Magnum: You will receive either 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley, Magnum and/or 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Magnum
750ML: You will receive either 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley 750ML and/or 2014 Qupé Sonnies Syrah, Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley 750ML
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, Magnum
94 Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni)
Tasting Notes
“The 2014 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is powerful and expressive, offering plenty of blue/purplish fruit, smoke, lavender, menthol, licorice, and spice nuances. The 2014 can be enjoyed young, but it also has more than enough depth to drink well for a number of years. This is a gorgeous wine from Qupé.” Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Notes from Andrew Murray
About: This is a limited production, library re-release of 2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard. It is now 10 years old and it is ready for your table or for continued cellaring. This Syrah was produced from select blocks at Bien Nacido, growing high on the hillsides above the winery at the time. Most were destemmed, but about 30% was fermented as whole bunches to promote some of the earthier sides of Syrah. The wine was on skins for 10-21 days and then barreled down for 18 months of barrel age before bottling. The wine has been cellared in a cold cellar since 2016.
Visual: Dark garnet, rich to the rim, beginning signs of age at the rim
Aroma and Palate: The first aromas are tart red berries a whiff of reduction that quickly wafts away from a bit of air. If drinking this soon, I suggest decanting or slow-ox’ing for 1-3 hours to allow the wine to unfurl from the bottle. Next, the classic cool-climate Syrah notes emerge with cracked black pepper, leather, and forest floor. The wine is more akin to a fine Burgundy or a mid-weight Rhône wine than anything from California. There is beautiful restraint here, and wonderfully fresh acidity that carries through to a long, rich, mildly tannic finish. Definitely drinkable now, but also capable of another 3-5 years for peak enjoyment.
Specs
Alcohol: 13.8%
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate, Magnum
93+ Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni) 92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
“The 2014 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate is precise and nuanced to the core. Dark red and purplish berry fruit flavors are beautifully delineated in this super-expressive, mid-weight Syrah. A model of total understatement and total class, the 2014 has a lot to recommend it. This is an especially subtle, gracious style. I won’t be surprised if the 2014 develops into an even better wine than this note.” Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Notes from Andrew Murray
About: This is a limited production, library re-release of 2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, Hillside Estate. It is now 10 years old and it is ready for your table or for continued cellaring. This Syrah was produced from a single select block at Bien Nacido, growing high on the hillsides above the winery at the time. Most were destemmed, but about 20% was fermented as whole bunches to promote some of the earthier sides of Syrah. The wine was on skins for 10-21 days and then barreled down for 18 months of barrel age before bottling. The wine has been cellared in a cold cellar since 2016.
Visual: Inky dark to the rim, showing very little signs of its age
Aroma and Palate: This Syrah opens quickly to beautiful fruit notes of tart cherry, cranberry, blood orange, and purple flowers. This is a real beauty. This reminds me of my favorite style of Cornas or Saint Joseph, where fruit notes are in harmony with the spice notes. The new French oak use is judicious here, so there is no overt toasty oak character, but one can tell that some amazing barrels were used. That woodsy, sandalwood character reaches into the glass where the wine picks up weight and finishes rich and long, with modest fine grain tannins. The 750 mL is perfect for drinking now, whereas the magnum can get lost in your cellar for another 5-7 years if you are more patient than me.
Specs
Alcohol: 13.5%
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate, 750ML
93+ Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni) 92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
“The 2014 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate is precise and nuanced to the core. Dark red and purplish berry fruit flavors are beautifully delineated in this super-expressive, mid-weight Syrah. A model of total understatement and total class, the 2014 has a lot to recommend it. This is an especially subtle, gracious style. I won’t be surprised if the 2014 develops into an even better wine than this note.” Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Notes from Andrew Murray
About: This is a limited production, library re-release of 2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, Hillside Estate. It is now 10 years old and it is ready for your table or for continued cellaring. This Syrah was produced from a single select block at Bien Nacido, growing high on the hillsides above the winery at the time. Most were destemmed, but about 20% was fermented as whole bunches to promote some of the earthier sides of Syrah. The wine was on skins for 10-21 days and then barreled down for 18 months of barrel age before bottling. The wine has been cellared in a cold cellar since 2016.
Visual: Inky dark to the rim, showing very little signs of its age
Aroma and Palate: This Syrah opens quickly to beautiful fruit notes of tart cherry, cranberry, blood orange, and purple flowers. This is a real beauty. This reminds me of my favorite style of Cornas or Saint Joseph, where fruit notes are in harmony with the spice notes. The new French oak use is judicious here, so there is no overt toasty oak character, but one can tell that some amazing barrels were used. That woodsy, sandalwood character reaches into the glass where the wine picks up weight and finishes rich and long, with modest fine grain tannins. The 750 mL is perfect for drinking now, whereas the magnum can get lost in your cellar for another 5-7 years if you are more patient than me.
Specs
Alcohol: 13.5%
2014 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Sonnies, Edna Valley 750ML
91 Points, Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Tasting Notes
“(50% whole clusters and two-thirds new French oak) Inky ruby. Pungent dark berries, cherry pits, and vanilla aromas are complicated by incense and violet nuances. Chewy, sharply focused bitter cherry and boysenberry flavors slowly become sweeter with aeration. A subtle peppery quality builds on the long, youthful, tannic finish, which leaves notes of cherry compote and cracked pepper behind.” Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Notes from Andrew Murray
About: This is a limited production, library re-release of 2014 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, from a special selection known as Sonnies. Unlike the other Qupé Syrah wines on offer here, this one is from the cool reaches of Edna Valley. Bob Lindquist planted this as his new “home” vineyard. When the vineyard sold, it became known as Slide Hill Vineyard and several Central Coast wineries benefited from the terroir of this site. The vineyard was predominantly hilly, with sand over degraded limestone – an ideal site for cool-climate Syrah. Most were destemmed, but about 33% were fermented as whole bunches to promote some of the earthier sides of Syrah. The wine was on skins for 10-21 days and then barreled down for 18 months of barrel age before bottling. The wine has been cellared in a cold cellar since 2016.
Visual: Medium dark garnet, showing some very early signs of age at the rim
Aroma and Palate: This Syrah is a great study in contrast…there are so many fun fruit notes – think tart cherry, crunch cran-raspberry, and even wafts of fruit punch at times, but it is more than balanced by pencil lead, delicate white pepper, mocha, dusty oak, some crunchy whole cluster notes. The mouthfeel is rich and round, with modest tannins, showing that this wine is in a near-perfect drinking window. Drink up!
Here at Qupé, our wines focus on quality, character, and balance. We specialize in Rhône-style wines from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria, which is farmed sustainable, the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard in the Edna Valley, farmed biodynamically, and the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos, farmed organically. Bob Lindquist’s exacting standards and never-resting-on-laurels attitude, allow Qupé to continually be cutting edge and a benchmark other wineries aspire to be.
Qupé (pronounced kyoo-pay’) is the Chumash Indian word for California poppy. The Chumash are native to California’s Central Coast and Channel Islands; the California poppy is our state flower. Bob Lindquist added the accent to the word Qupé and gave it the pronunciation.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Thank you so very much for having us back, this time with Qupe. We worked very hard to purchase Qupe out of the Vintage Wine Estates bankruptcy. It was a tragic set of events that left Qupe lingering on the sidelines, possibly destined for its last breaths. We swooped in and saved it and our job now is to work our collective tails off to bring it back closer to its former glory. Qupe started just next door to Andrew Murray Vineyards in 1982 with Bob Lindquist’s first few barrels of wine under the tutelage of Jim Clendenon (Au Bon Climat Fame). Bob paved the way for the rest of us fools chasing the Rhone Zone of the Santa Ynez Valley. Bob has too many firsts to list all here, but he was a big reason that AMV felt more comfortable focusing on Rhones in Santa Barbara. As part of the bankruptcy, we purchased all the library stocks of Qupe remaining. We have been busy tasting through these back vintage wines, picking our faves to release here. This is a special and unusual offer. We had hoped to be offer a single magnum of 2014 and a single 750 of 2014, but there was not really enough of any one vintage. 2014 was a great vintage in SB, and Bob crafted these wines with a deft hand, picking before any of the overripeness that plagues many 2014’s. He also used a judicious amount of whole cluster to balance out the overt fruit notes of Syrah with some great savory notes, so typcial of this amazing variety. I suspect these wines were a savory, sauvage handful at release, but now, at 10 years young, these wines are singing! The magnums as expected, are drinking way younger than the 750s, so if you purchase this offer, enjoy the 750 sooner and hold the mag. The 750 will give you a glimpse at what the mag might offer in a few more years. There is no losing in this offer, no matter what 750 or mag you receive. We opened several of each to make sure to account for bottle variation and cork quality and these were all superior wines that rose above the rest of the 2014s. This is a super special set of wines that we offered up and I really wanted you all to have access to these beauties first. They are being offered at incredible prices…this is way better than half off. To those who purchase, thank you so very much. And please look for Qupe wines in your home state, they are well distributed and their entry level wines are really good that hit way above their price. We hope to add value by producing these wines at AMV (we produced the 2024 vintage at our winery this year) and we are finishing the 2022 Syrah and 2023 Chardonnay before bottling later this year. We will pour as much money and energy into Qupe as we do the AMV or E11 wines. We are just so excited for the future of Qupe at AMV and thankful in this season of thanks that Bob Lindquist founded such an amazing winery and that we were lucky enough to save it from bankruptcy. Drink up the good life friends!
You didn’t have to do all of that hard work alone. I’m sure many of us would have been happy to help taste through those library wines, you know… for quality control.
Really interesting story about AM & Qupe in Santa Barbara Independent. Looks like these wines were made by Bob Lindquist the winery founder.
I already placed my order for 2, love Mags.
Good Luck AM, think this is a nice fit for you.
It isn’t often that I’m tempted to buy more than what’s allowed in a single order, but this is one of those times. Is that even possible, or will it throw up an error message if I try?
First and foremost Alice thank you so much for sending me this bottle, it was the perfect bottle to share around our Thanksgiving table this evening.
This Qupé Syrah from Bien Nacido Vineyard makes a strong first impression with a nice velvety color and smell. Right off the tongue a hint of wood, a hint of berry, but nothing overly jammy, with a smooth finish. The blend of the berry and wood notes creates a perfect neutral balance in this wines flavor profile. Its neutrality makes it a great bottle to bring to your holiday parties this up coming season. I personally thought it went wonderfully with the turkey, however I’m not sure how I would feel about a red meat pairing.
Prior to serving it I opened it up and let it sit in a decanter for a good hour. I think it could have used a bit longer to breath, with more time maybe some of those woody and berry notes would be stronger. If you are one to buy a bottle and save for a rainy day allowing this bottle to sit for a while could make a difference in your experience with this wine.
Overall I am extremely happy with this bottle, it was a great way to kick off our Thanksgiving dinner. Grab a magnum of this Qupé Syrah for your next dinner party.
So glad the bottle got to you in time to share for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a mag of 2016 Qupe Bien Nacido Hillside Estate at our own TG. We did not have any 2014 vintage left as we allocated it all to CaseMates…we drank several of them already…truly a special wine. Thank you!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Qupé Syrah - Tall & Small Combo - $20 = 16.66%
It is with heavy hearts that we announce Bob is no longer a partner in or the winemaker for Qupé Wine Cellars.
The winery brand and current inventory was sold in November to Vintage Wine Estates (VWE). We had hoped that Bob would continue to be involved in the winemaking, but sadly this is not the case. Starting with the 2018 vintage (which Bob began) the wines will be finished by the VWE corporate wine making team…
@kaolis But that’s only part of the story! There’s a Russian novel of a thread on WB about a deal for a 2016 on Groupon. One of the theories was that it was bottled in 2019, after Bob left and there may have been some shenanigans. It’s quite a read if you have a few hours to kill and a magnum of Qupé to sip on.
I think we’re safe with the 2014s but would love to hear the full story from Andrew Murray. Time to click the buy button.
@hscottk hmmmm…I do recall that…thinking I might have purchased some of that, you’re tickling some gray matter. I might go look for the read but I need magnums, not!
@hscottk@kaolis was it 2 or 3 different labels for the 2016 Bien Nacido and then they shipped the 2018 Central Coast when they ran out? I still have a 2014 Bien Nacido magnum from the 6 magnums they sent me as compensation after I received a case of 2018 Central Coast. I think all should be fine with the 2014’s offered here.
@hscottk hoping Andrew jumps on here soon, but these wines were definitely made by Bob and his team prior to his sale. Andrew purchased the label from Vintage earlier this year and is so excited to bring this storied label ‘back to life’ so to speak. He is one of the most talented winemakers I know - and also just a really really good person. Purchase with confidence and watch for exciting things down the line with the revamped Qupe brand!
I just had lunch with Bob at our winery with some other wino friends and we enjoyed this wine along with a magnum of 2014 Roussanne Bien Nacido Hillside Estate. The 2014’s were definitely bottled by Bob. VWE purchased Qupe from Terroir Life in late 2018 and Bob assisted in that transition from his winery in Santa Maria to Laetitia where the Qupe wines were crafted until the 2023 vintage. I dont know the exact truth about the 2016 vintages as of yet…i do know that I drank a magnum of 2016 BNV Hillside Estate at our own Thanksgiving last night and it was delicious. I am doing a pod cast with Bob Lindquist next week, so I will ask him straight up what he knows. He remained with VWE’s version of Qupe until early 2019. And honestly, all of this palace intrigue is just that…the 2014 vintage is what is on offer. These wines were made and bottled by Bob at his Santa Maria winery. Full stop. Cheers…
@AndrewMurray@kaolis
Thanks, Andrew, for the backstory on this. I already bought, so totally agree this is a no brainer of a deal. Really looking forward to trying these.
Thoughts on drinking window for the mags? Would love to cellar them for a few years, but don’t want to wait too long.
@hscottk@kaolis Thank you so much! Humbled and honored. The Mags both tasted like they had another 3-10 years of life ahead if cellared well, and depending upon how “old” you like a wine to taste. I still prefer the wine to show some signs of its youth, so I suggest drinking over the coming 5 years. Hope you enjoy the wine!
Sawyer Lindquist Spectator:
92 points. This bottling from Syrah legend Bob Lindquist, sourced from the biodynamic vineyard that he planted, delivers snappy boysenberry, white pepper, rosemary and lavender aromas. The palate judiciously balances savory, peppery spice and lush purple floral notes with tangy black plum fruit and rosehip accents, making for a wondrous sip. — Matt Kettmann 7/1/17
jancisrobinson.com also the Sawyer Lindquist:
17+ Peppery and piquant, with lovely earthy notes and something quite granitic too. Does a great job of channelling the elemental side of Syrah. Hot finish though. Richard Hemming Drink 2018 - 2028 June 2018
One more Sawyer Lindquist, Wine Advocate:
90 points. The excellent 2014 Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard—which now bears the black-gold label formerly worn by the Santa Barbara County bottling—offers up an expressive nose of black cherry, blackberry, smoke, soil, tar and grilled meat. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and open-knit, with a juicy core of succulent fruit, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Some 500 cases were produced. Drink 2018 - 2018 William Kelly 4/27/18
Dunnuck, Hillside Estate:
92 points. The saturated purple-colored 2014 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate (20 months in in 50-60% new French oak) comes from the cool, windswept Bien Nacido Vineyard located just east of Santa Maria. Hermitage-like notes of currants, scorched earth, graphite, and bacon fat all flow to a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, structured Syrah that’s very much in the house style. It should evolve gracefully for 10-12 years. Drink 2018 - 2030 10/15/18
Dunnuck, Sonnie’s:
90 points. The 2014 Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Sonnie’s, another Edna Valley release, offers exotic notes of sour cherries, blackberries, smoked herbs, and olive tapenade. It’s medium-bodied, nicely textured, and beautifully balanced. Lovers of cool-climate Syrah from California need to check it out. Drink 2018-2025 10/15/18
@InFrom LOL! And I’m not even a Syrah guy! I couldn’t resist with all the information, comments and Andrew Murray’s participation! i hope it arrives in time for me to bring the magnum to my friends’ annual NYE party!
@InFrom@irenegade Whoah…not a Syrah guy? haha, we gotta turn this around. But, yes, hope the wine does arrive in time for the NYE party. An ideal celebratory wine to share with your peeps! Thank you again!
@Boatman72 If they are single vineyard wines, then they are likey amazing still. We have enjoyed some of the 2012 wines. If they happen to be the regular old Central Coast Syrah, I suggest drinking sooner than later. If you don’t mind sharing, love to know what vineyards (if designated)… Cheers!
@AndrewMurray Ahhhh, the bottles were an easy find. They were all magnums and I keep them in a separate location:
2014 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley, Black Label
2012 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Sonnie’s, Edna Valley, White Label
2008 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Sonnies, Edna Valley, White Label. produced & bottled by Robert N, Lindquist, Santa Maria,CA
@Boatman72 Made me look as well.
Forgot I’d even ordered these. CT thinks 08, 12, 13 & 14, but that’s going to have to get verified since one was entered as a 750. Ahhh, CT GIGO, with some 11s and 16s tossed in as well.
@AndrewMurray@Boatman72
Good reminder for all. While the ‘what are you drinking…’ threads are easy choices, having TNs in the offer thread is really a bonus for all later on when trying to fine notes without going thru 12 threads per year.
@Boatman72 Fun wines here. We have had the 2008 Grenache Sonnies, not the Syrah yet. We have also enjoyed a few bottles of the 2014 Black Label Sawyer Lindquist…we have magnums of this we may soon be offering on the about to be relaunched Qupe website. No wines from 2012 came over with the purchase of Qupe…hope this means that they sold them all because they were so delicious. Thanks for weighing in here in this wonderful community.
@AndrewMurray We got the E11even mixed case that was offered earlier this year and loved every single wine in it. As a result, your endorsement of this offer carried a lot of weight!
@user48745965 Belatedly…thank you so very much. Stoked you enjoyed the wine. I truly hope you and everyone enjoys the Qupe. I had nothing to do with the wine, other than make sure we were offering up some of the best that we received in the Qupe brand purchase. We have enjoyed each one of these wines several times in both formats so we knew that they should provide some great enjoyment for both current and future drinking windows. Thank you!
It’s been a while, but I was blessed this week by the gods and goddesses of free wine, so I’m back to do my duty!
I received the “small” which does list the vineyard on the bottle. I’ve had Qupé Syrah in the past (though it’s probably been a decade plus, when we carried it by the half bottle in my old life as a wine manager in a high end steakhouse), and remember finding it “pleasant enough” though it wasn’t a standout.
I was concerned about the vintage before opening the bottle, as I didn’t think these were meant for aging. The cork was a squishy kind of soft and broke in half, but didn’t crumble much as I managed to remove the remainder. Some sour funk smelling the cork and I wasn’t sure if that was going to be because the bottle had gone bad.
Bouquet was subtle with a bit of that funkiness, but nothing else I could parse out yet. First tasting it had very little funk, a decent amount of tannin, and very subtle fruit - maybe blackberry? It really tasted flat overall, though. Didn’t get much heat off the nose or tongue, but there was a bit of a burn in the back of my throat after each sip.
As I left the bottle open and had a couple of glasses, it opened up and I got more of the fruit (still thinking blackberry, but maybe some other darker/inkier berry that still isn’t coming to me), continued good tannin, but again not much to it.
I saved a glass for last night, and just as before, it opened up, but I got much more of the mystery dark berry and the subtleties became more distinct and enjoyable. Day 2 was preferable, but I don’t think I’d leave it open much longer. Maybe even just decant the 1st time through instead of waiting like I did.
Okay, I think that covers it. Thanks for another enjoyable opportunity to taste for the community!
@davirom@klezman@user48745965
Gary Farrell a couple days ago, Beringer yesterday from a 50% off sale, two cases of SH club and the Onesta today with this and Cheer tomorrow.
Phew. Yup, it’s shipping time…
Lost a bottle of 1869 to shipping damage, at least the other 11 were fine and delivered, not returned.
@klezman@rjquillin Jealous! Over here on the other side, my delivery is scheduled for Monday, right after I leave town. I think I will suck it up and pay $6 for UPS to redirect it to their store.
@davirom@klezman@rjquillin@user48745965 Received a wine delivery from UPS that was clearly repackaged due to breakage and they would not admit it or do anything.
UPS motto s/b “What CAN’T brown do for you today”?
@a5meiser After all the chat about the '14 vintage, and the assurances that it was produced by Bob Lindquist himself, I imagine you’re mighty curious to find out what the deal is with the '15, of which we’ve heard nothing before today.
@a5meiser@InFrom
Humm, mine arrived as well and went straight to the cellar, unopened. Guess I’ll have to visit it when I get back to see what arrived here.
I received the following:
2 MAGs - 2014 Bien Nacido Hillside Estates
Santa Maria Valley
2 750s - Bien Nacido Santa Maria Valley
Sonnies Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard
I also received a 2015. I have an email out to customer service as this deviates from what I actually purchased. Would love to hear more about this wine. Cellartracker reviews are all over the place…
regrets as it sure seems as though a few bottles of 2015 Bien Nacido Hillside Estate snuck in the mix - not sure how that happened - but this phenomenon has been reported by a few people now. I promise you there was nothing nefarious going on. IMHO - 2015 was widely considered a better vintage down here, with lower yields, early harvest due to the many year drought. Personally, 2015 was one of my fave vintages, so this wine benefited from the great vintage for sure. We had opened several bottles hoping to be able to offer to Casemates, but there were not enough bottles of the 2015 - we loved where the wine was at and we even just served 750s and magnums at our big holiday party and folks loved sipping on the 2015.
FWIW - here is the Robert Parker Review by Erin Brooks at $45/btl release price
91 Points
Drink Date: 2020 - 2030
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the nose of the 2015 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate gives warm blackberries, dark cherries, olive, toasted coconut, salami and cracked black pepper with tinges of blueberry and chocolate. The palate is medium to full-bodied with good intensity of black fruits, firm, chewy tannins and good freshness, finishing long.
@rlmanzo Yikes, I checked the CT and you are right - some variable comments there - high praise and flawed bottles? Not sure of the groupon offer peeps refer to as this was well before my time. Honestly, I did not get much of the 2015 Syrah BNV in the purchase from VWE - so I don’t have too much experience with the wine. But, I did find a single bottle here at the winery and I just opened it. It is medium dark color (consistent with the 2014’s) - it is a dead ringer for a cooler Northern Rhone with granite, tar, white pepper, garrigue, red cherry, crunchy whole cluster notes, forest floor - this is an amazing bottle. Very clean and pretty and perfectly aged and mostly ready to drink - medium bodied in the mouth and medium long finish and moderate tannins - you can tell these were bruiser tannins at release. This bottle is beautiful, I hope yours is the same. I am bringing this home now to enjoy the rest with family tonight. All of this being said…I did experience some very funky bottles from other vineyard designates from 2015 and 2016 - lots of Brett and VA - these were pre VWE wines, so this took me by surprise when we were tasting through the library haul that we purchased. It is important to note that We already threw 3 pallets of wine away that had too much variability. Some bottles were lovely, others only smelled of a rank barnyard. I am not a fan of Brettanomyces, so these bottles had to go. We culled the library down just to bottles that consistently tasted great when opened on several different occasions. We were VERY careful with this particular offering since I did not want to start out on a bad footing with folks…btw, this glass is now showing black tea and blackberry notes…i am literally drinking this at my desk now as I write this. I just hope your bottle tastes like this one…I sincerely hope this ends up being a good mess up on our part. I know it was a very very limited mess up - 12-18 bottles likely according to the shipping/receiving records.
Please let me know if you are not pleased with the bottle and I will figure out a way to make it right. Well aged bottles, under natural cork, are likely to show some variation - but any deep flaws (like Brett or very bad VA) are well out of the realm of expectation. For the wines we ultimately chose to share here…we opened lots and lots of 750s and magnums and enjoyed them every single time. The bottles offered were all that we had left…so there are zero replacement bottles of these same vintages…Most importantly, thank you for purchasing some of the Qupe wines from this offering. Means the world to me!
Got my shipment this morning. Interesting assortment! 2014 Bien Nacido mag and Sonnie’s 750 were expected. The 2015 BN was not. And then there is the mag of Hillside estate with no vintage whatsoever! Anyone else get one like this? @winedavid49@winedavid59@andrewmurray any thoughts on this? Abv is 13.5 if that helps at all. Would love to know if it’s a '14 or not.
Darn, looks like the Mag lost its neck label with the vintage. Should def be 2014 - Qupe used vintage dated corks for the hillside estate so it would be easy to check on the vintage by removing the top portion of the capsule - maybe wait until consuming? We drank an assortment of all these wines at our recent company dinner and holiday party - the wines were truly enjoyed by all - along with some beautiful aged Qupe Roussanne and Chardonnay magnums going back to 2014. Hope you enjoy them all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
@AndrewMurray@hscottk
I had some not-so-sticky neck vintage labels as well that I was going to ask about; but now it’s already been answered. Humm, a '15; I’d have been happy to have one of those sneak into my delivery.
@hscottk@pjmartin@rjquillin Strange indeed. It must be 2014 as we pulled all available 2014 Bien Nacido Hillside Reserve 750 ml bottles - it was all on a single pallet. From shipping and receiving, I am now hearing that in fact some vintage labels were missing from 750s and magnums from 2014 vintage Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, and that unfortunately, it looks like a case of 2015 Bien Nacido Syrah 750 mL slipped into the mix - these are at least vintage dated on the main label, so no sleuthing needed there. Truly sorry about any confusion here. I should have been more careful when packing up the pallet shipped. If anyone is truly put out or feels snookered or doesn’t enjoy the few bottles of 2015 that seem to have accidentally shipped, please reach out here and I will figure out a way to make it right. I stand behind all of these wines, even if I did not personally make them. I want you all to be very happy with what you received. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and thank you so much for picking up some Qupe and E11even Wines this year. I hope they bring you lots of joy!
@AndrewMurray I have no issues with the bottle packaging of the wines received, it all comes down to what’s inside! It is just a little weird that both the neck label and capsule are not there and there is no marking at all on the top of the cork. The label is black and white only.
Mr. UPS came by today and told me I have to buy him a Truss because of all the heavy wine boxes he delivered in the last week.
Got my Qupe’s today
Magnum 1 - 2014 Santa Maria Valley with neck Label
Magnum 2 - 2014 Bien Nacido Vineyard No Neck Label
750 #One - 2014 Edna Valley Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard with neck label
750 #Two - 2015 Bien Nacido Vineyard No neck Label
Now I only mention the neck label if anyone is informally keeping track. I probably would not have noticed if not mentioned here nor am I concerned a '15 slipped in.
Happy Holidays Folks.
Opened the 2014 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Syrah this evening. Unfortunately, it did not survive the past decade well. Hopefully the 2 magnums and the other 750ml are good to go.
Opened a 2014 Bien Nacido Vineyard with a waiter’s corkscrew and the cork did not make it. For us peons without a Durand, highly recommend using an ah-so.
@hscottk I took the mag of Bien Nacido to a lunch with a group of 6. It was well received by all. I did open it about 3 hours beforehand. Milder than most syrahs of my experience, but complex.
Tried opening my 750 ml last night and wasn’t really able to. The top of the cork disintegrated, as did the middle of the bottom portion. The outside of the cork refused to budge. Hopefully the larger bottle does better.
NOTE:
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, Magnum
94 Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni)
Tasting Notes
Notes from Andrew Murray
Specs
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate, Magnum
93+ Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni)
92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Notes from Andrew Murray
Specs
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate, 750ML
93+ Points, Vinous Media (Antonio Galloni)
92 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Notes from Andrew Murray
Specs
2014 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Sonnies, Edna Valley 750ML
91 Points, Vinous Media, Antonio Galloni
Tasting Notes
Notes from Andrew Murray
Specs
What’s Included
2-bottles:
4-bottles:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $290/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 23 - Thursday, Dec 26
Qupé Syrah - Tall & Small Combo
$59.99 - $99.99
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard
2014 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate
2014 Qupé Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard
This is one of the coolest deals we’ve ever produced. I’ll let Andrew Murray yes that Andrew Murray talk more on it but it’s compelling as hell
Imho.
@Winedavid49
Thank you so very much for having us back, this time with Qupe. We worked very hard to purchase Qupe out of the Vintage Wine Estates bankruptcy. It was a tragic set of events that left Qupe lingering on the sidelines, possibly destined for its last breaths. We swooped in and saved it and our job now is to work our collective tails off to bring it back closer to its former glory. Qupe started just next door to Andrew Murray Vineyards in 1982 with Bob Lindquist’s first few barrels of wine under the tutelage of Jim Clendenon (Au Bon Climat Fame). Bob paved the way for the rest of us fools chasing the Rhone Zone of the Santa Ynez Valley. Bob has too many firsts to list all here, but he was a big reason that AMV felt more comfortable focusing on Rhones in Santa Barbara. As part of the bankruptcy, we purchased all the library stocks of Qupe remaining. We have been busy tasting through these back vintage wines, picking our faves to release here. This is a special and unusual offer. We had hoped to be offer a single magnum of 2014 and a single 750 of 2014, but there was not really enough of any one vintage. 2014 was a great vintage in SB, and Bob crafted these wines with a deft hand, picking before any of the overripeness that plagues many 2014’s. He also used a judicious amount of whole cluster to balance out the overt fruit notes of Syrah with some great savory notes, so typcial of this amazing variety. I suspect these wines were a savory, sauvage handful at release, but now, at 10 years young, these wines are singing! The magnums as expected, are drinking way younger than the 750s, so if you purchase this offer, enjoy the 750 sooner and hold the mag. The 750 will give you a glimpse at what the mag might offer in a few more years. There is no losing in this offer, no matter what 750 or mag you receive. We opened several of each to make sure to account for bottle variation and cork quality and these were all superior wines that rose above the rest of the 2014s. This is a super special set of wines that we offered up and I really wanted you all to have access to these beauties first. They are being offered at incredible prices…this is way better than half off. To those who purchase, thank you so very much. And please look for Qupe wines in your home state, they are well distributed and their entry level wines are really good that hit way above their price. We hope to add value by producing these wines at AMV (we produced the 2024 vintage at our winery this year) and we are finishing the 2022 Syrah and 2023 Chardonnay before bottling later this year. We will pour as much money and energy into Qupe as we do the AMV or E11 wines. We are just so excited for the future of Qupe at AMV and thankful in this season of thanks that Bob Lindquist founded such an amazing winery and that we were lucky enough to save it from bankruptcy. Drink up the good life friends!
@AndrewMurray
You didn’t have to do all of that hard work alone. I’m sure many of us would have been happy to help taste through those library wines, you know… for quality control.
@kawichris650
Qupé syrahs have been my favorite domestic wine for years. Very excited to get to Casemate as many as they will sell me
@CraigDanger Thank you so much. These are truly special library release wines. I hope they remind you why you loved these wines so much. Cheers…
So excited to hear more!!!
This is possibly the fastest I’ve ever purchased.
@jrbw3 Buy fast, sure, but drink slowly
Haha. Thank you so much!
@AndrewMurray That might be tough. Now I need some of your Syrah!
/giphy sarcastic-tearful-bobcat
No Iowa?! Noooooo!
Cool offer
WOW…In for 2 sets!! Thanks WineDavid!!
Really interesting story about AM & Qupe in Santa Barbara Independent. Looks like these wines were made by Bob Lindquist the winery founder.
I already placed my order for 2, love Mags.
Good Luck AM, think this is a nice fit for you.
It isn’t often that I’m tempted to buy more than what’s allowed in a single order, but this is one of those times. Is that even possible, or will it throw up an error message if I try?
@moondigger No idea, but we don’t get what we don’t ask for…
Holy cow!!! Thanksgiving indeed!!! Nice one WD!!
First and foremost Alice thank you so much for sending me this bottle, it was the perfect bottle to share around our Thanksgiving table this evening.
This Qupé Syrah from Bien Nacido Vineyard makes a strong first impression with a nice velvety color and smell. Right off the tongue a hint of wood, a hint of berry, but nothing overly jammy, with a smooth finish. The blend of the berry and wood notes creates a perfect neutral balance in this wines flavor profile. Its neutrality makes it a great bottle to bring to your holiday parties this up coming season. I personally thought it went wonderfully with the turkey, however I’m not sure how I would feel about a red meat pairing.
Prior to serving it I opened it up and let it sit in a decanter for a good hour. I think it could have used a bit longer to breath, with more time maybe some of those woody and berry notes would be stronger. If you are one to buy a bottle and save for a rainy day allowing this bottle to sit for a while could make a difference in your experience with this wine.
Overall I am extremely happy with this bottle, it was a great way to kick off our Thanksgiving dinner. Grab a magnum of this Qupé Syrah for your next dinner party.
@OnCloudWine thank you for the rattage - great pic!
@OnCloudWine
So glad the bottle got to you in time to share for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a mag of 2016 Qupe Bien Nacido Hillside Estate at our own TG. We did not have any 2014 vintage left as we allocated it all to CaseMates…we drank several of them already…truly a special wine. Thank you!
/giphy grizzly-alternative-prawn
You enthusiastic buyers convinced me.
Keeping with the animal order names…
/giphy acrid-tumultuous-gecko
My SIWBM didn’t last a month.
/giphy hellish-suppressed-wombat
/giphy ruddy-blessed-troll
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Qupé Syrah - Tall & Small Combo - $20 = 16.66%
The 2014 Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard Syrah (magnums) were part of this offer (along with some information provided by @kaolis).
As some of you know, Qupe has a complicated history in recent years. Anyone know the last vintage that was made by Bob Lindquist?
@hscottk Feb 2019 letter:
Dear Friends and Wine Club Members,
It is with heavy hearts that we announce Bob is no longer a partner in or the winemaker for Qupé Wine Cellars.
The winery brand and current inventory was sold in November to Vintage Wine Estates (VWE). We had hoped that Bob would continue to be involved in the winemaking, but sadly this is not the case. Starting with the 2018 vintage (which Bob began) the wines will be finished by the VWE corporate wine making team…
@kaolis But that’s only part of the story! There’s a Russian novel of a thread on WB about a deal for a 2016 on Groupon. One of the theories was that it was bottled in 2019, after Bob left and there may have been some shenanigans. It’s quite a read if you have a few hours to kill and a magnum of Qupé to sip on.
I think we’re safe with the 2014s but would love to hear the full story from Andrew Murray. Time to click the buy button.
/giphy inveterate-parasitic-game
@hscottk hmmmm…I do recall that…thinking I might have purchased some of that, you’re tickling some gray matter. I might go look for the read but I need magnums, not!
@hscottk @kaolis was it 2 or 3 different labels for the 2016 Bien Nacido and then they shipped the 2018 Central Coast when they ran out? I still have a 2014 Bien Nacido magnum from the 6 magnums they sent me as compensation after I received a case of 2018 Central Coast. I think all should be fine with the 2014’s offered here.
@hscottk hoping Andrew jumps on here soon, but these wines were definitely made by Bob and his team prior to his sale. Andrew purchased the label from Vintage earlier this year and is so excited to bring this storied label ‘back to life’ so to speak. He is one of the most talented winemakers I know - and also just a really really good person. Purchase with confidence and watch for exciting things down the line with the revamped Qupe brand!
@hscottk @kaolis
I just had lunch with Bob at our winery with some other wino friends and we enjoyed this wine along with a magnum of 2014 Roussanne Bien Nacido Hillside Estate. The 2014’s were definitely bottled by Bob. VWE purchased Qupe from Terroir Life in late 2018 and Bob assisted in that transition from his winery in Santa Maria to Laetitia where the Qupe wines were crafted until the 2023 vintage. I dont know the exact truth about the 2016 vintages as of yet…i do know that I drank a magnum of 2016 BNV Hillside Estate at our own Thanksgiving last night and it was delicious. I am doing a pod cast with Bob Lindquist next week, so I will ask him straight up what he knows. He remained with VWE’s version of Qupe until early 2019. And honestly, all of this palace intrigue is just that…the 2014 vintage is what is on offer. These wines were made and bottled by Bob at his Santa Maria winery. Full stop. Cheers…
@AndrewMurray @kaolis
Thanks, Andrew, for the backstory on this. I already bought, so totally agree this is a no brainer of a deal. Really looking forward to trying these.
Thoughts on drinking window for the mags? Would love to cellar them for a few years, but don’t want to wait too long.
@hscottk @kaolis Thank you so much! Humbled and honored. The Mags both tasted like they had another 3-10 years of life ahead if cellared well, and depending upon how “old” you like a wine to taste. I still prefer the wine to show some signs of its youth, so I suggest drinking over the coming 5 years. Hope you enjoy the wine!
Sawyer Lindquist Spectator:
92 points. This bottling from Syrah legend Bob Lindquist, sourced from the biodynamic vineyard that he planted, delivers snappy boysenberry, white pepper, rosemary and lavender aromas. The palate judiciously balances savory, peppery spice and lush purple floral notes with tangy black plum fruit and rosehip accents, making for a wondrous sip. — Matt Kettmann 7/1/17
jancisrobinson.com also the Sawyer Lindquist:
17+ Peppery and piquant, with lovely earthy notes and something quite granitic too. Does a great job of channelling the elemental side of Syrah. Hot finish though. Richard Hemming Drink 2018 - 2028 June 2018
One more Sawyer Lindquist, Wine Advocate:
90 points. The excellent 2014 Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard—which now bears the black-gold label formerly worn by the Santa Barbara County bottling—offers up an expressive nose of black cherry, blackberry, smoke, soil, tar and grilled meat. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and open-knit, with a juicy core of succulent fruit, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Some 500 cases were produced. Drink 2018 - 2018 William Kelly 4/27/18
Dunnuck, Hillside Estate:
92 points. The saturated purple-colored 2014 Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate (20 months in in 50-60% new French oak) comes from the cool, windswept Bien Nacido Vineyard located just east of Santa Maria. Hermitage-like notes of currants, scorched earth, graphite, and bacon fat all flow to a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, structured Syrah that’s very much in the house style. It should evolve gracefully for 10-12 years. Drink 2018 - 2030 10/15/18
Dunnuck, Sonnie’s:
90 points. The 2014 Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Sonnie’s, another Edna Valley release, offers exotic notes of sour cherries, blackberries, smoked herbs, and olive tapenade. It’s medium-bodied, nicely textured, and beautifully balanced. Lovers of cool-climate Syrah from California need to check it out. Drink 2018-2025 10/15/18
fwiw
/giphy manifold-fearing-parsley
@marjoryk use lots of tape please
I haven’t heard of this label, but the comments handily stoked the FOMA:
/giphy rickety-upsetting-dragonfly
This is a fantastic wine. Think of it as a CA homage to Northwrn Rhône Syrah. Prime drinking window right now too.
@MacMiami could not agree more…thank you for weighing in. And, could not have said it any better!
/giphy painted-sulky-sulfur
/giphy knightly-useful-llama
@irenegade Hey neighbor! Hope all is well. I bought a single set last night, in a turkey-induced haze.
/giphy babbling-plain-imp
@InFrom LOL! And I’m not even a Syrah guy! I couldn’t resist with all the information, comments and Andrew Murray’s participation! i hope it arrives in time for me to bring the magnum to my friends’ annual NYE party!
@InFrom @irenegade Whoah…not a Syrah guy? haha, we gotta turn this around. But, yes, hope the wine does arrive in time for the NYE party. An ideal celebratory wine to share with your peeps! Thank you again!
Haven’t purchased in over a year, don’t really have the budget for it. This offer is too good to pass on! In for a 4-pack
@DJZachAttack Sorry that we over tempted you. Now I feel badly. But, I hope you enjoy the wines all the same. Thank you so much!
Hmmm…It looks like my Cellar Tracker inventory shows 1- 2012, 2-2012, 1-2014 Qupe’ syrah bottles!
@Boatman72 If they are single vineyard wines, then they are likey amazing still. We have enjoyed some of the 2012 wines. If they happen to be the regular old Central Coast Syrah, I suggest drinking sooner than later. If you don’t mind sharing, love to know what vineyards (if designated)… Cheers!
@AndrewMurray I’ll try to find the bottles but I’ve got some buried boxes!
@AndrewMurray Ahhhh, the bottles were an easy find. They were all magnums and I keep them in a separate location:
2014 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley, Black Label
2012 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Sonnie’s, Edna Valley, White Label
2008 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Sonnies, Edna Valley, White Label. produced & bottled by Robert N, Lindquist, Santa Maria,CA
@Boatman72 Made me look as well.
Forgot I’d even ordered these. CT thinks 08, 12, 13 & 14, but that’s going to have to get verified since one was entered as a 750. Ahhh, CT GIGO, with some 11s and 16s tossed in as well.
@AndrewMurray @Boatman72
Good reminder for all. While the ‘what are you drinking…’ threads are easy choices, having TNs in the offer thread is really a bonus for all later on when trying to fine notes without going thru 12 threads per year.
@Boatman72 Fun wines here. We have had the 2008 Grenache Sonnies, not the Syrah yet. We have also enjoyed a few bottles of the 2014 Black Label Sawyer Lindquist…we have magnums of this we may soon be offering on the about to be relaunched Qupe website. No wines from 2012 came over with the purchase of Qupe…hope this means that they sold them all because they were so delicious.
Thanks for weighing in here in this wonderful community.
/giphy racy-flattering-star
@davirom Giphy happens to be Sutton Foster - we will be seeing her in Once Upon a Mattress next month.
Oh man, spent too long thinking about it and the 4 packs are sold out! Got a 2 pack though
@user48745965 Darn, but thank you so much for taking the leap. Hope you love the wines!
@AndrewMurray We got the E11even mixed case that was offered earlier this year and loved every single wine in it. As a result, your endorsement of this offer carried a lot of weight!
@user48745965 Belatedly…thank you so very much. Stoked you enjoyed the wine. I truly hope you and everyone enjoys the Qupe. I had nothing to do with the wine, other than make sure we were offering up some of the best that we received in the Qupe brand purchase. We have enjoyed each one of these wines several times in both formats so we knew that they should provide some great enjoyment for both current and future drinking windows. Thank you!
It’s been a while, but I was blessed this week by the gods and goddesses of free wine, so I’m back to do my duty!
I received the “small” which does list the vineyard on the bottle. I’ve had Qupé Syrah in the past (though it’s probably been a decade plus, when we carried it by the half bottle in my old life as a wine manager in a high end steakhouse), and remember finding it “pleasant enough” though it wasn’t a standout.
I was concerned about the vintage before opening the bottle, as I didn’t think these were meant for aging. The cork was a squishy kind of soft and broke in half, but didn’t crumble much as I managed to remove the remainder. Some sour funk smelling the cork and I wasn’t sure if that was going to be because the bottle had gone bad.
Bouquet was subtle with a bit of that funkiness, but nothing else I could parse out yet. First tasting it had very little funk, a decent amount of tannin, and very subtle fruit - maybe blackberry? It really tasted flat overall, though. Didn’t get much heat off the nose or tongue, but there was a bit of a burn in the back of my throat after each sip.
As I left the bottle open and had a couple of glasses, it opened up and I got more of the fruit (still thinking blackberry, but maybe some other darker/inkier berry that still isn’t coming to me), continued good tannin, but again not much to it.
I saved a glass for last night, and just as before, it opened up, but I got much more of the mystery dark berry and the subtleties became more distinct and enjoyable. Day 2 was preferable, but I don’t think I’d leave it open much longer. Maybe even just decant the 1st time through instead of waiting like I did.
Okay, I think that covers it. Thanks for another enjoyable opportunity to taste for the community!
@alexa84 it was the Bien Nacido, sorry!
@alexa84 ugh, Hillside Estate. I am the worst - I looked at the pictures and not the description so I thought I knew what I was talking about. Nrgh.
Way too much wine right now but the comments were too good to pass up.
/giphy unwritten-inane-quail
Bravo! This one deserved a sellout.
@Winedavid49 I did my part.
@Winedavid49 Hoping your shipping department does not duplicate bottles for those of us that bought the 4 pack!!!
@jmdavidson1 @Winedavid49
Or two of the 4-packs…
@jmdavidson1 @Winedavid49 i’ll try…
@winedavid59
I was rather wondering what was taking so long
Missed it by a mile…but holidays are a great time for Magnums, glad to see that!
Any update on when these are going to ship?
@kookie00 I was wondering the same thing.
@kookie00 @moondigger UPS says a label was created for mine last Wednesday but they don’t have it yet.
Just got the email
December 17, 2024 8:46am ET
Departed from Facility Visalia, CA
It would have been cool if they did not time the shipments for this to arrive the week of Christmas when half of people will be out of town…
@user48745965 Stuff leaving this week should arrive this week…
As for next week and the week after, I couldn’t agree more.
@klezman @user48745965
For us on the left coast, stuff that shipped yesterday is scheduled to arrive tomorrow; Wednesday.
This is one of those.
@klezman @rjquillin @user48745965 I am scheduled to receive this order, the meh order, and a WTSO order all tomorrow. 2 by UPS, 1 FedEx. Big day.
@davirom @klezman @user48745965
Gary Farrell a couple days ago, Beringer yesterday from a 50% off sale, two cases of SH club and the Onesta today with this and Cheer tomorrow.
Phew. Yup, it’s shipping time…
Lost a bottle of 1869 to shipping damage, at least the other 11 were fine and delivered, not returned.
[oops; thread creep]
@klezman @rjquillin Jealous! Over here on the other side, my delivery is scheduled for Monday, right after I leave town. I think I will suck it up and pay $6 for UPS to redirect it to their store.
@klezman @user48745965 Delivery is scheduled for Monday for me.
@klezman @kookie00 @user48745965 Agreed, timing is unfortunate, but it’s not like we didn’t know up front that the delivery was going to be next week.
@davirom @klezman @rjquillin @user48745965 Received a wine delivery from UPS that was clearly repackaged due to breakage and they would not admit it or do anything.
UPS motto s/b “What CAN’T brown do for you today”?
Got mine in today. Ended up with a 2015 bottle. @AndrewMurray any notes on this one?
@a5meiser After all the chat about the '14 vintage, and the assurances that it was produced by Bob Lindquist himself, I imagine you’re mighty curious to find out what the deal is with the '15, of which we’ve heard nothing before today.
@a5meiser @InFrom
Humm, mine arrived as well and went straight to the cellar, unopened. Guess I’ll have to visit it when I get back to see what arrived here.
@a5meiser @InFrom @rjquillin Just opened my box and all 4 are 2014’s.
@a5meiser @davirom @InFrom @rjquillin which wines did you get?
@a5meiser @hscottk @InFrom @rjquillin Mag & 750 of the Hillside Estate, mag of the Bien Nacido Vineyard, 750 of the Edna Valley.
@a5meiser @davirom @hscottk @InFrom @rjquillin i received a 2015 750ml bottle as well! Hope we hear from CS or Andrew Murray!
I received the following:
2 MAGs - 2014 Bien Nacido Hillside Estates
Santa Maria Valley
2 750s - Bien Nacido Santa Maria Valley
Sonnies Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard
Back from Yuma and visited the cellar for a look-see,
styro was pretty beat up on all, but all intact.
Mags
3x 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley
1x 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah
750’s
2x 2014 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley
2x 2014 Qupé Sonnies Syrah, Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley
I also received a 2015. I have an email out to customer service as this deviates from what I actually purchased. Would love to hear more about this wine. Cellartracker reviews are all over the place…
@rlmanzo please update if you get a reply! I also received a 2015.
@rlmanzo
regrets as it sure seems as though a few bottles of 2015 Bien Nacido Hillside Estate snuck in the mix - not sure how that happened - but this phenomenon has been reported by a few people now. I promise you there was nothing nefarious going on. IMHO - 2015 was widely considered a better vintage down here, with lower yields, early harvest due to the many year drought. Personally, 2015 was one of my fave vintages, so this wine benefited from the great vintage for sure. We had opened several bottles hoping to be able to offer to Casemates, but there were not enough bottles of the 2015 - we loved where the wine was at and we even just served 750s and magnums at our big holiday party and folks loved sipping on the 2015.
FWIW - here is the Robert Parker Review by Erin Brooks at $45/btl release price
91 Points
Drink Date: 2020 - 2030
Medium to deep ruby-purple, the nose of the 2015 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Hillside Estate gives warm blackberries, dark cherries, olive, toasted coconut, salami and cracked black pepper with tinges of blueberry and chocolate. The palate is medium to full-bodied with good intensity of black fruits, firm, chewy tannins and good freshness, finishing long.
@AndrewMurray thanks for the info on the 2015! I was more curious about it than anything else when I received it.
@AndrewMurray Thanks for giving us some more info re: the 2015s
I however, did not receive the Hillside Estate and instead got the “Bien Nacido Vineyard” version.
Could you share some info on this wine?
@rlmanzo Yikes, I checked the CT and you are right - some variable comments there - high praise and flawed bottles? Not sure of the groupon offer peeps refer to as this was well before my time. Honestly, I did not get much of the 2015 Syrah BNV in the purchase from VWE - so I don’t have too much experience with the wine. But, I did find a single bottle here at the winery and I just opened it. It is medium dark color (consistent with the 2014’s) - it is a dead ringer for a cooler Northern Rhone with granite, tar, white pepper, garrigue, red cherry, crunchy whole cluster notes, forest floor - this is an amazing bottle. Very clean and pretty and perfectly aged and mostly ready to drink - medium bodied in the mouth and medium long finish and moderate tannins - you can tell these were bruiser tannins at release. This bottle is beautiful, I hope yours is the same. I am bringing this home now to enjoy the rest with family tonight. All of this being said…I did experience some very funky bottles from other vineyard designates from 2015 and 2016 - lots of Brett and VA - these were pre VWE wines, so this took me by surprise when we were tasting through the library haul that we purchased. It is important to note that We already threw 3 pallets of wine away that had too much variability. Some bottles were lovely, others only smelled of a rank barnyard. I am not a fan of Brettanomyces, so these bottles had to go. We culled the library down just to bottles that consistently tasted great when opened on several different occasions. We were VERY careful with this particular offering since I did not want to start out on a bad footing with folks…btw, this glass is now showing black tea and blackberry notes…i am literally drinking this at my desk now as I write this. I just hope your bottle tastes like this one…I sincerely hope this ends up being a good mess up on our part. I know it was a very very limited mess up - 12-18 bottles likely according to the shipping/receiving records.
Please let me know if you are not pleased with the bottle and I will figure out a way to make it right. Well aged bottles, under natural cork, are likely to show some variation - but any deep flaws (like Brett or very bad VA) are well out of the realm of expectation. For the wines we ultimately chose to share here…we opened lots and lots of 750s and magnums and enjoyed them every single time. The bottles offered were all that we had left…so there are zero replacement bottles of these same vintages…Most importantly, thank you for purchasing some of the Qupe wines from this offering. Means the world to me!
@AndrewMurray Thank you so much for your attention to my question.
You passion for your craft comes through in your answer.
I love Northern Rhones so I suspect that this bottle will be right in my wheelhouse.
Looks like I probably made out better than expected on this deal!
Thanks again and Happy Holidays.
I, for one, certainly welcome more participation from wineries like yours on Casemates.
Got my shipment this morning. Interesting assortment! 2014 Bien Nacido mag and Sonnie’s 750 were expected. The 2015 BN was not. And then there is the mag of Hillside estate with no vintage whatsoever! Anyone else get one like this? @winedavid49 @winedavid59 @andrewmurray any thoughts on this? Abv is 13.5 if that helps at all. Would love to know if it’s a '14 or not.
Darn, looks like the Mag lost its neck label with the vintage. Should def be 2014 - Qupe used vintage dated corks for the hillside estate so it would be easy to check on the vintage by removing the top portion of the capsule - maybe wait until consuming? We drank an assortment of all these wines at our recent company dinner and holiday party - the wines were truly enjoyed by all - along with some beautiful aged Qupe Roussanne and Chardonnay magnums going back to 2014. Hope you enjoy them all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
@AndrewMurray thanks for the quick reply! Very excited to try these.
@AndrewMurray @hscottk
I had some not-so-sticky neck vintage labels as well that I was going to ask about; but now it’s already been answered. Humm, a '15; I’d have been happy to have one of those sneak into my delivery.
@AndrewMurray @hscottk @rjquillin
Mine is missing the neck label and the capsule. No vintage date visible on the cork .
@hscottk @pjmartin @rjquillin Strange indeed. It must be 2014 as we pulled all available 2014 Bien Nacido Hillside Reserve 750 ml bottles - it was all on a single pallet. From shipping and receiving, I am now hearing that in fact some vintage labels were missing from 750s and magnums from 2014 vintage Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, and that unfortunately, it looks like a case of 2015 Bien Nacido Syrah 750 mL slipped into the mix - these are at least vintage dated on the main label, so no sleuthing needed there. Truly sorry about any confusion here. I should have been more careful when packing up the pallet shipped. If anyone is truly put out or feels snookered or doesn’t enjoy the few bottles of 2015 that seem to have accidentally shipped, please reach out here and I will figure out a way to make it right. I stand behind all of these wines, even if I did not personally make them. I want you all to be very happy with what you received. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and thank you so much for picking up some Qupe and E11even Wines this year. I hope they bring you lots of joy!
@AndrewMurray I have no issues with the bottle packaging of the wines received, it all comes down to what’s inside! It is just a little weird that both the neck label and capsule are not there and there is no marking at all on the top of the cork. The label is black and white only.
@AndrewMurray Another label question – looking at CellarTracker for the '14 Sawyer Lindquist, it has a black label that doesn’t mention Sonnie’s. Is it the same bottling as the one in this offer?
@AndrewMurray @InFrom
try this one same label as I received, with the vintage on the neck.
@rjquillin Ah, I followed Il Cesare’s link above, that’s a label of a different color!
Are you able to edit his link?
@InFrom done
Generally if I buy I use his links to CT; this time I didn’t and didn’t notice the ill-link.
I only got the mag of that, no 750
Got mine today. All 2014.
Mags
2 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley
2 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah
750’s
2 Qupé Bien Nacido Syrah, Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley
2 Qupé Sonnies Syrah, Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley
Opened the 2014 Hillside Estate 750 a little bit ago and it is absolutely delicious! Looking forward to one of the magnums with our Xmas dinner!
Mr. UPS came by today and told me I have to buy him a Truss because of all the heavy wine boxes he delivered in the last week.
Got my Qupe’s today
Magnum 1 - 2014 Santa Maria Valley with neck Label
Magnum 2 - 2014 Bien Nacido Vineyard No Neck Label
750 #One - 2014 Edna Valley Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard with neck label
750 #Two - 2015 Bien Nacido Vineyard No neck Label
Now I only mention the neck label if anyone is informally keeping track. I probably would not have noticed if not mentioned here nor am I concerned a '15 slipped in.
Happy Holidays Folks.
Opened the 2014 Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard Syrah this evening. Unfortunately, it did not survive the past decade well. Hopefully the 2 magnums and the other 750ml are good to go.
Opened a 2014 Bien Nacido Vineyard with a waiter’s corkscrew and the cork did not make it. For us peons without a Durand, highly recommend using an ah-so.
@davirom How was the wine?
@hscottk I took the mag of Bien Nacido to a lunch with a group of 6. It was well received by all. I did open it about 3 hours beforehand. Milder than most syrahs of my experience, but complex.
@davirom @hscottk
SloOx in the bottle, or decant and refill?
@hscottk @rjquillin The latter.
Tried opening my 750 ml last night and wasn’t really able to. The top of the cork disintegrated, as did the middle of the bottom portion. The outside of the cork refused to budge. Hopefully the larger bottle does better.
@eldano Durand or AhSo required it appears.
@eldano @rjquillin Or just push it in. Not particularly elegant but it gets the job done!