2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Aromas of dark ripe berries, dried herbs and earthy notes introduce this medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Round tannins are framed by cherry, plum and blackberry fruit followed by highlights of oregano and mocha. Great structure and good acidity combine with a lingering, spicy finish. Enjoy upon release or cellar up to ten more years.
Three Vineyard Blend Notes
Estate fruit was harvested from the northern end of Dry Creek Valley, where these Bordeaux varieties excel. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot were hand-picked just a mile from the winery. Each develop exceptional character on the vineyard sites situated on the valley bench. The vines receive the right amount of sun and cooling fog which develops optimal flavors in the grapes. Careful vineyard management during the growing season defines the style even more.
Winemaking Notes
The vintage of 2018 was a good one with plenty of rain to start followed by a mild summer which slowed the ripening of the grapes for an even-handed growing season. This gives the fruit excellent development. Harvest of the Bordeaux grapes began on September 19 and finished on October 9. Because the grapes had a slow maturity the result is rounded tannins and elevated flavors and aromas. The grapes are de-stemmed and cold soaked for 48 hours. Inoculated with the Bordeaux yeast strain, fermentation followed in stainless steel tanks. During this time, in order to get the best color and flavor, the juice is circulated over the cap daily and gently macerated to extract the color and flavors from the skins. Once dry the new wine is pressed and stored until barreled in the winter. The separate lots were aged in American and French oak barrels for sixteen months in order to develop smoothness and complexity. The final blend of the four grapes adds deep character and a great flavor profile.
Barrel Aging: 16 months in American oak combined with 30% new French oak barrels
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.69
Total Acidity: .600g/100ml
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
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.
Bench Vineyard Notes
The source for our Merlot comes from three vineyard blocks off of our estate vineyard located along Dry Creek Road from vineyard 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.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Aging: 12 months in American Oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.1%
pH: 3.56
Total Acidity: .600g/100ml
2018 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Thereās a fragrant bouquet of red cherry, dried herbs and black pepper spice followed by flavors of red fruits, spicy oak notes, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg all coming together nicely. The rounded tannins frame the zesty finish and is accented by toasted oak notes.
Estate Vineyard Notes
Grown in the heart of the renowned Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, these grapes are farmed on the Pedroncelli estate. Situated on the bench above the valley floor, this vineyard gains its personality from the soil and the locationās microclimate. Cabernet Franc was planted in 1993 to complement the Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blend. We make this small lot wine so this varietal can shine on itsā own. The vineyard is sustainably farmed, hand pruned and hand harvested.
Vintage & Winemaking Notes
The year began with plenty of rain giving the vines much needed water. Summer was cooler with no prolonged heat. The cooler temperatures slowed the ripening of the grapes while providing great development during season. The resulting wine has a greater level of rounded tannins, flavors and aromas. The crushed grapes were transferred to the fermentation tank to cold soak for 24 hours and then inoculated with selected yeast. Daily pump-overs give the wine maximum phenolic extraction. Transferred to French oak barrels for 15 months with 30% new oak. Combined with the additional time in oak the tannins are softened and complex layers are developed in the finished wine.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Estate Vineyards
Barrel Aging: 15 months new (30%) and seasoned French oak barrels
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.60
Total Acidity: .570g/100ml
Whatās Included
6-bottles:
2x 2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2018 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Case:
4x 2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2018 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
The year was 1927. President Calvin Coolidge captured the imagination of nobody. Babe Ruth hit home run after home run powered by little more than whiskey and sausage. And John Pedroncelli, Sr. bought a vineyard and winery in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. Since then, four generations of Pedroncellis have weathered Prohibition, wine booms and busts, and changing tastes. And theyāre still a family-owned operation making acclaimed premium wines. Wherever you are now, Sultan of Swat and Silent Cal, this next glass is for you.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Pedroncelli Bordeaux Varietals - $19.99 = 12.49%
Sighā¦ I just bought winesmith Cabernet Franc from Last Bottle, just received some bordeaux red blend from Wine Insider, awaiting the arrival of my latour mixed case, and now this set. Pedroncelli is autobuy for me, but Iām gonna hafta give myself a day to talk myself out of it due to hitting the 200 bottle mark today.
@winecaseaholic The shelves I built last year are full! Soon my basement will be full of boxes full of wine! It spills from there to the bedroom, takes on sentience, and pretty soon Iām married to pallets of wine instead of my spouse.
Full Lab Rat report on the Merlot forthcoming tomorrow but gotta get to bed right now. TL;DR version: if you like the grape youāll probably like this bottle. If youāre not the biggest fan to begin with then donāt expect it to change your life. (CF Clark Smithās Two Jakes merlot, which was so genuinely remarkable as to make me rethink my own bias about merlot in general. This bottle is fine, usual Pedroncelli QPR, but just not special enough to make 3/4 of our tasters feel like pulling the trigger.)
More tomorrow. Post any questions in the meantime and Iāll happily answer them when in front of a real computer.
@jakezim OK, hereās a little more color. Mrs. Z and I took this bottle over to my parentsā house so we could get 4 opinions on it. We deliberately gave it to them blind so we didnāt have to worry about anyoneās pre-existing merlot bias. As it turns out, we neednāt have bothered. Mom - who doesnāt generally care for merlot and basically just wants to drink a big fruit-bomb Zinfandel all the time - reacted exactly as she would have if Iād told her what it was. She said āitās either a pinot or a merlot, it doesnāt have much flavor, it tastes watery to me, it reminds me why I like big fruity wines better.ā
By contrast, Dad - who is generally very fond of merlot, has been for decades, but rarely gets to drink it because of Momās opinions - immediately liked it. He thought it had woody notes and was very dry, just the way he likes it. He found it robust and thought it got better as he kept drinking it. Intending it as a compliment, he said āitās not wine-like.ā I read this as āI like merlot, so I like this much better than the %$#^#$ Bogle Zinfandel that she would otherwise be shoving down my throat.ā
OK, enough from our blind tasters. Mrs. Z and I knew what we had here, and boy, we really wanted to like it, but just couldnāt get there. We are frequent Pedroncelli purchasers and find them a reliable, quality, and well-priced producer. And, speaking only for myself, Iām tired of the merlot roller coaster and genuinely want to find a way to like the damn stuff. Loved it in my 20ās, got snobby in my 30ās and decided that I was too good for it, then came Sideways and everyone got snobby in the same way, now here I am distressingly 40-something, tired of my own bad attitude (and everyone elseās), and looking for a way to bring this grape back into my life other than in a blend. Alas, much as I wanted it to be, this bottle just isnāt the path for us.
Mrs. Z and I both found it very closed up at first; as it opened up a bit, it sort of read like a light-bodied pinot noir with a fair amount of oak and some bright berry notes. Pleasant but unremarkable. With more time to breathe, we both found that it started acting more and more like what it actually is. You get steadily more of that distinctive merlot tongue-coating āsoftnessā that some love and some hate. To both of us, it just makes the wine taste muted and leaves you wanting something more.
One positive that we can all agree on is that it paired very well with our dinner - a lamb tagine made with a whole bunch of dried fruit like prunes and apricots. An odd choice, maybe, but everyone felt like the wine got much more enjoyable with the āsweet meatā entree. (Well, everyone except Dad, who was enjoying it plenty to begin with.)
Bottom line: Iām sure this is a good and well-made example of its type, at a fine price. (But you already knew that, because Pedroncelli.) This isnāt swill. So if youāre like Dad and you want that distinctive merlot suppleness in your life, I suspect that this bottle will make you quite happy. But it didnāt do it for the rest of us. Iāll be taking a pass on this one, my warm feelings for the producer notwithstanding.
Pedroncelli 2018 Three Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pair this wine with: Beef, Vegetables. Tasted 2/11/2021
93 Points. Gold Medal. Exceptional. Best Buy.
Cellar Selection
Ruby black color. Aromas and flavors of almond bark, cinnamon-spiced chocolate, bananas, leather, and plums with a chewy, vibrant, dryish medium-to-full body and a warming, subtle, long finish displaying accents of spiced nuts and hints of cola with moderate oak flavor. A rich, Bordeaux-like Cabernet that satisfies; chewy, dry and deliciously complex.
Pedroncelli 2018 Barrel Select, Cabernet Franc
Pair this wine with: Beef, Vegetables. Tasted 2/10/2021
93 Points. Gold Medal. Exceptional. Best Buy. Cellar Selection
Rich violet color. Aromas and flavors of damson plum, vanilla-violet pastilles, red peppers, plump olives, tarragon, and dark chocolate with a lightly tannic, vibrant, medium-full body and a warming, involved, long finish that exhibits notes of cedar and spice cabinet with moderate oak flavor. A bold, chewy, highly satisfying Cabernet Franc with great varietal character and elegant style.
Pedroncelli 2018 Bench Vineyards, Merlot
Pair this wine with: Beef, Cheese, Pasta, Pork.
Tasted: 2/9/2021
89 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. 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.
Pedroncelli 2018 Cabernet Franc āBarrel Selectā
A labrat opportunity? Lucky me! Allergy season: letās rail some lines of Allegra and get this party started. Just kidding, take them normally. But, I do hope to get to this wine during a few moments of reprieve from the sneezing and sniffles.
I have had a lot of Pedroncellis over the years, and they never disappoint. My first one was a mother clone Zinfandel from the mother ship site many moons ago. I canāt recall having a Cabernet Franc. Even though this community is well versed in QPR Pedroncelli, I will go through my obvious pre-uncorking observations.
Received the bottle on Thursday, at perfect hand temperature (didnāt break out the infrared), and laid it down in a 63 degree room until Saturday. It is your typical Pedroncelli label post 90 years of operation, which has a nice texture to the paper, gilded-embossed logo, and understated. No production numbers. Terse description of the wine (it is more about the winery) on the back, alerting me they find āRipe berry aromas and rich flavors of plum and warm spice.ā Natural cork.
Noticeably absent was a casematesā sticker I have seen recently on rattage bottles. I bet they do that do that for those prone to post on other social media sites? Which is, admittedly, not me.
On to the good stuff
Obviously, it is a little closed, but doesnāt seem as if it is a tannin bomb (Christmas in April!) austere wine I sometimes associate Cab Franc with. A tiny bit of booze coming up, but nothing really to note. It really seems drinkable right out of the bottle for a ā18 Cab Franc. Hmmmā¦
I had to swirl the wine like a madman to see the legs. The reason is they just cling like an entire panel of glass, only later to fall down in the traditional fashion. Later. Much later. This wine has got āem.
The color is a deep ruby. Almost opaque until you really test the limit of your casemates stamped stemless glass seeing the edge color.
It smells like pollen. Damn, allergies! Really, though, you definitely get the oak treatment. Red fruits for sure. Cherry and raspberry. There is a spice in the back. I suppose black pepper, but I would go so far as to say Sichuan peppercorn (imagine just smelling, not the numbing taste). It has an astringent quality to it. It is pleasant.
Full disclosure: at this point, I know it is a Cab Franc, but if I had been blindfolded I would still peg it as Merlot.
On to the taste. First sip: yum! Well balanced and smooth. I am now getting the plums, pluots, apricottafigcherry whatever the botanists have hybridized. But, the darker stone fruits are coming though.
I cannot detect anything that suggests this will be better tomorrow. (Although I am sure it will be fine, just not needed.)
The finish isnāt incredibly long lived, but alright. A few good seconds, and you are on to something else. I wouldnāt sit around and contemplate this for an hour like I imagine Clark does while listening to some obscure band on electrostatic corded cans.
In the endāand it could be the allergiesāI find this a perfectly crafted sipper. I donāt know why, but it still screams Merlot to me. Which, isnāt a bad thing. I got absolutely no pyrazine/bell pepper, and what I would expect from a Cab Franc. Although, I havenāt had tons of that varietal. Abundant red fruits with an obvious oak component. Smooth, enjoyable, and balanced. There is a spice that is interesting, but I wouldnāt call cinnamon or nutmeg. Hellā¦ cardamom? Whatever it is, it is complimentary to the red fruits and overall profile.
I donāt think you can do better for the price for a nice wine, but if you were specifically looking for that Cab Franc interesting varietal thing, this might not be the bottle for you. But, it is a very nice bottle regardless.
@KNmeh7@ttboy23 āI wouldnāt sit around and contemplate this for an hour like I imagine Clark does while listening to some obscure band on electrostatic corded cans.ā Totally what Clark would doā¦
@klezman Just popped and poured a 2016 Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Bench Vineyards. SWMBO says; āIt has a little old-world flavorā. I like it, but would have preferred to leave it down in the cellar for a few more years. Do I need to restock? I count 36 bottles in the cellar. Am I at risk of running low?
Iām in!
@ejrunion They release the wines far too young for my taste (as do most producers), so Iām basically committing to holding them for 4-6 years before opening for any of the reds. @FritzCat Iām not even thinking of touching my 2016 Cab Franc or 2017 Mother Clone for another 3 years. And theyāve been in the cellar for about 15 months already. But the 2011 Bushnell Zin I opened last night is drinking wonderfully!
@ejrunion@FritzCat@klezman Hmmmā¦ I live in Texas so two things. 1. We donāt have cellars and 2. Our electrical grid will probably go out at some point and ruin all my wine. Oh well, I bought a case anyway. Any recommendations on generators?
tamest Boston Dynamics video ever.
Much creepier available. Dammit, Iām in. Because this year, Iām respecting the heat come summerā¦so says I nowā¦
/giphy contentious-damaged-otter
Pedroncelli is always an rpm AUTOBUY! Solid wines that age gracefully, always great QPR, always punch above their weight. If this doesnāt sell out someone is doing something wrong - like buyers sitting on their handsā¦
2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Three Vineyard Blend Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Bench Vineyard Notes
Winemaker Notes
Specs
Barrel Aging: 12 months in American Oak, 30% new
2018 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Estate Vineyard Notes
Vintage & Winemaking Notes
Specs
Barrel Aging: 15 months new (30%) and seasoned French oak barrels
Whatās Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$265.40/Case at Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards for 4x 2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, 4x 2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, 4x 2017 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
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, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, May 20 - Monday, May 24
Pedroncelli Bordeaux Varietals
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 Pedroncelli Bench Vineyards Merlot
2018 Pedroncelli Barrel Select Cabernet Franc
/giphy rewarded-compliant-bait
Ped nearly always an auto-buy
@rjquillin Yes he is. Bought 2 cases this time. Always regret not getting one.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Pedroncelli Bordeaux Varietals - $19.99 = 12.49%
Sighā¦ I just bought winesmith Cabernet Franc from Last Bottle, just received some bordeaux red blend from Wine Insider, awaiting the arrival of my latour mixed case, and now this set. Pedroncelli is autobuy for me, but Iām gonna hafta give myself a day to talk myself out of it due to hitting the 200 bottle mark today.
/giphy gotta drink faster
@Superllama7 get used to it
@Superllama7 whatās your point?
@Superllama7
Only 200? Amateurā¦ go for it, just think how good they will taste in another few yearsā¦
@winecaseaholic The shelves I built last year are full! Soon my basement will be full of boxes full of wine! It spills from there to the bedroom, takes on sentience, and pretty soon Iām married to pallets of wine instead of my spouse.
Actuallyā¦ I might just go for it
@Superllama7 @winecaseaholic
Yup, these are well known to improve with some time in bottle.
Full Lab Rat report on the Merlot forthcoming tomorrow but gotta get to bed right now. TL;DR version: if you like the grape youāll probably like this bottle. If youāre not the biggest fan to begin with then donāt expect it to change your life. (CF Clark Smithās Two Jakes merlot, which was so genuinely remarkable as to make me rethink my own bias about merlot in general. This bottle is fine, usual Pedroncelli QPR, but just not special enough to make 3/4 of our tasters feel like pulling the trigger.)
More tomorrow. Post any questions in the meantime and Iāll happily answer them when in front of a real computer.
@jakezim OK, hereās a little more color. Mrs. Z and I took this bottle over to my parentsā house so we could get 4 opinions on it. We deliberately gave it to them blind so we didnāt have to worry about anyoneās pre-existing merlot bias. As it turns out, we neednāt have bothered. Mom - who doesnāt generally care for merlot and basically just wants to drink a big fruit-bomb Zinfandel all the time - reacted exactly as she would have if Iād told her what it was. She said āitās either a pinot or a merlot, it doesnāt have much flavor, it tastes watery to me, it reminds me why I like big fruity wines better.ā
By contrast, Dad - who is generally very fond of merlot, has been for decades, but rarely gets to drink it because of Momās opinions - immediately liked it. He thought it had woody notes and was very dry, just the way he likes it. He found it robust and thought it got better as he kept drinking it. Intending it as a compliment, he said āitās not wine-like.ā I read this as āI like merlot, so I like this much better than the %$#^#$ Bogle Zinfandel that she would otherwise be shoving down my throat.ā
OK, enough from our blind tasters. Mrs. Z and I knew what we had here, and boy, we really wanted to like it, but just couldnāt get there. We are frequent Pedroncelli purchasers and find them a reliable, quality, and well-priced producer. And, speaking only for myself, Iām tired of the merlot roller coaster and genuinely want to find a way to like the damn stuff. Loved it in my 20ās, got snobby in my 30ās and decided that I was too good for it, then came Sideways and everyone got snobby in the same way, now here I am distressingly 40-something, tired of my own bad attitude (and everyone elseās), and looking for a way to bring this grape back into my life other than in a blend. Alas, much as I wanted it to be, this bottle just isnāt the path for us.
Mrs. Z and I both found it very closed up at first; as it opened up a bit, it sort of read like a light-bodied pinot noir with a fair amount of oak and some bright berry notes. Pleasant but unremarkable. With more time to breathe, we both found that it started acting more and more like what it actually is. You get steadily more of that distinctive merlot tongue-coating āsoftnessā that some love and some hate. To both of us, it just makes the wine taste muted and leaves you wanting something more.
One positive that we can all agree on is that it paired very well with our dinner - a lamb tagine made with a whole bunch of dried fruit like prunes and apricots. An odd choice, maybe, but everyone felt like the wine got much more enjoyable with the āsweet meatā entree. (Well, everyone except Dad, who was enjoying it plenty to begin with.)
Bottom line: Iām sure this is a good and well-made example of its type, at a fine price. (But you already knew that, because Pedroncelli.) This isnāt swill. So if youāre like Dad and you want that distinctive merlot suppleness in your life, I suspect that this bottle will make you quite happy. But it didnāt do it for the rest of us. Iāll be taking a pass on this one, my warm feelings for the producer notwithstanding.
Any questions?
@jakezim I really like Ped merlot, but it needs time to open up, especially this young. Your excellent labrat report makes perfect sense.
As we all know, Pedroncelli is Italian for QPR.
All from tastings.com:
Pedroncelli 2018 Three Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pair this wine with: Beef, Vegetables. Tasted 2/11/2021
93 Points. Gold Medal. Exceptional. Best Buy.
Cellar Selection
Ruby black color. Aromas and flavors of almond bark, cinnamon-spiced chocolate, bananas, leather, and plums with a chewy, vibrant, dryish medium-to-full body and a warming, subtle, long finish displaying accents of spiced nuts and hints of cola with moderate oak flavor. A rich, Bordeaux-like Cabernet that satisfies; chewy, dry and deliciously complex.
and the Cabernet Franc also from tastings.com:
Pedroncelli 2018 Barrel Select, Cabernet Franc
Pair this wine with: Beef, Vegetables. Tasted 2/10/2021
93 Points. Gold Medal. Exceptional. Best Buy. Cellar Selection
Rich violet color. Aromas and flavors of damson plum, vanilla-violet pastilles, red peppers, plump olives, tarragon, and dark chocolate with a lightly tannic, vibrant, medium-full body and a warming, involved, long finish that exhibits notes of cedar and spice cabinet with moderate oak flavor. A bold, chewy, highly satisfying Cabernet Franc with great varietal character and elegant style.
Pedroncelli 2018 Bench Vineyards, Merlot
Pair this wine with: Beef, Cheese, Pasta, Pork.
Tasted: 2/9/2021
89 Points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. 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.
fwiw
/giphy loopy-unarmed-pine
/giphy grateful-uneven-vase
/giphy maximum-forlorn-letter
Pedroncelli 2018 Cabernet Franc āBarrel Selectā
A labrat opportunity? Lucky me! Allergy season: letās rail some lines of Allegra and get this party started. Just kidding, take them normally. But, I do hope to get to this wine during a few moments of reprieve from the sneezing and sniffles.
I have had a lot of Pedroncellis over the years, and they never disappoint. My first one was a mother clone Zinfandel from the mother ship site many moons ago. I canāt recall having a Cabernet Franc. Even though this community is well versed in
QPRPedroncelli, I will go through my obvious pre-uncorking observations.Received the bottle on Thursday, at perfect hand temperature (didnāt break out the infrared), and laid it down in a 63 degree room until Saturday. It is your typical Pedroncelli label post 90 years of operation, which has a nice texture to the paper, gilded-embossed logo, and understated. No production numbers. Terse description of the wine (it is more about the winery) on the back, alerting me they find āRipe berry aromas and rich flavors of plum and warm spice.ā Natural cork.
Noticeably absent was a casematesā sticker I have seen recently on rattage bottles. I bet they do that do that for those prone to post on other social media sites? Which is, admittedly, not me.
On to the good stuff
Obviously, it is a little closed, but doesnāt seem as if it is a tannin bomb (Christmas in April!) austere wine I sometimes associate Cab Franc with. A tiny bit of booze coming up, but nothing really to note. It really seems drinkable right out of the bottle for a ā18 Cab Franc. Hmmmā¦
I had to swirl the wine like a madman to see the legs. The reason is they just cling like an entire panel of glass, only later to fall down in the traditional fashion. Later. Much later. This wine has got āem.
The color is a deep ruby. Almost opaque until you really test the limit of your casemates stamped stemless glass seeing the edge color.
It smells like pollen. Damn, allergies! Really, though, you definitely get the oak treatment. Red fruits for sure. Cherry and raspberry. There is a spice in the back. I suppose black pepper, but I would go so far as to say Sichuan peppercorn (imagine just smelling, not the numbing taste). It has an astringent quality to it. It is pleasant.
Full disclosure: at this point, I know it is a Cab Franc, but if I had been blindfolded I would still peg it as Merlot.
On to the taste. First sip: yum! Well balanced and smooth. I am now getting the plums, pluots, apricottafigcherry whatever the botanists have hybridized. But, the darker stone fruits are coming though.
I cannot detect anything that suggests this will be better tomorrow. (Although I am sure it will be fine, just not needed.)
The finish isnāt incredibly long lived, but alright. A few good seconds, and you are on to something else. I wouldnāt sit around and contemplate this for an hour like I imagine Clark does while listening to some obscure band on electrostatic corded cans.
In the endāand it could be the allergiesāI find this a perfectly crafted sipper. I donāt know why, but it still screams Merlot to me. Which, isnāt a bad thing. I got absolutely no pyrazine/bell pepper, and what I would expect from a Cab Franc. Although, I havenāt had tons of that varietal. Abundant red fruits with an obvious oak component. Smooth, enjoyable, and balanced. There is a spice that is interesting, but I wouldnāt call cinnamon or nutmeg. Hellā¦ cardamom? Whatever it is, it is complimentary to the red fruits and overall profile.
I donāt think you can do better for the price for a nice wine, but if you were specifically looking for that Cab Franc interesting varietal thing, this might not be the bottle for you. But, it is a very nice bottle regardless.
@KNmeh7, well done. Nice account. As the Cab Franc was the one I wasnāt sure of, you may have pushed me over.
@KNmeh7 no CM sticker?! They should mail you some, IMO.
@KNmeh7 @ttboy23 āI wouldnāt sit around and contemplate this for an hour like I imagine Clark does while listening to some obscure band on electrostatic corded cans.ā Totally what Clark would doā¦
/giphy glittering-addicting-bamboo
acid-wayward-lemming
/giphy nerdy-rampant-witch
78 days of keeping money in my pocket has been broken.
@Savagesam
How the hell did you manage that? I canāt seem to make it 78 hours!
I know Iāll like these (in about 5-10 years) but I also know I have to wait until Iāve cleared some space out.
@klezman My Pedroncelli holdings seldom make it longer than a year or year and a half!
@klezman Just popped and poured a 2016 Merlot, Dry Creek Valley, Bench Vineyards. SWMBO says; āIt has a little old-world flavorā. I like it, but would have preferred to leave it down in the cellar for a few more years. Do I need to restock? I count 36 bottles in the cellar. Am I at risk of running low?
Iām in!
@ejrunion They release the wines far too young for my taste (as do most producers), so Iām basically committing to holding them for 4-6 years before opening for any of the reds.
@FritzCat Iām not even thinking of touching my 2016 Cab Franc or 2017 Mother Clone for another 3 years. And theyāve been in the cellar for about 15 months already. But the 2011 Bushnell Zin I opened last night is drinking wonderfully!
@ejrunion @FritzCat @klezman Hmmmā¦ I live in Texas so two things. 1. We donāt have cellars and 2. Our electrical grid will probably go out at some point and ruin all my wine. Oh well, I bought a case anyway. Any recommendations on generators?
@FritzCat @klezman
Yeah, 36 cases is about rightā¦
Edās? Peds? Reds? Three for three. Weāre in!
/giphy alternative-blurry-calendar
/giphy dynamic-daunting-cupid
tamest Boston Dynamics video ever.
Much creepier available. Dammit, Iām in. Because this year, Iām respecting the heat come summerā¦so says I nowā¦
/giphy contentious-damaged-otter
Totally off-topic, but too recent to ignore:
@smtcapecod WOW!! had not seen it. amazing.
@smtcapecod @Winedavid49
Iām sorry Winedavid, Iām afraid I canāt do that.
This should be good now, great if you wanna hold em. Either way itās a good offer.
Iām weak.
@revmem LOL
/giphy frankly-drowsy-passion
Ordered yesterday morning. It was a travel day (returning home) and I neglected this mandatory step:
/giphy spiky-amusing-condor
@Mark_L Three Days of the spiky amusing Condor?
I always read the comments on Pedroncelli drops before ordering like somehow itās gonna make a differenceā¦
/giphy wavy-lisping-balloon
@jlim13 I think that gif works with all her hope an optimism, but also with the knowledge of what happened. Crazy.
/giphy trained-odious-door
Trigger pulled. Anyone in SE MI wants a few, let me know. If not, more for me!
@jrbw3
We picked up a case for ourselves on this one!
@jrbw3 did I twist your arm? A little?
@jrbw3 it was probably @KNmeh7
Iām in!
/giphy very-beautiful-venus
@vaaccess old school vaaccess in the house!
@vaaccess @Winedavid49 holy moly!!
@bunnymasseuse @Winedavid49
Hope you both (and everyone!) are well!
Iāve been trying to drink down my cellar for a whileā¦and no parties means itās slow going, but progress is being made.
That saidā¦my future me will be excited to drink these varietals in a few years!!!
Love me some Pedroncelliā¦
/giphy instrumental-bewildered-furniture
Pedroncelli is always an rpm AUTOBUY! Solid wines that age gracefully, always great QPR, always punch above their weight. If this doesnāt sell out someone is doing something wrong - like buyers sitting on their handsā¦
@rpm (pulls hand out from under my buttā¦) who, me?
/giphy comical-affable-weasel
6 is better than noneā¦
/giphy legible-losing-coil
In just before the wire.