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Roessler 2008 Bluejay Pinot Noir - Two Pack [Red] - $47.99 + $7.00 shipping shipping

2 * 2008 Bluejay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

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Roessler 2008 Bluejay Pinot Noir Two - Pack
$47.99 + $7 shipping
Condition: Red
Product: 2 2008 Bluejay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
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Previous offer:
4/26/2010

Is this the longest woot-off ever?

Does wine woot offer a Bagel or Crepe?

Oh man, I wanted some of that soap, but it sold out too fast.

Still have two bottles left from the first offering, and have consumed two. My notes:

5/15/2010, rated 86 points: On opening, a strong, dark nose of plum, earthy barnyard, and a bit of menthol. It was painfully astringent on the first sip, and an hour in the decanter softened it up quite nicely. It resolved itself into an interesting earthy flavor with a great deal of fruit - plums and dark cherry, but with an odd, funky tint and a little light on the palate. The finish brought out a great nutmeg-like spiciness and some toasted oak. Good wine, but could probably use another year or so in the bottle to clear out the really harsh tannins. That little bit of funkiness (perhaps a result of the dreaded smoke taint?) kept this wine from being really great.

7/22/2010, rated 87 points: After just two more months in bottle, this is pretty different from what I remember - much more integrated and pleasant, but sadly a little less interesting. The nose still has a little of the earthiness I remember, now resolved into a very mushroomy, wet haystack sort of scent, and plenty of fruit as well - blueberries and plums. There's also a solid hint of cedar and vanilla as well that I think I missed last time. On the palate, tons of fruit - blueberries, plums, cherries, a little blackcurrant even. A little bit of smoke and some wet mud comes through in the mid-palate (and on a couple sips I think I even caught a bit of banana), and the nutmeg spiciness on the finish is still present, but it's a little less tannic, more balanced, and overall more drinkable than the last bottle. For that, I'll give it another point.

The first was a mere two days after it was delivered, so I suspect a bit of bottle shock was at play there. Overall, a decent but not great California Pinot; may or may not be worth the price, depending on your affinity for the mysterious grape.

grubber wrote:Oh man, I wanted some of that soap, but it sold out too fast.

You're funny :D

k1avg wrote:Still have two bottles left from the first offering, and have consumed two. My notes:



The first was a mere two days after it was delivered, so I suspect a bit of bottle shock was at play there. Overall, a decent but not great California Pinot; may or may not be worth the price, depending on your affinity for the mysterious grape.

Thanks for the info - did you detect a slight tinny taste?

mclonghorn wrote:Thanks for the info - did you detect a slight tinny taste?

I don't recall anything metallic. I'm typically sensitive to that sort of thing too (I can almost always tell when a wine was aged in steel and poured a whole bottle of otherwise well-regarded Riesling down the drain last night for tasting too rubbery), so I probably would have noted it if it was there. Why, did you?

Thanks WineDavid! We LOVE this wine and so does everyone else we share it with....haven't been able to part with a bottle as a gift yet. In for 3 and so is the hubby!

Now....bring on the Vino Noceto Sangiovese and the Hook and Ladder!

I hear that the Blue Jay may have a smokey taste due to the fires. Anybody know anything about that? I loved the '07 but am hesitant to pull the trigger.

k1avg wrote:I don't recall anything metallic. I'm typically sensitive to that sort of thing too (I can almost always tell when a wine was aged in steel and poured a whole bottle of otherwise well-regarded Riesling down the drain last night for tasting too rubbery), so I probably would have noted it if it was there. Why, did you?

No - I haven't tried this but that is my beef with some Pinot's - for some reason I get a thin tin taste at the finish

I've been waiting all woot-off for this one. Had been saving the last bottle from previous offering for a special occasion. Bought 3 today, so now I can enjoy.

grubber wrote:Oh man, I wanted some of that soap, but it sold out too fast.

That's quality over here

Trcseb wrote:I hear that the Blue Jay may have a smokey taste due to the fires. Anybody know anything about that? I loved the '07 but am hesitant to pull the trigger.

See this thread: http://wine.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PageIndex=1&PostID=3905390#post3905390

The winemaker goes into great detail re: the filtering process that was used to attempt to remove the smoke-taint.

turndon wrote:See this thread: http://wine.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PageIndex=1&PostID=3905390#post3905390

The winemaker goes into great detail re: the filtering process that was used to attempt to remove the smoke-taint.

Thanks!!

Why would any educated person spend $50 on a botle of wine?

k1avg wrote:Still have two bottles left from the first offering, and have consumed two. My notes:


The first was a mere two days after it was delivered, so I suspect a bit of bottle shock was at play there. Overall, a decent but not great California Pinot; may or may not be worth the price, depending on your affinity for the mysterious grape.

Right then, my tasting notes from the rpm tour. F5 no longer necessary

Roessler Bluejay: 14% alc
Acid. Sharp. Zip zzip zip. this has some zing to it. Bite.
On the palate Red cherry, raspberry. It's lightish in weight. Less big due to filtering fromt he fires (see previous woot) but has a loooong slightly mineral acid flourish.
this is a spicy wine, with white pepper, or is it allspice? BBQ sauce? Spicy sauce?

mclonghorn wrote:No - I haven't tried this but that is my beef with some Pinot's - for some reason I get a thin tin taste at the finish

Well, with the usual caveat that your palate may simply be different from mine, this is probably at least worth a try. It's certainly well-made, if not the best I've ever had.

k1avg wrote:Still have two bottles left from the first offering, and have consumed two. My notes:


The first was a mere two days after it was delivered, so I suspect a bit of bottle shock was at play there. Overall, a decent but not great California Pinot; may or may not be worth the price, depending on your affinity for the mysterious grape.

I thought it was interesting that your first review said that it needed another year in bottle, but you opened the second bottle only two months later!

I'm still hanging onto mine and don't expect to open them for a while, so I'll pass on this offer. But these guys do make some mighty tasty juice.

coynedj wrote:I thought it was interesting that your first review said that it needed another year in bottle, but you opened the second bottle only two months later!

I'm still hanging onto mine and don't expect to open them for a while, so I'll pass on this offer. But these guys do make some mighty tasty juice.

Well, it can certainly use some more time in bottle, but it did develop a surprising amount in just a couple months. I think this was part recovery from bottle shock (both shipping and actual bottling - if I remember correctly, the original offer was not very long after bottling, and I think that was discussed in the thread if someone wants to look it up), part actual in-bottle development, and part the fact that I store my wines at room temperature (small apartment and not nearly the cash flow needed for a big wine fridge). I suspect it will keep getting better for a while, though, which is why I'm holding on to my last couple bottles too.

Don't know about 2008, but the 2007 BJ was one of my first wine woots, so perhaps I'm recalling through burgundy colored glasses, but I remember as really nice. Bouquet, initial fruit, and finish were all modestly retrained (compared to many CA PNs), providing a very nice balance. In addition to a deep cherry base, I recall some enjoyable but short lived peaty / mushroomy notes that probably would have been lost in a bigger wine.

A very enjoyable new world PN, and I resolved to restock if I saw again at that price point (I think about ~$21). Inflation being what it is, I'm on the fence now.

Waldorf Salad Heads wrote:Why would any educated person spend $50 on a botle of wine?

no, just smart ones who knew what they were doing, or Parker aficionados who are slumming it cheap.

$88 for 2 from the winery with Ground Shipping ($32 per btl plus $24 Shipping) vs $55 from Woot with better shipping - OK deal but I think I will wait - Can't believe I missed the Wellington!!!

Waldorf Salad Heads wrote:Why would any educated person spend $50 on a botle of wine?

Because for $50 you get TWO bottles of tasty wine! Win.

Waldorf Salad Heads wrote:Why would any educated person spend $50 on a botle of wine?

Because the smart person would see this is for 2 *bottles*?

If you were to spend $10 a glass for that wine, that is roughly the equivalent (5 glasses per bottle).

How about paying $10 for a shot, that you can get ~17 from a $30 bottle...

I miss the '07 Blue Jay. It is cellared in Michigan, and I live in New Hampshire. Blue Jay '08 was at first an instabuy, but upon further taste and thought, I cannot toss in my chips. I fold.

k1avg wrote:Well, it can certainly use some more time in bottle, but it did develop a surprising amount in just a couple months. I think this was part recovery from bottle shock (both shipping and actual bottling - if I remember correctly, the original offer was not very long after bottling, and I think that was discussed in the thread if someone wants to look it up), part actual in-bottle development, and part the fact that I store my wines at room temperature (small apartment and not nearly the cash flow needed for a big wine fridge). I suspect it will keep getting better for a while, though, which is why I'm holding on to my last couple bottles too.

OK my raw notes I reposted in my first post above:

It needs a while to open up, that's for sure. They're not bad at all, but my taste runs to bigger things.

I did prefer the Black Pine to this at the time (out of the wooted wines), but those who love good, light CA PNs (not Pinots trying to be HUGE, yuck) say they're great. I'm still getting used to the "bare" pinot flavour. The winemaker is SO about lettin g the terroir speak through his wine, and you can tell the different flavours in them! Elegant and subtle, though a lil thin for my liking.

My taste runs more to KR and the Burgundian Buena Vista, but I'm not subtle enough on Pinot yet for that to mean much to you Pinot noir lovers. Indeed you should never do that.. paraphrasing rpm: taste loads and don't get so drunk you don't remember the flavours. And take notes.

A good easy drinking Pinot ... once it opens up. IMHO it needs about a year or so in the bottle... I still have 3 left from the 1st offering and that's how long I'm going to wait before trying another one.

spdrcr05 wrote:A good easy drinking Pinot ... once it opens up. IMHO it needs about a year or so in the bottle... I still have 3 left from the 1st offering and that's how long I'm going to wait before trying another one.

That sounds smart! I might actually like it more then. Thinking about it, the KR and the BueVis I like are 06 and 03 respectively...

mclonghorn wrote:No - I haven't tried this but that is my beef with some Pinot's - for some reason I get a thin tin taste at the finish

Well, this is just my uneducated guess, but I've noticed that often pinot noir, more than most other varietals, has a capacity to develop fruit similarities of cherries (and strawberries). My guess is that if the acid in the wine is not well balanced to the fruit or the fruit is perhaps not optimal, this may come out as more sour cherries than lip smacking ripe cherries. Then again, maybe that's a flavor profile that some winemakers shoot for and some consumers dig, but I don't. Maybe this possibility is one of the reasons that PN is considered more difficult to get a consistently ripe crop out of than other grapes. Maybe the sourness or acidity is having a mild reaction to your fillings and you perceive tinniness? (all just guesses, again)

In any event, I'm a little more cautious in looking at the flavor profiles for PNs and if I see sour cherry, I'm reluctant that I will like. However, there is a magical medium above this threshold, but below the fruit bomb PNs (that might as well be syrahs or just about anything else). I think of that PN range as having dark cherries, ripe strawberries, with a little musky, earthy, funkiness.

My feeling is that the 2007 Blue Jay was certainly on this path.

SeanOD wrote:Well, this is just my uneducated guess, but I've noticed that often pinot noir, more than most other varietals, has a capacity to develop fruit similarities of cherries (and strawberries). My guess is that if the acid in the wine is not well balanced to the fruit or the fruit is perhaps not optimal, this may come out as more sour cherries than lip smacking ripe cherries. Then again, maybe that's a flavor profile that some winemakers shoot for and some consumers dig, but I don't. Maybe this possibility is one of the reasons that PN is considered more difficult to get a consistently ripe crop out of than other grapes. Maybe the sourness or acidity is having a mild reaction to your fillings and you perceive tinniness? (all just guesses, again)

In any event, I'm a little more cautious in looking at the flavor profiles for PNs and if I see sour cherry, I'm reluctant that I will like. However, there is a magical medium above this threshold, but below the fruit bomb PNs (that might as well be syrahs or just about anything else). I think of that PN range as having dark cherries, ripe strawberries, with a little musky, earthy, funkiness.

My feeling is that the 2007 Blue Jay was certainly on this path.

Now you, sir, are a real Pinot lover. I haven't the experience in them to say anything like this.. thank you! From tasting this one, yes it has that tinny flavour I think.. but it's not the nasty "sour empty cherry" that I hate in a bad pinot.. like the worse bottles of KR's inconsistent 1001 second label.

funny, I've just noticed my raw notes didn't include cherry, because they aLL taste of cherry and my hand was tired, so I took that as read.

My guess is, now that it's been brought up, that this may age nicely. Though it hasn't heaps of body, so I may be mistaken. Thoughts?

SeanOD wrote:Well, this is just my uneducated guess, but I've noticed that often pinot noir, more than most other varietals, has a capacity to develop fruit similarities of cherries (and strawberries). My guess is that if the acid in the wine is not well balanced to the fruit or the fruit is perhaps not optimal, this may come out as more sour cherries than lip smacking ripe cherries. Then again, maybe that's a flavor profile that some winemakers shoot for and some consumers dig, but I don't. Maybe this possibility is one of the reasons that PN is considered more difficult to get a consistently ripe crop out of than other grapes. Maybe the sourness or acidity is having a mild reaction to your fillings and you perceive tinniness? (all just guesses, again)

In any event, I'm a little more cautious in looking at the flavor profiles for PNs and if I see sour cherry, I'm reluctant that I will like. However, there is a magical medium above this threshold, but below the fruit bomb PNs (that might as well be syrahs or just about anything else). I think of that PN range as having dark cherries, ripe strawberries, with a little musky, earthy, funkiness.

My feeling is that the 2007 Blue Jay was certainly on this path.

Interesting thought - this may be out of left field but wandered if you might be able to compare this to one of my favorite Pinot's - Bella Gloss?

mclonghorn wrote:Thanks for the info - did you detect a slight tinny taste?

If you taste metal it's probably TCA (aka corked).

ckeilah wrote:If you taste metal it's probably TCA (aka corked).

Hmmm, I was thinking minerality. Or that thinnness you can get in some PNs, like the end part of the sour cherry. Some might call either of those :metal".

richardhod wrote:Hmmm, I was thinking minerality. Or that thinnness you can get in some PNs, like the end part of the sour cherry. Some might call either of those :metal".

I think - RHOD hit the nail on the head - it's the thinness that I believe I am interpreting as tinney

richardhod wrote:Hmmm, I was thinking minerality. Or that thinnness you can get in some PNs, like the end part of the sour cherry. Some might call either of those :metal".

I think - RHOD hit the nail on the head - it's the thinness that I believe I am interpreting as tinney

ckeilah wrote:If you taste metal it's probably TCA (aka corked).

I'm going to respectfully disagree with corked. I believe that I've only ever had one truly corked wine (I've had a few that probably didn't age so well or were stored improperly, or were just plain crummy), and it was immediately and overwhelmingly smelled and tasted (I mean you have to taste it if it's your first corked wine, right?) like wet leaves or newspapers. And it was a burgundy. If there was any tinniness, it would have been maybe my fourth complaint.

richardhod wrote:... but it's not the nasty "sour empty cherry" that I hate in a bad pinot.. like the worse bottles of KR's inconsistent 1001 second label... Thoughts?

Buying a case of the 1001 was easily my biggest Woot! Fail to date.

Based on the reviews it garnered, many would say that's a good thing. and I've made note of who those many are. Fool me once...