Hi Folks - Labrat here. We were excited to receive a bottle of Randy’s Malbec. We are familiar with his Zins and Pinot Noir, but this was a new one!
Color: Dark purple with a slight brickish note on the edges. Clear.
Initially popped the cork and had a quick taste -
Nose: Muted fruits, a hint of bosenberry, some dust and stone. definitely closed and needs time.
Taste: Wow, it really pops in mouth! Even though the wine needs some time to open, the mouth feel and balance is wonderful. Great balance of acid, low tannins and very nice medium-long finish.
I’ll let this get some air and come back in a couple of hours.
2 hours later.
Nose: Much more expressive now, I still get bosenberry but much richer, almost condensed as in a compote, but not jammy. My wife gets dark cherry. Also wonderful hints of cedar and spices. Think nutmeg rather than green spices.
Taste: Wonderfully balanced as before and definitely showing more fruit, it covers the front and middle of the tongue, but leaves a bit of an empty hole on the back part of the tongue. Very interesting considering the finish is solidly medium to long. Low tannins.
3 hours later.
Nose: Even more fruits on the nose, I still get a black-red fruit combination but this time I’m also getting that distinctive Zin bramble. I wonder if there’s some Zin blended into this?
Taste: Definitely evened out and now I’m getting a slight perception of sweetness. I’m thinking this is due to the more expressive fruit qualities rather than any residual sugar. Also, the Zin bramble I’m getting on the nose may be influencing my palate as I associate that with a certain sweetness.
Overall a great experience and I thank you for the opportunity. The wife and I thought a great Casemates price would be in the $15 range and this drinks much better than any $15 grocery store wine. At the case price, it’s a great deal.
Hello again fellow Casemates, Lab Rat chiming in for today’s offer…
My wife and I have not sampled any wines from Harvest Moon but were excited when we discovered a bottle of Malbec was on it’s way to us.
Initial pop-n-pour into glasses Monday night revealed a clear, medium purple color with edges transitioning to garnet.
Nose: At first sniff in the glass we both detected cranberry and cherry. No discernible green vegetables or peppers.
Taste: On the palate, we again pick up the cranberry note detected on the first whiffs. This does not strike me as a typical Malbec I’m familiar with, but that’s not a bad thing here. I’m reminded of qualities present in both Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. I get faint memories the last glass I had of 2015 Scott Harvey InZinerator, and a hint of cherry cola notes I’d associate with a Pinot Noir. I’m also picking up the blue fruits that vintner Randy mentions, as well as cherry and floral notes. It makes my mouth water, but is not overly acidic. There is good balance between medium acid and low, smooth tannin. Alcohol is low to medium and body is light medium. This wine has medium finish and is easy to drink. I’d guess it to be between 1-3 years old.
We corked and saved the second half of the bottle to share with another wine-loving couple for dinner last night. Chicken pot pie was on the menu and the wine seemed to work just fine with the meal. Nothing was pronounced by the food, but it wasn’t an unbalanced pairing either.
On day 2 the nose had more pronounced red and blue fruits and still smelled of cranberry. Our friends both picked up the faint reminders of Zin and Pinot Noir. A cheese funk was pointed out by my buddy and his wife detected floral notes. They did not initially call it out as a Malbec.
The palate was more blended on day 2 and still delicious. Everyone picked up on the red and blue fruits, cranberry, and cherry. This wine was a hit with our friends and they wanted bottles if under the $15-$18 point.
This wine was a lovely twist on Malbec and was enjoyed by everyone. An easy drinker that didn’t need food to shine. At the case price, it’s a no-brainer, in for 1!
Thanks Casemates for the opportunity to be a on this offering - feel free to send bottles our way any time!
What’s up y’all, this is Randy with harvest moon winery. First time we’re offering this tasty soft voluptuous Malbec. This is the first time I’ve ever made a wine with a “blue fruit” note in it. This is exotic tasty stuff. You will not be disappointed in trying this wine.
@Harvest_Moon “Drinkable: now till 2021”
This is a little concerning-- I like the case price, but if I need to use it all this year, I don’t know. What do you expect it to be like in 2021?
@DickL Are this wine will seller well for the next five years, the point of this wine is an early consumption pleaser. It’s a new direction I’m taking with a few of my wines. It’s delicious now it’ll be delicious in 2023
@klezman@rjquillin The wine did not come across as flabby in any way and I would not have described it as “soft”. It may not be as acid-driven as Randy’s other wines, but I think it would hold it’s own with a wide range of foods.
@jhkey@klezman@rjquillin Certainly not flabby at all. Just a little lower and acid then previous wines offered on the site. This is a soft chewy yummy cocktail that’s ready to go
@Harvest_Moon Thanks Randy!
How did you make this differently from your Zin and Pinot, aside from it being from a warmer climate? Why are you moving some of your wines to the softer style? (And please don’t tell me you’re doing that to your Cabernet!)
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Harvest Moon Alta Mesa Malbec - $65 = 32.49%
That’s a pretty compelling case discount. Not quite compelling enough to get me to drive to the UPS hub but if any of the NE OH crew are looking for 'mates, I’m good for a couple bottles.
@chipgreen@rjquillin So you are reimbursing chipgreen for shipping and handling it from the inconvenient spot he now has to go to? Damn. I thought you were a volunteer moderator. Surely you can see the problem?
This might be lost on you, but he now has to handle and “ship” (drive it in his car) it to himself from the hub. Hence the snark. Listen to feedback.
@chipgreen@KNmeh7
I’ve not yet ingested much coffee, so may well be missing some subtleties here…
My comment on the price differential was intended only to posit the additional cost/bottle for the smaller quantity was likely due to @winedavid49 's additional costs for handling and shipping. Extra packing material expense, non-linear pricing differential between 3 and 12 bottles.
UPS pickup issues have hit me as well. It seems a few have been minimally impacted, and/or don’t comment on the change.
We tried shipping a no-go Ohio offer to a nearby out-of-state location and that was a total fail.
@KNmeh7@rjquillin@Winedavid49
Yes, tried shipping to a dollar general in western pa with a redirect to a hub in oh but the closest hub it would allow for pickup was nearly 90 minutes away. I couldnt justify making a 3 hr round trip to pick it up.
D’oh! Went to pull the trigger on this one based on the great rattage and found it doesn’t ship to NC. This is the second wine offer in a row that skipped NC, which is odd.
(They are almost always included.) I know Harvest Moon shipped to NC last year, so it’s a shame.
@Harvest_Moon You can move me to a state other than NC? I have had this response from another winery in the past and I guess it confuses me. Can you ship to NC or not? If you can’t, how does my calling help? If you can, why not do it through Casemates? Not trying to be snarky… this is a legitimate question. I don’t claim to understand the intricacy of interstate alcohol shipping (other than to note that Harvest Moon wine shipped here last year), so I apologize if this is a silly question.
@jwNC Shhhhh!! Too many questions! Wineries wouldn’t do it if they couldn’t! Randy is a great guy and trying to help you out! Do you want this wine or not??
I’m glad I got in before cases sold out. My wife doesn’t like big bold, acidic, or high tannin red wines, so it sounds like she might like this.
/giphy maddening-spurious-boot
Earthy, floral blue fruit is the core personality of this wine trimmed with leather, dark chocolate, and cassis. We love drinking this wine. It’s a rare style crafted from Harvest Moon that tastes great right out of the gate and will please the palate of most oenophiles. No food needed here, just an empty glass and a friend to share it with. Acids are low, tannins are soft, pop that cork and go!
Food Pairing: Your backyard on a warm summer evening or on the couch watching a movie.
Vintage/Winemaker Notes
Our Malbec is grown in the Alta Mesa appellation near Clarksburg. Although the region is known to have very HOT days and warm nights, a cooling marine layer arrives in August that cools down the fruit, providing an elegance that’s not common for the Central Valley.
Winemaker Notes
Our second swing at making Malbec was a home run. Picked cold, rushed to the crushpad for processing. We co-fermented 5% Pitts Home Ranch Zin in open top t-bins for fruit and acidic backbone. The must fermented dry in 13 days and was pressed directly to barrel
The Harvest Moon: the moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox. In the legend of the Harvest moon, it is said that all full moons have their own special characteristics based primarily on the whereabouts of the ecliptic in the sky at the time of year that these moons are visible.
Harvest Moon Estate and Winery was founded on growing, producing and bottling world-class Russian River Valley wine in a balanced, elegant style. Our premise is that Russian River Valley Zinfandel can be just as layered and complex as any Pinot Noir or Bordeaux variety in the world and receive the same respect. The Pitts family has grown quality grapes in the Russian River Valley since 1976. In 2000, son Randy reverse migrated from San Francisco back to Sonoma County to assume the farming responsibilities at the family’s modest nine-acre ranch. In conjunction with lessons on farming by his Dad and a few viticulture/enology courses at the local junior college, Randy made a barrel of homemade Zinfandel off the ranch’s back block which turned out exceptionally tasty. Quickly concluding that properly farmed and judiciously fermented, Zinfandel has great capabilities of being California’s own wine nobility. The growers-turned winemakers birthed their inaugural vintage in 2002 and look forward to making their Zinprint on the winescene for decades to come.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Hi Folks - Labrat here. We were excited to receive a bottle of Randy’s Malbec. We are familiar with his Zins and Pinot Noir, but this was a new one!
Color: Dark purple with a slight brickish note on the edges. Clear.
Initially popped the cork and had a quick taste -
Nose: Muted fruits, a hint of bosenberry, some dust and stone. definitely closed and needs time.
Taste: Wow, it really pops in mouth! Even though the wine needs some time to open, the mouth feel and balance is wonderful. Great balance of acid, low tannins and very nice medium-long finish.
I’ll let this get some air and come back in a couple of hours.
2 hours later.
Nose: Much more expressive now, I still get bosenberry but much richer, almost condensed as in a compote, but not jammy. My wife gets dark cherry. Also wonderful hints of cedar and spices. Think nutmeg rather than green spices.
Taste: Wonderfully balanced as before and definitely showing more fruit, it covers the front and middle of the tongue, but leaves a bit of an empty hole on the back part of the tongue. Very interesting considering the finish is solidly medium to long. Low tannins.
3 hours later.
Nose: Even more fruits on the nose, I still get a black-red fruit combination but this time I’m also getting that distinctive Zin bramble. I wonder if there’s some Zin blended into this?
Taste: Definitely evened out and now I’m getting a slight perception of sweetness. I’m thinking this is due to the more expressive fruit qualities rather than any residual sugar. Also, the Zin bramble I’m getting on the nose may be influencing my palate as I associate that with a certain sweetness.
Overall a great experience and I thank you for the opportunity. The wife and I thought a great Casemates price would be in the $15 range and this drinks much better than any $15 grocery store wine. At the case price, it’s a great deal.
@jhkey what he said. Love your methodical approach!
Hello again fellow Casemates, Lab Rat chiming in for today’s offer…
My wife and I have not sampled any wines from Harvest Moon but were excited when we discovered a bottle of Malbec was on it’s way to us.
Initial pop-n-pour into glasses Monday night revealed a clear, medium purple color with edges transitioning to garnet.
Nose: At first sniff in the glass we both detected cranberry and cherry. No discernible green vegetables or peppers.
Taste: On the palate, we again pick up the cranberry note detected on the first whiffs. This does not strike me as a typical Malbec I’m familiar with, but that’s not a bad thing here. I’m reminded of qualities present in both Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. I get faint memories the last glass I had of 2015 Scott Harvey InZinerator, and a hint of cherry cola notes I’d associate with a Pinot Noir. I’m also picking up the blue fruits that vintner Randy mentions, as well as cherry and floral notes. It makes my mouth water, but is not overly acidic. There is good balance between medium acid and low, smooth tannin. Alcohol is low to medium and body is light medium. This wine has medium finish and is easy to drink. I’d guess it to be between 1-3 years old.
We corked and saved the second half of the bottle to share with another wine-loving couple for dinner last night. Chicken pot pie was on the menu and the wine seemed to work just fine with the meal. Nothing was pronounced by the food, but it wasn’t an unbalanced pairing either.
On day 2 the nose had more pronounced red and blue fruits and still smelled of cranberry. Our friends both picked up the faint reminders of Zin and Pinot Noir. A cheese funk was pointed out by my buddy and his wife detected floral notes. They did not initially call it out as a Malbec.
The palate was more blended on day 2 and still delicious. Everyone picked up on the red and blue fruits, cranberry, and cherry. This wine was a hit with our friends and they wanted bottles if under the $15-$18 point.
This wine was a lovely twist on Malbec and was enjoyed by everyone. An easy drinker that didn’t need food to shine. At the case price, it’s a no-brainer, in for 1!
Thanks Casemates for the opportunity to be a
on this offering - feel free to send bottles our way any time! 
What’s up y’all, this is Randy with harvest moon winery. First time we’re offering this tasty soft voluptuous Malbec. This is the first time I’ve ever made a wine with a “blue fruit” note in it. This is exotic tasty stuff. You will not be disappointed in trying this wine.
Let’s chat!
@Harvest_Moon “Drinkable: now till 2021”
This is a little concerning-- I like the case price, but if I need to use it all this year, I don’t know. What do you expect it to be like in 2021?
@DickL Are this wine will seller well for the next five years, the point of this wine is an early consumption pleaser. It’s a new direction I’m taking with a few of my wines. It’s delicious now it’ll be delicious in 2023
@DickL @Harvest_Moon
I too had the same question. Think that talks me off the ledge.
Y’all know I love Randy’s Zin, Pinot, and late harvest. This wine sounds like it’s in a different style…any rats?
@klezman
Acids are low, tannins are soft, pop that cork and go!
gives me pause, but here’s hoping there will be rats…
@rjquillin Exactly.
@klezman it is different. Much softer than my cool-climate wines, it’s grown in a hot region. Try it you won’t be disappointed!
@klezman @rjquillin The wine did not come across as flabby in any way and I would not have described it as “soft”. It may not be as acid-driven as Randy’s other wines, but I think it would hold it’s own with a wide range of foods.
@jhkey @klezman @rjquillin Certainly not flabby at all. Just a little lower and acid then previous wines offered on the site. This is a soft chewy yummy cocktail that’s ready to go
@Harvest_Moon Thanks Randy!
How did you make this differently from your Zin and Pinot, aside from it being from a warmer climate? Why are you moving some of your wines to the softer style? (And please don’t tell me you’re doing that to your Cabernet!)
Been into Malbec’s lately and this one seems like a great one to try. In for a case
/giphy bubbly-subdued-willow
Sounds like a great daily drinker! The durigutti Malbec should be delivered today, maybe I’ll pop one open and decide if I need more Malbec
Cases are sold out!
Is it possible more cases will become available?
@gemeinschaft79 reach out to the winery. We have 3 more cases. 707-573-8711
Harvest Moon Alta Mesa Malbec
3 bottles for $49.99 $16.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $134.99 $11.25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Harvest Moon Alta Mesa Malbec
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Harvest Moon Alta Mesa Malbec - $65 = 32.49%
That’s a pretty compelling case discount. Not quite compelling enough to get me to drive to the UPS hub but if any of the NE OH crew are looking for 'mates, I’m good for a couple bottles.
@chipgreen Makes one appreciate just how much shipping and handling adds to the delivered cost.
@chipgreen @rjquillin So you are reimbursing chipgreen for shipping and handling it from the inconvenient spot he now has to go to? Damn. I thought you were a volunteer moderator. Surely you can see the problem?
This might be lost on you, but he now has to handle and “ship” (drive it in his car) it to himself from the hub. Hence the snark. Listen to feedback.
@chipgreen @KNmeh7
I’ve not yet ingested much coffee, so may well be missing some subtleties here…
My comment on the price differential was intended only to posit the additional cost/bottle for the smaller quantity was likely due to @winedavid49 's additional costs for handling and shipping. Extra packing material expense, non-linear pricing differential between 3 and 12 bottles.
UPS pickup issues have hit me as well. It seems a few have been minimally impacted, and/or don’t comment on the change.
We tried shipping a no-go Ohio offer to a nearby out-of-state location and that was a total fail.
We tried shipping. We is collective.
Say what? So you aren’t volunteer moderator? You get paid?
@KNmeh7 It’s the royal “we”.
@KNmeh7
We = Chip and I.
Do not get paid; hence VolMod.
@KNmeh7 @rjquillin @Winedavid49
Yes, tried shipping to a dollar general in western pa with a redirect to a hub in oh but the closest hub it would allow for pickup was nearly 90 minutes away. I couldnt justify making a 3 hr round trip to pick it up.
@chipgreen @pjmartin @marikar @boatman72 Sorry for the late reply. I’d be interested in a split… I mean it’s Harvest Moon… and sounds delicious!
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @marikar @mrn1 I didn’t need the Leoni, I wanted it. I need to pass
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @marikar @pjmartin you might have more common sense than me!
Can you elaborate on what “soft” means?
@losthighwayz That nearly means lower acidity then what we have crafted in our past two decades. It’s tasty
D’oh! Went to pull the trigger on this one based on the great rattage and found it doesn’t ship to NC. This is the second wine offer in a row that skipped NC, which is odd.
(They are almost always included.) I know Harvest Moon shipped to NC last year, so it’s a shame.
@jwNC Call the Winery Direct at 707-975-7380. We can help!
@Harvest_Moon You can move me to a state other than NC?
I have had this response from another winery in the past and I guess it confuses me. Can you ship to NC or not? If you can’t, how does my calling help? If you can, why not do it through Casemates? Not trying to be snarky… this is a legitimate question. I don’t claim to understand the intricacy of interstate alcohol shipping (other than to note that Harvest Moon wine shipped here last year), so I apologize if this is a silly question.
@jwNC Shhhhh!! Too many questions! Wineries wouldn’t do it if they couldn’t! Randy is a great guy and trying to help you out! Do you want this wine or not??
In for 1. Honestly curious what this gets me
/giphy tasteless-facetious-cougar
Well darn it. There are 4 of us at work that want 6 bottles each and it wont let me get 2 cases It let me get one and says “sold out” for another one.
@fgfljsb reach out to us direct. We can help 707-573-8711
More cases just became available! In for one
/giphy mythical-polarizing-effect
Got a case of it in Wentzville MO, if anyone is interested in a bottle or 2?
Joel
@Grapplinghook Joel, I’ve ordered a 3-bottle case but will be interested in sharing future buys
Bob
I’d be in for 3 in Houston, TX if anyone has “too much”.
If any SoCal folk got some, I’ll try a bottle or two.
I’m glad I got in before cases sold out. My wife doesn’t like big bold, acidic, or high tannin red wines, so it sounds like she might like this.
/giphy maddening-spurious-boot
Tasting Notes
Earthy, floral blue fruit is the core personality of this wine trimmed with leather, dark chocolate, and cassis. We love drinking this wine. It’s a rare style crafted from Harvest Moon that tastes great right out of the gate and will please the palate of most oenophiles. No food needed here, just an empty glass and a friend to share it with. Acids are low, tannins are soft, pop that cork and go!
Food Pairing: Your backyard on a warm summer evening or on the couch watching a movie.
Vintage/Winemaker Notes
Our Malbec is grown in the Alta Mesa appellation near Clarksburg. Although the region is known to have very HOT days and warm nights, a cooling marine layer arrives in August that cools down the fruit, providing an elegance that’s not common for the Central Valley.
Winemaker Notes
Our second swing at making Malbec was a home run. Picked cold, rushed to the crushpad for processing. We co-fermented 5% Pitts Home Ranch Zin in open top t-bins for fruit and acidic backbone. The must fermented dry in 13 days and was pressed directly to barrel
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$462.68 for a Case at Harverst Moon Estate & Winery
About The Winery
Winery: Harvest Moon Estate & Winery
Owners: The Pitts Family
Founded: 2000
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
The Harvest Moon: the moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox. In the legend of the Harvest moon, it is said that all full moons have their own special characteristics based primarily on the whereabouts of the ecliptic in the sky at the time of year that these moons are visible.
Harvest Moon Estate and Winery was founded on growing, producing and bottling world-class Russian River Valley wine in a balanced, elegant style. Our premise is that Russian River Valley Zinfandel can be just as layered and complex as any Pinot Noir or Bordeaux variety in the world and receive the same respect. The Pitts family has grown quality grapes in the Russian River Valley since 1976. In 2000, son Randy reverse migrated from San Francisco back to Sonoma County to assume the farming responsibilities at the family’s modest nine-acre ranch. In conjunction with lessons on farming by his Dad and a few viticulture/enology courses at the local junior college, Randy made a barrel of homemade Zinfandel off the ranch’s back block which turned out exceptionally tasty. Quickly concluding that properly farmed and judiciously fermented, Zinfandel has great capabilities of being California’s own wine nobility. The growers-turned winemakers birthed their inaugural vintage in 2002 and look forward to making their Zinprint on the winescene for decades to come.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, March 19th - Monday, March 23rd