Beverage Testing Institute ~ 89 Points, "An easy-to-pair, strong-structured Merlot.
Tasting Notes
Aromas are rich and enticing with hints of spice and ripe berries. Flavors of red plum, black tea and warm baking spices are showcased with a light oak toast and mocha notes. Medium bodied with rounded tannins follow through to a savory and lingering finish. A beautifully balanced wine.
Vineyards Notes
The source for our Merlot comes from three vineyard blocks off of our estate vineyard located along Dry Creek Road from vineyards planted over 5 years beginning in 1990. Bench Vineyards, the name chosen for this wine, describes the natural terraces that flank Dry Creek Valley and rise gradually into the steep hills. Characterized by sloped topography and gravelly/rocky residual soils, the unique growing conditions combine to bring out the best in our Merlot.
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 vintage began with plenty of rain at the start of the season. A cool summer slowed the ripening of the grapes which gave the all-important hang time for better development of the fruit. Our Merlot shows ripe flavors, bright acidity and wonderful aromatics as a result.
The grapes were harvested on September 15 and crushed into temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and cold soaked for 48 hours. Daily pumpovers during the fermentation gives a substantial increase in flavor and color. The young wine was transferred to small American oak barrels to age for 12 months in order to develop smoothness and complexity, giving the wine a subtle backbone of oak components with a judicial use of new oak.
The winery and vineyards are located in Dry Creek Valley, an American Viticultural Area we helped form. Renowned as prime land for grape growing, high quality wines are the result. The climate, where the development in ripening grapes is protected from the heat by the marine fog intrusion in the evenings, is singular and unparalleled. Pedroncelli wines are regionally focused and site specific and weāve learned to pair the right varietal with the best place creating great character.
We havenāt had the 2018 vintage of this wine, but previous bottles were very good and the price is in line with previous offers. If we werenāt on a wine buying freeze we would be all over a case of this!
You know what they say, Pedroncelli is Italian for QPR!
@bunnymasseuse Iāve never had the opportunity to rat, but have had Pedroncelli Merlot (and pretty much everything else they make!) quite a few times. My impression is that this Merlot leans more towards teh Cali-Bordeaux style vs. the early 90ās style that gave this varietal a bad name.
Probably even more so than most Pedroncelli reds, Iād say this one really needs to lay down for a couple to 10 yearsā¦but itās ironically worth it at this price point if you can find a spot in your crawlspace/closet/basement using your WineDavid styrofoam shipping containers as a thermal buffer.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyard Merlot - $10 = 6.67%
@sosptuba AGREED!! Itās damn hot, so I have been drinking all my whites and roses and Iām overloaded with reds. (That said, I LOVE Pedroncelli wines, so I may very well be in for a case regardless.)
89 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. $18. Cellar Selection. Ruby black color. Aromas of dried cherry, walnut, fresh bell pepper, marinated grape leaves, and licorice with a slightly chewy, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, compelling, medium-long graphite, coriander and black tea finish with moderate oak flavor. An easy-to-pair, strong-structured Merlot with a palate-awakening greenness.
Taste: fruity, oaky & rich & full
Aroma: dried cherry, walnut, fresh bell pepper, marinated grape leaves, and licorice
Flavor: graphite, coriander and black tea
Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy: Now-3 years with food
The Wine Spectator says:
Merlot Dry Creek Valley Bench Vineyards 2018
Score: 89. Release Price: $18.
Region: California / Sonoma / Dry Creek Valley
Issue: Web Only - 2021
Tasting Note:
Taut, offers red plum and berry flavors, with green olive and crushed green herbal accents. Shows minerally and briary notes on the fresh finish. Drink now. 2,100 cases made. ā KM
Been hot here, but not as bad as NW USAā¦while I usually have my Wine deliveries held at UPS for pickup, this Golden Ticket shipment came in before I was able to do soā¦ so it got to ride around in hot Brown box till about 5 pm, when temps in Iowa were in high 90ās, which brings up a question, is anyone at the beginning of the UPS or FedEx route?
Back to the ratting, the bottle came in at 91 degrees, when we opened it several days later it was in high 70ās, upon opening I knew from taste and smell that Pedroncelli had done a excellent job as they always do, nice legs, although a bit slow to appear, no high alcohol taste, mellow tannins, decent oak finish, just a excellent Merlot wine, while it did improve/mellow over the 1.5 hours before our meal of shrimp and BBQ Ribeye, it would serve well right after opening. Color was very pleasing as it was dark, and the cork, also showed the promise of a great taste.
Over all recommendation, well worth the purchase, just buy it, Iām going toā¦
I would recommend this with a meal over just drinking a glass of it, but suspect, that is more my personal preference, as I like wine with my evening meals. Wouldnāt recommend saving it for the second day, as I had about an inch left in my glass about five hours later, and it had lost its appeal, ( but in fairness, was that the fault of the wine, or the fact our house was warm, (high 80ās by then) and it had risen in temp as well.
Been trying for about an hour to upload photos and LabRat imageā¦no luck will someone add the LabRat banner, Iāll continue trying on the photosā¦
Thankfully (for the sake of my credit card, storage space, and SWMBO) the less-than-a-case penalty is quite low on this, so I can settle for 6 bottles.
/giphy giddy-kingly-pen
We meet again old friendā¦ Like most of us here, I imagine Pedroncelli will be a welcome and familiar sight. I have bought into many of the previous offers and this review may come with some bias.
We opened up this Merlot on itās own last night. Straight out the bottle we noticed the plum and cherry, as described on the back on the bottle, along with some slight spice and vegetal taste. The texture was velvety with a medium but noticeable amount of alcohol which faded over a few hours on the counter. The acidity was low with medium tannins, but I wouldnāt open this to drink on itās own. It definitely paired better with food (cheese for us). After a few hours we revisited it and the alcohol had faded, which led to a smoother sip. Iāll pick up a few bottles to have around when grilling, but will be sure to let them breathe in advance.
This looks like the Merlot that was included in the April offer of Pedroncelli Bordeaux Varietals. I just opened a bottle of that and Iām in for a case. Itās drinking very well right now (even without food*, at least IMO) and seems like the sort of wine that would last for several years or more.
*Further note: tried it with some StoneRidge 3 Year White Cheddar, and based on that, it goes well with food, too. Somehow the cheese seems to bring out the alcohol a bit, but if anything, lengthens the finish. (Obviously, Iāve got a lot to learn about wine/food pairings.)
Room, Shroom you can always squeeze in another 6 bottles and do need a Pedi.
I even started a small wine rack for my daughter in a basement corner. Wife has not found it yet.
So, I went down to the cellar and looked for a
bottle Pedroncelli Merlot, among the 3 cases
or so of Pedroncelli that I could find. No Merlot!
There was Pinot Noir, which I rarely drink, Zin,
Sangiovese and lots of Cabernet, but no Merlot!
What shall I do???
We love the Bench Vineyards Merlot- and from the last Ped Mixed Red, this vintage was in that case. Just checked and there is only 1 left. Go figure- once again, Ed knows when we are low.
Even though weāre backed up on reds, in for this one!
/giphy pitiful-trivial-truck
This may be an unpopular opinion but I donāt get the infatuation with Pedroncelli. Iāve bought a number of their offerings based on all of the previous community excitement and honestly Iāve had this wine and I wouldnāt even gift this. Maybe itās truly that at this price point yāall are looking for something cheap? Idk. Sorry if this comes off negative Iām genuinely trying to understand.
@pete0744 Itās a lot less expensive than newer wineries because theyāve been around for ages and donāt have multi-gazillion dollar mortgages on their land to pay off. That 100-ish year history really helps keep the price down.
As for taste, obviously thatās always in the eye of the beholder. Depending on your palate you might find that these are anywhere between āmehā and āblechā near release but somewhere around 3-8 years later they are ridiculously good. Iām in this camp - I donāt touch a Pedroncelli red wine until itās at least 7 years old, except maybe for the Pinot. This being a 2018, I know in advance that I wonāt enjoy it much until 2025 or later.
If you have any older Ped bottles laying around you can run the experiment on yourself!
@klezman@pete0744 I think it definitely depends on the varietal/blend. Iāve had several vintages of the Sonoma Classico (aka Under the Mistletoe, Cheer From Over Here), for example, and found them very approachable in their youth.
@pete0744 All opinions are welcome here, friend (and the other āpete,ā) but to say something as harsh as āwouldnāt even gift thisā and making a mild ad-hominem attack on the entire group as āweāall lookin for sometinā cheapā does sound like maybe you just had a bad day, and Iām willing to write it off as that.
Otherwise I think it helps us all to learn what didnāt you like? was it something bad or damaged? Not complex or refined enough? Not a heavy-enough bottle? (oh, we already did that one a while ago.) And there have been a lot of offerings so itās not clear what it was that really got you on the bad-experience-trip (which would be a good casemates order number by the way).
@pmarin Pete! Thanks for the response and apologies for any pejorative undertones - rereading now it does seem a bit harsh
It was the mixed red case that really did me in - Iāve found their cabs and their Sonoma Classico to be fine - not great but not bad either - but the Cab Franc, Zin & Petit Sirah to me were misses for my palate. I found all 3 to lack complexity as well as body & with exception of the zin the other 2 really even lacked varietal identity.
Either way I appreciate the conversation!
@hscottk@pete0744 FWIW my issue when theyāre young is that theyāre too fruity for me. The several years of additional agree brings everything into more balance for my tastes.
This is one of the fun things about wine, IMO.
@hscottk@klezman@pete0744 Iām not sure how long some of thee have been in the bottle, but Iāve bought in on a lot of them. I had bought the āCheer from Over Hereā last December, mostly as gifts. Tried a bottle and though it was good, maybe great for the price. A week of so ago I came across a few bottles I had ālostā and decided to give it another try. This time, with 7-8 extra months, it was exceptional.
@hscottk@klezman@pete0744@Springbank I went into my storage space recently with the intention of grabbing some Wellingtons, but I came across a box with a half-dozen Pedroncellis of '07-'08 vintages. All different grapes. Iād put them aside with the intention of getting a small group together to taste different varietals. I figured if the producer and vintage were constants, we could focus on the grapes. I think I had collected a dozen different Peds for the project. Thanks to wine woot, I always had plenty of other things to drink.
That collection followed me through an office move and later retirement, and for various reasons the tasting never happened. I drank some of the wines along the way, but I still have these six. Oh well, some aged Pedroncellis to enjoy now! Looking forward to digging in.
I have zero Merlot (except for a couple 80% Merlot blendsā¦like the Winesmith Meritage), so I guess I should buy this!
/giphy abstract-subsequent-rule
I got a bit too carried away with Tequila and did not get this after allā¦ will obviously be a FOMO deal but I do regret being otherwise occupied this evening
2018 Pedroncelli Merlot, Bench Vineyard
Beverage Testing Institute ~ 89 Points, "An easy-to-pair, strong-structured Merlot.
Tasting Notes
Vineyards Notes
Winemaker Notes
Specs
Whatās Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$216/Case at Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards for 12x 2018 Pedroncelli Merlot, Bench Vineyard
About The Winery
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, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 19 - Wednesday, Jul 21
Pedroncelli Bench Vineyard Merlot
6 bottles for $74.99 $12.50/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyard Merlot
Iām a sucker for Dry Creek Valley wines
We havenāt had the 2018 vintage of this wine, but previous bottles were very good and the price is in line with previous offers. If we werenāt on a wine buying freeze we would be all over a case of this!
You know what they say, Pedroncelli is Italian for QPR!
Hoping for some rattage reports, confirm my desires to fill a gap for my favoriteā¦
@bunnymasseuse Iāve never had the opportunity to rat, but have had Pedroncelli Merlot (and pretty much everything else they make!) quite a few times. My impression is that this Merlot leans more towards teh Cali-Bordeaux style vs. the early 90ās style that gave this varietal a bad name.
Probably even more so than most Pedroncelli reds, Iād say this one really needs to lay down for a couple to 10 yearsā¦but itās ironically worth it at this price point if you can find a spot in your crawlspace/closet/basement using your WineDavid styrofoam shipping containers as a thermal buffer.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyard Merlot - $10 = 6.67%
@chipgreen yay, youāre back! Missed ya.
I love Pedā¦but weāre barely into July and I was REALLY hoping for that mixed case of Rose/friends white.
@sosptuba AGREED!! Itās damn hot, so I have been drinking all my whites and roses and Iām overloaded with reds. (That said, I LOVE Pedroncelli wines, so I may very well be in for a case regardless.)
That BTI review:
89 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. $18. Cellar Selection. Ruby black color. Aromas of dried cherry, walnut, fresh bell pepper, marinated grape leaves, and licorice with a slightly chewy, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, compelling, medium-long graphite, coriander and black tea finish with moderate oak flavor. An easy-to-pair, strong-structured Merlot with a palate-awakening greenness.
Taste: fruity, oaky & rich & full
Aroma: dried cherry, walnut, fresh bell pepper, marinated grape leaves, and licorice
Flavor: graphite, coriander and black tea
Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy: Now-3 years with food
https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Pedroncelli-2018-Bench-Vineyards-Merlot-Dry-Creek-Valley-USA-03-03-2021.aspx
The Wine Spectator says:
Merlot Dry Creek Valley Bench Vineyards 2018
Score: 89. Release Price: $18.
Region: California / Sonoma / Dry Creek Valley
Issue: Web Only - 2021
Tasting Note:
Taut, offers red plum and berry flavors, with green olive and crushed green herbal accents. Shows minerally and briary notes on the fresh finish. Drink now. 2,100 cases made. ā KM
fwiw
Canāt wait for the ratsā¦
Lab Rat checking inā¦from Iowa
Been hot here, but not as bad as NW USAā¦while I usually have my Wine deliveries held at UPS for pickup, this Golden Ticket shipment came in before I was able to do soā¦ so it got to ride around in hot Brown box till about 5 pm, when temps in Iowa were in high 90ās, which brings up a question, is anyone at the beginning of the UPS or FedEx route?
Back to the ratting, the bottle came in at 91 degrees, when we opened it several days later it was in high 70ās, upon opening I knew from taste and smell that Pedroncelli had done a excellent job as they always do, nice legs, although a bit slow to appear, no high alcohol taste, mellow tannins, decent oak finish, just a excellent Merlot wine, while it did improve/mellow over the 1.5 hours before our meal of shrimp and BBQ Ribeye, it would serve well right after opening. Color was very pleasing as it was dark, and the cork, also showed the promise of a great taste.
Over all recommendation, well worth the purchase, just buy it, Iām going toā¦
I would recommend this with a meal over just drinking a glass of it, but suspect, that is more my personal preference, as I like wine with my evening meals. Wouldnāt recommend saving it for the second day, as I had about an inch left in my glass about five hours later, and it had lost its appeal, ( but in fairness, was that the fault of the wine, or the fact our house was warm, (high 80ās by then) and it had risen in temp as well.
Been trying for about an hour to upload photos and LabRat imageā¦no luck will someone add the LabRat banner, Iāll continue trying on the photosā¦
@winecaseaholic
Curious, did you get any of the pyrazines the other TNās suggest may exist?
@winecaseaholic Thank you for the review and great pics. Dinner looks amazing!
@rjquillin not at allā¦
@winecaseaholic Hey there! Iām an Iowan who occasionally gets a chance to eat too. Iām in the Cedar Rapids area.
*rat. I get a chance to rat. Bah autocorrect.
Thankfully (for the sake of my credit card, storage space, and SWMBO) the less-than-a-case penalty is quite low on this, so I can settle for 6 bottles.
/giphy giddy-kingly-pen
We meet again old friendā¦ Like most of us here, I imagine Pedroncelli will be a welcome and familiar sight. I have bought into many of the previous offers and this review may come with some bias.
We opened up this Merlot on itās own last night. Straight out the bottle we noticed the plum and cherry, as described on the back on the bottle, along with some slight spice and vegetal taste. The texture was velvety with a medium but noticeable amount of alcohol which faded over a few hours on the counter. The acidity was low with medium tannins, but I wouldnāt open this to drink on itās own. It definitely paired better with food (cheese for us). After a few hours we revisited it and the alcohol had faded, which led to a smoother sip. Iāll pick up a few bottles to have around when grilling, but will be sure to let them breathe in advance.
@GraysonM Thank you for the rattage.
Dear Casemates,
I have no more room. Please stop selling stuff that I canāt say no to.
Regards,
strongry
@strongry omg 100%!! I should have known a winesmith followed by a Merlotā¦
@strongry +1
Also at this point I literally have boxes on boxes in our finished basement and I shouldnāt be buying anymore butā¦IN for a case!
This looks like the Merlot that was included in the April offer of Pedroncelli Bordeaux Varietals. I just opened a bottle of that and Iām in for a case. Itās drinking very well right now (even without food*, at least IMO) and seems like the sort of wine that would last for several years or more.
*Further note: tried it with some StoneRidge 3 Year White Cheddar, and based on that, it goes well with food, too. Somehow the cheese seems to bring out the alcohol a bit, but if anything, lengthens the finish. (Obviously, Iāve got a lot to learn about wine/food pairings.)
@DickL
ābuy on bread, sell on cheeseā
@DickL @rjquillin ā¦ we must have the same wine dealer and/or stock broker.
/giphy giant-living-foot
Room, Shroom you can always squeeze in another 6 bottles and do need a Pedi.
I even started a small wine rack for my daughter in a basement corner. Wife has not found it yet.
@forlich LOL
Hmm
So, I went down to the cellar and looked for a
bottle Pedroncelli Merlot, among the 3 cases
or so of Pedroncelli that I could find. No Merlot!
There was Pinot Noir, which I rarely drink, Zin,
Sangiovese and lots of Cabernet, but no Merlot!
What shall I do???
@FritzCat
buy - Buy - BUY
all the wine
We love the Bench Vineyards Merlot- and from the last Ped Mixed Red, this vintage was in that case. Just checked and there is only 1 left. Go figure- once again, Ed knows when we are low.
Even though weāre backed up on reds, in for this one!
/giphy pitiful-trivial-truck
I really donāt need this, but as above, I donāt have any Ped Merlot. Now I do!
/giphy nurturing-athletic-art
/giphy cuddly-glaring-poison
This may be an unpopular opinion but I donāt get the infatuation with Pedroncelli. Iāve bought a number of their offerings based on all of the previous community excitement and honestly Iāve had this wine and I wouldnāt even gift this. Maybe itās truly that at this price point yāall are looking for something cheap? Idk. Sorry if this comes off negative Iām genuinely trying to understand.
@pete0744
Everyone has a different palate so no worries.
@pete0744 Itās a lot less expensive than newer wineries because theyāve been around for ages and donāt have multi-gazillion dollar mortgages on their land to pay off. That 100-ish year history really helps keep the price down.
As for taste, obviously thatās always in the eye of the beholder. Depending on your palate you might find that these are anywhere between āmehā and āblechā near release but somewhere around 3-8 years later they are ridiculously good. Iām in this camp - I donāt touch a Pedroncelli red wine until itās at least 7 years old, except maybe for the Pinot. This being a 2018, I know in advance that I wonāt enjoy it much until 2025 or later.
If you have any older Ped bottles laying around you can run the experiment on yourself!
@pete0744 Just popped a 2017 Pedroncelli Sangiovese, and it was very good. (90 years in 2017) I expect the Merlot to be quite good.
@klezman @pete0744 I think it definitely depends on the varietal/blend. Iāve had several vintages of the Sonoma Classico (aka Under the Mistletoe, Cheer From Over Here), for example, and found them very approachable in their youth.
@pete0744 All opinions are welcome here, friend (and the other āpete,ā) but to say something as harsh as āwouldnāt even gift thisā and making a mild ad-hominem attack on the entire group as āweāall lookin for sometinā cheapā does sound like maybe you just had a bad day, and Iām willing to write it off as that.
Otherwise I think it helps us all to learn what didnāt you like? was it something bad or damaged? Not complex or refined enough? Not a heavy-enough bottle? (oh, we already did that one a while ago.) And there have been a lot of offerings so itās not clear what it was that really got you on the bad-experience-trip (which would be a good casemates order number by the way).
@pmarin Pete! Thanks for the response and apologies for any pejorative undertones - rereading now it does seem a bit harsh
It was the mixed red case that really did me in - Iāve found their cabs and their Sonoma Classico to be fine - not great but not bad either - but the Cab Franc, Zin & Petit Sirah to me were misses for my palate. I found all 3 to lack complexity as well as body & with exception of the zin the other 2 really even lacked varietal identity.
Either way I appreciate the conversation!
@hscottk @pete0744 FWIW my issue when theyāre young is that theyāre too fruity for me. The several years of additional agree brings everything into more balance for my tastes.
This is one of the fun things about wine, IMO.
@hscottk @klezman @pete0744 @winedavid49
This made me look at my Pedroncelli inventory, by vintage.
Most came from WW and CM, not sure why '15 is so lowā¦
Every year since 1982 has a CT value greater than cost.
88% red
11% rose
1% white
1969 0.6%
1971 0.4%
1973 0.4%
1974 0.6%
1975 0.2%
1978 0.2%
1982 0.4%
1993 0.4%
1998 0.4%
2001 1.3%
2006 1.3%
2007 1.1%
2008 3.7%
2009 10.0%
2010 5.8%
2011 9.3%
2012 13.0%
2013 12.6%
2014 12.1%
2015 3.2%
2016 6.5%
2017 9.1%
2018 4.3%
2019 2.8%
@hscottk @klezman @pete0744 Iām not sure how long some of thee have been in the bottle, but Iāve bought in on a lot of them. I had bought the āCheer from Over Hereā last December, mostly as gifts. Tried a bottle and though it was good, maybe great for the price. A week of so ago I came across a few bottles I had ālostā and decided to give it another try. This time, with 7-8 extra months, it was exceptional.
@hscottk @klezman @pete0744 @Springbank I went into my storage space recently with the intention of grabbing some Wellingtons, but I came across a box with a half-dozen Pedroncellis of '07-'08 vintages. All different grapes. Iād put them aside with the intention of getting a small group together to taste different varietals. I figured if the producer and vintage were constants, we could focus on the grapes. I think I had collected a dozen different Peds for the project. Thanks to wine woot, I always had plenty of other things to drink.
That collection followed me through an office move and later retirement, and for various reasons the tasting never happened. I drank some of the wines along the way, but I still have these six. Oh well, some aged Pedroncellis to enjoy now! Looking forward to digging in.
I have zero Merlot (except for a couple 80% Merlot blendsā¦like the Winesmith Meritage), so I guess I should buy this!
/giphy abstract-subsequent-rule
I got a bit too carried away with Tequila and did not get this after allā¦ will obviously be a FOMO deal but I do regret being otherwise occupied this evening
.