Arrayán Winery Spanish Reds
$99.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: Red
PRODUCTS:
2 2007 Arrayán Syrah
2 2007 Arrayán Petit Verdot
CT link above

Winery website

Syrah I know the other I don't

stylen wrote:Syrah I know the other I don't

I've usually encountered petit verdot in small amounts as part of a red blend. But I've had it "on its own" as a varietal and liked it--as a matter of fact it was a Woot offering (Kent or Scott perhaps..??).

Cesare wrote:Arrayán
2 2007 Arrayán Syrah
2 2007 Arrayán Petit Verdot

Invalid Wine ID ^^

I've had some of their wines before. I recently had their 2005 Premium. It is an interesting mix of 55% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 15% CS, 10% PV. This, even for being a 2005, was a big wine and needed another 3-4 years minimum. It had some similarities to an Aussie wine, with it being very ripe, notes of raisins, prunes and had a really rich color. I liked it a lot but it took 24 hours opened in the bottle before it really came together. I'd be interested in seeing how these other ones compare. I paid about the same per bottle - $25. That seems to be a good price as I've found it a few times in stores for around $40/bottle.

smartheart wrote:I've usually encountered petit verdot in small amounts as part of a red blend. But I've had it "on its own" as a varietal and liked it--as a matter of fact it was a Woot offering (Kent or Scott perhaps..??).

PV can be quite delicious as a single focus wine. It has similar characteristics to Petit Sirah but not nearly as tannic and thick (and generally doesn't get the same forceful oak). I find it has nicer, bolder fruit flavors and is more "complete" as a wine than PS. Done right, they can be quite exceptional. Yes, it is generally found as a blending grape to provide color and structure. In Bordeaux, it is one of the 5 allowable grapes.

Right now, WA and VA are doing really good things with Petit Verdot, with the latter having it come through as a focus grape in their production of reds. I can't say much for CA as I haven't had it from there yet, but I'm sure there are good ones.

Is it true? Are my eyes deceiving me? Is there really no list of taunting states separating the haves and the can't gets? Is it an international thing?
BTW wine lovers and likers, HR 1161 is still out there attempting to eliminate free choice and bankrupt wineries who self-distribute,
http://www.freethegrapes.org/index.php?q=HR5034
which might include wine.woot.

There are Wine Diapers on Home.Woot.

No CT info. $25 each. Should have had Lab Rats! Can't say I want to spend $25 on something with nothing to base that purchase on.

Wine Advocate review:

Wine Advocate It surrenders a brooding bouquet of meat, game, violets, incense, blueberry, and black cherry. Layered on the palate and impeccably balanced, it is considerably more approachable than the Petit Verdot and should be at its best from 2013 to 2022. Score 91+ points.



thunderthighs: this note is for the Syrah

jmdavidson wrote:No CT info. $25 each. Should have had Lab Rats! Can't say I want to spend $25 on something with nothing to base that purchase on.

It would seem most agree. Now 0700 PDT and looking at stats it seems three have purchased a total of five woots. Gonna be a long slow Saturday and my wallet appears safe for the day.

jmdavidson wrote:No CT info. $25 each. Should have had Lab Rats! Can't say I want to spend $25 on something with nothing to base that purchase on.

I agree. I for one need much more info before dropping a C-note on 4 bottles of Spanish wine.

rjquillin wrote:It would seem most agree. Now 0700 PDT and looking at stats it seems three have purchased a total of five woots. Gonna be a long slow Saturday and my wallet appears safe for the day.

I thought the same thing but then I dumped $125 on Scott Harvey's B-Day sale...damn that Scott Harvey.

I'm stuck on the PV thing also. It says it pairs with game and oily fish? Eewwww. If it was 4 Syrah's I'd def be in but it looks like I'm gonna stay out of trouble for another day.

Is it possible to buy yesterdays wine? Looks like I missed a good one.

eluofthenine wrote:I'm stuck on the PV thing also. It says it pairs with game and oily fish? Eewwww. If it was 4 Syrah's I'd def be in but it looks like I'm gonna stay out of trouble for another day.

Here is a link to some Petit Verdot information (this was the link in a CT page) for anyone interested. I have not had it on it own, but I do own a bottle of Moon Mountain Petit Verdot which I have yet to open. Not that it has any relation to this particular offering, but that PV is currently scoring an average of 91 on CT, so the varietal has potential as a stand-alone.

billmoore wrote:Is it possible to buy yesterdays wine? Looks like I missed a good one.

Not unless it comes back up again. I would try back in about a month when the next woot-off pops up. Based on the quantity sold yesterday, I'm guessing there is a lot left and some will pop up in the next woot-off. You could also, of course, purchase it directly from the winery.

randysanders wrote:There are Wine Diapers on Home.Woot.

Of course there are, I just bought three packs of three from Woot's parent company.

iccrew98 wrote:PV can be quite delicious as a single focus wine. It has similar characteristics to Petit Sirah but not nearly as tannic and thick (and generally doesn't get the same forceful oak). I find it has nicer, bolder fruit flavors and is more "complete" as a wine than PS. Done right, they can be quite exceptional. Yes, it is generally found as a blending grape to provide color and structure. In Bordeaux, it is one of the 5 allowable grapes.

I would never have compared PV to PS. And I find PS, generally, to be far more "complete" than PV in terms of fruit, structure, and overall enjoyability (not a real word).

kylemittskus wrote:I would never have compared PV to PS. And I find PS, generally, to be far more "complete" than PV in terms of fruit, structure, and overall enjoyability (not a real word).

PV & PS have very similar characteristics. Both are small berried, tight clustered grapes. They have a high color to juice ratio, tending towards wines which are brooding and big and not something most wine makers are willing to put out on their own. Sure, there are the ones who do, but they are quite often left to help push up the color and tannins in another wine. PV is mostly used in Bordeaux blends, PS to bolster Zin and other reds in Cali. They also thrive in warmer areas since both are prone to later ripening and originated from France, where both struggle to ripen.

As far as complete, PS ultimately has very little finish. That is the distinctive style of PS and quite often why it gets blended with CS; so the CS can carry the palate through the mid and onto the finish. PV doesn't (typically) suffer through that fate. And, quite often, wine makers don't push the oak tannins on PV as much as PS, leaving a little of that mouth-drying effect off the wine and thus making PV more approachable to a lot of people.

kylemittskus wrote:I would never have compared PV to PS. And I find PS, generally, to be far more "complete" than PV in terms of fruit, structure, and overall enjoyability (not a real word).

I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth re this discussion between iccrew and kylemittskus. I do find similarities between the two (PS and PV, not IC and KM) and they do play similar roles in our wines and the wines of others. As far as the "complete wine", imho PS more often fills the bill, but both are usually best as blenders. Both grapes typically have excessive amounts of tannin when grown in cooler, high quality wine regions. PS generally has more body and richness, yielding a big, chewy, tannic mouthfilling wine. It's aromas and flavors have similarity / compatibility with Zinfandel, and can add structure, color and tannin that are sometimes lacking in Zinfandel. PV can have great aromatics and flavor that really intensify the fruit in a blend, also adds a lot of color and tannin, but can be very lean and hard on its own. In the seven years I have worked with PV, it has had enough balance to bottle as a varietal only twice. In Cabernet based blends it does add color and flavor, but for structure and richness we turn to Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.

In short, both PV and PS have limited potential as stand alone wines. Both make big, bold wines that would never be described as bland or boring, and can at times be great, at times be an assault on the palate.

neilfindswine wrote:...haven't tried these yet, but I'm looking forward to both. Aside from being a fan of Petit Verdot as a varietal, Spain is my go-to international wine destination for QPR.


Méntrida was one of the top 4 regions we tasted, IMHO, along with Priorat, Ribera del Duero and Montsant. Tasty red wines, and those that make it across the Atlantic tend to be great wines at great prices.

Hey neilfindswine --

Can you provide any comparisons to PV done in America vs Spain? Does their climate tend to make them any more/less approachable? I've found some huge differences between VA & WA versions but can't say I've had much in the way of Spanish PV, outside of in a blend.

I'm just curious to see what, if any, comparisons are out there.

Thanks!

Got burned in the last two wootoffs with non cab reds that were VERY weak, learned my lesson, if it isn't a cab or Medlock Ames Merlot I'm passing

fredrinaldi wrote:Got burned in the last two wootoffs with non cab reds that were VERY weak, learned my lesson, if it isn't a cab or Medlock Ames Merlot I'm passing

Which wines?

SonomaBouliste wrote:I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth re this discussion between iccrew and kylemittskus. I do find similarities between the two (PS and PV, not IC and KM) and they do play similar roles in our wines and the wines of others. As far as the "complete wine", imho PS more often fills the bill, but both are usually best as blenders. Both grapes typically have excessive amounts of tannin when grown in cooler, high quality wine regions. PS generally has more body and richness, yielding a big, chewy, tannic mouthfilling wine. It's aromas and flavors have similarity / compatibility with Zinfandel, and can add structure, color and tannin that are sometimes lacking in Zinfandel. PV can have great aromatics and flavor that really intensify the fruit in a blend, also adds a lot of color and tannin, but can be very lean and hard on its own. In the seven years I have worked with PV, it has had enough balance to bottle as a varietal only twice. In Cabernet based blends it does add color and flavor, but for structure and richness we turn to Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.

In short, both PV and PS have limited potential as stand alone wines. Both make big, bold wines that would never be described as bland or boring, and can at times be great, at times be an assault on the palate.

...and this level of analysis and experience is exactly why I come to these forums. And buy Peter's wines. Some of you may of course disagree with his love of the less bombastic types of wine and prefer PS on its own more than he, but I do love the understanding which comes from how a traditional, subtle and nuanced winemaker describes the craft and complexities of the growing and tasting experience! Things I will look for now more when tasting varietals, or trying to do a blend, when i get another chance!

Winedavid39 wrote:Sorry to hear that. Let me know which ones you didn't like.

I like a real hardy deep red, so for what its worth:
Scott Harvey Zin 2/15 woot (& I like Scott Harvey and will take some heat for this)
Castoro Cellars Whale 2/22 woot and Bono Rosso 1/17 woot.

Just one man's opinion, but thanks for asking.
Loved Raised by Wolfs, Rockeus Bockus, Medlock Ames, White Oak.....

richardhod wrote:...and this level of analysis and experience is exactly why I come to these forums. And buy Peter's wines. Some of you may of course disagree with his love of the less bombastic types of wine and prefer PS on its own more than he, but I do love the understanding which comes from how a traditional, subtle and nuanced winemaker describes the craft and complexities of the growing and tasting experience! Things I will look for now more when tasting varietals, or trying to do a blend, when i get another chance!

QFT!!!!!

kylemittskus wrote:QFT!!!!!

Quantum Field Theory?

I do work in astrophysics...

fredrinaldi wrote:I like a real hardy deep red, so for what its worth:
Scott Harvey Zin 2/15 woot (& I like Scott Harvey and will take some heat for this)
Castoro Cellars Whale 2/22 woot and Bono Rosso 1/17 woot.

Just one man's opinion, but thanks for asking.
Loved Raised by Wolfs, Rockeus Bockus, Medlock Ames, White Oak.....

I have to agree on the Scott Harvey Zin. Kinda weak, and like the poster I love Harvey, mainly his Barbera. Just ordered two sets of the Barbera from recent Woot Off.

rjquillin wrote:Quantum Field Theory?

I do work in astrophysics...

Quoted for truth. I absolutely agree with what Richard said.

Daystar wrote:I have to agree on the Scott Harvey Zin. Kinda weak, and like the poster I love Harvey, mainly his Barbera. Just ordered two sets of the Barbera from recent Woot Off.

Nice to see I'm not alone here, BTW enjoying a White Oak Cab from the 1/2 and 1/2 case of Merlot and Cab, nice body

fredrinaldi wrote:Nice to see I'm not alone here, BTW enjoying a White Oak Cab from the 1/2 and 1/2 case of Merlot and Cab, nice body

Just opened the white oak cab as an after dinner glass. Well balanced and dark fruits! A bit hot though. Definitely drinks like a 25 dollar bottle. Had the merlot on thursday and enjoyed it but not as much as the cab. Great qpr on both nonetheless. I agreevrockus was awesomw! Regret not gping in on the wolves

Ive had quite a few Petite Verdot bottles this past year and have found them to be extremely enjoyable! I had a geyser peak PV earlier today with filet mignon and loved it! Sweet fruit, medium tannins, inky purple color, and full bodied! I had a james cole PV this past summer that blew me away. Granted!, am a california/spain new world, fruit forward type of guy. For what its worth. Hope i am making sense. If u like zins! Cabs! And full bodied syrahs the PV is for u, IMHO

richardhod wrote:...and this level of analysis and experience is exactly why I come to these forums. And buy Peter's wines. Some of you may of course disagree with his love of the less bombastic types of wine and prefer PS on its own more than he, but I do love the understanding which comes from how a traditional, subtle and nuanced winemaker describes the craft and complexities of the growing and tasting experience! Things I will look for now more when tasting varietals, or trying to do a blend, when i get another chance!

+1 all the way! He, and the commentary on this site, is what really pushed me to finally change careers into wine

fredrinaldi wrote:I like a real hardy deep red, so for what its worth:
Scott Harvey Zin 2/15 woot (& I like Scott Harvey and will take some heat for this)
Castoro Cellars Whale 2/22 woot and Bono Rosso 1/17 woot.

Just one man's opinion, but thanks for asking.
Loved Raised by Wolfs, Rockeus Bockus, Medlock Ames, White Oak.....

LOVED the Scott Harvey Zin, but have to agree with you on the Rockus Bockus and White Oak - YUM!

at any time, anyone who wants
Scott Harvey old Vine Zin (white label), I have some 06 and 09 I'm happy to swap for the white label Barbera, or in proportion with the 06 red-label Syrah. Or other SH wines (suggest one!). So if you like the Zin the most we'll all be happy if we swap to our favourites!