Based on all of the valuable comments, I'm in for one! Got to fill up the wine cooler and it sounds like all of these offerings will be great. Nothing like a case of wine to take the chill off of the -23 degrees I woke to this morning.

There are two wine consumers in this house; he who buys and she who imbibes. This review of PELLEGRINI 2008 Russian River Valley Zinfandel will have both our opinions, but will be written from my (the imbiber) point of view. I clarify because I can only be considered an oenophile in that I love wine but am, by no means, a wine aficionado or connoisseur. That being said, I love a good zin, usually much more than by better half. I was super excited to see that we were tasting the Pellegrini and couldn't wait for the fun to start.

As I put the bottle in the wine fridge to hang for the afternoon, I gave myself a little high five for changing my menu plans for the evening. I had planned on curried lentils, but after finding out we would be doing our tasting, I banked on red and went for spaghetti. This is not your throw some sauce together and open up a bottle of 2 dolla holla, but an all day affair of flavor building - beginning with San Marzano tomatoes, copious amounts of garlic, grass fed beef, fresh herbs... you get the picture. I bet well, as I don't think anything matches a good tomato sauce like a spicy zin.

We opened the bottle at 7pm and let it "breathe" for about 30 minutes before our initial pour. Husband put 2 glasses in front of me for a taste, one straight from the bottle and one using the Vinturi aerator. I was not overwhelmed by the nose. It wasn't unpleasant at all; on the contrary, it was lovely, just very subtle. There was the obvious berry, with a hint of floral and cinnamon, and as time passed through the night, some amaretto. My palate was happy from the get go with both, but could definitely taste a positive difference in the aerated glass. Both had nice body and flavor, but the aerated glass was more like a nice body that had just taken a yoga class. It was looser, more smooth, and the flavors met you with a confident calm. Don't take this for a soft wine, though. The flavors have some boldness and to my palate, a bit of tartness as well. Husband said, "It's not your straight forward, jammy, hit your tongue with a shovel California Zinfandel." Like a good wife, I concur.

At the open 1 hour point, we sat down with our spaghetti, alongside simple greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette, and some crusty olive bread. The Pellegrini paired beautifully with our food. I thought the salad brought out a hint of citrus in the wine (although that could just be lingering lemon on my tongue!), but my overall impression was a very tasty wine that had richness to balance the acidity, big fruit, and a nice peppery finish. Husband was very content, although I don't think he liked it quite as much as me. He thought the Pellegrini showed complexity, and detected notes of blueberry, amaretto, and said something about 'a little butter cream with spice'. Pellegrini did a lovely job in crafting a very approachable zin at a great price point, especially with the Woot offer. It definitely piqued our interest in their other varietals. The sampler they are offering here seems to be a great way to, well, sample! We can always use the white for cooking! ;)


[STAFF MOD: I gather this is an official labrat? Correct me if I'm wrong.]

mrkevinkiley wrote:The sampler they are offering here seems to be a great way to, well, sample! We can always use the white for cooking! ;)

Excellent report.

mrkevinkiley wrote:There are two wine consumers in this house; he who buys and she who imbibes. This review of PELLEGRINI 2008 Russian River Valley Zinfandel will have both our opinions, but will be written from my (the imbiber) point of view. I clarify because I can only be considered an oenophile in that I love wine but am, by no means, a wine aficionado or connoisseur. That being said, I love a good zin, usually much more than by better half. I was super excited to see that we were tasting the Pellegrini and couldn't wait for the fun to start.

As I put the bottle in the wine fridge to hang for the afternoon, I gave myself a little high five for changing my menu plans for the evening. I had planned on curried lentils, but after finding out we would be doing our tasting, I banked on red and went for spaghetti. This is not your throw some sauce together and open up a bottle of 2 dolla holla, but an all day affair of flavor building - beginning with San Marzano tomatoes, copious amounts of garlic, grass fed beef, fresh herbs... you get the picture. I bet well, as I don't think anything matches a good tomato sauce like a spicy zin.

We opened the bottle at 7pm and let it "breathe" for about 30 minutes before our initial pour. Husband put 2 glasses in front of me for a taste, one straight from the bottle and one using the Vinturi aerator. I was not overwhelmed by the nose. It wasn't unpleasant at all; on the contrary, it was lovely, just very subtle. There was the obvious berry, with a hint of floral and cinnamon, and as time passed through the night, some amaretto. My palate was happy from the get go with both, but could definitely taste a positive difference in the aerated glass. Both had nice body and flavor, but the aerated glass was more like a nice body that had just taken a yoga class. It was looser, more smooth, and the flavors met you with a confident calm. Don't take this for a soft wine, though. The flavors have some boldness and to my palate, a bit of tartness as well. Husband said, "It's not your straight forward, jammy, hit your tongue with a shovel California Zinfandel." Like a good wife, I concur.

At the open 1 hour point, we sat down with our spaghetti, alongside simple greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette, and some crusty olive bread. The Pellegrini paired beautifully with our food. I thought the salad brought out a hint of citrus in the wine (although that could just be lingering lemon on my tongue!), but my overall impression was a very tasty wine that had richness to balance the acidity, big fruit, and a nice peppery finish. Husband was very content, although I don't think he liked it quite as much as me. He thought the Pellegrini showed complexity, and detected notes of blueberry, amaretto, and said something about 'a little butter cream with spice'. Pellegrini did a lovely job in crafting a very approachable zin at a great price point, especially with the Woot offer. It definitely piqued our interest in their other varietals. The sampler they are offering here seems to be a great way to, well, sample! We can always use the white for cooking! ;)

WOW, great write up. You may push me over the edge or at least call one of my local Wine.wooters to split a case. Thx...

so where are all the LABRATS??????????

I pray this stuff is great. Was just informed by SWMBO I will not be allowed to order anymore for a while.

Pellegrini Family Vineyards Mixed Case StatisticsSpeed to First Woot:4m 38.637s
First Sucker:jimjacks66
Last Wooter To Woot:jseife2

losthighwayz wrote:so where are all the LABRATS??????????

Indeed. We've only heard from two of them.

What about drink now vs let it Age on the Pinot?

I don't need any more wines to age!

kylemittskus wrote:Indeed. We've only heard from two of them.

Cab report should be available in a few hours. Pacific time here, and I had plans last night =X

mrkevinkiley wrote:There are two wine consumers in this house; he who buys and she who imbibes. This review of PELLEGRINI 2008 Russian River Valley Zinfandel will have both our opinions, but will be written from my (the imbiber) point of view. I clarify because I can only be considered an oenophile in that I love wine but am, by no means, a wine aficionado or connoisseur. That being said, I love a good zin, usually much more than by better half. I was super excited to see that we were tasting the Pellegrini and couldn't wait for the fun to start.

As I put the bottle in the wine fridge to hang for the afternoon, I gave myself a little high five for changing my menu plans for the evening. I had planned on curried lentils, but after finding out we would be doing our tasting, I banked on red and went for spaghetti. This is not your throw some sauce together and open up a bottle of 2 dolla holla, but an all day affair of flavor building - beginning with San Marzano tomatoes, copious amounts of garlic, grass fed beef, fresh herbs... you get the picture. I bet well, as I don't think anything matches a good tomato sauce like a spicy zin.

We opened the bottle at 7pm and let it "breathe" for about 30 minutes before our initial pour. Husband put 2 glasses in front of me for a taste, one straight from the bottle and one using the Vinturi aerator. I was not overwhelmed by the nose. It wasn't unpleasant at all; on the contrary, it was lovely, just very subtle. There was the obvious berry, with a hint of floral and cinnamon, and as time passed through the night, some amaretto. My palate was happy from the get go with both, but could definitely taste a positive difference in the aerated glass. Both had nice body and flavor, but the aerated glass was more like a nice body that had just taken a yoga class. It was looser, more smooth, and the flavors met you with a confident calm. Don't take this for a soft wine, though. The flavors have some boldness and to my palate, a bit of tartness as well. Husband said, "It's not your straight forward, jammy, hit your tongue with a shovel California Zinfandel." Like a good wife, I concur.

At the open 1 hour point, we sat down with our spaghetti, alongside simple greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette, and some crusty olive bread. The Pellegrini paired beautifully with our food. I thought the salad brought out a hint of citrus in the wine (although that could just be lingering lemon on my tongue!), but my overall impression was a very tasty wine that had richness to balance the acidity, big fruit, and a nice peppery finish. Husband was very content, although I don't think he liked it quite as much as me. He thought the Pellegrini showed complexity, and detected notes of blueberry, amaretto, and said something about 'a little butter cream with spice'. Pellegrini did a lovely job in crafting a very approachable zin at a great price point, especially with the Woot offer. It definitely piqued our interest in their other varietals. The sampler they are offering here seems to be a great way to, well, sample! We can always use the white for cooking! ;)

what a great review! How long have you been waiting to use this sentence, "Both had nice body and flavor, but the aerated glass was more like a nice body that had just taken a yoga class" ?
I will definitely buy tomorrow, hope there is something left for me.

GBrunner321 wrote:

I was a lab rat on the blend. I had my father taste it as well since he has a more sophisticated wine palate than me. He felt it was very light bodied, not hearty and a bit tangy. I liked that it was light bodied and felt it was pretty smooth (he disagreed on the smooth part). I am not a big red wine drinker (I definitely prefer the whites) but I liked the lightness of this one and the fact that the taste wasn’t over-powering.

what red wine is your review based on?

Eastcoastmary wrote:what red wine is your review based on?

Pellegrini Family Blend NV (Non Vintage)

cynthylee wrote:Based on all of the valuable comments, I'm in for one! Got to fill up the wine cooler and it sounds like all of these offerings will be great. Nothing like a case of wine to take the chill off of the -23 degrees I woke to this morning.

-26 here south of st. paul. you must be a fellow sufferer.

mrkevinkiley wrote:terrific rat report

It seems as if the best rat reports begin with sentences such as...

"I clarify because I can only be considered an oenophile in that I love wine but am, by no means, a wine aficionado or connoisseur."

Eastcoastmary wrote:what a great review! How long have you been waiting to use this sentence, "Both had nice body and flavor, but the aerated glass was more like a nice body that had just taken a yoga class" ?

Yes - that was the best line in an all-around great writeup.

tomatillo wrote:-26 here south of st. paul. you must be a fellow sufferer.

For me, that would induce some serious frozen bottle fear.

NightGhost wrote:For me, that would induce some serious frozen bottle fear.

If you can get above the "Mendoza Line", then you may achieve the safe zone...

Otherwise:

We received the 2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'll preface this rat report by saying that, while I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount from the WW forums, I only started really drinking wine less than a year ago, and my palate is relatively unsophisticated. I do actually enjoy both fruit bombs and more restrained bottles (e.g. Caton and Corison, ha), but I don't have a great vocabulary for describing what I smell or taste.

OK, enough preface.

The fridge is set to 58 degrees, and I opened the bottle immediately after pulling it out. At this point I had also prepared NY Strip steaks for the SO and I with garlic smashed potatoes. So.

How is the wine?

Lighter in color than I expected. Red-purple under good light, with reddish edges. The wine is not opaque. The nose is restrained. Honestly, neither of us could identify anything except alcohol, and even that was muted.

A swirl in the glass, and the wine has some legs, but they're nothing to write home about... In the mouth, I thought the wine was light- to medium-bodied. There's some red fruit there, but it's quite restrained. Minimal acidity, definitely no RS. After some preliminary reading, I was looking for chocolate but couldn't find any. Tannins are there but also restrained, and there's some heat on the finish albeit nothing unpleasant. I wish I could add more, but we sort of struck dry...

Bottom-line? The SO, less polite than I, says, "It tastes like water. Alcoholic water with tannins." For me? It was a great treat to be a labrat, and the wine made for a nice excuse to have steaks for dinner. But with Caton, Corison, and Wellington in my cellar, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it, and I won't be jumping in on this Woot. Sorry, WD.

P.S. We do have a decanter and have used it for wines that were obviously too young - big, boisterous bottles, excessive in their heat or fruit - but I didn't really feel that decanting would help the Pellegrini. So we didn't bother. YMMV.

michaepf wrote:

We received the 2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'll preface this rat report by saying that, while I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount from the WW forums, I only started really drinking wine less than a year ago, and my palate is relatively unsophisticated. I do actually enjoy both fruit bombs and more restrained bottles (e.g. Caton and Corison, ha), but I don't have a great vocabulary for describing what I smell or taste.

OK, enough preface.

The fridge is set to 58 degrees, and I opened the bottle immediately after pulling it out. At this point I had also prepared NY Strip steaks for the SO and I with garlic smashed potatoes. So.

How is the wine?

Lighter in color than I expected. Red-purple under good light, with reddish edges. The wine is not opaque. The nose is restrained. Honestly, neither of us could identify anything except alcohol, and even that was muted.

A swirl in the glass, and the wine has some legs, but they're nothing to write home about... In the mouth, I thought the wine was light- to medium-bodied. There's some red fruit there, but it's quite restrained. Minimal acidity, definitely no RS. After some preliminary reading, I was looking for chocolate but couldn't find any. Tannins are there but also restrained, and there's some heat on the finish albeit nothing unpleasant. I wish I could add more, but we sort of struck dry...

Bottom-line? The SO, less polite than I, says, "It tastes like water. Alcoholic water with tannins." For me? It was a great treat to be a labrat, and the wine made for a nice excuse to have steaks for dinner. But with Caton, Corison, and Wellington in my cellar, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it, and I won't be jumping in on this Woot. Sorry, WD.

P.S. We do have a decanter and have used it for wines that were obviously too young - big, boisterous bottles, excessive in their heat or fruit - but I didn't really feel that decanting would help the Pellegrini. So we didn't bother. YMMV.

Thank you for a good rat! So, it's not good, but how might this compare to a $10 bottle you might buy from a store?

richardhod wrote:Thank you for a good rat! So, it's not good, but how might this compare to a $10 bottle you might buy from a store?

We talked about that some...

I think $12 for the bottle would be fair. It wasn't bad - it wasn't overly sour, or bitter, or anything really negative. And it was fine with the steak. But I generally drink wine by itself, without food, and I couldn't see myself doing that with this bottle.

That said, I live in San Francisco, and our local grocery store had a number of Napa/Sonoma cabernet options tonight for less than $15. There seems to be a lot of wine on the market! If I were going to spend another $10, I'd probably opt for something different.

First time Labrat for the Pellegrini 2007 Alexander Valley Merlot. First, a little about my background. I live relatively close to Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez and have been a "wino" for about 30 years. My wife and I even spent part of our honeymoon in Napa/Sonoma, where we still take occasional trips. That said, I'm definitely not a wine snob and avoid getting caught up in the tasting lexicon.

Now, on to the wine. I opened it at room temp (~70 deg) and first impressions were the aroma was a bit medicinal which I find common in young reds. The taste was also a bit harsh. I poured a glass and let it sit for about 2 hours (I hate the term "breathe") and that made a world of difference. The bouquet was now close to fresh cut rosewood and the color was a deep ruby. This is not the typical merlot I'm used to as it was much more intense than soft. More toward a light cab. It's fairly even, tart and the taste lingers for quite a long time. This is a big merlot that could use a few more years of aging. Drinkable now if you can wait the 2 hours to aerate. Highly recommended if you like a big, sophisticated Bordeaux style wine. Would make a great woot on it's own (hint, hint).

michaepf wrote:We talked about that some...

I think $12 for the bottle would be fair. It wasn't bad - it wasn't overly sour, or bitter, or anything really negative. And it was fine with the steak. But I generally drink wine by itself, without food, and I couldn't see myself doing that with this bottle.

That said, I live in San Francisco, and our local grocery store had a number of Napa/Sonoma cabernet options tonight for less than $15. There seems to be a lot of wine on the market! If I were going to spend another $10, I'd probably opt for something different.

The rat report was nice. The wine? Well, put it this way. If Cabernet Sauvignon is the linebacker of wines, you just described this one as a ballerina.

From your description, I'd rather drink a Yellow Tail Cab, let alone a $12 bottle. I wonder if there's any chance you got a bad or mislabeled bottle. It doesn't really even sound like a Cab.

But if you follow Cesare's CT link, your review does sound a lot like the first one:

"79 points: Red-purple under good light, with reddish edges, not opaque. The nose is restrained, except for mild alcohol. Light- to medium-bodied with restrained red fruit. Minimal acidity and tannins, did not bother to decant. Nothing really distinctive here, would not buy."

Watching the Fockers???

I am so on the fence here-more Lab Rats please to push me one way or the other-it's alot of wine if we don't like it.

Been tasting good wines from Russian River, should give it a go considering that winemaker has experience in wines all around world so could be good fusion.

NightGhost wrote: I wonder if there's any chance you got a bad or mislabeled bottle. It doesn't really even sound like a Cab.

But if you follow Cesare's CT link, your review does sound a lot like the first one

There's such agreement, one suspects the lab rat and the CT author may have tasted the same bottle of cabernet. ;-)

I'm not familiar with the cabernet in question or even the winery (and have less than zero space in the wine fridge or the closet, so won't make its acquaintance this time around); but in my brief experience thus far as a 'net wino I've experienced "travel shock" a few times, at least once with a cabernet. The resulting hole where the flavor should be, the "no there, there" was quite similar to what michaepf describes. Opening another bottle weeks later (these being WTSO multi-bottle deals) revealed a wine with lots more personality.

Just advancing one possible explanation for this cab's bland performance, in light of other reports - especially the merlot! - describing more full-throttle wines.

Anyone else had this happen? Any sneaky remedies beyond waiting a few weeks to pop the cork?

chuck718 wrote:There's such agreement, one suspects the lab rat and the CT author may have tasted the same bottle of cabernet. ;-)

Yes, that is my CT review - sorry if it wasn't clear! I posted it the same day as the WW post, and I lifted all the descriptors...

chuck718 wrote:
... in my brief experience thus far as a 'net wino I've experienced "travel shock" a few times, at least once with a cabernet. The resulting hole where the flavor should be, the "no there, there" was quite similar to what michaepf describes. Opening another bottle weeks later (these being WTSO multi-bottle deals) revealed a wine with lots more personality.

Just advancing one possible explanation for this cab's bland performance, in light of other reports - especially the merlot! - describing more full-throttle wines.

Anyone else had this happen? Any sneaky remedies beyond waiting a few weeks to pop the cork?

That's a good point. I generally don't open WW bottles for at least a couple weeks after receipt - I walk to and from work, and the poor vino was stashed in my gym bag.

I also wonder, in retrospect, whether decanting and more vigorous aeration might have helped... maybe the winery can provide some insight on that?

michaepf wrote:I also wonder, in retrospect, whether decanting and more vigorous aeration might have helped... maybe the winery can provide some insight on that?

Hindsight or not, honest reports are always appreciated and helpful. Thanks. And thanks to the Merlot rat as well.

michaepf wrote:

We received the 2007 Pellegrini Cloverdale Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'll preface this rat report by saying that, while I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount from the WW forums, I only started really drinking wine less than a year ago, and my palate is relatively unsophisticated. I do actually enjoy both fruit bombs and more restrained bottles (e.g. Caton and Corison, ha), but I don't have a great vocabulary for describing what I smell or taste.

OK, enough preface.

The fridge is set to 58 degrees, and I opened the bottle immediately after pulling it out. At this point I had also prepared NY Strip steaks for the SO and I with garlic smashed potatoes. So.

How is the wine?

Lighter in color than I expected. Red-purple under good light, with reddish edges. The wine is not opaque. The nose is restrained. Honestly, neither of us could identify anything except alcohol, and even that was muted.

A swirl in the glass, and the wine has some legs, but they're nothing to write home about... In the mouth, I thought the wine was light- to medium-bodied. There's some red fruit there, but it's quite restrained. Minimal acidity, definitely no RS. After some preliminary reading, I was looking for chocolate but couldn't find any. Tannins are there but also restrained, and there's some heat on the finish albeit nothing unpleasant. I wish I could add more, but we sort of struck dry...

Bottom-line? The SO, less polite than I, says, "It tastes like water. Alcoholic water with tannins." For me? It was a great treat to be a labrat, and the wine made for a nice excuse to have steaks for dinner. But with Caton, Corison, and Wellington in my cellar, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it, and I won't be jumping in on this Woot. Sorry, WD.

P.S. We do have a decanter and have used it for wines that were obviously too young - big, boisterous bottles, excessive in their heat or fruit - but I didn't really feel that decanting would help the Pellegrini. So we didn't bother. YMMV.

Dear Taster,

Thank you for the review, I respect both your opinion and your palate but I would like to make a few comments.
It sounds like you may have enjoyed the wine a little soon out of the 58F wine fridge. Big red wines should really be enjoyed at room temperature with the benefit if some extended contact with oxygen. The description you gave of the wine is exactly what I would expect to taste in a cab that was too cold and just opened.
The other issue I would like to bring up is the "legs". One of my favorite wine writers once said "You can tell as much about a wine by the legs as you can tell about a woman by her legs, absolutely nothing..."

danjfitz wrote:Dear Taster,

Thank you for the review, I respect both your opinion and your palate but I would like to make a few comments.
It sounds like you may have enjoyed the wine a little soon out of the 58F wine fridge. Big red wines should really be enjoyed at room temperature with the benefit if some extended contact with oxygen. The description you gave of the wine is exactly what I would expect to taste in a cab that was too cold and just opened.
The other issue I would like to bring up is the "legs". One of my favorite wine writers once said "You can tell as much about a wine by the legs as you can tell about a woman by her legs, absolutely nothing..."

I've read a little bit about things that can go wrong with serving wine and this makes sense.

But what on earth are "legs" in wine terminology?

is it: Tears of Wine?

andrewthornton1351 wrote:I've read a little bit about things that can go wrong with serving wine and this makes sense.

But what on earth are "legs" in wine terminology?

is it: Tears of Wine?

wine legs are the same as tears of wine. In spanish we call them "lagrimas" which sounds more exotic

danjfitz wrote:Dear Taster,

Thank you for the review, I respect both your opinion and your palate but I would like to make a few comments.
It sounds like you may have enjoyed the wine a little soon out of the 58F wine fridge. Big red wines should really be enjoyed at room temperature with the benefit if some extended contact with oxygen. The description you gave of the wine is exactly what I would expect to taste in a cab that was too cold and just opened.
The other issue I would like to bring up is the "legs". One of my favorite wine writers once said "You can tell as much about a wine by the legs as you can tell about a woman by her legs, absolutely nothing..."

I am glad winery chiming in on Saturday! I agree that serving a red too cold affects the overall bouquet, taste, etc...that being said, how would you describe this Cab in layman terms? I am really considering getting in on this deal...I love RRV (Sonoma in general)...is this comparable to an Alexander Valley Vineyards type cab?

losthighwayz wrote:I am glad winery chiming in on Saturday! I agree that serving a red too cold affects the overall bouquet, taste, etc...that being said, how would you describe this Cab in layman terms? I am really considering getting in on this deal...I love RRV (Sonoma in general)...is this comparable to an Alexander Valley Vineyards type cab?

Both the cab and the merlot ARE Alexander Valley wines. They come from our CLoverdale Ranch which is on the northern side of the valley. The vineyard itself is planted on the banks of the Russian River in deep, gravely, alluvial soil. It's a beautiful site for growing bordeaux varieties. Two years ago we planted a small Petit Verdot section, 2011 will be our first harvest!

I would describe the cab as a classic. It is not overripe and jammy. We prefer to focus on varietal character, that is- flavors of currant, black cherry, undertones of leather and forest floor or loam. There is a little cabby greeness which some associate with capsicum or bell pepper. Balance is also very important, we want the ratio of tannin, acid, fruit and oak to be harmonious. No one component overpowering the rest.
This wine is big, as cabernet should be, but some of my favorite things about this varietal are the elegance and subtle nuances that result from good fruit and careful winemaking.

danjfitz wrote:Dear Taster,

Thank you for the review, I respect both your opinion and your palate but I would like to make a few comments.
It sounds like you may have enjoyed the wine a little soon out of the 58F wine fridge. Big red wines should really be enjoyed at room temperature with the benefit if some extended contact with oxygen. The description you gave of the wine is exactly what I would expect to taste in a cab that was too cold and just opened.
The other issue I would like to bring up is the "legs". One of my favorite wine writers once said "You can tell as much about a wine by the legs as you can tell about a woman by her legs, absolutely nothing..."

Well I'm glad someone chimed in on this because otherwise I was going to...especially on what sounds like a more refined cab, serving it that cold would be sacrilege, you'd lose more than half of the subtle flavors...but to the rat's credit the report was well written and it sounds like there's some pre-existing fruit-bomb bias on the palate (which is fine as well;-)

@RPM - to answer your prior question really late in the forum here yes I am a Navy officer. Developed my wine passion when I was lucky enough to have Everett WA as my first home port. So I've been fortunate enough to be the 'wino' officer in my group ordering wine for me and my buddies at nice restaurants in ports all over the world. Which is always more amusing when you're the only (or one of two) females at the table and you're the one doing the formal 'restaurant wine tasting' routine! But luckily I'm on shore duty in MD now so my wooting is (somewhat) easier and my collection is growing...

wordek wrote:Well I'm glad someone chimed in on this because otherwise I was going to...especially on what sounds like a more refined cab, serving it that cold would be sacrilege, you'd lose more than half of the subtle flavors...but to the rat's credit the report was well written and it sounds like there's some pre-existing fruit-bomb bias on the palate (which is fine as well;-)

I'd hate to have slandered a good wine on account of temperature... What's the right temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)? 65, 70, 75? Is it realistic to think that the wine would've warmed to that temperature over the 90 minutes or so we took to drink it?

michaepf wrote:I'd hate to have slandered a good wine on account of temperature... What's the right temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)? 65, 70, 75? Is it realistic to think that the wine would've warmed to that temperature over the 90 minutes or so we took to drink it?

Optimal Wine Serving Temperature Chart...

wordek wrote:Well I'm glad someone chimed in on this because otherwise I was going to...especially on what sounds like a more refined cab, serving it that cold would be sacrilege, you'd lose more than half of the subtle flavors...but to the rat's credit the report was well written and it sounds like there's some pre-existing fruit-bomb bias on the palate (which is fine as well;-)

@RPM - to answer your prior question really late in the forum here yes I am a Navy officer. Developed my wine passion when I was lucky enough to have Everett WA as my first home port. So I've been fortunate enough to be the 'wino' officer in my group ordering wine for me and my buddies at nice restaurants in ports all over the world. Which is always more amusing when you're the only (or one of two) females at the table and you're the one doing the formal 'restaurant wine tasting' routine! But luckily I'm on shore duty in MD now so my wooting is (somewhat) easier and my collection is growing...

Thanks for your service! as they say these days.... Boat school? I have a cousin who is flying - was on the first float of the Carl Vinson after 9/11 off Afghanistan. He's a rare Navy guy - a trade school man who wouldn't give up flying and traded his green suit for a blue suit and moved up from rotary to fast movers. I'm just VMI and a few years in a green suit myself. A number of my two daughters' friends from high school went to the boat school between 02 and 09 and a few went to the trade school

danjfitz wrote:Both the cab and the merlot ARE Alexander Valley wines. They come from our CLoverdale Ranch which is on the northern side of the valley. The vineyard itself is planted on the banks of the Russian River in deep, gravely, alluvial soil. It's a beautiful site for growing bordeaux varieties. Two years ago we planted a small Petit Verdot section, 2011 will be our first harvest!

I would describe the cab as a classic. It is not overripe and jammy. We prefer to focus on varietal character, that is- flavors of currant, black cherry, undertones of leather and forest floor or loam. There is a little cabby greeness which some associate with capsicum or bell pepper. Balance is also very important, we want the ratio of tannin, acid, fruit and oak to be harmonious. No one component overpowering the rest.
This wine is big, as cabernet should be, but some of my favorite things about this varietal are the elegance and subtle nuances that result from good fruit and careful winemaking.

I'd been wondering about that temp too, but assumed it'd warmed to 65 or 70 after a while, which is room temperature in traditional climes.

Question: How do some Cabs taste of "red" fruit, and some of blackcurrant, pencil and black cherry (leather is in common ;)? I'm used to clarets tasting "redder" and Sonoma Cabs with those flavours too, while Napa Cabs are a bit blacker! If it's not ripeness, yours not being overripe (given you have some greenness still in it) is it extraction, soil, growing temperature profile?

Edit: to rpm: I'd always wanted to fly in the RAF, but my eyesight wasn't 20:20. You and military.. makes sense!

michaepf wrote:I'd hate to have slandered a good wine on account of temperature... What's the right temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)? 65, 70, 75? Is it realistic to think that the wine would've warmed to that temperature over the 90 minutes or so we took to drink it?

It is true that it would have come close to room temp in that time. Unfortunately, even with the chart as a good reference on temp (63ish is suggested for cabs) it's also a matter of personal preference. I have no cellar/fridge so I keep all my reds at room temp which puts them anywhere 68-72 degrees...probably too warm for some but I'm used to it so it works for me.

But it is also a matter of personal preference on taste. If you are used to/enjoy the big/fruity styles of cabs most then a big/refined style cab just might not be your thing. It's no biggie and you did the right thing by telling us about this preference before you gave your review:-)

Many thanks to all the rats for such excellent reports so far!

Just tried the Chardonnay. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but I found this Chard to be very soothing to the palate. It was crisp with a hint of tart apple.

rpm wrote:Thanks for your service! as they say these days.... Boat school? I have a cousin who is flying - was on the first float of the Carl Vinson after 9/11 off Afghanistan. He's a rare Navy guy - a trade school man who wouldn't give up flying and traded his green suit for a blue suit and moved up from rotary to fast movers. I'm just VMI and a few years in a green suit myself. A number of my two daughters' friends from high school went to the boat school between 02 and 09 and a few went to the trade school

@rpm - Heh good to find other military folk on here as well...I'm actually a different type too...not boat school but ROTC at RPI so I'm a good engineering nerd. Surface warfare and nuke by Navy trade so shore duty w a bunch of fly boys and civilians at Pax is fun and different;) Thanks for your service too!

kjpolvado wrote:Just tried the Chardonnay. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but I found this Chard to be very soothing to the palate. It was crisp with a hint of tart apple.

Rat?