2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard, Los Carneros, Sonoma County
A boutique and elegant wine, the 2017 Kukeri Los Carneros Pinot Noir is silky in texture and complex in flavor, with dark fruit, boysenberry, plum compote, and strawberry, fusing perfectly with an exotic undertone of anise and vanilla oak. In the glass, bright light red hues, darker to the edge, and a silky-smooth tannin create a soft and luxurious mouthfeel from start to finish, balanced well with a bright acidity.
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
Juicy and delicious, the 2017 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir is silky in texture and complex in flavor, with black cherry, cranberry and rose petal, fusing perfectly with an exotic undertone of baking spice and toasty vanilla oak. In the glass, dark red hues, darker to the edge, medium weight on the palate with balanced silky mouthfeel and bright acidity. Long persistent finish.
Vintage and Winemaker’s Notes
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard, Los Carneros, Sonoma County
The grapes were handpicked in the end of September, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavors. It was fermented with native yeast for 12 days and punched down 3 times a day to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. Gently pressed and aged for 18 months into 100% French oak barrels with 25% new oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel. Only 4 barrels produced.
Due to its southern location, Los Carneros is Napa and Sonoma County’s coolest appellation with summer temperatures normally below 80 degrees. Similar to the cool climate Mount Veeder region immediately to the north, it is one of the few appellations that excels with both red and white grapes. The fruit for our 2017 Los Carneros Pinot Noir is sourced from Cornerstone Vineyard located in Los Carneros in Sonoma County. The Pinot Noir is crafted from the famed Dijon clones 115, 667, 777, which creates a wine with a dense and elegant backbone, vivid fruit and floral aromatics.
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
The grapes were handpicked in the end of September, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavors. It was fermented with ‘prise de mousse’ yeast for 14 days and punched down 3 times a day to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. Gently pressed and aged for 18 months into 100% French oak barrels with 30% new oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel. Only 7 barrels produced.
The 2017 Kukeri Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is coming from Lakeville vineyard, located of the Lakeville Highway in the heart of the Petaluma Gap, carved by winds, with over 500 feet elevation, which creates a unique micro-climate. The wine is crafted 100% from the famed Martini clone of Pinot Noir, which creates a wine with a soft and elegant backbone, and ripe, and often jammy fruit.
Specifications
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Appellation: Los Carneros, Sonoma County
Barrel Regime: 18 months in 100% French oak barrels with 25% new oak
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.65
Production: 105 cases
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir, Martini Clone
Appellation: Petaluma Gap, Sonoma County
Barrel Regime: 18 months, 100% French oak barrels with 30% new oak
Winery: Kukeri Wines
Founder: Petar Kirilov
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Petar Kirilov, founder and winemaker of Kukeri Wines, grew up in Bulgaria, and graduated from the prestigious University of Food Technologies with a master’s degree in winemaking. He has worked at Truchard Vineyards, Meadowcroft Wines and Foyt Wines as a winemaker and created Kukeri Wines to focus on the production of small-lot quality wines from single vineyards.
Kukeri Wines source grapes from some of the most unusual vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. “We treat that fruit as gently as possible, producing small lots of quality wines that display the complexity, power, finesse, and specific terroir of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Mount Veeder, and Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap, Los Carneros, and Russian River Valley.”
Kukeri refers to a pagan Bulgarian ritual that may date back as far as 8,000 years to the ancient Thracians – and to Dionysus, the god associated with wine, fertility, and rebirth. The festival is replete with mystical symbolism, steeped as it is in a tradition representing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Kukeri Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs - $70 = 25.91%
Petar got his enology degree in Bulgaria in the 90s, so he already knew his stuff when he arrived in the U.S… He joined my winemaking team in the early 2000’s where we made the WineSmith wines together for many years. He is smart, funny, hard working and totally dedicated to his craft. His object is to make balanced, European style wines with structural integrity and longevity potential but also delicious drinking in the moment. This is no small undertaking.
In this pair, you have both sides of that coin. The 2017 Cornerstone is the more approachable of the two, with a ribbon candy / plum nose typical of Carneros, accented with toffee and Asian spice from well-chosen French oak. Silky in the mouth, it glides across the palate, finishes with a kiss of spicy espresso and lingers in an aftertaste full of lilac and hibiscus. Thoroughly drinkable now, it is so well put together that I would confidently lay it down for 5-8 years at the minimum. I’d recommend it as a perfect wine for salmon.
The 2017 Lakeville Vineyard is a much more substantial wine with solid tannins and serious aging potential, as one would expect from the Petaluma Gap’s cool, windy microclimate and rocky soils. To enjoy this today requires you aerate the wine – I just decant it and give it a good shake. The nose is full of cocoa, orange peel, and the sandalwood mark of the Martini clone, promising much in years to come. The mouth is dense and muscular – picture Schwarzenegger in a nice tux – but serves up its rich flavors with generosity and grace. Its optimum drinking window may be a decade away, by which time it will probably prove to be the better of the pair, but I would serve it with grilled duck breast right now.
I must say that either one of these is worth the $45. To get both for that price is an amazing deal, and given grape prices for Sonoma Pinot, I can’t see how he does it.
@rjquillin@Winedavid49@winesmith
And no IL shipping…sadness for me.
Alas, I have no doubt there will be other equaling compelling offers leading up to the holidays, but damn, these sound tasty.
@chipgreen@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Agreed, brown blows, and no good spot for me to pick up or hold. Looks like no shipping months are Jan - Dec?
I have a little homework to do, but think I’m screwed
@chipgreen@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Well, I’m basically out of IL to a state that’s a little more friendly. However, just confirmed my closest UPS Hold location is 90 minutes easy each way on a good day, which are few and far between. Bummer, that pretty much does it for me.
I have a “friendly” driver where I’m at, but it’s not always his route, so can’t depend on that.
@rjquillinResistance is futile …WineSmith…has spoken.
Well it’s been what 2 years, and I have both splits to go out and come in. I have no idea what the staunch of limitations is on a CaseMates split. I’m willing to share the case I just ordered. Who knows maybe 2020 is the golden year of redemption. trashy-onerous-paste
@PLSemenza@rjquillin I’ve got stuff pending from Ron from multiple years. A few more recent things pending from @funnywontons and @i8dacat. Just need to get a gathering going!
@rjquillin Yeah, you’re holding several bottles for me that I really need to pick up. Whisper me if you’ve lost my contact info. Iirc, I’ve picked up from your worksite before…
Also am intrigued by this offer, depending on others interest in it.
I was the lucky recipient of an email from Ariana last week telling me to expect the Brown Truck to drop something off. It arrived yesterday and I was happy to see a bottle of Kukeri Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir waiting for me, particularly since molarchae and I drink much Pinot and it’s a house favourite. On to the notes.
PnP:
Appearance: Reddish purple, fades to clear at the edge, medium colour density, clear and brilliant. No visible sediment.
Aromas: Hints of alcohol here and there (14.2% listed), sappy red berries, mint, earth/mushroom, and flowers. Quite interesting, but the occasional astringent aroma isn’t my favourite.
Flavour: Darker than I’d guess based on the aromas, more plum than cherries. Hint of strawberry. Lots of mint, almost overwhelmingly so. A bit of astringency, but a nice acidity that makes the mouth water to go along with the medium weight palate and nice glycerine feel.
Finish: More mint. Hints of wood (stems? oak?) and smoke. More herbs.
Initial impression is that this would go best with food, as the mint and alcohol combo calls pretty strongly for it. It’s in an interesting place between the light and elegant style and the big bold new world style. This would probably do well with 2-3 years in the cellar, and some air to help it open up.
After an hour in the glass it’s not that different, surprisingly enough. The finish has a bit more bite and smoke, and the minty quality has backed off a touch. The palate has rounded out a bit, too.
Returning to it over the course of this evening, we’re now at 4.5 hours after opening. Just a slow-ox in the bottle and lots of swirling in the glass. It certainly opened up and softened over the time it’s been open. We didn’t have a pair-worthy dinner so I’ll skip that part, as I just avoided wine with the spicy food.
It was really after about 3 hours where it changed significantly, losing the strong minty notes I mentioned above and reverting to a more jammy/sappy fruit, but I didn’t detect any additional complexity with the added aeration time.
Sipping on the last bits of my last glass now, and it’s certainly come together. Tannins have softened, the texture has remained silky with some of that glycerine mouthfeel. Finish has lengthened (always a good sign) and gotten more complex (also a good sign). Having seen Clark’s notes already, I think this is where I start to get sandalwood.
According to molarchae:
-This goes great with crying baby
-This is tasty and I’d happily drink more
For me, I wish this was held longer before release, but I get it that the economics of that are not usually in the winery’s favour. I’m glad I gave it all evening, because it was a little rough until it had some air. I doubt you’d find many Pinot Noirs that offer qpr like this at the case price. It takes a place like casemates to make that sort of thing happen.
@klezman@rpm I also got the 2016 Pinot and the Cabernet last year. Both are now on my autobuy list…some of the best qpr I have had on this site. Since I live in Illinois, I ship to a friend in Indiana. Gives me a reason to drive over to pickup and have a glass of wine.
@gatwood No response from gatwood! I could order and have it delivered to South Dakota, and then do a 2-way or 3-way split the next time I get to the Twin Cities. Does that work for you?
@kaolis@Mark_L my go-to Walgreens FedEx hold site is 2 minutes from my house and I drive by it several times per week. I just checked, and UPS has hold locations at CVS and Michael’s here in MO. The closest is a 10-12 minutes drive out of my way, but very do-able for my location.
@Mark_L@TimW You may want to confirm that the CVS and Michaels will accept wine to hold. I also have similar UPS hold locations nearby, but they will not hold wine. I’m told per UPS that the Customer Center, 90 minutes away, is the only location that holds alcohol. Hope I’m wrong but doesn’t look like it.
And a side note I’m pretty sure you have to be a UPS MyChoice member to work the holds. Which I am
@Mark_L@rjquillin@TimW talking about UPS hold locations? It’s on the UPS website, I’ll find the link. And I believe you have to be a UPS MyChoice member to work the holds. There are two levels of MyChoice members. I pay nothing but think then there is a fee for some hold options but not for holding at a Customer Center. I’ll dig it up. But it’s early. And Thanksgiving, enjoy!!
@kaolis@rjquillin@TimW I had been looking forward to being in MO as probably 98+% of the offers will ship to this state. However, with the switch to UPS, I have ZERO choice but to be home to receive the shipment (the UPS map does not even show a Customer Center for my zip code). With FedEx, there would have been a Walgreens about 30 minutes away that I might have used if needed. As most others, I see the change to UPS as a HUGE negative and I hope that @Winedavid49 reconsiders or comes up with another option.
"Premium vs Free My Choice Membership
Currently, there is a free membership or premium service that costs $40 per year. Premium members receive two free confirmed 2-hour delivery window requests each year. Non-premium members will pay an additional $8 fee for each delivery window request.
Premium members can also upgrade all UPS SurePost packages to UPS ground at no cost and on an automated basis. UPS SurePost is the service with USPS being the final delivery method, this is much slower than UPSground. Free membership users are charged $3.50 per package for this ground upgrade.
Upgrading from SmartPost to ground means your shipments stay within the UPS ground network and not handed over to USPS for final delivery, this will also lessen the possibility of damage or package loss."
I’m not sure on the need to be a MyChoice member to hold wine at a Customer Center, but that’s how I did it in IL where the Customer Center was a reasonable drive. No fee for that, five business day hold similar to FedEx.
Can you hold my packages while I’m away? Yes, we can hold your
eligible packages at The UPS Store, a UPS customer center, a UPS
Access Point™ location, or at one of our partner retail locations.
The key word above is “eligible”, because UPS (unlike FedEx) does not consider a wine package to be eligible for hold at anything “below” their customer centers. For me, that would mean a 1.5 hour round trip, and hardly worth the time & gas.
Greetings, Case-mates!
Let me introduce myself. For those of you who don’t know, Kukeri Wines is focusing on producing small lot wines, mainly sub-appellation Sonoma Pinot Noir’s, Napa Cabs and red blends. In the past we have offered a few of our wines here and probably some of you have had a chance to taste and enjoy them.
Thanks to the Casemates team, we are proud to offer this community two of our signature Pinot Noirs, and thanks to Clark Smith (@WineSmith) for the great Lab Rat Report on both wines:
“In this pair, you have both sides of that coin. The 2017 Cornerstone is the more approachable of the two, with a ribbon candy / plum nose typical of Carneros, accented with toffee and Asian spice from well-chosen French oak. Silky in the mouth, it glides across the palate, finishes with a kiss of spicy espresso and lingers in an aftertaste full of lilac and hibiscus. Thoroughly drinkable now, it is so well put together that I would confidently lay it down for 5-8 years at the minimum. I’d recommend it as a perfect wine for salmon.
The 2017 Lakeville Vineyard is a much more substantial wine with solid tannins and serious aging potential, as one would expect from the Petaluma Gap’s cool, windy microclimate and rocky soils. To enjoy this today requires you aerate the wine – I just decant it and give it a good shake. The nose is full of cocoa, orange peel, and the sandalwood mark of the Martini clone, promising much in years to come. The mouth is dense and muscular – picture Schwarzenegger in a nice tux – but serves up its rich flavors with generosity and grace. Its optimum drinking window may be a decade away, by which time it will probably prove to be the better of the pair, but I would serve it with grilled duck breast right now.” @WineSmith November, 2019
I have worked with Clark in the past, helping make WineSmith wines and certainly enjoyed that time and learned a lot from him, for which I am very thankful.
As Clark describe the 2017 Kukeri Cornerstone Los Carneros Pinot Noir is more approachable and ready to drink now, but my personal favorite is the 2017 Lakeville Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, bold and intense, currently a little bit closed, but after decanting you can really see the beauty and complexity of this wine.
Both Pinot’s will age well, or enjoy now for the holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone and Thank you for your support!
Given the limited nature of production yeah I’ll take a case. Pinot isn’t may fave, but in the years of buying from wine.woot and casemates, they’ve all been very good to flat out awesome.
UPS handed me a box with the more approachable of the two Pinot Noirs currently being offered.
It’s the excellent Pinot Noir from Kukeri’s Cornerstone Vineyard. I let it rest a bit, and then poured a glass for dinner. Initially, it was unremarkable, but gained solid flavor and aroma as the evening wore on.
A second glass today was much improved, and I’d recommend it for a nice addition to your cellar.
With the magic of a time machine, I’ve added the following note:
If you buy, let it rest for a couple of years or so. It seemed young, and would benefit from a couple of years of sleep. It’s an excellent value, especially if you can give it the time to mature.
@Shrdlu I have had and have the 2016 Cornerstone and agree with your comments on the 2017 in how I feel about the 16, I expect it to benefit with another year or two in my cellar.
I would be picking up a case of the 2017 if shipping hadn’t changed but unfortunately for me UPS just doesn’t work for my situation.
@theglassrat Sounds good! I’m ordering now and will let you know when it arrives - whisper me your contact. If anyone else wants a bottle or 2, let me know!
@carl669@illcommunicator@radiolysis My guess is it will come tomorrow. My Kukeri shipment was missed the 1st day, I was home right then the 2nd and got the other envelope same time, which being non-alcohol could have been delivered day before. So putting on my Hardy Boys hat, I believe little gifts were mailed out day after wine.
The gift I received was not-super-premium-high-cost, but a nice bit of casemates merch to add to my collection, making me by far the coolest casemates kid on the block at this point.
2017 Kukeri Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs
Tasting Notes
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard, Los Carneros, Sonoma County
A boutique and elegant wine, the 2017 Kukeri Los Carneros Pinot Noir is silky in texture and complex in flavor, with dark fruit, boysenberry, plum compote, and strawberry, fusing perfectly with an exotic undertone of anise and vanilla oak. In the glass, bright light red hues, darker to the edge, and a silky-smooth tannin create a soft and luxurious mouthfeel from start to finish, balanced well with a bright acidity.
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
Juicy and delicious, the 2017 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir is silky in texture and complex in flavor, with black cherry, cranberry and rose petal, fusing perfectly with an exotic undertone of baking spice and toasty vanilla oak. In the glass, dark red hues, darker to the edge, medium weight on the palate with balanced silky mouthfeel and bright acidity. Long persistent finish.
Vintage and Winemaker’s Notes
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard, Los Carneros, Sonoma County
The grapes were handpicked in the end of September, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavors. It was fermented with native yeast for 12 days and punched down 3 times a day to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. Gently pressed and aged for 18 months into 100% French oak barrels with 25% new oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel. Only 4 barrels produced.
Due to its southern location, Los Carneros is Napa and Sonoma County’s coolest appellation with summer temperatures normally below 80 degrees. Similar to the cool climate Mount Veeder region immediately to the north, it is one of the few appellations that excels with both red and white grapes. The fruit for our 2017 Los Carneros Pinot Noir is sourced from Cornerstone Vineyard located in Los Carneros in Sonoma County. The Pinot Noir is crafted from the famed Dijon clones 115, 667, 777, which creates a wine with a dense and elegant backbone, vivid fruit and floral aromatics.
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
The grapes were handpicked in the end of September, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavors. It was fermented with ‘prise de mousse’ yeast for 14 days and punched down 3 times a day to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. Gently pressed and aged for 18 months into 100% French oak barrels with 30% new oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel. Only 7 barrels produced.
The 2017 Kukeri Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is coming from Lakeville vineyard, located of the Lakeville Highway in the heart of the Petaluma Gap, carved by winds, with over 500 feet elevation, which creates a unique micro-climate. The wine is crafted 100% from the famed Martini clone of Pinot Noir, which creates a wine with a soft and elegant backbone, and ripe, and often jammy fruit.
Specifications
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Cornerstone Vineyard
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard
Included in the Box
12-bottles:
2-bottles:
Price Comparison
$549.82 for Case at Kukeri Wines
About The Winery
Winery: Kukeri Wines
Founder: Petar Kirilov
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Petar Kirilov, founder and winemaker of Kukeri Wines, grew up in Bulgaria, and graduated from the prestigious University of Food Technologies with a master’s degree in winemaking. He has worked at Truchard Vineyards, Meadowcroft Wines and Foyt Wines as a winemaker and created Kukeri Wines to focus on the production of small-lot quality wines from single vineyards.
Kukeri Wines source grapes from some of the most unusual vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. “We treat that fruit as gently as possible, producing small lots of quality wines that display the complexity, power, finesse, and specific terroir of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Mount Veeder, and Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap, Los Carneros, and Russian River Valley.”
Kukeri refers to a pagan Bulgarian ritual that may date back as far as 8,000 years to the ancient Thracians – and to Dionysus, the god associated with wine, fertility, and rebirth. The festival is replete with mystical symbolism, steeped as it is in a tradition representing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, December 19th - Monday, December 23rd
Kukeri Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs
2 bottles for $44.99 $22.50/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Cornerstone
2017 Lakeville
Do we have to wait for the video release, or can we just get the trailer this evening?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Kukeri Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs - $70 = 25.91%
Petar got his enology degree in Bulgaria in the 90s, so he already knew his stuff when he arrived in the U.S… He joined my winemaking team in the early 2000’s where we made the WineSmith wines together for many years. He is smart, funny, hard working and totally dedicated to his craft. His object is to make balanced, European style wines with structural integrity and longevity potential but also delicious drinking in the moment. This is no small undertaking.
In this pair, you have both sides of that coin. The 2017 Cornerstone is the more approachable of the two, with a ribbon candy / plum nose typical of Carneros, accented with toffee and Asian spice from well-chosen French oak. Silky in the mouth, it glides across the palate, finishes with a kiss of spicy espresso and lingers in an aftertaste full of lilac and hibiscus. Thoroughly drinkable now, it is so well put together that I would confidently lay it down for 5-8 years at the minimum. I’d recommend it as a perfect wine for salmon.
The 2017 Lakeville Vineyard is a much more substantial wine with solid tannins and serious aging potential, as one would expect from the Petaluma Gap’s cool, windy microclimate and rocky soils. To enjoy this today requires you aerate the wine – I just decant it and give it a good shake. The nose is full of cocoa, orange peel, and the sandalwood mark of the Martini clone, promising much in years to come. The mouth is dense and muscular – picture Schwarzenegger in a nice tux – but serves up its rich flavors with generosity and grace. Its optimum drinking window may be a decade away, by which time it will probably prove to be the better of the pair, but I would serve it with grilled duck breast right now.
I must say that either one of these is worth the $45. To get both for that price is an amazing deal, and given grape prices for Sonoma Pinot, I can’t see how he does it.
@winesmith
@winedavid49 should have had @winesmith write tasting notes for yesterday’s offer…
Hi Clark…Happy Thanksgiving!
@karenhynes @Winedavid49 @winesmith
Now that’s funny!
@rjquillin @Winedavid49 @winesmith
And no IL shipping…sadness for me.
Alas, I have no doubt there will be other equaling compelling offers leading up to the holidays, but damn, these sound tasty.
@karenhynes @Winedavid49 @winesmith
Well, duh, it was Clark with the
@winesmith Clark, you helped me make good sense out of what I was perceiving. Thanks!
@karenhynes @rjquillin @Winedavid49 @winesmith Agreed! Although my holiday spending limit appreciates IL not being on the list, I’d gladly welcome them as stocking stuffers…
Oh, there’s the lump of coal!
@chipgreen @winedavid49
So how do we split the lump of coal?
@chipgreen @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Agreed, brown blows, and no good spot for me to pick up or hold. Looks like no shipping months are Jan - Dec?
I have a little homework to do, but think I’m screwed
@chipgreen @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Well, I’m basically out of IL to a state that’s a little more friendly. However, just confirmed my closest UPS Hold location is 90 minutes easy each way on a good day, which are few and far between. Bummer, that pretty much does it for me.
I have a “friendly” driver where I’m at, but it’s not always his route, so can’t depend on that.
As much as I dislike brown, anyone want to SoCal split?
@rjquillin Resistance is futile …WineSmith…has spoken.
Well it’s been what 2 years, and I have both splits to go out and come in. I have no idea what the staunch of limitations is on a CaseMates split. I’m willing to share the case I just ordered. Who knows maybe 2020 is the golden year of redemption.
trashy-onerous-paste
@rjquillin it does look some what intriguing but no on the split.
@PLSemenza @rjquillin I’ve got stuff pending from Ron from multiple years. A few more recent things pending from @funnywontons and @i8dacat. Just need to get a gathering going!
@funnywontons @i8dacat @klezman @PLSemenza
Yes, I really need to divest of bottles for others!
Some I’ve just lost contact with.
Whisper me your info.
Except you Klez, I have your address…
@rjquillin Yeah, you’re holding several bottles for me that I really need to pick up. Whisper me if you’ve lost my contact info. Iirc, I’ve picked up from your worksite before…
Also am intrigued by this offer, depending on others interest in it.
I was the lucky recipient of an email from Ariana last week telling me to expect the Brown Truck to drop something off. It arrived yesterday and I was happy to see a bottle of Kukeri Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir waiting for me, particularly since molarchae and I drink much Pinot and it’s a house favourite. On to the notes.
2017 Kukeri Pinot Noir, Lakeville Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast
PnP:
Appearance: Reddish purple, fades to clear at the edge, medium colour density, clear and brilliant. No visible sediment.
Aromas: Hints of alcohol here and there (14.2% listed), sappy red berries, mint, earth/mushroom, and flowers. Quite interesting, but the occasional astringent aroma isn’t my favourite.
Flavour: Darker than I’d guess based on the aromas, more plum than cherries. Hint of strawberry. Lots of mint, almost overwhelmingly so. A bit of astringency, but a nice acidity that makes the mouth water to go along with the medium weight palate and nice glycerine feel.
Finish: More mint. Hints of wood (stems? oak?) and smoke. More herbs.
Initial impression is that this would go best with food, as the mint and alcohol combo calls pretty strongly for it. It’s in an interesting place between the light and elegant style and the big bold new world style. This would probably do well with 2-3 years in the cellar, and some air to help it open up.
After an hour in the glass it’s not that different, surprisingly enough. The finish has a bit more bite and smoke, and the minty quality has backed off a touch. The palate has rounded out a bit, too.
Returning to it over the course of this evening, we’re now at 4.5 hours after opening. Just a slow-ox in the bottle and lots of swirling in the glass. It certainly opened up and softened over the time it’s been open. We didn’t have a pair-worthy dinner so I’ll skip that part, as I just avoided wine with the spicy food.
It was really after about 3 hours where it changed significantly, losing the strong minty notes I mentioned above and reverting to a more jammy/sappy fruit, but I didn’t detect any additional complexity with the added aeration time.
Sipping on the last bits of my last glass now, and it’s certainly come together. Tannins have softened, the texture has remained silky with some of that glycerine mouthfeel. Finish has lengthened (always a good sign) and gotten more complex (also a good sign). Having seen Clark’s notes already, I think this is where I start to get sandalwood.
According to molarchae:
-This goes great with crying baby
-This is tasty and I’d happily drink more
For me, I wish this was held longer before release, but I get it that the economics of that are not usually in the winery’s favour. I’m glad I gave it all evening, because it was a little rough until it had some air. I doubt you’d find many Pinot Noirs that offer qpr like this at the case price. It takes a place like casemates to make that sort of thing happen.
@klezman I got the 2016 case the last time it was on Casemates. Very fine wines. I’d rate this one winery’s Pinot an rpmAUTOBUY
@klezman @rpm I also got the 2016 Pinot and the Cabernet last year. Both are now on my autobuy list…some of the best qpr I have had on this site. Since I live in Illinois, I ship to a friend in Indiana. Gives me a reason to drive over to pickup and have a glass of wine.
I’m willing to purchase some bottles from anyone in the MN Twin Cities area who wants to split a case.
@gatwood I’m in - I live in South Dakota, but get to the Twin Cities about once a month, if that’s OK.
@gatwood I’d gladly buy into a MN TC split also, but can’t receive these dates. Maybe that will protect my wallet from the coming days …
@gatwood No response from gatwood! I could order and have it delivered to South Dakota, and then do a 2-way or 3-way split the next time I get to the Twin Cities. Does that work for you?
@gatwood OK, I ordered a case. Are you folks up for the split?
@coynedj Sorry for the late reply! I am still interested! I’ll take 3 or 4 bottles if you’re still willing to part with some!
@gatwood Excellent - I really don’t need a whole case! I’ll let you know when I get it and am going to be in town, and we can arrange the handoff.
Lump of coal is no Illinois
@wyk3d @winedavid49 everyone in IL getting lumps of coal.
@ChiWineOne @wyk3d That’s why I escaped to Missouri last week!
@Mark_L my escape about complete as well, but with the switch to UPS I’m pretty much done here on casemates
Enjoy your new digs!
@kaolis @Mark_L my go-to Walgreens FedEx hold site is 2 minutes from my house and I drive by it several times per week. I just checked, and UPS has hold locations at CVS and Michael’s here in MO. The closest is a 10-12 minutes drive out of my way, but very do-able for my location.
@kaolis @Mark_L @TimW How does that work there? More specifically, how does one identify a location that will provide that service? Any fees?
@Mark_L @TimW You may want to confirm that the CVS and Michaels will accept wine to hold. I also have similar UPS hold locations nearby, but they will not hold wine. I’m told per UPS that the Customer Center, 90 minutes away, is the only location that holds alcohol. Hope I’m wrong but doesn’t look like it.
And a side note I’m pretty sure you have to be a UPS MyChoice member to work the holds. Which I am
@Mark_L @rjquillin @TimW talking about UPS hold locations? It’s on the UPS website, I’ll find the link. And I believe you have to be a UPS MyChoice member to work the holds. There are two levels of MyChoice members. I pay nothing but think then there is a fee for some hold options but not for holding at a Customer Center. I’ll dig it up. But it’s early. And Thanksgiving, enjoy!!
@kaolis @rjquillin @TimW I had been looking forward to being in MO as probably 98+% of the offers will ship to this state. However, with the switch to UPS, I have ZERO choice but to be home to receive the shipment (the UPS map does not even show a Customer Center for my zip code). With FedEx, there would have been a Walgreens about 30 minutes away that I might have used if needed. As most others, I see the change to UPS as a HUGE negative and I hope that @Winedavid49 reconsiders or comes up with another option.
@Mark_L @rjquillin @TimW UPS hold locations/info here:
https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/sri/store-hold.page
UPS MyChoice info here:
https://www.ups.com/us/en/services/tracking/mychoice.page
Some info on MyChoice fees:
"Premium vs Free My Choice Membership
Currently, there is a free membership or premium service that costs $40 per year. Premium members receive two free confirmed 2-hour delivery window requests each year. Non-premium members will pay an additional $8 fee for each delivery window request.
Premium members can also upgrade all UPS SurePost packages to UPS ground at no cost and on an automated basis. UPS SurePost is the service with USPS being the final delivery method, this is much slower than UPSground. Free membership users are charged $3.50 per package for this ground upgrade.
Upgrading from SmartPost to ground means your shipments stay within the UPS ground network and not handed over to USPS for final delivery, this will also lessen the possibility of damage or package loss."
I’m not sure on the need to be a MyChoice member to hold wine at a Customer Center, but that’s how I did it in IL where the Customer Center was a reasonable drive. No fee for that, five business day hold similar to FedEx.
@kaolis @rjquillin @TimW The page of your first link says,
The key word above is “eligible”, because UPS (unlike FedEx) does not consider a wine package to be eligible for hold at anything “below” their customer centers. For me, that would mean a 1.5 hour round trip, and hardly worth the time & gas.
@kaolis @Mark_L @rjquillin ruh roh…looks like u can’t reroute wine after it ships. From the UPS wine shipping FAQ https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/packaging-and-supplies/special-care-shipments/wine.page: “Wine shipments cannot be rerouted to UPS Access Point locations once in transit”. So it looks like the shipper can ship directly to Access Points, but we can’t reroute to them.
@kaolis @rjquillin @TimW Yeah. It’s really hard to find any advantages of UPS over FedEx, and the disadvantages are overwhelming.
I want a pair of these. Maybe two. This is going to be a very dangerous 10 days!
Greetings, Case-mates!
Let me introduce myself. For those of you who don’t know, Kukeri Wines is focusing on producing small lot wines, mainly sub-appellation Sonoma Pinot Noir’s, Napa Cabs and red blends. In the past we have offered a few of our wines here and probably some of you have had a chance to taste and enjoy them.
Thanks to the Casemates team, we are proud to offer this community two of our signature Pinot Noirs, and thanks to Clark Smith (@WineSmith) for the great Lab Rat Report on both wines:
“In this pair, you have both sides of that coin. The 2017 Cornerstone is the more approachable of the two, with a ribbon candy / plum nose typical of Carneros, accented with toffee and Asian spice from well-chosen French oak. Silky in the mouth, it glides across the palate, finishes with a kiss of spicy espresso and lingers in an aftertaste full of lilac and hibiscus. Thoroughly drinkable now, it is so well put together that I would confidently lay it down for 5-8 years at the minimum. I’d recommend it as a perfect wine for salmon.
The 2017 Lakeville Vineyard is a much more substantial wine with solid tannins and serious aging potential, as one would expect from the Petaluma Gap’s cool, windy microclimate and rocky soils. To enjoy this today requires you aerate the wine – I just decant it and give it a good shake. The nose is full of cocoa, orange peel, and the sandalwood mark of the Martini clone, promising much in years to come. The mouth is dense and muscular – picture Schwarzenegger in a nice tux – but serves up its rich flavors with generosity and grace. Its optimum drinking window may be a decade away, by which time it will probably prove to be the better of the pair, but I would serve it with grilled duck breast right now.” @WineSmith November, 2019
I have worked with Clark in the past, helping make WineSmith wines and certainly enjoyed that time and learned a lot from him, for which I am very thankful.
As Clark describe the 2017 Kukeri Cornerstone Los Carneros Pinot Noir is more approachable and ready to drink now, but my personal favorite is the 2017 Lakeville Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, bold and intense, currently a little bit closed, but after decanting you can really see the beauty and complexity of this wine.
Both Pinot’s will age well, or enjoy now for the holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone and Thank you for your support!
Cheers!
Petar @KukeriWines
I was all ready to push the button and found no shipping to Illinois, maybe the next good one…maybe some champagne?
Given the limited nature of production yeah I’ll take a case. Pinot isn’t may fave, but in the years of buying from wine.woot and casemates, they’ve all been very good to flat out awesome.
I’m quite late with the Lab Rat report.
UPS handed me a box with the more approachable of the two Pinot Noirs currently being offered.
It’s the excellent Pinot Noir from Kukeri’s Cornerstone Vineyard. I let it rest a bit, and then poured a glass for dinner. Initially, it was unremarkable, but gained solid flavor and aroma as the evening wore on.
A second glass today was much improved, and I’d recommend it for a nice addition to your cellar.
With the magic of a time machine, I’ve added the following note:
If you buy, let it rest for a couple of years or so. It seemed young, and would benefit from a couple of years of sleep. It’s an excellent value, especially if you can give it the time to mature.
@Shrdlu I have had and have the 2016 Cornerstone and agree with your comments on the 2017 in how I feel about the 16, I expect it to benefit with another year or two in my cellar.
I would be picking up a case of the 2017 if shipping hadn’t changed but unfortunately for me UPS just doesn’t work for my situation.
One does not not listen to Clark.
See also: this may be a dangerous 10 days.
If anyone in SW OH is interested in a few of these, let me know. While I certainly wanted more than 2 or 4 we don’t necessarily need all 12.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mystery gift, you say? In for a pair!
Northern California Bay Area case share anyone?
Anyone in NYC want to split?
@albish7 I’d gladly take half a case off your hands.
@theglassrat Sounds good! I’m ordering now and will let you know when it arrives - whisper me your contact. If anyone else wants a bottle or 2, let me know!
Happy Thanksgiving!
/giphy intangible-glittering-observation
So… Does the “secret festive gift” come separately? I only got wine in my box.
@medz I was wondering the same, my box was just wine.
Mine came in a separate envelope. Don’t get super excited
@illcommunicator ooo… a set of Casemates stickers?
@illcommunicator @radiolysis i just got my wine today. no envelope in the mail though.
@carl669 @illcommunicator @radiolysis My guess is it will come tomorrow. My Kukeri shipment was missed the 1st day, I was home right then the 2nd and got the other envelope same time, which being non-alcohol could have been delivered day before. So putting on my Hardy Boys hat, I believe little gifts were mailed out day after wine.
The gift I received was not-super-premium-high-cost, but a nice bit of casemates merch to add to my collection, making me by far the coolest casemates kid on the block at this point.
@PatrickKarcher did the envelope come via UPS? or just regular mail?
@carl669 ups guy handed me both.
@PatrickKarcher thanks… I’ll have to check our mail room tomorrow.