Clayhouse Estate Rhone 2011 White Blend 4-Pack
$67.99 (Normally $121.76) 44% off List Price
2011 Estate Cuveé Blanc, Red Cedar Vineyard Paso Robles
CT link above

Winery website

I'm confused. Could somebody please check the "regular price" for this wine? I am seeing $23.00 per bottle on the winery website. So, this doesn't seem like as good a deal as is being posted.

The "list" price includes the $23.00@ retail, plus tax and shipping. Four bottles of this wine can be purchased for as little as $64.00 on the winery website. Not such a good deal here, even figuring shipping. This is a pass for me.

Last white at the Hallowoot event in Sonoma. Very good, light, had notes of Sauvignon Blanc, that sort of acidity without the citrusy feel.

Was very tasty, would be perfect for a medium hot, Fall afternoon on the West Coast, doing a puzzle outside, and chasing after your puzzle pieces in the wind, and then laughing, and then pouring another glass without remembering how you finished the last one.

But I dont remember the wine leaving such a drastic impression on that Hallowoot eve, that I felt impelled to make a purchase now. Twas good, but nothing like the fair Tryasipadis the Third which will remain in my Woot Whites of Fame for quite some time.

My favourite dry white of the evening at the Hallowoot event! Notes say 70% Grenache Blanc and 30% Viognier. Citrus/grapefruit nose primarily. On the palate it was crisp with limestone, lime, and stonefruit. Overall a nice white, and I like GB-based wines. Also my first exposure to Clayhouse and I was fairly impressed.

If you like your whites crisp and zippy, this is for you. If you like your butter-bomb Chardonnay, then these are not the bottles you're looking for.

I too had this wine at the Hallowoot event last week in Sonoma. This wine was the high point of the night for me.

Nose: juicy nectarines, pineapple, and a bit of mineral.

Palate: lots of stone fruits, very good body like a Chardonnay. It seemed sweet but I am almost positive it was dry with just the fruit flavors coming through so purely as to make it seem a bit sweet.

I actually prefer this one quite a bit over the triacipidis because it is a dry wine. I like it in comparison to the Davis family cuvée Luke because this has purer flavors and a better nose.

At $18 a pop. I'll be in for a set. This is tasty stuff. I applaud the winemaker.

bahwm wrote:I'm confused. Could somebody please check the "regular price" for this wine? I am seeing $23.00 per bottle on the winery website. So, this doesn't seem like as good a deal as is being posted.

Agree!

Estimated tax and shipping of $29.76 in the list price calculation seems unusually high today!

Price for 4 bottles from winery @ $23 each = $92 plus shipping.

Woot price $16.99 each plus $5 shipping. Save $6.01 per bottle before shipping.

25% savings from winery suggested retail price before shipping.

cmaldoon wrote:I too had this wine at the Hallowoot event last week in Sonoma. This wine was the high point of the night for me.

Nose: juicy nectarines, pineapple, and a bit of mineral.

Palate: lots of stone fruits, very good body like a Chardonnay. It seemed sweet but I am almost positive it was dry with just the fruit flavors coming through so purely as to make it seem a bit sweet.

I actually prefer this one quite a bit over the triacipidis because it is a dry wine. I like it in comparison to the Davis family cuvée Luke because this has purer flavors and a better nose.

At $18 a pop. I'll be in for a set. This is tasty stuff. I applaud the winemaker.

Aaargh, and here I was, fence-sitting because I wanted more Viognier in the blend, even though the Clayhouse Petite Sirah is stunning.

But no, you had to describe the PERFECT WINE FOR ME!!!

For a split second I saw the name Clayhouse and thought I was going to get another chance to load up on their PS. Oh well...maybe some time soon.

Really guys? Only 6 purchased overnight? This wine will GUARANTEE rave reviews at thanksgiving. It's in that slim area of wines likely enjoyable to both the initiated (quality, complexity) and uninitiated (forwardness and intensity).

Hmmmm now that I am awake... 1, 2, or 3?

Will it be here in time for Thanksgiving?

ghyo1 wrote:The "list" price includes the $23.00@ retail, plus tax and shipping. Four bottles of this wine can be purchased for as little as $64.00 on the winery website. Not such a good deal here, even figuring shipping. This is a pass for me.

The only way to get the $92 list down to $64 plus tax through the winery would be if you were one of the 100 founding members of the wine club, and you'd still have to pay at least one-cent shipping (when that special deal was offered). So, yes, if you were one of those 100 founding members, and there was a special one-cent shipping deal happening (whoops, that's only on full cases) you might get close to the woot offer.

confusedemmy wrote:Aaargh, and here I was, fence-sitting because I wanted more Viognier in the blend, even though the Clayhouse Petite Sirah is stunning.

But no, you had to describe the PERFECT WINE FOR ME!!!

More Viognier would have made it too floral and fat (we've had that issue in past vintages), especially with more time in the bottle. We really wanted something a bit racy, that would stand up to a couple of years in the bottle.

lurkey wrote:Will it be here in time for Thanksgiving?

That was exactly the wine woot plan when they approached Clayhouse about this wine.

Here's the scoop on "why this special deal" ... Clayhouse made a bit more from the 2011 vintage than from the 2010, planning to expand some local restaurant sales. BUT then we started working on some label design and wine naming for the future, and we wanted to implement any of that in time for our 10th Anniversary in 2013 ... and this wine would have still have been in the current label, so when wine woot called, we were listening.

I have the inside scoop because I work at the winery. DAHance is me, David Hance. And this is my go-to Clayhouse white, which I never enjoy often enough, because the tasting room (where the bottles of wine are) and the warehouse (where the bottles of wine wait) are 30 minutes from where I work. With gas prices the way they are, it would cost me $8 (round trip) in gas to go get the wine. The woot deal sounds pretty good to me.

dahance wrote:I have the inside scoop because I work at the winery.

Welcome!

dahance wrote:The only way to get the $92 list down to $64 plus tax through the winery would be if you were one of the 100 founding members of the wine club, and you'd still have to pay at least one-cent shipping (when that special deal was offered). So, yes, if you were one of those 100 founding members, and there was a special one-cent shipping deal happening (whoops, that's only on full cases) you might get close to the woot offer.

David, on your website, in addition to the Founder's price of $16.10, you also show a Family price of $17.25 and a Friends price of $18.40. I'm not sure how your structure your tiered buying. My point was the "retail" price shown on woot is very misleading. The shipping is not included in the woot price and therefore should not be included in your "retail" price. For me, this apparent deception killed the deal.

I've never seen a wine elicit so much number crunching.

neilfindswine wrote:Thanks for stopping by David.

A question: is this vineyard on 46E just outside Paso?

The vineyard, Red Cedar, is on 46E outside of Paso Robles. It stretches along the benches and hillsides above the Estrella River. The winery is in San Luis Obispo (we used to be in San Miguel ... both are about 30 minutes from the vineyard) and the tasting room is in downtown Paso Robles.

ghyo1 wrote:David, on your website, in addition to the Founder's price of $16.10, you also show a Family price of $17.25 and a Friends price of $18.40. I'm not sure how your structure your tiered buying. My point was the "retail" price shown on woot is very misleading. The shipping is not included in the woot price and therefore should not be included in your "retail" price. For me, this apparent deception killed the deal.

Fair enough. But if you walked into our tasting room, or called them up, and asked to buy 4 bottles of this wine, you would be charged $92 plus tax. More if you wanted to ship it. On the other hand, if you're a club member (all the pricing tiers), you'd get a better deal, and we'd love to have you as a club member! The winery doesn't set woot prices. woot approaches the winery and says, "We like this wine, how about this deal?" And we say yes or no, and go from there.

dahance wrote:Fair enough. But if you walked into our tasting room, or called them up, and asked to buy 4 bottles of this wine, you would be charged $92 plus tax. More if you wanted to ship it. On the other hand, if you're a club member (all the pricing tiers), you'd get a better deal, and we'd love to have you as a club member! The winery doesn't set woot prices. woot approaches the winery and says, "We like this wine, how about this deal?" And we say yes or no, and go from there.

OK, so woot doesn't set the selling prices. Who sets the posted retail price? I can see how 44% off sounds better than 26% off, but is it really true? Buyers shop on woot for great deals, but most do the math when deciding to buy. Something to keep in mind for next time.

true559 wrote:I've never seen a wine elicit so much number crunching.

Many were confused about this wine's pricing, and with good reason. Congratulations if you do not need to figure the cost of what you buy. I prefer to buy wisely so I can buy more. Cheers!

cmaldoon wrote:I too had this wine at the Hallowoot event last week in Sonoma. This wine was the high point of the night for me.

Nose: juicy nectarines, pineapple, and a bit of mineral.

Palate: lots of stone fruits, very good body like a Chardonnay. It seemed sweet but I am almost positive it was dry with just the fruit flavors coming through so purely as to make it seem a bit sweet.

I actually prefer this one quite a bit over the triacipidis because it is a dry wine. I like it in comparison to the Davis family cuvée Luke because this has purer flavors and a better nose.

At $18 a pop. I'll be in for a set. This is tasty stuff. I applaud the winemaker.

Thanks for the notes. I love a good Grenache Blanc, and they are hard to locate locally, so I'm happy when Woot has them available.

This wine was my favorite at the Hallowoot event. The nose had a lovely ripe nectarine flavor, with a note of grapefruit and hints of strawberry and cantaloupe. It was both crisp and fruity, which I really like in a white. The palate had a solid nectarine/peach backbone, with some kiwi and a hint of strawberry candy. It also had nice floral notes, and a bit of minerality. This is a good, accessible white for all levels.

ghyo1 wrote:OK, so woot doesn't set the selling prices. Who sets the posted retail price? I can see how 44% off sounds better than 26% off, but is it really true? Buyers shop on woot for great deals, but most do the math when deciding to buy. Something to keep in mind for next time.

Your asking (borderline attacking) the winery rep a question that he had no control over. The winery sells this wine for $X. They charge you shipping and tax. Based upon those #s, your percent discount, apples to apples, X% There has been a lot of discussion about woot listing these prices for comparison. That has nothing to do with the winery.

Thanks for stopping in, Clayhouse!

ghyo1 wrote:OK, so woot doesn't set the selling prices. Who sets the posted retail price? I can see how 44% off sounds better than 26% off, but is it really true? Buyers shop on woot for great deals, but most do the math when deciding to buy. Something to keep in mind for next time.

At the winery, we set our retail prices, and offer special deals to wine club members. The low price that has regularly been mentioned is available to 100 people who have been wine club members for several years, our founders. As I'm sure you've noticed, however, it isn't legal for anyone to "fix" prices in resale. Which is why it's so important to do research, and so important to be accurate in your research. The Middletons, who own Clayhouse, can get the wine at a lower price than the wine club founders, but that doesn't represent a practical comparison. I'm sorry you've been so turned off by the pricing. It really is a great wine, and a great value, even if you don't agree with me. We agonized for several days before agreeing to let it go at this price.

ghyo1 wrote:Many were confused about this wine's pricing, and with good reason. Congratulations if you do not need to figure the cost of what you buy. I prefer to buy wisely so I can buy more. Cheers!

Wine.woot changed the way the list price is calculated a little while ago. Hover your mouse over the list price on the main page for a description of this.

I think its fair to include shipping in the list price but think woot should add its own $5 shipping into the calculation to make it all above board.

This wine sounds fantastic and I am very tempted. Kyle, splits?

The wine really is delicious. We have been making a Grenache Blanc separately from this blend, but we like the varietals (Grenache Blanc and Viognier) better together, so we're sticking with this blend now. The lime and mineral Grenache Blanc finds a perfect foil in the floral and tropical Viognier. It's surprising how well these Rhone whites (and reds) perform in Paso Robles. And it is site-specific in our estate vineyard. When I first visited the vineyard I was told that some of the whites did better in the "cool" part of the vineyard. "Which is the cool part?" I asked. "It's that western section against the hills, where the late afternoon sun disappears earliest in the day." It seems like we're constantly reviewing varietal siting in the vineyard.

cortot20 wrote:Wine.woot changed the way the list price is calculated a little while ago. Hover your mouse over the list price on the main page for a description of this.

I think its fair to include shipping in the list price but think woot should add its own $5 shipping into the calculation to make it all above board.

This wine sounds fantastic and I am very tempted. Kyle, splits?

Woot does kinda include it, they subtract $5 from the total winery price after shipping and post it that way. Thus you get woods price versus winery price, each with $5 shipping

kylemittskus wrote:Your asking (borderline attacking) the winery rep a question that he had no control over. The winery sells this wine for $X. They charge you shipping and tax. Based upon those #s, your percent discount, apples to apples, X% There has been a lot of discussion about woot listing these prices for comparison. That has nothing to do with the winery.

Thanks for stopping in, Clayhouse!

Excuse me, but "borderline attacking"? So now, asking a valid question about pricing is an attack? You are the one making the attack. I would say I was quite civil, given that the top of this page says "You're not gonna sit there and let that jerkface get away with saying that, are you?" Read all the posts. Many had questions about the pricing. You apparently must work for woot, and, if so, most likely advised David on his ad. If that's the case, you are not representing either him or woot very well. Regardless, I won't be making this mistake again. Goodbye, woot.

cortot20 wrote:This wine sounds fantastic and I am very tempted. Kyle, splits?

@&%$! Yeah. I'll buy because I want to get the cheese, too. Give me the go-ahead and I'll order.

kylemittskus wrote:@&%$! Yeah. I'll buy because I want to get the cheese, too. Give me the go-ahead and I'll order.

go ahead. I'll take two.

ghyo1 wrote:Excuse me, but "borderline attacking"? So now, asking a valid question about pricing is an attack? You are the one making the attack. I would say I was quite civil, given that the top of this page says "You're not gonna sit there and let that jerkface get away with saying that, are you?" Read all the posts. Many had questions about the pricing. You apparently must work for woot, and, if so, most likely advised David on his ad. If that's the case, you are not representing either him or woot very well. Regardless, I won't be making this mistake again. Goodbye, woot.

Dear Woot,

I'm sorry that some histrionic, overly-sensitive person on the boards mistook me for an employee. I had no idea saying "borderline attacking" was so offensive. I was merely trying to tell him/her that the winery has no control over what you put on your website. Why would the winery have such control? I'm sure you understand.

While I'd love to be a woot employee, you haven't hired me yet. And it would seem like you're not going to after I may have lost you what I'm sure was a very valuable customer.

Sincerely,

kylemittskus
Non-woot staff member

cortot20 wrote:go ahead. I'll take two.

Bought. This was the month I was going to buy nothing. Great start!!!

kylemittskus wrote:Dear Woot,

I'm sorry that some histrionic, overly-sensitive person on the boards mistook me for an employee. I was merely trying to tell him/her that the winery has no control over what you put on your website. Why would the winery have such control? I'm sure you understand.

While I'd love to be a woot employee, you haven't hired me yet. And it would seem like you're not going to after I may have lost you what I'm sure was a very valuable customer.

Sincerely,

kylemittskus
Non-woot staff member

Oh, dear. Nobody advised me on anything, except to say, "Sign on and comment!"