This voluptuos 2007 Cabernet blend - a fan favorite - has reached exuberant flavors and textures and will continue to evolve for another decade. Upon first sip, these fruit and spice characteristics overlap with subtle vanilla. Its toasty overtones are derived from the barrel-aging process in which oak from three very different regions (France, Hungary and the U.S.) is integrated into the wine. Its aromas of cherry and red raspberry commingle with spicy nutmeg and bold clove. Underlying hints of dried cranberries and fruit leather add further to its complexity. Velvety tannin and sturdy acidity give this wine a balanced mouthfeel that is at once powerful and approachable. These qualities make the 2007 vintage a wonderful complement to strong and hearty food pairings.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Moran Manor is a small family-owned vineyard, dedicated to a limited production of high-quality, blended red wines. We are located at the foot of Mt. St. Helena in Knights Valley - famous for its terroir of rocky, volcanic soil and its hot days and cool nights, which provide us with perfect growing conditions for red grapes. Our Estate vineyard is planted with the premier varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Anagram is our hand-crafted “Classic” blend.
A baby who wouldn’t sleep began the Moran family sojourn into the wine business. As a two-year-old, John Moran was impossible to get to sleep. Like a lot of parents, we tried to cure him of this by taking him for long car rides. From San Francisco, those rides always went north into some of the prime wine-growing regions of the world.
One rainy Sunday and 90 minutes out of the City, we came upon a large white Victorian home in the middle of a beautiful valley we had never before visited. Even though the rain was coming down in sheets, the house stood out like a pearl in the oyster. We began exclaiming, “Wow!” and “look at that!” (We didn’t have to worry about waking up John because he never did go to sleep.) When we reached the property, there was a large FOR SALE sign out front. The rest, as they say, is history.
We bought the house and the surrounding twelve acres and started two projects: the development of a small winery and the restoration of the house.
Today, Moran Manor is a small family-owned vineyard located in Knights Valley - a stretch of heaven between Calistoga to the East and Alexander Valley to the West. The estate is owned and operated by us - Rich and Carol Moran and our four children.
Always fascinated by older homes, we bought the property in 1996 and set about restoring the old Holmes Mansion. As we did more research about the house and the property, we discovered that as early as 1870, there had been grapes growing on the property for the production of wine. As Knights Valley is home to some of the most prestigious and coveted red wines in California, we asked ourselves, “Why not make the development a key part of our restoration?”
With the initial intent of making a Bordeaux-style blend, we planted a variety of red grape vines. Our vineyard now consists of approximately 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 10 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Petit Sirah vines. Our first vintage of Anagram, our classic red blend, was released in 2002, and we have been learning and growing and going strong ever since…
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2007 Moran Manor Anagram Red Blend - $90 = 37.49%
After the Twisted Oak mystery case, I told myself no more wine for a while until I drink down the current inventory…this looks very interesting, though. Rats will help decide if I’m already going to break my promise to myself!
Moran Manor had an offer on Wine.woot back in early February 2011. Moran Manor Knights Valley Three Pack It was a 2005 and 2006 combination. I got one set. I think I gave the 2006 as a gift to a friend who likes younger, riper Cabernet than I do, but I definitely held onto the 2005. I don’t have detailed notes, but I remember having the 2005 almost a year ago. At that point, it seemed still on the young side, very ripe and intense, still tannic. I had mixed feelings about opening it after the fact - it wasn’t fully mature yet and I would have liked to see it at maturity, but I also wasn’t sure where it was going to go if left another 3-5 years.
I was lucky enough to get a bottle of 2007 Anagram to test and report on. Rather than drink the whole bottle myself, I brought it along and shared with family who are much more wine savvy than I am, and we had an overall enjoyable time giving it a go.
After opening we let the bottle breathe for a bit before pouring into a decanter to get a good look at the color. The color is beautiful. It’s a rich purple. On first smell, you get a nose full of cherry. Second smell and we were picking up bits of spice, but cherries were still the overwhelming aroma.
When poured into glasses, this was immediately drinkable. First taste was fruity and powerful with a good mouthfeel. You get a good sense of the Cab elements right away. No overwhelming alcohol taste. It’s a powerful wine, but it’s completely approachable. Purple fruit, hints of vanilla, hints of spice, and that cherry aroma all come through. I read the wineries description to everyone and we all got a chuckle at and couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment that the wine is voluptuous. After sitting out, the wine continued to open up. After an hour or so it was still quite delicious.
We really enjoyed the bottle overall. It was powerful, but velvety. We didn’t taste it along side food, but it would do very well with steaks, pizza, red sauce and pasta, etc. The winery mentions that it will pair well with hearty foods, and I agree. While the flavor is strong and pointed, it’s also not overwhelming.
Overall, it’s delicious, it opens up well, it’s powerful but drinkable. You’re probably gonna kill a few bottles pretty quickly.
@losthighwayz $12.50 a bottle is a no brainer. That’s a stupid good deal for this one. That said, I don’t know. Hard to rate on a price value. It tastes great. It’s worth picking up 2 bottles. It’s crazy worth picking up a case.
@ChadP Do you have any well known woot/casemates wines of a similar age you could compare this with? Is it more like Ty Caton or Wellington, for example?
@ChadP No problem! It would be helpful for me and others, is all. If you also had other wines that you like/dislike to help us gauge your preferences it would be helpful.
The percentage of wines not available to Illinois on Casemates seems to be higher than it was on WineWoot. Has Illinois become more expensive licensewise for wineries or is this just bad luck for us? Becoming rather frustrating. This seems like a no-brainer for a case.
@ChiWineOne@gtcharlie Illinois is harder now. We are encouraging wineries to be licensed. will strive to include as often as possible. thanks for your patience.
@ChiWineOne@Winedavid49
Appreciate the efforts. Had an idea that it was something to do with our screwed up state. Hopefully you are successful in your efforts. Hate to see offers like this pass us by.
Also my first casemates grab. If it’s, indeed, a powerful wine, which I like a lot, for the price it seems a great option. So, 12 inbound. NOW, I need to go buy that wine fridge I’ve been thinking about .
@pseudogourmet98 agreed. I went nuts. Costco has a Magnum brand, 146-bottle wine cooler. I bought the floor model yesterday for more than half off. Now to fill it.
I don’t know what to say except I’m really sorry. I would have sworn I made this purchase on my iPad before I posted on the forum about the split.
When I came back Wednesday at 12:02am, I saw that I hadn’t successfully completed the transaction. I immediately contacted Casemates and told them about my mistake, and could I please get 5 minutes of grace for the purchase, but I was told no. No more membership for me, but that doesn’t help you get the wine I told you was coming. I’m really sorry!
For my first time ratting, I was given a bottle of 2007 Anagram. After opening, I let it sit for about an hour before I poured my first glass. The first thing I noticed was the rich purple color. The smell was also very pleasing. With the first sip I was greeted with fruit, blackberry and cherry mainly, and spice. Vanilla, black pepper, and cinnamon were some of the spices I sensed. As I let the wine roll over my tongue, the smokey taste was really well-defined, without over doing it. It seemed to be more on the mellow side with the tannins. After a few sips, you really notice how well these flavors blend and enjoy the transition between the fruits, spice, and the smokey flavor.
I did not finish the bottle the first night. On the second night, the wine was just as good as the first. Over time, it mellowed slightly, but the flavors and effects were the same as the first night.
Overall, I can see this being a very drinkable wine. It has a nice balance between the fruit, spice, and smokey flavors. I think it will be a great wine to share on the long winter nights coming soon.
Hi all, my case was delivered today. Upon attempting opening of my first bottle, the cork disintegrated. Is this a rookie flaw? Anyone else having cork issues?
@slicknik82 The flaw, dear Brutus, is not in our corks, it is in our stars.
It’s not you, it’s definitely the cork. That shouldn’t happen with a new cork, but with an older vintage, it’s not unheard of. I’ve had bad corks with WineSmiths and Wellingtons. Sometimes the winery just gets a bad batch of corks.
Were you able to get it out in pieces, or was it completely crumbled?
@InFrom It was totally crumbled. I ended up pushing it in and then pouring through cheese cloth to separate. NBD, just thought I’d mention. Any suggestion on how to do it better since it is an older cork?
@slicknik82 people often use one of those 2-pronged (“ah-so”) cork removers to ease the cork out, rather than drill a hole down the middle. That works for me sometimes, but I’m not very adept at using it. I’ve seen it done by someone more practiced than I, who made it look easy.
@InFrom@slicknik82 Ah-So style are really tricky to learn. Many times I’ve not done a proper rocking motion, thus pushing the whole cork in. But it is a lifesaver for old corks.
@radiolysis@slicknik82 I have a couple of them – one doesn’t seem to have the right tension to get a good grip on the cork. The other works pretty well.
@slicknik82 Just got my case today and had a similar experience. I had read your comments earlier so was aware of your issue, and was very careful to try to twist the cork before I extracted it. The cork was very moist, but just came apart. Fortunately, the chunk that broke off stayed in the neck and I was able to grab it. I then poured it through a Venturi. By the way, the wine is delicious!!
@slicknik82 - Ugh, same except I have just moved and am currently being scammed by a moving company who has all of my stuff including my good corkscrew, my venturi, my decanter and even cheesecloth…I stuffed the cork through the neck into the bottle and poured. Picked out all the cork I could and drank the rest. I’m sure that makes me a Neanderthal but hey, the wine was delicious. I’m having a bad cork week. (see Quadrant post).
@canonizer@slicknik82@wmhatch Yeah, I would tend to agree with that. Not only did the cork on mine crumble, but it was very moist. I will have to test this theory tonight to verify
Same issue as above, first bottle I tried crumbled the cork, second came out clean. VERY sour, more tannins than I expected. I’m half tempted to grump at CS, except I suspect it may partly be that it took the long route here because it looked like it was cooling down and then jumped back into the 80s here. Too strong of tannins for my household’s drinking preferences, but acceptable for cooking I suppose. If anyone in the Philly PA area wants to snag a couple bottles, LMK.
Reporting back so when I see this wine again I know-Turned out good in long simmering things, like pasta sauce. It needs a lot of sweetening to be adequate for sangria. Skip next time.
If someone with more experience than I could jump in – if a wine is sour, is it just “old” and poorly stored? Or a different flaw?
I’ve had “baked” wine and it was noticably burned. Raisined taste, very acidic, alcoholic, burned the throat, just bad. But it wasn’t at all what I would call sour.
@radiolysis
Oxidation and/or exposure to high temps can increase the VA (Volatile Acidity) of the wine, leading to increased levels of acetic acid which will produce a sour taste.
First bottle in - opened with an “ah-so” without issues. Wine is fantastic. A friend and Casemate who got some with me also reports back that the wine tastes great. Hopefully the rest of my bottles are the same . . .
I opened my 1st bottle last night with my Ah-So and the cork came out in one piece to reveal one delicious wine. If @Winedavid49 had another case looking for a home I’d happily take it off his hands!
@radiolysis Bummer! I broke down and bought a pair of German made ah-so’s when my cheapy did the same thing to a bottle I was really looking forward to. I’ve been happy with the quality.
Finally was able to get 2 corks out cleanly. Regular ole’ hand corkscrew and a very slow pull rocking it out. This wine is delicious even when I had to have a little cork floating.
Tasting Notes
This voluptuos 2007 Cabernet blend - a fan favorite - has reached exuberant flavors and textures and will continue to evolve for another decade. Upon first sip, these fruit and spice characteristics overlap with subtle vanilla. Its toasty overtones are derived from the barrel-aging process in which oak from three very different regions (France, Hungary and the U.S.) is integrated into the wine. Its aromas of cherry and red raspberry commingle with spicy nutmeg and bold clove. Underlying hints of dried cranberries and fruit leather add further to its complexity. Velvety tannin and sturdy acidity give this wine a balanced mouthfeel that is at once powerful and approachable. These qualities make the 2007 vintage a wonderful complement to strong and hearty food pairings.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Moran Manor is a small family-owned vineyard, dedicated to a limited production of high-quality, blended red wines. We are located at the foot of Mt. St. Helena in Knights Valley - famous for its terroir of rocky, volcanic soil and its hot days and cool nights, which provide us with perfect growing conditions for red grapes. Our Estate vineyard is planted with the premier varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Anagram is our hand-crafted “Classic” blend.
Specifications
Price Comparison
$670.30/case at Moran Manor (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Moran Manor Winery
A baby who wouldn’t sleep began the Moran family sojourn into the wine business. As a two-year-old, John Moran was impossible to get to sleep. Like a lot of parents, we tried to cure him of this by taking him for long car rides. From San Francisco, those rides always went north into some of the prime wine-growing regions of the world.
One rainy Sunday and 90 minutes out of the City, we came upon a large white Victorian home in the middle of a beautiful valley we had never before visited. Even though the rain was coming down in sheets, the house stood out like a pearl in the oyster. We began exclaiming, “Wow!” and “look at that!” (We didn’t have to worry about waking up John because he never did go to sleep.) When we reached the property, there was a large FOR SALE sign out front. The rest, as they say, is history.
We bought the house and the surrounding twelve acres and started two projects: the development of a small winery and the restoration of the house.
Today, Moran Manor is a small family-owned vineyard located in Knights Valley - a stretch of heaven between Calistoga to the East and Alexander Valley to the West. The estate is owned and operated by us - Rich and Carol Moran and our four children.
Always fascinated by older homes, we bought the property in 1996 and set about restoring the old Holmes Mansion. As we did more research about the house and the property, we discovered that as early as 1870, there had been grapes growing on the property for the production of wine. As Knights Valley is home to some of the most prestigious and coveted red wines in California, we asked ourselves, “Why not make the development a key part of our restoration?”
With the initial intent of making a Bordeaux-style blend, we planted a variety of red grape vines. Our vineyard now consists of approximately 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 10 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Petit Sirah vines. Our first vintage of Anagram, our classic red blend, was released in 2002, and we have been learning and growing and going strong ever since…
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, October 11th - Monday, October 15th
Moran Manor Anagram Red Blend
2 bottles for $39.99 $20/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2007 Moran Manor Anagram Red Blend
Where are the rats? Looks like a screaming deal on well aged wine. But it’s what’s in the bottle that counts!
@klezman agreed on all counts.
Heck yeah. I’m definitely in. Rats will help with how many
/giphy glass-special-jelly
I’m probably in for a case, anyone in PDX want some? I only need 4
@CruelMelody I would take 4
@CruelMelody I would take the other 4!
@pmarin @douglasp60 great! I ordered the case, whisper me your email or phone number and I’ll contact you when it arrives
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2007 Moran Manor Anagram Red Blend - $90 = 37.49%
@chipgreen wow…is this the best case savings yet?
@TimW
Yes, as a matter of fact it is, based on the percentage.
Anyone in SE Wisconsin want to split a case?
@mb1973 I’m in Madison…I could split a case!
@mb1973 Any other interest? Have about 8 bottles spoken for so far.
After the Twisted Oak mystery case, I told myself no more wine for a while until I drink down the current inventory…this looks very interesting, though. Rats will help decide if I’m already going to break my promise to myself!
Any rats on this one?
@TimW
Moran Manor had an offer on Wine.woot back in early February 2011. Moran Manor Knights Valley Three Pack It was a 2005 and 2006 combination. I got one set. I think I gave the 2006 as a gift to a friend who likes younger, riper Cabernet than I do, but I definitely held onto the 2005. I don’t have detailed notes, but I remember having the 2005 almost a year ago. At that point, it seemed still on the young side, very ripe and intense, still tannic. I had mixed feelings about opening it after the fact - it wasn’t fully mature yet and I would have liked to see it at maturity, but I also wasn’t sure where it was going to go if left another 3-5 years.
@rpm R U thinking of buying more to find out?
It’s Lab Rat time.
I was lucky enough to get a bottle of 2007 Anagram to test and report on. Rather than drink the whole bottle myself, I brought it along and shared with family who are much more wine savvy than I am, and we had an overall enjoyable time giving it a go.
After opening we let the bottle breathe for a bit before pouring into a decanter to get a good look at the color. The color is beautiful. It’s a rich purple. On first smell, you get a nose full of cherry. Second smell and we were picking up bits of spice, but cherries were still the overwhelming aroma.
When poured into glasses, this was immediately drinkable. First taste was fruity and powerful with a good mouthfeel. You get a good sense of the Cab elements right away. No overwhelming alcohol taste. It’s a powerful wine, but it’s completely approachable. Purple fruit, hints of vanilla, hints of spice, and that cherry aroma all come through. I read the wineries description to everyone and we all got a chuckle at and couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment that the wine is voluptuous. After sitting out, the wine continued to open up. After an hour or so it was still quite delicious.
We really enjoyed the bottle overall. It was powerful, but velvety. We didn’t taste it along side food, but it would do very well with steaks, pizza, red sauce and pasta, etc. The winery mentions that it will pair well with hearty foods, and I agree. While the flavor is strong and pointed, it’s also not overwhelming.
Overall, it’s delicious, it opens up well, it’s powerful but drinkable. You’re probably gonna kill a few bottles pretty quickly.
@ChadP thanks for ratting. Would you say the wine tastes like a $15, $20, $25 or higher bottle of wine?
@losthighwayz $12.50 a bottle is a no brainer. That’s a stupid good deal for this one. That said, I don’t know. Hard to rate on a price value. It tastes great. It’s worth picking up 2 bottles. It’s crazy worth picking up a case.
@ChadP Do you have any well known woot/casemates wines of a similar age you could compare this with? Is it more like Ty Caton or Wellington, for example?
@ChadP @losthighwayz
What does a 15,20 or 25 dollar bottle tase like?
@klezman I don’t. I’m new at this.
@ChadP @ScottW58 I know it when I taste it. Similar to Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of obscenity
@ChadP @losthighwayz @ScottW58 I was going to ask lost the same thing!
@ChadP No problem! It would be helpful for me and others, is all. If you also had other wines that you like/dislike to help us gauge your preferences it would be helpful.
@klezman Red is preference. I’m a big Hall fan.
@ChadP @klezman By “Hall fan” do you mean www.hallwines.com? If so, how did this compare?
The percentage of wines not available to Illinois on Casemates seems to be higher than it was on WineWoot. Has Illinois become more expensive licensewise for wineries or is this just bad luck for us? Becoming rather frustrating. This seems like a no-brainer for a case.
@gtcharlie agree a lot of the deals I would jump on don’t ship to IL.
@ChiWineOne @gtcharlie Illinois is harder now. We are encouraging wineries to be licensed. will strive to include as often as possible. thanks for your patience.
@ChiWineOne @Winedavid49
Appreciate the efforts. Had an idea that it was something to do with our screwed up state. Hopefully you are successful in your efforts. Hate to see offers like this pass us by.
@ChiWineOne @gtcharlie @Winedavid49 I can only imagine how effed up the pols would make CA as a ship-to state if it wasn’t a huge producer of wine.
/giphy surprised-blythe-barbarian
This sounds very much up my alley.
This is my first casemates grab. Seems like there’s nothing to lose.
Also my first casemates grab. If it’s, indeed, a powerful wine, which I like a lot, for the price it seems a great option. So, 12 inbound. NOW, I need to go buy that wine fridge I’ve been thinking about
.
@hail2skins whatever wine fridge you’ve been thinking about, buy one twice the size. Trust me when I say you’ll regret it later if you don’t.
@pseudogourmet98 agreed. I went nuts. Costco has a Magnum brand, 146-bottle wine cooler. I bought the floor model yesterday for more than half off. Now to fill it.
@Boatman72 Split a case at $12.50/btl?
@mrn1 this sounds interesting especially at the case price. I’d take 2-3
@pjmartin Another pal grabbed 6, and I’m keeping the balance for me and Xmas gifts…sorry!
If it helps any LA-SoCal people make a decision, I would take 2 or 3 bottles out of a case.
@davirom I would take 4-6. Can’t buy this month though
Any ATL people interested for a split?
@malex_vt Did you already buy? I’ve got one coming I’d be happy to share.
@malex_vt I’m also in the ATL near Decatur. I would be interested in a split.
@pupator sweet! I have not purchased yet so I’ll take 6 or 4 depending on how much you want and if another ATL bites
@malex_vt @lionel47
Hey guys,
I don’t know what to say except I’m really sorry. I would have sworn I made this purchase on my iPad before I posted on the forum about the split.
When I came back Wednesday at 12:02am, I saw that I hadn’t successfully completed the transaction. I immediately contacted Casemates and told them about my mistake, and could I please get 5 minutes of grace for the purchase, but I was told no. No more membership for me, but that doesn’t help you get the wine I told you was coming. I’m really sorry!
/giphy vanilla-utopian-swing
darn…
Anyone in STL want to split a case?
For my first time ratting, I was given a bottle of 2007 Anagram. After opening, I let it sit for about an hour before I poured my first glass. The first thing I noticed was the rich purple color. The smell was also very pleasing. With the first sip I was greeted with fruit, blackberry and cherry mainly, and spice. Vanilla, black pepper, and cinnamon were some of the spices I sensed. As I let the wine roll over my tongue, the smokey taste was really well-defined, without over doing it. It seemed to be more on the mellow side with the tannins. After a few sips, you really notice how well these flavors blend and enjoy the transition between the fruits, spice, and the smokey flavor.
I did not finish the bottle the first night. On the second night, the wine was just as good as the first. Over time, it mellowed slightly, but the flavors and effects were the same as the first night.
Overall, I can see this being a very drinkable wine. It has a nice balance between the fruit, spice, and smokey flavors. I think it will be a great wine to share on the long winter nights coming soon.
@imshadow22 That’s good work!
Anyone in Charlotte want to split a case?
Is there any interest in the Baltimore area for a split?
@Zortapa I’ll split with ya!
@Zortapa I’d take some off your hands
@jml326 @kls_in_MD Are you guys good with 4 each? If so, I’ll submit the order.
@kls_in_MD @Zortapa sure next time be sure to post shares on the Baltimore page, as it can be easier to see and not get lost in the main thread.
@jml326 @Zortapa 4 is good for me. Hit that button!
Any Tampa Bay looking to split a case?
/giphy soaking-rebellious-hour
Ordering a case in N. New Jersey - anybody want to share?
Anyone in Greensboro want to split a case
/giphy scandalous-moist-titanium
I want to try the wine before I decide if I’m going to split the case
No NH
MA folks, does anyone want to share part of a case with me?
/giphy guttural-luminous-nymph
can’t seem to find a price point for this wine online - where did the $48/bottle price come from?
@Mar6867 https://moranmanor.com/order/
Ordered a case. Happy to drink it myself, but willing to split if anyone in Seattle wanted some.
/giphy milky-jolliest-illusionist
@Pagefault I would take a couple bottles from you at the meetup in October
@trifecta Can do. How many did you want?
@Pagefault I’ll take 2.
I ordered a case, will split if anyone in WNY wants some.
@catcoland Sure will
In for a case. If anyone close to Hays, Ks. wants a few, whisper to me!
Yikes, I did it! Cellars full, Wifey will NOT be happy,thanks to WD.
/giphy warm-noted-drain
Seems like another no brainer, in for another case. This is an expensive hobby !!
Just bought a case in Minneapolis area if anyone wants a few bottles (up to 6).
@glennfuller0
I live in SW Mpls and would be happy to take 3 bottles off your hands!
@Belbembef sounds good. They’re yours.
@glennfuller0 And I’d be up for 3, if you’re still willing to part with them. I live in South Dakota, but get to the Twin Cities about once a month.
@coynedj Perfect. You’ve got three. Whisper your email and I’ll let you know when the wine is here. I’ll hold onto it until you’re in town.
Bought a case in SF, having it shipped downtown. Anyone want to split, let me know. If I don’t see your comment, just email me at Gmail (same handle).
/giphy military-conventional-stew
I’m in for a case. Anyone in SW Michigan want some?
Anyone in Denver purchase this and want to split? I was traveling and lost track of the days and missed out!
Hi all, my case was delivered today. Upon attempting opening of my first bottle, the cork disintegrated. Is this a rookie flaw? Anyone else having cork issues?
@slicknik82 The flaw, dear Brutus, is not in our corks, it is in our stars.
It’s not you, it’s definitely the cork. That shouldn’t happen with a new cork, but with an older vintage, it’s not unheard of. I’ve had bad corks with WineSmiths and Wellingtons. Sometimes the winery just gets a bad batch of corks.
Were you able to get it out in pieces, or was it completely crumbled?
@InFrom It was totally crumbled. I ended up pushing it in and then pouring through cheese cloth to separate. NBD, just thought I’d mention. Any suggestion on how to do it better since it is an older cork?
@slicknik82 people often use one of those 2-pronged (“ah-so”) cork removers to ease the cork out, rather than drill a hole down the middle. That works for me sometimes, but I’m not very adept at using it. I’ve seen it done by someone more practiced than I, who made it look easy.
@InFrom @slicknik82 Ah-So style are really tricky to learn. Many times I’ve not done a proper rocking motion, thus pushing the whole cork in. But it is a lifesaver for old corks.
@radiolysis @slicknik82 I have a couple of them – one doesn’t seem to have the right tension to get a good grip on the cork. The other works pretty well.
@slicknik82
THIS is very helpful after the fact or for any wine with sediment.
@slicknik82 Just got my case today and had a similar experience. I had read your comments earlier so was aware of your issue, and was very careful to try to twist the cork before I extracted it. The cork was very moist, but just came apart. Fortunately, the chunk that broke off stayed in the neck and I was able to grab it. I then poured it through a Venturi. By the way, the wine is delicious!!
@davidd13 @slicknik82 Happened to me a few minutes ago too. Managed to get it out in two pieces, but will try the ah-so next time. The wine is tasty.
@slicknik82 - Ugh, same except I have just moved and am currently being scammed by a moving company who has all of my stuff including my good corkscrew, my venturi, my decanter and even cheesecloth…I stuffed the cork through the neck into the bottle and poured. Picked out all the cork I could and drank the rest. I’m sure that makes me a Neanderthal but hey, the wine was delicious. I’m having a bad cork week. (see Quadrant post).
@slicknik82 @wmhatch Mine too. I think it’s overoxidized for its age from being stored improperly. I wouldn’t be laying these down for the long term.
@canonizer @slicknik82 @wmhatch Yeah, I would tend to agree with that. Not only did the cork on mine crumble, but it was very moist. I will have to test this theory tonight to verify
Not inexpensive!
Durand
Anyone in San Gabriel valley wants a few bottles? I got 8.
I had the same issue with both bottles, I am really glad I did not buy a case like I almost did. Very sour to me but does open up a bit the next day.
Same issue as above, first bottle I tried crumbled the cork, second came out clean. VERY sour, more tannins than I expected. I’m half tempted to grump at CS, except I suspect it may partly be that it took the long route here because it looked like it was cooling down and then jumped back into the 80s here. Too strong of tannins for my household’s drinking preferences, but acceptable for cooking I suppose. If anyone in the Philly PA area wants to snag a couple bottles, LMK.
Reporting back so when I see this wine again I know-Turned out good in long simmering things, like pasta sauce. It needs a lot of sweetening to be adequate for sangria. Skip next time.
If someone with more experience than I could jump in – if a wine is sour, is it just “old” and poorly stored? Or a different flaw?
I’ve had “baked” wine and it was noticably burned. Raisined taste, very acidic, alcoholic, burned the throat, just bad. But it wasn’t at all what I would call sour.
@radiolysis
Oxidation and/or exposure to high temps can increase the VA (Volatile Acidity) of the wine, leading to increased levels of acetic acid which will produce a sour taste.
@chipgreen thanks! I was going to let these hang out a few weeks before jumping in, but seems I should try sooner.
First bottle in - opened with an “ah-so” without issues. Wine is fantastic. A friend and Casemate who got some with me also reports back that the wine tastes great. Hopefully the rest of my bottles are the same . . .
@sammypedram nice!
I opened my 1st bottle last night with my Ah-So and the cork came out in one piece to reveal one delicious wine. If @Winedavid49 had another case looking for a home I’d happily take it off his hands!
My Ah-So knockoff gored the cork so it still fell apart. But no off notes and surprisingly spry.
@radiolysis Bummer! I broke down and bought a pair of German made ah-so’s when my cheapy did the same thing to a bottle I was really looking forward to. I’ve been happy with the quality.
Finally was able to get 2 corks out cleanly. Regular ole’ hand corkscrew and a very slow pull rocking it out. This wine is delicious even when I had to have a little cork floating.