McClean Vineyards Royale Case
$89.99 (Normally $325.30) 72% off List Price
2006 McClean Vineyards Syrah Royale
CT link above

Winery website

Previous offers:
8/24/12 (Plus)
1/11/12

The mcCleans make some fantastic syrahs.

This is a Syrah blend and it isn't as good as their reserve syrahs but then again when the syrahs are going for $25 or $16 a bottle and these are going for less than $8, the proposition changes.

My notes from the Hallowoot tasting:

Nose: hint of cheese (Gouda?), hint of oak, good acidity. Not fruity like many wines, very interesting.

The palate was mainly a light mocha flavor, significantly simpler than their syrahs.

This is an interesting deal, the price point is fantastic.....hmmmm....

We had this at the recent SoCal gathering. Not bad, and I think we thought it would be a good deal in the $8 to $9 range, and it's just under $8 when you factor in the Woot Shipping.

It was one we had questions on, since there wasn't a vintage date on the bottle.


So what's the aging on this one?

So trying to give his customers something different and unique, he has combined their 2006 Estate Syrah with their Paso Robles 2011 Viognier. And viola! Magic occurred.

"And viola"??? Then I would have expected music to occur and not magic.

Can someone describe these? I got burned with a number of 2004 Gazzi Syrahs that are undrinkable. Thanks [Edit] I'm looking for an everyday drinkable wine

So trying to give his customers something different and unique, he has combined their 2006 Estate Syrah with their Paso Robles 2011 Viognier. And viola! Magic occurred.

This explains much! It explains why there's no vintage date on the label and why it didn't have the darkness or completeness one gets from a Syrah-Viognier co-fermented blend.

In case it wasn't clear, I had this at the Hallowoot tasting as well. My notes read thusly: some heat on the palate but not on the nose. Finish tends toward the smokey. At the time we thought it was not co-fermented. The overall impression was that it was relatively soft, not a special bottle, but nice to just drink. I can't stomach the idea of a whole case of anything at the moment, so I'm out, but at $8/bottle you could either get this and know you're getting reasonably good quality vino or some grocery store swill.

i might have gone for a couple bottles of this to try, but not 12.
easy pass.

Yes, this is a hard buy, and I was not particularly impressed at the Hallowoot gathering.

My notes read: Heavy flavor throughout, especially the finish, robust and rich, too many tannins for my taste, too intense! like bringing a bull to a petting zoo.

The deal is great though, so if you are feeling something big, go for it!

I might just be in for 12. If the wife and I do not like it I will give it to Mikey since he will eat and drink anything.

Please excuse this off-topic message but...

How do I get an invite to one of these woot tastings?!

darynmckay wrote:Please excuse this off-topic message but...

How do I get an invite to one of these woot tastings?!

Watch the world of woot for gathering threads.

Support the Troops and buy this wine. As stated on the McClean Vineyards website:

"Besides being an excellent winemaker, Michael is one of Vietnam's most decorated war heroes. A California Vietnam veteran, Michael has a profound appreciation for the returning veteran's challenges from today's conflicts in the Middle East. Not only was Michael a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross he also received a Silver Star and Purple Heart. To help these returning veterans he has decided to donate 10% of all proceeds from wine purchases to help the rehabilitation of our returning soldiers through the Armed Forces Foundation. Therefore, when you purchase McClean Vineyards' wines, not only will you be doing your customers a great favor but also you are helping our returning heroes."

My notes from the hallowoot tasting:
Blackberry, oak, olive and sweet earth on the nose. Big floral/plum palate. Lots of tannin.

It's definitely an interesting wine for a great price. With the amount of tannin and flavor intensity, it seems like it could age a few years. Any comment from the winery on the age ability?

I am exceedingly disappointed there is no shipping to VA for this, as well as the plus deals.

OK, we have two long-time veterans stating the wine is soft and non-complex, & two 'fresh faces' extolling its heavy tannins and complex flavors. Which is it?

slm9951 wrote:I am exceedingly disappointed there is no shipping to VA for this, as well as the plus deals.

What. Seriously? I finally was going to push the big button!

slm9951 wrote:I am exceedingly disappointed there is no shipping to VA for this, as well as the plus deals.

Your state sucks, that's the problem. You can do something about that today.

This is one massively massive discount. Either there is an Indiana Jones style warehouse full of this stuff or they went out of business.

I think the obvious question that people are missing though, is how would this pair with Thanksgiving Dinner. With 15% Viognier I'm thinking it might pair pretty frickin well with Turkey and stuffing and the price point is perfect for those with large groups to feed/drink.

So A) Is it a Good Turkey Day wine
B) WD, this will arrive prior to
Turkey day right?

ThunderThighs wrote:Not bad? That's it? Not bad? Sigh. Still no book?

Sparky only gives up the goods when He's tasting with Scott Harvey.

EDIT: How did I get 25 QPs? I'm gunning for you Cesare!

Well, with some trepidation in the face of the mixed reviews, I ordered a case.

Absent other feedback, I think I'll let it rest for a year or two while it sorts out its reformulation.

And if that doesn't make it a great wine, so what.

I need some opinions here. I will be getting married in February, and one of my (few) responsibilities is to pick and supply the wine. I've been poking around here and there, and nothing much has caught my eye yet. I'm thinking that this may suit for the red. The guests will be mixed, but generally some inexperieced palates. Thoughts?

Hm, well after reading all the comments I'm a little lost myself. Help a rookie out please I like cabernet in the winter and usually drink a glass a night to ease away the pains of the day - and the kids homework. Will this do the trick? I'm not a fancy drinker and I'm having to be frugal these days, so if nothing else, the price is awesome! Will I enjoy the last swallow or will it make me shiver a bad shiver as it goes down??? Should I wait for another sale? Decisions, decisions....

bhodilee wrote:Your state sucks, that's the problem. You can do something about that today.

This is one massively massive discount. Either there is an Indiana Jones style warehouse full of this stuff or they went out of business.

I think the obvious question that people are missing though, is how would this pair with Thanksgiving Dinner. With 15% Viognier I'm thinking it might pair pretty frickin well with Turkey and stuffing and the price point is perfect for those with large groups to feed
So A) Is it a Good Turkey Day wine
B) WD, this will arrive prior to
Turkey day right?

Thanks for the info. I had no idea and was wondering why VA hasn't been in any of the recent offerings!

Well, I'm in for one. I don't think you can beat an easy drinker for under $8 a bottle. I am really hoping to be able to serve this at Thanksgiving.

Please WOOT! Please, deliver before Thanksgiving! Please!!!!

slm9951 wrote:Thanks for the info. I had no idea and was wondering why VA hasn't been in any of the recent offerings!

What changed? I have ordered (and shipped) in VA several times, though it has been since 2011 for the last wine.woot.

esapro wrote:What changed? I have ordered (and shipped) in VA several times, though it has been since 2011 for the last wine.woot.

As of June 2, 2003, Governor Mark Warner signed into law a bill which allows Virginia residents to order up to 2 cases a month for their personal consumption.

The bill was:

SB 1117
Alcoholic beverage control; wine shippers' licenses.
Patron - Emmett W. Hanger, Jr.

esapro wrote:What changed? I have ordered (and shipped) in VA several times, though it has been since 2011 for the last wine.woot.

THIS changed

North316 wrote:THIS changed

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm moving out.


http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewXML.cfm?textid=6980

North316 wrote:THIS changed

Thanks North316, I just found that myself. I suppose it is designed to protect the VA wine industry. I am not much of a protectionist fan.

Just pressed the button. Was worried about turkey day too but then I figured, what the heck. If it doesn't make it, there's always next year!

Just to clarify- a Viognier is a white wine, correct? Is it normal to blend a red with a white? Should it be stored 15% cooler than a traditional red?

Anyone in the Washington DC metro area want to split a case?

I live in DC and with the shipping restriction to VA, it may allow folks to enjoy some wine.

Tried this one as we tasted thru various offerings at SoCal #22 that Sparky and TimB hosted in Irving. Since I couldn't pry the PS out of Sparky's hand, I took this one home to see how it evolved, and if I could figure out what it was.

Reading the notes in this thread I almost wonder if we all tasted the same wine, or if there is huge bottle to bottle variations.

Light ruby, not a dark one here, but nice and clear. The Viognier definitely present in the nose, along with typical Syrah notes with just the slightest touch of methanol despite the ABV.

Quite pleasant actually, not at all a heavy Syrah, but more in a Pinot style. Light fruit notes nicely balanced with with a bit of wood and a medium finish. To me not at all heavy as others have commented. Not sure I've ever had a Syrah-Viognier blend before, so I never did really ever figure this one out.

Not much evolution over a couple of days, but capped with Ar it held up well. A nice unpretentious bottle that drinks well above it's price point as a cocktail or with lighter foods and should pair well for T-day. I'll be pulling other corks as well, but hope to have this delivered in time to include.
[edit] removed "low" ABV comment, had transposed my notes to read 13.5, not 15.3. So At 15.3ABV, about what I'd expect on the nose.

jpitt57488 wrote:Just to clarify- a Viognier is a white wine, correct? Is it normal to blend a red with a white? Should it be stored 15% cooler than a traditional red?

I think it is added to stabilize the color of syrah, not sure about the temp requirements? Pretty low percentage, I'll leave that to the experts on here.

jpitt57488 wrote:Just to clarify- a Viognier is a white wine, correct? Is it normal to blend a red with a white? Should it be stored 15% cooler than a traditional red?

Viognier is a white wine. Is it normal to blend with a red? No, but it is done on occasion. From what Peter Welling has explained in the past, blending a white with a red is usually done to establish some additional mouthfeel and nuances in flavor profiles on the mid-palate, or enhance the color of a red wine (brighten it up a bit). In those instances it is usually done with a much smaller blend (5% or less).

At 15%, this would be a much less common blend, but not necessarily a bad thing. In this instance it is simply being used to make a lighter wine, instead of a heavy, lush syrah. I have not had this, and the based on the blend and the stats, the notes presented don't surprise me at all. While this is probably decent for the price, I the winery is likely disappointed in the overall results of this wine, and that is why this is being discounted so heavily.

bhodilee wrote:Your state sucks, that's the problem. You can do something about that today.

Actually you can't. The Virginia legislature/governor races are in the off years. Only things on the ballot here are President, one Senator and House of Representatives seat as well as a few ballot questions (two statewide constitutional amendments).

As alluded to early, Viogner is sometimes cofermented with Syrah to maintain color. It doesn't take much (like 3% Viogner). The only reason to mix it in otherwise is because people saw the french did it but didn't bother to pay attention to how or why.

The Aussies who love mixing up the blends also do some Shiraz-Viognier stuff. Can't say it really improves it.

Some of the finest French Rhone wines, namely the Côte-Rôtie, are made with this blend. Also some fine Australian wines, such as D'Arenberg's Laughing Magpie. I think the blend is usually under 10% Viognier, though.

The Viognier is added for aromatics, mouthfeel and to add finesse to the Syrah.

I'm fairly torn on this one. Love the price, need an everyday drinker, but am worried about the mixed reviews. I've never seen reviews/comments about a wine so different.

To anyone that has tried this wine: With the spirit of today's election, does this wine get your vote? Would you buy/drink it again? ;-)