2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
Tasting Notes
Aromatic and complex with aromas of red fruits surrounded by caramel, toasted oak and sweet tobacco. Offers firm, integrated tannin, bright fruit up front of fresh cherry, cedar and a gentle note of French oak on the finish.
We bring these Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to the winery in the cool of the night. The initial crushing of the fruit and pumping to a tank starts the process of color and flavor extraction of the skins. After 24 hours we inoculate with yeast and let the fermentation begin. Daily aeration fuels the yeast to convert the sugars to alcohol, and the fun begins. In about 10 days the fermentation is complete and the must is transferred to a press where we squeeze every last drop of delicious wine out of the skins. Into the barrel it goes for 10 + months to meld with the flavors of the oak. Then into the bottle and on to you to enjoy this rustic wine.
Since early childhood, Clay has had an attraction for all thingâs Old West. The inspiration for our Pistol Grip Collection began in a meeting with a bottle company. Clay spotted this odd, jug shape prototype on the desk of a salesman and loved the shape and style of the glass. The company salesman said this glass is called, âpistol gripâ because of the single finger hook. Clay was inspired to design a brand with this glass and this name. There are 4 varietals designed for the future collection. Each one featuring a bio of the most infamous old west characters on the back label.
Behind every good story, you just might find Clay Shannonâs Infamous Pistol Grip.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Lake County
Alcohol: 14.4%
Total Acidity: 0.58 g/L
pH: 3.89
Residual Sugar: 0.4
Whatâs Included
3-bottles:
3x 2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
Case:
12x 2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
We are dedicated to creating a family of wines that consumers love at top-quality and affordable prices. We are passionate about preserving our land, not only for great vineyard sites, but for the wild creatures which share our property. Our sustainability practices integrate a flock of sheep that clean the vineyards, remove the excess canopy, and reduce the need for chemicals, while providing natural fertilizer.
Clay grew up on a farm in Healdsburg in Sonoma County. He began his career as a vineyard manager in St. Helena, traveling the wine regions of California managing the companyâs vineyards. A short time later he started his own vineyard management company, growing grapes for some of the top wineries and fruit companies in Northern California.
In 1995, Clay discovered a magnificent piece of property in the hills overlooking Clear Lake in Lake County, thirty-five miles north of Napaâs famed vineyards. He quickly set out to develop vineyards, Clayâs vision was simple: âWe wanted to grow the best fruit in the world,â says Clay, âbut we wanted to do it in a way that made us happy living there.â
âSustainability wasnât some philosophical concept; it is the way we live our lives.â
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon - $60 = 27.26%
Iâm pretty sure I was sent a bottle of this to rat back in December 2019 but I was out of town for the holidays and failed in my duty. If I can find the bottle (I donât recall ever drinking it), I will open it tonight and do the swirl, sniff, taste thing.
@michaepf The bottle arrived, woo! We popped and poured to get some initial notes:
Nice red/purple color in the glass; not super deep, but definitely not transparent.
The primary note on the nose is hard to place. Words that came to mind were metallic and medicinal.
The front taste is reminiscent of cranberry, quite tart with a bit of spice.
The mouthfeel is fairly silky; minimal tannins.
On the finish is a hint of eucalyptus (?), which brings me back to the âmedicinalâ note from earlier. Neither the oak nor the alcohol is noticeable to me.
Two photos:
Weâre headed out for dinner now. Iâve left the bottle open and will cycle back around for a second taste later this evening.
@michaepf After some more time, Iâm getting less of the medicinal scent in the nose, and on the palate more a mix of redfruit black fruit and tannin, with similar spice and the same silky mouthfeel.
I received a bottle of the 2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County back in December 2019 when it was first offered, but I was out of town for the holidays and was unable to fulfill my duties. When I saw the offer pop up, I thought it looked familiar and @kaolis link to the prior offer confirmed that I had, in fact received a bottle. I had no recollection of ever drinking it (or gifting it) so when I got home from work, the search for the bottle began! This was no small task given the unusual bottle shape. Where would I have stashes something like this??
I eventually found it stashed in a closet, sitting upright. Honestly, at first, I thought this was one of those crazy cabs aged in whisk(e)y barrels, but I donât think it is. Iâm not sure why I thought that other than, perhaps, having or having seen such things bottled in these weird stubby bottles.
On to the pop and pourâŠ
I had some difficulty extracting the cork. This may have been a result of leaving it sit upright for about 20 months. It wouldnât budge with a rabbit-style corkscrew. I got it about half-way out with an Ah-SoâŠthen had to finish it off with a regular waiterâs corkscrew. Color is a clear, deep-ish purple- red. No sign of any oxidation/bricking. Initial nose is a bit on the alcohol side, but that blew off to reveal dark fruit and some earthy tobacco-ish notes. Thereâs also something else that I canât quite place. If I figure it out, Iâll let you know. Initial taste is tart (I just got back from Door County, WI, so Iâm calling tart cherry/cranberry). Tannins are fairly smooth, but as I sit here typing, my tongue is a bit dry. I had some empanadas for dinner tonight (Al Pastor, Chicken/Mushroom, Banana Nutella). The wine was OK with them, but not necessarily a pairing Iâd go back to (my rattage was totally unplanned).
I will try to revisit tomorrow evening again to see if anything changes. But hereâs a bit more on my âhonest overall impressionâ, which is why weâre all really here, right?
If someone poured me this at a restaurant or their home would I drink it?..Sure.
Would I ask for a refill?..Probably not if there were other options.
Would I seek it out to purchase?..Probably not (see below).
I think itâs a decent daily drinker, but so far, thereâs nothing about it that leaps out at me or would make it stand out in a crowd. Iâm also very much not in the market for daily drinkers these days as I have definitely not been drinking very much lately (as noted by my absence from the âWhat are you drinkingâŠâ threads). I even went on a vacation road trip without packing any wine! WHAT???
@rjquillan I canât find the link to the lab rat header thingy. Can you hook me up??
@bunnymasseuse
It really depends on what you want/expect from a cab. I have relatively high standards for cabs, since I donât drink them often. I rarely by anything youâd consider a âdaily drinkerâ. For me, this was just not particularly exciting.
@losthighwayz Agreed. If the three bottle were a bit cheaper, I might pick it up to use as gifts, but a case? Storage would be an issue. Even if it were spectacular.
@Vince247 It always reminds me of Mitch Hedberg, RIP, joke about Pringles.
âI think pringles was supposed to sell tennis balls, but instead a truck of potatoes arrived. Being a laid back company, they said, fuck it, cut em up!â
Like this looks like a cheap bourbon bottle. Did grapes arrive instead of a mash bill?
Maine seems to have dropped off the shipping destination list lately; what will it take to get Wine Country Connect and friends to get licensed to distribute?
2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
Tasting Notes
Specs
Whatâs Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$420/Case at Shannon Ridge for 12x 2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Tuesday, Sep 7 - Thursday, Sep 9
Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon - $60 = 27.26%
Cool jug.
BIG case discount
This was offered here December 2019 for roughly the same price.
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/pistol-grip-cabernet-sauvignon
a must read for bad jokes by the wayâŠ
Am I missing something? Even at the case price itâs cheaper at Total Wine?..
@CalJo707 True â if youâre willing to pick it up in Plano, TX. Not an option for most.
@CalJo707 @InFrom I do miss me my Texas trips, Cavenders, Frys, Stars games⊠always good to know the locals who are part of the org!
Iâm pretty sure I was sent a bottle of this to rat back in December 2019 but I was out of town for the holidays and failed in my duty. If I can find the bottle (I donât recall ever drinking it), I will open it tonight and do the swirl, sniff, taste thing.
Hey folks! We were a last minute labrat, so weâll share tasting notes after the bottle arrives later today
@michaepf The bottle arrived, woo! We popped and poured to get some initial notes:
Two photos:
Weâre headed out for dinner now. Iâve left the bottle open and will cycle back around for a second taste later this evening.
@michaepf After some more time, Iâm getting less of the medicinal scent in the nose, and on the palate more a mix of redfruit black fruit and tannin, with similar spice and the same silky mouthfeel.
@michaepf Thank you for the rattage and the great pics.
Unofficial rat chiming in!
I received a bottle of the 2017 Clay Shannonâs Pistol Grip Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County back in December 2019 when it was first offered, but I was out of town for the holidays and was unable to fulfill my duties. When I saw the offer pop up, I thought it looked familiar and @kaolis link to the prior offer confirmed that I had, in fact received a bottle. I had no recollection of ever drinking it (or gifting it) so when I got home from work, the search for the bottle began! This was no small task given the unusual bottle shape. Where would I have stashes something like this??
I eventually found it stashed in a closet, sitting upright. Honestly, at first, I thought this was one of those crazy cabs aged in whisk(e)y barrels, but I donât think it is. Iâm not sure why I thought that other than, perhaps, having or having seen such things bottled in these weird stubby bottles.
On to the pop and pourâŠ
I had some difficulty extracting the cork. This may have been a result of leaving it sit upright for about 20 months. It wouldnât budge with a rabbit-style corkscrew. I got it about half-way out with an Ah-SoâŠthen had to finish it off with a regular waiterâs corkscrew. Color is a clear, deep-ish purple- red. No sign of any oxidation/bricking. Initial nose is a bit on the alcohol side, but that blew off to reveal dark fruit and some earthy tobacco-ish notes. Thereâs also something else that I canât quite place. If I figure it out, Iâll let you know. Initial taste is tart (I just got back from Door County, WI, so Iâm calling tart cherry/cranberry). Tannins are fairly smooth, but as I sit here typing, my tongue is a bit dry. I had some empanadas for dinner tonight (Al Pastor, Chicken/Mushroom, Banana Nutella). The wine was OK with them, but not necessarily a pairing Iâd go back to (my rattage was totally unplanned).
I will try to revisit tomorrow evening again to see if anything changes. But hereâs a bit more on my âhonest overall impressionâ, which is why weâre all really here, right?
If someone poured me this at a restaurant or their home would I drink it?..Sure.
Would I ask for a refill?..Probably not if there were other options.
Would I seek it out to purchase?..Probably not (see below).
I think itâs a decent daily drinker, but so far, thereâs nothing about it that leaps out at me or would make it stand out in a crowd. Iâm also very much not in the market for daily drinkers these days as I have definitely not been drinking very much lately (as noted by my absence from the âWhat are you drinkingâŠâ threads). I even went on a vacation road trip without packing any wine! WHAT???
@rjquillan I canât find the link to the lab rat header thingy. Can you hook me up??
@karenhynes would you call it a daily drinker for cab lovers? Or would they be left wanting?
@bunnymasseuse
It really depends on what you want/expect from a cab. I have relatively high standards for cabs, since I donât drink them often. I rarely by anything youâd consider a âdaily drinkerâ. For me, this was just not particularly exciting.
@karenhynes works better to tag @rjquillin to get the tag up!
@klezman @rjquillin
OoopsâŠtypo!..or I just forgot how to spell your name.
Iâll blame it on the wine!
@karenhynes @klezman
Crazy busy day today at work had me in a clean room nearly the entire time. Reports now up!
@karenhynes Lots of similar vibes here. Thanks for the writeup!
@karenhynes Thank you for digging out the old bottle and jumping in on this.
EZ pass based on the bottle alone
@losthighwayz Agreed. If the three bottle were a bit cheaper, I might pick it up to use as gifts, but a case? Storage would be an issue. Even if it were spectacular.
@losthighwayz @veevandyke Agreed 100%. Itâs a pass based on bottle alone.
Every time you post this bottle for sale I feel shame and embarrassment for having told friends about this site.
/giphy deep-radiating-shame
@Vince247 It always reminds me of Mitch Hedberg, RIP, joke about Pringles.
âI think pringles was supposed to sell tennis balls, but instead a truck of potatoes arrived. Being a laid back company, they said, fuck it, cut em up!â
Like this looks like a cheap bourbon bottle. Did grapes arrive instead of a mash bill?
@KNmeh7 Your Mitch Hedberg reference has elevated this comments section, and thus the taste of the actual wine on offer itself, immeasurably.
/giphy deep-radiating-immeasurably
Maine seems to have dropped off the shipping destination list lately; what will it take to get Wine Country Connect and friends to get licensed to distribute?
@uncleop
The individual wineries have to be licensed to ship to Maine, WCC is just a conduit. Hopefully some available offers will show up soonâŠ