winery, aren't valued at retail; rather, they cost the actual production cost without markup or middle-men.

The labrats are an incredibly inexpensive promotional tool, considering the minimal cost to the winery compared to the potential sales increase of a few good rat reports. I'm surprised that they don't send out two sets on normal sized woots, to insure a wider response.

rugrats2001 wrote:Are you kidding? If sending out a couple or even a few bottles of wine overnight on a deal that will sell hundreds or thousands of bottles is a hardship, maybe Woot should re-examine its business model.

In addition, the labratted bottles, which are provided by the winery, aren't valued at retail; rather, they cost the actual production cost without markup or middle-men.

The labrats are an incredibly inexpensive promotional tool, considering the minimal cost to the winery compared to the potential sales increase of a few good rat reports. I'm surprised that they don't send out two sets on normal sized woots, to insure a wider response.

yep. Agree with you 100%. Great marketing tool.

[Labrat - late shipment]
I labratted the 2005 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Helios. Lots of sediment on cork and around rim. Color is deep purple. The nose is initially closed, but hints of cassis and sasafrass. Initially, the same on the palate. Lots of structure, good acidity and a long finish with noticeable tannins. This is a wine that needs time to breathe at this stage and food. With some air, and salami, crackers and creamy cheeses, more fruit evident, but tannins also so. As it develops, a long finish devlops with vanilla and oak, which "piles up" the more you drink. Overall impressions: this struck me as a traditional style cab - not catering to a new-world palate, but made for food. The wine has good structure which needs time in the bottle to develop. I will wait a year or so, and serve with hearty fare.

does anyone know where you can order more helios cab online??

brunnals wrote:does anyone know where you can order more helios cab online??

Only available in the tasting room so you'll have to go see Cathy.

Winedavid39 wrote:Heads up:
The warehouse was short about 30 orders worth of Helios wine. They were received from the winery today and will ship out tomorrow.

Thanks for the headzup. I've got 2 separate WW orders to arrive tomorrow, so now I look forward to possibly getting 4 of these fine bottles probably next Thursday.
~seems all my orders arrive on a Thursday- probably a Southern East Coast shipping thing~

UPS has lost my order.

Notes from the trip. This was March 9th...After lunch we stopped at Cathy Corison’s winery. We looked at the great Krono’s vineyard around her facility and went in.
 2005 Corazon Gewurztraminer. Honeysuckle nose, tart and crisp. Definitely a food wine. $30, 86 points
 2007 Corazon Rose. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, interesting but not great. $24, 85 points
 2004 Helios Cabernet Franc. Nice, fully developed wine, good CF character of rich intensity. No green peppers here, but a nice rosey redness. $32, 88 points
 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, supple lingering flavors, intense. Licorice, cassis, quite nice. $75, 89 points.
 2004 Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, deep and supple, this is an earthy and intense wine. I was impressed. $125, 91 points.
Our group was not as impressed as I was. When you take these offerings compared to Montelena’s cabs they took second place, but they are all different wines. And the tasting was free when I mentioned Woot!

Daystar wrote:UPS has lost my order.

It's now 4/6. Still no replacement order or tracking number.

Edit: Have the tracking number. Thank you for making good on this Woot. It wasnt fun dealing w/ your CSR's but at least it's being replaced. Thanks.

Enjoying this tonight... mmm mmm