2016 Cabernet Franc, Barrel Select, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
There is a fragrant bouquet of cherry, mint and warm spice followed by flavors of red cherry, spicy oak, nutmeg and a touch of vanilla, all coming together nicely. The lasting finish is framed by medium tannins with notes of dried herbs, toast and spice.
Vintage and Winemaker 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 location’s microclimate. Cabernet Franc was planted in 1993 to compliment the Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. We make this small lot wine so this varietal can shine on its own. The vineyard is sustainably farmed, hand pruned and hand harvested.
The even and very good growing season came equipped with plenty of rain. Slow ripening over the summer helped the tannins to soften and the aromas and flavors to excel. The vintage created very complex wines. The fruit was harvested the second week of September. 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 14 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
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Estate Vineyards
Barrel Regime: 14 months new and seasoned French oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.60
Total Acidity: .760g/100ml
2016 Merlot, Bench Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Aromas are rich and enticing with hints of strawberry, sage and baking spices. Flavors of red cherry, plum and notes of freshly ground black pepper are showcased along with touch of vanilla and toasty oak. Medium bodied with rounded tannins follow through to a spiced finish. A beautifully balanced wine.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
The source for our Merlot comes from three 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.
2016 gave us very good growing season conditions. There was enough rain during spring followed by an even summer with cool weather towards the end which extended the growing season. This brought in fully mature grapes that were harvested over the second week of September. All of these worked to bring the right ripeness ratio along with balanced acids and tannins. The grapes were 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.
Specs
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Aging: 12 months in American Oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.75
Total Acidity: .600g/100mg
2016 Sangiovese, Alto Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Aromas of cherry and spice highlight our Sangiovese. More tart cherry, spicy pepper and plum notes blend with a touch of vanilla and soft oak in the background. The finish is framed by bright acidity, medium body and mild tannins, making this a great food wine.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
This varietal is known as the backbone grape of Chianti. In honor of our heritage we planted this classic Italian varietal more than 20 years ago while seeking to add some unique wines to our line. We named the three separate sites, which are located on our home ranch, “Alto Vineyards” for the steep hillsides where the vineyards thrive. In the last few vintages, the maturity of the vines as well as the quality of the fruit from these hilltop sections is at their peak.
The even and very good growing season came from a winter and spring that provided the right amount of rain. Slow ripening over the summer helped the tannins to soften and the aromas and flavors to excel. The vintage created very complex wines. The fruit was harvested September 10th and the hillside vineyards were hand-picked. The three blocks were crushed together creating a site-blend and transferred to stainless steel tanks where the juice was first cold soaked for 24 hours and then fermented for 7 days. The cap was pumped over periodically to enhance the color, flavor and intensity in the wine. The wine was aged in neutral American oak barrels for seventeen months and developed additional smoothness and complexity through this process.
Specs
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley, Estate Vineyards
Barrel Aging: 17 months in American Oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.50
Total Acidity: .650g/100
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
2x 2016 Cabernet Franc, Barrel Select, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2016 Merlot, Bench Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2016 Sangiovese, Alto Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Case:
4x 2016 Cabernet Franc, Barrel Select, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2016 Merlot, Bench Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2016 Sangiovese, Alto Vineyards, 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 they’re 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.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Pedroncelli Mixed Reds - $15 = 9.37%
Gosh dang it… now the temptation to risk this is greater. Loooking back on pedroncelli orders right now to see how fast they normally ship. If I can get this before April hits, we are looking at 90% success rate…and it looks like they normally ship in a week or 2. In for a case. Worth the gamble. Please ship soon. And thank you!
So, my wife and I were lucky enough to be chosen as lab rats for 2 of these wines. We received the Sangiovese and the Merlot late Thursday afternoon. Both of these wines were popped and poured.
The Merlot: Black cherry predominates with notes of pomengranate, strawberry and sage on the nose. Light to medium bodied with fine tannins. The palate showed more notes of red cherry and black pepper. There was more black pepper than we were used to in a Merlot. hints of vanilla and cocoa were also present. This is a great QPR. It’s an interesting wine, that had more pepper notes than most Merlots. We liked this wine.
The Sangiovese: Sangiovese is one of my wife’s favorite grapes and she absolutely loved this expression of the grape. It’s an amazing wine. Cherry and spice on the amazing nose. Tart cherry, strawberry and hints of cranberry on the palate. Well balanced wine with decent acidity, medium body and fine tannins. This wine was the highlight of the two. Well worth the $18 list price, let alone the discounted Casemates price. We absolutely loved this wine!
NE OH here we go again! SIWBM isn’t working too well on my end, especially when Pedroncelli shows up. Dang that @Winedavid49 for entrapping us with one tempting offer after another. @chipgreen@pjmartin@boatman72@scott0210
@mrn1 Gosh, my SIWBM is less than a week old and I was thinking this morning that it would be my luck if an AUTOBUY showed up!! And what happened??? Ed shows up with one of my favorites! What to do, what to do??
@mrn1 I just bought me a 6 pack. Only a buck a bottle more. I’m pretty far behind on catching up with my splits. When we all going to Gervasi? Let’s go on a Sunday or Thursday night and I can rent that house so we can sleep it off before driving home. Much cheaper on a week night.
Labrat here…received my email yesterday evening that i would be receiving something going on sale today. unfortunately that email arrived long after fedex attempted to deliver to an empty house so I’m now waiting on delivery attempt 2 today. will be back later with actual thoughts, however as a semi retired professional online forum stalker (I’m not actually retired, however i stalk the online forums much less than i used to) I can surmise the following:
Don’t wait for me. BUY it now before it sells out.
@jaybird, @winedavid49, on that note, would it be a good idea to inform upcoming lab rats beforehand what to expect in their mailbox from FedEx or whoever, so people can plan?!?!
That’s my $0.02 for the day!
@rjquillin It’s not like the acidity stat is going to influence your purchasing decision, is it?
Also obviously it’s 6 g/l or 0.6 g/100 ml. No other interpretation would be the least bit sensible…
But I still need to decide if breaking the WBM is allowed here. Love Pedroncelli, especially a few years after the wines are released. I’m just starting to think about drinking the 2010-11 vintage stuff.
@klezman
Of course not, already hit the big yellow, err, well, whatever it is now.
But in the interest of science, and accuracy, I felt compelled to at least comment, and suggest that mg was likely to correctly be ml.
Quote at lunch from me “Did you see Casemates?”
Wife: “No…Ooooh, Pedroncelli, we should get six”
Me: “Too late, I got a case.”
Wife: “Woo hoo!” One of the many reasons I married her.
case ordered. Happy to split with folks in NoVa if someone would like to buy (or possibly trade) for them. I’d like to keep 6 bottles, so 6 are up for grabs if desired.
We received a golden ticket last night, and box which included the 2016 Merlot and Cab Franc! Unfortunately I had dinner obligations for work, so my wife and I did not try either, but we will get on with the rattage this evening!
That being said, we have really enjoyed previous vintages of all 3 of these wines, so taking a flyer on the 2016 before it sells out!
Received two bottles; one Cab Franc and one Sangiovese. We threw together an impromptu dinner with family so I could share tasting responsibilities.
Cab Franc: we popped this first. The general consensus was that it’s good, but needs to open more. Someone said it was sharp and had an strong initial alcohol presentation. It has improved much over the hour it’s been opened. I really liked it with steak and lamb. We agree it will be even better tomorrow.
Sangiovese: Everyone thought this was the better of the two on the initial opening. Less alcohol aroma and more dominant berries. Woodsy was mentioned. This was nice with the meats too. Looking forward to seeing how it is tomorrow.
I preferred the cab Franc the others preferred the Sangiovese. We all liked them both and will like them more tomorrow . Thank you for the opportunity to be a rat. I bought a case this morning. I don’t regret that decision.
Better late than never! Reader’s digest version, you want to buy a case. Because Pedroncelli.
Little know fact, but Pedroncelli is Italian slang for QPR!
My wife and I received a golden ticket from a rather frozen looking monkey who battled the Colorado blizzard just to bring us a bottle of 2016 Pedroncelli Ranch Vineyard Merlot and a bottle of 2016 Barrel Select Cabernet Franc! Due to work obligations, we couldn’t try these last night, so stashed them upright in the cellar to rest. We pulled them out an hour before opening, and they had warmed to around 62F.
Starting with the Merlot. Pnp, and it’s fresh. Clear and free of sediment and gas, bright ruby, medium concentration, good viscosity with slow legs. First wiff and we both got a lot of sweet red fruit. No alcohol, red cherries, nice and lucious! First sips, maybe a bit cold, but very fresh wine. I got dry, wife maybe a touch of sweetness, but still dry. Med tannins, med acidity, no alcohol noticable. Confirmed the red fruit, but couldn’t find the cherries. Definitely some vanilla and a touch of tobacco on the finish. She said short finish, I said med -, not tons of structure but really tasty! We think it will last several years, but no need to wait!
Onto the CF! Clear, slightly more concentrated, slightly hazy, Ruby color in the glass. No sediment or gas, med viscosity. First wiff, not getting a lot. The wine is definitely closed and too cold, maybe a bit of oak? Swirling didn’t give up much more. First sips, the wine is dry, closed, no fruit, just some pleasant secondary notes. But no green pepper! Short finish, no alcohol.
My wife made GF pizzas for dinner, we will report back on the pairing and after the wines warm and breath a little. Overall, very happy I got the case. These are good enough to drink with someone who likes wine, but cheap enough to open anytime. Thanks WD!
Verdict is in, both go well with pizza, but are big enough to drink on their own. Merlot has opened a bit more, but same notes as the initial tasting. CF definitely opened up and is very good, getting dark red fruit and some cocoa, same on the palate. Going to save the rest of both for tomorrow and see how they hold up.
2016 Cabernet Franc, Barrel Select, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
There is a fragrant bouquet of cherry, mint and warm spice followed by flavors of red cherry, spicy oak, nutmeg and a touch of vanilla, all coming together nicely. The lasting finish is framed by medium tannins with notes of dried herbs, toast and spice.
Vintage and Winemaker 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 location’s microclimate. Cabernet Franc was planted in 1993 to compliment the Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. We make this small lot wine so this varietal can shine on its own. The vineyard is sustainably farmed, hand pruned and hand harvested.
The even and very good growing season came equipped with plenty of rain. Slow ripening over the summer helped the tannins to soften and the aromas and flavors to excel. The vintage created very complex wines. The fruit was harvested the second week of September. 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 14 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
2016 Merlot, Bench Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Aromas are rich and enticing with hints of strawberry, sage and baking spices. Flavors of red cherry, plum and notes of freshly ground black pepper are showcased along with touch of vanilla and toasty oak. Medium bodied with rounded tannins follow through to a spiced finish. A beautifully balanced wine.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
The source for our Merlot comes from three 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.
2016 gave us very good growing season conditions. There was enough rain during spring followed by an even summer with cool weather towards the end which extended the growing season. This brought in fully mature grapes that were harvested over the second week of September. All of these worked to bring the right ripeness ratio along with balanced acids and tannins. The grapes were 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.
Specs
2016 Sangiovese, Alto Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Aromas of cherry and spice highlight our Sangiovese. More tart cherry, spicy pepper and plum notes blend with a touch of vanilla and soft oak in the background. The finish is framed by bright acidity, medium body and mild tannins, making this a great food wine.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
This varietal is known as the backbone grape of Chianti. In honor of our heritage we planted this classic Italian varietal more than 20 years ago while seeking to add some unique wines to our line. We named the three separate sites, which are located on our home ranch, “Alto Vineyards” for the steep hillsides where the vineyards thrive. In the last few vintages, the maturity of the vines as well as the quality of the fruit from these hilltop sections is at their peak.
The even and very good growing season came from a winter and spring that provided the right amount of rain. Slow ripening over the summer helped the tannins to soften and the aromas and flavors to excel. The vintage created very complex wines. The fruit was harvested September 10th and the hillside vineyards were hand-picked. The three blocks were crushed together creating a site-blend and transferred to stainless steel tanks where the juice was first cold soaked for 24 hours and then fermented for 7 days. The cap was pumped over periodically to enhance the color, flavor and intensity in the wine. The wine was aged in neutral American oak barrels for seventeen months and developed additional smoothness and complexity through this process.
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$236/case (including shipping) at Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards
About The Winery
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 they’re 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, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, April 11th - Monday, April 15th
Pedroncelli Mixed Reds
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $144.99 $12.08/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Pedroncelli Cabernet Franc
2016 Pedroncelli Merlot
2016 Pedroncelli Sangiovese
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Pedroncelli Mixed Reds - $15 = 9.37%
/giphy quiet-husky-edge
Gosh dang it… now the temptation to risk this is greater. Loooking back on pedroncelli orders right now to see how fast they normally ship. If I can get this before April hits, we are looking at 90% success rate…and it looks like they normally ship in a week or 2. In for a case. Worth the gamble. Please ship soon. And thank you!
Auto buy,
No rats necessary.
But always welcome.
HI Ed.
Got a '14 Red Blend open right now.
/giphy amorous-harmonious-smile
Having not yet bought via Casemates but longtime friend of woot, curious what company is used for shipping - Fed Ex or UPS?
@shrimp74 Fedex
Anyone want to split in the SF peninsula?
Hello…it’s Pedroncelli!! YAY!
Is there a bad Pedroncelli? Autobuy.
Autobuy…
So, my wife and I were lucky enough to be chosen as lab rats for 2 of these wines. We received the Sangiovese and the Merlot late Thursday afternoon. Both of these wines were popped and poured.
The Merlot: Black cherry predominates with notes of pomengranate, strawberry and sage on the nose. Light to medium bodied with fine tannins. The palate showed more notes of red cherry and black pepper. There was more black pepper than we were used to in a Merlot. hints of vanilla and cocoa were also present. This is a great QPR. It’s an interesting wine, that had more pepper notes than most Merlots. We liked this wine.
The Sangiovese: Sangiovese is one of my wife’s favorite grapes and she absolutely loved this expression of the grape. It’s an amazing wine. Cherry and spice on the amazing nose. Tart cherry, strawberry and hints of cranberry on the palate. Well balanced wine with decent acidity, medium body and fine tannins. This wine was the highlight of the two. Well worth the $18 list price, let alone the discounted Casemates price. We absolutely loved this wine!
Buy now!
/giphy ugliest-topical-apollo
/giphy loveable-upset-ghost
/giphy bulbous-imaginary-chlorine
NE OH here we go again! SIWBM isn’t working too well on my end, especially when Pedroncelli shows up. Dang that @Winedavid49 for entrapping us with one tempting offer after another. @chipgreen @pjmartin @boatman72 @scott0210
@mrn1 Got my club shipment a few weeks ago. Always a good buy but I’m okay to pass on this one
@pjmartin
@mrn1
I have to pass but thank you. The madness must stop, auuggghhh!
@mrn1 Gosh, my SIWBM is less than a week old and I was thinking this morning that it would be my luck if an AUTOBUY showed up!! And what happened??? Ed shows up with one of my favorites! What to do, what to do??
@mrn1 Can’t resist…I’ll split the case with you! Who’s buying?
@mrn1 I just bought me a 6 pack. Only a buck a bottle more. I’m pretty far behind on catching up with my splits. When we all going to Gervasi? Let’s go on a Sunday or Thursday night and I can rent that house so we can sleep it off before driving home. Much cheaper on a week night.
@Boatman72 Just pulled the trigger…done deal!
More Missouri baggage.
/giphy slender-spiffy-teeth
Got a case, can part with 3-6 to someone in Houston area.
/giphy poor-informative-shape
@modfalk Would like to take half.
@deadlyapp It’s a deal
A bunch of Pedroncelli that I don’t have, and my wife just realized (again) that she likes merlot. That took me all of 30 seconds.
/giphy cheesy-overwrought-memory
Labrat here…received my email yesterday evening that i would be receiving something going on sale today. unfortunately that email arrived long after fedex attempted to deliver to an empty house so I’m now waiting on delivery attempt 2 today. will be back later with actual thoughts, however as a semi retired professional online forum stalker (I’m not actually retired, however i stalk the online forums much less than i used to) I can surmise the following:
Don’t wait for me. BUY it now before it sells out.
@jaybird, @winedavid49, on that note, would it be a good idea to inform upcoming lab rats beforehand what to expect in their mailbox from FedEx or whoever, so people can plan?!?!
That’s my $0.02 for the day!
@jaybird @Winedavid49, got mine! Cheers!
For those that love specs, we know that, for the Merlot,
Total Acidity: .600g/100mg
can’t be correct and needs some attention.
Perhaps that mg should be ml?
@pedroncellifam Ed, wake up!
@ThomasF An edit?
@rjquillin I am in Arizona. I’ve reached out to Julie. Will try to get back to you.
@rjquillin It’s not like the acidity stat is going to influence your purchasing decision, is it?
Also obviously it’s 6 g/l or 0.6 g/100 ml. No other interpretation would be the least bit sensible…
But I still need to decide if breaking the WBM is allowed here. Love Pedroncelli, especially a few years after the wines are released. I’m just starting to think about drinking the 2010-11 vintage stuff.
@rjquillin Protip, when dealing with water (and wine is mostly that), 1ml=1g. It’s kind of the definition.
@klezman
Of course not, already hit the big yellow, err, well, whatever it is now.
But in the interest of science, and accuracy, I felt compelled to at least comment, and suggest that mg was likely to correctly be ml.
@Pagefault @rjquillin You’re telling the guy who invariably gives us the temperature in C?
@InFrom @Pagefault
Classic! I do like the handle tho…
We love our Pedroncelli- and picking up a case means we don’t second guess pulling from the stash!
/giphy surprised-nimble-feeling
Quote at lunch from me “Did you see Casemates?”
One of the many reasons I married her.
Wife: “No…Ooooh, Pedroncelli, we should get six”
Me: “Too late, I got a case.”
Wife: “Woo hoo!”
@benguin986 lucky man
You don’t have to tell me twice - Pedroncelli is one of my auto-buys.
/giphy jingly-damned-furniture
I need more wine about as much as I need a hole in my head.
Still, this is an autobuy.
Quality Pedroncelli Reds (QPR)
/giphy haphazard-jinxed-sweater
case ordered. Happy to split with folks in NoVa if someone would like to buy (or possibly trade) for them. I’d like to keep 6 bottles, so 6 are up for grabs if desired.
/giphy standing-loved-bandicoot
/giphy highfalutin-outlandish-doll
In for a case. Thanks Ed and WD
@mommadeb Wrong color hair!
@rjquillin
We received a golden ticket last night, and box which included the 2016 Merlot and Cab Franc! Unfortunately I had dinner obligations for work, so my wife and I did not try either, but we will get on with the rattage this evening!
That being said, we have really enjoyed previous vintages of all 3 of these wines, so taking a flyer on the 2016 before it sells out!
/giphy groovy-misguided-nail
Denver peeps, not splitting this one!
@knlprez remember , one day only on this one!
@Winedavid49 thanks for the heads-up! Sounds like a good reason to leave work a little early!
Echoing the crowd–auto buy! Thanks WD & Ed. Ped always makes me happy.
I have too much wine stored as it is, but I can’t turn down a Pedroncelli. In for 6!
Iowa Splits?
Man, trying to take a break from wine buying, but my wife would stab me if I didn’t buy this. Pedroncelli Merlot is her favorite.
Pedroncelli is always an rpmAUTOBUY!
yum
/giphy wispy-peremptory-button
Man I’ve been off my casemates game for way too long.
/giphy dormant-possible-nacho
Happily, discovered I had two Pedroncelli 2012 Mother Clone Zins in the cellar. Sadly, discovered they were the only Peds left. Happier now in NEO!
My lucky day!
Received two bottles; one Cab Franc and one Sangiovese. We threw together an impromptu dinner with family so I could share tasting responsibilities.
Cab Franc: we popped this first. The general consensus was that it’s good, but needs to open more. Someone said it was sharp and had an strong initial alcohol presentation. It has improved much over the hour it’s been opened. I really liked it with steak and lamb. We agree it will be even better tomorrow.
Sangiovese: Everyone thought this was the better of the two on the initial opening. Less alcohol aroma and more dominant berries. Woodsy was mentioned. This was nice with the meats too. Looking forward to seeing how it is tomorrow.
I preferred the cab Franc the others preferred the Sangiovese. We all liked them both and will like them more tomorrow
. Thank you for the opportunity to be a rat. I bought a case this morning. I don’t regret that decision.
/giphy obnoxious-profuse-assassin
Better late than never! Reader’s digest version, you want to buy a case. Because Pedroncelli.
Little know fact, but Pedroncelli is Italian slang for QPR!
My wife and I received a golden ticket from a rather frozen looking monkey who battled the Colorado blizzard just to bring us a bottle of 2016 Pedroncelli Ranch Vineyard Merlot and a bottle of 2016 Barrel Select Cabernet Franc! Due to work obligations, we couldn’t try these last night, so stashed them upright in the cellar to rest. We pulled them out an hour before opening, and they had warmed to around 62F.
Starting with the Merlot. Pnp, and it’s fresh. Clear and free of sediment and gas, bright ruby, medium concentration, good viscosity with slow legs. First wiff and we both got a lot of sweet red fruit. No alcohol, red cherries, nice and lucious! First sips, maybe a bit cold, but very fresh wine. I got dry, wife maybe a touch of sweetness, but still dry. Med tannins, med acidity, no alcohol noticable. Confirmed the red fruit, but couldn’t find the cherries. Definitely some vanilla and a touch of tobacco on the finish. She said short finish, I said med -, not tons of structure but really tasty! We think it will last several years, but no need to wait!
Onto the CF! Clear, slightly more concentrated, slightly hazy, Ruby color in the glass. No sediment or gas, med viscosity. First wiff, not getting a lot. The wine is definitely closed and too cold, maybe a bit of oak? Swirling didn’t give up much more. First sips, the wine is dry, closed, no fruit, just some pleasant secondary notes. But no green pepper! Short finish, no alcohol.
My wife made GF pizzas for dinner, we will report back on the pairing and after the wines warm and breath a little. Overall, very happy I got the case. These are good enough to drink with someone who likes wine, but cheap enough to open anytime. Thanks WD!
Verdict is in, both go well with pizza, but are big enough to drink on their own. Merlot has opened a bit more, but same notes as the initial tasting. CF definitely opened up and is very good, getting dark red fruit and some cocoa, same on the palate. Going to save the rest of both for tomorrow and see how they hold up.
Love the rat reports!
/giphy aspiring-savvy-barnacle
