Pellegrini Family Vineyards Mixed Case
$124.99 + $7.00 shipping
CONDITION: Red
PRODUCTS:
3 2009 Pellegrini Family Russian River Pinot Noir
3 Pellegrini North Coast Family Blend (non vintage)
3 2007 Cloverdale Ranch Merlot
3 2009 Pellegrini Eight Cousins Zinfandel
CT links above

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Previous offers:
1/21/11
11/23/10

Pretty good acidity here with most pH under 3.5: these look like wines of a traditional European bent. Any news on oak / barrels? Maybe someone has notes on whether they likes this last time, too!

A couple of questions for the winery rep.
1. Why the different winemakers between the Merlot and Pinot, and the Zin? Do these different wines follow a common style for the winery or did each winemaker bring their own style to the final product?

2. What was the bottling date on the N.V. blend?

Thanks,

Interesting.

N.V. bottles tend to be ports, is the Pellegrini North Coast Family Blend (non vintage) a port'ish wine or ?

Sadly the CT reviews are lackluster.

What's the star in this grouping? Perhaps the only CT unrated bottle in the lineup?

Novice lab rat comments - though "seasoned" wine drinkers.

WINE: 2007 Cloverdale Ranch Merlot, Alexander Valley

smells like wine - slight oak & berries... earthy scent. dark red; at first pour through our ever present wine aerator the wine seems to be more complex in flavor - not necessarily a drinking wine - more a sipping wine

we are big fans of Merlot and for me, the Alexander Valley in particular.

but very quickly the wine seems to be opening up and becoming smoother to drink, the complex earthy flavors are still there, just a little more blended.

We are not patient wine drinkers - we do not cellar or want to wait years to drink the wine...

And seriously within 30 minutes of opening and pouring this is excellent drinking wine not sipping wine.

What does fruit forward and other terminology mean - we don't know. But the wine is not too sweet, not too dry - really, just perfect (how cliche is that?!)


The wine goes really well with a variety of food even from milder fish to heartier meats. We are having french bread, salami (woot salami of course), fairly sharp cheese...

and sadly, the wine is now gone... in for 1 no room in the cellar, otherwise in for 3...

According to our notes we bought the last Pellegrini offering and very much enjoyed the Zinfandel 2008...

btw ablickle says "I really like the wine", but it's my awesome wife who runs the show... and in the end, it's good wine...

Hopefully somebody got the blend to rat since that's the one that's going to be really interesting to hear about.

Also, I know someone already asked about what type of oak (if any was used) I'd be very interested in how long they were aged in the barrels before being bottled.

It is with deep regret that I inform you I'm not going to be able to hold up my end of the deal as a Pellegrini North Coast Family Blend lab rat. Beginning Tuesday afternoon, my temperature began to shoot up and morphed into a full blown flu. Not only would alcohol be an unwise choice, but it would be a complete waste on me even if I was able to try to enjoy it. Again, my deepest sympathies to the winery and to wine.woot.

i'm still enjoying my previous cases and awaiting the tempranillo case, and pondering this offer...

in the meanwhile, if you haven't already heard this , which just came in an email:

A woman is sitting at home on the veranda with her husband as they enjoy a glass of wine and she says, "I love you."   

He asks, "Is that you or the wine talking?" 

She replies, "It's me.....talking to the wine."   

New Lab Rat here with a review of the Family Blend. Sorry it took so long, we lost power in the hail storm and just got it back.

4 out of 5 tasters said they liked this wine. We are a mix of red and white wine drinkers and the only hold out was a seriously tannin loving guy.

The initial bouquet is invitingly fruity. After pouring, the entire dining room filled with the rich berry scent. Light on the tannins, a bit on the sweet side, tons of berry flavor. It is a very smooth, easy drinking wine. Great for a mixed group of wine drinkers.

Edited to add- Reviews I'm now looking at say it would be good with grilled food and I totally agree. It would match very well.

hmmm... I do like wine
and it is payday
I may have to get one of these.

I really enjoyed the last mixed case from them. It's very tempting.....

Thoroughly enjoyed their last mixed case; very well-made and not too tannic or comples. Justgreat drinking wines. I know I am not beingspecific about any partiular varietal but this seemed to be the theme across the board. In for one!
P.S. don't put too much weight on CT notes- I only use them as one of several factors to consider.

Looking forward to hearing from the winery. Can you tell us if there is any residual sugar in the Family Blend?

for Pellegrini 2009 Pinot Noir.

Although I'm not really trained to "taste" wine, I can tell when I'm drinking a nice glass of wine, and when I'm NOT. So here goes:

Upon opening the bottle, there was a slightly yeasty smell, almost like an "aftersmell". Then I poured it into a glass and waited a few minutes. Took a whiff and it smelled very fruity - I can't say which fruit, but berries came to mind.

Then the first sip - wow, I really liked it, and I didn't expect to, because I usually enjoy Cabernets, or the Tuscan blends of sangiovese-cab-merlot.

So I can say that this is not a bold, strong wine with those peppery, spicy aftertastes, but it is still had a nice "after flavor".

And yes, I would buy this wine again. Thanks woot!

I enjoyed the last mixed case I got from Pellegrini. I'm not going to be able to go in on this deal, though, because my husband and I are going out of town and I fear the wine will show up while we're gone. I would definitely be buying this if we were going to be around, though!

Hi winery!
Can you provide the residual sugar numbers for these wines, particularly the NV family blend? Muchas Gracias!

How do I determine the relative value of the Family Blend without a vintage year? I am not sure how good a deal this is. Experts HElP!!

knotheadusc wrote:I enjoyed the last mixed case I got from Pellegrini. I'm not going to be able to go in on this deal, though, because my husband and I are going out of town and I fear the wine will show up while we're gone. I would definitely be buying this if we were going to be around, though!

Don't trust the neighbors with the wine? Me neither!

I was going to actually have a spreadsheet for you all today, since I have time for it, but it appears 3 of the 4 wines are not currently listed on the Pelligrini site. Or if they are, I'm just having a heck of a time finding them...

2009 Pellegrini Family Russian River Pinot Noir

Long time Lurker, First time LabRat!! Thank you very much for LabRat-ing us. On hearing the news, the wife upgraded our dinner from leftovers-with-the-kids to ciabatta-and-manchego-for-adults-only. For what its worthy, my wife and I are casual wine consumers and we prefer Cabs to Pinots and Reds to Whites. The closest thing to a cellar in our home is the hall closet where a bottle of our favorites might, at the extremes, go a year without being drunk (e.g. Monkey Prize).

Upon opening the Pellegrini, our initial impressions were: light rosy coloring, woody aroma, an acidic but otherwise muted flavor, and a terrible head-ache inducing ambiance (the kids were in full-psycho mode).

Everything improved with time and aeration. We read several accounts on line that indicate “strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar” but our best guess for the pleasantly deepening aroma would have been cherries and something floral, perhaps roses. The flavor also seemed to mature, becoming bolder over 30-40 minutes. The kids went to bed.

Our second glass was enjoyable despite the moody return of our sleep-deprived three year old. I think this is just about the right price point (~10$/bottle) where we would be consider buying it in the future, although its not something we would rate among our favorites.

I find myself torn on this one. The offering sounds good, the reviews are mixed. If that questionable blend were replaced by more pinot or merlot I would most likley push me in. Zins are not my favorite but I do not mind getting varietals in a mixed case as I just may not have met the right one yet.

The other factor is price. It is not a big difference but this would be a much better deal at $10 or less per bottle. Right now, with tax and I always factor that into a decision, this sits at $12 for me. Perhaps if some are left for the next woot off and they reduce the case price by $20 to $25 I would go for it even with the blend in there.

Perfect would be $99 with no blend in my opinion. Was really hoping for another outstanding Friday offer after missing the super value last week.

Just clicked the gold button. I enjoyed all the Pellegrini wines from the last offering. Drank the last merlot yesterday...very timely offer. Thanks Woot!

sccr64472 wrote:It is with deep regret that I inform you I'm not going to be able to hold up my end of the deal as a Pellegrini North Coast Family Blend lab rat. Beginning Tuesday afternoon, my temperature began to shoot up and morphed into a full blown flu. Not only would alcohol be an unwise choice, but it would be a complete waste on me even if I was able to try to enjoy it. Again, my deepest sympathies to the winery and to wine.woot.

Awww get better!

ryall12 wrote:... Right now, with tax and I always factor that into a decision, this sits at $12 for me...

Taxes are already paid by the winery. You don't need to factor that in. $11/bottle.

From Wine.Woot FAQ:

It is the winery’s responsibility to record the sale and pay taxes

pcuccaro wrote:Looking forward to hearing from the winery. Can you tell us if there is any residual sugar in the Family Blend?

No there is no residual sugar, all of our wines are fermented dry.

richardhod wrote:Pretty good acidity here with most pH under 3.5: these look like wines of a traditional European bent. Any news on oak / barrels? Maybe someone has notes on whether they likes this last time, too!

Our cab and merlots are aged in one third new oak, which is a mix of American and French barrels.
The Pinot and Chardonnays are all aged in on third new French oak exclusively.

cortot20 wrote:A couple of questions for the winery rep.
1. Why the different winemakers between the Merlot and Pinot, and the Zin? Do these different wines follow a common style for the winery or did each winemaker bring their own style to the final product?

2. What was the bottling date on the N.V. blend?

Thanks,

I took over winemaking at Pellegrini Vineyards in January. The previous winemaker and I made wine together for three years at this facility. My focus has been and continues to be to maintain our house style vintage after vintage.

Our N.V blend was bottled in Febuary 2011

I was going to buy this offer. Now I'm not. FedEx tried to deliver my case of Triacipedis 2 this morning, and no one was home to sign for it. Now, they tell me that I have to wait until Monday for redelivery or pickup!!!!! It will sit in a warehouse over the weekend. In the past, I was able to pick it up at the FedEx warehouse after work, and I was always able to do that with UPS. I'm really, really mad right now, and I can't in good conscious buy something that will support FedEx!

Woot, please switch back to UPS.

sulakdd wrote:I was going to buy this offer. Now I'm not. FedEx tried to deliver my case of Triacipedis 2 this morning, and no one was home to sign for it. Now, they tell me that I have to wait until Monday for redelivery or pickup!!!!! It will sit in a warehouse over the weekend. In the past, I was able to pick it up at the FedEx warehouse after work, and I was always able to do that with UPS. I'm really, really mad right now, and I can't in good conscious buy something that will support FedEx!

Woot, please switch back to UPS.

I've made it a point to form a friendship with my FedEx and UPS drivers. I have their cellphone numbers and I can always meet them somewhere along their route. They also usually end up at a FedEx/Kinkos or UPS Store near the end of their route and can be found there around the same time each day. So perhaps you could still have the driver tracked down and meet him (or her) somewhere to get your wine before it cooks.

sulakdd wrote:
Woot, please switch back to UPS.

Woah. When did Woot use UPS? Maybe they have been using FedEx for so long, I just assumed they always have, but I don't remember ever getting a Woot UPS shipment. I could be mistaken. I also think FedEx is subpar (for a lot of non-woot related reasons), but it is part of the deal. Oh well.

ryall12 wrote:
Perfect would be $99 with no blend in my opinion. Was really hoping for another outstanding Friday offer after missing the super value last week.

Doesn't that sound a bit ambitious? I have high hopes about the Truchard offering, which would be the greatest deal I have seen on woot if it turns out to be okay-to-good wine. Great would be unbelievable, but I am trying to be realistic.

I know wineries are trying to get capital in this economy and are parting with wines for great prices, but I am not expecting 100 bucks for a case, delivered, of wine on a regular basis. The Truchard offering appeared to be a not-in-demand varietal, from a good grower, that they were "dumping" to get their name out. I don't expect to see many of those.

First time wine.woot buyer. My wife and I like to drink mostly red wines, so after reading the comments the offering looked pretty good I decided to give it a go. Will report back when we've tried them.

ryall12 wrote:I find myself torn on this one. The offering sounds good, the reviews are mixed. If that questionable blend were replaced by more pinot or merlot I would most likley push me in. Zins are not my favorite but I do not mind getting varietals in a mixed case as I just may not have met the right one yet.

The other factor is price. It is not a big difference but this would be a much better deal at $10 or less per bottle. Right now, with tax and I always factor that into a decision, this sits at $12 for me. Perhaps if some are left for the next woot off and they reduce the case price by $20 to $25 I would go for it even with the blend in there.

Perfect would be $99 with no blend in my opinion. Was really hoping for another outstanding Friday offer after missing the super value last week.

I completely agree. But I might still be on the fence unless they also shipped me some heralds to blow trumpets and nymphs to feed me grapes while I drank the wine. Or since we are dreaming, maybe they could just sub out the blend for 3 bottles of Chateau Petrus. I would definitely be in for that ;-)

sulakdd wrote:I was going to buy this offer. Now I'm not. FedEx tried to deliver my case of Triacipedis 2 this morning, and no one was home to sign for it. Now, they tell me that I have to wait until Monday for redelivery or pickup!!!!! It will sit in a warehouse over the weekend. In the past, I was able to pick it up at the FedEx warehouse after work, and I was always able to do that with UPS. I'm really, really mad right now, and I can't in good conscious buy something that will support FedEx!

Woot, please switch back to UPS.

I always go online after getting the shipping notice and have the delivery re-routed to the fedex/Kinkos near my house. That way I just pick it up on my way home from work and don't have to worry about it sitting on my porch or in a warehouse.

LAB RAT REPORT--------

Pellegrini Eight Cousins Vineyard, Russian River Zinfandel

Put it in my wine fridge for a bit, popped it and poured through the Vinturi...

I'm not very experienced with Zins, so I called a friend to come over, who just so happens to collect Zins. Here are our collective notes: Very tight, and we're not getting much on the nose at first other than alcohol. Eventually it opens up a bit, and I'm getting some cherry's on the nose and friend is getting cherry and "other" fruit as well. I take my first sip and I'm shocked that the mouth feel is so smooth, and surprisingly there is very little spice/pepper on the mid pallat. I'm getting flavors of cherry, raisins/figs, and although there is hardly any finish, I'm pleasantly surprised with this wine. I have never really liked Zins, but this one is so easy to drink. Does it compare to a top of the line Zin? Of course not. Is it a great deal for the price? YES! My only knocks on it are that it was a little bit disjointed, but despite that, it's a very drinkable wine.

We had some meats and cheeses with it, but honestly this is a Zin you could sip by itself, although I can picture pairing this with BBQ or something like that. It's not super spicy or over the top. It's a subtle wine, and most importantly it's not too sweet. Overall I thought it was ok, but I'm sure there are plenty of peeps out there that will really enjoy this wine. I wanted to try another glass last night, but I have to wait until tonight to give it another go...training for a triathlon, so I can only have one glass a night. I'll let you guys know if the wine is any different tonight.

Thank You Woot for letting me be a rat ;-)

greggarcia wrote:I've made it a point to form a friendship with my FedEx and UPS drivers. I have their cellphone numbers and I can always meet them somewhere along their route. They also usually end up at a FedEx/Kinkos or UPS Store near the end of their route and can be found there around the same time each day. So perhaps you could still have the driver tracked down and meet him (or her) somewhere to get your wine before it cooks.

Excellent advice...I've also developed a good relationship with our FedEx guy, and he goes out of his way to make sure that I get the wine in a timely manner. If he can't find me at work, he knows how to track me down, and vice versa. Great customer service that I really appreciate.

My recollection of the last case offer was that it was good wine and the price was great. My standouts were the Pinot, Cab and Merlot. I remember the Zin and NV being my least favorite but still worth their cost and the Chard being pretty good.

I'm going in on this offer since any time I can get a good Pinot under $15 that's a win for me and I know the other wines on offer are fair values in their own right (although these particular Zin and NV bottlings will be new to me).