Dear Casemates Friends, I would like to make a special toast today to all of you. Some of us go back to Woot days! I am so pleased and proud to be part of this wonderful community. Gratitude is the perfect wine for how I am feeling. My family joins me in wishing you all our very best. Please make it one of your New Decade Resolutions to come taste with us! Sending love, Joy
Thank you for everything you have done for us, both on the old site as well as here. It has always been a treat for us to dine with you and your wonderful parents during our RPM Tours. Their home is always warm and lovely.
tl;dr - yummy, nice yeasty and bready aromas and a relatively rich dosage make this a rather gulpable and delicious bubbly.
I was surprised to see a 4 pound box show up on UPS MyChoice at the same time as my Virage Rosé order. I wondered if they decided to extend the 10 days of Christmas or something. And then I noticed it was sent Express rather than Ground - and that can only mean one thing: rat bottle!
On opening the rather heavy single bottle-sized package, I realized that Ariana did extend the 10 days of Christmas with a bottle of Iron Horse! A quick email confirmed that a) Ariana was sick (hope you’re feeling better!) and b) the offer was the Casemates community Christmas present.
So tonight, with friends over and the traditional Jewish Christmas Eve feast of Chinese food, we started our evening with a bottle of 2014 Iron Horse Gratitude.
Taking a first pour, despite the description on the label, the wine was reasonably gold coloured with just a hint of pink. Not sure I’d call it a rosé just by looking at it.
The aromas are quite enticing - bread, yeast, raspberry, cherry, and maybe some red apple. Actually one of the more aromatic bottles of Iron Horse I’ve tried.
The palate is fairly rich, a little drier than the regular Classic Vintage Brut. More citrus, less red fruit. Some herbs come into the equation as well. This goes down very easily, quite delicious, but didn’t stop and make me think or try to sort out all the wine’s complexities. Finish is fairly short, mostly citrus, but this is also a pretty young bottle, and I’d expect 2-4 years in bottle would br quite nice to this cuvée.
I thought this could show better at a higher temperature, and that was a correct assessment. Letting it come up to what I think was the 50-55 degree range made this sing much more than at fridge temperature. Nothing particularly new in terms of flavours, but more of the aromatics showed up on the palate while I found the balance to be superior at that temperature.
I’m very curious how this will age and would be very interested to try a couple bottles 2 and 5 years down the road.
If you’re an Iron Horse fan you’ve probably already hit the “buy” button. If not, this is a nice way to get an exclusive bottling at a significant reduction. It’s still rather expensive at $42/bottle, even with the excellent discount that WD managed to get Joy to agree to (thanks, you two!), but value is in the eye of the beholder.
What a lovely surprise to be a lab rat for this wonderful sparkler! Lucky us, it was 65 degrees here t’day so we sat out in the sun and enjoyed part of this Iron Horse wine, and I’m finishing the rest of it now.
The color is the palest of pale, slightly salmon/pink. First sip - apples galore on the palate and on the nose. Not a hint of biscuit or butter, and it’s definitely not what I’d call “creamy”. My sipping partner, a former winemaker and viticulture instruction was very profound in his assessment… “ooooh Juicy!!!” I asked for more from him and he said, “really really juicy”. Le sigh.
after a few moments, the berries really came forward, and the wine continues to be showing good crispness and lots of red berry and apple, and really zero creamy finish. The finish is more wine-ey.
The second glass really begged for food, but alas neither of us wanted to go back to the house, so I dreamed of smoked salmon or one of those fruit bloom things people give you on holidays. I’m enjoying the final glass of it now and must say on day 2 it’s still delicious, showing bright raspberry and a very fine, wine-ish finish with a hint of honey, just barely there. This is not a cheap wine, but I’m very much enjoying it and figure it’s probably a steal-deal in the $40s and I’d very much like to have a few more of them lying around. Salut!! and Merry Ho Ho!
@Jamileigh17 It all depends on whether the total cost is what motivates you tonight or the opportunity for a discount on a wine that normally sees no discounts.
@apathy0 Lol. They do call this place case-mates! It’s funny, when there’s a significant case discount I usually balk at the thought of buying the smaller quantity. This one, I’m considering. I still need to use that $5 coupon, after all.
@Jamileigh17@klezman
My thoughts exactly.
See the above screen caps from the IH site.
A 33%+ discount on a bottle will get my attention, especially if it’s a good bottle and includes shipping.
Really do need to drink more bubblies.
@klezman Fair, but I’m self employed and $500 is a lot, especially this time of year. If I were someone who had the patience to wait years to drink wine and wanted to stash it fit special occasions, that’d be one thing. But at 48 per bottle, I’d have to have a very special occasion in mind.
@Jamileigh17@klezman definitely out of my price range right after Christmas too, but that’s why there’s a new deal every few days! I’ve definitely splurged on some deals here, and this is a worthy splurge. I’ll be sipping on some gruet for now though
@aces219 You’ll get opinions and arguments on both sides of the matter for storing wine upright vs horizontal, be it still or sparkling. Seems to be more opinions of late that upright gets the nod for both. Here’s one article, there’s a million more:
@aces219@kaolis
Seems the comments are rather negative w/r/t this ‘study’. But I too seem to recall hearing it matters less with bubbly. @JoySterling , what are your and David’s practices?
@aces219@kaolis@rjquillin What a worthwhile debate! Especially with (I hope) a case of Gratitude on its way to you. Short term, standing up is fine. Long term, I would lay it on its side. In the fridge, however it will fit … even diagonally. Cheers!
@aces219@kaolis@rjquillin Wonderful question. Thank you! Our current, oldest bubbly is 2005 Joy! Blanc de Blancs in magnum, aged 13 years en tirgae. We also have a 2011 Brut Rose LD, aged eight years.
Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude Sparkling Rosé
2 bottles for $89.99 $44.99/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $499.99 $41.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude Sparkling Rosé - $40 = 7.39%
@chipgreen@JoySterling Good point! chipgreen’s post is just a frame of reference for the prices within Casemates, comparing the case price vs. the 2-bottle price.
@InFrom@JoySterling
What @InFrom said! This is a very nice discount of approximately 34% off retail (before shipping), then an additional 7% off that for those who buy at the case price vs. the 2 bottle price.
By nose - rising dough, orange marmalade and baked apple. By mouth - ripe red apple, mandarin orange and hazelnut.
Food Pairing Notes
Focused and complex, this is a beautiful sparkling wine for giving thanks and supporting the wine country community after the devastating fires.
Winery: Iron Horse
Owners: Audrey, Barry, Joy and Laurence Sterling
Founded: 1979
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Iron Horse is one of Sonoma County’s most prestigious, small, independent, estate, family owned wineries located in cool, foggy Green Valley. Iron Horse Sparkling Wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive presidential administrations, beginning with the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting in Geneva on November 20, 1985, which led to the end of the Cold War. Wine & Spirits Magazine has named Iron Horse Sparkling Winery of the Year nine times. From the beginning, Robert Parker has said, “These impressive Sparkling Wines…possess more texture and flavor than just about any sparkler I have tasted from California.”
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
We love Iron Horse, and still remember our visit to the winery a few years ago. Love brut rosé, but have to pass this time. I’m sure it’s a memorable wine, but right now the Gruet brut rosé is just too good for the price, and I have a few left. I hope we see Iron Horse again sooner rather than later!
Relative newbie here…how does the law of diminishing returns affect wine and wine tasting? I bought the mixed case of Iron Horse a while back. Very impressed with the Pinot Noir, but couldn’t say I noticed too much difference in the sparklers from some other offerings on Casemates (although my wife really liked one of the white sparklers–sorry to say I can’t remember which one). That isn’t to say they weren’t very, very good, I am just wondering how much improvement can one expect above a certain price point–and how developed must one’s palate be to appreciate the difference. We used to think $10-$12 per bottle of wine was expensive. Casemates has brought us to appreciate wines in the $15-20 range (casemates prices) . This is clearly a step or two up from there. What can/could we expect to be different from, say, Gruet sparkling rose? I realize personal preference plays a big part. I will order at least two bottles just to try something this different from our usual. I would hate to miss out on a case if it is going to be a transformational experience (one particular bottle of the Winesmith Faux Chablis vertical really changed our minds about what could be done with pairing foods and wines, and how the flavors could be complimented and enhanced).
And, how long could one cellar a case of this? Our eldest graduates from college in a year and a half, and I don’t know if any of the Furthermore sparklers will be left at that point Thanks in advance for all of your input.
@gillisr Iron Horse bubblies can age for at least 10 years generally. I recently opened a 2007 and 2009 bottle and they were excellent. Don’t even start worrying about age-worthiness until 3+ years.
As for your other question about wine pricing vs “quality”, that’s much harder. I think that as you get from the (SRP) $5 range through the $30 range you tend to get increased quality commensurate with the price increase. Once you’re at the $50 range and above you’re really talking about thing that are largely not about “quality” but more about uniqueness, exclusivity, celebrity, grape sourcing, and other factors (both agricultural and marketing) that can bring wine into that stratosphere. But even down at the $5 level almost all the wine is, as rpm has called it, “sound commercial wine” - i.e. it’s perfectly fine, but it’s not made to be interesting or to age. It’s made to drink early and “yummy”.
Some places charge more simply because they can, not because the wine is more expensive to produce, for example. While other wines are truly more expensive to produce. Take Cabernet, for example. You want to get some from Napa Valley and the fruit will cost $10k+ per ton - more if it’s from one of the famous vineyards. But drive an hour south to Lodi and you can get it for 10-20% of that price. That’s why it’s hard to find Napa Cabernet under $30-35. But move to France and you can’t possibly argue that it costs 10x as much to produce a bottle of Mouton Rothschild than the wine from next door.
@klezman@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Thanks to everyone for their replies. It really helps bring my purchase decision into focus. My wife and I really enjoy trying new things in the wine world, but “new” puts them in the “treat” category more often than the “daily” (or monthly, for us) category (thanks, @rjquillin). And I now have a better understanding of the pricing structure of wines, and why we might prefer the $15-$20 Casemate wines to the equal or lesser priced offerings at the local store. (thanks, @klezman). So, I am going in for a two pack as a treat for my wife and me (thanks, @winedavid49 and Joy). I usually splurge on one expensive case per year, just because. The mixed cases give us a little more variety at that cost level. Since we don’t have much experience with expensive wines, spreading the cost over two, three or four varieties hoping to find one or two that really suit us. I am sure this case would be among our favorites, but we still have to get the youngster through that next year and a half…there is a real chance he will be the first person with his level of disability and need for medical supervision to graduate from this particular upstate NY university after living in the dorms for all four years. Not many colleges and universities would have provided the equipment and support to even attempt this. After that, we will be in the mood for more bubbly
Dear Casemates Friends, I would like to make a special toast today to all of you. Some of us go back to Woot days! I am so pleased and proud to be part of this wonderful community. Gratitude is the perfect wine for how I am feeling. My family joins me in wishing you all our very best. Please make it one of your New Decade Resolutions to come taste with us! Sending love, Joy
@JoySterling thank you Joy! We love you!
Merry Christmas everyone!
@JoySterling @Winedavid49 Thanks for the gift, Joy!
@JoySterling I think many of us do actually.
Joy, all my best and good tidings to you and your parents. It’s always a treat to visit.
@JoySterling
Thank you for everything you have done for us, both on the old site as well as here. It has always been a treat for us to dine with you and your wonderful parents during our RPM Tours. Their home is always warm and lovely.
We still talk about the Iron Horse Cab Franc!
Hopefully, there will be another tour in 2020.
tl;dr - yummy, nice yeasty and bready aromas and a relatively rich dosage make this a rather gulpable and delicious bubbly.
I was surprised to see a 4 pound box show up on UPS MyChoice at the same time as my Virage Rosé order. I wondered if they decided to extend the 10 days of Christmas or something. And then I noticed it was sent Express rather than Ground - and that can only mean one thing: rat bottle!
On opening the rather heavy single bottle-sized package, I realized that Ariana did extend the 10 days of Christmas with a bottle of Iron Horse! A quick email confirmed that a) Ariana was sick (hope you’re feeling better!) and b) the offer was the Casemates community Christmas present.
So tonight, with friends over and the traditional Jewish Christmas Eve feast of Chinese food, we started our evening with a bottle of 2014 Iron Horse Gratitude.
Taking a first pour, despite the description on the label, the wine was reasonably gold coloured with just a hint of pink. Not sure I’d call it a rosé just by looking at it.
The aromas are quite enticing - bread, yeast, raspberry, cherry, and maybe some red apple. Actually one of the more aromatic bottles of Iron Horse I’ve tried.
The palate is fairly rich, a little drier than the regular Classic Vintage Brut. More citrus, less red fruit. Some herbs come into the equation as well. This goes down very easily, quite delicious, but didn’t stop and make me think or try to sort out all the wine’s complexities. Finish is fairly short, mostly citrus, but this is also a pretty young bottle, and I’d expect 2-4 years in bottle would br quite nice to this cuvée.
I thought this could show better at a higher temperature, and that was a correct assessment. Letting it come up to what I think was the 50-55 degree range made this sing much more than at fridge temperature. Nothing particularly new in terms of flavours, but more of the aromatics showed up on the palate while I found the balance to be superior at that temperature.
I’m very curious how this will age and would be very interested to try a couple bottles 2 and 5 years down the road.
If you’re an Iron Horse fan you’ve probably already hit the “buy” button. If not, this is a nice way to get an exclusive bottling at a significant reduction. It’s still rather expensive at $42/bottle, even with the excellent discount that WD managed to get Joy to agree to (thanks, you two!), but value is in the eye of the beholder.
Merry Christmas indeed! And Hanukkah Sameach!
/giphy furry-virtuous-frostbite
@MarkDaSpark Celebrate everything!
Joy to the World! Indeed many happy tastings and get-together so in Sebastopol. Thanks for the wonderful hospitality all of these years!
@woopdedoo BTW: It is already Boxing Day here in Sydney as we get ready to return to the States.
@woopdedoo Hoping to see you here in 2020!
Resistance is futile.
@karenhynes Cheers!
What a lovely surprise to be a lab rat for this wonderful sparkler! Lucky us, it was 65 degrees here t’day so we sat out in the sun and enjoyed part of this Iron Horse wine, and I’m finishing the rest of it now.
I asked for more from him and he said, “really really juicy”. Le sigh.
The color is the palest of pale, slightly salmon/pink. First sip - apples galore on the palate and on the nose. Not a hint of biscuit or butter, and it’s definitely not what I’d call “creamy”. My sipping partner, a former winemaker and viticulture instruction was very profound in his assessment… “ooooh Juicy!!!”
after a few moments, the berries really came forward, and the wine continues to be showing good crispness and lots of red berry and apple, and really zero creamy finish. The finish is more wine-ey.
The second glass really begged for food, but alas neither of us wanted to go back to the house, so I dreamed of smoked salmon or one of those fruit bloom things people give you on holidays. I’m enjoying the final glass of it now and must say on day 2 it’s still delicious, showing bright raspberry and a very fine, wine-ish finish with a hint of honey, just barely there. This is not a cheap wine, but I’m very much enjoying it and figure it’s probably a steal-deal in the $40s and I’d very much like to have a few more of them lying around. Salut!! and Merry Ho Ho!
@tastebud Thank you for your beautiful tasting notes! I’m happy with “juicy”. “Yummy” also seems apt.
Goodness, meaningfully cheaper than my club shipment.
@michaepf Shhhhhhhhh!
@JoySterling It’s okay – I found Iron Horse via Woot long ago! Hopefully this offer will help introduce you to other new folks as well
@Winedavid49
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah
playful-exalted-popcorn
I have a few available…
@rjquillin I’ll take a couple from you if available.
@rjquillin I would also take 2 if you are willing
@rjquillin Yeah, I can take a couple, too. It was really yummy.
Six allocated. Case closed. Thanks all.
@rjquillin
These arrived and can make it to cortot next week.
I have two each for @cortot @klezman and @davirom
Send via Sherpa or hold in SD for later delivery/pickup?
@davirom @klezman @rjquillin I’ll take mine and others if they want me to hold.
@CorTot @davirom @rjquillin doesn’t matter to me
@winedavid49
Well done!
LOL Ya’ll think my December budget will go “oh sure, $500 a case”? Nah, ya’ll’ve been dipping into the nog early here.
@Jamileigh17 It all depends on whether the total cost is what motivates you tonight or the opportunity for a discount on a wine that normally sees no discounts.
@Jamileigh17
The immediate assumption of
In for a case- or none at all!
is a common thought process.
@apathy0 Lol. They do call this place case-mates! It’s funny, when there’s a significant case discount I usually balk at the thought of buying the smaller quantity. This one, I’m considering. I still need to use that $5 coupon, after all.
@Jamileigh17 @klezman
My thoughts exactly.
See the above screen caps from the IH site.
A 33%+ discount on a bottle will get my attention, especially if it’s a good bottle and includes shipping.
Really do need to drink more bubblies.
@Jamileigh17 @klezman @rjquillin Please make it your New Decade Resolution to drink more bubbles!
@klezman Fair, but I’m self employed and $500 is a lot, especially this time of year. If I were someone who had the patience to wait years to drink wine and wanted to stash it fit special occasions, that’d be one thing. But at 48 per bottle, I’d have to have a very special occasion in mind.
@Jamileigh17 Oh, I totally get it. It’s an expensive bottle for just about anybody. $500 is a lot for just about anybody as well.
@Jamileigh17 @klezman definitely out of my price range right after Christmas too, but that’s why there’s a new deal every few days! I’ve definitely splurged on some deals here, and this is a worthy splurge. I’ll be sipping on some gruet for now though
Instabuy.
I just finished telling someone today that I learned from Joy that bubbly should be cellared standing up. At least I think I did?
@aces219 You’ll get opinions and arguments on both sides of the matter for storing wine upright vs horizontal, be it still or sparkling. Seems to be more opinions of late that upright gets the nod for both. Here’s one article, there’s a million more:
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/06/storing-wine-on-its-side-is-bullsht-says-scientist/
@aces219 @kaolis
Seems the comments are rather negative w/r/t this ‘study’. But I too seem to recall hearing it matters less with bubbly.
@JoySterling , what are your and David’s practices?
@aces219 @kaolis @rjquillin What a worthwhile debate! Especially with (I hope) a case of Gratitude on its way to you. Short term, standing up is fine. Long term, I would lay it on its side. In the fridge, however it will fit … even diagonally. Cheers!
@aces219 @JoySterling @kaolis
I assure you a case in on the way. Ordered ~10 minutes after the offer went live.
Thanks for your confirming your practice at the winery. Just curious, how far back vintage wise do you have bottles still at your facility?
@aces219 @kaolis @rjquillin Wonderful question. Thank you! Our current, oldest bubbly is 2005 Joy! Blanc de Blancs in magnum, aged 13 years en tirgae. We also have a 2011 Brut Rose LD, aged eight years.
@aces219 @JoySterling @rjquillin
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=166697
fwiw
Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude Sparkling Rosé
2 bottles for $89.99 $44.99/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $499.99 $41.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2014 Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude
Love us some Iron Horse! In for 2, wish we could afford a case though!
Thanks Casemates and Joy!
@ern1 'Tis I who thanks you!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Iron Horse Vineyards Gratitude Sparkling Rosé - $40 = 7.39%
@chipgreen Except that we also charge shipping and tax at full price.
@chipgreen @JoySterling Good point! chipgreen’s post is just a frame of reference for the prices within Casemates, comparing the case price vs. the 2-bottle price.
@InFrom @JoySterling
What @InFrom said! This is a very nice discount of approximately 34% off retail (before shipping), then an additional 7% off that for those who buy at the case price vs. the 2 bottle price.
Thank you, Joy!
/giphy cherubic-yummy-gremlin
Happy Holidays!
Worth the hassle of driving to the UPS hub…
/giphy shimmering-green-fruitcake
Joy to the World!
@chipgreen Thank you!!! The bottle says it all.
Broke people should not be subjected to this yummy offer. It is torture folks
@ttboy23 What’s your pleasure? If I grabbed a case would you like some?
@kasandrae I can always help out!
I’ve got a case coming if any DsM peeps want a few. Autobuy for me and worth dealing with UPS for. Thanks, Joy!
Merry belated Christmas!
/giphy starry-relaxing-myrrh
Tasting Notes
By nose - rising dough, orange marmalade and baked apple. By mouth - ripe red apple, mandarin orange and hazelnut.
Food Pairing Notes
Focused and complex, this is a beautiful sparkling wine for giving thanks and supporting the wine country community after the devastating fires.
Specifications
Included In The Box
Price Comparison
$894.09/case at IronHorseVineyards
About The Winery
Winery: Iron Horse
Owners: Audrey, Barry, Joy and Laurence Sterling
Founded: 1979
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Iron Horse is one of Sonoma County’s most prestigious, small, independent, estate, family owned wineries located in cool, foggy Green Valley. Iron Horse Sparkling Wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive presidential administrations, beginning with the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting in Geneva on November 20, 1985, which led to the end of the Cold War. Wine & Spirits Magazine has named Iron Horse Sparkling Winery of the Year nine times. From the beginning, Robert Parker has said, “These impressive Sparkling Wines…possess more texture and flavor than just about any sparkler I have tasted from California.”
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 13 - Tuesday, Jan 14
/giphy scrumptious-cherubic-cheer
Merry Christmas!
@GatorFL Love your enthusiasm!!! Thank you.
We love Iron Horse, and still remember our visit to the winery a few years ago. Love brut rosé, but have to pass this time. I’m sure it’s a memorable wine, but right now the Gruet brut rosé is just too good for the price, and I have a few left. I hope we see Iron Horse again sooner rather than later!
/giphy familiar-little-tradition
I’ve missed one or two iron horse offerings and am super excited to have caught this one. Happy Holidays Casemates.
Thank you!
Relative newbie here…how does the law of diminishing returns affect wine and wine tasting? I bought the mixed case of Iron Horse a while back. Very impressed with the Pinot Noir, but couldn’t say I noticed too much difference in the sparklers from some other offerings on Casemates (although my wife really liked one of the white sparklers–sorry to say I can’t remember which one). That isn’t to say they weren’t very, very good, I am just wondering how much improvement can one expect above a certain price point–and how developed must one’s palate be to appreciate the difference. We used to think $10-$12 per bottle of wine was expensive. Casemates has brought us to appreciate wines in the $15-20 range (casemates prices) . This is clearly a step or two up from there. What can/could we expect to be different from, say, Gruet sparkling rose? I realize personal preference plays a big part. I will order at least two bottles just to try something this different from our usual. I would hate to miss out on a case if it is going to be a transformational experience (one particular bottle of the Winesmith Faux Chablis vertical really changed our minds about what could be done with pairing foods and wines, and how the flavors could be complimented and enhanced).
And, how long could one cellar a case of this? Our eldest graduates from college in a year and a half, and I don’t know if any of the Furthermore sparklers will be left at that point
Thanks in advance for all of your input.
@gillisr Iron Horse bubblies can age for at least 10 years generally. I recently opened a 2007 and 2009 bottle and they were excellent. Don’t even start worrying about age-worthiness until 3+ years.
As for your other question about wine pricing vs “quality”, that’s much harder. I think that as you get from the (SRP) $5 range through the $30 range you tend to get increased quality commensurate with the price increase. Once you’re at the $50 range and above you’re really talking about thing that are largely not about “quality” but more about uniqueness, exclusivity, celebrity, grape sourcing, and other factors (both agricultural and marketing) that can bring wine into that stratosphere. But even down at the $5 level almost all the wine is, as rpm has called it, “sound commercial wine” - i.e. it’s perfectly fine, but it’s not made to be interesting or to age. It’s made to drink early and “yummy”.
Some places charge more simply because they can, not because the wine is more expensive to produce, for example. While other wines are truly more expensive to produce. Take Cabernet, for example. You want to get some from Napa Valley and the fruit will cost $10k+ per ton - more if it’s from one of the famous vineyards. But drive an hour south to Lodi and you can get it for 10-20% of that price. That’s why it’s hard to find Napa Cabernet under $30-35. But move to France and you can’t possibly argue that it costs 10x as much to produce a bottle of Mouton Rothschild than the wine from next door.
@gillisr @klezman couldn’t have said it better. and great questions gillisr!
@gillisr @klezman @Winedavid49
Great to see Joy and our Christmas present.
This was a total no-brainer for a case and killer at this price point.
But some stiff competition from the other recent offer seems to have many tapped out on bubbles.
IH is always a treat, but the qpr on the other for a daily is mighty tough to top.
@klezman @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Thanks to everyone for their replies. It really helps bring my purchase decision into focus. My wife and I really enjoy trying new things in the wine world, but “new” puts them in the “treat” category more often than the “daily” (or monthly, for us) category (thanks, @rjquillin). And I now have a better understanding of the pricing structure of wines, and why we might prefer the $15-$20 Casemate wines to the equal or lesser priced offerings at the local store. (thanks, @klezman). So, I am going in for a two pack as a treat for my wife and me (thanks, @winedavid49 and Joy). I usually splurge on one expensive case per year, just because. The mixed cases give us a little more variety at that cost level. Since we don’t have much experience with expensive wines, spreading the cost over two, three or four varieties hoping to find one or two that really suit us. I am sure this case would be among our favorites, but we still have to get the youngster through that next year and a half…there is a real chance he will be the first person with his level of disability and need for medical supervision to graduate from this particular upstate NY university after living in the dorms for all four years. Not many colleges and universities would have provided the equipment and support to even attempt this. After that, we will be in the mood for more bubbly
/giphy crystalline-decorative-feast
@trifecta long time no see!
You have to reload multiple times for that giphy?
@rjquillin
it took a few tries to get Kate to show up
Used that coupon…
/giphy cherubic-grand-poem
/giphy freezing-tranquil-outing
