We chose to pick these grapes at lower brix levels than many others and due to those, we think we captured some distinct aromatic and flavor qualities that would have been masked by more ripeness. This wine reminds many of a northern Italian wine - underripe cherry, a slight smokiness, plenty of spice, and enough earthiness to keep your nose in the glass; the flavors in the mouth follow the aromatics, and it finished with noticeable tannin and acid, even though the alcohol level is pretty low. Pair this with pasta with red sauce, wild game, or just a pizza!
Specs
Varietal: 100% Carignane
Appellation: Santa Barbara County
The grapes were foot stomped by Larry, fermented with the stems, pressed, and then aged in older French oak for 16 months, unracked until just before bottling.
Alcohol: 12.5%
pH: 3.59
TA: .63
RS: 0
2019 tercero Cinsault, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Cinsault produces huge berries so one should not expect a deeply hued or structured wine - and this certainly fits that bill. Beautiful light red in color, the aromatics soar from the glass - underripe strawberries and cherries, earthy, peppery, spicy, lifted. The wine dances around the mouth, offering similar flavors to the nose. A perfect food pairing wine as it will not overwhelm most dishes and is light enough to even be paired with seafood.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cinsault
Appellation: Santa Barbara County
The grapes were foot stomped by Larry, fermented with the stems, pressed then aged in older French oak for 16 months, unracked until just before bottling.
Alcohol: 12.0%
pH: 3.65
TA: .58 g
RS: 0
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2017 tercero Carignane, Santa Barbara County
2x 2019 tercero Cinsault, Santa Barbara County Case:
6x 2017 tercero Carignane, Santa Barbara County
6x 2019 tercero Cinsault, Santa Barbara County
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
The idea for Tercero wines surfaced a number of years back. Larry Schaffer had been in the music, education, and trade publishing industries for a number of years and had achieved all he had set out to do. It was time for a change . . . . but to what? His first thought – a professional volleyball player? But alas, Larry is simply a bit height-challenged, so it was time for Plan B – get into the wine business. The initial thought was to go into wine sales, but his thoughts quickly turned to challenging himself and taking on classes he never wanted to take as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley – those dreaded science classes. Not only did he take them on but he conquered them, transferred to UC Davis, and got his Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology in 2005.
After graduating, Larry and his family began a new chapter in their lives, relocating to the Santa Ynez Valley, where he became Enologist for Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery that makes a LOT of wine. Why here? The winemaking community was willing and wanting to help each other, but more importantly, it was simply an incredible place to raise children and live life!
A year after starting there, Larry was ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make his own wines! It was scary and challenging at the same time – no matter how much you read about it or do it for others, it’s quite different when it’s ‘your own baby’ . . . But it was also a way for Larry to ‘marry’ his past with his present – to use his sales/marketing skills along with his technical winemaking skills to see what he could produce . . .
tercero wines concentrate on small lot, hand-crafted wines using grapes exclusively from leading Santa Barbara County vineyards and work with grapes from nearly every AVA within the county. Though his main concentration is working with rhone varieties, Larry remains curious and therefore also works with pinot noir, gewurztraminer, cabernet franc, and a few other fun and interesting grapes. And therein lies the beauty of Santa Barbara County.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I received a nice surprise this week – the highly desirable email from Alice, asking if I would be available for Lab Rat duties. Answer: “But, of course!” Happy to do my duty!
I was away from the house when the package arrived, so the DW notified me of the delivery, and we plotted out a dinner menu to pair with….
tercero Cinsault 2019
So, I have become acquainted with Cinsault (there are currently four different pronunciations, not including the English phonetic “sin-salt, but most agree on San-so, or close to that), courtesy of Onesta and Michael David wineries, both sourcing from the same vineyard in the Lodi region. And both make a most excellent product – a perfect Thanksgiving wine, and sturdy enough for roast pork and a variety of red sauces, IMHO.
DW sent a picture, and upon seeing that varietal on the label, I was heading down that route in meal consultation. Then, a stroke of genius hit me, and I said to DW, “Why don’t you just open it, sample it, and you can provide the best insight into the proper pairing.” (Duh!) So she proceeded with the pop-and-pour…… or more correctly, the wrestle-with-the double-thick-foil-and-screw-cap! I was not there for the ordeal but received the full story upon arrival – potential bodily injuries! I had never seen such a bottling method, and in her humble opinion, was a non-starter. I apologize for not having a picture of it, but I think you can get the idea. The foil was the heaviest I’ve ever seen, and totally surrounding the screwcap, hiding its closure methodology.
Our initial sampling was……interesting!
In the glass, as you can see, it leans towards a Pinot Noir in color and clarity. Virtually no legs (only 12.5% ACV).
On the nose, soft cherry essence, maybe a little strawberry, or not-quite-ripe plum.
On the palate, it was a match with the nose, adding a softer minerality, like wet stone or flint. But just a touch!
There is no way I would have pegged this as a Cinsault in a blind taste test. It heavily tilted to a Pinot Noir in flavor and depth, only softer still – the opposite of my history with this varietal. Upon further reading from the label, the terroir makes the difference – Santa Barbara County vs. inland Lodi – of course a lighter wine! (did I mention that it was soft??)
How did it pair with food? We landed on a grilled pork tenderloin, enhanced with the perfect jerk rub coating. Fresh green beans, broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes rounded out the menu. I was a little hesitant about the intensity of the charcoaled grilled meat with the jerk seasoning, but it all married up well, and the wine held its own. It has some interesting nuances that run the flavor spectrum to pair well with meat, vegetables, and the sweetness of the yams.
Full disclosure: I am not a big Pinot Noir fan. If I do, it’s a big Willamette Valley offering, but my fondness of Cinsault makes the Pinot purchase even less. For the Pinot fans out there, you will love this one!
@Kraxberger thanks for taking one for the team!!! First off, there is no foil in those screw caps A they are the luxe capsules so they look a bit different but come off just like the old caps. And the comparison with Pinot is apt - lighter body, lighter texture, lighter color. To me, a perfect food pairing wine - even with seafood!
@deadlyapp@tercerowines Well, I’m the one that does 95% of the cork-bottled opening.(the DW can manage a screw top quite well!). She assumed cork from the metal covering, the metal certainly hid the screw top.
We typically do not slice around the “cork” as a server in a restaurant would - for one thing, you’ve got an unknown cleanliness of the hand issue, and any dripping goes down that portion of the neck and into the glass - two potential contaminations. So we slice and peel from the bottom of the “foil” to present a “naked neck” bottle.
As I mentioned, I wasn’t there to witness the “uncorking”, perhaps I would have caught the perforated ring around the screw top. In all my years of wine experience (about 45!) I’ve never seen this combo (“not that there’s anything wrong with that!”).
“Much ado about nothing” perhaps. The wine was certainly a delightful experience. I don’t intend to cheapen the wine by using “porch pounder”, but we did have our first glass on the deck, and enjoyed it immensely all by itself.
@deadlyapp@Kraxberger no worries, my friend. But if you do have a picture of cutting the top, I’d love to see it and I have no problem calling it whatever you wanna call it. It is complex but easy drinking.
@Kraxberger You didn’t mention it, but as well as various pronunciations (I’m married to a French teacher, so that tells you which one I prefer), I’ve seen two different spellings, Cinsaut and Cinsault.
@ddeuddeg I have seen that as well - Michael David drops the “L”. At first I thought it was a misprint, but upon researching further I see that there are the two variants. Se la vie?
Since I knew this was coming up we checked to see what was hanging around in the cellar. Lo and behold, we had a bottle of the 2017 Carignane so we decided to open it tonight for everybody’s benefit.
The stem inclusion seems clear to me, with plenty of spice and the “crunchy” character I associate with lighter weight wines. Strawberry. Wild strawberry. Long finish. Medium body. Very much enjoying this.
Mine came in a mixed mystery case, at some of the best club pricing you can get. But this price beats that by a fair amount. Great buy!
Hey folks! Larry Schaffer here with tercero! I’m currently at a reception for the Orange Cointy County Wine Competition, where I’m serving as a judge tomorrow and Sunday!
I’m really excited to share both of these wines - and they are both ‘year round reds’. They are light enough to have in the summer without overwhelming you, and complex enough to have as the weather turns cooler.
I’m available to answer any and all questions you may have - and thank you to the casemates community for having me once again!
I’m going for it now. The last offering ( Grenache) sold out over night and has incredible life for a 2014 ( if I remember right). Also, pretty cool screw top included at no extra cost
One of Larry’s Mourvedres is one of my all time favorites. Really don’t have room, but in for 4, wishing it was 6. Pretty much an auto buy for me. Be nice to have something in the 12% range.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
tercero Unique Mixed Reds - $30 = 14.28%
Wow @tercerowines, you weren’t joshing in the forum yesterday. Caught my attention, and at this price it was an easy decision. Excited to experience these low brix wines.
/giphy blighted-overactive-cereal
What we have here is an excellent spring/summer evening wine. Light and fruity. Strawberries and cherries, with a hint of licorice and earthy spice on the fininsh. Just the right amount of acid.
I could see this one being a a real crowd pleaser. It goes down fast, so you might want the case.
I really enjoy trying new varietals, so this was a fun one for me. If I hadn’t impulse bought three cases last month, I would be all over this. Then again, i would love to try the Cinsault. And we are approaching summertime. And my wife does look kind of thirsty over there. And it is the weekend after all. And i do still have fingers on my hands, so…
@tercerowines I did! It abosutely showed another side on day 2. I didn’t have time to plan a meal around it, so we had with beef bourguignon the first night. No complaints, but I think that would have been a better pair on the second day.
@tercerowines Sadly, this isn’t a COVID loss. It is the result of a skull fracture in January that was very near to the olfactory nerve. At a visit with the ENT doc last month, he said that it may be permanent.
@tercerowines Thank you for being so available during this offering. I’m looking forward to trying these wines due to the lab rats & your comments. Cheers
Looks likes this would arrive July 1st. A bit worried about the weather/heat in shipping to the east coast. Doesn’t look like there’s any options, though (holding, expedited shipping, ice packs)?
Don’t have much room, but you can send a 4 pack up to Vermont. Haven’t tried any Tercero yet, these sound interesting… and I appreciate a lower alcohol wine for a change.
/giphy gushing-inquisitive-goblin
Had my order arrive today, 97 degree heat and an incredibly beat up box I noticed some leakage on the inside packaging, is this anything to be concerned about? I can’t really tell with the caps on these bottles…
@bunnymasseuse@ScottW58 thanks for the input! I went ahead and filled out a support ticket…it is a little unfortunate, I was hoping to be able to cellar a couple of these for a while
@bunnymasseuse@klezman@ScottW58@Teim I just received mine today, and 2 of the carignane had loose caps and were slightly leaking. The seals were not broken between the cap and bottom foil, but they were just loose enough to leak a little. My box was not beat up, but it did have excessive tape on it for some reason.
@bunnymasseuse@klezman@ScottW58@Teim it was actually 3 of the Carignane that were very slightly leaking. Each of these had a loose screw cap but unbroken seal between cap and foil.
@tercerowines we opened one of the bottles today! I thought it tasted okay, SO thought that it was “missing something”. Unfortunately this is the first time we have tried your wines and we don’t have much experience with cooked or otherwise off shipments so we don’t really have a great baseline to compare it with.
I will say that there are no obvious signs of it having gone bad, but given the leakage I wouldn’t feel comfortable cellaring these particular bottles for long.
@Teim@tercerowines I opened one of the bottles over the weekend. I did NOT note any signs of it tasting “off”. In fact I thought it was very good. I have put the other 2 bottles that were leaking in my wine fridge as “drink now” wines because I’m not confident they will cellar for an extended period.
@tercerowines just FYI, 2 of the 3 bottles that were leaking were bitter and I ended up dumping…Casemates support made it right.
I’ve had 2 of the carignan that did not have closure issues and they were better than good…absolutely lovely…really awesome juice. My wife does not drink nearly as much red wine as I do, but she tasted my glass of this carignan last night…and promptly got a glass for herself!
Was out of town for delivery but lucky for me my neighbor interceded & was able to sign for my deilvery as I contacted Larry for help which he was so kind. Thank you! Tried the Cinsault tonight that was smooth & tasty!
2017 tercero Carignane, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Specs
2019 tercero Cinsault, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $480/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 24 - Monday, Jul 1
tercero Unique Mixed Reds
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $179.99 $15/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 tercero Carignane
2019 tercero Cinsault
I received a nice surprise this week – the highly desirable email from Alice, asking if I would be available for Lab Rat duties. Answer: “But, of course!” Happy to do my duty!
I was away from the house when the package arrived, so the DW notified me of the delivery, and we plotted out a dinner menu to pair with….
tercero Cinsault 2019
So, I have become acquainted with Cinsault (there are currently four different pronunciations, not including the English phonetic “sin-salt, but most agree on San-so, or close to that), courtesy of Onesta and Michael David wineries, both sourcing from the same vineyard in the Lodi region. And both make a most excellent product – a perfect Thanksgiving wine, and sturdy enough for roast pork and a variety of red sauces, IMHO.
DW sent a picture, and upon seeing that varietal on the label, I was heading down that route in meal consultation. Then, a stroke of genius hit me, and I said to DW, “Why don’t you just open it, sample it, and you can provide the best insight into the proper pairing.” (Duh!) So she proceeded with the pop-and-pour…… or more correctly, the wrestle-with-the double-thick-foil-and-screw-cap! I was not there for the ordeal but received the full story upon arrival – potential bodily injuries! I had never seen such a bottling method, and in her humble opinion, was a non-starter. I apologize for not having a picture of it, but I think you can get the idea. The foil was the heaviest I’ve ever seen, and totally surrounding the screwcap, hiding its closure methodology.
Our initial sampling was……interesting!
In the glass, as you can see, it leans towards a Pinot Noir in color and clarity. Virtually no legs (only 12.5% ACV).
On the nose, soft cherry essence, maybe a little strawberry, or not-quite-ripe plum.
On the palate, it was a match with the nose, adding a softer minerality, like wet stone or flint. But just a touch!
There is no way I would have pegged this as a Cinsault in a blind taste test. It heavily tilted to a Pinot Noir in flavor and depth, only softer still – the opposite of my history with this varietal. Upon further reading from the label, the terroir makes the difference – Santa Barbara County vs. inland Lodi – of course a lighter wine! (did I mention that it was soft??)
How did it pair with food? We landed on a grilled pork tenderloin, enhanced with the perfect jerk rub coating. Fresh green beans, broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes rounded out the menu. I was a little hesitant about the intensity of the charcoaled grilled meat with the jerk seasoning, but it all married up well, and the wine held its own. It has some interesting nuances that run the flavor spectrum to pair well with meat, vegetables, and the sweetness of the yams.
Full disclosure: I am not a big Pinot Noir fan. If I do, it’s a big Willamette Valley offering, but my fondness of Cinsault makes the Pinot purchase even less. For the Pinot fans out there, you will love this one!
@Kraxberger thanks for taking one for the team!!! First off, there is no foil in those screw caps A they are the luxe capsules so they look a bit different but come off just like the old caps. And the comparison with Pinot is apt - lighter body, lighter texture, lighter color. To me, a perfect food pairing wine - even with seafood!
@Kraxberger @tercerowines im just imagining someone literally cutting through the screw top closure lol
@deadlyapp @Kraxberger I’ve seen it done a few times . . .
@deadlyapp @tercerowines Well, I’m the one that does 95% of the cork-bottled opening.(the DW can manage a screw top quite well!). She assumed cork from the metal covering, the metal certainly hid the screw top.
We typically do not slice around the “cork” as a server in a restaurant would - for one thing, you’ve got an unknown cleanliness of the hand issue, and any dripping goes down that portion of the neck and into the glass - two potential contaminations. So we slice and peel from the bottom of the “foil” to present a “naked neck” bottle.
As I mentioned, I wasn’t there to witness the “uncorking”, perhaps I would have caught the perforated ring around the screw top. In all my years of wine experience (about 45!) I’ve never seen this combo (“not that there’s anything wrong with that!”).
“Much ado about nothing” perhaps. The wine was certainly a delightful experience. I don’t intend to cheapen the wine by using “porch pounder”, but we did have our first glass on the deck, and enjoyed it immensely all by itself.
@deadlyapp @Kraxberger no worries, my friend. But if you do have a picture of cutting the top, I’d love to see it
and I have no problem calling it whatever you wanna call it. It is complex but easy drinking.
@Kraxberger You didn’t mention it, but as well as various pronunciations (I’m married to a French teacher, so that tells you which one I prefer), I’ve seen two different spellings, Cinsaut and Cinsault.
@ddeuddeg I have seen that as well - Michael David drops the “L”. At first I thought it was a misprint, but upon researching further I see that there are the two variants. Se la vie?
Since I knew this was coming up we checked to see what was hanging around in the cellar. Lo and behold, we had a bottle of the 2017 Carignane so we decided to open it tonight for everybody’s benefit.
The stem inclusion seems clear to me, with plenty of spice and the “crunchy” character I associate with lighter weight wines. Strawberry. Wild strawberry. Long finish. Medium body. Very much enjoying this.
Mine came in a mixed mystery case, at some of the best club pricing you can get. But this price beats that by a fair amount. Great buy!
@klezman thank you my friend - I love that Carignane - and love to see if shared by as many people as possible!!!
Hey folks! Larry Schaffer here with tercero! I’m currently at a reception for the Orange Cointy County Wine Competition, where I’m serving as a judge tomorrow and Sunday!
I’m really excited to share both of these wines - and they are both ‘year round reds’. They are light enough to have in the summer without overwhelming you, and complex enough to have as the weather turns cooler.
I’m available to answer any and all questions you may have - and thank you to the casemates community for having me once again!
@tercerowines No IL? I bought the grenache here last October, so shipping to IL happened.
@jmdavidson1 sorry my friend. Regulations change in a split second.
I’m going for it now. The last offering ( Grenache) sold out over night and has incredible life for a 2014 ( if I remember right). Also, pretty cool screw top included at no extra cost
@Leatherchair thank you my friend - and those 2014 Grenaches are pretty special - as are the 2015s currently up on my website!!!
One of Larry’s Mourvedres is one of my all time favorites. Really don’t have room, but in for 4, wishing it was 6. Pretty much an auto buy for me. Be nice to have something in the 12% range.
/giphy vintage-offensive-rat
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
tercero Unique Mixed Reds - $30 = 14.28%
Wow @tercerowines, you weren’t joshing in the forum yesterday. Caught my attention, and at this price it was an easy decision. Excited to experience these low brix wines.
/giphy blighted-overactive-cereal
I learned my lesson! Done!
Darn. No Michigan.
@baldwino0 tough state . . .
@tercerowines we know
2017 tercero Carignane, Santa Barbara County
What we have here is an excellent spring/summer evening wine. Light and fruity. Strawberries and cherries, with a hint of licorice and earthy spice on the fininsh. Just the right amount of acid.
I could see this one being a a real crowd pleaser. It goes down fast, so you might want the case.
I really enjoy trying new varietals, so this was a fun one for me. If I hadn’t impulse bought three cases last month, I would be all over this. Then again, i would love to try the Cinsault. And we are approaching summertime. And my wife does look kind of thirsty over there. And it is the weekend after all. And i do still have fingers on my hands, so…
@char2na thank you for the rattage! Did you save any for Day 2? Picks up a bit more weight and complexity. But yes, easier drinking at only 12.5%.
@tercerowines I did! It abosutely showed another side on day 2. I didn’t have time to plan a meal around it, so we had with beef bourguignon the first night. No complaints, but I think that would have been a better pair on the second day.
Still around if anyone has any questions (taking a break after tasting about 75 Rieslings, Muscats and Gewurztraminers this morning)
I’ve loved every Tercero I’ve bought here…in for a case!
/giphy chivalrous-versatile-chalk
@TimW thank you
@TimW that’s one of the reasons we’re in Larry’s club. Just saying…
Only one reason I haven’t ordered a case: don’t know if my sense of smell (and associated taste) is going to return.
@Mark_L it will have to eventually right? So sorry my friend . . .z
@tercerowines Sadly, this isn’t a COVID loss. It is the result of a skull fracture in January that was very near to the olfactory nerve. At a visit with the ENT doc last month, he said that it may be permanent.
@Mark_L so sorry my friend . . .
Any #DMV splitters interest? Bunny will buy if there’s one, or two…
@bunnymasseuse sure I’m in!
@cduan done!
/giphy irritating-glorious-werewolf
Good morning all! Still available to answer any questions / make stuff up to make you feel better about going heavy and ordering those 5 cases
@tercerowines not sure WD or the PTB/overlords-of-the-coding would approve of five, but two should be easily approved.
@rjquillin let’s make it happen!
@tercerowines Thank you for being so available during this offering. I’m looking forward to trying these wines due to the lab rats & your comments. Cheers
@dawnlac I truly enjoy it - and am always amazed others are not as active in their own offers . . .
Looks likes this would arrive July 1st. A bit worried about the weather/heat in shipping to the east coast. Doesn’t look like there’s any options, though (holding, expedited shipping, ice packs)?
@chris_s hey @winedavid???
@chris_s @tercerowines will likely ship sooner. Conservative estimate. Night temperatures are key, still reasonable in most parts of the country.
/giphy volatile-hysterical-existence
Couldn’t resist. Loved the Grenache
Got me a case, sorry no room for 5, barely room for 1
@smoothie72 thank you - I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Cheers!
Don’t have much room, but you can send a 4 pack up to Vermont. Haven’t tried any Tercero yet, these sound interesting… and I appreciate a lower alcohol wine for a change.
/giphy gushing-inquisitive-goblin
@drgonzo99 thank you!!!
And tick tock folks . . .
Had my order arrive today, 97 degree heat and an incredibly beat up box
I noticed some leakage on the inside packaging, is this anything to be concerned about? I can’t really tell with the caps on these bottles…
@Teim
I would be concerned!
@ScottW58 @Teim as would I, already lost a Magnum lately
@bunnymasseuse @ScottW58 thanks for the input! I went ahead and filled out a support ticket…it is a little unfortunate, I was hoping to be able to cellar a couple of these for a while
@bunnymasseuse @ScottW58 @Teim Yikes! I didn’t know a screwcap could leak like that! Actually I’m glad to know they can.
@bunnymasseuse @klezman @ScottW58 @Teim I just received mine today, and 2 of the carignane had loose caps and were slightly leaking. The seals were not broken between the cap and bottom foil, but they were just loose enough to leak a little. My box was not beat up, but it did have excessive tape on it for some reason.
@klezman @ScottW58 @Teim @TimW just got mine, will have to check them out…
@bunnymasseuse @klezman @ScottW58 @Teim it was actually 3 of the Carignane that were very slightly leaking. Each of these had a loose screw cap but unbroken seal between cap and foil.
@tercerowines
Hey Larry, ever seen this before?
@klezman hey all - not common at all but it could happen - and excessive heat could definitely cause leaking . . .
@Teim did you try any of the leaking bottles? They may be fine - keep us posted please . . .
@tercerowines we opened one of the bottles today! I thought it tasted okay, SO thought that it was “missing something”. Unfortunately this is the first time we have tried your wines and we don’t have much experience with cooked or otherwise off shipments so we don’t really have a great baseline to compare it with.
I will say that there are no obvious signs of it having gone bad, but given the leakage I wouldn’t feel comfortable cellaring these particular bottles for long.
@Teim thanks for the feedback
@Teim @tercerowines I opened one of the bottles over the weekend. I did NOT note any signs of it tasting “off”. In fact I thought it was very good. I have put the other 2 bottles that were leaking in my wine fridge as “drink now” wines because I’m not confident they will cellar for an extended period.
I just received mine today and I had 2 of the carignane that had loose caps and were leaking.
@TimW it was actually 3 of the carignane that were very slightly leaking. Cinsault seemed fine.
@TimW oh no! I wonder if it was something gone wrong with the screwcaps then, or possibly just bad weather all around
@Teim I’m wondering if it was just the person packing them was too rough in picking them up and twisted the foil/cap when putting them in boxes?
Interesting - and very strange. Not a problem that I have happen much if at all. Keep me posted - did you try any of the leaking bottles yet?
@tercerowines just tried the Cinsault and it is absolutely wonderful!
@tercerowines just FYI, 2 of the 3 bottles that were leaking were bitter and I ended up dumping…Casemates support made it right.
I’ve had 2 of the carignan that did not have closure issues and they were better than good…absolutely lovely…really awesome juice. My wife does not drink nearly as much red wine as I do, but she tasted my glass of this carignan last night…and promptly got a glass for herself!
PANS! GLANDS! CRAYONS! AWESOME!
@TimW thanks for the update - and sorry to hear about the two off bottles. Glad you had a good one and that it was enjoyed! Cheers.
Was out of town for delivery but lucky for me my neighbor interceded & was able to sign for my deilvery as I contacted Larry for help which he was so kind. Thank you! Tried the Cinsault tonight that was smooth & tasty!