2021 Pedroncelli Brotherās Mark Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Brotherās Mark
John and Jim Pedroncelli first planted Cabernet Sauvignon in 1965, making their mark in Dry Creek Valley. This was at the beginning of their six-decade business partnership, which included many other milestones along the way. This wine blends bretheren Bordeaux varieties and builds layers of striking flavors and character. The brothers have left an indelible mark on our family, our valley, and the wine community.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of cassis, mocha, and spicy oak introduce this medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavors are framed by cherry and black plum, toasty soft tannins with a hint of oregano. Great structure combined with a round and long finish gives lasting enjoyment. Drink upon release or cellar up to ten more years.
Grape & Winemaking Notes
Estate fruit was harvested from the northern end of Dry Creek Valley and picked just a mile from the winery. Each of the Bordeaux varieties developed exceptional character on the vineyard sites located along the valley bench. The vines receive the right amount of sun and cooling fog, which develops optimal flavors in the grapes.
Once at the crush pad, 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, 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 French oak barrels for twelve months to develop smoothness and complexity.
For nearly a century, the Pedroncelli family has been crafting exceptional wines in Sonoma Countyās Dry Creek Valley. It all began in 1927 when John Pedroncelli, Sr., purchased a vineyard and a small winery west of Geyserville; two elements have remained unchanged since then - the exceptional place where the Pedroncelli family farms their vineyards and their dedication to creating fine wines.
For nine decades, the Pedroncelli family has been producing wines of the highest quality, tradition, and heritage. Their commitment to excellence and their family-run business make them a trusted source of great wines - enjoy them with confidence.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, 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
Different vintage lab rat! I got the 2022. No idea how different it is.
For my tastes this is about 7 years or so too young. But the call of duty wins.
Pretty closed down initially. Couldnāt get much aside from nondescript fruit and some vanilla/oak. The vinturi helped but it still needed time beyond that. Eventually I could start to get more nuance from it. Some earth, spices, pepper, medium finish. Good balance, and with air itās a young wine Iād drink - which is saying something!
Sorry for the short report. Iām going on nearly 22 hours awake after only 5 hours of sleep.
@rjquillin Yeah, waking up at 8am UK time after a short night of quasi-sleep after watching the Leafs game and then working my entire flight back wasnāt kind to my Pacific Time evening. But a decent night of sleep later and Iām happy to expand on the report, of course.
Seeing @ShotgunXās report, I am largely in agreement with their observations. We differ in that I did not get alcohol heat, which I am often quite sensitive to. I didnāt find the aromas to be sweet aside from the sort of heavy fruit that young wines like this give off. The oak hasnāt had time to fully integrate, either, as evidenced by the vanilla being a bit forward. All in all thatās not surprising for a wine that isnāt even 3 years old.
I find this to be a classic young Pedroncelli. A bit too fruity and oaky, fairly rustic, nicely balanced acidity, and nicely extracted and deep flavours. For the 2022 I would wait at least 3 years before opening for my taste but more likely give it until 2030 at least. But I like less fruit/oak and more secondary development in my wines.
Since the vintages for the rat bottle and the offer are off by one, Iād expect that the 2021 is in a better place already just by virtue of an extra year in bottle. Itāll have had more time to integrate and smooth out the rougher edges. Vintage variation isnāt particularly extreme in Dry Creek Valley unless thereās an early rainfall or wildfire that messes things up. Alcohol on the 2022 is 14.5% while the offer says 14.8%. That suggests the 2021 is likely to be a touch more fruity and ripe than the 2022.
I know how Pedroncelli ages and Iām only now starting to thing about opening some 2016 vintage stuff. I would happily have this in the cellar if I had room. As rpm frequently has said, your patience will (likely) be rewarded. Buy half or a full case and open a bottle a year starting this fall and see where you might like it.
It came as a surprise this afternoon, so I wonāt have time to write anything fancy this time. Iāll pop it in a bit and will provide a quick list of notes at the very least.
Dark opaque green bottle, so difficult to tell color
No foil over the cork
Not much of a smell
In the glass (Casemates glass for reference):
THICK legs
Pretty much black in color
Smell-wise, definitely gives those alcohol fume nose tingles; smells sweet, like a very sweet berry pie filling would smell, almost like caramelized sugar with an obvious Concord grape note, which is deceptive, asā¦
ā¦There are no fruit notes to mention here; itās not a ājammyā wine at all, so instead of alluding to some other gourmet berry, Iāll just say āgrapeā
Agreed on the pepper but not the earth from the first review; itās somewhat bitter for a red
Some, but not too much, alcohol burn
BIG tannins (which I like)
Doesnāt feel too acidic, but is defintiely very sour and dry
Hint of an iron-like aftertaste
I poured this glass and am drinking it right after opening. The rest is vacuum sealed, so I might do an update tomorrow and let you know if it opens up a bit. In fact it feels like itās opening up even as Iām drinking it, losing its harsh edges and gaining some savory notes. This should definitely be decanted (I donāt own a decanter, just a Rabbit aerator, which I tragically didnāt use for this).
My preliminary take is that I agree with the review above: it needs some more time and/or air. As is, itās considerably better than the cheap stuff (e.g. Holiday QPR blend), but not as good out-of-the-bottle as some other ~$15 offerings weāve had here before.
@rjquillin Vacuum sealers still leave air inside the bottle, just not as much. Whenever I do it to any wine, on the second day the character definitely changes. They slow down the process instead of eliminating it entirely.
@rjquillin@ShotgunX I hear ya. Most of the wines that I enjoy seem to peak about 24 hours after I open them. Occasionally theyāre great on the pop and pour, but even then theyāre different and usually still good 24 hours later without being vacuum sealed. Itās typically about 48 hours after I open a bottle that I may start to see some decline, thatās just my opinion. I usually try to finish a bottle within 3 days of opening it, which is when they all tend to noticeably decline. If I pop a cork and itās not to my liking, whether itās too young or something else, I WANT it to get oxygen to see if the changes are beneficial. Iāll even just pour it into a decanter and leave it out lightly capped or even uncovered. At that point thereās nothing to lose. On that note, I have some of the 2022 Pedroncelli Brothers Mark in my cellar. I opened a bottle with some family and friends a couple weeks ago when we tasted a couple wines and everyone enjoyed it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Pedroncelli Brotherās Mark Cabernet Sauvignon - $20 = 11.11%
@kaolis@rjquillin@WCCWineGirl@Winedavid59 oh crap. we also manage their wine club and store some of their wines. The original offer was a previous vintage. They changed it late. Our apologies.
We are LONG time Pedroncelli customers. Weāve been part of their Cabernet wine club for over 20 years. We havenāt been real happy with the Brotherās Mark Cab.
Now Iām seeing people saying āYea, this needs a few years in the bottleā, and I agree. Soā¦normally weāre auto-buy on these cabs. I discussed with SWMBO and she agrees, maybe we get one and store it for a few years, because even after decanting/aerating it is āroughā.
This is also a HUGE savings over the club pricing ($19/btl vs. $13.33/btl)ā¦so probably in for 2.
As expected, it opened up after one day in an opened bottle. The harsh sour notes are gone, and it feels quote a bit more mineral-like now, though not quite as āsavoryā as a high-end red wine would be. Also it has a more fruity smell now (raspberries, I think), though the alcohol fume tingles are still present because itās quite a beefy red, I guess.
It goes well with this piece of mushroom brie I have from Trader Joeās, which makes the wine taste a little bit sweet.
If you hardcore-decant it for a few hours, you can definitely drink this right away. Probably a good case price for what youāre getting if you need to stock up on everyday reds (but since I just bought that case over at Meh, I have neither the space nor money to get any more).
Thanks for letting me try this out. See yāall on the next one.
A little late to the party, and who really cares, but of course Wine Enthusiast tasted this:
91 points. Powerful black fruits and charred-oak flavors drive this full-bodied and appropriately tannic wine as it pours out blackberries, cedar and toasted walnuts. It has the heft and concentrated fruit to pair with everything from ribs to risotto and Bolognese pasta. Best from 2025. ā Jim Gordon 3/1/24
Spectator got a taste as well:
85 points. This redās friendly notes of plum and cherry jam are tinged with hints of licorice and briar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now. 7,200 cases made. James Molesworth
April 15, 2024
@kaolis Remind me to de-weight any reviews from James Molesworth I may run across in the future; considering his ādrink nowā statement.
Ped most always needs at least 5 if not 10 years to find itās stride. imo
I donāt know whose ass these people are pulling their tasting notes from. Blackberries, cedar and toasted walnuts? Licorice and briar? Definitely not. Completely unrealistic, and written to appeal to a certain ācrowd.ā
2021 Pedroncelli Brotherās Mark Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Brotherās Mark
Tasting Notes
Grape & Winemaking Notes
Specs
Whatās Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $288/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 19 - Wednesday, May 21
2021 Pedroncelli Brotherās Mark Cabernet Sauvignon
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Different vintage lab rat! I got the 2022. No idea how different it is.
For my tastes this is about 7 years or so too young. But the call of duty wins.
Pretty closed down initially. Couldnāt get much aside from nondescript fruit and some vanilla/oak. The vinturi helped but it still needed time beyond that. Eventually I could start to get more nuance from it. Some earth, spices, pepper, medium finish. Good balance, and with air itās a young wine Iād drink - which is saying something!
Sorry for the short report. Iām going on nearly 22 hours awake after only 5 hours of sleep.
@klezman coming back for more?
@rjquillin Yeah, waking up at 8am UK time after a short night of quasi-sleep after watching the Leafs game and then working my entire flight back wasnāt kind to my Pacific Time evening. But a decent night of sleep later and Iām happy to expand on the report, of course.
Seeing @ShotgunXās report, I am largely in agreement with their observations. We differ in that I did not get alcohol heat, which I am often quite sensitive to. I didnāt find the aromas to be sweet aside from the sort of heavy fruit that young wines like this give off. The oak hasnāt had time to fully integrate, either, as evidenced by the vanilla being a bit forward. All in all thatās not surprising for a wine that isnāt even 3 years old.
I find this to be a classic young Pedroncelli. A bit too fruity and oaky, fairly rustic, nicely balanced acidity, and nicely extracted and deep flavours. For the 2022 I would wait at least 3 years before opening for my taste but more likely give it until 2030 at least. But I like less fruit/oak and more secondary development in my wines.
Since the vintages for the rat bottle and the offer are off by one, Iād expect that the 2021 is in a better place already just by virtue of an extra year in bottle. Itāll have had more time to integrate and smooth out the rougher edges. Vintage variation isnāt particularly extreme in Dry Creek Valley unless thereās an early rainfall or wildfire that messes things up. Alcohol on the 2022 is 14.5% while the offer says 14.8%. That suggests the 2021 is likely to be a touch more fruity and ripe than the 2022.
I know how Pedroncelli ages and Iām only now starting to thing about opening some 2016 vintage stuff. I would happily have this in the cellar if I had room. As rpm frequently has said, your patience will (likely) be rewarded. Buy half or a full case and open a bottle a year starting this fall and see where you might like it.
I got this to rat as well, also the 2022 version.
It came as a surprise this afternoon, so I wonāt have time to write anything fancy this time. Iāll pop it in a bit and will provide a quick list of notes at the very least.
In the bottle:
In the glass (Casemates glass for reference):
I poured this glass and am drinking it right after opening. The rest is vacuum sealed, so I might do an update tomorrow and let you know if it opens up a bit. In fact it feels like itās opening up even as Iām drinking it, losing its harsh edges and gaining some savory notes. This should definitely be decanted (I donāt own a decanter, just a Rabbit aerator, which I tragically didnāt use for this).
My preliminary take is that I agree with the review above: it needs some more time and/or air. As is, itās considerably better than the cheap stuff (e.g. Holiday QPR blend), but not as good out-of-the-bottle as some other ~$15 offerings weāve had here before.
@ShotgunX
I just donāt understand the logic in attempting to preserve a very young wine that clearly needs time to open up.
Give it air and see where it goes!
@rjquillin Vacuum sealers still leave air inside the bottle, just not as much. Whenever I do it to any wine, on the second day the character definitely changes. They slow down the process instead of eliminating it entirely.
@rjquillin @ShotgunX I hear ya. Most of the wines that I enjoy seem to peak about 24 hours after I open them. Occasionally theyāre great on the pop and pour, but even then theyāre different and usually still good 24 hours later without being vacuum sealed. Itās typically about 48 hours after I open a bottle that I may start to see some decline, thatās just my opinion. I usually try to finish a bottle within 3 days of opening it, which is when they all tend to noticeably decline. If I pop a cork and itās not to my liking, whether itās too young or something else, I WANT it to get oxygen to see if the changes are beneficial. Iāll even just pour it into a decanter and leave it out lightly capped or even uncovered. At that point thereās nothing to lose. On that note, I have some of the 2022 Pedroncelli Brothers Mark in my cellar. I opened a bottle with some family and friends a couple weeks ago when we tasted a couple wines and everyone enjoyed it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 Pedroncelli Brotherās Mark Cabernet Sauvignon - $20 = 11.11%
Maybe someone can clear up the vintage on offerā¦ kind of useless sending rats wine of a different vintage than the offer
@kaolis @winedavid59 @WCCWineGirl
whazzup?
@kaolis @rjquillin @WCCWineGirl @Winedavid59 oh crap. we also manage their wine club and store some of their wines. The original offer was a previous vintage. They changed it late. Our apologies.
@kaolis @WCCWineGirl @Winedavid49 @Winedavid59
So to confirm, so offer corrections can be made, this will be fulfilled with 2022 vintage?
@kaolis @rjquillin @Winedavid49 @Winedavid59 This offer is for the 2021 vintage.
We are LONG time Pedroncelli customers. Weāve been part of their Cabernet wine club for over 20 years. We havenāt been real happy with the Brotherās Mark Cab.
Now Iām seeing people saying āYea, this needs a few years in the bottleā, and I agree. Soā¦normally weāre auto-buy on these cabs. I discussed with SWMBO and she agrees, maybe we get one and store it for a few years, because even after decanting/aerating it is āroughā.
This is also a HUGE savings over the club pricing ($19/btl vs. $13.33/btl)ā¦so probably in for 2.
The Pendroncelli wines are always great. Looking forward to trying this.
Split in CMH. I grabbed a case already but would be in for sharing. Donāt have space for a case
Update on my review above:
As expected, it opened up after one day in an opened bottle. The harsh sour notes are gone, and it feels quote a bit more mineral-like now, though not quite as āsavoryā as a high-end red wine would be. Also it has a more fruity smell now (raspberries, I think), though the alcohol fume tingles are still present because itās quite a beefy red, I guess.
It goes well with this piece of mushroom brie I have from Trader Joeās, which makes the wine taste a little bit sweet.
If you hardcore-decant it for a few hours, you can definitely drink this right away. Probably a good case price for what youāre getting if you need to stock up on everyday reds (but since I just bought that case over at Meh, I have neither the space nor money to get any more).
Thanks for letting me try this out. See yāall on the next one.
A little late to the party, and who really cares, but of course Wine Enthusiast tasted this:
91 points. Powerful black fruits and charred-oak flavors drive this full-bodied and appropriately tannic wine as it pours out blackberries, cedar and toasted walnuts. It has the heft and concentrated fruit to pair with everything from ribs to risotto and Bolognese pasta. Best from 2025. ā Jim Gordon 3/1/24
Spectator got a taste as well:
85 points. This redās friendly notes of plum and cherry jam are tinged with hints of licorice and briar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now. 7,200 cases made. James Molesworth
April 15, 2024
fwiw
@kaolis Remind me to de-weight any reviews from James Molesworth I may run across in the future; considering his ādrink nowā statement.
Ped most always needs at least 5 if not 10 years to find itās stride. imo
I donāt know whose ass these people are pulling their tasting notes from. Blackberries, cedar and toasted walnuts? Licorice and briar? Definitely not. Completely unrealistic, and written to appeal to a certain ācrowd.ā
Viaduct? Why would you want to buyaduck?