Goose Ridge 2007 Estate Merlot 3-Pack
$59.99 (Normally $107.20) 44% off List Price
2007 Estate Merlot, Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard, Columbia Valley
CT link above

Winery website

Previous offer:
10/22/12 (Plus)

Courtesy of CJ:

cjsiege wrote:List of previous WW gatherings by area. Great reading and great examples of how to set up a Get-Together Thread.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming Woot Wine Gatherings…All The News for the week of January 7th.

Happy New Year!!! Time to open that wine you've saved for a special occasion!

January 2013
1/19: Austin #1
1/19: NorCal #14: Santa Clara Valley Wines
1/26 - 1/27: Buffalo/WNY #10: Ice Wine Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada)

February 2013
2/22: 2013 Dark & Delicious (Alameda, CA)
2/23 - 2/25: 2013 D&D Napa/Sonoma Weekend

March
TBD: NYC #?: Cupcakes

Pending
TBD: NYC Tasting #21: A Tribute (interest thread)
TBD: NorCal: Volcanic Terroir and/or Eastern European Finds
TBD: NorCal: Wheelbarrow o' Wine
TBD: Dallas #11
TBD: Arizona Verde Valley Winery Weekend

Looking for some helping hands:

• SeaTac & Western Washington Interest Thread.
  
• South Florida Interest Thread
  
• NorthEast Florida Interest Thread
  
• Missouri Interest Thread
  
• Central NC Interest Thread
  
• Albuquerque Interest Thread
  
• Lake County/Chicago Interest Thread

No events in your area??? Start one! Create an interest thread in the World of Wine Woot Community Tab.

So join or create a WW Gathering!


** No changes **

Whoa Whoa!

Hold down the chatter

Flybranda wrote:Whoa Whoa!

Hold down the chatter

Funny. I was thinkin' the same thing.

Comments? Opinions? Tasting notes? Political commentaries? Something?

I'm not sure I have had a Washington state Merlot. In general, how does Washington state Merlot compare to California? Probably an unfair question since there are wide variety of Merlot.

Merlot ? Really ?? :^D

Love me some Washington State Merlot, lots of Merlot in Washington for a reason. Some info I dug up on this one:

88 POINTS
WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2007 Estate Merlot is medium purple with
a nose of cedar, spice box, violets, cassis, and
black cherry. Medium to full-bodied on the
palate with plenty of savory fruit…Enjoy over
the next 6 to 8 years.”
Jay Miller,
Wine Advocate, 8/2010

APPELLATION: Columbia Valley
BLEND: 100% Goose Ridge Estate Merlot
TOTAL ACIDITY: .87
pH: 3.76
ALCOHOL: 14.6%

88 POINTS
WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2007 Estate Merlot is medium purple with
a nose of cedar, spice box, violets, cassis, and
black cherry. Medium to full-bodied on the
palate with plenty of savory fruit…Enjoy over
the next 6 to 8 years.”
Jay Miller,
Wine Advocate, 8/2010

I love Washington state wines and really think merlot has been undeservedly hosed because of Sideways, but a Jay Miller 88 is, to say the least, concerning.

I will be the first to admit that scores shouldn't be everything, but Jay Miller is notorious for giving average wine great scores. His 88 would be a Spectator 80...

That said, I really hope this is great wine and remain interested in hearing from someone(besides Jay Miller) who has actually had this wine...

free2day33611 wrote:I'm not sure I have had a Washington state Merlot. In general, how does Washington state Merlot compare to California? Probably an unfair question since there are wide variety of Merlot.

I generally find Washington state Merlots to be bigger, I.e., more full bodied than their California counterparts. I love 'em.

rlmanzo wrote:88 POINTS
WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2007 Estate Merlot is medium purple with
a nose of cedar, spice box, violets, cassis, and
black cherry. Medium to full-bodied on the
palate with plenty of savory fruit…Enjoy over
the next 6 to 8 years.”
Jay Miller,
Wine Advocate, 8/2010

I love Washington state wines and really think merlot has been undeservedly hosed because of Sideways, but a Jay Miller 88 is, to say the least, concerning.

I will be the first to admit that scores shouldn't be everything, but Jay Miller is notorious for giving average wine great scores. His 88 would be a Spectator 80...

That said, I really hope this is great wine and remain interested in hearing from someone(besides Jay Miller) who has actually had this wine...

JM's palate is absolutely horrible. And scores are horrible. HIs notes make this sound delicious. Med-full bodied, savory fruit, some floral notes, and enough tannin to give it structure (the drinking window).

kylemittskus wrote:JM's palate is absolutely horrible. And scores are horrible. HIs notes make this sound delicious. Med-full bodied, savory fruit, some floral notes, and enough tannin to give it structure (the drinking window).

Not saying that I agree or don't agree with Mr Miller, just posting what I was able to find in doing a little homework on this wine, because as I stated I enjoy Washington Merlot.

For people who follow reviewers, it is simply a reference point...I like so-and-so's palate in Bordeaux, but not as much in Rhone wines, don't like this reviewer at all, etc. I will say for most all critics I will read the description, and throw out the points altogether.

So to that end I posted what I found. You don't like Miller, which means the review was indeed useful in your buying decision, or sounds like in this case not to buy.

I'm still on the fence.

Cheers!

That bottle is so elegant! I'd love to have the bottle in my collection. Haven't tasted the wine unfortunately.

mrlbem wrote:I generally find Washington state Merlots to be bigger, I.e., more full bodied than their California counterparts. I love 'em.

Thanks, based on my likes, that would is a good thing. I'm in for one. Would like to see some more input though.

in for one

kaolis wrote:Not saying that I agree or don't agree with Mr Miller, just posting what I was able to find in doing a little homework on this wine, because as I stated I enjoy Washington Merlot.

I responded to rlmanzo's post -- he posted the same review, but seemed to be making judgments based on JM's points. A terrible idea, IMO.

mrlbem wrote:I generally find Washington state Merlots to be bigger, I.e., more full bodied than their California counterparts. I love 'em.

I too like Washington Merlots, but am concerned that these are quite pricy. Also, very little information to go with it.

I've had great luck with Columbia Crest and Red Diamond Merlot(both under $10), as well as 2007 Reininger Helix Merlot that I purchased from woot, and the 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot (of which I purchased 1.5 cases, and have only 3 coveted bottles left).

Can someone chime in and let me know if this Goose Ridge Estate Merlot is comperable to the Helix or Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells? If so, I'm in for at least 2.

Thanks!

It's worth noting that a few decades ago, Washington wine was largely defined by merlots with cabs coming second (for reds), and syrah barely a blip on the radar. There are still many excellent C.V. and W.W. merlot (and merlot blend) producers (Pepper Bridge, Northstar, Delille) even after the Sideways effect.

I'd be interested in how this offering stacks up with the Northstar Columbia Valley merlots, which are perhaps not the best Washington has to offer but remain a model of delicious consistency-- unfortunate pricing aside.

emccarl wrote:Can someone chime in and let me know if this Goose Ridge Estate Merlot is comperable to the Helix or Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells? If so, I'm in for at least 2.

Thanks!

I'm guessing, although I have had none of the wines mentioned, that this wine will be of substantially higher quality. Ch. St. M., for example, is a high production winery that makes hundreds of thousands of bottles per year. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that; however, their wines won't be as unique? changing year-to-year? trying to come up with a non-highbrow description here.

The rub here is that some people who drink the likes of Ch. St. M. and consider it of high quality may not like this wine as it won't be as commercialized.

I would like to get goosed by this Washington State Merlot but unfortunately they aren't shipping to Louisiana . . . I am counting my blessings since I USED to live in Virginia and would be hosed completely everywhere all
the time unless I delved into Wootlegging.

kylemittskus wrote:I'm guessing, although I have had none of the wines mentioned, that this wine will be of substantially higher quality. Ch. St. M., for example, is a high production winery that makes hundreds of thousands of bottles per year. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that; however, their wines won't be as unique? changing year-to-year? trying to come up with a non-highbrow description here.

The rub here is that some people who drink the likes of Ch. St. M. and consider it of high quality may not like this wine as it won't be as commercialized.

Kyle..I'm confused...above you stated this wine was probably not a buy because Jay Miller liked it, now you praise it's high quality???

kaolis wrote:Kyle..I'm confused...above you stated this wine was probably not a buy because Jay Miller liked it, now you praise it's high quality???

No. I just said ignore Miller's scores and that his description actually makes it sound good. The person who I was responding to said it wasn't a buy because JM gave it an 88, and alluded to the fact that 88 is a low score for JM.

kylemittskus wrote:JM's palate is absolutely horrible. And scores are horrible. HIs notes make this sound delicious. Med-full bodied, savory fruit, some floral notes, and enough tannin to give it structure (the drinking window).

To be clear, I didn't say this was high quality juice. I said I'm guessing it is compared to Ch. St. M. and the like.

Sorry to hijack this woot for a competitor Sonoma Valley Red Blend Ty Caton 'Tytanium' Caton Vineyard 2010 on WTSO for $34.99 a bottle w/free shipping for orders of 3 or more.

bobrush12866 wrote:Sorry to hijack this woot for a competitor Sonoma Valley Red Blend Ty Caton 'Tytanium' Caton Vineyard 2010 on WTSO for $34.99 a bottle w/free shipping for orders of 3 or more.

Just got it I've wanted to try it and it popped up in my email Bet it sells out. How long should I cellar it?

sphervey wrote:Just got it I've wanted to try it and it popped up in my email Bet it sells out. How long should I cellar it?

Ty's website indicates 2014-2021 as the drinking window.

bobrush12866 wrote:Sorry to hijack this woot for a competitor Sonoma Valley Red Blend Ty Caton 'Tytanium' Caton Vineyard 2010 on WTSO for $34.99 a bottle w/free shipping for orders of 3 or more.

Not a fan of these field blends, particularly at this price point. Guess I'm just old fashioned.

kaolis wrote:Not a fan of these field blends, particularly at this price point. Guess I'm just old fashioned.

That would actually make you new-fashioned (is that a phrase?). Field blends are the old way of doing things and monoclonal vineyard blocks with separate fermentations and post-hoc blending are relatively new technology in the wine world. Of course none of that matters in whether you like the wine or not, just that it's not a newfangled thing, those field blends

Also, TyTanium isn't a field blend. It's a separate fermentation post-aging blend (same as Wellington Victory, but with different grapes).

Back to this wine, though, the pH looks a little high to me. Otherwise I've had generally good luck with Washington wines, including Merlot. It does well in cooler climates like WA, BC, Niagara, and Bordeaux.

klezman wrote:That would actually make you new-fashioned (is that a phrase?). Field blends are the old way of doing things and monoclonal vineyard blocks with separate fermentations and post-hoc blending are relatively new technology in the wine world. Of course none of that matters in whether you like the wine or not, just that it's not a newfangled thing, those field blends

Also, TyTanium isn't a field blend. It's a separate fermentation post-aging blend (same as Wellington Victory, but with different grapes).

Back to this wine, though, the pH looks a little high to me. Otherwise I've had generally good luck with Washington wines, including Merlot. It does well in cooler climates like WA, BC, Niagara, and Bordeaux.

My apologies if the Tytanium is not co-fermented, and Ty has previously referred to his Field Blend Red as a mini-Tytanium....and yes I realize blends/field blends have been around for a long time...but for the $80.00 Ty is asking on his website, or even the $40.00 on WTSO, no thank you. No right or wrong, just not a fan of people pumping up Cabernet and Merlot or Pinot with Syrah and PS and charging crazy prices.

bobrush12866 wrote:Sorry to hijack this woot for a competitor Sonoma Valley Red Blend Ty Caton 'Tytanium' Caton Vineyard 2010 on WTSO for $34.99 a bottle w/free shipping for orders of 3 or more.

Please take this discussion here
http://wine.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?pageindex=31&postid=5118466

kaolis wrote:My apologies if the Tytanium is not co-fermented, and Ty has previously referred to his Field Blend Red as a mini-Tytanium....and yes I realize blends/field blends have been around for a long time...but for the $80.00 Ty is asking on his website, or even the $40.00 on WTSO, no thank you. No right or wrong, just not a fan of people pumping up Cabernet and Merlot or Pinot with Syrah and PS and charging crazy prices.

Regardless of its composition or manufacturing methods, I agree the price is kind of nuts. Ty's always been kind of cagey about the status of his "field blend". I think the 2005 was a true field blend, but I'm not sure about anything since then. Either way, back to the Washington Merlot.

If I was buying wine at this time I'd be highly tempted, but still I'd like to know more about the relatively high pH.