Dense. Rich. Intense. The palate of this full-bodied wine is tightly wound with balanced acidity. The meat of the matter is The Cleaver’s palate: a brilliant mixture of freshly-picked plum and blackberry fruit flavors, as well as a hint of dark Baker’s chocolate. This Zinfandel has a smooth, juicy mouthfeel that makes it very food-friendly. The tannins are silky with a delicate nuance expressed from French oak barrel aging.
As the name implies, this wine is designed to go with big cuts of delicious meat. But its food-friendly nature extends to distinctive, aged cheeses, rubs with interesting spices, and a few other items that are still found in your butcher’s realm like pork, lamb, or turkey.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Winemakers: Alberto Antonini and Joe Shebl
Appellation: Amador County, California
Varietal: 74% Zinfandel, 11% Petite Sirah, 15% Syrah
The Renwood Ranch Winery was established in 1993 and is today one of the most respected wine producers in the Sierra Foothills. The vineyard is located on the rolling hills in picturesque Amador County in Northern California and is predominantly planted with Zinfandel in both head-trained and trellised vines. The slope of the vineyard has shallow soils with good drainage, which is optimal for Zinfandel. We analyze each block of land so that we plant and grow the varietal best suited to the conditions of that block. Within a single acre, we sometimes locate several varietals to optimize growing conditions and foster the flavors and tastes that define our wines. The grapes grown on the ranch are supplemented by fruit sourced from premier Amador County vineyards. The Old Vine Zinfandel tradition continues to thrive at Renwood with select vineyard sites that feature old vine, dry-farmed, head-pruned Zinfandel. Each source is selected to highlight unique soils, elevations, exposure, and vine material. Our winemakers work with these growers and recommend viticulture practices which result in the highest quality fruit.
Our goal is to create world-class wines that are approachable, delicious and appealing to the senses while representing the soils in which they grew. We strive to create wines that can’t help but fall in love with. That is our highest priority!
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 The Cleaver Red Blend - $25 = 20.83%
I have to say, when I learned what I’d be tasting, I turned up my nose. The label, so tacky. The whole “great with steak” idea, well, if that’s the wine’s raison d’etre, c’mon, really? The whole concept seemed aimed at the person who looks at a wine list and just gives up. So yes, I had a bad attitude going in.
That said, I tried hard to keep an open mind. I do enjoy a good blend, and love good Zin and Syrah, so I was inclined to think I’d probably find it ok.
We first tried it on Friday night, with our usual Friday night hors-d’oeuvres, hummus and olives. Not a big, juicy steak, but most wines seem to do fine with those starters. I didn’t get a big nose full of alcohol, but neither did I get much aroma. Tastewise, the blend didn’t do much for me. There was a flavor in the finish I couldn’t quite pinpoint, herbal or vegetal or something, but for me it wasn’t a plus. Tannins seemed reasonable, and an appropriately acidic finish. We tried a few more small glasses over the course of the evening, but didn’t notice much difference. Same thing the next night, and tonight (Tuesday).
Bottom line, it is a serviceable red, nothing special, but acceptable for less-discerning wine drinkers – if this is one of WD’s sub-$10 finds.
Morning addition: Seeing what it’s selling for, I think that’s just about right. Having reflected a bit since writing the above last night, I can imagine my (much) younger self and friends enjoying this wine.
Did ya hear about the butcher who backed into his meat grinder? He got a little behind in his work.
Anyway, after a long day of hacking away at the desk I returned home to slice into the Cleaver and was greeted with a pleasant aroma of dark cherry on the nose. The color of the wine was a medium ruby. The first taste was true to the nose, and also had stonefruit and a little pepper. It’s a medium to full bodied wine that was well balanced and had a moderate amount of tanins. It reminded me of a or zinfandell, temparillo, or syrah type blend. We enjoyed the wine with a dinner of some leftover dry rub ribs and other barbeque which paired great. The spicier foods really brought out the spice in the wine as well. Our guess for price was around $15 a bottle.
This wine is no tripe and I plan to add some to the locker especially at this price.
Upon opening the bottle my wife & I did an initial taste (we opened it two hours before eating) neither of us could smell any fruit or floral, did have a bit of a mineral.
The label doesn’t say what type or amount of grapes were used, so I went online and website doesn’t list the 2017, but according to the 2015, 2016, they used Zin, Petite Sirah, and Sirah, so, going by that I was expecting much darker red, than what showed up in my glass, (light to medium red) speaking of glass, I got almost no legs, and they showed up only after a long time…I even rewashed the glass and polished it dry, still no legs. The taste when open was a bit on the alcohol side.
After 2.5 hours, the wine had settled down and no Alcohol bitterness. I never did taste any particular flavors, just “red wine” I’m not a fan of wine that is simply labeled “Red Blend” and this one didn’t even have what the blend was on the label. This wine BTW hasn’t changed my opinion of being a fan.
In discussing this with Cynthia after dinner, we thought it was a decent Pizza or Spaghetti wine, but doesn’t hold up to a BBQ Ribeye. It’s a good red table wine, my guess at the time, was it should sell for $8.00 a bottle
Shucks, I am a dum-dum. I actually tried that and it didn’t work, but your comment made me think, “Well, why not try a different browser altogether?” It worked… Thank you!
Tasting Notes
Dense. Rich. Intense. The palate of this full-bodied wine is tightly wound with balanced acidity. The meat of the matter is The Cleaver’s palate: a brilliant mixture of freshly-picked plum and blackberry fruit flavors, as well as a hint of dark Baker’s chocolate. This Zinfandel has a smooth, juicy mouthfeel that makes it very food-friendly. The tannins are silky with a delicate nuance expressed from French oak barrel aging.
As the name implies, this wine is designed to go with big cuts of delicious meat. But its food-friendly nature extends to distinctive, aged cheeses, rubs with interesting spices, and a few other items that are still found in your butcher’s realm like pork, lamb, or turkey.
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$240 for a Case/Not sold on website/$20 MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Renwood Ranch Winery
The Renwood Ranch Winery was established in 1993 and is today one of the most respected wine producers in the Sierra Foothills. The vineyard is located on the rolling hills in picturesque Amador County in Northern California and is predominantly planted with Zinfandel in both head-trained and trellised vines. The slope of the vineyard has shallow soils with good drainage, which is optimal for Zinfandel. We analyze each block of land so that we plant and grow the varietal best suited to the conditions of that block. Within a single acre, we sometimes locate several varietals to optimize growing conditions and foster the flavors and tastes that define our wines. The grapes grown on the ranch are supplemented by fruit sourced from premier Amador County vineyards. The Old Vine Zinfandel tradition continues to thrive at Renwood with select vineyard sites that feature old vine, dry-farmed, head-pruned Zinfandel. Each source is selected to highlight unique soils, elevations, exposure, and vine material. Our winemakers work with these growers and recommend viticulture practices which result in the highest quality fruit.
Our goal is to create world-class wines that are approachable, delicious and appealing to the senses while representing the soils in which they grew. We strive to create wines that can’t help but fall in love with. That is our highest priority!
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, April 2nd - Monday, April 6th
The Cleaver Red Blend
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $94.99 $7.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 The Cleaver Red Blend
Renwood sold to Rombauer in January. Was not a fan of the lone Renwood I’ve ever had. Rombauer? Yuck. IMO
Hopefully there are rats out there
I have 1 Renwood in the cellar. A 1993 Syrah believed to be at least partially made by Scott Harvey. Maybe it’s time to pop that soon…
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2017 The Cleaver Red Blend - $25 = 20.83%
I have to say, when I learned what I’d be tasting, I turned up my nose. The label, so tacky. The whole “great with steak” idea, well, if that’s the wine’s raison d’etre, c’mon, really? The whole concept seemed aimed at the person who looks at a wine list and just gives up. So yes, I had a bad attitude going in.
That said, I tried hard to keep an open mind. I do enjoy a good blend, and love good Zin and Syrah, so I was inclined to think I’d probably find it ok.
We first tried it on Friday night, with our usual Friday night hors-d’oeuvres, hummus and olives. Not a big, juicy steak, but most wines seem to do fine with those starters. I didn’t get a big nose full of alcohol, but neither did I get much aroma. Tastewise, the blend didn’t do much for me. There was a flavor in the finish I couldn’t quite pinpoint, herbal or vegetal or something, but for me it wasn’t a plus. Tannins seemed reasonable, and an appropriately acidic finish. We tried a few more small glasses over the course of the evening, but didn’t notice much difference. Same thing the next night, and tonight (Tuesday).
Bottom line, it is a serviceable red, nothing special, but acceptable for less-discerning wine drinkers – if this is one of WD’s sub-$10 finds.
Morning addition: Seeing what it’s selling for, I think that’s just about right. Having reflected a bit since writing the above last night, I can imagine my (much) younger self and friends enjoying this wine.
Did ya hear about the butcher who backed into his meat grinder? He got a little behind in his work.
Anyway, after a long day of hacking away at the desk I returned home to slice into the Cleaver and was greeted with a pleasant aroma of dark cherry on the nose. The color of the wine was a medium ruby. The first taste was true to the nose, and also had stonefruit and a little pepper. It’s a medium to full bodied wine that was well balanced and had a moderate amount of tanins. It reminded me of a or zinfandell, temparillo, or syrah type blend. We enjoyed the wine with a dinner of some leftover dry rub ribs and other barbeque which paired great. The spicier foods really brought out the spice in the wine as well. Our guess for price was around $15 a bottle.
This wine is no tripe and I plan to add some to the locker especially at this price.
@GraysonM Great report! I hope @arianawcc keeps sending bottles your way.
way to go labrats! yea, this is some very solid amador juice for the price. easily a great weekday goto.
Meh, why not.
/giphy penultimate-cowardly-derby
Upon opening the bottle my wife & I did an initial taste (we opened it two hours before eating) neither of us could smell any fruit or floral, did have a bit of a mineral.
The label doesn’t say what type or amount of grapes were used, so I went online and website doesn’t list the 2017, but according to the 2015, 2016, they used Zin, Petite Sirah, and Sirah, so, going by that I was expecting much darker red, than what showed up in my glass, (light to medium red) speaking of glass, I got almost no legs, and they showed up only after a long time…I even rewashed the glass and polished it dry, still no legs. The taste when open was a bit on the alcohol side.
After 2.5 hours, the wine had settled down and no Alcohol bitterness. I never did taste any particular flavors, just “red wine” I’m not a fan of wine that is simply labeled “Red Blend” and this one didn’t even have what the blend was on the label. This wine BTW hasn’t changed my opinion of being a fan.
In discussing this with Cynthia after dinner, we thought it was a decent Pizza or Spaghetti wine, but doesn’t hold up to a BBQ Ribeye. It’s a good red table wine, my guess at the time, was it should sell for $8.00 a bottle
Would buy this if the payment page worked. Just loads and loads and doesn’t process my payment. Anyone else run into this problem?
@roggahide Seems to be currently working…
I’ve seen similar issues in the past that were resolved by exiting and restarting the browser.
Shucks, I am a dum-dum. I actually tried that and it didn’t work, but your comment made me think, “Well, why not try a different browser altogether?” It worked… Thank you!