2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select Négociant Red Wine Blend, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
This red blend has aromas of plum, blackberry, mocha and smoky oak followed by rich flavors of black fruit and cassis, with a hint of fresh herbs. Approachable tannins and a round, full body lead to a structured, but soft, lingering finish. Pair with grilled steaks or other hearty dishes.
Vineyard and Winemaking Notes
Growing Region
Monterey County is known for its long growing season, a result of the cool coastal air from Monterey Bay that is pulled down the Salinas Valley each day. This maritime influence has a cooling effect, which allows the grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly. Extra hang-time leads to complex wines that exhibit heightened aromatics, intense fruit flavors and full varietal expression.
Vineyard
This Red Blend comes from sustainably certified estate vineyards that are meticulously farmed throughout the year. The varietals are grown in the southernmost reaches of Monterey County, where warm, sunny days are followed by very chilly nights. This significant temperature differential creates intensity and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking
Upon arrival to the winery, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed then aged on American and French oak for 10 months. Minimal intervention and careful handling in the cellar ensure that this red blend is fruit-driven and showcases the integrity of all varietals.
Specifications
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Syrah, 0.5% Petite Sirah
6x 2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select Négociant Red Wine Blend
Price Comparison
Not Available Online
About The Winery
Winery: Scheid Family Wines
Location: Monterey County, Salinas Valley, CA
Al Scheid first saw untapped potential in Monterey County in 1972 when the wine region was in its infancy. What started as a grape growing operation that sold 100% of its production to other wineries today has evolved into a grapes-to-glass family business that crafts authentic and elegant wines. Our Scheid Family Wines portfolio now includes five unique and distinctive labels: Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Metz Road, VDR and Stokes’ Ghost.
With 12 estate vineyards comprised of 4,000 acres located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley, the array of microclimates and soils give us an incredible selection to work with each vintage. While our wealth of vineyard resources is exceptional, it is our employees that are at the heart of everything we do. Much of our workforce has been with us for over 25 years, with several of our vineyard managers employed for over 40 years.
The Scheid family – Al, Scott, Heidi and long-time COO Kurt Gollnick – along with our dream team of employees, are passionate about crafting the best wine possible and honoring our commitment to be good stewards of the land and supporters of our local community. We are proud to produce authentic products that sit on your dinner table and invite conversation, connection and warmth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend “Holiday Edition” - $10 = 10.00%
I’m pretty sure this rat has retired, it’s looking a little long in the tooth. I’ll try again.
Is this the right one?
I kinda like the old one.
2017 QPR Select Red Blend, Central Coast
Funny thing about this wine, another Rat reviewed its apparent opposite just a day or so ago:
First sip has a fruity sweet flavor with a fair amount heat and tannin. Needs air, so ran it through the aerator. That’s better - sweetness has mellowed out and balanced by a pepper. Lots of good flavor that I don’t know how to describe, but not a heavy wine. Has a fruity sweet nose, maybe raspberry?
Our Casemates holiday special is so not that. Not sweet at all. At 13.5% AbV, not hot, no impression of alcohol. Light tannins, balanced acidity. About 5 of us at the office had a quick taste of it after hours on Friday, and everybody liked it, even the non-wine drinker. So I guess that qualifies it as a crowd-pleaser. We had nothing to pair it with, but it was quite pleasant to sip on its own, and a couple of people said they’d take a bottle off my hands if I bought a case.
The bottle I received wore a plain label bearing minimal info and no art, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it looks. It’s a screw-top closure.
I don’t know if it’s because the fruit was a bit reticent, or whether it’s my general obtuseness when it comes to ID’ing what I’m smelling and tasting, but I have nothing specific. I can say it is definitely not a big, jammy, mouthful of dark fruit. But I couldn’t pick out a lighter fruit or berry in particular, or even figure out specific grapes that made up the blend. The crew at work had nothing to contribute, but they’re mostly not accustomed to thinking about wine in that way.
I saved half the bottle to try again when I got home, a couple of hours later. We were thinking it might be a little peppery and guessed that the blend might have some Zin in it, but a refined, genteel Zin. More exposure to air did not reveal more fruit.
Bottom line, this is a pleasant wine that you will not be embarrassed to serve, despite whatever goofy Casemates holiday label is stuck on the bottle (and despite whatever prejudice your closure snob friends may harbor against the screw-top) No idea what the price will be, but writing this hours before the sale goes live I can already say, this is good Q.P.R.
@CorTot Yeah, I agree. But those two were amazing buys.
I wonder why we haven’t gotten a solid Casemates Cellars wine from somebody like Scott Harvey, or maybe get Ty Caton to do a Blitzen redux…
@klezman Yeah, that Toothsteijn was outstanding QPR, and my wife and I were sad we didn’t get a lot more of it. She asked me recently if it was going to be offered again.
@CorTot@losthighwayz Apparently there’s a ton of excess wine the last couple California grape harvests so maybe there’s some good pickings for bottlings over the next couple years.
I bet/hope @WineDavid49 is on it!
Trying to drink my way down into my available storage space, but can’t pass this one up (so only ordering 6). Will have to plan on being home then the UPSman comes.
/giphy golden-jolly-wreath
NJ is shut out as well and I’m still waiting to see how the UPS delivery/HAL situation shakes out for neighboring states. Too bad, this looked like a decent daily drinker candidate.
Casemates Cellars? 10 Days of Christmas? Passing the Rattage QPR? IL on the state list? Check!
Hope this will help encourage even more “creative private labelling” offerings.
The delivery date range for the the last two offers are keeping me from going in (vacation), since I have no idea if I can hold a case somewhere for awhile with UPS or not.
@corrado You forget meh! So-so Sommelier wasn’t bad at all. I never tried Mad Ape Den, but both seem to be above the reception for the broken earth QPR.
Please, do not do any more broken earth wines. Also, the wines don’t have to be $10. QPR can be a $15, $20 . . . $30 wine? and still have fantastic QPR. This range could possibly allow some of our favorite winemakers to do a small run, versus buying up predetermined blends meant for independent labeling. John and Jane Doe could’ve had this same wine labeled for their wedding after all.
@KNmeh7 With regard to the “holiday wine,” tradition puts it at or sub-$10. I would like to see more Casemates per year and at slightly higher price points, but there’s a reason the WCC-backed wines have been at this end of the spectrum (i.e. if someone can sell higher-priced wine, they’ll make it themselves).
I actually preferred last year’s QPR to the SSS and MAD offerings by quite a lot.
@corrado@KNmeh7
D’Ontspille was Peter as well, and I wish I had twice as much of it as I did!
But I think the reference was to the Christmas wine in particular being at a lower price point. Revelry was closer to $20/bottle and D’Ontspille was $15 or so iirc. And both were very well received.
@FritzCat That’s great news! I’ve been combining part full boxes and I know I have over a case of Revelry. Think I need to open one! Also found at least 6 Blitzen that I need to get into. In fact, I just checked inventory and I have 11 Woot offerings!! Woot Whooo!! I think I need more than 11 Days of Drinking
@Boatman72@FritzCat It’s been 6 yrs that I know of and you guys are still talking Victory and Revelry… well, send some over because we haven’t had the “pleasure”. : P
@Boatman72@FritzCat For sure…I hadn’t had Revelry in a year at least, until I happened across a case of it a month or two ago, and opened a bottle. It’s lovely right now.
@corrado I recently went through my inventory and saw that I still have one bottle each of the original Monkey Prize along with D’Ontspill and Polyphemus, and several bottles of Monkey Prize 2, Revelry, Under the Mistletoe, the original QPR, and a few others. Ah, the olden days - sounds like I should get to those Revelry’s. Blitzen, though, and several others, are long gone!
A bottle of this showed up a couple weeks ago at the NoVa gathering and was shared around. We opened it immediately after the sparkling and whites, to get a reasonable taste before everything turned RED.
Conditions - bottle showed up that morning via UPS midday, and it was pop and pour that evening. No issues with the delivery, or condition of the bottle itself.
Initial nose - a bit of menthol and not much fruit. Didn’t really detect any alcohol blow off. Took a bit of swirl in the glass to wake up and start showing some fruit.
Clear red color, medium. Not inky or too light.
Initial Taste - some fruit, that might have been raspberry or sour cherry, but not the stewed or bold fruits of a Zin. Light on the tannins. Really needed a bit of time to open before it started to show character.
Impressions from among the group were varied. It wasn’t the most popular wine of the night, but then there were 18 bottles shared among 16 people (including Iron Horse and Corison magnums). So a tough crowd. I will also say when cleaning up the next morning, other bottles had more left in them than the QPR, take it for what you will.
We didn’t know what the blend was (wasn’t on the generic label), but one person immediately said it was a Pinot with sticks and twigs. Not what I was getting, but then everyone has their own opinion. Reading that this is a Cab heavy blend is somewhat surprising. Maybe the Petit Verdot was coming through hard there.
Overall - yeah, its hitting the QPR bullseye. A reasonable wine at a fair price.
Back label says Cellared and Bottled by Second Story Wine Cellars. Central Coast. Anyone any idea who that is? Assuming Scheid but maybe yes maybe no??
It does not explicitly say it, but what else do you want? You think an operation that sells “pricey” bottles is going to advertise they have a label that labels bottles to order at under $10? That would be uncouth!
@InFrom@KNmeh7 Correct, the offer says Scheid, the bottle says Second Story. Wondering what the relationship is. And Cellared and Bottled By means someone bought the wine and bottled it under their own label. So we have Scheid/Second Story being mentioned.
And the offer states “Cellars QPR Select Négociant Red Wine Blend”…
…notice the word negociant…
oh, and by the way, the label only says Second Story if you happen to scroll through to the last bottle shot and read the fine print at the bottom…
Hey, just trying to determine the details of the wine…problem with that?
@karenhynes I had my last bottle a couple nights ago. It’s not amazing but it’s pleasant enough for a cheap bottle. Nothing terribly noteworthy but no flaws either
@karenhynes I had a bottle last night. Seems to be similar to (almost) a year ago (but I wouldn’t consider it to have improved). Like @CruelMelody said, good but not memorable. I remember many of my family liking it a year ago (which reduced my holdings by 3 bottles then). I think I have two left.
@karenhynes We had a couple of bottles in November. It seemed to me to have developed a little, but its essential character as simple, but sound, fruit forward commercial wine, was unchanged. I found it inoffensive and adequate for a basic meal, SWMBO did not like it any better this year than last year (which was not at all). OTOH, we have a fairly knowledgeable friend who liked it very much as a daily drinker. So YMMV…
My assessment is that it will probably not go anywhere that would justify taking up limited cellar space to give it additional years of aging. Enjoy it now and on to the next one!
Not that it would have deterred me from buying if I’d noticed earlier, but I wish it were coming in a bit sooner than 12/30 or so. It would be nice to have it around closer to Xmas.
@Winedavid49 Can you be a little more specific? I have the opposite problem, in that part of the appeal was that someone would be home during the posted window, but not necessarily if it’s before Christmas.
so…do we have any idea what this “festive gift” is going to be? I’ve made multiple purchases the last few days. Is this festive gift going to be repeated, or should I expect some variability in my orders? Hoping I don’t get more of the stemless glasses from last year - don’t get me wrong those were great, but I don’t need more. Really curious what is in store here.
A million apologies for the Lab Rat delay - traveling WiFi shortages made for spotty cell service.
2017 Scheid QPR Red Blend
What a delight to receive the email advising me that I was selected to be a Lab Rat! This is my first Rat report, so go easy on me!
The package came on time, courtesy of our soon-to-be-all-too-familiar UPS driver. After opening the package, we had to change up the dinner menu to accommodate the new arrival. Upon closer inspection of the bottle, I realized this was as going to be a fairly blind tasting – the label merely provided vintage year, alcohol content, and “Central Coast Red Blend”. That’s it – no varietal listing, tasting notes, vineyard specification, nada. Except the name of the winery, website, and phone number.
So we took our chances, and decided on a chicken parmesan to try and get middle of the road on pairing – panko crumbs on the chicken, homemade red sauce, loads of mozzarella cheese. We did some research on the winery, to see what presence they have, operations, viticulture, other wines in their repertoire, any information of this offering (nope!), but I purposely did not contact the winery until after the our initial experience, just to see how we would fare on our “expertise” alone.
We opened the bottle, aerated the first quarter-glass pour, and let it breathe for 30 minutes before sampling. I should have taken a picture for you to see the color (next time for sure!)
The color is light garnet – close to a Pinot Noir. On the nose, I got cherry, or plum (really close!), a hint of mocha, vanilla. Not real intense, but certainly pleasant. On the palate, had I not seen the label stating “Red Blend”, I would have almost pegged it for a Pinot Noir (I’m a visual learner, so maybe the color presentation swayed me??). But obviously, you don’t blend Pinot with anything (unless you’re doing sparkling wine), so my next guess was a GSM, as they do offer this blend (a nice Chianti would be a close comparison, if that were even possible). The plum/cherry notes carried over from nose to palate, adding a bit of minerality, soft vanilla on the finish, nice, soft tannins, and some sort of herb/floral notes. There is a nice balance of fruit and structure. The finish was nice, longer than expected from a lighter wine.
Sad to say, the pairing with the entrée was not a great one – the parmesan overpowered the wine!
The next day, after a follow-up meal of smoked pulled pork, the flavors were a little more pronounced, and paired quite nicely with the entrée.
Following dinner, I received a call-back form the winery (I had called them the day before, after dinner). Andy was very helpful, and provided some background, blend, and tasting notes. To my utter surprise, my guess was totally wrong – this is an 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8%, Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Syrah. At least I got one of my guesses right on the varietal – by only 4%!!
I sincerely enjoyed the wine, but the pairing has to be right, although it’s a fine wine as a stand-alone; cheese, softer red sauces, Margareta pizza, ham, pork dishes, etc. The winery tasting notes suggest “grilled streaks or other hearty dishes”; frankly, I don’t see it. It’s neither a fruit bomb or heavy weight; just a nice, balanced, approachable easy drinker.
I trust that this review will help you in your buying decision.
I have been buying wine since the very beginning of wine.w00t and continued to support winedavid in casemates.
I have never been chosen to be a Labrat. But have attended several of the Gatherings in NoVA where many of the bottles were pre-release. I prefer red wine over white, and would say that my favorite varietal is PN.
I want to tell you that this is the worst wine that I have tasted in all these years. Not even worth the low price.
You mileage may vary.
I think that the Labrats hesitate to be completely honest for fear of offending their friends.
Merry Xmas!
@TRIPgrad My take was that I’ve had worse, and I did think it was decent. I even bought a case. If I’d had something more noteworthy alongside it, I’m sure this would have suffered by comparison.
When confronted with a truly underwhelming lab rat bottle, I’ve said so, even when I felt bad about it. I’ve seen other rats who also struggled through that conflict, but in the end gave an honest review. By my lights, that’s what I did with this bottle.
@TRIPgrad
I just want to thank you (way, WAY belatedly) for the Iron Horse Brut LD that you brought to Buffalo 4 or 5 years ago. That was you, yes? Quite possibly the best Iron Horse wine I have ever had and was certainly my WOTN at the time but I never got to express my appreciation.
Any of the Rats here had the original QPR and could compare/contrast the two? @WkdPanda@Kraxberger@InFrom
Is this a bottle I could give the UPS staff and not have them refuse future shipments?
@rjquillin CT tells me I have one bottle left of the 12, but I remember not a thing about it. I think I sold most of it to my friends.
With the current one, I wouldn’t worry about the contents of the bottle, but do you think you’ll impress with a bottle whose back label copy is all about “this is a really inexpensive wine”?
@InFrom Yes, label appearances count, to some. That Ardente label was, well, ill conceived; but contents count and they punched high. The twist off still invokes less than stellar contents to many. I got the first QPR, well, just because it was the first. And then there was the meh offer I’ll not discuss. Don’t recall where that one came from. Perhaps I should locate one of those and revisit.
So here, decent contents with a meh presentation.
Still 25 minutes to ponder…
I got a shipping notice for my QPR delivery (expected 12/19/19). At least that’s an improvement over my last delivery of WineSmith Mixed Reds (for which I got post-facto notices).
Well, I’m three six-packs into the UPS era (Pedroncelli, QPR, and the Maryhill Zins). And I scored three nifty gifts - salted caramels that went too fast, a CM branded winter cap in a style that I was actually looking for, and two CM glasses (which now puts me half way to service for eight.)
@rpstrong@WineDavid49
All are far better than the Christmas tree ornament I got. By many many multiples. At least I’d use a winter hat once a year or so!
My two cases just arrived…along with two free stocking caps and some chocolate candies. Bonus! I may break my rule of letting a wine settle after shipping for a week or two. At under $8 and with 23 spares, I’m too curious.
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select Négociant Red Wine Blend, Central Coast
Tasting Notes
This red blend has aromas of plum, blackberry, mocha and smoky oak followed by rich flavors of black fruit and cassis, with a hint of fresh herbs. Approachable tannins and a round, full body lead to a structured, but soft, lingering finish. Pair with grilled steaks or other hearty dishes.
Vineyard and Winemaking Notes
Growing Region
Monterey County is known for its long growing season, a result of the cool coastal air from Monterey Bay that is pulled down the Salinas Valley each day. This maritime influence has a cooling effect, which allows the grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly. Extra hang-time leads to complex wines that exhibit heightened aromatics, intense fruit flavors and full varietal expression.
Vineyard
This Red Blend comes from sustainably certified estate vineyards that are meticulously farmed throughout the year. The varietals are grown in the southernmost reaches of Monterey County, where warm, sunny days are followed by very chilly nights. This significant temperature differential creates intensity and complexity in the wine.
Winemaking
Upon arrival to the winery, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed then aged on American and French oak for 10 months. Minimal intervention and careful handling in the cellar ensure that this red blend is fruit-driven and showcases the integrity of all varietals.
Specifications
Included In The Box
Case
6-Bottles
Price Comparison
Not Available Online
About The Winery
Winery: Scheid Family Wines
Location: Monterey County, Salinas Valley, CA
Al Scheid first saw untapped potential in Monterey County in 1972 when the wine region was in its infancy. What started as a grape growing operation that sold 100% of its production to other wineries today has evolved into a grapes-to-glass family business that crafts authentic and elegant wines. Our Scheid Family Wines portfolio now includes five unique and distinctive labels: Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Metz Road, VDR and Stokes’ Ghost.
With 12 estate vineyards comprised of 4,000 acres located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley, the array of microclimates and soils give us an incredible selection to work with each vintage. While our wealth of vineyard resources is exceptional, it is our employees that are at the heart of everything we do. Much of our workforce has been with us for over 25 years, with several of our vineyard managers employed for over 40 years.
The Scheid family – Al, Scott, Heidi and long-time COO Kurt Gollnick – along with our dream team of employees, are passionate about crafting the best wine possible and honoring our commitment to be good stewards of the land and supporters of our local community. We are proud to produce authentic products that sit on your dinner table and invite conversation, connection and warmth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, January 6th - Thursday, January 9th
Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend “Holiday Edition”
6 bottles for $49.99 $8.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select “Holiday Edition”
I finished my last case, is this a new vintage?
Last time QPR was broken earth, what can anyone say about this winery?
@wyk3d
That it doesn’t ship to OH either? That’s all I’ve got.
@chipgreen While good for my wallet, this blows.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Casemates Cellars QPR Select Red Wine Blend “Holiday Edition” - $10 = 10.00%
Posting for @InFrom
I’m pretty sure this rat has retired, it’s looking a little long in the tooth. I’ll try again.
Is this the right one?
I kinda like the old one.
2017 QPR Select Red Blend, Central Coast
Funny thing about this wine, another Rat reviewed its apparent opposite just a day or so ago:
Our Casemates holiday special is so not that. Not sweet at all. At 13.5% AbV, not hot, no impression of alcohol. Light tannins, balanced acidity. About 5 of us at the office had a quick taste of it after hours on Friday, and everybody liked it, even the non-wine drinker. So I guess that qualifies it as a crowd-pleaser. We had nothing to pair it with, but it was quite pleasant to sip on its own, and a couple of people said they’d take a bottle off my hands if I bought a case.
The bottle I received wore a plain label bearing minimal info and no art, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it looks. It’s a screw-top closure.
I don’t know if it’s because the fruit was a bit reticent, or whether it’s my general obtuseness when it comes to ID’ing what I’m smelling and tasting, but I have nothing specific. I can say it is definitely not a big, jammy, mouthful of dark fruit. But I couldn’t pick out a lighter fruit or berry in particular, or even figure out specific grapes that made up the blend. The crew at work had nothing to contribute, but they’re mostly not accustomed to thinking about wine in that way.
I saved half the bottle to try again when I got home, a couple of hours later. We were thinking it might be a little peppery and guessed that the blend might have some Zin in it, but a refined, genteel Zin. More exposure to air did not reveal more fruit.
Bottom line, this is a pleasant wine that you will not be embarrassed to serve, despite whatever goofy Casemates holiday label is stuck on the bottle (and despite whatever prejudice your closure snob friends may harbor against the screw-top) No idea what the price will be, but writing this hours before the sale goes live I can already say, this is good Q.P.R.
It was just a matter of finding the time…
/giphy silent-tranquil-snowball
@rjquillin Thanks again for posting it and hunting down those images.
Is this a step up from the original QPR Select, I hope?
If we’re talking Woot Cellars Blitzen or Toothsteijn #2 then I’m in
@klezman not sure, this one is Scheid which is pretty meh to me.
@CorTot Yeah, I agree. But those two were amazing buys.
I wonder why we haven’t gotten a solid Casemates Cellars wine from somebody like Scott Harvey, or maybe get Ty Caton to do a Blitzen redux…
@klezman I assume it’s price point.
@klezman Yeah, that Toothsteijn was outstanding QPR, and my wife and I were sad we didn’t get a lot more of it. She asked me recently if it was going to be offered again.
@CorTot @klezman agree. Miss Woot Cellars sans Broken Earth one
@CorTot @losthighwayz Apparently there’s a ton of excess wine the last couple California grape harvests so maybe there’s some good pickings for bottlings over the next couple years.
I bet/hope @WineDavid49 is on it!
@CorTot @klezman @Winedavid49 fingers crossed. I also hope for a winemaker that has a relationship with the community
The higher-than-I-normally-see percentage of Petit Verdot in this blend appeals to me. Plus the price. I’m in!
/giphy bountiful-mulled-toyland
@alexa84 That might be the most on point gif I’ve seen yet
@Sekraan I do kind of love that I lucked into such a great one
Send me a case.
/giphy nurturing-overcast-fete
And do I have this right, @WineDavid49, that there are two more offers for “gift week(s)”?
@klezman yes.
Trying to drink my way down into my available storage space, but can’t pass this one up (so only ordering 6). Will have to plan on being home then the UPSman comes.
/giphy golden-jolly-wreath
Too bad I can’t get my hands on these QPR in Indiana…
NJ is shut out as well and I’m still waiting to see how the UPS delivery/HAL situation shakes out for neighboring states. Too bad, this looked like a decent daily drinker candidate.
Casemates Cellars? 10 Days of Christmas? Passing the Rattage QPR? IL on the state list? Check!
Hope this will help encourage even more “creative private labelling” offerings.
/giphy baked-kind-solstice
The delivery date range for the the last two offers are keeping me from going in (vacation), since I have no idea if I can hold a case somewhere for awhile with UPS or not.
@normanl0 You don’t have a friend with a day job you could ship it to? Ship it to me, I’ll only drink a couple…
I’m always in for the holiday blends - send me a case!
/giphy caring-idyllic-snowfall
Wasn’t going to miss out on this one.
/giphy melted-cherished-fete
Automatic case-purchase. It may say Casemates, but it will always be Woot Cellars to me.
@corrado You forget meh! So-so Sommelier wasn’t bad at all. I never tried Mad Ape Den, but both seem to be above the reception for the broken earth QPR.
Please, do not do any more broken earth wines. Also, the wines don’t have to be $10. QPR can be a $15, $20 . . . $30 wine? and still have fantastic QPR. This range could possibly allow some of our favorite winemakers to do a small run, versus buying up predetermined blends meant for independent labeling. John and Jane Doe could’ve had this same wine labeled for their wedding after all.
@KNmeh7 With regard to the “holiday wine,” tradition puts it at or sub-$10. I would like to see more Casemates per year and at slightly higher price points, but there’s a reason the WCC-backed wines have been at this end of the spectrum (i.e. if someone can sell higher-priced wine, they’ll make it themselves).
I actually preferred last year’s QPR to the SSS and MAD offerings by quite a lot.
@corrado Then whoever bottled D’Ontspille was a moron, and Peter was amiss when bottling Revelry.
There can be smaller lots of juice that are worth something but not worth marketing. I always thought that was the niche.
@corrado @KNmeh7
D’Ontspille was Peter as well, and I wish I had twice as much of it as I did!
But I think the reference was to the Christmas wine in particular being at a lower price point. Revelry was closer to $20/bottle and D’Ontspille was $15 or so iirc. And both were very well received.
@corrado @klezman I was responding to the fact “if someone can sell higher priced wines, they would.”
Just opened a 2013 Revelry. Darn Tasty.
@FritzCat That’s great news! I’ve been combining part full boxes and I know I have over a case of Revelry. Think I need to open one! Also found at least 6 Blitzen that I need to get into. In fact, I just checked inventory and I have 11 Woot offerings!! Woot Whooo!! I think I need more than 11 Days of Drinking
@Boatman72 @FritzCat It’s been 6 yrs that I know of and you guys are still talking Victory and Revelry… well, send some over because we haven’t had the “pleasure”. : P
@corrado @KNmeh7 Can’t agree with the dislike for Broken Earth. Help Yourself was a fantastic every-day CS.
@Boatman72 @FritzCat For sure…I hadn’t had Revelry in a year at least, until I happened across a case of it a month or two ago, and opened a bottle. It’s lovely right now.
@Boatman72 @FritzCat @ttboy23
Let’s not forget about the original Monkey Price…OMG… that was something special!!!
@corrado I recently went through my inventory and saw that I still have one bottle each of the original Monkey Prize along with D’Ontspill and Polyphemus, and several bottles of Monkey Prize 2, Revelry, Under the Mistletoe, the original QPR, and a few others. Ah, the olden days - sounds like I should get to those Revelry’s. Blitzen, though, and several others, are long gone!
@coynedj I’ll selflessly volunteer to help you with that!
I’ve never had the pleasure of trying those few special gems.
A bottle of this showed up a couple weeks ago at the NoVa gathering and was shared around. We opened it immediately after the sparkling and whites, to get a reasonable taste before everything turned RED.
Conditions - bottle showed up that morning via UPS midday, and it was pop and pour that evening. No issues with the delivery, or condition of the bottle itself.
Initial nose - a bit of menthol and not much fruit. Didn’t really detect any alcohol blow off. Took a bit of swirl in the glass to wake up and start showing some fruit.
Clear red color, medium. Not inky or too light.
Initial Taste - some fruit, that might have been raspberry or sour cherry, but not the stewed or bold fruits of a Zin. Light on the tannins. Really needed a bit of time to open before it started to show character.
Impressions from among the group were varied. It wasn’t the most popular wine of the night, but then there were 18 bottles shared among 16 people (including Iron Horse and Corison magnums). So a tough crowd. I will also say when cleaning up the next morning, other bottles had more left in them than the QPR, take it for what you will.
We didn’t know what the blend was (wasn’t on the generic label), but one person immediately said it was a Pinot with sticks and twigs. Not what I was getting, but then everyone has their own opinion. Reading that this is a Cab heavy blend is somewhat surprising. Maybe the Petit Verdot was coming through hard there.
Overall - yeah, its hitting the QPR bullseye. A reasonable wine at a fair price.
/giphy flickering-golden-feast
Back label says Cellared and Bottled by Second Story Wine Cellars. Central Coast. Anyone any idea who that is? Assuming Scheid but maybe yes maybe no??
@kaolis Yes. It says so on the offer page.
@kaolis @KNmeh7 It says that Scheid made the wine, but does it say that Scheid = Second Story? I didn’t see that.
@InFrom
Offer: Scheid
Label: Second Story
It does not explicitly say it, but what else do you want? You think an operation that sells “pricey” bottles is going to advertise they have a label that labels bottles to order at under $10? That would be uncouth!
@InFrom @KNmeh7 Correct, the offer says Scheid, the bottle says Second Story. Wondering what the relationship is. And Cellared and Bottled By means someone bought the wine and bottled it under their own label. So we have Scheid/Second Story being mentioned.
And the offer states “Cellars QPR Select Négociant Red Wine Blend”…
…notice the word negociant…
oh, and by the way, the label only says Second Story if you happen to scroll through to the last bottle shot and read the fine print at the bottom…
Hey, just trying to determine the details of the wine…problem with that?
@InFrom @kaolis I did notice the word.
If you were so inclined you could probably search California’s SOS office for business filings, but, I am just going to go with Scheid.
@InFrom @KNmeh7 I usually am so inclined, so probably will… Cheers!
Has anyone tasted QPR 1.0 (last year’s) lately? I recall opening a bottle and not being overly impressed. Has time been kind/helpful?
@karenhynes I had my last bottle a couple nights ago. It’s not amazing but it’s pleasant enough for a cheap bottle. Nothing terribly noteworthy but no flaws either
@karenhynes I had a bottle last night. Seems to be similar to (almost) a year ago (but I wouldn’t consider it to have improved). Like @CruelMelody said, good but not memorable. I remember many of my family liking it a year ago (which reduced my holdings by 3 bottles then). I think I have two left.
@karenhynes We had a couple of bottles in November. It seemed to me to have developed a little, but its essential character as simple, but sound, fruit forward commercial wine, was unchanged. I found it inoffensive and adequate for a basic meal, SWMBO did not like it any better this year than last year (which was not at all). OTOH, we have a fairly knowledgeable friend who liked it very much as a daily drinker. So YMMV…
My assessment is that it will probably not go anywhere that would justify taking up limited cellar space to give it additional years of aging. Enjoy it now and on to the next one!
Not that it would have deterred me from buying if I’d noticed earlier, but I wish it were coming in a bit sooner than 12/30 or so. It would be nice to have it around closer to Xmas.
@InFrom ^ this. Yes. So much this. I used to love bringing Woot Cellars wine to holiday gatherings.
@connorbush @InFrom this will be delivered well before Christmas!
@Winedavid49 wooooo!!!
@Winedavid49 Can you be a little more specific? I have the opposite problem, in that part of the appeal was that someone would be home during the posted window, but not necessarily if it’s before Christmas.
so…do we have any idea what this “festive gift” is going to be? I’ve made multiple purchases the last few days. Is this festive gift going to be repeated, or should I expect some variability in my orders? Hoping I don’t get more of the stemless glasses from last year - don’t get me wrong those were great, but I don’t need more. Really curious what is in store here.
@frankster14 it will be a variation.
Got a case this morning
/giphy wishful-lovely-pastime
/giphy splendid-baked-ham
/giphy glorious-cheesy-ralphie
Last QPR was good, so why not get a case?
/giphy victorian-neighborly-sled
/giphy melodious-affable-trail
In for six, if only to get the stocking-stuffer.
/giphy candlelit-sappy-wreath
/giphy yummy-frozen-rudolph
Wasn’t particularly impressed with last year’s QPR after consuming it on multiple occasions. Sitting this one out.
A million apologies for the Lab Rat delay - traveling WiFi shortages made for spotty cell service.
2017 Scheid QPR Red Blend
What a delight to receive the email advising me that I was selected to be a Lab Rat! This is my first Rat report, so go easy on me!
The package came on time, courtesy of our soon-to-be-all-too-familiar UPS driver. After opening the package, we had to change up the dinner menu to accommodate the new arrival. Upon closer inspection of the bottle, I realized this was as going to be a fairly blind tasting – the label merely provided vintage year, alcohol content, and “Central Coast Red Blend”. That’s it – no varietal listing, tasting notes, vineyard specification, nada. Except the name of the winery, website, and phone number.
So we took our chances, and decided on a chicken parmesan to try and get middle of the road on pairing – panko crumbs on the chicken, homemade red sauce, loads of mozzarella cheese. We did some research on the winery, to see what presence they have, operations, viticulture, other wines in their repertoire, any information of this offering (nope!), but I purposely did not contact the winery until after the our initial experience, just to see how we would fare on our “expertise” alone.
We opened the bottle, aerated the first quarter-glass pour, and let it breathe for 30 minutes before sampling. I should have taken a picture for you to see the color (next time for sure!)
The color is light garnet – close to a Pinot Noir. On the nose, I got cherry, or plum (really close!), a hint of mocha, vanilla. Not real intense, but certainly pleasant. On the palate, had I not seen the label stating “Red Blend”, I would have almost pegged it for a Pinot Noir (I’m a visual learner, so maybe the color presentation swayed me??). But obviously, you don’t blend Pinot with anything (unless you’re doing sparkling wine), so my next guess was a GSM, as they do offer this blend (a nice Chianti would be a close comparison, if that were even possible). The plum/cherry notes carried over from nose to palate, adding a bit of minerality, soft vanilla on the finish, nice, soft tannins, and some sort of herb/floral notes. There is a nice balance of fruit and structure. The finish was nice, longer than expected from a lighter wine.
Sad to say, the pairing with the entrée was not a great one – the parmesan overpowered the wine!
The next day, after a follow-up meal of smoked pulled pork, the flavors were a little more pronounced, and paired quite nicely with the entrée.
Following dinner, I received a call-back form the winery (I had called them the day before, after dinner). Andy was very helpful, and provided some background, blend, and tasting notes. To my utter surprise, my guess was totally wrong – this is an 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8%, Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Syrah. At least I got one of my guesses right on the varietal – by only 4%!!
I sincerely enjoyed the wine, but the pairing has to be right, although it’s a fine wine as a stand-alone; cheese, softer red sauces, Margareta pizza, ham, pork dishes, etc. The winery tasting notes suggest “grilled streaks or other hearty dishes”; frankly, I don’t see it. It’s neither a fruit bomb or heavy weight; just a nice, balanced, approachable easy drinker.
I trust that this review will help you in your buying decision.
@Kraxberger Agreed – I have plenty of wines I’d serve with hearty dishes/grilled steaks, but this isn’t one of them.
/giphy enjoyable-crackling-fezziwig
Bit.
I have been buying wine since the very beginning of wine.w00t and continued to support winedavid in casemates.
I have never been chosen to be a Labrat. But have attended several of the Gatherings in NoVA where many of the bottles were pre-release. I prefer red wine over white, and would say that my favorite varietal is PN.
I want to tell you that this is the worst wine that I have tasted in all these years. Not even worth the low price.
You mileage may vary.
I think that the Labrats hesitate to be completely honest for fear of offending their friends.
Merry Xmas!
@TRIPgrad We all appreciate the honest reports! Could you elaborate on why you didn’t enjoy it?
@arianaWCC can get you on the labrat list.
@TRIPgrad My take was that I’ve had worse, and I did think it was decent. I even bought a case. If I’d had something more noteworthy alongside it, I’m sure this would have suffered by comparison.
When confronted with a truly underwhelming lab rat bottle, I’ve said so, even when I felt bad about it. I’ve seen other rats who also struggled through that conflict, but in the end gave an honest review. By my lights, that’s what I did with this bottle.
@TRIPgrad I take it you received a Labrat bottle?
@CorTot
No, I was at Wkdpanda
Black Friday night along with many wineaux who have taught me much over these years.
@InFrom @TRIPgrad
I’m not sure if i’m buying a wine when I use “well i’ve had worse” as a way to describe it
you must have other reasons
@ScottW58 @TRIPgrad To be honest, I get a kick out of the holiday-themed wines from Woot and here, which is what got me to buy it.
It doesn’t hurt that my friends liked the wine, and at this price I know they will pick up most of the case.
@TRIPgrad
I just want to thank you (way, WAY belatedly) for the Iron Horse Brut LD that you brought to Buffalo 4 or 5 years ago. That was you, yes? Quite possibly the best Iron Horse wine I have ever had and was certainly my WOTN at the time but I never got to express my appreciation.
@TRIPgrad Could you elaborate on why you didn’t enjoy it?
Any of the Rats here had the original QPR and could compare/contrast the two?
@WkdPanda @Kraxberger @InFrom
Is this a bottle I could give the UPS staff and not have them refuse future shipments?
@rjquillin CT tells me I have one bottle left of the 12, but I remember not a thing about it. I think I sold most of it to my friends.
With the current one, I wouldn’t worry about the contents of the bottle, but do you think you’ll impress with a bottle whose back label copy is all about “this is a really inexpensive wine”?
@InFrom Yes, label appearances count, to some. That Ardente label was, well, ill conceived; but contents count and they punched high. The twist off still invokes less than stellar contents to many. I got the first QPR, well, just because it was the first. And then there was the meh offer I’ll not discuss. Don’t recall where that one came from. Perhaps I should locate one of those and revisit.
So here, decent contents with a meh presentation.
Still 25 minutes to ponder…
I got a shipping notice for my QPR delivery (expected 12/19/19). At least that’s an improvement over my last delivery of WineSmith Mixed Reds (for which I got post-facto notices).
Received today along with a beanie and some sea salt caramels! Thanks!
@connorbush Beanie and caramels? I just got the beanie - but it was a six-pack, not a case.
But a sixer of the Pedroncellis also showed up with the caramels. They just didn’t last.
@rpstrong I ordered case
Well, I’m three six-packs into the UPS era (Pedroncelli, QPR, and the Maryhill Zins). And I scored three nifty gifts - salted caramels that went too fast, a CM branded winter cap in a style that I was actually looking for, and two CM glasses (which now puts me half way to service for eight.)
Thanks, @WineDavid49, and Merry Christmas!
@rpstrong @WineDavid49
All are far better than the Christmas tree ornament I got. By many many multiples. At least I’d use a winter hat once a year or so!
My two cases just arrived…along with two free stocking caps and some chocolate candies. Bonus! I may break my rule of letting a wine settle after shipping for a week or two. At under $8 and with 23 spares, I’m too curious.
@RexSeven I drank a whole bottle straight out of the box. 'twas worth it
I got my case today with the beanie and the caramels. I got a Casemates decanter with another order!
@GatorFL dang. casemates decanter sounds fun
Just got my wine with the caramels and the beanie. Super cool!
My 6 bottles were delivered today (would have gotten them yesterday except I had to leave home for an emergency) along with a beanie.