This is a blend of Pinot Noir grapes sourced from several vineyards in the Russian River Valley. The wine was crafted specifically to provide high quality Pinot Noir to restaurants at an attractive price. Due to the closure of the vast majority of restaurants Square Peg supplies, they have decided to offer this Russian River Valley Pinot to the Casemates Community.
The wine has evolved to become even more complex and balanced than when it was first bottled; this offering represents an outstanding value for a top-notch, daily drinker.
“Characterized by lush notes of candied red cherry, raspberry, and spice. With a smooth, lingering finish, this Pinot is the perfect choice to enjoy on its own or to pair with grilled meats, seafood, roasted vegetables, and a variety of other foods.”
Square Peg has been sustainably farming premium quality grapes in the heart of the Russian River Valley for over 3 decades. The premier location and connection to the local grape growing community has enabled them to forge lasting partnerships with neighboring winegrowers, who in turn provide access to some of the finest grapes in the Russian River Valley.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Alcohol: 13.2%
pH: 3.73
Total Acidity: 6.48 g/L
Grapes are 100% destemmed prior to crushing and then cold soaked for 2 days prior to fermentation.
Aging: 18 months in 25% new French oak
Production: 224 cases
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
4x 2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Case:
12x 2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
In the summer of 1987, Brad and Alanna returned from a holiday to find that their home in Los Angeles had been ransacked. This unwelcome homecoming gift prompted them to move out of the city to a small plot of land they purchased in West Sonoma County.
Brad, who was a pilot for American Airlines at the time, transferred his crew base from Los Angeles to San Francisco. He continued to fly and began learning as much as he could about viticulture while his wife, Alanna, focused on her career as an artist.
In 1999, Brad and Alanna purchased an adjoining parcel of land, where they planted Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay vines. Shortly after planting the vineyard, Brad partnered with renowned Winemaker William Knuttel to create the Ottimino label. The Zinfandel-focused venture was named after their beloved Italian neighbor, Ottimino Cristiani.
Over the next several years, the area surrounding the Estate Vineyard evolved to become home to several of the world’s most prominent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers. This inspired Brad to retire early from American Airlines to focus on the vineyard and the Square Peg label.
Square Peg Estate wines are offered exclusively to Club Members as well as visitors to the tasting room.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SD, TX, VA, WA
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir - $45 = 23.06%
Good Morning!
Here is our (me and my folks) report on the Square Peg 2017 Pinot Noir - we liked the label.
Let me first say, Pinot is not a wine my group is normally a fan of. On a whole, we find Pinots to be to light bodied for our taste. I’m pretty sure the only Pinot I was convinced to buy was Gazzi, and we loved it.
PNP
Color- reminded us of dark cherry Jello after you add the water to the powder. Pale, translucent.
Aroma- not getting much of anything but heat. After a few swirls I got the faint smell of dark cherry pie filling.
The others got nothing and found it unappealing
Taste- Me- light, smooth, cherry, medium short finish which reminded me of a Jolly Rancher - hard to explain, but that sweet/tart flavor coating left after you eat the candy.
Dad- light, smooth, cherry, short finish
Mom- To tannic, harsh - she is very sensitive to tannins
Vinturi
Aroma - Cherry more pronounced, most of the heat dissipated.
Taste
Me - still super smooth, way more cherry. not overly complex but definitely not one dimensional.
Dad - smooth, buttery more cherry
Mom- bit better, she liked it better after her glass was sitting out for about 20 min.
General consensus- 2 of us were surprised and liked how smooth this was. The other said if it was decanted for a while she would like it. This would be a great everyday wine that would pair with a lot of food. We guessed price point to be $10- 15.
I have about a glass left in the bottle and will try tonight. Will let you know if anything significant changes
Thanks WD and Alice for the opportunity to give Square Peg a try!!
@mommadeb
Day 2 - just had a glass with dinner- fried tofu with spinach, farrow and a green goddess dressing. (From Sun Basket). The wine paired well. Then for dessert a casemates dark chocolate caramel with sea salt. I personally prefer a bolder wine with my dark chocolate, but would not pass on a glass of the Square Peg with dark chocolate.
The non-estate rosé was offered here in July, with some winery comments. In fact they mentioned that future non-estate wines may show up here, and apparently so because here is one today. Looks interesting at the price of admission but pretty much on the sidelines these days, and no SC to tempt me anyway.
Mommadeb, I really like your review. Your description of the color is spot on. Pinot should be translucent. If it is opaque, it may be that something (juice from another varietal or maybe Mega Purple?) was blended in. This isn’t always the case but it is a possibility.
Because the alcohol is a mere 13.2% I’m not sure what the heat you mention might be but I’m glad to hear that it dissipated after you used the Vinturi. I absolutely agree that initially the nose is subdued. But as you pointed out, the Vinturi increased the cherry aroma. This is a Pinot that should be allowed to breathe for an hour or so prior to serving.
Because your Mom is “very sensitive” to tannins, I am guessing that she is on the lookout for tannins when she tastes wine. That is not to say she is incorrect. The tannins are present in this wine. We blend Pinot grapes from different Russian River Valley neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods are cooler than others. The cooler areas provide grapes with higher tannins, while grapes from the warmer areas bring more ripe fruit to the blend. As you know, the key is balance. The tannins & acidity provide structure to the wine - provided they live in the right place. As your Dad noticed, the finish is smooth, not tannic or acidic. The tannins go a long way to providing crispness and they soften dramatically when the wine is enjoyed with food. If the Pinot had too much acidity it would cause you to pucker while too much fruit flavor would make the wine flat & flabby.
We created this Pinot to be served by the glass in restaurants. Typically, the bottle is open all day so the wine needs to stand up to being open for a long time between pours. The tannins assist in keep the wine lively all day.
As a side note, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how this particular Pinot is evolving as it ages. As you know, sometimes a tasty modest wine evolves into something quite special. I think that this Pinot could be one of those wines. If you can lay it down for a bit, you might just be rewarded down the road!
To clarify; this is not our Estate Pinot Noir. This is a wine made from a blend of Pinot Noir grapes that we obtained from well-established and respected growers in the Russian River Valley.
Occasionally, at the end of a season, growers have excess fruit that they need to sell quickly. Of course, we are always happy to acquire high-quality fruit at a reasonable price. This enables us to offer a delicious Pinot at an attractive price. It is not our Estate or our single-vineyard Pinot but it is a very solid wine for the price.
It’s hard to go wrong with Pinot Noir from this region. The specs on this look good. The price, really good. I haven’t had this one but it looks like a winner to me. Maybe even a head scratcher.
Casemates be like
“Ben hasn’t bought any Pinot Noir lately. We’re failing as a crack dealer. Let’s send him a free bottle so he’ll buy a case.”
I was excited because I love Pinot, my stock is low, and was looking for a reason to buy.
2017
Square Peg
Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Nose
Cherry & Plum
Color
Pale translucent ruby
Long thin legs
Palate
Fruity to start. Sweet bright fruit in front
More heat than expected, but not over powering
Tart strawberry finish
Mouth feel is heavier than I expect from a pinot
Went well with dark chocolate and aged gouda.
Poured through a Venturi, that brought all the alcohol to the front and lost the fruit in the palate.
Not bad, but just, something to drink with the cheese.
But the cheese made me want a drink. And the spice needed cheese to tone it down.
So a vicious circle ensued.
Could easily have finished the bottle with cheese and forgotten about dinner or further notes.
But I keep coming back to the alcohol feel. This is really harsh for a pinot.
It’s ok now but still feels very young.
Not my favorite representation of Pinot, but I might buy a case ~$10-12/btl
Wife
"I smell fruit up front
Where’s it from? (Russian River)
I feel like I’m getting punched by a Russian from the alcohol smell. At least I know I don’t have Covid because I can smell the alcohol.
It smells a little woody, like oak
It tastes like fruit, but I can’t name a fruit. A tart fruit, but I don’t know what one. Maybe plum.
You know what it is? Pomegranate.
It’s surprisingly salty after you eat a blueberry.
Like it’s weird. Definitely not good with fruit, unless you like salty wine.
It also needs a hard cheese. This isn’t going well with a soft cheese.
The gouda, any aged hard cheese, a Manchego.
This would pair better with beef than chicken. This is more of a red meat pairing. It’s not light enough for seafood.
Mushrooms. Like a stuffed mushroom."
She tapped out after the Venturi pour, the alcohol overtook everything for her.
And then.
I looked up this vintage on CellarTracker… “Valuation $59” (now I don’t know how they got that since its 2x the winery pricing, must have been an Estate vintage)
Wife: WHAT!? F#&%¢ no! At MOST $26 (so she’s getting pretty good at this)
After breathing 2 hrs, tried with a dinner of pot roast. Straight up fruit bomb. Overly sweet. Heat moved to the finish which helps offset the sweetness but it’s made the whole experience seem like I’m drinking a fruity zinfandel…I might buy the small pack just to see if it gets better in 5 years but I’m really kind of meh.
Last glass after being left with the cork for 24hrs, jammy, almost dessert sweetness. No more discernible heat from the alcohol.
I’m out on this round, it was an interesting bottle but not one I want another of.
2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $300/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, SD, TX, VA, WA
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Feb 15 - Tuesday, Feb 16
Square Peg Pinot Noir
4 bottles for $64.99 $16.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
link updated to correct wine for this offer
2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir
@ilCesare I think this links to the wrong wine. The one for sale is not an estate wine I believe.
@ilCesare @jhkey
I noticed that too. Got excited for a minute with the average price on CT of $60/bottle!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 Square Peg Pinot Noir - $45 = 23.06%
Good Morning!
Here is our (me and my folks) report on the Square Peg 2017 Pinot Noir - we liked the label.
Let me first say, Pinot is not a wine my group is normally a fan of. On a whole, we find Pinots to be to light bodied for our taste. I’m pretty sure the only Pinot I was convinced to buy was Gazzi, and we loved it.
PNP
Color- reminded us of dark cherry Jello after you add the water to the powder. Pale, translucent.
Aroma- not getting much of anything but heat. After a few swirls I got the faint smell of dark cherry pie filling.
The others got nothing and found it unappealing
Taste- Me- light, smooth, cherry, medium short finish which reminded me of a Jolly Rancher - hard to explain, but that sweet/tart flavor coating left after you eat the candy.
Dad- light, smooth, cherry, short finish
Mom- To tannic, harsh - she is very sensitive to tannins
Vinturi
Aroma - Cherry more pronounced, most of the heat dissipated.
Taste
Me - still super smooth, way more cherry. not overly complex but definitely not one dimensional.
Dad - smooth, buttery more cherry
Mom- bit better, she liked it better after her glass was sitting out for about 20 min.
General consensus- 2 of us were surprised and liked how smooth this was. The other said if it was decanted for a while she would like it. This would be a great everyday wine that would pair with a lot of food. We guessed price point to be $10- 15.
I have about a glass left in the bottle and will try tonight. Will let you know if anything significant changes
Thanks WD and Alice for the opportunity to give Square Peg a try!!
@mommadeb Appreciate the review - thank you.
@mommadeb
Day 2 - just had a glass with dinner- fried tofu with spinach, farrow and a green goddess dressing. (From Sun Basket). The wine paired well. Then for dessert a casemates dark chocolate caramel with sea salt. I personally prefer a bolder wine with my dark chocolate, but would not pass on a glass of the Square Peg with dark chocolate.
The non-estate rosé was offered here in July, with some winery comments. In fact they mentioned that future non-estate wines may show up here, and apparently so because here is one today. Looks interesting at the price of admission but pretty much on the sidelines these days, and no SC to tempt me anyway.
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/square-peg-ros
Mommadeb, I really like your review. Your description of the color is spot on. Pinot should be translucent. If it is opaque, it may be that something (juice from another varietal or maybe Mega Purple?) was blended in. This isn’t always the case but it is a possibility.
Because the alcohol is a mere 13.2% I’m not sure what the heat you mention might be but I’m glad to hear that it dissipated after you used the Vinturi. I absolutely agree that initially the nose is subdued. But as you pointed out, the Vinturi increased the cherry aroma. This is a Pinot that should be allowed to breathe for an hour or so prior to serving.
Because your Mom is “very sensitive” to tannins, I am guessing that she is on the lookout for tannins when she tastes wine. That is not to say she is incorrect. The tannins are present in this wine. We blend Pinot grapes from different Russian River Valley neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods are cooler than others. The cooler areas provide grapes with higher tannins, while grapes from the warmer areas bring more ripe fruit to the blend. As you know, the key is balance. The tannins & acidity provide structure to the wine - provided they live in the right place. As your Dad noticed, the finish is smooth, not tannic or acidic. The tannins go a long way to providing crispness and they soften dramatically when the wine is enjoyed with food. If the Pinot had too much acidity it would cause you to pucker while too much fruit flavor would make the wine flat & flabby.
We created this Pinot to be served by the glass in restaurants. Typically, the bottle is open all day so the wine needs to stand up to being open for a long time between pours. The tannins assist in keep the wine lively all day.
As a side note, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how this particular Pinot is evolving as it ages. As you know, sometimes a tasty modest wine evolves into something quite special. I think that this Pinot could be one of those wines. If you can lay it down for a bit, you might just be rewarded down the road!
@square_peg
Liking your additional insights and LRR comments.
@square_peg
Please check a comment (whisper) to you following the first post in this thread regarding this offer.
@square_peg
Thank you for your participation and interesting insights into the blend of RRV Pinot grapes in the wine. Very informative!
To clarify; this is not our Estate Pinot Noir. This is a wine made from a blend of Pinot Noir grapes that we obtained from well-established and respected growers in the Russian River Valley.
Occasionally, at the end of a season, growers have excess fruit that they need to sell quickly. Of course, we are always happy to acquire high-quality fruit at a reasonable price. This enables us to offer a delicious Pinot at an attractive price. It is not our Estate or our single-vineyard Pinot but it is a very solid wine for the price.
@square_peg
Non-Estate RRV Pinot Noir
It’s hard to go wrong with Pinot Noir from this region. The specs on this look good. The price, really good. I haven’t had this one but it looks like a winner to me. Maybe even a head scratcher.
Casemates be like
“Ben hasn’t bought any Pinot Noir lately. We’re failing as a crack dealer. Let’s send him a free bottle so he’ll buy a case.”
I was excited because I love Pinot, my stock is low, and was looking for a reason to buy.
2017
Square Peg
Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Nose
Cherry & Plum
Color
Pale translucent ruby
Long thin legs
Palate
Fruity to start. Sweet bright fruit in front
More heat than expected, but not over powering
Tart strawberry finish
Mouth feel is heavier than I expect from a pinot
Went well with dark chocolate and aged gouda.
Poured through a Venturi, that brought all the alcohol to the front and lost the fruit in the palate.
Not bad, but just, something to drink with the cheese.
But the cheese made me want a drink. And the spice needed cheese to tone it down.
So a vicious circle ensued.
Could easily have finished the bottle with cheese and forgotten about dinner or further notes.
But I keep coming back to the alcohol feel. This is really harsh for a pinot.
It’s ok now but still feels very young.
Not my favorite representation of Pinot, but I might buy a case ~$10-12/btl
Wife
"I smell fruit up front
Where’s it from? (Russian River)
I feel like I’m getting punched by a Russian from the alcohol smell. At least I know I don’t have Covid because I can smell the alcohol.
It smells a little woody, like oak
It tastes like fruit, but I can’t name a fruit. A tart fruit, but I don’t know what one. Maybe plum.
You know what it is? Pomegranate.
It’s surprisingly salty after you eat a blueberry.
Like it’s weird. Definitely not good with fruit, unless you like salty wine.
It also needs a hard cheese. This isn’t going well with a soft cheese.
The gouda, any aged hard cheese, a Manchego.
This would pair better with beef than chicken. This is more of a red meat pairing. It’s not light enough for seafood.
Mushrooms. Like a stuffed mushroom."
She tapped out after the Venturi pour, the alcohol overtook everything for her.
And then.
I looked up this vintage on CellarTracker… “Valuation $59” (now I don’t know how they got that since its 2x the winery pricing, must have been an Estate vintage)
Wife: WHAT!? F#&%¢ no! At MOST $26 (so she’s getting pretty good at this)
After breathing 2 hrs, tried with a dinner of pot roast. Straight up fruit bomb. Overly sweet. Heat moved to the finish which helps offset the sweetness but it’s made the whole experience seem like I’m drinking a fruity zinfandel…I might buy the small pack just to see if it gets better in 5 years but I’m really kind of meh.
Last glass after being left with the cork for 24hrs, jammy, almost dessert sweetness. No more discernible heat from the alcohol.
I’m out on this round, it was an interesting bottle but not one I want another of.
@bent80 check the later reply for the correct CellarTracker link… this isn’t the Estate one.
@bent80 @TimW
original link now corrected