Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu, California, 375ml
Tasting Notes
The Muscat de Beaulieu is very Sauternes-like in style offering beautiful high-tone expressive perfumed aromas of jasmine, orange blossom, ripe peach, honey and mandarin oranges. The intriguing bouquet leads to a mouthwatering palate filled with citrus, peach, honey, vanilla creme and almond flavors. The viscous palate is delicate and very well balanced, supported by refreshing vibrant acidity that leaves a lingering, flavorful finish.
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
The majority of the Muscat used in this wine comes from grapes grown in the historic Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch 12 vineyards. BV Ranch 12, located in Calistoga, experiences dramatic diurnal temperature swings with hot days and very cool evenings. There is a wide range of soil types in this vineyard and its home to Beaulieu’s most diverse set of vine plantings including Touriga, Tempranillio, Charbono, Marsanne and many more. Additional grapes were sourced from partner growers in the Central Coast of California.
This is a fortified wine made by using a Solera aging system, often common in the production of Spanish Sherries and Portuguese Ports. This is a system of producing fortified wines by rotating wine through a series of casks. Based on the maturity levels of several wines and ranging from the oldest to the most recently produced, the process consists of drawing off one quarter to one third of the oldest wine for bottling. For this Muscat, younger vintages were used to top the older vintages, created a blended non-vintage wine that is truly unique to the composition produced each year. This Muscat is a blend of wines dating back to 1987.
Pairing Notes
This sweet dessert wine pairs very well with fruit pies or cobblers (apple, peach and pear), or strong cheese, like blue Roquefort cheese as well as hard cheeses served with lavender honey or fig jam.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Muscat Canelli
Ageing: 100% Stainless Steel
Alcohol: 18.0%
pH: 3.82
Acidity: 4.0 g/L
2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Napa Valley Port, 750ml
Tasting Notes
This Port has a core of dark macerated blackberry, black cherry and dark plum alongside notes of black licorice and perfumed rose petal floral notes on the nose. Lots of dark red berry sweet pleasing fruit is present on the palate while the mouthfeel is viscous with inviting texture and soft chewy tannins, finishing with warmth from alcohol and a delicate spice from the oak with notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
The majority of the Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Charbono, and Touriga used in this wine comes from grapes grown in the historic Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch 12 vineyards. BV Ranch 12, located in Calistoga, experiences dramatic diurnal temperature swings with hot days and very cool evenings. There is a wide range of soil types in this vineyard and its home to Beaulieu’s most diverse set of vine plantings including Touriga, Tempranillio, Charbono, and many more.
This is a fortified wine that is made like a traditional red wine, but the difference is that Port wines do not undergo a complete fermentation. Instead, our winemakers stop the fermentation by the addition of grape brandy spirit when the ideal sugar level is reached, killing off the yeast, and leaving behind a naturally sweet wine with higher residual sugar levels than a traditional red wine. The addition of grape spirit also creates the higher alcohol at 18.5%. Using traditional Portuguese grape varietals like Touriga Nacional, known for creating the best Ports in the world, this wine also harkens back to the traditional Port-making techniques of Oporto, Portugal that inspired this wine.
Pairing Notes
This sweet dessert wine pairs very well with strong blue cheeses, like Roquefort, as well as decadent dark chocolate desserts like chocolate ganache cake or brownies. It’s also the perfect “winter warmer” to be enjoyed on its own in front of a roaring fire or a cozy movie night in on the couch.
Aging: 70% New French, Hungarian, and American oak for 22 month
Alcohol: 18.5%
Acidity: 6.1 g/L
pH: 3.6
Residual sugar: 102 g/L
Cases Produced: 252
2013 Sterling Vineyards Muscat Canelli, Calistoga, Napa Valley 375ml
Tasting Notes
One of the world’s most ancient varietals, Muscat has inviting sweet floral and candied orange qualities that make for an enticing dessert wine. Our Muscat Canelli opens with delicate aromas of damask rose and fragrant orange blossom, layered with lychee, white peach, mandarin and lavender. The plump, creamy palate is deftly balanced by lemon zest and mineral notes, with a hint of coriander spice on the finish.
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
Our Muscat Canelli comes from the Solari Vineyard, nestled at the base of Mount Saint Helena in the northernmost wedge of Napa Valley, along the Napa River. Run by the Solari family for three generations, this vineyard is meticulously maintained. The vines are pruned in a unique style: two long and two short canes are braided along the wire, leaving the bright orange- and gold-flecked clusters evenly spaced. Composed of deep volcanic tufa and loam soils, the vineyard is dry farmed and benefits from two cooling influences, one from down valley and the other from the west through the Knights Valley gap along the Russian River. The wide difference in temperatures between the warm days and the cool nights is favorable because, as Winemaker Mike Westrick puts it, “we like to leave these grapes hanging until they’re crying.”
To get the rich, ultra-ripe flavors for our Muscat Canelli, we patiently waited until the fruit reached 28º to 32º Brix before we hand harvested it. At the winery, the grapes were destemmed, followed by a pre-press maceration. This process, which allowed extended skin contact, gently released the aromas out of the skins without any harsh phenolic influences. The fruit was then gently pressed, cooled, settled and racked into stainless steel for a long, cool fermentation. When the wine approached the appropriate level of residual sugar, we decreased temperatures, arresting fermentation and leaving a touch of sweetness.
Pairing Notes
With long flavors and finely tuned acids, this sweet dessert wine is the perfect match to fruit-studded desserts such as mango cheesecake or orange crème brulee. Serve this sweet treat with a mouth-watering Mango Tart!
Specs
Vintage: 2013
Bottle size: 375ml
Varietal: Muscat Canelli
Appellation: Calistoga, Napa Valley
Alcohol: 12.5%
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
1x Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu, California 375ml
1x 2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Napa Valley Port, 750ml
1x 2013 Sterling Vineyards Muscat Canelli, Calistoga, Napa Valley 375ml
Case:
4x Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Muscat de Beaulieu, 375ml
4x 2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Napa Valley Port, 750ml
4x 2013 Sterling Vineyards Muscat Canelli, Calistoga, Napa Valley 375ml
For more than 100 years, Beaulieu Vineyard has set the benchmark for rich, classic Napa Valley wines. We honor our exceptional fruit with meticulous winemaking processes that reveal the distinctive varietal personality of the grapes.
Modeled after a Greek monastery, Sterling Vineyards was the first winery ever built with the visitor in mind and the only winery in the world with an aerial tram. Today, Sterling is one of the most visited wineries in Napa Valley and one of the largest landowners in Napa, which provides immense opportunity for crafting world-class wines.
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, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI
I was very excited to receive a bottle of Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Napa Valley Port
I have always been one that enjoys a good digestif after meal, and I do love a good port.
Upon opening the bottle and pouring the first glass, you can see the rich, dark purple beautiful color of the pour as it slides along the rim in anticipation of liquid enjoyment. The next thing you notice is the strong aroma of a very enticing grape.
At first sip you can really taste that grape rush — and that this is a sweet port. It is followed by a hint of raspberry, finishing with an anise/fennel spice. You can really taste the different sweet tones of this port, but it is well balanced and not overly cloying. With an ABV of 18.5%, you can sense the alcohol there, but it does not overwhelm or burn as some others do and leaves a pleasant mouthfeel on the palette.
This port was great all on it’s own and made a great after dinner dessert. We also found that due to the sweetness of the port, it paired very well with blue cheese, dark chocolate (the darker the better), and roasted nuts. Desserts on sweeter side didn’t go as well due to the sweetness of the port itself. Would highly recommend a pairing with any of the Casemates dark or salted chocolates if you have them from prior shipments.
A secondary testing after chilling the port tamed some of the sweetness, muted some of the after tones but also revealed more of the depth of the grape blends.
Overall, this port is great on its own or served after dinner with a nice charcuterie plate for dessert. I really enjoyed this port and am looking forward to ordering more.
I said in another thread, I would tell what I was drinking that night. Well guess what. . .
I got excited when I opened the box, because “I LOVE DESSERT WINES”. I am always excited when I get one to rat. Little did I know it was 1 of 3. Had to go get the bottle, lol, because I wrote this without it. I received the
Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu
What can I say about this wine? Well first thing is, I’m buying some, even though I had sworn off buying anymore for the rest of this year.
Okay, next, if you really despise sweet wines, just move along and see what comes up for sale tomorrow. This is a true dessert treat. I don’t know much about those formal words for describing what I taste, smell, feel. Don’t know them for coffee either, and I’m much more of a coffee geek than I wine snob. But I know what I like.
I opened the bottle last night and the first descriptor I could think of was just what I already said – sweet. The second one was ‘YUMM’. It was both sweet as in it tastes sweet and the more colloquial ‘sweeeet’ to describe something nice. The second word would be creamy almost a toffee creamy. It’s not light and fruity like some sweet wines. It is creamy, like brule (that I can’t seem to spell) with an almost toffee likeness to it. I’ve had some of this with a dessert wine made from old vine grapes in Southern California. That Angelica was must more toffee like than this one, but there was a bit of remembrance.
Had a second glass tonight, and all that is still there. Sat there with some rich cheddar because it’s one of my other weaknesses (Cabot supremely sharp if you want to know, yum)
And I enjoyed it tremendously.
.
.
.
Oh and on a lighter note, I got this from a friend for Christmas
I doubt I will ever drink them, but they are beautiful.
And no, I forgot to check the number on the bottle of the white. (the bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc are individually numbered).
I am not getting any labrats even though I was a kickstarter backer at one of the tiers that supposedly gets you access to that and I am a VMP.
Kinda jealous.
They also botched the shipment of my party food and delivered it when nobody was home for weeks (even though I informed them about the problem in advance), and they put no signage or information on the package that it contains refrigerated food so by the time we got back it had to be thrown out and kickstarter support via Mediocre ignored me. So my relationship with casemates is soured unfortunately. Still bummed as I loved it in the woot days and frustrated that my money was gone.
@Cerridwyn@datruandi@MarkDaSpark@winedavid49 Thanks for this info…I did not know. . Any idea if there is an updated survey (the one linked is called the “2019 Survey”), or does that even matter?
Those were the “go to” lab rats and still are AFAIK, with additional opportunities sprinkled throughout offers to those who signed up for the aforementioned list - either by filling out the survey or sending email.
Issue was that I was traveling heavily that year and in the process of moving over 1000 miles (with maintaining households in two states for over two years after that), and my whole shipping experience was completely blundered as a result. I have to do more forensics into what I got from the benefits. I think I may have even gotten one labrat at the beginning, not sure to be honest - but it may have arrived when I was traveling.
But my launch party package got ruined as I was traveling when it arrived and the package had no markings to inform those who checked on my property that it needs to be opened and items in it refrigerated (they just put it inside the house), the perishable food spoiled, and the party never happened (and all the delicious couponing went away, too).
I am getting my “wine dot woot” basement section from the moving company back in two days as we finally are completely moving - and struggling where to put all the wine as where we moved to nobody has basements. Will have to add an AC to one of the garages to store it and start drinking more diligently … hundreds of bottles.
@Allieroon@Cerridwyn@datruandi@MarkDaSpark@Winedavid49
Sounds like you have had your hands full! I am guessing that those who receive lab rat bottles and don’t or aren’t able to submit their tasting notes, are much less likely to stay in the lab rat mix. Hopefully now that you have made your situation clear, it will increase your chances for more opportunities. Curious… what was your wine.woot handle?
@Allieroon@Cerridwyn@chipgreen@MarkDaSpark@Winedavid49 I am trying to remember - I think I submitted something if I got something but not sure if it was very elaborate at that time.
I will “whisper” my wine.woot handle to everybody who asks gladly, but do not want to post it publicly here.
I do not normally go for wines in this style. Maybe that’s a lie; I love a good tawny port. But outside of Port I don’t usually drink dessert wine
For this, I might make an exception.
With a little advance notice we tried to line up some complimentary flavors: sliced pear, double cream Brie, smoked cheddar. Dinner was spinach and moz ravioli with sweet Italian sausage. And I kept reading that a light fruity dessert would go well so I baked a berry crostada (straw/rasp/blackberry)
First pour; not a significant bouquet. Perhaps the fridge serving temp or the small sipping glasses were to blame. As it warmed I got a little floral, maybe a hint of honeysuckle.
The taste was smooth… light body, low alcohol. It was not cloying and did not coat the tongue. And my strongest impression was … Welches white grape juice.
Don’t take that in a bad way… it was a lovely flavor. I just could not tease out anything more detailed.
With the food:
Pear, ok. Bartlett too tart or bitter; maybe try a ripe Bosc.
Brie: too fatty
Smoked cheddar: very nice
Sweet Italian sausage: nope. Fat and flavor overwhelmed. Ravioli by itself good.
Berry Crostada with vanilla ice cream: nice with the vanilla, but it would appreciate something better than Bryers. The Crostada was luscious but the berries were not overly sweet, and they pulled the wine down.
Final thoughts: this is a delicate but easy sipper. Pair with sharper cheese and sweeter fruit. But personally I would enjoy it alone before or after a meal.
Oh and all three of our teens enjoyed a taste. Since regular wine still turns them off I’ll keep this locked away.
(Oh I should add; we tasted in 3 waves. I did not seriously expect it to go well with the main course but was curious to see)
I have been waiting for a dessert offering as well. Wish it had been a couple of weeks ago so I could get these in time for the holidays, but better late than never. In for three.
2012 Sterling was offered here March '19. Notes might give some insight as this seems to be vinified pretty much the same year to year. Or maybe not. fwiw
@kaolis I took a look at the 2012 reviews after taking our notes. Not really fair to put me against PeterW for tasting, LOL. I did not note any of the citrus, but I agree with the notes on sugar and acid.
Just last night I opened a Pedroncelli 2013 Vintage Port, and was thinking: I hope there’s a Port offering this month. I’m tempted to try this and I’m sure the Muscats are excellent examples of that style; unfortunately I just have such a distaste for sweet Muscat (is there any other kind?) that this mix is probably not going to do it for me. If I do get them it would be either for someone else, or maybe to use as a syrup on pancakes or good vanilla ice cream (actually that’s sounding kind-of good!). So I might go for the small pack just to try 'em and get one port along with it. Wish the ratio wasn’t 2:1, but I guess if you go by volume it’s 750:750.
@pmarin There IS dry Muscat! It’s all over Alsace, where they tend to make Riesling and Muscat in dry styles. There are a few dry Muscat wines in California as well.
Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu, California, 375ml
Tasting Notes
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
Pairing Notes
Specs
2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Napa Valley Port, 750ml
Tasting Notes
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
Pairing Notes
Specs
2013 Sterling Vineyards Muscat Canelli, Calistoga, Napa Valley 375ml
Tasting Notes
Winemaking & Vineyard Notes
Pairing Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $500/case MSRP
About The Winery
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, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 11 - Tuesday, Jan 12
Dessert Wine Trio
3 bottles for $49.99 $16.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $179.99 $15/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
NV Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu
2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Collection Port
2013 Sterling Vineyards Muscat Canelli
I was very excited to receive a bottle of
Beaulieu Vineyard Maestro Napa Valley Port
I have always been one that enjoys a good digestif after meal, and I do love a good port.
Upon opening the bottle and pouring the first glass, you can see the rich, dark purple beautiful color of the pour as it slides along the rim in anticipation of liquid enjoyment. The next thing you notice is the strong aroma of a very enticing grape.
At first sip you can really taste that grape rush — and that this is a sweet port. It is followed by a hint of raspberry, finishing with an anise/fennel spice. You can really taste the different sweet tones of this port, but it is well balanced and not overly cloying. With an ABV of 18.5%, you can sense the alcohol there, but it does not overwhelm or burn as some others do and leaves a pleasant mouthfeel on the palette.
This port was great all on it’s own and made a great after dinner dessert. We also found that due to the sweetness of the port, it paired very well with blue cheese, dark chocolate (the darker the better), and roasted nuts. Desserts on sweeter side didn’t go as well due to the sweetness of the port itself. Would highly recommend a pairing with any of the Casemates dark or salted chocolates if you have them from prior shipments.
A secondary testing after chilling the port tamed some of the sweetness, muted some of the after tones but also revealed more of the depth of the grape blends.
Overall, this port is great on its own or served after dinner with a nice charcuterie plate for dessert. I really enjoyed this port and am looking forward to ordering more.
@imshadow22 Thank you for the report. I was curious about this port.
@imshadow22 palate, not palette.
@winedavid49 Typo alert: Included in the box, 6 bottles…
It’s clear elsewhere that it’s a trio, but I was momentarily excited about buying the 6.
@InFrom But getting 3 will be nice.
/giphy dear-exhausted-cupid
@InFrom
you beat me too it, lol, was gonna say, i want the 6 for 50 deal
@InFrom @karenhynes
hopefully my edit will stick, at least until it’s made official.
/giphy decorative-candied-mantel
I said in another thread, I would tell what I was drinking that night. Well guess what. . .
I got excited when I opened the box, because “I LOVE DESSERT WINES”. I am always excited when I get one to rat. Little did I know it was 1 of 3. Had to go get the bottle, lol, because I wrote this without it. I received the
Beaulieu Vineyard Muscat de Beaulieu
What can I say about this wine? Well first thing is, I’m buying some, even though I had sworn off buying anymore for the rest of this year.
Okay, next, if you really despise sweet wines, just move along and see what comes up for sale tomorrow. This is a true dessert treat. I don’t know much about those formal words for describing what I taste, smell, feel. Don’t know them for coffee either, and I’m much more of a coffee geek than I wine snob. But I know what I like.
I opened the bottle last night and the first descriptor I could think of was just what I already said – sweet. The second one was ‘YUMM’. It was both sweet as in it tastes sweet and the more colloquial ‘sweeeet’ to describe something nice. The second word would be creamy almost a toffee creamy. It’s not light and fruity like some sweet wines. It is creamy, like brule (that I can’t seem to spell) with an almost toffee likeness to it. I’ve had some of this with a dessert wine made from old vine grapes in Southern California. That Angelica was must more toffee like than this one, but there was a bit of remembrance.
Had a second glass tonight, and all that is still there. Sat there with some rich cheddar because it’s one of my other weaknesses (Cabot supremely sharp if you want to know, yum)
And I enjoyed it tremendously.
.
.
.
Oh and on a lighter note, I got this from a friend for Christmas
I doubt I will ever drink them, but they are beautiful.
And no, I forgot to check the number on the bottle of the white. (the bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc are individually numbered).
Will finish it with pleasure tomorrow.
@Cerridwyn How’s the acidity? Muscat is often way too sweet and low acid for our tastes over here.
@klezman
I think of acidity and brightness in coffee as sorta the same thing. It is not bright. So this might fall into that category.
@Cerridwyn Thank you for reviewing. Ha, and I was interested in what rich cheddar you had.
/giphy memorable-nurturing-bonfire
@Cerridwyn
bah, i give up hoping for a random bonfire, so I’ll find my own
@Cerridwyn Here’s one I’m fond of. I had this song on repeat for about a month.
/giphy glowing-flickering-myrrh
Thanks for getting in some dessert wines. Ask and you shall receive.
Oops, sorry about the missing wine photo, we’ll get that taken care of here shortly
@dave
clearly that small issue isn’t halting orders.
We are resilient!
@dave I wondered. Just thought my signal at work was that bad today
I am not getting any labrats even though I was a kickstarter backer at one of the tiers that supposedly gets you access to that and I am a VMP.
Kinda jealous.
They also botched the shipment of my party food and delivered it when nobody was home for weeks (even though I informed them about the problem in advance), and they put no signage or information on the package that it contains refrigerated food so by the time we got back it had to be thrown out and kickstarter support via Mediocre ignored me. So my relationship with casemates is soured unfortunately. Still bummed as I loved it in the woot days and frustrated that my money was gone.
@datruandi
Kickstarter as well, but I believe we still had to sign up in the thread for it.
Labrat Survey
@datruandi @MarkDaSpark
exactly
@datruandi u gotta get yourself on the list to be a rat…they don’t just randomly send those out to all kickstarter backers.
@Cerridwyn @datruandi @MarkDaSpark @winedavid49 Thanks for this info…I did not know.
. Any idea if there is an updated survey (the one linked is called the “2019 Survey”), or does that even matter? 
@Allieroon @Cerridwyn @datruandi @MarkDaSpark @Winedavid49
Actually, if you contributed to the Kickstarter at or above the $100 level, you were automatically entitled to a “Special Tasting Panel Membership”, briefly described as… “(think Labrats)”.
Those were the “go to” lab rats and still are AFAIK, with additional opportunities sprinkled throughout offers to those who signed up for the aforementioned list - either by filling out the survey or sending email.
@Allieroon @Cerridwyn @datruandi @Winedavid49
I don’t think it matters, unless the survey is inactive. You should still be able to sign up.
@Allieroon @Cerridwyn @chipgreen @MarkDaSpark @Winedavid49 yup, I contributed at that level.
I recognize so many names here… almost feels like a long lost family (I had a different username on the wine dot woot site).
Issue was that I was traveling heavily that year and in the process of moving over 1000 miles (with maintaining households in two states for over two years after that), and my whole shipping experience was completely blundered as a result. I have to do more forensics into what I got from the benefits. I think I may have even gotten one labrat at the beginning, not sure to be honest - but it may have arrived when I was traveling.
But my launch party package got ruined as I was traveling when it arrived and the package had no markings to inform those who checked on my property that it needs to be opened and items in it refrigerated (they just put it inside the house), the perishable food spoiled, and the party never happened (and all the delicious couponing went away, too).
I am getting my “wine dot woot” basement section from the moving company back in two days as we finally are completely moving - and struggling where to put all the wine as where we moved to nobody has basements. Will have to add an AC to one of the garages to store it and start drinking more diligently
… hundreds of bottles.
@Allieroon @Cerridwyn @datruandi @MarkDaSpark @Winedavid49
Sounds like you have had your hands full! I am guessing that those who receive lab rat bottles and don’t or aren’t able to submit their tasting notes, are much less likely to stay in the lab rat mix. Hopefully now that you have made your situation clear, it will increase your chances for more opportunities. Curious… what was your wine.woot handle?
@Allieroon @Cerridwyn @chipgreen @MarkDaSpark @Winedavid49 I am trying to remember - I think I submitted something if I got something but not sure if it was very elaborate at that time.
I will “whisper” my wine.woot handle to everybody who asks gladly, but do not want to post it publicly here.
/giphy delightful-naughty-dasher
If anyone in SoCal wants one set, I have 1 spare set …
/giphy flashy-familiar-stocking
We were selected to review the
2013 Sterling Muscat Canelli
I do not normally go for wines in this style. Maybe that’s a lie; I love a good tawny port. But outside of Port I don’t usually drink dessert wine
For this, I might make an exception.
With a little advance notice we tried to line up some complimentary flavors: sliced pear, double cream Brie, smoked cheddar. Dinner was spinach and moz ravioli with sweet Italian sausage. And I kept reading that a light fruity dessert would go well so I baked a berry crostada (straw/rasp/blackberry)
First pour; not a significant bouquet. Perhaps the fridge serving temp or the small sipping glasses were to blame. As it warmed I got a little floral, maybe a hint of honeysuckle.
The taste was smooth… light body, low alcohol. It was not cloying and did not coat the tongue. And my strongest impression was … Welches white grape juice.
Don’t take that in a bad way… it was a lovely flavor. I just could not tease out anything more detailed.
With the food:
Pear, ok. Bartlett too tart or bitter; maybe try a ripe Bosc.
Brie: too fatty
Smoked cheddar: very nice
Sweet Italian sausage: nope. Fat and flavor overwhelmed. Ravioli by itself good.
Berry Crostada with vanilla ice cream: nice with the vanilla, but it would appreciate something better than Bryers. The Crostada was luscious but the berries were not overly sweet, and they pulled the wine down.
Final thoughts: this is a delicate but easy sipper. Pair with sharper cheese and sweeter fruit. But personally I would enjoy it alone before or after a meal.
Oh and all three of our teens enjoyed a taste. Since regular wine still turns them off I’ll keep this locked away.
(Oh I should add; we tasted in 3 waves. I did not seriously expect it to go well with the main course but was curious to see)
@eburke Thank you for reviewing & even letting the teens in on it. How fun.
Oh man. I’ve been waiting for a dessert deal, but with two cases ordered in the last month this deal is too rich for my blood.
/giphy delicious-friendly-gremlin
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Dessert Wine Trio - $20 = 9.99%
Sitting in Norther NJ and jealous of all you who can order. Enjoy!
/giphy plenteous-candied-starlight
I have been waiting for a dessert offering as well. Wish it had been a couple of weeks ago so I could get these in time for the holidays, but better late than never. In for three.
2012 Sterling was offered here March '19. Notes might give some insight as this seems to be vinified pretty much the same year to year. Or maybe not. fwiw
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/sterling-vineyards-muscat-canelli-dessert-wine
@kaolis I took a look at the 2012 reviews after taking our notes. Not really fair to put me against PeterW for tasting, LOL. I did not note any of the citrus, but I agree with the notes on sugar and acid.
Just last night I opened a Pedroncelli 2013 Vintage Port, and was thinking: I hope there’s a Port offering this month. I’m tempted to try this and I’m sure the Muscats are excellent examples of that style; unfortunately I just have such a distaste for sweet Muscat (is there any other kind?) that this mix is probably not going to do it for me. If I do get them it would be either for someone else, or maybe to use as a syrup on pancakes or good vanilla ice cream (actually that’s sounding kind-of good!). So I might go for the small pack just to try 'em and get one port along with it. Wish the ratio wasn’t 2:1, but I guess if you go by volume it’s 750:750.
@pmarin There IS dry Muscat! It’s all over Alsace, where they tend to make Riesling and Muscat in dry styles. There are a few dry Muscat wines in California as well.
@klezman @pmarin And Oregon!
@pmarin don’t miss the Pedroncelli Port today.
First CaseMates order…Wife loves Desert Wines!!!..
/giphy blissful-reunited-wonder
@bigkiskewl welcome to your new addiction
@bigkiskewl @pete0744 woohoo!!! great work!
@bigkiskewl
/giphy three cheers
/8ball is bigkiskewl’s wife right?
It is certain
Anyone in Midlands SC want to split? Otherwise, I’ll pop for 3. 12 bottles of dessert wine is a little too many for me to store.
473rd CaseMates order… (no, just kidding, probably not that many yet).
/giphy sappy-crackling-fete
Wait, this is over already? Oh, 24h sale - thought it would be up two days
Anybody in NE Florida splitting? Or any way to sneak an order in?
@Winedavid49
Any updates on shipment on this one?
Just curious
/giphy curious
@Cerridwyn I just got my shipping notice about half an hour ago.
@Cerridwyn @InFrom
Mine is moving as well, scheduled for delivery tomorrow.
@Cerridwyn @InFrom @rjquillin also saw tracking appear