Well hello Casemates! I’t’s been so long… I thought WineDavid lost my number…
But lo and behold - he’s made up for lost time by dropping off not one- but TWO bottles on my porch for Tuesday night rattage. Now mind you, I’m a professional, but two bottles in one sitting is a big ask, so I asked my good friend Doug to join me this evening to help me with my rat responsibilities. Doug is as geeky as I am - he does GIS vineyard mapping for a living - (there’s an app for that. No really, there is. He designed it.) So he joined me after dinner and we popped the cork on these two sexy looking bottles (agreed jfuruno) and we jumped in.
These are GEEKY wines!!! Old world Syrahs- completely up my alley. Not for the masses- thinking-man’s (and woman’s) wines…
The first glass we poured was the 2017 Vaucluse. 75% Syrah, 25% Grenache: Truth be told, this drinks like an old world, (think Crozes-Hermitage), straight Syrah. The Grenache is in a minor supporting role- adding a smidge of fruit to it’s savory Syrah counterpart.
Upon first pour, we both were underwhelmed. Muted nose and unremarkable palate. This is a wine that could easily be overlooked on first glance. But give it 15 minutes…
All of a sudden, this wine opened up. A nose of dark currant, burnt blood orange peel, dried cherries and an undeniable (and compelling) herbaceousness. On the palate- briny, savory, plum-y fruit with olive tapenade and white pepper galore (some whole cluster at work here). GREAT acidity - this is a great food wine- Doug and I were thinking classic/rustic pork chops… with sour cream and apple sauce.
This wine is rustic, but elegantly so. If you blind-tasted this with some selections from Croze-Hermitage, I’d be fooled. Worth $40, in my humble opinion, but silly at this price.
We followed with the 2017 Thunderstone Syrah (100% Syrah).
The nose on this wine doesn’t throw much fruit- notes of AllSpice, but really overt white pepper (tickles the nostrils).
On the palate, pluot, mulberry and all the peppers. White, black, gray, it’s all there. This one has A LOT of whole cluster, and it shows. There’s more fruit here too (and alcohol at 15.1%) - so overall the wine is just more brutish; less elegant - it NEEDS food to soak up some of the herby-ness… like a lamb stew- or a cassoulet with extra bacon. Doug noted a bit of dried rasin/ripasso/amarone notes on the palate which made it more complex.
Overall, a much bigger, more ‘in-your-face’ Syrah- I said Cornas, but that implies a pedigree that might be misleading. Don’t get me wrong, all told, a good deal at the Casemates price, but this is the one that you open with some stew, drink it down, and then - open the Vaucluse and savor it till the evening ends.
@neilfindswine Great rattage. I’m wondering how this fits in along with the Grand Klasse syrah which was up a month or two back. Might go in on 4 just to see how they all fit in (how many syrahs from a single producer is too many??). Rats on the Grand Klasse offer didn’t offer a lot of notes - round mouthfeel, some pepper, big fruit, and some florals. More oak and less whole cluster in the reserve bottling.
@neilfindswine Thanks for great review. In this case I think it was really cool to have both reviewed by the same person (or same two people) because it allowed for the side-by-side comparison.
Also for making me have to look up ripasso and amarone.
neilfindswine Rattage:
**Upon first pour, we both were underwhelmed - But give it 15 minutes….Set timer - check.
**The wine is just more brutish; less elegant - it NEEDS food to soak up some of the herby-ness… like a lamb stew… Wine paring for dinner - check (Note: wear gloves when pouring)
OK I have to: instinctive-toothy-crib
@PLSemenza Odd how what seem at first glance to be negative comments really end up sounding super-interesting and hard to resist. Especially if you like that sort of thing…
@jrbw3@KNmeh7@ttboy23
We are not going to let this deal pass us by. We bought the gard grand klasse cs and Syrah last time it was offered and enjoyed both. With that, our fridge is heavy on Syrah. Ideally, we would want 6 (3&3) but could go down to 4 if it helps with a split.
@joe139@KNmeh7@ttboy23 Depending on what anyone wants, I could take two or three. If that works, I’m in. If 2, one of each. If three, 2 of one, don’t mind which.
@jfuruno Hi, if you’re still interested, I’ll go in for a 1/2 or 1/3, whatever works out. I have been pleased with the previous offerings from this producer here; haven’t tried the these Syrahs but the rattage seems interesting: a comparison of two different styles sounds fun. And, yes, pretty bottles.
2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
93 points ~ Dr. Owen Bargreen, Washington Wine Blog 91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast 91 points ~ Vinous, Stephen Tanzer
Tasting Notes
Savory black fruit, tobacco, leafy green herbs and a meaty undertone. Swirling gives this a mouthwatering umami quality to the muddled black fruits. Round and ethereal with a weightless quality. It’s pithy and persistent with a tapenade-inflected finish.
Production Notes
Made from a 0.8 acre section of our Scarline Syrah block planted with Joseph Phelps Clone. Fermented with 80% whole clusters and aged initially in standard Burgundy sized barrels (228L). After 10 months the wine was blended and then transferred into 500L barrels to slow the wine down and hold onto more primary fruit. The wine is typically stirred for the last 6 months and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine is produced Vegan.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal Composition: 100% Syrah
Appellation: Royal Slope, Columbia Valley, Washington
Vineyard: Scarline Vineyard, Lawrence Vineyards
Aging: 22 months in 30% new French oak 228L and 500L’s
Alcohol: 15.10%
pH: 4.2
Cases Produced: 208
2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend, Lawrence Estate Wines
92 points ~ Dr. Owen Bargreen, Washington Wine Blog 92 points ~ Jeb Dunnuck 91 points ~ Vinous, Stephen Tanzer 91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast 91 points ~ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
Garrigue, plum skin, black tea, savory and black olive create a dark and intensely perfumed nose. Swirling brings up sweet black fruits like plums, currants, black cherry and a reduced blackberry puree. The palate starts with breadth and polish and transitions into dark fruits and hardwood smoke and spice. The wine finishes with fine but serious tannin, dehydrated black fruits and tea notes. Somehow staying perfumed while being brooding and intense.
Production Notes
Made from three different picks of Syrah between October 9 and 13 and from two different clones with Tablas Creek making up 50% of the blend and Joseph Phelps making up the other 25%. Each piece being fermented separately and then being blended after 10 months. Fermented in 95% stainless steel and 5% concrete with 12.5% whole cluster and then aged in 75% new French oak 500L’s for 22 months. This was bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine is produced Vegan.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Rhone style blend
Varietal Composition: 75% Syrah, 25% Grenache
Appellation: Royal Slope, Columbia Valley, Washington
Vineyard: Lawrence Vineyards
Aging: 22 months in 75% new French oak 500L’s
Alcohol: 14.60%
pH: 3.78
Cases Produced: 238
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
2x 2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend, Lawrence Estate Wines
Case:
6x 2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
6x 2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend, Lawrence Estate Wines
Gård, meaning “farm” in many of the Scandinavian languages, is a tribute to our family’s Scandinavian heritage and farming tradition.
Our mission at Gård is to capture and bottle the unique characteristics of the land we farm. We humbly craft value-driven, award-winning wines from our sustainable estate vineyards to create lasting memories for our customers. Gård Vintners is dedicated to crafting world-class wines from its sustainably farmed estate vineyard on the Royal Slope of Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA. We produce 6,000 cases a year for our wine club, three tasting rooms and select distribution in the northwest and across the country.
Founded in 2006, Gård Vintners is a family-owned and operated estate winery in the heart of Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA, with vineyards on the Royal Slope, wine production in Walla Walla, and tasting rooms in Woodinville, Walla Walla, and Ellensburg.
The winery was founded by Josh and Lisa Lawrence, along with Josh’s dad John Lawrence and Uncle Sandy Lawrence, who had farmed the Royal Slope for more than 40 years. The winery and estate vineyard is now owned and operated by Josh and his wife, Lisa, who oversees sales and marketing, while Josh oversees the vineyard and other farm and orchard operations.
In 2011 Aryn Morell joined the team as winemaker, and winemaking is now managed at M&L Production in Walla Walla, a partnership between Morell and the Lawrences.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI
Gård Vintners 91+ Points Washington Reds
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $229.99 $19.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Gård Vintners 91+ Points Washington Reds - $40 = 14.80%
@winedavid49 Any chance these will go out “summer shipping”? Last year things started up June 1 I think?
I’ve a spot in WI that I’d take a chance on a 4 pack. Thanks!
I really don’t need more wine but I love syrah and won’t pass up on Gard so I’m going to go ahead and just bite the bullet. Hopefully this goes summer shipment since we’re in the 90’s already here in Houston.
Well hello Casemates! I’t’s been so long… I thought WineDavid lost my number…
But lo and behold - he’s made up for lost time by dropping off not one- but TWO bottles on my porch for Tuesday night rattage. Now mind you, I’m a professional, but two bottles in one sitting is a big ask, so I asked my good friend Doug to join me this evening to help me with my rat responsibilities. Doug is as geeky as I am - he does GIS vineyard mapping for a living - (there’s an app for that. No really, there is. He designed it.) So he joined me after dinner and we popped the cork on these two sexy looking bottles (agreed jfuruno) and we jumped in.
These are GEEKY wines!!! Old world Syrahs- completely up my alley. Not for the masses- thinking-man’s (and woman’s) wines…
The first glass we poured was the 2017 Vaucluse. 75% Syrah, 25% Grenache: Truth be told, this drinks like an old world, (think Crozes-Hermitage), straight Syrah. The Grenache is in a minor supporting role- adding a smidge of fruit to it’s savory Syrah counterpart.
Upon first pour, we both were underwhelmed. Muted nose and unremarkable palate. This is a wine that could easily be overlooked on first glance. But give it 15 minutes…
All of a sudden, this wine opened up. A nose of dark currant, burnt blood orange peel, dried cherries and an undeniable (and compelling) herbaceousness. On the palate- briny, savory, plum-y fruit with olive tapenade and white pepper galore (some whole cluster at work here). GREAT acidity - this is a great food wine- Doug and I were thinking classic/rustic pork chops… with sour cream and apple sauce.
This wine is rustic, but elegantly so. If you blind-tasted this with some selections from Croze-Hermitage, I’d be fooled. Worth $40, in my humble opinion, but silly at this price.
We followed with the 2017 Thunderstone Syrah (100% Syrah).
The nose on this wine doesn’t throw much fruit- notes of AllSpice, but really overt white pepper (tickles the nostrils).
On the palate, pluot, mulberry and all the peppers. White, black, gray, it’s all there. This one has A LOT of whole cluster, and it shows. There’s more fruit here too (and alcohol at 15.1%) - so overall the wine is just more brutish; less elegant - it NEEDS food to soak up some of the herby-ness… like a lamb stew- or a cassoulet with extra bacon. Doug noted a bit of dried rasin/ripasso/amarone notes on the palate which made it more complex.
Overall, a much bigger, more ‘in-your-face’ Syrah- I said Cornas, but that implies a pedigree that might be misleading. Don’t get me wrong, all told, a good deal at the Casemates price, but this is the one that you open with some stew, drink it down, and then - open the Vaucluse and savor it till the evening ends.
Cheers friends!
@neilfindswine
Hey Neil! It’s always great to see you around these parts. Thanks for the insightful rattage. Cheers!
@neilfindswine Great rattage. I’m wondering how this fits in along with the Grand Klasse syrah which was up a month or two back. Might go in on 4 just to see how they all fit in (how many syrahs from a single producer is too many??). Rats on the Grand Klasse offer didn’t offer a lot of notes - round mouthfeel, some pepper, big fruit, and some florals. More oak and less whole cluster in the reserve bottling.
@neilfindswine Thank you Neil for the informative report and for pulling double duty. And thanks to Doug too. All the best.
@neilfindswine you had me at pluot.
@neilfindswine
So, did you two kill both bottles, or leave some for day two notes?
@neilfindswine Thanks for great review. In this case I think it was really cool to have both reviewed by the same person (or same two people) because it allowed for the side-by-side comparison.
Also for making me have to look up ripasso and amarone.
@rjquillin sorry. We polished ‘em off last night!
@winedavid49 @wccwinegirl
Any chance Gard will join in?
I’m curious on the labs and aging for these…
@rjquillin Hello! Lisa with Gard here. We suggest a 10 year drinking window on both of these.
neilfindswine Rattage:
**Upon first pour, we both were underwhelmed - But give it 15 minutes….Set timer - check.
**The wine is just more brutish; less elegant - it NEEDS food to soak up some of the herby-ness… like a lamb stew… Wine paring for dinner - check (Note: wear gloves when pouring)
OK I have to: instinctive-toothy-crib
@PLSemenza Odd how what seem at first glance to be negative comments really end up sounding super-interesting and hard to resist. Especially if you like that sort of thing…
/giphy instinctive-toothy-crib
I have loved everything from Gård, and this looks like a nice offer. If only I didn’t find out this morning I need a new fridge. Ugh.
@KNmeh7 I’m just trying not to look but this is the 2nd time I’ve back!
Sorry about your fridge.
@ttboy23 Thanks. Of course it is the most expensive appliance to fail. It is way too new as well. Screw Whirlpool.
I’ve got nice neighbors so no food losses, which is the only optimistic thing about it. Your casemates-legged wine is in the neighborhood.
I would go for a bottle of each if you need any little nudge, but don’t order because of that paltry share.
@KNmeh7 @jrbw3 @joe139 I can check with others who may want a set (or 2).
@jrbw3 @KNmeh7 @ttboy23
We are not going to let this deal pass us by. We bought the gard grand klasse cs and Syrah last time it was offered and enjoyed both. With that, our fridge is heavy on Syrah. Ideally, we would want 6 (3&3) but could go down to 4 if it helps with a split.
@joe139 @KNmeh7 @ttboy23 Depending on what anyone wants, I could take two or three. If that works, I’m in. If 2, one of each. If three, 2 of one, don’t mind which.
Well, Gard has been an auto-buy in this house for years…no reason to break the streak given this awesome deal!
stereotyped-deranged-space
KRULL! A SKULL! BRETT HULL! AWESOME!
Those are some sexy looking bottles. Excited to hear from the rats. Might be interested in a PDX split.
@jfuruno Hi, if you’re still interested, I’ll go in for a 1/2 or 1/3, whatever works out. I have been pleased with the previous offerings from this producer here; haven’t tried the these Syrahs but the rattage seems interesting: a comparison of two different styles sounds fun. And, yes, pretty bottles.
@pmarin Hi. I would do 1/2. Do you want to me order? I am in SW Portland (Hillsdale).
@jfuruno Hi, sure, 1/2 case would be great. I think we already did a meet-up once before.
@douglasp60 fancy a split on this?
@sillyheathen I am good with 4 or 6 depending on anyone else wanting in. Love Gård. You or me buy?
@douglasp60 I love them too! I’m good either way. I just don’t need a whole case right now.
I want one. Just don’t need one.
@douglasp60
/giphy universal-joyful-window
I am looking forward to the rats as well. I am overloaded on Syrah, but can you have too many? Anyone interested in a split in Dallas / Fort Worth?
@mikepav I’m down for a 2 or 3 way split
/giphy optimal-dumb-pet
/giphy calm-rich-doll
@jfuruno @pmarin FYI
2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines
93 points ~ Dr. Owen Bargreen, Washington Wine Blog
91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
91 points ~ Vinous, Stephen Tanzer
Tasting Notes
Production Notes
Specs
2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend, Lawrence Estate Wines
92 points ~ Dr. Owen Bargreen, Washington Wine Blog
92 points ~ Jeb Dunnuck
91 points ~ Vinous, Stephen Tanzer
91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast
91 points ~ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
Production Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$459/Case at Gard Vintners for 6x 2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah, Lawrence Estate Wines, and 6x 2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend, Lawrence Estate Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Jun 10 - Monday, Jun 14
Gård Vintners 91+ Points Washington Reds
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $229.99 $19.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Gård Vintners Thunderstone Syrah
2017 Gård Vintners Vaucluse Red Blend
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Gård Vintners 91+ Points Washington Reds - $40 = 14.80%
/giphy savory-sizable-gopher
@winedavid49 Any chance these will go out “summer shipping”? Last year things started up June 1 I think?
I’ve a spot in WI that I’d take a chance on a 4 pack. Thanks!
Any NOVA or MD splits? I know I got some Gård from someone in a mass exchange but no room for more than 4-6…
@bunnymasseuse I would be interested in 4 or 6 as well
@bunnymasseuse @thelecroy I’d take 2 if you’re okay with it!
/giphy putrid-four-cord
I really don’t need more wine but I love syrah and won’t pass up on Gard so I’m going to go ahead and just bite the bullet. Hopefully this goes summer shipment since we’re in the 90’s already here in Houston.
/giphy fantabulous-puzzled-pump
Are working until 8 30?