KR is an auto buy, even though I know my wife is going to kill me for buying more wine.
After reading the other Rat posts and comments here is where I stand; is this as good as the Rasmussen Pinot we have had before (still have my signed bottle) probably not. Am I going to enjoy this bottle as my second or third bottle I open in a night? YES. Did I enjoy the 1001 as the second or third bottle; YES. KR makes amazing wine and we get them at a price point that makes us feel insane not to buy. If you are looking to get that bottle for that special night this might not be it (hey you may love it and it may be the best pinot you have ever had) but it will definitely keep that night of wine drinking going without breaking the bank.
KR thanks again for the '79 pinot on the tour, one of the best experiences of my life.

I thought the 2007 1001 PN IMHO was a pretty good wine. I thought the 08 fell short of the 07 but that is the gamble of buying the four pack. I for one am not going to shoot the artist because he is painting with inferior paint. If the work still comes out palatable and drinkable, is he still to be considered a master? I think Kent works with what mother nature deals him, since the 70's!!!

apw2123 wrote:
After reading the other Rat posts and comments here is where I stand; is this as good as the Rasmussen Pinot we have had before (still have my signed bottle) probably not. Am I going to enjoy this bottle as my second or third bottle I open in a night? YES. Did I enjoy the 1001 as the second or third bottle; YES. KR makes amazing wine and we get them at a price point that makes us feel insane not to buy. If you are looking to get that bottle for that special night this might not be it (hey you may love it and it may be the best pinot you have ever had) but it will definitely keep that night of wine drinking going without breaking the bank.
KR thanks again for the '79 pinot on the tour, one of the best experiences of my life.

Agreed on all counts. The '79 and '84 were both amazing, but the '79 was just that much more special.

If I had the space I'd be in.

I was pleased and surprised to find out I was going to have the opportunity to review a wine - thanks woot! I always thought it was just an 'inside job' having purchased wines here for some time - but I was proven wrong.

That is the good news. The less than good news was what I discovered when it arrived at my office - a Pinot. Now I am a red wine lover, but I never have been a great Pinot fan. I have been told the reason for that is that I am not willing to spend enough money on a Pinot - but frankly, if I am going to spend $40 or $50+ on a wine, I will go for a cab or red zin - just me.

So, suffice to say, I was not thrilled and was worried about what I might feel compelled to discuss. But here is the better news - I was really pleasantly surprised.

One of the characteristics that I get from Pinots that I have had in the past was a twangie fruit that just did not settle well with my taste buds. I had none of that here. To attempt to do the 'tasting' justice and not bore anyone with what I might have been wearing or looking at while I tasted it, I will try to be conscise:

First breadth, some cherry and dark fruit with mushroom lingering, maybe a little oak/smokey, and a sense that it could be really hot.

First taste, again the fruit but a dry fruit and not quite as hot as I sensed at first. The fruit and some spice continued with little length.

Later after opening up a bit, alot less alcohol and less spice, light bodied but still nice and dry. Shows a hint of complexity but no length and no twangy aftertaste - very clean. Tried it with a variety of cheese and crackers and melded well even with stronger and spicier cheeses. Did not have a chance to use it with more food but I can see it doing well with what you would expect - lighter fare.

All in all I was very surprised and impressed that this Pinot was one that I would actually buy - which I will - and enjoy it, slighty cooler than room temp but not cold. Very pleasant and enjoyable and what appears to me to be a great price. Thanks again WW.

I'm in, but this is not as great a value as some have made it out. I've now had to invest in another wine rack to hold this (and maybe a few other woots). Don't know where I'll put the rack yet. But there's a guest room. As long as I don't have guests (Can't trust the sneaky buggers!) I'll manage. I remember thinking the 1001 wasn't great; not terrible but wasn't going to buy it again. Hope the rats are right on this one.

Nate650 wrote:Are the grapes grown organically?

Yes. They are not synthetic grapes and they were grown in the ground.

dkrupps wrote:As a matter of fact, I've had both, (having ratted on this release), and can say unequivocally that this release is superior to the D'ontspille in both character, mouthfeel, and flexibility..

I love the D'ontspille, but this is a great deal.

Thanks....Seriously thinking about pulling the trigger.

My previous KR purchases were amazing finds. And yeah, my cellar overflows, I have absolutely no business buying more. But I'm in for two.

geekgirl171 wrote:My previous KR purchases were amazing finds. And yeah, my cellar overflows, I have absolutely no business buying more. But I'm in for two.

If one of those woots were the SB, I agree it was fantastic!

neilfindswine wrote:Two cents from the new guy.........

The problem is, it's really hard to find a Pinot that's an 'everyday drink-able'. The 'Sub-$20 Pinot that passes the test' category in my mind has but a few members. This is one of them. .........

The Ramsay is pleasant, light-bodied and value priced. At $62.99 for a 6-pack it's REALLY value-priced. ........ I raised my glass to Kent...

Well reasoned. Despite having too much wine, I am in for one. The bottle of wine that I have liked most from all of my winewoot purchases is K.R. Esoterica PS. K.R. is an autobuy.

glassglass wrote:Well reasoned. Despite having too much wine, I am in for one. The bottle of wine that I have liked most from all of my winewoot purchases is K.R. Esoterica PS. K.R. is an autobuy.

You already drank the PS?! Infanticide!!!

so, i also have a deep and lustful affection for the K.R. Esoterica PS, and was interested in this...

i remembered that the local wine megamart carried the Ramsay Cab and thought it would be worth checking out whether they carried the 2008 Pinot, and... success! here's a free rat for y'all:

pop and pour:
first impressions from the nose: menthol and plums? kind of dull, but still smells "hot".
appearance is very clear and pleasant rusty-red, going into an almost brown around the rim.
taste is: alcohol, currants, mushroom & a little more alcohol. no smoke that i can taste. letting this sit while i cook.

one hour later:
and i made a vegetarian calzone for me and the wife... not sure how well its played with the spicey tomato sauce. stopped after the first sip.

30 min after dinner:
i found a lot more pleasure drinking it on its own. a pleasant spiciness, nice and dry. still mushroomy, still some stone fruit taste, good fullness in the mouth, but much more alcohol feeling (what? 13%) than I expected. if there's supposed to be smoke here, i can't find it.

i'm on the fence, if only because i have easy access to this locally. am still considering
purchasing because its slightly cheaper on woot, SWMBO loves pinot, and overall found this a good value for the price.

ps- if anyone in the soCal area needs help drinking their Esoterica PS, lemme know!

Was pleasantly surprised to see a Ramsay Petite Sirah at one of my local wine stores a few weeks ago so I picked up a bottle. Hard to pay non-Woot prices (and apparently hyper-inflated prices now that I just checked wine searcher), but it was still a nice little PS to drink while I wait for the Esoterica PS to mature.

wine.woot...you folks are on a roll...too good to pass up once again (third buy in a week). Thanks to some quality rattage, it was an easy decision.

Really, really, really...this is a great buy.

The 07' is listed on the bevmo site for my local store.
Due to their poor vintage control they might even have the 08' on the shelf.
http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=4109
I will have to check tomorrow.

Also, the list price is lower than the sale price which I find to be very amusing.

In for two, thank you. Will enjoy clearing some space on the rack over next several days.

Already bought 2 other winewoots this month, but can't hold off on this!

Nice work, Labratters, you helped seal the deal, thank you. Can't wait to try this with some of the more rich fall/winter foods coming up.

kylemittskus wrote:You already drank the PS?! Infanticide!!!

I concur. Mine are all tucked away nestled safely in the back side of the racks where I won't be tempted.

roofle wrote:For me, yes. For the wine, no.

lol, nice, I wonder how that pairs....I don't partake, anymore, but would like to see that in some pairings ;)

kylemittskus wrote:You already drank the PS?! Infanticide!!!

Come on, you have to try at least one young just to see where it started from!

Argh so the wine racks are still full but I've heard too much good stuff to hold off on trying KR for this long, plus it's a lower-bottle-count MD offer so I really want to offer the business to justify all the fuss over shipping we've been making for so long;-) So woot, my first MD wine order!

Also these are screw tops so I'm using the 'don't have to store horizontal' logic to justify the fact that there won't be *room* to put them horizontal in the racks for quite a while...

After spending the better part of a day thinking about it, I finally decided to go in for one. Don't know where I'll put it yet - probably move the 2006 Truchard Tempranillo to longer-term storage to open up space for this.

I am surprised that this has not sold out yet.

Kent is an amazing winemaker and has a marvelous touch with Pinot Noir. Almost anything he makes is an autobuy for me.

SWMBO loves Pinot Noir, and we certainly can't afford to drink premier cru Burgundy and Carneros Pinot Noir from Buena Vista and Kent everyday.

tytiger58 wrote:Come on, you have to try at least one young just to see where it started from!

No! No you don't! We don't kill babies around here. Animals, I tell you.

Winedavid39 wrote:Ah yes , the opening of the 79- priceless. How does one spell Carneros??

This game is closer than it ought to be. Either your team is better than I thought or the team that plays in the state I reside is worse than I thought.

kylemittskus wrote:You already drank the PS?! Infanticide!!!

How long should we hold the PS? Will decanting and/or using a Venturi speed up the process? It's difficult not opening up one just to try it.

jmdavidson wrote:How long should we hold the PS? Will decanting and/or using a Venturi speed up the process? It's difficult not opening up one just to try it.

Don't listen to Kyle try one now save the rest for later.

You might find out that you like young fruit and kick a@@ tannins

kylemittskus wrote:Yes. They are not synthetic grapes and they were grown in the ground.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food

kylemittskus wrote:Yes. They are not synthetic grapes and they were grown in the ground.

Being carbon-based makes them organic, but they may not organically grown. Still, it's a worthwhile observation: plastic grapes would make bad wine. Probably.

keithnowak7 wrote:I agree, but then realized owning and running a business is different than consuming said product. ... but if he still made a nice profit, and only lost a handful from his... would that still not be a success? (From a business standpoint?)

Maybe someone else can offer an example of the importance of consistancy and brand loyalty in the wine industry? Or a few key failures where a highly respected brand failed when profit became the focus at the expense of quality control.

jmdavidson wrote:How long should we hold the PS? Will decanting and/or using a Venturi speed up the process? It's difficult not opening up one just to try it.

Decanting or Venturi is a must with young PS. But sometimes you need many hours decanting.

But I believe the PSith Master (Petite Sirah) has indicated in the past that drinking a PS younger than 5 years is Infanticide. However, IIRC, Kent has indicated that there is a "dumb" phase for PS that can start 10-15 years after, and lasts for around 10 years.

So you can lay some of those down for 20+ years, and they should be excellent then. As those of us who have had aged PS at D&D gatherings can attest.

Our thoughts & prayers are with everyone who lost someone 10 years ago, and with those who need it today. God Bless All.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Decanting or Venturi is a must with young PS. But sometimes you need many hours decanting.

But I believe the PSith Master (Petite Sirah) has indicated in the past that drinking a PS younger than 5 years is Infanticide. However, IIRC, Kent has indicated that there is a "dumb" phase for PS that can start 10-15 years after, and lasts for around 10 years.

So you can lay some of those down for 20+ years, and they should be excellent then. As those of us who have had aged PS at D&D gatherings can attest.

And for those of us who may not have 20 years left for cellaring? I guess PS is for the younger generation then. Looks like its infanticide for my PS.

jmdavidson wrote:And for those of us who may not have 20 years left for cellaring? I guess PS is for the younger generation then. Looks like its infanticide for my PS.

Or you can leave it to me ....

eclettico wrote:Being carbon-based makes them organic, but they may not organically grown. Still, it's a worthwhile observation: plastic grapes would make bad wine. Probably.

I know. I was poking fun at the entire idea of the "organic" movement.

Nate650 wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food

My turn.