robbied112 wrote:It's 2:31 pm in Washington State and I have had a smile on my face all day! I can't tell you how much fun this is to hear everyone's comments and be able to interact in real time.

We really appreciate everyone who has jumped the fence to try our wine and are very excited to hear the feedback!

I plan on being on all day and night, so feel free to ask away!!!

Thank you for your participation. I wasn't going to order this in part becuase I'm just not familiar with these blends and more because I've already bought so much in the last two weeks from wine.woot. The reason I bought - WINEMAKER PARTICPATION ON THE BLOG. Thank you for participating and answering quetions.

robbied112 wrote:I plan on being on all day and night, so feel free to ask away!!!

How about general wine questions? How do you feel about stelvin closures? Bottle shock? French snobbery? And specifically relating to your wines, what is your "wine-making philosophy"? What are your goals, both stylistically as well as long-term?

robbied112 wrote:That is fantastic and please let me know when you are coming over! I would recommend searching for our 2007 Cabernet Franc if you are a Cabernet Franc lover. We recently sold out of the 2007 and it was a once in a lifetime wine as the vineyards have now been pulled.

kylemittskus wrote:How about general wine questions? How do you feel about stelvin closures? Bottle shock? French snobbery? And specifically relating to your wines, what is your "wine-making philosophy"? What are your goals, both stylistically as well as long-term?

Oh man...I will start with the first three in one post and end with Gilbert Cellars "wine-making philosophy" and goals in another

Stelvin Closures(screw caps) are very in right now and there are without a doubt some benefits to having them; no cork-age, easier to open, etc. However we feel that a very important part of the wine is the cork and how it allows a very small amount of oxygen to get into the bottle, hence allowing it to age. Stelvin closure is probably something that we will not use.

Bottle shock is without a doubt a real thing and needs to be taken into account when releasing wine. We try and give the wine a minimum of 2 months for a white wine and 3 months if not longer for a red in the bottle before releasing.

French Snobbery, this kind of makes me laugh. To me when someone is being a snob about something it is usually due to a fear. Statistics have shown that French wine has been having a difficult time in the US for the past few years. This is due to many factors (economy), but the one I like to contribute it to is the quality that we in the Washington State and the US are making. French and many other imported wines are fantastic and it is actually my goal to drink more of them this year.

To be continued.....

robbied112 wrote:Did you know that over 50% of the nation still doesn't know Washington State makes wine? Anyone want to help me change that?

danao wrote:Seriously?? I guess I'm a little biased, since my sister's an enologist over in Eastern WA. And my ex-husband's uncle owns a winery.

Yeah, how do we fix this? (I did just Tweet about it.)

A contributing factor may be that less than half of Americans drink wine.

robbied112 wrote:However we feel that a very important part of the wine is the cork and how it allows a very small amount of oxygen to get into the bottle, hence allowing it to age. Stelvin closure is probably something that we will not use.

It is my understanding, although I am just a plebeian wino, that Stelvin closures do allow equivalent amounts of oxygen into the bottle and that they can age as well as corks. The reigning theory is that people like the romanticism of popping a cork. I have nothing against corks as cork taint is becoming less of an issue as time passes, but I am a huge fan of screw tops myself. Looking forward to part 2 about your winery specifically.

kylemittskus wrote:It is my understanding, although I am just a plebeian wino, that Stelvin closures do allow equivalent amounts of oxygen into the bottle and that they can age as well as corks. The reigning theory is that people like the romanticism of popping a cork. I have nothing against corks as cork taint is becoming less of an issue as time passes, but I am a huge fan of screw tops myself. Looking forward to part 2 about your winery specifically.

I too like the convenience of stelvin closures. I like that I can store them standing up in the garage since all other available space is pretty much gone.

The one thing I heard recently is that is turning me off to them is that they cannot be recycled properly if you leave the metal on the glass. This was really surprising to me and made me a little sad at the same time. Are they just throwing my glass in the trash because I didn't remove the bottom half of the closure???

I am not certain that this is true or not, but in the meantime I have been getting out the tin snips and removing the metal. Can't deal with the guilt of throwing away so much recyclable material.

trifecta wrote:I too like the convenience of stelvin closures. I like that I can store them standing up in the garage since all other available space is pretty much gone.

The one thing I heard recently is that is turning me off to them is that they cannot be recycled properly if you leave the metal on the glass. This was really surprising to me and made me a little sad at the same time. Are they just throwing my glass in the trash because I didn't remove the bottom half of the closure???

I am not certain that this is true or not, but in the meantime I have been getting out the tin snips and removing the metal. Can't deal with the guilt of throwing away so much recyclable material.

I think that it is indeed true. But it is no different from corks as most are not recycled either.

kylemittskus wrote:It is my understanding, although I am just a plebeian wino, that Stelvin closures do allow equivalent amounts of oxygen into the bottle and that they can age as well as corks. The reigning theory is that people like the romanticism of popping a cork. I have nothing against corks as cork taint is becoming less of an issue as time passes, but I am a huge fan of screw tops myself. Looking forward to part 2 about your winery specifically.

Based on what I've read from Jamie Goode, there are two different liners in use with Stelvins, tin and Saranex, IIRC. Supposedly these sit on either side of the oxygen transmission rate of an (ideal) cork.

Personally, I've taken to thinking matching the oxygen transmission to the style of wine is the yet to be determined key. Super-ripe styles of wine probably are starting off tipped towards the oxidized side--think mild raisining. These may not need much oxygen, so a low permeability liner may be the best choice. There are other styles like tawny port that are intentionally oxidative--probably these don't care much either way. Maybe some wines are made in a reductive manner, but age best with slow oxidation.

I am not a fan of oxidation in fresh whites. I'd love if all aromatic white that drink best young had Stelvin closures with low permeability liners. That would help them to maintain freshness longer.

On vacation now, but if this is still available (not sold out) by late sat/early Sun, I'll be in for sure- my last experience w/ a WA wine ('07 Amavi Cab) blew me away- especially for the price. Considering I live in Seattle, I really need to start tasting more WA wines...

Also- love the winery participation- makes it so much harder to resist

kylemittskus wrote:I think that it is indeed true. But it is no different from corks as most are not recycled either.

Yes, but you already have the cork removed if you drank it! Most bottle with standard cork closure have foil that comes off super easy. Try removing the bottom of the stelvin the next time you have one. You might start cursing, or cut yourself. Be careful, wine drinking should not cause bleeding.

Edit: realized I wasn't clear. The glass is the part I am concerned about being recycled, not the closure.

Don't need or particularly want these varietals......but feel need to reward winemaker participation....oh, the agony.

trifecta wrote:Edit: realized I wasn't clear. The glass is the part I am concerned about being recycled, not the closure.

Ah! Ok. Makes more sense now. In So Cal, I do not believe wine bottles are recycled anyway. I have read, although I'm not sure how true it is, that we go through more glass than can be recycled. The size of wine bottles puts them into the let them stay trash category.

zachusaf wrote:Don't need or particularly want these varietals......but feel need to reward winemaker participation....oh, the agony.

Haha...your purchase is the best reward we could ask for!!

wordek wrote:Ah my fellow NH shipping wooter, if you look at this fine link here then you will see that it all depends on whether the winery decides to deal with our nasty shipping laws or not...note the initial permit + $100-$500 fee and the report w more fee that must be filed for EACH shipment...no sales/income tax so we have to funnel some extra revenues from our state liquor stores remember?;)

So this makes me sad because I would be in for 1+ as well but at least my bank acct is saved. And having read the law at last I'll just be glad that NH gets as many woots as it does...

I didn't know NH had dry towns (Ellsworth, Monroe, & Sharon). I'm in the north country.
For fy '08-'09 the commission grossed $496 million. How does that song go- "Don't drink and drive here, listen to what I say. That's why we put our liquor stores right out on the highway."

trifecta wrote:Yes, but you already have the cork removed if you drank it! Most bottle with standard cork closure have foil that comes off super easy. Try removing the bottom of the stelvin the next time you have one. You might start cursing, or cut yourself. Be careful, wine drinking should not cause bleeding.

Edit: realized I wasn't clear. The glass is the part I am concerned about being recycled, not the closure.

In San Francisco they have machines that will separate all the recyclable materials from each other at the processing plant. We put all the different materials in the same bin. Tell your waste management folks to get up to speed!

apologies for the OT post!

alright, that's it. in for 3.

no more winery participation!! I can't afford all this enthusiasm!

The winery participation is just fantastic! I am intrigued with a pleasure reading all the comments. In for one.

I've got nothing against Stelvin other than an uncontrollable prepensity to say "Would, Monsieur like to smell the bottle cap?" upon opening one.

kylemittskus wrote:It is my understanding, although I am just a plebeian wino, that Stelvin closures do allow equivalent amounts of oxygen into the bottle and that they can age as well as corks. The reigning theory is that people like the romanticism of popping a cork. I have nothing against corks as cork taint is becoming less of an issue as time passes, but I am a huge fan of screw tops myself. Looking forward to part 2 about your winery specifically.

I love the conversations that have arose about the stelvin closures. It is always beneficial for us to hear what your thoughts about different styles of packaging.

As for the question about Gilbert Cellars...

Stylistically we are trying to make wines that are first of all balanced and second true to the variety and or blend. We want the wine to showcase the fruit that Washington State has to offer.

For the short and long term goals, in the short term want to focus on making the best wine we possibly can from the family vineyards. We are currently utilizing around half of those vineyards for the Gilbert Cellars brand.

The long term goals would include using our family vineyards and utilize most of the vineyards in the Gilbert Cellars brand. We then of course would love to be among the leaders of Washington State to establish its reputation around the world.

rnatalie wrote:I've got nothing against Stelvin other than an uncontrollable prepensity to say "Would, Monsieur like to smell the bottle cap?" upon opening one.

I know that you are completely joking, but in case your joke is rooted in some truthful belief, or others here actually think this, smelling the cork is pointless. It is given to you to check and make sure wine has not seeped along it, causing oxidation.

To Robbie (or anyone else that wants to chime in);

You've said what raw foods pair well with these wines. I want to know what cooked foods you recommend with them. I am prolific with a Big Green Egg, so something grilled or smoked, I'm all over it.

As for storage, I'm still relatively new here and haven't purchased a suitable cooler for my wines yet. They are tucked in their shipping boxes in a dark closet. The closet runs around 68 to 70 degrees. How long might I expect to be able to hold your wines and any wine for that matter in this less than ideal condition? I'm leery of buying wines that are not a drink now type.

Thank you.

robbied112 wrote:Stylistically we are trying to make wines that are first of all balanced and second true to the variety and or blend.

**Can of worms alert**

You mention something that is commonly mentioned by wine reps and makers. So it begs the question: what should Syrah taste like? Or CS or CF or whatnot? Your Syrah shouldn't taste like the Syrah that comes out of the Rhone (or should it) or from Paso Robles or from Idaho (do they make Syrah?).

gcdyersb wrote:Based on what I've read from Jamie Goode, there are two different liners in use with Stelvins, tin and Saranex, IIRC. Supposedly these sit on either side of the oxygen transmission rate of an (ideal) cork.

Personally, I've taken to thinking matching the oxygen transmission to the style of wine is the yet to be determined key. Super-ripe styles of wine probably are starting off tipped towards the oxidized side--think mild raisining. These may not need much oxygen, so a low permeability liner may be the best choice. There are other styles like tawny port that are intentionally oxidative--probably these don't care much either way. Maybe some wines are made in a reductive manner, but age best with slow oxidation.

I am not a fan of oxidation in fresh whites. I'd love if all aromatic white that drink best young had Stelvin closures with low permeability liners. That would help them to maintain freshness longer.

Your analysis sounds spot on as usual. I see that as another advantage of Stelvins - the ability to easily chose what degree of oxidation you want. The Vino-Seal is also an interesting alternative for more expensive wines.

Chargerrt500 wrote:To Robbie (or anyone else that wants to chime in);

You've said what raw foods pair well with these wines. I want to know what cooked foods you recommend with them. I am prolific with a Big Green Egg, so something grilled or smoked, I'm all over it.

As for storage, I'm still relatively new here and haven't purchased a suitable cooler for my wines yet. They are tucked in their shipping boxes in a dark closet. The closet runs around 68 to 70 degrees. How long might I expect to be able to hold your wines and any wine for that matter in this less than ideal condition? I'm leery of buying wines that are not a drink now type.

Thank you.

We love our cooked food as well!!

Syrah:
A pork Loin or Lamb with herbs from Provence is what I would recommend for this Syrah.

Allobroges:
Something like a braised duck with a cherry Au Jus would go fantastic with the Allobroges or for much simpler meal I recommend a roasted chicken with Thyme

Left Bank:
For the Left bank I would utilize the big varietals and pair it with a beautifully grilled peppered steak.

I am making myself hungry!!

For the aging of the wine. The Allobroges will be fine for a couple of years, Left bank for 4 years and Syrah would go down from an 8 year shelf life to around 4 years.

gobaub wrote:In San Francisco they have machines that will separate all the recyclable materials from each other at the processing plant. We put all the different materials in the same bin. Tell your waste management folks to get up to speed!

apologies for the OT post!

I live in the south bay and use just a single bin as well. The problem is not that they can't sort out the glass. The problem is that bottles with stelvin closures have remaining metal on them and I was told that the sorters simply trash these bottles as it takes too much effort to remove the remaining metal.

This has been an expensive Wine Woot week for me. The reviews have been great and the enthusiasm is contagious. Plus I'm interested in trying something different.
I must learn to resist checking this site daily, it's really too dangerous.

Do these wines ever make it on to the shelves in the Spokane area? I don't know if I have ever seen it offered in our local stores...

kylemittskus wrote:**Can of worms alert**

You mention something that is commonly mentioned by wine reps and makers. So it begs the question: what should Syrah taste like? Or CS or CF or whatnot? Your Syrah shouldn't taste like the Syrah that comes out of the Rhone (or should it) or from Paso Robles or from Idaho (do they make Syrah?).

Major can of worms alert!

Being true to the variety is to me saying that we want to be true to what Syrah in this case has to offer. This means taking all of the appropriate steps to ensure that it will show at it's very best from where it is grown. Syrah is a variety that shows off terroir more than any other varietal. To answer if we want Syrah to taste like Syrah from Rhone or Idaho I would say neither, we want it to taste like Syrah from the Doc Stewart Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope. We strive for is to show what the true variety of Syrah tastes like from the region or vineyard where it is grown.

Let the games begin

chefdevergue wrote:Do these wines ever make it on to the shelves in the Spokane area? I don't know if I have ever seen it offered in our local stores...

The wines are distributed all over in Spokane including the local stores. Is there a particular store where you buy your wine?

robbied112 wrote:The wines are distributed all over in Spokane including the local stores. Is there a particular store where you buy your wine?

Usually we go to Huckleberry's if we buy off the shelf. Truth be told, most of our cellar comes from the wineries themselves or through the internet, but we don't often get over to Yakima

First off... this is a really classy looking and feeling bottle. I like it!



t=0 min: straight pour. Beautiful ruby color. Not much in the nose right now. Nice legs in the glass. First sip. Really nicely structured. Not hot at all. Picked up a little cherry, but at this point no distinct flavors are really coming through. Also finished surprisingly quick given the structure. This wine seems to really want food.

t=5 min: Used Soire and had a few bites of aged cheddar. Cherry is popping a little more now. Seems to start with kind of a cherry vanilla coke flavor (but without the sweetness) which then changes into more of a sour cherry flavor. This is not an overwhelming wine, but it definitely is not a pansy either!

Next course: Sweet potato and garlic bisque. Will report back after that!


[STAFF: Jump to Part 2 ]

Do you think I can get away with the "honest honey, I really didnt order, the dog stepped on the keyboard and it just went through". A variation of the dog ate it.

Okay - day 21 of SIWBM, going down in flames.

Thanks for the winery participation. Tipped me over the buying edge like a cow in the meadow.

In for 2.

Edit: I think this will be a sell out by Saturday night.

unwoofer wrote:Do you think I can get away with the "honest honey, I really didnt order, the dog stepped on the keyboard and it just went through". A variation of the dog ate it.

Okay - day 21 of SIWBM, going down in flames.

Thanks for the winery participation. Tipped me over the buying edge like a cow in the meadow.

In for 2.

Edit: I think this will be a sell out by Saturday night.

That would be AMAZING if it was sold out by Saturday night.

robbied112 wrote:That would be AMAZING if it was sold out by Saturday night.

Well, there's nothing like winery participation to push reluctant buyers over the edge, and yours has been extraordinary.

Thank you.

NightGhost wrote:Well, there's nothing like winery participation to push reluctant buyers over the edge, and yours has been extraordinary.

Thank you.

It is my pleasure!

OK... I should've mentioned the specific bottle in the last post. Left Bank. The excitement of rattery got to us...

t=45min The sweetpotato garlic bisque was not a great pairing in our opinion (there are two of us... I'm not trying to sound like a food critic). The wine played nicely with the garlic and thyme, but there was a squeeze of lime in the recipe we used and that seemed to make the wine overly bright. The thyme brought out some of the herbal notes that we hadn't noticed before, but overall not a winning pairing.


We have great hopes for the rack of lamb though.

See you in part three!

robbied112 wrote:Major can of worms alert!
snip
Let the games begin

Ah. Ok. Fair answer and I like this approach. Do you use native yeasts? It is always perplexing to me when someone says a wine is "varietally correct" as if there is such a singular thing. This =/= what you were saying.

This sounds real good. Thanks for the participation from the winery. A buddy of mine lives in Montana and has been 'working us' to come out and do a winery trip to Washington. What's the best time of the year to come out for a week? (2nd best?).

Wine David. I love you and I hate you. There's just nothin' going on in between there. Maybe you should develop a program where I can just direct deposit my paycheck to your bank account in exchange for goods (and you throw in free shipping and a Christmas Card in exchange).

jhudelson wrote:Wine David. I love you and I hate you. There's just nothin' going on in between there. Maybe you should develop a program where I can just direct deposit my paycheck to your bank account in exchange for goods (and you throw in free shipping and a Christmas Card in exchange).

This is his trick. He makes you think you're in control of your money by allowing you to have it in your hand first, even if it is for just a brief moment.