Ripe blackberry and warm baking spice aromas lead to a delicious dessert wine with dense, rich toffee and sweet plum flavors. A complex Port, well-balanced between the sugar and alcohol with a lingering finish. Cellar note: Although ready to drink now, this port will benefit from aging for the next 10 years.
The natural affinity between dark chocolate and red wine is no secret - restaurants often pair after-dinner wines with chocolate desserts, and many desserts themselves incorporate both chocolate and flavors that are often found in red wine, such as berry, mint or coffee. Our Wine Lover’s Chocolate Collection takes this idea one step further, creating a way for people to experience the subtleties of wine and chocolate together without a lot of guesswork or pretension. The 54% cocoa blend of these dark chocolate drops is expertly curated to complement the rich, sweet quality of many Port wines. Our 54% chocolates are a perfect after-dinner treat, served along with a small glass of Port, of course!.
Vineyard and Winemaker’s notes
The grapes for this dessert wine came from Pedroncelli’s estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The four acre vineyard was established in 1995. The following Port varietals are planted with an acre each: Tinta Madeira, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, and Souzao. Each varietal matures at a slightly different rate but are
picked at the same time. They are harvested as a field blend and each contributes acid, color and flavor components. This is our twenty third vintage.
It was an ideal growing season with mild temperatures and opportune heat spikes to get the grapes to full maturity. Yields and fruit quality were exceptional. Harvested the second week of October, the blocks are picked together and brought into the winery, destemmed and crushed. Yeast is added to start the fermentation; it continues for several days until the fermentation is stopped by adding neutral grape spirits. The addition of spirits (also known as fortification) ceases the fermentation and just the right amount of residual sugar is left. The young wine is then aged in seasoned American oak barrels for 4 years during which the wine softens and matures adding oak notes and complexity.
Specifications
Vintage: 2012
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Aging: 4 years in seasoned oak barrels
Alcohol: 19.0%
pH: 4.01
Total Acidity: .525g/100mg
Residual Sugar: 9.4%
North of the Gate Wine Competition, 2017: 98 points, Double Gold Medal, Best of Class, Best Fortified
Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition: 92 Points & Gold Medal,
Winery: Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards
Owners: Pedroncelli Family
Founded: 1927
Location: Sonoma, CA
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.
Pedroncelli Port & Wine Lover’s Chocolate
3 bottles for $44.99 $15/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $154.99 $12.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@Cerridwyn@rjquillin@TechnoViking you must try the 100% once. I tried the one made by a French chocolatier, I think his name is Cluizel or something like that. Outstanding. Also amazing the Domori (Italian, in this case).
@rjquillin@salpo@TechnoViking
I have had 100%
not from either of those places but Ghirardelli made some for commercial purchase for awhile, geared for making hot chocolate that was awesome and some from a local place
@klezman because you need 4 boxes of chocolates too of course! I’m going in for a case and drinking this last bottle now… well not the whole bottle. Hehe.
@rjquillin no, not really. Honest question given that I have three of these and need something to tell me why I need more. Is this vintage particularly long lived, for example?
@klezman@rjquillin Having had the opportunity to taste these wines at the 20 year mark I can tell you that these wines are incredibly long lived. I encourage you to build your cellar!
@bhodilee@InFrom I’m no cheerleader for Cruz. But, I have noticed more snarky political comments being worked into wine discussions and even Lab Rat reports recently. It is distasteful.
@bhodilee@Vyntage One thing about @bhodilee, he can be depended on for snark, political or no. Can’t speak re: the others.
There used to be that politics thread over on w.woot, where political talk was supposed to be corralled. But there was always leakage in the threads for other topics.
@radiolysis Consider what it feels like for your parts to have funny names, for you not to fit in the wine rack like all the others. Consider the grave disappointment you’ll experience when you pour the last bit out of that last bottle and come to the realization that you don’t have more. I’ll just leave this here…
@pedroncellifam@rjquillin
I’m building my Pedroncelli Port cellar! From past RPM Tours I have a vertical of 2000-2002, a few bottles each of 2007, 2008, 2012, and 1997. But I’m not going to open a 2012 for another five years, shouldn’t I wait for the newer vintages? Or better yet, a library Port offering??
@klezman@rjquillin Wow. You have 1997? That was when we were still buying fruit from the Raymond Burr Vineyard–you must have picked that up here. Won’t be doing any library offerings, so I’d say build inventory every time we offer a Port. To make a rough suggestion…if you buy a case of each vintage you could start opening them at the 8 year from vintage point. Do one bottle per year for 12 years and you will eventually be opening a 20 year old port. Now, wouldn’t you like to do that for an an additional 12 years? Just sayin’…
@pedroncellifam Actually, we got lucky and noticed that K&L got a couple bottles from a private cellar and snapped them up. We are no strangers to Pedroncelli Port, so this was a total no-brainer for us
Obviously I like your suggestion, but that collides with the reality of storage constraints!
More importantly, how does the 2012 compare to other vintages? How much vintage-to-vintage variability is there in the Port?
@klezman Sorry, missed the last part of this. There is very little variation by vintage. Always the same grapes, always fortified to stop fermentation at 9% RS. and about 3 years in neutral barrels. Tasty juice!
@tklivory Eh. I’d probably do just 3 bottles. While Ed’s suggestion of a private port library sounds fantastic, i am collecting sweet wines at a crazy rate.
Who ordered what to split with who?
Ok, likely there should be a whom in there somewhere, but I sucked, still do, in English.
I grabbed a case, shipping to klez for some kind of a split between he, cortot and I, depending on how quantities work out. I’d like minimum 4 and really 6.
Anything else to get divvied up?
Whispers?
Hate to see some wanting but left out.
@CorTot@radiolysis@rjquillin@TechnoViking@tklivory
If we’re mentioning English, I’ll also point out the I/me error
2 or 3 is plenty fine for us. I forgot Cory wanted some as well. Since Ron is the buyer, Ron gets to decide
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2012 Pedroncelli Port & Chocolate - $35 = 19.43%
Now that I’ve discovered the 1/2 case I bought under a few other boxes of wine, I’m very happy to know I’ll be able to replenish my stock. It’s going faster than I thought it would. Very tasty port! Getting a case this time. Winter is here!
Ordered this from w.w last December, and coincidentally opened the first bottle and the chocolates a few days ago. The port was delicious! Rivaled the Wellington ports we also got from w.w. The chocolates were pretty tasty as well. If you’re on the fence about this one, go ahead and fall off.
So everybody, what’s the process to become a LabRat? I’ve successfully completed my Intro course (and passed the exam!) at the Guild of Sommelier and ready to have wine thrown at me
In for a case! Splitting with some friend. I’m definitely newer to the Port world than the Wine world, and I am pretty novice in the Wine world. Looking forward to trying some more new!
@chipgreen@mrn1@pjmartin Ok, @chipgreen has 3 of yours; I’ll take 3;, and you have 6. That should cover your case. I could always buy a case to split, but this being a one day offer, not sure who will chime in with little time left!
@Boatman72@chipgreen@mrn1 glad that the splits continue- I thought (hard) about replying to chip, and am glad I am sitting this one out. Have an open bottle of this in the fridge picked up at the winery this spring. Besides, it’s almost rose weather around here!
Fred says it’s an investment in my future, and given what the market’s been doing, maybe I should sink more of my hard-earned dough into Port futures.
/giphy radical-grubbing-gold
Got mine in tonight. I like it. It’s sweet, but not cloying. It reminds me of the Quady port, or a sack cream sherry. It’s very raisin forward, but there’s a sort of ruby note to the flavor that’s a bit softer.
Tasting Notes
Ripe blackberry and warm baking spice aromas lead to a delicious dessert wine with dense, rich toffee and sweet plum flavors. A complex Port, well-balanced between the sugar and alcohol with a lingering finish. Cellar note: Although ready to drink now, this port will benefit from aging for the next 10 years.
The natural affinity between dark chocolate and red wine is no secret - restaurants often pair after-dinner wines with chocolate desserts, and many desserts themselves incorporate both chocolate and flavors that are often found in red wine, such as berry, mint or coffee. Our Wine Lover’s Chocolate Collection takes this idea one step further, creating a way for people to experience the subtleties of wine and chocolate together without a lot of guesswork or pretension. The 54% cocoa blend of these dark chocolate drops is expertly curated to complement the rich, sweet quality of many Port wines. Our 54% chocolates are a perfect after-dinner treat, served along with a small glass of Port, of course!.
Vineyard and Winemaker’s notes
The grapes for this dessert wine came from Pedroncelli’s estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The four acre vineyard was established in 1995. The following Port varietals are planted with an acre each: Tinta Madeira, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, and Souzao. Each varietal matures at a slightly different rate but are
picked at the same time. They are harvested as a field blend and each contributes acid, color and flavor components. This is our twenty third vintage.
It was an ideal growing season with mild temperatures and opportune heat spikes to get the grapes to full maturity. Yields and fruit quality were exceptional. Harvested the second week of October, the blocks are picked together and brought into the winery, destemmed and crushed. Yeast is added to start the fermentation; it continues for several days until the fermentation is stopped by adding neutral grape spirits. The addition of spirits (also known as fortification) ceases the fermentation and just the right amount of residual sugar is left. The young wine is then aged in seasoned American oak barrels for 4 years during which the wine softens and matures adding oak notes and complexity.
Specifications
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$288.83/case (including shipping) at Pedroncelli Winery and The San Francisco Chocolate Factory
About The Winery
Winery: Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards
Owners: Pedroncelli Family
Founded: 1927
Location: Sonoma, CA
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, January 31st - Monday, February 4th
Pedroncelli Port & Wine Lover’s Chocolate
3 bottles for $44.99 $15/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $154.99 $12.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2012 Pedroncelli Port
should have had a way to buy extra chocolate
@Cerridwyn
Except it’s only 54%; that’s like eating milk.
The port?
Yummy!
@Cerridwyn @rjquillin I wonder what the % of the chocolates were at the last time this was offered on WW. I thought those were good.
@Cerridwyn @TechnoViking
Same, 54%
I want my cacao upwards of 80%, thanks.
@Cerridwyn @rjquillin I’m drinking it right now with 78%
@Cerridwyn @rjquillin @TechnoViking you must try the 100% once. I tried the one made by a French chocolatier, I think his name is Cluizel or something like that. Outstanding. Also amazing the Domori (Italian, in this case).
@rjquillin @salpo @TechnoViking
I have had 100%
not from either of those places but Ghirardelli made some for commercial purchase for awhile, geared for making hot chocolate that was awesome and some from a local place
Yum. Already have three of this vintage… And plenty of older vintages. Convince me why I need more
@klezman because you need 4 boxes of chocolates too of course! I’m going in for a case and drinking this last bottle now… well not the whole bottle. Hehe.
@klezman You trolling for a case split?
@klezman @TechnoViking It’s Pedroncelli!
@rjquillin no, not really. Honest question given that I have three of these and need something to tell me why I need more. Is this vintage particularly long lived, for example?
@klezman I hear they mix it with Ted Cruz’s tears, that’s why it’s so good.
@bhodilee @klezman This board needs a way to mute people that bring politics into a wine discussion.
@klezman @rjquillin Having had the opportunity to taste these wines at the 20 year mark I can tell you that these wines are incredibly long lived. I encourage you to build your cellar!
@bhodilee @Vyntage I thought even his Republican colleagues couldn’t stand him, personality-wise. A bipartisan dislike, or so I understood.
@bhodilee @InFrom I’m no cheerleader for Cruz. But, I have noticed more snarky political comments being worked into wine discussions and even Lab Rat reports recently. It is distasteful.
@bhodilee @Vyntage One thing about @bhodilee, he can be depended on for snark, political or no. Can’t speak re: the others.
There used to be that politics thread over on w.woot, where political talk was supposed to be corralled. But there was always leakage in the threads for other topics.
@InFrom @Vyntage Cruz bashing is going to be the only sport in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. If I’m going to medal in both, I need to practice.
@pedroncellifam I only have one of the 2012 and three of the 2009. You suppose those bottles are lonely and need more siblings?
@radiolysis Consider what it feels like for your parts to have funny names, for you not to fit in the wine rack like all the others. Consider the grave disappointment you’ll experience when you pour the last bit out of that last bottle and come to the realization that you don’t have more. I’ll just leave this here…
@radiolysis Want to split a case? I’d be down with that.
@pedroncellifam @rjquillin
I’m building my Pedroncelli Port cellar! From past RPM Tours I have a vertical of 2000-2002, a few bottles each of 2007, 2008, 2012, and 1997. But I’m not going to open a 2012 for another five years, shouldn’t I wait for the newer vintages? Or better yet, a library Port offering??
@klezman @rjquillin Wow. You have 1997? That was when we were still buying fruit from the Raymond Burr Vineyard–you must have picked that up here. Won’t be doing any library offerings, so I’d say build inventory every time we offer a Port. To make a rough suggestion…if you buy a case of each vintage you could start opening them at the 8 year from vintage point. Do one bottle per year for 12 years and you will eventually be opening a 20 year old port. Now, wouldn’t you like to do that for an an additional 12 years? Just sayin’…
@pedroncellifam Actually, we got lucky and noticed that K&L got a couple bottles from a private cellar and snapped them up. We are no strangers to Pedroncelli Port, so this was a total no-brainer for us
Obviously I like your suggestion, but that collides with the reality of storage constraints!
More importantly, how does the 2012 compare to other vintages? How much vintage-to-vintage variability is there in the Port?
@bhodilee @klezman @Vyntage we do have a Poli"ticks" IV thread, it gets interesting, but has been unusually quiet of late.
@klezman @pedroncellifam
I caved. Case coming your way.
We can work out the split later, if there is one.
Hi Ed!
@klezman Sorry, missed the last part of this. There is very little variation by vintage. Always the same grapes, always fortified to stop fermentation at 9% RS. and about 3 years in neutral barrels. Tasty juice!
@tklivory Eh. I’d probably do just 3 bottles. While Ed’s suggestion of a private port library sounds fantastic, i am collecting sweet wines at a crazy rate.
@klezman @pedroncellifam surely you get some variation in say, acid year to year, if from the weather and hang time if nothing else?
@klezman @pedroncellifam @rjquillin I can take a couple if it helps.
@klezman @novium You can check the stats on a few vintages here:fact sheets
@klezman @pedroncellifam thanks!
@bhodilee @klezman Good to see you back, bhodilee.
@pedroncellifam Tasty juice indeed! Looks like we’re getting a few more bottles. Thanks as always, Ed!
@rjquillin @tklivory @radiolysis
Looks like there’s potential for a 4-way split here…
@bhodilee @coynedj @klezman indeed!
@klezman @radiolysis @tklivory @TechnoViking @cortot
Who ordered what to split with who?
Ok, likely there should be a whom in there somewhere, but I sucked, still do, in English.
I grabbed a case, shipping to klez for some kind of a split between he, cortot and I, depending on how quantities work out. I’d like minimum 4 and really 6.
Anything else to get divvied up?
Whispers?
Hate to see some wanting but left out.
@CorTot @radiolysis @rjquillin @TechnoViking @tklivory
If we’re mentioning English, I’ll also point out the I/me error
2 or 3 is plenty fine for us. I forgot Cory wanted some as well. Since Ron is the buyer, Ron gets to decide
@CorTot @klezman @rjquillin @TechnoViking @tklivory I didn’t buy. When Ed releases the 2013 hopefully I have more room to store bottles.
@CorTot @klezman @radiolysis @TechnoViking @tklivory
Klez 3, cortot 2 and 4 for me would leave 3.
Takers?
You had me a chocolate
Tempted, but i’m totally broke until mid Jan so at most could just take a bottle of someone’s hands.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2012 Pedroncelli Port & Chocolate - $35 = 19.43%
Now that I’ve discovered the 1/2 case I bought under a few other boxes of wine, I’m very happy to know I’ll be able to replenish my stock. It’s going faster than I thought it would. Very tasty port! Getting a case this time. Winter is here!
@agailb that’s the spirit!
Awesome! Thanks Ped!
Ordered this from w.w last December, and coincidentally opened the first bottle and the chocolates a few days ago. The port was delicious! Rivaled the Wellington ports we also got from w.w. The chocolates were pretty tasty as well. If you’re on the fence about this one, go ahead and fall off.
@Vyntage Well then, I have fallen…
/giphy convenient-whipped-prawn
What is the size of this bottle?
@slm1922 500ml
@slm1922 @Vyntage I just checked their site, and agree with the 500ml.
@KCountry @slm1922 @Vyntage That (500ml) should be prominent in the description!!!
So everybody, what’s the process to become a LabRat? I’ve successfully completed my Intro course (and passed the exam!) at the Guild of Sommelier and ready to have wine thrown at me
@salpo let’s poke @arianaWCC and she if she can add you to the list.
@arianaWCC @Thumperchick Thanks Thumperchick!
@salpo @Thumperchick Shoot me an email with your name and shipping address and I’ll get you on the list!
Hold the presses… a port, and it ships to Connecticut?!
/giphy dippy-gabby-knowledge
You lost me at “puh”.
In for a case! Splitting with some friend. I’m definitely newer to the Port world than the Wine world, and I am pretty novice in the Wine world. Looking forward to trying some more new!
I’m tempted by this, but I worry that it doesn’t have the acid structure to balance the sugar and alcohol
I’m good for 3 of these if anyone in NE OH wants to pull the trigger on a case.
@chipgreen @boatman72 @pjmartin I’ll grab the case…and I’m keeping 6!!!
@chipgreen @mrn1 @pjmartin Ok, @chipgreen has 3 of yours; I’ll take 3;, and you have 6. That should cover your case. I could always buy a case to split, but this being a one day offer, not sure who will chime in with little time left!
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @mrn1 glad that the splits continue- I thought (hard) about replying to chip, and am glad I am sitting this one out. Have an open bottle of this in the fridge picked up at the winery this spring. Besides, it’s almost rose weather around here!
@Boatman72 @mrn1 @pjmartin
Thanks, guys!
/giphy accidental-absent-level
Have not yet acquired a taste for port, haven’t consumed much though? Anything else to pair with this Ped offering?
@por944sche Blue cheese, nuts, figs, dates, combinations thereof. Those are my go-to.
@por944sche some cheesecakes.
Fred says it’s an investment in my future, and given what the market’s been doing, maybe I should sink more of my hard-earned dough into Port futures.
/giphy radical-grubbing-gold
/giphy illustrious-unattractive-crowd
In for 6 bottles. Ed , this is always a hit at my house. Thanks
Got mine in tonight. I like it. It’s sweet, but not cloying. It reminds me of the Quady port, or a sack cream sherry. It’s very raisin forward, but there’s a sort of ruby note to the flavor that’s a bit softer.
@Jamileigh17 Oh, and the chocolates have no milk in them. Forgot to mention that (for my future reference-allergy friendly for our household!)