The Red Skunk Viper looks to unique not to try. I'd love to hear more about it though. Stillman -- what were you aiming for with the blend? What sort of fruit does it show? (I know this is hard to define with port, but just checking.)

synchrodan wrote:The Red Skunk Viper looks to unique not to try. I'd love to hear more about it though. Stillman -- what were you aiming for with the blend? What sort of fruit does it show? (I know this is hard to define with port, but just checking.)

HERE is my megaphone! Thought I'd been silenced (couldn't find this board!) Well, it's almost all Portuguese varietals, relatively young, and relatively high alc with moderate sugar. It's definitely on the young/berry side instead of woody or aged, but it's very well balanced despite the size - not particularly tannic.

And I was doing so well with limiting my spending. I have not yet bought anything from Stillman, even though he is incredibly entertaining, everyone raves about his wine, and everything he offers is uniquely interesting. This sale might get me.

I'm very interested in the Abalone, it's been on here before, just never pulled the trigger. Same with the Black Zeppelin. Though prices on both are very minimally higher than previous woot offerings, I fully expect that with a Woot Plus Offering.

What I am truly interest in is the port. I think I am in on that no matter what, because Port is our favorite. Only Stillman would label a wine as "forty proof". That is hilarious, unless it is a requirement over 20%, but still funny none-the-less.

My only real questions is drinking windows on the Port as well as the D' abalone. I wouldn't expect the Abalone to improve over time, but how long can I safely hold onto it? How long will the port hold? How is drinking now? Will some more bottle time improve/integrate it at all?

For the benefit of y'all who actually have found this Woot Plus community board, you will see two wines that have been here before, the Black Zeppelin blend and the last several cases of the Chateau d'Abalone, as well as the last of the 2011 Pink Zeppelin, and two lots I just hand-bottled an absurdly small amount of, the Poubelle Blanc (French for 'white trash' and not actually a varietal, but fool your snobby friends into saying "Of course I've heard of it, it's grown in the Dordogne" and a Portuguese varietal vintage Port with a nutty label.

And also, since it seems like no one agrees on this one, what are your thoughts on how long the port will be okay once opened? I hear varying opinions of 4 days to up to a month, but I usually go with a week to 10 days.

North316 wrote:And I was doing so well with limiting my spending. I have not yet bought anything from Stillman, even though he is incredibly entertaining, everyone raves about his wine, and everything he offers is uniquely interesting. This sale might get me.

I'm very interested in the Abalone, it's been on here before, just never pulled the trigger. Same with the Black Zeppelin. Though prices on both are very minimally higher than previous woot offerings, I fully expect that with a Woot Plus Offering.

What I am truly interest in is the port. I think I am in on that no matter what, because Port is our favorite. Only Stillman would label a wine as "forty proof". That is hilarious, unless it is a requirement over 20%, but still funny none-the-less.

My only real questions is drinking windows on the Port as well as the D' abalone. I wouldn't expect the Abalone to improve over time, but how long can I safely hold onto it? How long will the port hold? How is drinking now? Will some more bottle time improve/integrate it at all?

The 2010 Chateau d'Abalone is still strong, though I think I liked it better last year. The 2011 has almost identical chemistry (though lower vyd yields and more intensity) so I'd expect the same maturity curve. Depends on your taste in port - it holds up very well in the bottle when poured over the course of a week in the tasting room (I hide it, saving it for Special Customers) but some of the younger berry qualities diminish. The palate balance doesn't seem to change much, so the tannin level probably isn't diminishing enough to be noticed in combination with the fruit/alcohol/acid/sugar.

North316 wrote:And also, since it seems like no one agrees on this one, what are your thoughts on how long the port will be okay once opened? I hear varying opinions of 4 days to up to a month, but I usually go with a week to 10 days.

That's my experience too, and I didn't find any real benefit to having it open for a week - it's not 'hard' or tannic immediately. My asst. winemaker Big Hat has been making ports for years and we agreed that this was the best vintage - so I stole some.

I'm sure glad this didn't start at midnight last night (10 AM my time) as I was out on the tiles with my young friends. For a tiny beach town, we have pretty awesome fireworks, and then the influx of several thousand tourists heads to our TWO bars.

stillmanbrown wrote:HERE is my megaphone! Thought I'd been silenced (couldn't find this board!)

We'd never do that to you!

stillmanbrown wrote:I'm sure glad this didn't start at midnight last night (10 AM my time) as I was out on the tiles with my young friends. For a tiny beach town, we have pretty awesome fireworks, and then the influx of several thousand tourists heads to our TWO bars.

That sounds like a blast. Good thing we let you sleep in a little! ;)

stillmanbrown wrote:That's my experience too, and I didn't find any real benefit to having it open for a week - it's not 'hard' or tannic immediately. My asst. winemaker Big Hat has been making ports for years and we agreed that this was the best vintage - so I stole some.

So will this cellar for quite some time or should it be drank within a couple years?

North316 wrote:So will this cellar for quite some time or should it be drank within a couple years?

Oh, it will definitely cellar. Stored below 55 it might outlive me. (I'm turning 55 this harvest, as it happens . . . get your plane tickets for Oct 5-6 in Cayucos. Trying to turn it into a pseudo-official WineWoot event.)

stillmanbrown wrote:. . . get your plane tickets for Oct 5-6 in Cayucos. Trying to turn it into a pseudo-official WineWoot event.)

Ooooo! That sounds fun.

Zeppelin Winery 2011 Chateau d' Abalone 2-Pack
$39.99 (Normally $50.00) 20% off List Price
2011 Zeppelin Winery Chateau d' Abalone

Zeppelin Winery 2011 Pink Zeppelin 2-Pack
$39.99 (Normally $50.00) 20% off List Price
2011 Pink Zeppelin

Zeppelin Winery 2009 Red Skunk Viper Port 2-Pack
$59.99 (Normally $90.00) 33% off List Price
2009 Red Skunk Viper Zeppelin Port 750ml

Zeppelin Winery 2011 Poubelle Blanc 2-Pack
$44.99 (Normally $60.00) 25% off List Price
2011 Poubelle Blanc

Zeppelin Winery 2009 Black Zeppelin 2-Pack
$54.99 (Normally $100.00) 45% off List Price
2009 Black Zeppelin Central Coast
CT links above

Previous offers:
6/4/12 (Black Zeppelin)
2/28/12 (Chateau d' Abalone)

The Chateau d' Abalone is delicious!

Get noisy, people. That port is calling to me, and I'm trying to pretend I don't hear it.

Dang, I still hear it. What to do, what to do....

coynedj wrote:Get noisy, people. That port is calling to me, and I'm trying to pretend I don't hear it.

Dang, I still hear it. What to do, what to do....

It knows your name.
It wants to know where you live.
It wants to be your friend!

kylemittskus wrote:The Chateau d' Abalone is delicious!

Excellent to know!

Wow. Given the weather, I would have thought the questions would be about the pink and the whites!

stillmanbrown wrote:Wow. Given the weather, I would have thought the questions would be about the pink and the whites!

For me personally, I have seen the D'Abalone, Pink and Black Zeppelin on here before so I know about them. The Port is new to us so we ask all the questions!

Well I said I'd buy the rose when it came up and I'm in for 4 bottles. Fingers crossed that this is a good end of summer party wine!

sdfreedive wrote:Well I said I'd buy the rose when it came up and I'm in for 4 bottles. Fingers crossed that this is a good end of summer party wine!

Just tell me when and where to show up!

The Pink Zeppelin is ridiculously good. Once you open a bottle you will not want to share with anyone. And if you can make your stash last as long as the 'end of the summer' I would be stunned. At my house, the instant the Pink Zeppelin is opened it mysteriously evaporates...so quickly that opening a second bottle is often necessary.

kkv123 wrote:Just tell me when and where to show up!

The Pink Zeppelin is ridiculously good. Once you open a bottle you will not want to share with anyone. And if you can make your stash last as long as the 'end of the summer' I would be stunned.

Seattle summer is pretty short. I'm good.

I've tried the Black and the Abalone (among others) and they are both amazing. Stillman...I'll be in your neck of the woods on Sept 3 for the start of my honeymoon...hoping you will be around at the tasting room!!

Mark

I probably missed it in the description somewhere, but is the port 750, 500, or 375 mL?

klezman wrote:I probably missed it in the description somewhere, but is the port 750, 500, or 375 mL?

Each bottle is 750ml.

lagrover wrote:I've tried the Black and the Abalone (among others) and they are both amazing. Stillman...I'll be in your neck of the woods on Sept 3 for the start of my honeymoon...hoping you will be around at the tasting room!!

Mark

Thanks! Midweek just call me, I don't keep hours TWTh but live near.

guzmantis wrote:Each bottle is 750ml.

Thanks for the answer!

Stillman, where's your tasting room? We're headed your way late October.

Ordering port when it is 104 degrees outside, in Wisconsin of all places, seems odd. But, I know come January it will be 10 degrees below zero. Stoke up the fireplace, open a bottle, and enjoy the snow. I'm just preparing for the future...

Had some of the Red Skunk Viper at the w.w tasting. Unfortunately it was towards the very end and unexpectedly popped on us so my notes suck (maybe they suck anyway). From what I do remember it was pretty good, wouldn't have guessed that it was 40 proof, and the body was a little lighter than I was expecting from a port, it's more like a sweet wine. Not to say it's like a late harvest, it still has traditional port taste, just the mouthfeel is different. Confused yet? Good!

lagrover wrote:I've tried the Black and the Abalone (among others) and they are both amazing. Stillman...I'll be in your neck of the woods on Sept 3 for the start of my honeymoon...hoping you will be around at the tasting room!!

Mark

Inviting stillman on your Honeymoon is pretty risky.

cortot20 wrote:Inviting stillman on your Honeymoon is pretty risky.

PRIMA NOCTA!

The slacker is back . . . I haven't looked at the last several hours worth of comments, because I was hanging out with rock stars. It must be the wine! Okay, here goes . . . I am brave enough to look at the posts I've missed. Yes, I am.

kylemittskus wrote:Stillman, where's your tasting room? We're headed your way late October.

Morro Bay, aka Baja Cayucos. Kind of a weird location but blow up my phone when you're near, or email me. (805 550 6492, StillmanB@aol.com)

tenuki wrote:Had some of the Red Skunk Viper at the w.w tasting. Unfortunately it was towards the very end and unexpectedly popped on us so my notes suck (maybe they suck anyway). From what I do remember it was pretty good, wouldn't have guessed that it was 40 proof, and the body was a little lighter than I was expecting from a port, it's more like a sweet wine. Not to say it's like a late harvest, it still has traditional port taste, just the mouthfeel is different. Confused yet? Good!

OK here's my winemaker BS answer . . . . It's not especially tannic - by the time we get Souzao, Touriga etc super-ripe there's not much green left, so I don't know what to tell you. Alc. is just over 20% and sugar is 6% - so it's not 'hard' as it were.

cortot20 wrote:Inviting stillman on your Honeymoon is pretty risky.

Send pix. I will save my best joke for your appearance.

bhodilee wrote:PRIMA NOCTA!

My response is worse, though I think inapplicable. Not fit for Woot or beast!

Hey Stillman you went to Berkeley?

sdfreedive wrote:Hey Stillman you went to Berkeley?

Worse, I graduated Poli Sci major. Fitting education for a drug dealer, non?

stillmanbrown wrote:Worse, I graduated Poli Sci major. Fitting education for a drug dealer, non?

Heh, only if you lived in Cloyne. Always knew there was something off with you. :D

Go Bears!