My 2016 Verbiage Blanc is a blend of 58% Roussanne, 9% Marsanne and 33% Grenache Blanc. Each component was aged for 16 months in older French oak on their lees and were left unracked until just before bottling. This is a rich, unctuous wine that also has great acidity. And it’s quite age-worthy as well. My favorite Verbiage Blanc release to date!
This is my fourth release of this blend, and the first to contain a small portion of Marsanne. The goal of this blend is to balance the richness of Roussanne and Marsanne with the crispness of Grenache Blanc, making it a complex wine.
A perfect everyday white table wine and one that is ideal for those who normally enjoy richer white wines such as Chardonnay but a looking for something different. Enjoy now or lay down for a number of years.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Varietals: 58% Roussanne, 9% Marsanne and 33% Grenache Blanc
Appellation: Santa Barbara County
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: 12 barrels produced.
2015 tercero Verbiage Rouge, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
The Grenache and Cinsault in this classic blend provide aromatics and a brightness to the final wine, the Mourvèdre adds an earthiness that stays in the background but does make itself known, and the Syrah provides the bass, giving the final wine the structure it needs to make this blend “whole”.
Each of the various components was foot stomped and then 100% whole cluster fermented, pressed, and aged in older French oak barrels for 40 months, unracked until blending just before bottling.
Have patience and enjoy this wine over an evening noting the different components that take center stage for the spotlight only to fall back into the chorus and allow others to step forward. If you’re like me, you’ll really enjoy the show.
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 concentrates on small lot, hand-crafted wines using grapes exclusively from leading Santa Barbara County vineyards and works 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, gewürztraminer, 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, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
@KitMarlot Thank you! As I say every time I have an offer up, it’s a pleasure to take part in a process where I’m allowed to be a part of the converation. I am not here to ‘sell’ but instead to offer insight - and perhaps some humor! Cheers!
This is a blend of Rousanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc. The label mentions a rich white table wine as an alternative to Chardonnay. This is not a buttery Chard analog, for better or worse depending on your pallet. If you like Rousanne, you’ll like this. It’s bright, acidic, no burn on the finish. It’s got the smoothness of being oaked without the heaviness, if that makes sense. Some minerality, but not a lot. I’m confused on the nose. It smells acidic, not really flowery or fruity. It’s good with a cheese/meat tray. Definitely more interesting than usual whites.
@mtb002 Thanks for your notes - greatly appreciated. And yep, it is NOT a chardonnay substitute - but I do compare it to chardonnay often because of the rich texture of the wine. Glad you enjoyed it!
@mtb002@tercerowines I’ve been putting the Verbiage Blanc on the Thanksgiving table. Great match for turkey, holds up to sausage stuffing, but you don’t have to wait until November to open it; drinks well any time of the year!
@KitMarlot@mtb002 Yep, love this wine for the holidays - as much as I love our Outlier (dry Gewurztraminer) as well as our 100% Roussanne and 100% Marsanne! I make a LOT of different wines indeed!
This is tempting! I’ve bought 4 cases of Tercero wines here on Casemates, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. I’m TRYING to be healthy…healthy eating, pickleball 3 or 4 days per week. Let’s see what the rats say about the red…CT reviews for the white are great.
@TimW hey my friend! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with these either - and I don’t think you’ll see these at these prices again. And pickle ball eh - my wife and I have played a few times and hope to play more - but we are so competitive we’re worried we’re going to hurt each other
@kaolis@TimW I bet - especially as ‘not so young’ folks embark on playing - and think they are more agile than they are! We’ve started slow so keeping things ‘easy going’ to start - but we’ll be trying to smash each other soon enough!
@kaolis@tercerowines we started playing pickleball slowly! We started summer 2023 playing just the 2 of us once per week, then twice per week, then 3 times. Then in early 2024 we started playing partners with a novice group. We now play 3 times per week for 2 hours each time. Fitbit tells me that I burn 1200 calories on an especially vigorous night. I’ve lost weight and brought my cholesterol and blood sugar down! I’m now down to a healthy BMI. AND we love pickleball!
@tercerowines some spouses make a pledge to not play TOGETHER because apparently it causes a lot of marriage strife! My wife HATES losing to me but doesn’t care if she loses if she’s playing with me.
I didn’t wait for reviews of the red. I had a $10 code burning a hole in my virtual pocket, and Tercero wines are prone to selling out here on Casemates. So, in for a case.
/giphy hellish-aromatic-mimosa
No room for another case of wine, so have to try a four pack. Had it been all reds, (Mourvedre, hint hint) I might have been able to fit it in, but I just don’t drink that many whites.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
tercero Verbiage Rouge & Blanc - $70 = 25.92%
@kaolis well now - one has to get creative right? If has the acidity to be poured on warmer evenings, but I actually think it is more of a Fall/Winter wine with its richness.
Good morning all! Hoping the red rattage comes in soon so you can all go crazy and start ordering more
I’ll be around most of the day to answer any questions you may have - gotta take our 2 year old to preschool and then work on a class I am teaching for UC Davis Vit and Enol Dept extension winemaking certficate program . . . and perhaps go sample some grapes too. Cheers!
So, I am supposed to have a bottle to rat. I assume it is the Verbiage Rouge. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, UPS and I are not on the same page. It was scheduled for delivery on Wednesday. I got a notice that there was a flight delay but the package still arrived at my local UPS hub by 9:30 am. By 10:30, they had marked it as “The receiving business was closed, delivery scheduled for following day”. I was home all morning and I do not live at a business address. They do this so that it doesn’t count against them when they miss their expected delivery. So much for “Next Day Air”. Yesterday, I had an appointment in the morning but was going to be home all day after 11am, so of course they tried to deliver during the 90 minutes of the day when I was not home. I redirected the package at that point and it is due to be delivered to the redirect location today. By 11pm.
With that in mind, I bring you the next best thing? I have a couple bottles of the 2012 vintage, so I will review one of those instead, fwiw.
2012 Tercero Verbiage Rouge TLDR: In a word, Delicious!
This earlier vintage of Verbiage Rouge is a slightly different blend than what is being offered today but most of the components are there. With 38% Syrah, 31% Grenache, and 31% Mourvedre, it lacks the Cinsault in today’s offer. It is also listed as 14.7% Alc vs. 14.2% for the 2015.
As soon as I untwisted the screw cap, I could smell a pleasant aroma wafting from the bottle, which only got stronger as I PnP’d.
Stuck my nose in the glass for a good sniffy-sniff and came away with thoughts of cassis, cherry and baking spices. Very nice!
Visually, let me take you inside the glass for this close-up look at the beautiful magenta color. Below is the requisite side view over an almost white surface.
I was getting mostly dark red fruit on the nose, but the palate is a little lighter, with strawberry compote notes. There is a slight funkiness (garrigue?) that is very appealing to me. It adds a savory note which is well balanced by medium+ acidity and some minerality.
I am a little bit surprised at the medium+ acidity 12 years on but that is maybe one of the advantages of screw caps? If I blind tasted this wine, I would never guess it was 12 years old. That observation may be more useful for anyone who has doubts about the 8 year old white in today’s deal.
While this is not what is being offered today, Larry’s winemaking style results in consistently excellent wines regardless of vintage. If I could only use one word to describe the 2012 Tercero Verbiage Rouge, it would be “Delicious”.
If I am able to retrieve the labrat bottle today, I will try to get some notes up but it’s not very likely. Apologies for the surrogate review but hope it helps at least a little.
wow - thanks for the rattage on an earlier release - one that is still going quite strong! As you mentioned, this is a bit of a different beast than the 2015 - a touch ‘riper’ than the 2015 and no stems (as opposed to 100% stems that my wines have had starting in 2013). And yep, my wines do age and evolve beautifully - I think due to the fact that I don’t rack my wines during aging except right before bottling AND the use of screw caps (though the liners in my reds do allow for a good amount of oxygen transmission). Here’s hoping your 2015 rattage bottle shows up soon - and thank you again!
@chipgreen At first your use of “PnP” with a screw cap jumped out at me, but on reflection it’s no different than saying “dial the phone” with current technology.
@davirom@TimW
It’s like using the ATM machine.
Ok, not really the same thing. Although, while there was unscrewing instead of popping, the first P in PnP was still redundant since the bottle was already opened!
From one Larry to another Larry, it’s great to see your participation here as always! My CellarTracker is showing that I have 4 bottles left of the Verbiage and a Drink By 2026. I don’t have any of the Rouge. My basement is full of wine cases stacked five high and I just dropped big bucks on a F-250 . I’m wondering how much shelf life might be left on the Rouge and is the 2026 still accurate for the Verbiage? I know storing wine is dependent on temperature consistency of the environment and the wine itself. My basement stays stably 65/70*F cool year round. Any current thoughts on shelf life for this offer?
@Boatman72 First and foremost, thanks for the kind words - I truly enjoy being a part of the casemates community! Second, I never apply ‘drink by’ dates on my wines because there are simply too many factors involved that I cannot control - including your palate. What I can say is that the 2015 Verbiage Rouge drinks better, in my opinion, on Day 2 versus Day 1, indicating that it still has a great life ahead. How long? I can’t say with certain - but if I had to guess, it will drink wonderfully beyond 2026 . . . Hope that helps.
As for the rats, 9:00 pacific time is coming way too soon. Larry, keep them coming. Been picking up these wines whenever they show up. I remember the 2014 Grenache that was on last year, and pouring it into the glass and this beautiful fruit filling my lungs and thinking - no way is this a 2014? Oh well, full case is gone so - Larry, time for another Grenache
@Leatherchair well then, you better jump on this offer! I think the 2015 Verbiage Rouge will be right up your alley - and great to hear about that 2014 Grenache. As I said upstream, I make my wines in a ‘reductive’ style to hopefully create a long lasting wine - and that 2014, and the 2012 Verbiage Rouge reviewed earler - point to that. Cheers!
@tercerowines until then!
And I had to pass this time since all my bottle availability has to go to stocking up on Jeff’s wine before he’s done forever.
2016 tercero Verbiage Blanc, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Specs
2015 tercero Verbiage Rouge, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$600.00/Case for 6x 2016 tercero Verbiage Blanc, Santa Barbara County + 6x 2015 tercero Verbiage Rouge, Santa Barbara County at tercero Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 30 - Tuesday, Oct 1
tercero Verbiage Rouge & Blanc
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 tercero Verbiage Blanc
2015 tercero Verbiage Rouge
But I just paid for my club order!
I’ve got 2 of the white but none of this vintage of the red. Hmmm.
@klezman hah! As you know, these casemates offers are one off very special offers!!!
And we’re up! And I’m here to answer any questions about these two awesome wines!
VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!
@tercerowines @tercerowines Hey Larry, always appreciate your presence and pithy commentary. Easiest decision I made all day.
/giphy blunt-vapid-lamb
@KitMarlot Thank you! As I say every time I have an offer up, it’s a pleasure to take part in a process where I’m allowed to be a part of the converation. I am not here to ‘sell’ but instead to offer insight - and perhaps some humor! Cheers!
Tercero 2016 Verbiage Blanc
This is a blend of Rousanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc. The label mentions a rich white table wine as an alternative to Chardonnay. This is not a buttery Chard analog, for better or worse depending on your pallet. If you like Rousanne, you’ll like this. It’s bright, acidic, no burn on the finish. It’s got the smoothness of being oaked without the heaviness, if that makes sense. Some minerality, but not a lot. I’m confused on the nose. It smells acidic, not really flowery or fruity. It’s good with a cheese/meat tray. Definitely more interesting than usual whites.
@mtb002 Thanks for your notes - greatly appreciated. And yep, it is NOT a chardonnay substitute - but I do compare it to chardonnay often because of the rich texture of the wine. Glad you enjoyed it!
@mtb002 @tercerowines I’ve been putting the Verbiage Blanc on the Thanksgiving table. Great match for turkey, holds up to sausage stuffing, but you don’t have to wait until November to open it; drinks well any time of the year!
@KitMarlot @mtb002 Yep, love this wine for the holidays - as much as I love our Outlier (dry Gewurztraminer) as well as our 100% Roussanne and 100% Marsanne! I make a LOT of different wines indeed!
This is tempting! I’ve bought 4 cases of Tercero wines here on Casemates, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. I’m TRYING to be healthy…healthy eating, pickleball 3 or 4 days per week. Let’s see what the rats say about the red…CT reviews for the white are great.
@TimW hey my friend! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with these either - and I don’t think you’ll see these at these prices again. And pickle ball eh - my wife and I have played a few times and hope to play more - but we are so competitive we’re worried we’re going to hurt each other
@tercerowines @TimW an orthopedic surgeon’s favorite sport!
@kaolis @TimW I bet - especially as ‘not so young’ folks embark on playing - and think they are more agile than they are! We’ve started slow so keeping things ‘easy going’ to start - but we’ll be trying to smash each other soon enough!
@kaolis @tercerowines we started playing pickleball slowly! We started summer 2023 playing just the 2 of us once per week, then twice per week, then 3 times. Then in early 2024 we started playing partners with a novice group. We now play 3 times per week for 2 hours each time. Fitbit tells me that I burn 1200 calories on an especially vigorous night. I’ve lost weight and brought my cholesterol and blood sugar down! I’m now down to a healthy BMI. AND we love pickleball!
@tercerowines some spouses make a pledge to not play TOGETHER because apparently it causes a lot of marriage strife! My wife HATES losing to me but doesn’t care if she loses if she’s playing with me.
I didn’t wait for reviews of the red.
I had a $10 code burning a hole in my virtual pocket, and Tercero wines are prone to selling out here on Casemates. So, in for a case.
/giphy hellish-aromatic-mimosa
@TimW Nice!
No room for another case of wine, so have to try a four pack. Had it been all reds, (Mourvedre, hint hint) I might have been able to fit it in, but I just don’t drink that many whites.
/giphy grouchy-permissive-lilac
@Springbank I hear you - and no one knows what the future will bring with regards to future offers . . .
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
tercero Verbiage Rouge & Blanc - $70 = 25.92%
The 2016 Blanc was part of a casemates mixed offer July '21, touted by Larry as a summer wine:
are you really asking me to clickety click again?
also the Blanc Nov '23, noted as a cool weather wine by Larry:
yes I am
Can you spell versatile…ha!
fwiw
@kaolis I opened my last bottle of the Verbiage Blanc last night. How fortuitous! (My wife doesn’t have to know)
@kaolis well now - one has to get creative right? If has the acidity to be poured on warmer evenings, but I actually think it is more of a Fall/Winter wine with its richness.
Anyone in the twin cities want to split a case?
Good morning all! Hoping the red rattage comes in soon so you can all go crazy and start ordering more
I’ll be around most of the day to answer any questions you may have - gotta take our 2 year old to preschool and then work on a class I am teaching for UC Davis Vit and Enol Dept extension winemaking certficate program . . . and perhaps go sample some grapes too. Cheers!
NOT Labrat Report
2012 Tercero Verbiage Rouge
So, I am supposed to have a bottle to rat. I assume it is the Verbiage Rouge. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, UPS and I are not on the same page. It was scheduled for delivery on Wednesday. I got a notice that there was a flight delay but the package still arrived at my local UPS hub by 9:30 am. By 10:30, they had marked it as “The receiving business was closed, delivery scheduled for following day”. I was home all morning and I do not live at a business address. They do this so that it doesn’t count against them when they miss their expected delivery. So much for “Next Day Air”. Yesterday, I had an appointment in the morning but was going to be home all day after 11am, so of course they tried to deliver during the 90 minutes of the day when I was not home. I redirected the package at that point and it is due to be delivered to the redirect location today. By 11pm.
With that in mind, I bring you the next best thing? I have a couple bottles of the 2012 vintage, so I will review one of those instead, fwiw.
2012 Tercero Verbiage Rouge
TLDR: In a word, Delicious!
This earlier vintage of Verbiage Rouge is a slightly different blend than what is being offered today but most of the components are there. With 38% Syrah, 31% Grenache, and 31% Mourvedre, it lacks the Cinsault in today’s offer. It is also listed as 14.7% Alc vs. 14.2% for the 2015.
As soon as I untwisted the screw cap, I could smell a pleasant aroma wafting from the bottle, which only got stronger as I PnP’d.
Stuck my nose in the glass for a good sniffy-sniff and came away with thoughts of cassis, cherry and baking spices. Very nice!
Visually, let me take you inside the glass for this close-up look at the beautiful magenta color. Below is the requisite side view over an almost white surface.
I was getting mostly dark red fruit on the nose, but the palate is a little lighter, with strawberry compote notes. There is a slight funkiness (garrigue?) that is very appealing to me. It adds a savory note which is well balanced by medium+ acidity and some minerality.
I am a little bit surprised at the medium+ acidity 12 years on but that is maybe one of the advantages of screw caps? If I blind tasted this wine, I would never guess it was 12 years old. That observation may be more useful for anyone who has doubts about the 8 year old white in today’s deal.
While this is not what is being offered today, Larry’s winemaking style results in consistently excellent wines regardless of vintage. If I could only use one word to describe the 2012 Tercero Verbiage Rouge, it would be “Delicious”.
If I am able to retrieve the labrat bottle today, I will try to get some notes up but it’s not very likely. Apologies for the surrogate review but hope it helps at least a little.
@chipgreen
wow - thanks for the rattage on an earlier release - one that is still going quite strong! As you mentioned, this is a bit of a different beast than the 2015 - a touch ‘riper’ than the 2015 and no stems (as opposed to 100% stems that my wines have had starting in 2013). And yep, my wines do age and evolve beautifully - I think due to the fact that I don’t rack my wines during aging except right before bottling AND the use of screw caps (though the liners in my reds do allow for a good amount of oxygen transmission). Here’s hoping your 2015 rattage bottle shows up soon - and thank you again!
@chipgreen At first your use of “PnP” with a screw cap jumped out at me, but on reflection it’s no different than saying “dial the phone” with current technology.
@chipgreen @davirom hah!
@chipgreen @davirom ha! Yes. I also hear people on podcasts all the time talk about “taping” a recording, too.
@davirom @TimW
It’s like using the ATM machine.
Ok, not really the same thing. Although, while there was unscrewing instead of popping, the first P in PnP was still redundant since the bottle was already opened!
@chipgreen @davirom @TimW You mean my Tivo doesn’t have actual tape in it???
From one Larry to another Larry, it’s great to see your participation here as always! My CellarTracker is showing that I have 4 bottles left of the Verbiage and a Drink By 2026. I don’t have any of the Rouge. My basement is full of wine cases stacked five high and I just dropped big bucks on a F-250 . I’m wondering how much shelf life might be left on the Rouge and is the 2026 still accurate for the Verbiage? I know storing wine is dependent on temperature consistency of the environment and the wine itself. My basement stays stably 65/70*F cool year round. Any current thoughts on shelf life for this offer?
@Boatman72 First and foremost, thanks for the kind words - I truly enjoy being a part of the casemates community! Second, I never apply ‘drink by’ dates on my wines because there are simply too many factors involved that I cannot control - including your palate. What I can say is that the 2015 Verbiage Rouge drinks better, in my opinion, on Day 2 versus Day 1, indicating that it still has a great life ahead. How long? I can’t say with certain - but if I had to guess, it will drink wonderfully beyond 2026 . . . Hope that helps.
Wow, I just saw Chipgreen’s review of an earlier Verbiage Rouge! The color of the vintage and his notes is very promising!
@Boatman72 my wines hold on nicely for a long time generally . . .
It’s mighty quiet out there . . .
@tercerowines
Appreciate you being here for questions.
@mtb002 it’s what I do - and I would hope who wants to be a part of this community would do as well!
@mtb002 @tercerowines @winedavid59
And it’s what we wish more would do as well…
@tercerowines snuck some in under the wire.
Hoping for some rattage on the 2015 Verbaige Rouge soon . . .
@winedavid, any rattage coming?!?!?
@tercerowines Sounds like @chipgreen likely was it, and Mr. Brown let him down (yet again).
@tercerowines
@chipgreen said
As for the rats, 9:00 pacific time is coming way too soon. Larry, keep them coming. Been picking up these wines whenever they show up. I remember the 2014 Grenache that was on last year, and pouring it into the glass and this beautiful fruit filling my lungs and thinking - no way is this a 2014? Oh well, full case is gone so - Larry, time for another Grenache
@Leatherchair well then, you better jump on this offer! I think the 2015 Verbiage Rouge will be right up your alley - and great to hear about that 2014 Grenache. As I said upstream, I make my wines in a ‘reductive’ style to hopefully create a long lasting wine - and that 2014, and the 2012 Verbiage Rouge reviewed earler - point to that. Cheers!
@tercerowines if all reds - I would
@Leatherchair yes, the nose on that Grenache is amazing!!!
Thanks for the Michigan shipping this time!
@ElKabong snuck it in this time
Coupon code didn’t work
@marjoryk @winedavid - help!!!
I retrieved the bottle from the UPS access point this evening but due to a previous obligation was unable to sample the wine. Apologies!
Bummed no further rattage -
Somewhat defeats the purpose. Oh well - I tried the best I could - and @chipgreen, no worries whatsoever. Cheers all!
Well since no code got the four pack giphy flighty-worthless-sack
@marjoryk Bummer about the no code - not sure what happened there . . .
Thanks for all the love, my casemates friends. Until next time . . .
@tercerowines until then!
And I had to pass this time since all my bottle availability has to go to stocking up on Jeff’s wine before he’s done forever.
@klezman no worries - but you missed a GREAT deal! Viva la rubber chicken though . . .