2018 Peterson Mendo Blendo Red Wine, Tollini Vineyard, Mendocino
Tasting Notes
Fred’s (Peterson) Vintaged View
Our Mendo Blendo reflects the two realities inherent in all interesting wines: place and people. The place being Mendocino County and the people (besides Jamie and myself) being Alvin and Sally Tollini, who grew the grapes that produced this wine. Though we would never trade living in and producing wines from Dry Creek Valley, I’ve always enjoyed Mendocino County, its people, and its wines.
Mendocino County wine growing is an important part of my history. I began my winegrowing career in December 1973 as a vineyard worker for Frey Vineyards in Mendocino’s Redwood Valley. We began producing our Zero Manipulation wine from the Tollini’s Home Ranch “Wild Vines” Carignane in 2000, and have produced it every year since. Alvin Tollini is a third-generation Redwood Valley grower and a wonderful person, as well as an exceptional grape grower.
When Alvin offered us some of his Petite Sirah grapes, we were excited to produce a wine with the Tollini Mendocino Petite Sirah at its core. With 42% Petite Sirah along with 25% Syrah, 25% Carignane, and 8% Grenache—all from Tollini Vineyard—we couldn’t legally call the wine a Petite Sirah, but wanted to come up with a fun name to reflect its origins. The name Mendo Blendo is our wink and a nod to Mendocino’s other agricultural crop of note.
This playful yet serious Rhone varietal blend begins with aromas of ripe blackberry merged with toasty cocoa and hints of spicy cedar. The smooth mouthfeel quickly reveals a robust but balanced wine offering rich, fruit-forward flavors. Savor boysenberry, plum, and Queen Anne cherry with notes of strawberry and coffee appearing mid-palate. The integrated structure and a cigar box essence expand as the wine hits the finish where the flavors linger.
This hearty sipper will pair perfectly with smoked meatloaf served with mashed sweet potatoes or chipotle barbecued chicken thighs with black bean and corn salad.
Specs
Composition: 100% Tollini Vineyard
Varietal Breakdown Harvest Dates
42% Petite Sirah - October 17
25% Syrah - September 28
25% Carignane - October 19
8% Grenache - October 17
Appellation: Redwood Valley, Mendocino County
Alcohol: 14.7%
pH: 3.52
TA: 0.62 g/100ml
Barrel Aging: 22 months
Cooperage: 18% new American oak barrels, 22% 2-year-old French & Hungarian oak barrels, 60% neutral old barrels
Bottling Date: July 23, 2020 (unfined & unfiltered)
Peterson Winery has been producing wine in Dry Creek Valley for 30 years and, like most wineries in the Valley, produces Zinfandel as well as other wines. Yet a closer look shows that is where the similarities end.
Owner Fred Peterson is an iconoclast with an old-world winemaking philosophy and a reverence for sustainable farming. The Peterson approach is to capture the essence of vintage and vineyard—a philosophy they call Zero Manipulation—with low tech, yet high touch, to produce wines of a place, wines with soul. The evolution of Peterson wines and winemaking accelerated when Fred’s son Jamie became assistant winemaker in the summer of 2002. In 2006, after moving from the tiny red barn on Lytton Springs to Timber Crest Farms, Jamie was given the overall responsibilities as winemaker. As a winegrowing team, Fred and Jamie assess the grapes from each vineyard and vintage as the season progresses, evaluating how the weather, soil, and site are interacting for the particular vintage. At Peterson winery, the winemaking process begins while the grapes are still on the vines. Zero Manipulation is a discipline the Petersons follow to capture the character and balance of inherent in the grapes. Zero Manipulation means using the most gentle, traditional winemaking practices possible to maximize the flavors, aromatics, and texture of the wines. Fred and Jamie celebrate vintage differences and don’t tweak or homogenize the wine to obtain consistency of flavors, a common practice in mass-market wineries. For Fred and Jamie, Peterson Winery is all about the wines. But if you look a little deeper, you’ll see the heart and soul that goes into every bottle.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2018 Peterson Winery Mendo Blendo Red Blend - $50 = 27.76%
Wine buying moratorium right now, but have loved everything from Peterson. Some of the best QPR wines that, thankfully, keep coming popping up on casemates.
Rich, glass-staining burgundy in the glass; legs took a long time to develop. On the pink side of purple, no hint of bricking. Unsatisfied with my color palette, I consulted the Oracle, who offered Scarlet #900D09. Any suggestions for identifying wine color c an be sent to @KitMarlot. Rich, unctuous dark fruit on the nose, not unlike the Gard Syrah I had just finished. Bright dried cherries, dark plums and a faint whiff of raspberry completes the fruit cocktail. Medium bodied on the palate, more woodsy earth than fruit. Firm structure with prickly tannin that lingers into the finish. Balanced, excellent.
My wife noted Fresh cedar and “ripe raisin” on the nose, rich raisin and woodsy notes on the palate. She observed muted fruit, heavy on the puckery tannin. She often likens this sensation to acidity, but we go back and forth on whether she gets a bright front of the tongue zing or more of a back of the mouth “tastebuds standing at attention”. This is definitely the latter. She said that this wine is a bit too rustic/heavy to drink on its own as an aperitif but would be great with anything roasted or grilled: vegetables, meat, cheese, etc.
Overall it is a fantastic value, a well balanced exercise in strength and restraint. If you like heavy reds with panache, this is the wine for you. Mendo Blendo, how I’ve missed you! Had the 2013 and 2015 over the years, never this young. My recollection is that the tannins resolve nicely after a couple more years in the bottle. I had the 2013 at age 6 (“nose is full berry”, “medium bodied and very smooth, nothing distinct”, “the finish is … integrated tannin”) and the 2015 at age 5 (“dark chocolate covered cherry”, “minimal tannin”) and see no reason that this vintage wouldn’t follow a similar trajectory. Thanks a ton to Fred, Jamie and Alvin for growing a really nice blend that is fun to drink and easy to buy, and to Alice and WineDavid for giving me the opportunity to share my tasting experience with you all. Get your case before they sell out! Salut!
PS Fred, Jamie, wouldn’t mind seeing some of your DCV zins again soon…
Thank you for the nice write up! Very in line with our own thoughts, and your wife is definitely not wrong about it being a great roasted/grilled pairing. Not that I’d recommend saying she was wrong in any case… but we tend to say the lighter Zero Manipulation from the Tollini fruit is the aperitif wine, and the Mendo is the brawny main course wine…
We’ll see what we can do about some Zins in the mix here! Lighter harvests in 2017, and just barely releasing some of the 2018’s.
@KitMarlot Thank you. Based on your favorable comparison to Gard Syrah (presumably 2016?), I went for 2x4: 4 to my sister for my upcoming visit, and 4 to hold until 2023-2024. Too bad CaseMates won’t let me order a case and split it between two destinations.
@KitMarlot@rjquillin I love how these screwcaps age. The wine and tannins still develop, albeit slower than cork, and the fruit qualities hold fresher tasting.
We did trial comparison bottlings with the 2010’s with cork vs screwcap, and pretty consistently over the years everyone has preferred the screwcap finish to the cork.
@PetersonWinery@rjquillin One of these days you’ll come to grips with the fact that screwtops are here to stay… ha!
Or you’ll just get old like me and won’t care anymore
I was not able to try this with my husband. He gave me the below note.
Deep red in the glass with no real legs to speak of, the nose is punchy berry with bit of oak, though neither linger long. A little dry and tannic on the front of the tongue, with the body of the grapes coming through toward the back. The first sip doesn’t persist the way I’d expected, but progresses as you enjoy a bit more of the glass. Overall, a rounded profile and delightfully drinkable.
Jamie Peterson here with just a quick check in here from the winery. Ran in this morning to dig out the pallets of this new release wine to have them ready for later this week, in between moving and getting Xfinity/Comcast to actually set up internet at my new house. I’ll try and pop back on later if they’re successful to answer any questions.
In any case, thanks to all the casemates for supporting this wine over the vintages! Alice and Ariana asked me about the 2017 a few weeks ago, but down to the last few cases, and talked me into having the brand new 2018 available. Y’all will be the first to get your hands on it (before our wine club or anybody else), so I hope you enjoy!
@PetersonWinery Hi Jamie - I prefer my PS well aged - which means I just keep it a while before opening it. How well do you suppose this will age? Thanks, and great to see Michigan back in the mix!
@woopdedoo we prefer our Petite Sirah well aged as well!!!… or else well blended For this wine, I’d say it will only improve for the next ten years, with the slightly rustic tannins softening in the 3-7 year window.
@PetersonWinery Hi Jamie- thank you for your participation! I would love to see your Barbera and the Zero Manipulation offered again. Enjoyed the mixed case! Thank you
@dawnlac I second this. LOVED the barbera and every time I cracked one open with people over they asked me immediately for more information on the wine!!
@PetersonWinery This is one of my favorites. Right up there with their Barbera. I want a case of this so badly, but we’re moving to Alabama in July. Any idea how we can get a case to Alabama?
We had to save at least some of the wine for our Wine Club and tasting room, as well as a few accounts and states that have supported it over the years as well.
There will be; we’ve got just four more cases of the 2017 for sale here before we release the 2018 in the tasting room later in July. A couple of our distributors in the midwest will have it as well; mostly small wine shops that have carried the wine over multiple vintages and we didn’t want to leave them without.
@kawichris650 We have small distributors in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and a little in South Dakota. They sell mostly to smaller wine shops, grocery stores, and restaurants, but would have to check in directly! Where are you?
2018 Peterson Mendo Blendo Red Wine, Tollini Vineyard, Mendocino
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $288/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 11 - Wednesday, Jul 13
2018 Peterson Winery Mendo Blendo Red Blend
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
This is a great winery and a great blend.
@danandlisa So glad to see this back!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2018 Peterson Winery Mendo Blendo Red Blend - $50 = 27.76%
The “specs” section for this offer is quite thorough and that level of detail is nice to have.
If anyone in the Twin Cities area wants to split a case, my arm could be twisted into taking a few bottles.
@kawichris650 I’m interested. Peterson makes good wines. I’d be in for 3-4 up to 6 if necessary.
@ampeloquin22 @takethefarm @cynthylee
@carl669 @pete0744
Anyone else in the area interested in a split?
@kawichris650 thanks for the mention, but i’m full up right now.
Wine buying moratorium right now, but have loved everything from Peterson. Some of the best QPR wines that, thankfully, keep coming popping up on casemates.
@KNmeh7 agree, I got some from you last time I remember now, no ship to MI then.
Rich, glass-staining burgundy in the glass; legs took a long time to develop. On the pink side of purple, no hint of bricking. Unsatisfied with my color palette, I consulted the Oracle, who offered Scarlet #900D09. Any suggestions for identifying wine color c an be sent to @KitMarlot. Rich, unctuous dark fruit on the nose, not unlike the Gard Syrah I had just finished. Bright dried cherries, dark plums and a faint whiff of raspberry completes the fruit cocktail. Medium bodied on the palate, more woodsy earth than fruit. Firm structure with prickly tannin that lingers into the finish. Balanced, excellent.
My wife noted Fresh cedar and “ripe raisin” on the nose, rich raisin and woodsy notes on the palate. She observed muted fruit, heavy on the puckery tannin. She often likens this sensation to acidity, but we go back and forth on whether she gets a bright front of the tongue zing or more of a back of the mouth “tastebuds standing at attention”. This is definitely the latter. She said that this wine is a bit too rustic/heavy to drink on its own as an aperitif but would be great with anything roasted or grilled: vegetables, meat, cheese, etc.
Overall it is a fantastic value, a well balanced exercise in strength and restraint. If you like heavy reds with panache, this is the wine for you. Mendo Blendo, how I’ve missed you! Had the 2013 and 2015 over the years, never this young. My recollection is that the tannins resolve nicely after a couple more years in the bottle. I had the 2013 at age 6 (“nose is full berry”, “medium bodied and very smooth, nothing distinct”, “the finish is … integrated tannin”) and the 2015 at age 5 (“dark chocolate covered cherry”, “minimal tannin”) and see no reason that this vintage wouldn’t follow a similar trajectory. Thanks a ton to Fred, Jamie and Alvin for growing a really nice blend that is fun to drink and easy to buy, and to Alice and WineDavid for giving me the opportunity to share my tasting experience with you all. Get your case before they sell out! Salut!
PS Fred, Jamie, wouldn’t mind seeing some of your DCV zins again soon…
@KitMarlot
Thank you for the nice write up! Very in line with our own thoughts, and your wife is definitely not wrong about it being a great roasted/grilled pairing. Not that I’d recommend saying she was wrong in any case… but we tend to say the lighter Zero Manipulation from the Tollini fruit is the aperitif wine, and the Mendo is the brawny main course wine…
We’ll see what we can do about some Zins in the mix here! Lighter harvests in 2017, and just barely releasing some of the 2018’s.
Cheers!
@KitMarlot Thank you. Based on your favorable comparison to Gard Syrah (presumably 2016?), I went for 2x4: 4 to my sister for my upcoming visit, and 4 to hold until 2023-2024. Too bad CaseMates won’t let me order a case and split it between two destinations.
@KitMarlot @PetersonWinery
A twistie.
How do you think this will cellar for those at times slow pulling corks?
@KitMarlot @rjquillin I love how these screwcaps age. The wine and tannins still develop, albeit slower than cork, and the fruit qualities hold fresher tasting.
We did trial comparison bottlings with the 2010’s with cork vs screwcap, and pretty consistently over the years everyone has preferred the screwcap finish to the cork.
@PetersonWinery @rjquillin One of these days you’ll come to grips with the fact that screwtops are here to stay… ha!
Or you’ll just get old like me and won’t care anymore
I was not able to try this with my husband. He gave me the below note.
Deep red in the glass with no real legs to speak of, the nose is punchy berry with bit of oak, though neither linger long. A little dry and tannic on the front of the tongue, with the body of the grapes coming through toward the back. The first sip doesn’t persist the way I’d expected, but progresses as you enjoy a bit more of the glass. Overall, a rounded profile and delightfully drinkable.
Jamie Peterson here with just a quick check in here from the winery. Ran in this morning to dig out the pallets of this new release wine to have them ready for later this week, in between moving and getting Xfinity/Comcast to actually set up internet at my new house. I’ll try and pop back on later if they’re successful to answer any questions.
In any case, thanks to all the casemates for supporting this wine over the vintages! Alice and Ariana asked me about the 2017 a few weeks ago, but down to the last few cases, and talked me into having the brand new 2018 available. Y’all will be the first to get your hands on it (before our wine club or anybody else), so I hope you enjoy!
@PetersonWinery Hi Jamie - I prefer my PS well aged - which means I just keep it a while before opening it. How well do you suppose this will age? Thanks, and great to see Michigan back in the mix!
@woopdedoo we prefer our Petite Sirah well aged as well!!!… or else well blended
For this wine, I’d say it will only improve for the next ten years, with the slightly rustic tannins softening in the 3-7 year window.
@PetersonWinery Hi Jamie- thank you for your participation! I would love to see your Barbera and the Zero Manipulation offered again. Enjoyed the mixed case! Thank you
@dawnlac I second this. LOVED the barbera and every time I cracked one open with people over they asked me immediately for more information on the wine!!
@dawnlac @osiris3mc agreed! I just cracked open my last 2013 La Stupenda Barbera tonight! Really lovely.
@PetersonWinery This is one of my favorites. Right up there with their Barbera. I want a case of this so badly, but we’re moving to Alabama in July. Any idea how we can get a case to Alabama?
Any interest in a split in CMH?
@albish7 I could be talked into 4.
we don’t much post… but…
we get a decent amount of wine here mostly for husband lol
this one sounded interesting to me.
heartbreaking-fluorescent-branch
I’m overloaded but very tempted. Any Atlanta peeps interested in splitting a case?
/giphy wicked-fantastic-sausage
Auto buy!! Peterson has the golden touch in wines!!
Loved this last time. So much for restraint.
/giphy sassy-thick-scallion
Damn! Was in for a case until after hitting the buy button and it sad no shipping to Kansas!
We have bought 3 or 4 other Peterson offerings here in the past and they have all been very enjoyable. In for a case !
dumb-amiable-wilderness
/giphy tremendous-dingy-ox
Yes, it’s true…Peterson has become an auto-buy in this household as well! In for a case…
fluid grieving llama
Anyone in San Diego/SoCal buying and have bottles to split? Just looking for a few.
/giphy obtainable-callous-frankenstein
/giphy laughable-satirical-nose
Running out of cellar defenders and everybody seems to think this is a good buy.
In for a case.
/giphy witchy-plump-panther
/giphy incandescent-special-voyage
Wow, what time did it sell out?
What about a 24 hour offer to hold us over until the regularly scheduled offer?
@jmdavidson1 The next offer will be at 9 p.m. PST.
Yeah, pretty long time since we’ve had one of these;
last was March 17th.
@PetersonWinery
I’m very glad I didn’t wait too long to order. Congratulations on the sell out!!!
@kawichris650 Thank you!!! Glad you got some too.
We had to save at least some of the wine for our Wine Club and tasting room, as well as a few accounts and states that have supported it over the years as well.
Thanks to you all for the support! Had to save a little of the wine for our club members, and a couple distributors that carry the wine as well…
Honored and happy at such a great response, and hopefully anyone that missed out can get some of the next wines that might be offered this summer!
@PetersonWinery
Does this suggest bottles remain at the winery, and other selected locations, for purchase?
@rjquillin
There will be; we’ve got just four more cases of the 2017 for sale here before we release the 2018 in the tasting room later in July. A couple of our distributors in the midwest will have it as well; mostly small wine shops that have carried the wine over multiple vintages and we didn’t want to leave them without.
@PetersonWinery
The Midwest you say?
What’s the easiest way to locate one of those shops that sells your wine?
@kawichris650 We have small distributors in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and a little in South Dakota. They sell mostly to smaller wine shops, grocery stores, and restaurants, but would have to check in directly! Where are you?
@PetersonWinery
I’m in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN.