Three Wine Men Merlot Case
$89.99 $̶2̶1̶1̶.̶0̶0̶ 57% off List Price
2009 Three Wine Men California Merlot
CT link above

Winery website

Woot! The Photographer pulled a fast one and drank one of the bottles before taking the last photo!


Where in California were these grapes sourced from?

Just a question on shipping...it says that shipping to PA is not allowed, but a week ago I was able to order wine from Wine.com and they were able to utilize UPS where they do an age verification for reciving the package. Can potential shipping to PA be checked again?

cmaldoon wrote:Woot! The Photographer pulled a fast one and drank one of the bottles before taking the last photo!


Where in California were these grapes sourced from?

Read the specs ... apparently it sources from Sebastiani in the Alexander Valley. Since Merlot grapes are grown in abundance in that area, I would assume this is made from the local harvest. I'm familiar with Sebastiani, which makes some excellent wine, so this should serve well as a table wine.

cnwinton wrote:Read the specs ... apparently it sources from Sebastiani in the Alexander Valley. Since Merlot grapes are grown in abundance in that area, I would assume this is made from the local harvest. I'm familiar with Sebastiani, which makes some excellent wine, so this should serve well as a table wine.

The Specs say nothing of that. The winery info tab says it is made by Don and Sons out of Sonoma (they who make orange crusher and the lucky seven mix from several months back among many other wines)

There is nothing said of Alexander Valley, and with a "California" label it is likely either A) a mix of different areas, or B) all Central CA fruit.

Where the fruit came from can tell us a lot about how this might taste.

cmaldoon wrote:The Specs say nothing of that. The winery info tab says it is made by Don and Sons out of Sonoma (they who make orange crusher and the lucky seven mix from several months back among many other wines)

There is nothing said of Alexander Valley, and with a "California" label it is likely either A) a mix of different areas, or B) all Central CA fruit.

Where the fruit came from can tell us a lot about how this might taste.

Hello Wooters I am one of the Three Wine Men. Yes we are not the Sebastianis with Alexander Valley ties... We are Don Sebastiani & Sons based in Sonoma with a winery in Napa. We buy grapes from Napa, Sonoma, and many other appellations within the state.

This wine is a blend of grapes from throughout the California coast. Primarily Paso Robles and also some from Clarksburg (where our Crusher Big Orange calls home). If you are looking for appellation as a guide, you will find this wine has a cooler influence - not necessarily the big, overripe, pruny claret style wines that overpower food.

Merlot is making a great comeback. What we are finding is that the US is not paying $50 for merlot. So those wines and grapes are finding homes in opportunities like 3WM or other more reasonably priced offerings.

We made this wine for two specific unnamed accounts in the South. This is our end-of-vintage runout and we had a small amount of wine that we thought was cool enough for the world of woot...

cmaldoon wrote:Woot! The Photographer pulled a fast one and drank one of the bottles before taking the last photo!

The 12th bottle probably didn't fit into their artistic vision.

ajrod27 wrote:The 12th bottle probably didn't fit into their artistic vision.

In that case, I officially vollunteer to not fit bottles into my artistic vision too!

donnysebas wrote:This is our end-of-vintage runout and we had a small amount of wine that we thought was cool enough for the world of woot...

Hi Donny, is this a drink-now wine or will it benifit from being laid down awhile?

donnysebas wrote:Hello Wooters I am one of the Three Wine Men. Yes we are not the Sebastianis with Alexander Valley ties... We are Don Sebastiani & Sons based in Sonoma with a winery in Napa. We buy grapes from Napa, Sonoma, and many other appellations within the state.

This wine is a blend of grapes from throughout the California coast. Primarily Paso Robles and also some from Clarksburg (where our Crusher Big Orange calls home). If you are looking for appellation as a guide, you will find this wine has a cooler influence - not necessarily the big, overripe, pruny claret style wines that overpower food.

Merlot is making a great comeback. What we are finding is that the US is not paying $50 for merlot. So those wines and grapes are finding homes in opportunities like 3WM or other more reasonably priced offerings.

We made this wine for two specific unnamed accounts in the South. This is our end-of-vintage runout and we had a small amount of wine that we thought was cool enough for the world of woot...

I agree that Merlot has a bad rap going that is generally not deserved.

You mention that this bends toward a cool climate type merlot and yet it is sourced from clarksburg ( both warm and cool influences agreed though I have seen more hot stuff out of there than cool) and Paso which strikes me often for hot and ripe wines as well (though I got my undergrad at SLO and know that there are many little micro climates around there).

Are you buying from these vineyards year over year and therefore have worked out viticultural plans with them or did you pick earlier? (what Brix?)

The 3.67 pH doesn't scream one style or another, just down the middle. Did you add acid for balance?

cmaldoon wrote:I agree that Merlot has a bad rap going that is generally not deserved.

You mention that this bends toward a cool climate type merlot and yet it is sourced from clarksburg ( both warm and cool influences agreed though I have seen more hot stuff out of there than cool) and Paso which strikes me often for hot and ripe wines as well (though I got my undergrad at SLO and know that there are many little micro climates around there).

Are you buying from these vineyards year over year and therefore have worked out viticultural plans with them or did you pick earlier? (what Brix?)

The 3.67 pH doesn't scream one style or another, just down the middle. Did you add acid for balance?

Love the in-depth questions. Merlot by its nature is a bit down-the-middle. To give you some background, these are long-term relationships with these growers, so they know what we are looking for and we generally know what to expect from them. It is not as simple as favoring acid vs. balance... Given the option of the two I would say we favor balance.

With merlots (and cab sauv to an extent) I find that moderate ripeness adds to the depth and complexity of these wines. Our challenge is to make elegant and perfumy wines that have character, wines that are not simply "down the middle". Anyone can do well-made generic red wines. That doesnt inspire me.

We dont pick early, but we don't push the envelope on ripeness - as is becoming the norm nowadays!

ajrod27 wrote:Hi Donny, is this a drink-now wine or will it benifit from being laid down awhile?

This wine is in good shape for aging for a year or two but is ideal for drinking now. I had a bottle last week and it was just right!

Sounds like fun--in for one (despite being scheduled for delivery of the Healdsburg case tomorrow.)

I really like this kind of offering: cheap, but clear explanation for the pricing, good winery input, can't get locally, etc.

Is this a dry or sweet merlot?

zjavagirl wrote:Is this a dry or sweet merlot?

Unless otherwise mentioned, you can usually assume that almost all merlot will be made dry <4 g/l of residual sugar.
If fact, I have never seen a sweet or semi-sweet merlot, have you?

EDIT: A google search does turn up some semi-sweet merlots on the bargain end of the price spectrum.

zjavagirl wrote:Is this a dry or sweet merlot?

I shudder at the thought of a sweet merlot.

donnysebas wrote:This wine is in good shape for aging for a year or two but is ideal for drinking now. I had a bottle last week and it was just right!

One of my all-time favorite wines is a Merlot from Shafer. Granted, it is priced WAY more than this (and it deserves its hefty pricetag). But, how would you say this Merlot compares, as smooth? sharper? more or less tannin?

Time to take care of the wife, in for one

Not impressed with the mocking of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.
This is just not cool.
Beneath inappropriate.

lauramae7 wrote:Not impressed with the mocking of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.
This is just not cool.
Beneath inappropriate.

Yeah I agree, Woot writers. Bad judgment. You risk offending...brilliant, mature people?

Edit - just want to see if the word oxymorons would be filtered too.

:::PA RUM PUM:::

lauramae7 wrote:Not impressed with the mocking of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.
This is just not cool.
Beneath inappropriate.

Get a sense of humor.

A big thumbs down to the sales tax. I can go to my local store to prop up big government.

As for the wine, at this price, even with the government bail out added, it sounds like a good, everyday drinker.

I'm in for one.

jhkey wrote:Unless otherwise mentioned, you can usually assume that almost all merlot will be made dry <4 g/l of residual sugar.
If fact, I have never seen a sweet or semi-sweet merlot, have you?

EDIT: A google search does turn up some semi-sweet merlots on the bargain end of the price spectrum.

Look for a white merlot.

I'm as church-going, God-fearing and happy-with-my-religion as they get. I thought the write-up was hilarious! If you didn't think it was funny, then I feel bad for ya. Good job, Woot writers!

It sounds good, but it's a lot of wine for an unknown. Anyone in the Four Corners (Durango/Farmington) want to split a case, PM me.

It's nice to see Merlot getting some love here. After all, it isn't Merlot that deserved the bad rap, but the people responsible for making poor Merlot.

I've had some delicious, well made Merlot's. Really enjoy Pride Mountain, Shafer and Hall's to name a few.

I like that you don't wait until the fruit is overripe or pick early. While those wines can be great food friendly wines due to their acidity (referring to the picked early fruit), I prefer the balanced wines I can either enjoy with dinner or on it's own.

These are priced well if the quality is there.

fuzi719 wrote:I shudder at the thought of a sweet merlot.

Merlot icewine rocks

lauramae7 wrote:Not impressed with the mocking of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.
This is just not cool.
Beneath inappropriate.

Woot still has write-ups? I hadn't even noticed since the changes. I just go straight to the discussion so my eyes don't bleed as much.

What a strange coincidence that I happened to open a bottle of this last night over at my moms house!!!

The 2 people who tried, were my mom and dad. Mom doesn't like heavy tannins (that suck her mouth dry, as she says)and more fruit forward. Dad prefers more tannins and likes earthy and fruit flavors.
Me, I like fruit forward, no earth, leather or tobacco, and tannins.

We opened the bottle and poured a bit without the vinturi.
Color: We were all surprised how pale it was for a merlot.

Smell: Very tight, Dad says he was smelling rubbing alcohol, mom smelled something she couldn't identify, me... really didn't pick up on anything.

Taste: Mom did not like..She couldn't explain why, just it was not for her. Dad said it was extremely light feeling for a Merlot. Me: I thought it was very light and I know this sounds strange, but I tasted apple (granny smith and fuji) and cranberry. strange I know. It was light and refreshing.

2nd taste with wine going thru the vinturi:
We were all surprised how much the vinturi changed the taste.
Mom.. wow the wine got really tannic.. thinks it needs to decant for a while.

Dad: the tannins were really coming thru. Taste improved with time.

Me: more tannins were coming thru, but as I kept swirling my glass the wine mellowed out. I still was getting apple cranberry.

We all felt the aftertaste had a hint of sweetness and was nice. But it is definitely not a sweet wine..
Mom liked the aftertaste the best.
I took the bottle home and then had a glass (thru the vinturi) with dinner (steak (rare) baked tater and fresh green beans). Wow this is what the wine was meant for. It complimented each dish. The tannins helped cut the richness of the steak. I can't really explain it, just I wanted more of this wine with the food.

This wine is perfect if you want a light, not very complex wine. It needs to be paired with food.

Final note: we saved half the bottle to see how it is the next day. Will report back later.

RyanANNAPOLIS wrote:It's nice to see Merlot getting some love here. After all, it isn't Merlot that deserved the bad rap, but the people responsible for making poor Merlot.

I've had some delicious, well made Merlot's. Really enjoy Pride Mountain, Shafer and Hall's to name a few.

I like that you don't wait until the fruit is overripe or pick early. While those wines can be great food friendly wines due to their acidity (referring to the picked early fruit), I prefer the balanced wines I can either enjoy with dinner or on it's own.

These are priced well if the quality is there.

One of the best wines I bought on WW was a Medlock Ames Merlot purchased in Aug 2011. I still have a 2001 bottle from that purchase. (it was a five pack 1 each from 2001-2005) would love for WW to bring back the Medlock Ames, Cab's & Merlots

mommadeb1 wrote:What a strange coincidence that I happened to open a bottle of this last night over at my moms house!!!

The 2 people who tried, were my mom and dad. Mom doesn't like heavy tannins (that suck her mouth dry, as she says)and more fruit forward. Dad prefers more tannins and likes earthy and fruit flavors.
Me, I like fruit forward, no earth, leather or tobacco, and tannins.

We opened the bottle and poured a bit without the vinturi.
Color: We were all surprised how pale it was for a merlot.

Smell: Very tight, Dad says he was smelling rubbing alcohol, mom smelled something she couldn't identify, me... really didn't pick up on anything.

Taste: Mom did not like..She couldn't explain why, just it was not for her. Dad said it was extremely light feeling for a Merlot. Me: I thought it was very light and I know this sounds strange, but I tasted apple (granny smith and fuji) and cranberry. strange I know. It was light and refreshing.

2nd taste with wine going thru the vinturi:
We were all surprised how much the vinturi changed the taste.
Mom.. wow the wine got really tannic.. thinks it needs to decant for a while.

Dad: the tannins were really coming thru. Taste improved with time.

Me: more tannins were coming thru, but as I kept swirling my glass the wine mellowed out. I still was getting apple cranberry.

We all felt the aftertaste had a hint of sweetness and was nice. But it is definitely not a sweet wine..
Mom liked the aftertaste the best.
I took the bottle home and then had a glass (thru the vinturi) with dinner (steak (rare) baked tater and fresh green beans). Wow this is what the wine was meant for. It complimented each dish. The tannins helped cut the richness of the steak. I can't really explain it, just I wanted more of this wine with the food.

This wine is perfect if you want a light, not very complex wine. It needs to be paired with food.

Final note: we saved half the bottle to see how it is the next day. Will report back later.

Thanks for the feedback! Did you ever try the Skrew Kappa Napa or Toolbox Merlots offered here? Trying to gauge a flavore profile/style. Thanks

RyanANNAPOLIS wrote:It's nice to see Merlot getting some love here. After all, it isn't Merlot that deserved the bad rap, but the people responsible for making poor Merlot.

I've had some delicious, well made Merlot's. Really enjoy Pride Mountain, Shafer and Hall's to name a few.

I like that you don't wait until the fruit is overripe or pick early. While those wines can be great food friendly wines due to their acidity (referring to the picked early fruit), I prefer the balanced wines I can either enjoy with dinner or on it's own.

These are priced well if the quality is there.

Pride Mountain is an amazing wine. It is in a different category than our 3WM. But yes stylistically, neither are boring, and neither resort to punch-in-the-face ripeness.

losthighwayz wrote:Thanks for the feedback! Did you ever try the Skrew Kappa Napa or Toolbox Merlots offered here? Trying to gauge a flavore profile/style. Thanks

I am glad this story had a (relatively) happy ending. Yes, I cannot agree more or stress more emphatically... DECANT! Open this wine - and just about all wines - as early as possible. Let them breathe! The Vinturi is a great tool. Wines are bottled up for years without any exposure to life's basic need... Oxygen. Then, boom! All of the sudden... Oxygen. Remember your first time experiencing something great? Like breathing? It changed you. It will change the wine.

fuzi719 wrote:One of my all-time favorite wines is a Merlot from Shafer. Granted, it is priced WAY more than this (and it deserves its hefty pricetag). But, how would you say this Merlot compares, as smooth? sharper? more or less tannin?

Cant say specifically how it compares to that wine. Merlot, by it's nature, is a "smooth" grape. Easy drinking. If you like more moderate tannins and "smoothness" open the wine up at 4 pm and let it breathe before dinner. If you can wait...

bflohl wrote:Sounds like fun--in for one (despite being scheduled for delivery of the Healdsburg case tomorrow.)

I really like this kind of offering: cheap, but clear explanation for the pricing, good winery input, can't get locally, etc.

Thank you! We thought it was a natural fit for woot...

I'm glad the covnersation finally got to focusing on the flavors and drinkability of the wine. (really, does sweet Merlot belong here? Or, in context of a $7.91/bottle, references to Pride merlot?)

I'm in for one, in spite of it not being sweet and not being Pride or Shafer .