2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
Petite Sirah thrives in Suisun Valley, and will probably emerge as its signature varietal. Everything we love about Petite Sirah is abundant in the Oberti Vineyard grapes-rich, densely concentrated flavors, intense color and tannins that are formidable but not forbidding. Our 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah is richly flavored, with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and dark chocolate-covered cherries, along with hints of baking spices. On the palate it is rich, dense, and long, with firm but not overbearing tannins.
“88 Points. Grapey aromas and bold black pepper and blackberry flavors make this wine big and enjoyable. Full bodied, it has a mouthcoating texture and lingering finish.”
- Wine Enthusiast
Specifications
Alcohol: 14.2%
Harvest Brix: 25.4
pH: 3.82
TA: 5.5 g/L
RS: 0.3 g/L
Closure: Saranex OTR 1x10^-3 mLs oxygen/day
2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
This wine displays the signature notes of cool climate Syrah, with blueberry, smoky bacon and pepper notes.
100% Syrah from the Three Rivers Ranch in the heart of Sonoma’s cool Bennett Valley. Marcy and Matt farmed this 2-acre vineyard, and did not irrigate at all during the growing season. This wine displays the signature notes of cool climate Syrah, with blueberry, smoky bacon and pepper notes.
“90 Points. Definitively taking a cool-climate approach, this 100% varietal wine opens with indelible wafts of violets and white pepper, followed by a presence of more pepper and black currant around a medium-sized body. Earthy leather and mushroom pronounce themselves on the midpalate before it finishes in black licorice.”
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2015)
Specifications
Alcohol: 13.2%
TA: 5.2 g/L
pH: 3.90
Cellar Until: 2023
2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
This is a beautiful wine, with complex fruit flavors including blueberry, blackberry and raspberry, and a deliciously silky texture.
The Poor Ranch was first planted in the 1880s on a hillside east of Hopland, in Mendocino County. The vineyard is dry-farmed and certified CCOF-Organic. The vines have never been irrigated. The vineyard blocks range from 860’ - 1800’ elevation, and are almost always high above the fog that can affect much of Mendocino County. Our 2014 Zinfandel comes from the Easter Block, a 2.6-acre block planted at 900’ in 1996. It has yielded a mere 2.0 tons to the acre over the past decade.
Specifications
Alcohol: 14.9%
TA: 5.8 g/L
pH: 3.90
Cellar Until: 2022
Included in the Box
6-pack:
2x 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
2x 2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
Case:
4x 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
4x 2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
Winery: People’s Wine Revolution
Husband and wife team Matt Reid and Marcy Webb conceived The People’s Wine Revolution to bring great wines to all at reasonable prices. Our goal is to make wines every bit as good as those we made for our day jobs, but at a fraction of the price. PWR is now our full-time pursuit.
Matt completed the UC-Davis Viticulture & Enology M.S. program in 2003. He has been the winemaker at Seavey Vineyard and Quixote Winery, and the Custom Crush Winemaker at Failla Wines. He is currently winemaker for Benessere Vineyards and Consulting Winemaker for Burgess Cellars.
Marcy’s background is public health (epidemiology), but her quick, scientific mind has led to positions at The Napa Wine Company, Franciscan and Chalk Hill. She is the assistant winemaker for Ballentine Vineyards.
We have a six-year-old daughter, Beatrix, who is our inspiration.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, RI, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
People’s Wine Revolution Mixed Reds - $20 = 15.38%
@radiolysis That threw me the other day as well - it appears to be the range of prices, rather than 2 individual prices. The upper end being for the case with Expedited shipping which costs an additional $15.
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised when a single bottle arrived on our doorstep. I felt like a 10 year old opening a Christmas present, not knowing what to expect. My first response was “it’s a Stelvin”. I had a flashback to Christmas when I was a 10 year old boy. I got a GI Joe, but without the Kung Fu grip. How could I possibly derive any enjoyment out of a regular GI Joe? I know I am a avowed Stelvinist…and in 2018, that may not be a hip thing to say. But I love the sound a popped cork makes and believe it enhances the wine drinking experience. But, I still have to find some enjoyment in my new toy…As it was an unplanned gift, it did not exactly go with what I had planned for my Saturday night meal. The sea scallops were already purchased, and since my parents were coming over, I did not want to trash them for the sake of a bottle of wine. So, we drank it with appetizers. Again, not a perfect pairing (smoked salmon), but surprisingly, the wine held its own. The first whiff included a bit of raspberry and, of all things, rust. But NOT in a bad way. My wife was surprised by the legs on the wine, comparing it to what you would expect in a Cab. But it in no way drank like a Cab. Some tannins, but much smoother on the initial pour. A smooth dry finish as well. It was determined that this wine would do very well with a pork roast, or even with a Turkey dinner. It is not an arrogant wine that fights for the head of a table at a meal, rather one that would do well as part of a well balanced meal. Will I purchase again? I think so. It would be a very good daily drinker, but nice enough to bring out for company as well. Not the boss is coming to dinner company, but the neighbors with a hot tub? Yes! I guess I have learned again that even though the GI Joe did not have the Kung Fu grip, he still was a solid toy. Even when my sister stole him for shore leave with Barbie.
I was so happy to be selected as a Lab Rat for the 2014 Zinfandel!!! The bottle arrived at the perfect time…the day before leaving for a week long vacation on a lake in Northern Michigan with 4 of our 5 kids. “We’ll need the wine after that 4.5 hour car ride.” we said out loud while opening the package.
We paired the wine with standard cookout foods…hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, chips, potato salad, deviled eggs and chocolate brownies for dessert. The wine is not pretentious, so it paired well with the grilled meats and the brownie.
We brought double-walled stainless steel wine tumblers with us…no glass by the lake. I don’t think the type of drinking vessel really made any difference in the way the wine tasted.
So we opened the bottle, poured the wine, swirled, sniffed, drank, swished swallowed, tasted, compared notes, paired it with all the foods, compared notes again, and then finished the bottle looking out on the lake. It was enjoyable and satisfying!
The wine had subtle aromas of berries and tannins…you could tell it was going to be dry before taking a sip.
And the first taste confirmed what the nose was telling us…the wine had firm fruit characteristic of blackberries and blueberries, right in the middle of “subtle” and “fruit forward.”
It was dry, without sucking all the saliva from your mouth. I dare to say it had the perfect amount of dryness that I’m looking for. I’d like to let this age just a couple of years and see how the tannins soften and the fruit develops.
The one big surprise was the mouthfeel. For a dry red, it was soft. Not quite “silky,” but very soft and pleasant.
The finish lingered for just the right length of time to let you know you had just enjoyed a sip of good wine without staying too long like an annoying neighbor.
Overall, it was a solid wine and a good value at this price point.
@winejosh Awesome! In general, I’m not a big fan of the wines made on the peninsulas around Traverse City…they’re typically a little too sweet for my taste. But the wines along the Lake Michigan Shore are fantastic! I prefer them over most California wines. The only downside is the pricing…they’re not really value priced. But the quality, flavor profiles, grape varietals and styles are all fantastic.
First time lab ratting; pretty excited when I got the email letting me know I had a bottle on the way.
So, thankfully the heat wave of last week had mostly dissipated by the time this bottle arrived on Friday. I let it hang out on the kitchen counter through Sunday morning.
Opened the bottle Sunday morning around 9 AM, thermostat said inside temp was about 70F. First thought was “holy moly that’s a lot of pepper” (and that was just the nose). Legs were pretty robust in the glass. Interestingly, the flavor itself was relatively muted. Not really a whole lot of pepper on the palate, a little bit of mouth feel and some kind of non-berry dark fruit. Couldn’t help but think the “bark was worse than the bite.”
Put it in the decanter and revisited around 2 PM. Temp now about 73F. The nose was much reduced, but still reasonably robust and still overwhelmingly black pepper. Legs were pretty much gone. Taste now carried those pepper notes, not overwhelming but up front and present. Not as much mouth feel as when the bottle was first opened.
Tasted again around 7 with a sirloin steak and again at 8:30 in the evening with the neighbors and a friend. Overall consensus was consistent with my thoughts when I tasted the wine around 2, although after multiple tastings I gained a little more appreciation for the wine. My guess is this one is going to be pretty polarizing. If you like a strong flavor profile of black pepper, you’re going to love this. If that sounds really unappealing to you, you’re probably going to hard pass. Syrah isn’t something I normally purchase, so it’s possible that Casemates did the wine equivalent of sending an IPA to a guy who typically drinks stouts and the flavor profile just isn’t something that my palate is accustomed to, but I will say that the wine grew on me after I continued tasting it. Not enough that I’d be in for one, but YMMV.
Like the others, I was pleasantly surprised to get the Zinfandel and apologize for the brief report. I have been fortunate to get two lab rat offers between Casemates and the old site, and both times I got the wines on my way out of town, so the wine has been on quite the journey from California to Texas and now Michigan.
I generally prefer Scott Harvey and Peter Wellington Zinfandels which seem lighter than this one. It is a 2014 and tastes comparatively “new.” I couldn’t tell whether I would want to cellar it, but I think it falls in the “drink now and don’t save it” category of wines. It was definitely dry and to me it tasted heavy - familiar blackberry notes hit me, maybe some licorice or tobacco flavoring - but nothing offputting - and although I wasn’t in a situation to pair it, I would pair it with heavier grilled meats. I’d probably stay away from spicier foods. Standing on its own, it was a little filling.
It’s hard to tell whether this is something I would buy. Others in my party liked it and said it was drinkable, smooth, and had a nice finish. So perhaps that answers the question - good to purchase as a case as being sold today, good as one of a number of options at your summer BBQ, and based on feedback make the call as to whether you’d like to pick it up again. I wouldn’t buy this because of the Zinfandel, but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up with it included either.
Thanks again to the good people at WCC and Casemates for the opportunity to lab rat again.
@ryannel minor update - we opened what was left tonight, and it’s drinking even better the next day. It’s much fruitier and much more approachable. I’d say let it breathe and drink it now.
I ordered a mixed case via PWR website back in March and all I can say Is that Matt is a great guy and was very accommodating! I would purchase from this winery simply based on the way I was treated. However, his wines were good to great (depending on the varietal) which makes it easy for me to go in on this offer. This really is a great QPR for well made daily drinkers. I loved the zin but I am a zin guy.
Does anyone want to hear about how Marcy and I farmed the Syrah vineyard (and I learned to drive a tractor at last)? Or how the Petite Sirah used to go to a high-faluting Stags Leap District Winery (where I used to work)? Or about how amazing the Poor family is, as is their Ranch, which is the source of this Zinfandel? Operators are standing by…
@PWRWines Go for it, all ears. Particularly about the tractor, tractor stories can be interesting.
And I know IL is a pain in the ass, cuz we’ve talked about this before, but shipping to IL would be nice
I do have two other state options however, but damn it’s hot out…
@PWRWines Tell us about the Poor family. At first read, all I could think of was who the hell could be poor and have a ranch in California wine country? How long have they been growing Zinfandel?
@scott0210 Happy to! They are amazing people. I don’t know their pre-Ranch history, but the Poors have farmed their hillside outside of Hopland (Mendocino County) since 1885. The oldest vines there now date from 1950 or so. In addition to Zinfandel, they grow Petite Sirah (“Pets”), Grenache (“Grrrnatch”), and Carignane (“Kerrigan”). The vineyard has never been irrigated and when they plant a new block they just take cuttings from another and put them in the ground. One last thing about the vineyard is that, even though the property is huge (maybe 700 acres) only about 40 are planted, and those 40 are in about 15 blocks that are scattered all over the property. So each block is pretty small and surrounded by native California scrub. That has a distinct odor, maybe a bit like Garrigue or Maquis, that I think you can detect in the wine.
As for the Poors, they are just lovely souls. They are very self-sufficient and do not come off the mountain any more than they have to, so their manner was a bit unusual to me when I first met them. Mine was to them, as well, and I almost lost the opportunity to buy their grapes because I showed up the first time in shorts (on a day approaching 100F), and the now deceased patriarch didn’t think men should wear shorts. But we got past that, and I got to make the wine. Yippee!
Grapes are their only commercial crop, but they also have cattle, chickens, pigs, ducks, guinea fowl, row crops, and doubtless much more. As I said, they are as self-sufficient as can be. The property is beautiful.
It was a cute little tractor for a cute little vineyard. The vineyard owners and my tractor trainers (one and the same people) told me it would take 2 hours to cover the whole vineyard. I think they were backing and turning to go row-by-row. I was clever enough (oh, me) to loop from row to row, and I covered the vineyard in 45 minutes. Never hit anything, either! Yay, me.
@PWRWines I was enjoying the little video of you on the front page of this offer. Great looking at the equipment, the warehouse and the very few barrels that were actually yours!
@radiolysis and other San Diegans, our petite is on tap at Kindred, on 30th. Different vintage but same vineyard. Check it out, and then hurry back to order as this offer won’t be up for long!
@radiolysis That’s a good question. I am honestly not sure. The Petite Sirah and Zinfandel (and Viognier) have gone into kegs the last few years. We do about 20 kegs of Petite, and 10 each of the other two. Each keg is equivalent to about 2 cases, and total production of those varieties varies but is about 175 (PS), 150 (ZN), and 100 (VG). So at a rough guess about 13% of the Petite goes into keg, 7% of the Zin and 10% of the Viognier.
@PWRWines I know that kegs make by-the-glass a little safer for me knowing that it’s not an open bottle sitting around for days.
That said, i’m not sure how i’d feel about ordering a “bottle” and getting a carafe of kegged wine.
Does the choice to distributed kegs cut off places selling your wine by-the-bottle? Since you mentioned Bar Kindred, they’re unlikely to be a by-the-bottle place. And the primarily beer-bar i frequent in San Diego sells 3 white, 3 red from a keg. So maybe it’s just a marketing difference?
(as you can see, i’m fascinated by the kegging process)
@radiolysis Good questions. All of the places I know of selling wine from kegs make it clear that you can get a glass or carafe. I don’t know of any that offer a bottle but bring a carafe instead.
It’s not an either/or situation, but is up to each venue to decide whether to offer kegs, bottles, or both. At Velo in Napa they offer both. I have yet to make it to Bar Kindred–though I really want to go!–and I am not sure if they offer bottles, as well, but I do know that they only have our wine in kegs.
@cathleenc@PWRWines Hey, see above. You won’t do IL. Previous woot offers? IL? No love. This offer? IL? No love! You’re teasing us poor folks in The Land Of Lincoln!
@cathleenc@kaolis it’s true. I have made no progress on the IL license since the last offer. I am sorry. That said, the license is a killer! Would you please harass, I mean ask, your state officials to make it less burdensome? I mean, ouch. And you guys have clout!
@cathleenc@kaolis oh, man. I was born in Chicago and I understand a bit about what you’re taking about. Yes, Uber might be the best bet, but discussing it might be criminal conspiracy. Oh, Illinois!
3 wines, 3 pizzas. Which wine–Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah–would you pair with each pie?
Pizza 1: Pistachio pesto, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil
Pizza 2: White pie with roasted chicken, red onion, olives, feta
Pizza 3: Sausage, mushroom, onion, braised greens.
All three wines are completely dry (0 RS), but the Zin has a sweet-seeming fruitiness to it that I think would work well with the sweetness of the pistachio pesto and tomatoes on pie 1.
The savory, smoky, olive-y notes of the Syrah would complement the roasted chix and olives on pie 2, while the saltiness of the feta would work well with the peppery Syrah.
Pie 3 is likely the most intensely flavored, and the Petite will stand up to it. In fact, all of these pizzas have been daily specials at Velo Pizzeria in Napa, where our Petite Sirah (and Viognier) are quite popular. Cheers!
@PWRWines@Twich22 I would like to pair the Syrah with the sausage pie because… savory! But the PS demands a pie that can stand up to it and number 3 seems best for the task so I am going to go with;
Syrah (Syrah and pesto could perhaps have a savory, symbiotic relationship too?)
Zin (I think the Zin would pair well with all 3 but this seems to be a good fit as long as the wine isn’t too spicy)
Petite Sirah (as mentioned above)
I’m sure your choices are much better since you know all the nuances of the wines and have tried the pizzas before, whereas my picks are just based on what I might expect to experience from the 3 pairings. Fun little exercise!
@chipgreen I don’t know about “much better” pairings. I like your ideas a lot. I think that you and @Twich22 and I need to meet in Napa and try these combinations out. This is IMPORTANT research.
losthighwayz said Yesterday at 12:33 PM:
I ordered a mixed case via PWR website back in March and all I can say Is that Matt is a great guy and was very accommodating! I would purchase from this winery simply based on the way I was treated. However, his wines were good to great (depending on the varietal) which makes it easy for me to go in on this offer. This really is a great QPR for well made daily drinkers. I loved the zin but I am a zin guy. Cheers
@PWRWines i know it is getting pretty late but i personally love a screw top, when used on an appropriate wine. How long have you been using them and what is your experience on the ageability of your wines. Do they tend to stay young forever or do they change a bit over time?
@Twich22 we have used screw caps since the beginning–2009. I love them. All cork imparts a flavor to the wine, sometimes pleasant, sometime not, sometimes overt, sometime subtle, but never what I intended for the wine.
Wine sure develop under caps, getting trusty aromas and everything I love about older wines, but nevertheless retaining the freshness of a young wine. As I said,I love them!
Really happy to see this offer, I grabbed a case when the sale opened. I had the Zin when the mixed 6 pack was offered on WW, bought 6 Syrah in the dying days & split a case of the PS when it was offered here. Opened one of my last 2 Syrah yesterday, was trying to save a couple, it’s drinking well. Love the screw caps and the QPR, now if I can just hang on to some to see how they age, that’s always the problem!
As we approach the final hours of this offer, I just want to say thanks to everyone for chiming in here. It’s been fun. I’ll check in again before we are through, but if I miss anyone, cheers, and catch you on the next offer!
Matt, thank you so much for your enthusiastic participation, it was a blast! I know kaolis is bringing the heat about IL but allow me to offer props for adding OH to the list of available states! Pretty sure that just happened within the last 6 months? It may be awhile before the wife and I get out to Napa again although it will happen, so we will certainly put PWR on the list of “must visits”! You know, for science…
2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
Petite Sirah thrives in Suisun Valley, and will probably emerge as its signature varietal. Everything we love about Petite Sirah is abundant in the Oberti Vineyard grapes-rich, densely concentrated flavors, intense color and tannins that are formidable but not forbidding. Our 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah is richly flavored, with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and dark chocolate-covered cherries, along with hints of baking spices. On the palate it is rich, dense, and long, with firm but not overbearing tannins.
- Wine Enthusiast
Specifications
2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
This wine displays the signature notes of cool climate Syrah, with blueberry, smoky bacon and pepper notes.
100% Syrah from the Three Rivers Ranch in the heart of Sonoma’s cool Bennett Valley. Marcy and Matt farmed this 2-acre vineyard, and did not irrigate at all during the growing season. This wine displays the signature notes of cool climate Syrah, with blueberry, smoky bacon and pepper notes.
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2015)
Specifications
2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
This is a beautiful wine, with complex fruit flavors including blueberry, blackberry and raspberry, and a deliciously silky texture.
The Poor Ranch was first planted in the 1880s on a hillside east of Hopland, in Mendocino County. The vineyard is dry-farmed and certified CCOF-Organic. The vines have never been irrigated. The vineyard blocks range from 860’ - 1800’ elevation, and are almost always high above the fog that can affect much of Mendocino County. Our 2014 Zinfandel comes from the Easter Block, a 2.6-acre block planted at 900’ in 1996. It has yielded a mere 2.0 tons to the acre over the past decade.
Specifications
Included in the Box
6-pack:
2x 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
2x 2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
2x 2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
Case:
4x 2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard, Suisun Valley, California
4x 2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County
4x 2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch, Mendocino County
Price Comparison
$239/case at People’s Wine Revolution (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: People’s Wine Revolution
Husband and wife team Matt Reid and Marcy Webb conceived The People’s Wine Revolution to bring great wines to all at reasonable prices. Our goal is to make wines every bit as good as those we made for our day jobs, but at a fraction of the price. PWR is now our full-time pursuit.
Matt completed the UC-Davis Viticulture & Enology M.S. program in 2003. He has been the winemaker at Seavey Vineyard and Quixote Winery, and the Custom Crush Winemaker at Failla Wines. He is currently winemaker for Benessere Vineyards and Consulting Winemaker for Burgess Cellars.
Marcy’s background is public health (epidemiology), but her quick, scientific mind has led to positions at The Napa Wine Company, Franciscan and Chalk Hill. She is the assistant winemaker for Ballentine Vineyards.
We have a six-year-old daughter, Beatrix, who is our inspiration.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, RI, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, August 9th - Monday, August 13th
@PWRWines is here, caffeinated, and ready to answer questions.
@Thunderbums shares fond memories of a GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip. (Also, a Lab Rat Report on the Petit Sirah.)
@pjgenot took the 2014 Zinfandel on vacation.
@SaintO says “Holy moly, that’s a lot of pepper!”
@ryannel thinks you should drink the Zinfandel now, rather than cellar it.
People’s Wine Revolution Mixed Reds
6 bottles for $64.99 $10.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2013 Bea’s Knees Petite Sirah, Oberti Vineyard
2013 Syrah, Three Rivers Ranch
2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch
2014 Zinfandel, Poor Ranch
CT Link for the Zin.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
People’s Wine Revolution Mixed Reds - $20 = 15.38%
I notice the case price is incorrect in the header image…
@radiolysis That threw me the other day as well - it appears to be the range of prices, rather than 2 individual prices. The upper end being for the case with Expedited shipping which costs an additional $15.
@chipgreen ahhhhh… makes sense.
carry on. i’ll be over here.
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised when a single bottle arrived on our doorstep. I felt like a 10 year old opening a Christmas present, not knowing what to expect. My first response was “it’s a Stelvin”. I had a flashback to Christmas when I was a 10 year old boy. I got a GI Joe, but without the Kung Fu grip. How could I possibly derive any enjoyment out of a regular GI Joe? I know I am a avowed Stelvinist…and in 2018, that may not be a hip thing to say. But I love the sound a popped cork makes and believe it enhances the wine drinking experience. But, I still have to find some enjoyment in my new toy…As it was an unplanned gift, it did not exactly go with what I had planned for my Saturday night meal. The sea scallops were already purchased, and since my parents were coming over, I did not want to trash them for the sake of a bottle of wine. So, we drank it with appetizers. Again, not a perfect pairing (smoked salmon), but surprisingly, the wine held its own. The first whiff included a bit of raspberry and, of all things, rust. But NOT in a bad way. My wife was surprised by the legs on the wine, comparing it to what you would expect in a Cab. But it in no way drank like a Cab. Some tannins, but much smoother on the initial pour. A smooth dry finish as well. It was determined that this wine would do very well with a pork roast, or even with a Turkey dinner. It is not an arrogant wine that fights for the head of a table at a meal, rather one that would do well as part of a well balanced meal. Will I purchase again? I think so. It would be a very good daily drinker, but nice enough to bring out for company as well. Not the boss is coming to dinner company, but the neighbors with a hot tub? Yes! I guess I have learned again that even though the GI Joe did not have the Kung Fu grip, he still was a solid toy. Even when my sister stole him for shore leave with Barbie.
@Thunderbums Which one are you reviewing?
@scott0210 Petit Sirah. Sorry for the confusion!
@scott0210 @Thunderbums Cant you tell!?
I had the same question. Its clearly not the Petite Sirah. If I had to guess I would say they were drinking the Zinfandel.
@scott0210 @Thunderbums @Twich22 Help a girl out - which bottle did you try?
@scott0210 @Thumperchick @Twich22 It clearly was the Petit Sirah
Thanks @Thunderbums!
@Thunderbums So… which bottle did you try?
@scott0210 @Thumperchick @Thunderbums so much for my educated guess.
Good morning, all! First cup of coffee down so I am ready for any and all questions. Answers may be garbled until that second cup is consumed.
Everyone enjoyed the bottle of PWR PS I shared some time ago. I will buy a case of these wines since the price is so nice.
@Twich22 Glad to hear it. Cheers!
I was so happy to be selected as a Lab Rat for the 2014 Zinfandel!!! The bottle arrived at the perfect time…the day before leaving for a week long vacation on a lake in Northern Michigan with 4 of our 5 kids. “We’ll need the wine after that 4.5 hour car ride.” we said out loud while opening the package.
We paired the wine with standard cookout foods…hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, chips, potato salad, deviled eggs and chocolate brownies for dessert. The wine is not pretentious, so it paired well with the grilled meats and the brownie.
We brought double-walled stainless steel wine tumblers with us…no glass by the lake. I don’t think the type of drinking vessel really made any difference in the way the wine tasted.
So we opened the bottle, poured the wine, swirled, sniffed, drank, swished swallowed, tasted, compared notes, paired it with all the foods, compared notes again, and then finished the bottle looking out on the lake. It was enjoyable and satisfying!
The wine had subtle aromas of berries and tannins…you could tell it was going to be dry before taking a sip.
And the first taste confirmed what the nose was telling us…the wine had firm fruit characteristic of blackberries and blueberries, right in the middle of “subtle” and “fruit forward.”
It was dry, without sucking all the saliva from your mouth. I dare to say it had the perfect amount of dryness that I’m looking for. I’d like to let this age just a couple of years and see how the tannins soften and the fruit develops.
The one big surprise was the mouthfeel. For a dry red, it was soft. Not quite “silky,” but very soft and pleasant.
The finish lingered for just the right length of time to let you know you had just enjoyed a sip of good wine without staying too long like an annoying neighbor.
Overall, it was a solid wine and a good value at this price point.
Cheers!
@pjgenot Ahhhh, northern Michigan vacations. Nothing quite like the Leelanau peninsula.
@melmains @pjgenot Heading to Glen Arbor in August! Can’t wait.
@pjgenot nice, Northern MI! I used to make wine on Old Mission. Had to move back to the West coast but definitely loved living there for a few years
@winejosh Awesome! In general, I’m not a big fan of the wines made on the peninsulas around Traverse City…they’re typically a little too sweet for my taste. But the wines along the Lake Michigan Shore are fantastic! I prefer them over most California wines. The only downside is the pricing…they’re not really value priced. But the quality, flavor profiles, grape varietals and styles are all fantastic.
Lab Rat Report for the 2013 PWR Syrah:
First time lab ratting; pretty excited when I got the email letting me know I had a bottle on the way.
So, thankfully the heat wave of last week had mostly dissipated by the time this bottle arrived on Friday. I let it hang out on the kitchen counter through Sunday morning.
Opened the bottle Sunday morning around 9 AM, thermostat said inside temp was about 70F. First thought was “holy moly that’s a lot of pepper” (and that was just the nose). Legs were pretty robust in the glass. Interestingly, the flavor itself was relatively muted. Not really a whole lot of pepper on the palate, a little bit of mouth feel and some kind of non-berry dark fruit. Couldn’t help but think the “bark was worse than the bite.”
Put it in the decanter and revisited around 2 PM. Temp now about 73F. The nose was much reduced, but still reasonably robust and still overwhelmingly black pepper. Legs were pretty much gone. Taste now carried those pepper notes, not overwhelming but up front and present. Not as much mouth feel as when the bottle was first opened.
Tasted again around 7 with a sirloin steak and again at 8:30 in the evening with the neighbors and a friend. Overall consensus was consistent with my thoughts when I tasted the wine around 2, although after multiple tastings I gained a little more appreciation for the wine. My guess is this one is going to be pretty polarizing. If you like a strong flavor profile of black pepper, you’re going to love this. If that sounds really unappealing to you, you’re probably going to hard pass. Syrah isn’t something I normally purchase, so it’s possible that Casemates did the wine equivalent of sending an IPA to a guy who typically drinks stouts and the flavor profile just isn’t something that my palate is accustomed to, but I will say that the wine grew on me after I continued tasting it. Not enough that I’d be in for one, but YMMV.
Lab Rat Report
Like the others, I was pleasantly surprised to get the Zinfandel and apologize for the brief report. I have been fortunate to get two lab rat offers between Casemates and the old site, and both times I got the wines on my way out of town, so the wine has been on quite the journey from California to Texas and now Michigan.
I generally prefer Scott Harvey and Peter Wellington Zinfandels which seem lighter than this one. It is a 2014 and tastes comparatively “new.” I couldn’t tell whether I would want to cellar it, but I think it falls in the “drink now and don’t save it” category of wines. It was definitely dry and to me it tasted heavy - familiar blackberry notes hit me, maybe some licorice or tobacco flavoring - but nothing offputting - and although I wasn’t in a situation to pair it, I would pair it with heavier grilled meats. I’d probably stay away from spicier foods. Standing on its own, it was a little filling.
It’s hard to tell whether this is something I would buy. Others in my party liked it and said it was drinkable, smooth, and had a nice finish. So perhaps that answers the question - good to purchase as a case as being sold today, good as one of a number of options at your summer BBQ, and based on feedback make the call as to whether you’d like to pick it up again. I wouldn’t buy this because of the Zinfandel, but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up with it included either.
Thanks again to the good people at WCC and Casemates for the opportunity to lab rat again.
@ryannel minor update - we opened what was left tonight, and it’s drinking even better the next day. It’s much fruitier and much more approachable. I’d say let it breathe and drink it now.
I ordered a mixed case via PWR website back in March and all I can say Is that Matt is a great guy and was very accommodating! I would purchase from this winery simply based on the way I was treated. However, his wines were good to great (depending on the varietal) which makes it easy for me to go in on this offer. This really is a great QPR for well made daily drinkers. I loved the zin but I am a zin guy.
Cheers
@losthighwayz Thanks for the kind words!
Monday blahs, everyone? Come on out and play! Imagine opening a bottle of our Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and/or Syrah and relax with me!
Does anyone want to hear about how Marcy and I farmed the Syrah vineyard (and I learned to drive a tractor at last)? Or how the Petite Sirah used to go to a high-faluting Stags Leap District Winery (where I used to work)? Or about how amazing the Poor family is, as is their Ranch, which is the source of this Zinfandel? Operators are standing by…
@PWRWines Go for it, all ears. Particularly about the tractor, tractor stories can be interesting.
And I know IL is a pain in the ass, cuz we’ve talked about this before, but shipping to IL would be nice
I do have two other state options however, but damn it’s hot out…
@PWRWines Tell us about the Poor family. At first read, all I could think of was who the hell could be poor and have a ranch in California wine country? How long have they been growing Zinfandel?
@scott0210 Happy to! They are amazing people. I don’t know their pre-Ranch history, but the Poors have farmed their hillside outside of Hopland (Mendocino County) since 1885. The oldest vines there now date from 1950 or so. In addition to Zinfandel, they grow Petite Sirah (“Pets”), Grenache (“Grrrnatch”), and Carignane (“Kerrigan”). The vineyard has never been irrigated and when they plant a new block they just take cuttings from another and put them in the ground. One last thing about the vineyard is that, even though the property is huge (maybe 700 acres) only about 40 are planted, and those 40 are in about 15 blocks that are scattered all over the property. So each block is pretty small and surrounded by native California scrub. That has a distinct odor, maybe a bit like Garrigue or Maquis, that I think you can detect in the wine.
As for the Poors, they are just lovely souls. They are very self-sufficient and do not come off the mountain any more than they have to, so their manner was a bit unusual to me when I first met them. Mine was to them, as well, and I almost lost the opportunity to buy their grapes because I showed up the first time in shorts (on a day approaching 100F), and the now deceased patriarch didn’t think men should wear shorts. But we got past that, and I got to make the wine. Yippee!
Grapes are their only commercial crop, but they also have cattle, chickens, pigs, ducks, guinea fowl, row crops, and doubtless much more. As I said, they are as self-sufficient as can be. The property is beautiful.
I hear you. IL is such a pain! And I do feel that pain.
The tractor was super fun. Let’s see if I can figure out how to post a picture.
More to come!
It was a cute little tractor for a cute little vineyard. The vineyard owners and my tractor trainers (one and the same people) told me it would take 2 hours to cover the whole vineyard. I think they were backing and turning to go row-by-row. I was clever enough (oh, me) to loop from row to row, and I covered the vineyard in 45 minutes. Never hit anything, either! Yay, me.
@PWRWines Looks pro to me. Would hate to meet up with you at the end of a row after sunset. I’d be afraid…
@kaolis Not too much to be afraid of. I might just ask for help in the vineyard. Always something more to do.
@PWRWines I was enjoying the little video of you on the front page of this offer. Great looking at the equipment, the warehouse and the very few barrels that were actually yours!
@scott0210 Thanks! The videographers did a great job. I just wish there were a different still image when the movie is not playing.
@PWRWines What, do you think the scarf around the neck is a bit much?
@scott0210 Just a little bit!
San Diegans interested? I’m probably going to get a 6er, but would be happy to pool.
@tklivory @rjquillin
@radiolysis and other San Diegans, our petite is on tap at Kindred, on 30th. Different vintage but same vineyard. Check it out, and then hurry back to order as this offer won’t be up for long!
@PWRWines I’ve been seeing much more kegged wine. What is the fraction of production you keg?
@radiolysis That’s a good question. I am honestly not sure. The Petite Sirah and Zinfandel (and Viognier) have gone into kegs the last few years. We do about 20 kegs of Petite, and 10 each of the other two. Each keg is equivalent to about 2 cases, and total production of those varieties varies but is about 175 (PS), 150 (ZN), and 100 (VG). So at a rough guess about 13% of the Petite goes into keg, 7% of the Zin and 10% of the Viognier.
@PWRWines I know that kegs make by-the-glass a little safer for me knowing that it’s not an open bottle sitting around for days.
That said, i’m not sure how i’d feel about ordering a “bottle” and getting a carafe of kegged wine.
Does the choice to distributed kegs cut off places selling your wine by-the-bottle? Since you mentioned Bar Kindred, they’re unlikely to be a by-the-bottle place. And the primarily beer-bar i frequent in San Diego sells 3 white, 3 red from a keg. So maybe it’s just a marketing difference?
(as you can see, i’m fascinated by the kegging process)
@radiolysis Good questions. All of the places I know of selling wine from kegs make it clear that you can get a glass or carafe. I don’t know of any that offer a bottle but bring a carafe instead.
It’s not an either/or situation, but is up to each venue to decide whether to offer kegs, bottles, or both. At Velo in Napa they offer both. I have yet to make it to Bar Kindred–though I really want to go!–and I am not sure if they offer bottles, as well, but I do know that they only have our wine in kegs.
Yes, it’s a pretty fascinating process!
/giphy incognito-unwieldy-harmony
Y’all have done me in with your chatter.
That’s it for me tonight, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Goodnight, all.
I can’t resist any longer
/giphy billowy-dependent-arm
I’m crying… got my order all logged in, clicked the ‘place order’ button… to discover not going to make it to Illinois. wahhhh
@cathleenc So sorry. Your state is a real challenge. I’ll work on it for the next offer. We’ll see.
@cathleenc @PWRWines Hey, see above. You won’t do IL. Previous woot offers? IL? No love. This offer? IL? No love! You’re teasing us poor folks in The Land Of Lincoln!
@cathleenc @kaolis it’s true. I have made no progress on the IL license since the last offer. I am sorry. That said, the license is a killer! Would you please harass, I mean ask, your state officials to make it less burdensome? I mean, ouch. And you guys have clout!
@cathleenc @PWRWines Ha! on the clout. Our three tiers here do not include the consumer as you know. Maybe you can Uber the wine here?
@cathleenc @kaolis oh, man. I was born in Chicago and I understand a bit about what you’re taking about. Yes, Uber might be the best bet, but discussing it might be criminal conspiracy. Oh, Illinois!
How is everyone today?
@PWRWines
Just got off work so things are looking up! Enjoying your posts about the Poors, the shorts, the tractor, the scarf and oh yeah, the WINES!
@chipgreen Cheers! Happy end of the work day.
3 wines, 3 pizzas. Which wine–Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah–would you pair with each pie?
Pizza 1: Pistachio pesto, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil
Pizza 2: White pie with roasted chicken, red onion, olives, feta
Pizza 3: Sausage, mushroom, onion, braised greens.
I’ll reveal my picks later today.
@PWRWines
3.Zin
@Twich22 Nice choices. I don’t think you have erred, but I would personally flip 1 and 3. I think. Hm… You might have persuaded me.
All three wines are completely dry (0 RS), but the Zin has a sweet-seeming fruitiness to it that I think would work well with the sweetness of the pistachio pesto and tomatoes on pie 1.
The savory, smoky, olive-y notes of the Syrah would complement the roasted chix and olives on pie 2, while the saltiness of the feta would work well with the peppery Syrah.
Pie 3 is likely the most intensely flavored, and the Petite will stand up to it. In fact, all of these pizzas have been daily specials at Velo Pizzeria in Napa, where our Petite Sirah (and Viognier) are quite popular. Cheers!
@PWRWines thanks!
@PWRWines i was imagining that 1 would really bring out the most of the PS, while the zin might help to wash down 3.
@Twich22 I don’t think you are wrong. I think we will have to try!
@PWRWines @Twich22 I would like to pair the Syrah with the sausage pie because… savory! But the PS demands a pie that can stand up to it and number 3 seems best for the task so I am going to go with;
I’m sure your choices are much better since you know all the nuances of the wines and have tried the pizzas before, whereas my picks are just based on what I might expect to experience from the 3 pairings. Fun little exercise!
@chipgreen I don’t know about “much better” pairings. I like your ideas a lot. I think that you and @Twich22 and I need to meet in Napa and try these combinations out. This is IMPORTANT research.
@chipgreen @PWRWines @Twich22 hahahahaha. Awesome. For the sake of science I feel like I should join you . . .
@PWRWines @Twich22 That would be wonderful!
@chipgreen @sammypedram @Twich22 certainly, the higher the n, the more robust the statistics. We need you!
@chipgreen @PWRWines @sammypedram I have been looking for a new research paper to write.
/giphy waxy-crappy-load
This did it for me, just ordered!!
losthighwayz said Yesterday at 12:33 PM:
I ordered a mixed case via PWR website back in March and all I can say Is that Matt is a great guy and was very accommodating! I would purchase from this winery simply based on the way I was treated. However, his wines were good to great (depending on the varietal) which makes it easy for me to go in on this offer. This really is a great QPR for well made daily drinkers. I loved the zin but I am a zin guy. Cheers
@PLSemenza Yippee! Thanks, and enjoy!
@losthighwayz Thanks again to you, too!
/giphy rational-wounded-railway
@radiolysis wow!
@PWRWines i know it is getting pretty late but i personally love a screw top, when used on an appropriate wine. How long have you been using them and what is your experience on the ageability of your wines. Do they tend to stay young forever or do they change a bit over time?
@Twich22 we have used screw caps since the beginning–2009. I love them. All cork imparts a flavor to the wine, sometimes pleasant, sometime not, sometimes overt, sometime subtle, but never what I intended for the wine.
Wine sure develop under caps, getting trusty aromas and everything I love about older wines, but nevertheless retaining the freshness of a young wine. As I said,I love them!
@Twich22 oops, tertiary, rather than trusty, aromas.
@PWRWines @Twich22
I kinda like trusty aromas.
Really happy to see this offer, I grabbed a case when the sale opened. I had the Zin when the mixed 6 pack was offered on WW, bought 6 Syrah in the dying days & split a case of the PS when it was offered here. Opened one of my last 2 Syrah yesterday, was trying to save a couple, it’s drinking well. Love the screw caps and the QPR, now if I can just hang on to some to see how they age, that’s always the problem!
@catcoland so glad to hear it, and thank you for your continued support. Don’t worry; we’ll keep making more wine!
As we approach the final hours of this offer, I just want to say thanks to everyone for chiming in here. It’s been fun. I’ll check in again before we are through, but if I miss anyone, cheers, and catch you on the next offer!
/giphy warty-transient-curtain
Going in for one. I was very impressed by the Petite Syrah at the Launch Party!
/giphy poised-fickle-experience
@PublicArt fantastic! That was a great party.
/giphy precious-incognito-coast
NE Ohio Crew, I grabbed a case w/expedited shipping and willing to share 6 bottles so either a 6-6 split or 2 peeps who would like 3 each.
@mrn1 @xena67 @scott0210 @mehnyblooms @croutonollie @north316 @Boatman72 @docjavadude @pjmartin @KCountry @CroutonOllie @HopHeadB @p2002b @shrimp74 @thinksno16
Matt, thank you so much for your enthusiastic participation, it was a blast! I know kaolis is bringing the heat about IL but allow me to offer props for adding OH to the list of available states! Pretty sure that just happened within the last 6 months? It may be awhile before the wife and I get out to Napa again although it will happen, so we will certainly put PWR on the list of “must visits”! You know, for science…
@chipgreen OK, if you insist…I’ll take 3. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting for the NE OH Crew!
@chipgreen Thanks Chip but I was running low on good fun reds so bought a case for myself.
@chipgreen we’d be glad to take 3 off your hands, if they’re still available!
@thinksno16 They’re yours!
Thank you, all. Until next time!
@PWRWines Was up in Lodi and Amador on the rpm tour while this was live and missed it all.
Great banter generally sells bottles;
hope you did well.
Any stray cats in SoCal?