2016 Pedroncelli Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Dark purple in the glass, this is a rich and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of blackberry, warm baking spices and creamy oak. The ripe flavors of dark berry and black plum are framed with a touch of anise, cedar and dried green herbs. Woven throughout are velvety oak notes, rounded tannins and medium acidity with a long finish and a touch of spice. With reserve-style complexity and depth, this is a wine to enjoy now or age another 10 years.
Wisdom Notes
Longevity instills it in each generation. Sensing the right varietal and aspect of the vines is borne of a lifetime tilling the soil. Discerning and experienced
hands craft the wine from vine to barrel to bottle and when these elements come together it is called Wisdom.
Wine & Vineyard Notes
2016 brought an early harvest due to the warm growing season. The Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested in early September, same as the previous year, which historically is about a month early. This followed the drought years and the resulting characteristics include mild acids, round tannins and high intensity of color and flavors. After destemming, the grapes are cold soaked for 48 hours, inoculated with the Bordeaux yeast strain and slow fermented in a small stainless steel tank. Pumping the juice over the cap daily produces extraction of color, tannins and flavor. The wine is then pressed, stored and a few months later transferred
to small French oak barrels for aging. 21 months in French oak gave the wine a mellow quality. Bottling the wine a year before release brings additional softening to this complex wine.
Located 2 miles west of the winery, we purchased the five acre property in 1965 and it is located on the west slope of the Dry Creek Valley along West Dry Creek Road. First planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, a recent replanting replaced the 40 year old vines. Positioned well, it receives the sunlight and degree days needed to fully ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. The rocky loamy soil is a perfect place to put down roots. Just the right amount of fog rolls in each evening during the warm summer months to maintain the right combination to cool the vines and preserve the delicate balance between acid and sugar. 50 years of growing Cabernet in this soil and singular microclimate brings unparalleled Wisdom.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Aging: 21 months in French Oak, 35% New Oak
Alcohol: 14.3%
pH 3.75
Total Acidity: .630g/100ml
2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Dark ruby in the glass the aromas of dried herbs (thyme, oregano) with ripe blackberry and plum notes typical of this vineyard’s personality. Berry flavors combine with toasty oak, pepper and a touch of vanilla. A long earthy finish with lasting fruit is simply elegant. Good acidity and soft tannins lead to great aging potential. Obviously this wine has no connection to a world famous British Special Agent. It’s simply the name of a vineyard block…Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vineyard & Winemaking
Our vineyards are assigned block numbers to identify them as they are planted. Block 007 refers to one portion of our vineyard located a mile west of the winery, on the eastern bench above Dry Creek and has caught the attention of our winemaking team because it consistently produces fruit of singular quality.
We farm 31 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on our estate and were the first to plant the king of red wine grapes in Dry Creek Valley circa 1965. Block 007 was established in 1992 on the Scott Henry trellis system which splits the cordon arms into a double tier with the upper arm usually bearing about 3 tons of grapes per acres while the lower arm bears about 2 tons per acre. This is for optimum production and ripeness. The soil is well drained and located next to Canyon Creek where it is gravelly and ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon.
Harvest 2017 started with a good growing season including plenty of rain and later on warm temperatures which enhanced the flavors and set the maturation off to a very good start. Extreme heat at the beginning of September accelerated ripening. Cabernet Sauvignon can handle high temperatures and the vintage shows high concentration of flavors. The grapes were picked on September 27.
The juice and berries are cold soaked for 48 hours and then inoculated with the Bordeaux yeast strain. Fermentation in our small capacity temperature controlled stainless steel tank gave optimal skin/juice ratio and better extraction of flavor and color. The young wine was transferred to small American oak barrels to age for eighteen months with 30% new oak.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Composition: Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Aging: 18 months in American oak barrels, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.4%
pH: 3.73
Total Acidity: .590g/100ml
2017 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Dark red with purple hints around the edges. Aromas of dark ripe berries, dried herbs and earthy tones introduce this medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Soft tannins are framed by cherry, plum and blackberry fruit followed by hints of oregano and bay leaf. Great structure and good acidity combine with a spicy finish. Enjoy upon release or cellar up to eight more years.
Vineyard & Winemaking
Estate fruit was harvested from the northern end of Dry Creek Valley, where these Bordeaux varietals excel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec were hand-picked just a mile from the winery. Here these varietals develop exceptional character on the vineyard sites situated on the valley bench. The vines receive the right amount of sun and cooling fog which develops optimal flavors in the grapes. Careful vineyard management during the growing season defines the style even more.
The growing season of 2017 was a good one with plenty of rain and later on warm temperatures which set a very good growth cycle and developed the flavors and maturation of the grapes. While there was a heat spike at the beginning of September the varietals held up well. The fruit was picked the final week of September. The culmination is great quality with a high concentration of flavors and a good level of acidity.
The grapes are de-stemmed and cold soaked for 48 hours. Inoculated with the Bordeaux yeast strain, fermentation followed in stainless steel tanks. During this time, in order to get the best color and flavor, the juice is circulated over the cap daily and gently macerated to extract the color and flavors from the skins. Once dry the new wine is pressed and stored until barreled in the winter. The separate varietal lots were aged in American and French oak barrels for sixteen months in order to develop smoothness and complexity. The final blend of the four grapes adds deep character and a great flavor profile.
The year was 1927. President Calvin Coolidge captured the imagination of nobody. Babe Ruth hit home run after home run powered by little more than whiskey and sausage. And John Pedroncelli, Sr. bought a vineyard and winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Since then, four generations of Pedroncellis have weathered Prohibition, wine booms and busts, and changing tastes. And they’re still a family-owned operation making acclaimed premium wines. Wherever you are now, Sultan of Swat and Silent Cal, this next glass is for you.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Assortment of Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignons
6 bottles for $119.99 $20/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
This is an autobuy for me on the strength of the 2017 Three Vineyards Cab alone, which was included in the last Pedroncelli mixed set. That bottle was pure delight, and it’s the lowbrow portion of this offering? ‘Nuff said.
TL;DR… Pedroncelli is no stranger to these parts and we all know the caliber of wines they produce. The Wisdom Cabernet Sauvigon is no exception. It’s often said Pedroncelli means QPR in Italian and this is a perfect example. This cab has depth, structure, and is a bargain whether you go for the 6-pack or the case.
Onto the full review…
I received an unexpected notice from UPS on Wednesday and I knew exactly what that meant. I had been selected to be a Lab Rat!!! I knew I wouldn’t be home on Thursday in order to sign for the package, so I arranged for it to be picked up at the nearest Michaels craft store. That worked out nicely and was much better than the wine being in the back of a brown truck all day since it seems I’m at the end of the driver’s route. Once I got home I placed it in the basement and allowed it to rest. I shared the wine with a friend Saturday evening and here are the notes we developed.
Upon opening you are greeted with lovely aromas of dark fruit. Currant, blackberry, and plum. There’s also a bit of spice (cinnamon perhaps?) and a hint of wood.
This was initially served at room temp (roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and that was a bit warm. So I put it into the fridge for about 20-30 minutes and that did the trick. It seemed brighter/fresher after cooling down some.
On the palate the wine is fruity and tannic. In addition to the previously mentioned fruits, I also noticed some black cherry. There’s a dusty/chalky element to it that I really like. The tannins continue on through the finish and there were some earthy notes that developed. Everything was balanced and well integrated. Nothing offensive or off putting. As time passed I also picked up on some tobacco notes.
The snacks on hand were Marcona almonds, golden raisins, dried apricots, pecorino, an applewood smoked sea salt cheddar gruyere, and some chocolates. The cheeses made the wine seem lighter and brought out some tartness. The Marcona almonds highlighted the wood notes. The raisins and apricots didn’t seem to do much. Milk chocolate was okay, but dark chocolate made the wine sing! I should note the wine was enjoyable on its own, but I suspect it would be really great with a steak or pork chop.
Overall this was a very pleasant Cab and it vanished without much effort. For the Casemates price, you can’t go wrong! After all, Pedroncelli stands for QPR in Italian. Thanks go out to @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl , the rest of the Casemates crew, AND of course the Pedroncelli family for the opportunity to Lab Rat this wine and bringing us this wonderful offer.
@rjquillin
Some rules/suggestions are meant to be bent or broken haha. Honestly I’m not sure why they suggest pairing it with chardonnay. FWIW… I’m not big on chards, except for the Iron Horse unoaked chardonnay. That wine is delicious.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Assortment of Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignons - $20 = 8.33%
I received this bottle last Thursday and took it to the mountains with me to get out of the 114 F forecast for the weekend in Glendora. The bottle upon receipt was slightly warm but definitely not hot.
I’ve always enjoyed wines from Pedroncelli except a past vintage of this one…
The wine poured a deep garnet, the wine is sediment free and shows clear.
The nose is very aromatic and shows very young. Initially it was fairly closed and needed about an hour to open up. This wine showed off quite a bit of red fruit, some plum, moderate oak and some noticeable alcohol. The labels reads 14.4%.
Tasting the wine it’s dry, medium/full bodied. Acid is solid, I’d label it as fresh on the spectrum. Rounded moderate tannins are present. The wine is fairly balanced with no real jagged edges or things that stick out.
Open opening this wine was fairly tart and slightly green. About an hour after opening these things seemed to fade away.
I feel I drank this slightly warmer than it should have been served. It’s a warm day and I drank on the back patio.
Saturday Night it showed a little better but not a huge difference mostly the tartness and green notes were completely gone.
Overall thoughts.
This wine is young and didn’t show great for me. It’s not a full bodied meaty Cabernet. If I tasted it blind I would guess it’s a cab merlot blend. It’s a bit plummy/grapes which I’m guessing is a temp issue.
@CorTot
Any chance you recall which you liked better?
I’m just considering the '09s and '10s.
CT, for what it is, seems to favor this one above earlier vintages.
@rjquillin honestly I bought some from the old site back in 2010-2012 range i do not know the vintage of that wine, but I think I prefer this to the previous purchase quite a bit.
Now that I think about it, I think one of the old woot cellars was this wine. That’s the one I disliked.
Pedroncelli sold at Casemates prices is always an auto buy for me, though this might be the first time the bottle price has topped $20. Is this also the first time the Wisdom cab has been offered?
I have enjoyed several bottles of Pedroncelli cab that were 21 years Past vintage or older. All have been fantastic wines. Ped seems to find that rare balance of “drinks well young” but also “ages gracefully.” Clark Smith is the other guy who seems to be able to pull this off.
Any bottles I buy now have little chance of making it to age 21, but I’ll put a couple of the 2017’s away for my grandson’s birth year.
@CorTot@wnance
I was thinking the same, but looking over the 14 CM offers, I don’t see it listed in any of the offers.
I did grab some from Touch of Modern, another WD outlet, but that was the '12, that also has some CT entries from WW. @pedroncellifarm Ed, the Wisdom been on CM prior to this?
I don’t have any more room! Especially to store these for another 5-10 years before I’d want to drink them. @WineDavid49 how about a Pedroncelli library offer?? That Midnight Run Zinfandel we got there a few years ago was killer…
Well, my apologies for the late posting of this rattage - I got back late yesterday from a 2 day holiday weekend trip so I couldn’t get this tasted until now!
This is the 2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
We drank this with some pork chops we had grilled, with some rice and asparagus.
Ruby color; not particularly inky/dark.
Initial nose had some alcohol but after that, a berry/fruit -punchy scent to it, not bad.
Medium bodied/medium tannins on the first taste. Some heat again. This faded with some time.
Acidity was noticeable, not bad really but I just seemed to notice it more than usual.
Some earth/herbal tones on the nose as well after time.
We drank it all the first night, so no night 2 impressions here.
Overall impression: I liked drinking this wine, as I like drinking wine and it was very drinkable. It paired well with food that we had with it and I think this is a perfectly decent food pairing wine for dinner at home, if you like medium bodied california cabernet.
I don’t think this is going to satisfy anyone looking for a Parker-type big Cali Cab type of cabernet; it just didn’t have that style for me. I think at the ~16-20 dollars/bottle price point, this is a fairly priced midweek dinner wine; it wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad at all and certainly worth the price.
2016 Pedroncelli Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Wisdom Notes
Wine & Vineyard Notes
Specs
2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Vineyard & Winemaking
Specs
2017 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Vineyard & Winemaking
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$330.20/Case at Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards for 4x 2016 Pedroncelli Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, 4x 2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, and 4x 2017 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 28 - Tuesday, Sep 29
Assortment of Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignons
6 bottles for $119.99 $20/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Pedroncelli Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
This is an autobuy for me on the strength of the 2017 Three Vineyards Cab alone, which was included in the last Pedroncelli mixed set. That bottle was pure delight, and it’s the lowbrow portion of this offering? ‘Nuff said.
TL;DR… Pedroncelli is no stranger to these parts and we all know the caliber of wines they produce. The Wisdom Cabernet Sauvigon is no exception. It’s often said Pedroncelli means QPR in Italian and this is a perfect example. This cab has depth, structure, and is a bargain whether you go for the 6-pack or the case.
Onto the full review…
I received an unexpected notice from UPS on Wednesday and I knew exactly what that meant. I had been selected to be a Lab Rat!!! I knew I wouldn’t be home on Thursday in order to sign for the package, so I arranged for it to be picked up at the nearest Michaels craft store. That worked out nicely and was much better than the wine being in the back of a brown truck all day since it seems I’m at the end of the driver’s route. Once I got home I placed it in the basement and allowed it to rest. I shared the wine with a friend Saturday evening and here are the notes we developed.
Upon opening you are greeted with lovely aromas of dark fruit. Currant, blackberry, and plum. There’s also a bit of spice (cinnamon perhaps?) and a hint of wood.
This was initially served at room temp (roughly 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and that was a bit warm. So I put it into the fridge for about 20-30 minutes and that did the trick. It seemed brighter/fresher after cooling down some.
On the palate the wine is fruity and tannic. In addition to the previously mentioned fruits, I also noticed some black cherry. There’s a dusty/chalky element to it that I really like. The tannins continue on through the finish and there were some earthy notes that developed. Everything was balanced and well integrated. Nothing offensive or off putting. As time passed I also picked up on some tobacco notes.
The snacks on hand were Marcona almonds, golden raisins, dried apricots, pecorino, an applewood smoked sea salt cheddar gruyere, and some chocolates. The cheeses made the wine seem lighter and brought out some tartness. The Marcona almonds highlighted the wood notes. The raisins and apricots didn’t seem to do much. Milk chocolate was okay, but dark chocolate made the wine sing! I should note the wine was enjoyable on its own, but I suspect it would be really great with a steak or pork chop.
Overall this was a very pleasant Cab and it vanished without much effort. For the Casemates price, you can’t go wrong! After all, Pedroncelli stands for QPR in Italian.
Thanks go out to @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl , the rest of the Casemates crew, AND of course the Pedroncelli family for the opportunity to Lab Rat this wine and bringing us this wonderful offer.
@kawichris650
But that cheese says Chard, not Cab…
@rjquillin
Some rules/suggestions are meant to be bent or broken haha. Honestly I’m not sure why they suggest pairing it with chardonnay. FWIW… I’m not big on chards, except for the Iron Horse unoaked chardonnay. That wine is delicious.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Assortment of Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignons - $20 = 8.33%
/giphy superb-rejoicing-pickle
I should have known there was a plan…
Thanks for not depleting my wine budget yesterday.
I learned previously that not auto buying Pedroncelli in the morning is a sure path to regret…
/giphy model-violet-bat
Good morning!
/giphy refined-frequent-volcano
Been waiting for something like this!
/giphy wicked-wishful-mist
2017 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet
I received this bottle last Thursday and took it to the mountains with me to get out of the 114 F forecast for the weekend in Glendora. The bottle upon receipt was slightly warm but definitely not hot.
I’ve always enjoyed wines from Pedroncelli except a past vintage of this one…
The wine poured a deep garnet, the wine is sediment free and shows clear.
The nose is very aromatic and shows very young. Initially it was fairly closed and needed about an hour to open up. This wine showed off quite a bit of red fruit, some plum, moderate oak and some noticeable alcohol. The labels reads 14.4%.
Tasting the wine it’s dry, medium/full bodied. Acid is solid, I’d label it as fresh on the spectrum. Rounded moderate tannins are present. The wine is fairly balanced with no real jagged edges or things that stick out.
Open opening this wine was fairly tart and slightly green. About an hour after opening these things seemed to fade away.
I feel I drank this slightly warmer than it should have been served. It’s a warm day and I drank on the back patio.
Saturday Night it showed a little better but not a huge difference mostly the tartness and green notes were completely gone.
Overall thoughts.
This wine is young and didn’t show great for me. It’s not a full bodied meaty Cabernet. If I tasted it blind I would guess it’s a cab merlot blend. It’s a bit plummy/grapes which I’m guessing is a temp issue.
@CorTot
Any chance you recall which you liked better?
I’m just considering the '09s and '10s.
CT, for what it is, seems to favor this one above earlier vintages.
@rjquillin honestly I bought some from the old site back in 2010-2012 range i do not know the vintage of that wine, but I think I prefer this to the previous purchase quite a bit.
Now that I think about it, I think one of the old woot cellars was this wine. That’s the one I disliked.
@rjquillin figured it out.
Monkey 2nd prize. Cool label but really didn’t care for the wine.
Pedroncelli sold at Casemates prices is always an auto buy for me, though this might be the first time the bottle price has topped $20. Is this also the first time the Wisdom cab has been offered?
I have enjoyed several bottles of Pedroncelli cab that were 21 years Past vintage or older. All have been fantastic wines. Ped seems to find that rare balance of “drinks well young” but also “ages gracefully.” Clark Smith is the other guy who seems to be able to pull this off.
Any bottles I buy now have little chance of making it to age 21, but I’ll put a couple of the 2017’s away for my grandson’s birth year.
In for a case.
@wnance the wisdom cab has been in other mixed cases before.
@CorTot @wnance
I was thinking the same, but looking over the 14 CM offers, I don’t see it listed in any of the offers.
I did grab some from Touch of Modern, another WD outlet, but that was the '12, that also has some CT entries from WW.
@pedroncellifarm Ed, the Wisdom been on CM prior to this?
@CorTot @rjquillin @wnance I think it was part of a mystery case? I remember it being offered as well.
@CorTot @wnance
Cannot find it.
Help welcomed
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/the-list
@rjquillin @wnance I think it was a mystery case. May have been pre CM
@CorTot @rjquillin @wnance I’m pretty sure it was in a mystery case from the w**t site. Still have two in the basement!
@CorTot @ejrunion @wnance
Yes, that I could believe, pre CM.
/giphy peppy-perpetual-talk
I don’t have any more room! Especially to store these for another 5-10 years before I’d want to drink them.
@WineDavid49 how about a Pedroncelli library offer?? That Midnight Run Zinfandel we got there a few years ago was killer…
@klezman So awesome!
VAN MURALS! GROUND SQUIRRELS! SPIT CURLS! AWESOME!
Pedroncelli reds and shipping to Illinois!
In for a case!
/giphy best-fiery-face
/giphy three blind mice
but the third one couldn’t find the way…
Where is the love for Indiana? We’ve been missing from the list for a while now. . .
Well, my apologies for the late posting of this rattage - I got back late yesterday from a 2 day holiday weekend trip so I couldn’t get this tasted until now!
This is the 2017 Pedroncelli Block 007 Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
We drank this with some pork chops we had grilled, with some rice and asparagus.
Ruby color; not particularly inky/dark.
Initial nose had some alcohol but after that, a berry/fruit -punchy scent to it, not bad.
Medium bodied/medium tannins on the first taste. Some heat again. This faded with some time.
Acidity was noticeable, not bad really but I just seemed to notice it more than usual.
Some earth/herbal tones on the nose as well after time.
We drank it all the first night, so no night 2 impressions here.
Overall impression: I liked drinking this wine, as I like drinking wine and it was very drinkable. It paired well with food that we had with it and I think this is a perfectly decent food pairing wine for dinner at home, if you like medium bodied california cabernet.
I don’t think this is going to satisfy anyone looking for a Parker-type big Cali Cab type of cabernet; it just didn’t have that style for me. I think at the ~16-20 dollars/bottle price point, this is a fairly priced midweek dinner wine; it wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad at all and certainly worth the price.
@icarus8
Cheers that it’s not Parkerized!
@icarus8 @rjquillin I really think this is an excellent line: “I liked drinking this wine, as I like drinking wine and it was very drinkable.”
@icarus8 @pmarin
I considered that for the highlight…
@icarus8 @rjquillin do it! Only a few hours left anyway. Who’s looking that hasn’t already looked?
@icarus8 It was all going well until I heard the word “Cali”:) You are no banned from the state.
@finewiner @icarus8 … grew up near San Francisco and there was a big thing about “don’t call it Frisco” Haven’t heard that used in many years, though.
…and the skies opened up…and there was Pedroncelli…THANK YOU!!! In for 2 as always. This is our “house wine” and we stock up every chance we get.
nostalgic-sad-caper
@lethcoeb did you actually have to retry to get that giphy or was it just pure luck. It’s perfect for a red wine order!
It was the 2nd gif on the list. Seemed appropriate.