Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 750ml
Tasting Notes
This is a blend of 8 vintages, 2003-2010, bottled in 2015. The style resembles late bottled vintage port: still very fruity and fresh, with smoothness gained from extended aging in both barrel and bottle.
The Estate Vineyard parcels used for this wine were planted in 1892, 1912 and 1924, a field blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo and a few other varieties.
Fermentation took place in small open top tanks, with frequent punchdowns for maximum extraction. Pressing and fortification was done at around 10% residual sugar (RS), with a goal of around 7% RS in the finished wine. (Fermentation doesn’t stop immediately upon fortification and the volume of fortifying spirits results in dilution.)
All of the vintages were aged in “neutral” French oak 225 liter barrels, with quarterly racking the first year and semiannual or annual racking thereafter. There was no fining or filtration at any time between harvest and bottling.
Specs
Alcohol: 19%
Residual Sugar: 7.2 g/100 ml
pH: 3.4
Production: 403 cases
Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Tasting Notes
Criolla was the original vinifera (European) variety of the new world, derived from grape seeds brought from Spain to Mexico by Cortez. It’s more commonly known in the U.S. as the Mission grape because it was planted at all the Franciscan missions (yes, even Mission Dolores in San Francisco!) for production of sacramental wine and brandy.
Production techniques were similar to those used for our other red ports with the exception that we sometimes fortified while the wine was still on the skins and delayed pressing in order to increase extraction.
Our Criolla Port has always been a multi-vintage blend, with average age at bottling of eight years, yielding more of a tawny port style.
Specs
Alcohol: 18.5%
Residual Sugar: 5.9 g/100 ml
pH: 3.6
Production: 110 cases
What’s Included
4-bottles:
3x Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 750ml
1x Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Case:
11x Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 750ml
1x Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $360/case MSRP
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, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
On the main page it says Three 750 mL Ports for each 500 mL Port (Criolla), however, for the case it shows 11 and 1. Is that correct or is it nine 750 mL and three 500mL?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Wellington Vineyards Ports - $20 = 11.10%
A huge thanks to @PeterW, @WineDavid49 and Alice for pulling this together. Not sure what it took, but to see a new bottling, or at least a new release from Peter is rather like meeting Sherman and travelling in the WayBack machine.
Wellington NV Old Vines Estate Vineyard Sonoma County Port
Received this, a full 750, not the more normal 500ml bottles, Tuesday last week next day Brown. I assume next day so it wouldn’t get buried and lost in other pre Thanksgiving day deliveries and of course I pulled the cork that evening for a quick sip.
Pretty aromatic straight off with loads of sweet dark fruits, a bit of resinous wood and perhaps a touch of caramel along with the expected alcohol. Color using the Wine Folly chart somewhere between a medium ruby and deep garnet with a bit of cloudiness. First sip confirmed the sweet fruits and a wallop of alcohol that suggests this need to chill a bit which it didn’t get that evening. Left corked on the counter.
Second pour was the following day, temperature ~20°C, a few degrees cooler and it was essentially unchanged. Understanding both of these were both casual sips without trying to tease out any complexities. But both those left a good impression and a solid ‘I like this’ emotion and the troublesome realization I have absolutely no idea how I may attempt to describe a port.
Fast forward to today, properly chilled to the range of 13~14°C to see if I can do this some justice.
Chocolate has appeared to join the fruits that seem to have receded a bit perhaps because of the perceived chocolate. A bit of woodyness and tasty tannins finish things off with a long, well over a minute, finish.
Sweet tooth Moscato/Riesling SWMBO joins in with a sip, thinking this was one of my normal dry reds, and lifts both eyebrows in a strong approval and adds hints of apricot and pear.
The bottle indicates 19% AbV with no mention of RS or other labs I’d like to see if only out of curiosity. For me this is a sweeter port than most I’ve had. While there is complexity, imo it does not reach that of a good vintage or tawny, but I do like this and can’t imagine not picking up whatever WD will allow us to purchase.
Oh, and so far no food while tasting…
So I don’t think I’ve done justice to the Rat bottle, just lack the nose, buds and vocabulary, so it seems some comparison tasting may be in order. Off to the cellar to pull a 2010 vintage Wellington Estate bottle I could find, and a 2012 Four Grapes Pedroncelli to hopefully add some perspective.
Left to right the offer NV, the 2010 Welling, the 2012 Pedroncelli
2010 Wellington Vintage Estate (not labeled Old Vines)
Color nearly the same. A bit darker body and rim, more opaque with very similar clarity.
Shy nose lacks the abundant and rich fruit on the NV Rat bottle. Viscosity on par with the NV, but lighter on the palate. This is a ‘drier’ release with plenty of barrel and tannins here, not nearly as primary as the NV with a bit more to contemplate, and, despite also being labeled 19% AbV, lacks the hotness of the NV.
2012 Four Grapes Pedroncelli
Well, this is different. Duh, it’s a blend of Tinta Madeira, Souzao, Touriga and Tinta Cāo and who knows what the Wellington is at this point. Body and rim darker still than the '10 but retaining very similar pigmentation to both. The Ped seems richer and smoother on the palate. Dryer still than the '10 with some tannic pucker. Long more viscous finish than either of the Wellingtons with a slight, something approaching a bitterness just makes it presence known.
So far I like all three of these. The NV is on the high end of RS/perceived sweetness and the Ped brings up the low end. They are all very clearly different from one another.
Bonus bottles found in the fridge:
NV Wellington Old Vines White Port
CT tasting notes from some well known palates that after reading I can’t disagree with with.
1977 Quarles Harris Porto Vintage
Nearly forgot I had this leftover as a birthday bottle for younger daughter. It’s been in the fridge capped with Ar, so, no degradation.
Ahhh, yeah, this is different. Gets the Wine Folly deep amber or copper color match, almost looks like a Tawny, quite clear. Dry fruit, caramel, a lot of interesting stuff going on and can’t even begin to compare to the other three. CT tasting notes
A brief summary:
It’s been difficult, if not impossible, to enforce the “swish-n-spit” of a formal tasting, so I’m pretty worthless after five different samples, but suffice it to say all the red ports did well paired with a hard cheese, Beehive Promontory, or a soft Brie from Costco. The white port, not so much.
The Pedroncelli 54% Cacao worked with all five as did Laceys Almond and dark chocolate cookies I pick up at GO.
Yup, in for the max…
Rumor has it there will be a palate posting later that will have some content, not just a lot of words…
My SO does not drink port. At all. But I never thought I’d see Wellington on Casemates, so in for 2 x 4-packs to bolster the gold capsule inventory in the cellar!
Thanks for making an offer available and for the participation, @PeterW ! I hope retirement is treating you well! And of you have any Victory, Library, or large formats you’re looking to offload, let @WineDavid49 know! I’m sure they would move quick!
I was very fortunate to be selected to rat this incredible, triumphant return of Wellington to Casemates. I, like many of you have been a big fan of Peter’s wines for years and bought countless cases in the time leading up to his retirement. Of all those bottles, I had tried only one port, a 2003 from one of the library bonus bottle offerings. So my experience of Wellington port (and port in general) is limited.
Of the many surprises surrounding this offer, the 750ml format was not expected but certainly welcomed. It allowed for tastings over multiple nights over the holiday weekend.
Day 1, Thanksgiving. Things started out a bit rough, as another family member tried opening the bottle and broke off part of the cork. I was able to remedy the situation in which I noticed heavy sediment, so decanting or leaving upright for an extended period is recommended.
The wine was a deep, ruby red, opaque and inviting. Aromas were abundant, with dark fruit, caramel, and fig playing nicely together. On the palate, there was a richness without being cloying. The caramel and dark fruit carried through, with a solid medium-long finish. The high abv was well hidden. Now seeing the ph and rs numbers, I’m not surprised by this. Not being a dessert wine drinker, I was expecting to be overwhelmed with sugar, but the acid kept it lively. Our pairings with cranberry/apple (crapple) and pumpkin pies were lovely.
Day 3 tasting, and not much has changed. I suppose this is to be expected with fortified wines, but again my experience here is limited. This pairing, with pecan pie, might have been even better than the previous two on turkey day.
Day 4 was a sampling of the wine on its own, which was quite enjoyable in its own right. Sipping this nectar on a chilly evening kept me nice and warm. This is definitely a wine I can see drinking in the winter months.
At one time, Wellington comprised over 40% of my cellar. Those days are long gone, but I will not pass up this opportunity to add to my stash. I think I liked this even more than the '03 I tried several years back. My only question for Peter is how long we can expect this to age. It would be great to hold onto these for many years to come.
Thanks to WD, Alice, and Peter W for this amazing opportunity!
Wahoo! Wellington was my first buy from the old site, and I just have a few bottles of Victory left from the farewell offer there. In for a four-pack; I can’t imagine this offer will last long!
/giphy wistful-psychedelic-oil
Wellington Vineyards…
Do you need anything else, in for a case?? loyal-vindictive-screw
Thanks Peter, I hope your enjoying you hard earned retirement…we still have a few bottles & Magnons left. Sure miss you and you wonderful wine’s.
So excited to see a Wellington!!! Don’t drink port often, but can’t resist adding some Wellington back to the cellar. @PeterW -hope you are well!!! Any insights on how these will age?
Wow! What can I say: go to sleep on the West Coast of the East Coast (Florida Gulf Coast) and find a whole bunch of absolutely outstanding Lab Rat reports on this lovely Old Vines Port (nonvintage) from Peter Wellington!
It’s not often you get to taste, and Lab Rat, a wine you thought you’d never see again! In this instance, Peter Wellington’s nonvintage Old Vines Port. The wine arrived a couple of days before Thanksgiving and SWMBO and I agreed that we would make this part of our Thanksgiving Feast for ten.
After dealing with the well-laden buffet tables full of turkey, stuffing, a couple of kinds of gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, four or five vegetable sides, rolls, apple bars, pumpkin pied (home roasted pumpkin) and pecan pie, and several courses of white and red wines, what better way to end the festive dinner party than a nice glass of port!
rpm gave the group – about half serious winos (who’ve Lab Ratted with us before) and half more casual wine drinkers – some background on Peter Wellington, California port-style wines, and some thoughts on tasting the wine.
This wasn’t rpm and SWMBO’s usual methodically serious, formal scoring tasting. Rather, we poured for the group and asked them all to taste and reflect, and then we collated their impressions and notes with our own.
The wine has very good color and (for a port) medium body. The nose is lovely. Everyone commented on how much they enjoyed the nose. A very nice mixture of aroma – fruit and floral notes – and bouquet – leather, tobacco and earth notes. Several people got plummy fruit, three (including rpm) got some violets.
Taste was what I’d expect in a mature California port-style wine: some richness and plummy fruit, but lacking the depth of vintage Port. Good mouth feel. No alcoholic bite, though fortified. Several tasters said it was very port-like, but (in fairness) one person who drinks a fair amount of port (mostly Tawny, some vintage) thought it wasn’t port-like. The comment was fair, in that no one would mistake this for a vintage Port from a good year (say 1977) or for an old Tawny. And, it’s much too refined to be like a Ruby Port. But it’s good. Very good, indeed. Even the port drinker said it was very good and had a second glass!
The finish is very smooth, the tannins one sees in young port-style wines are almost fully resolved, making this among the smoothest drinking California port-style wines I’ve had (except, perhaps, for some very old Quady vintage Zinfandel port or some early Ficklin port I forgot about for 20 years…).
This wine will pair very well with chocolate and chocolate-based deserts, and will go nicely with most cheeses.
Subsequent tasting on Day 2, 3 and 4 (not much lasted, but a bit did) reinforced the original impressions, emphasizing the bottle bouquet aromas and flavors over the initial fruit.
Overall, both SWMBO and I like this wine very much. Peter’s Old Vines Port is a wine that can be enjoyed at many levels, from the simple “it’s easy to enjoy after dinner” to a moderately complex and very interesting blend that has developed nicely over several years.
Speaking of vintages: there’s no vintage date on the label, but the last vintage Peter made under his label was 2013. As a nonvintage wine, this is almost certainly a blend of several vintages different vintages, wines that Peter held onto and has finally decided to release. We’re very lucky to have this on offer!
It’s not entirely clear what the blend is. Peter has experimented with a number of blends for port-style wines over the years, and the label provided no information. If I had to guess, I’d say there was a significant amount of Syrah and like Carignane in it, but clearly other things as well: perhaps some petite sirah, maybe even some port varietals.
I highly recommend the Wellington Old Vines Port (nv).
This would be a great addition to your holiday wine repertoire, a nice sipping wine by the fire of an evening as well as the regular ‘after dinner/dessert’ duty. It’s a wine you can be comfortable serving to friends on a cool evening, knowing everyone will enjoy it.
QPR will depend on the price. Peter’s wines are almost always good values at retail prices, and at Casemates (or the former site) outstanding values. Having seen the pricing, this is an outstanding value!
Wow! I thought if I were ever to see Wellington on casemates again, it would be a consulting winemaker type offer, not an actual Wellington from his estate. Amazing! Thanks, Peter and WD.
I think it’s time to start asking @PeterW if we might see any other offers here. Or if he’s still fully retired or has taken up some work back in the business.
This is truly the most spectacular “cyber monday” offer I have seen. I thought I went back in time when I loaded the page and saw Wellington.
My parents were lucky enough to visit and Peter specifically came to meet (site that wont be mentioned)ers. They were on a wine bus and were adamant about visiting. The other couple on the trip said how thankful they were for the suggestion of Wellington. “This is what we were hoping for!” (Personal, hand-crafted, small lots of great wine. And Toby and surprise visit from Peter.)
My girlfriend of almost a decade first shared a Karren Cab from '08. Luckily still have a few left. Can’t wait for our tenth to open.
I could go on forever about how much his wines are great, but are memory-markers of my life.
Of all the winemakers that I have had from other site and here, Peter holds a special place. This is a trip down memory lane. Thank you so much. And I hope Peter is well.
Like others here, my first order on CM was the 05 and 06 Victory Reserve, of which I still have one bottle each. My wife and I were able to plan a CA trip (we’re in NY) and meet Peter and Toby just before the winery closed. A great memory, and I have a Magnum of 2002 Reserve Syrah waiting for our youngest’s 21st birthday. Enjoyed immensely a magnum of 2000 Hulen Vineyard cab for an older daughter’s 21st bday this past August. Still have a lot of beautiful Wellington’s left in the cellar, and this is an impossibly rare chance to add a few more! In for 2 four packs. Thanks @PeterW!!!
This kills me, because I miss all of the Wellington deals from the past (still have Victory and a couple of the signed Magnums in the cellar). Just really wish this wasn’t Port…
But I can’t resist! In for adding some along side the others.
Reminds me of when my wife and I first went to Sonoma. We stopped by the tasting room only to find Peter had closed a week or so before. Talk about poor timing.
Whoa…my basement has absolutely no room to store any more wine boxes, yet I still check this site now and again and have grossly violated my SIWBM this past month. So when I clicked into Casements for no reason today, I couldn’t believe what I saw! I knew it wasn’t April Fools Day because we just celebrated Thanksgiving! Then I thought maybe the offer was coming from the group that bought Peter’s vineyards! Then I saw “Peter this…” and “Peter that…”! At 73 yrs old, I thought I was hallucinating so I got out of Casemates, then got back in and saw “Wellington” again!
I immediately skimmed over the posts and thought "darn, quit reading the posts and press the “Order Button”! It felt like I went back I time! I even went back into Casemates to make sure I REALLY DID ORDER WELLINGTON!! Yep, I’m on board!
A serious “Welcome Back Peter!” After ordering, I checked my inventory and found I had almost 260 btls of Wellington! All these years and I’ve been afraid to drink your wine because we’d never see it again! I just thought to myself, darn…I’m a Wellington hoarder!! I have 54 btls of various vintages of Victory, a few from 2001 to 2005, with the rest from 2007 to 2013. I have your White Port and Criolla sold in '17, plus all the other varietals. I’m also hoarding a case of XX Revelry!!
With all that said, I’m dedicating my December 2021 as “Drink Peter Wellington Wine Month”!!! All Health, Happiness, and Fortune go to Peter Wellington,1st and foremost, and to the other pioneers from the two websites that filled our storage areas with outstanding wine!!
@Boatman72 Dude! We’re not getting any younger! Enjoy the good stuff, and stop hoarding those Wellingtons! You’ve got enough for several years’ worth of Wellington Wednesdays.
I don’t drink a lot of port style, but I do love a good tawny from time to time. Even knowing, from the lab rats, the tawnier of the two is perhaps not quite a full tawny, I am intrigued by both of these, so I’m in.
This is the first Wellington offer I’ve been able to buy; the rest I saw have never shipped to Kansas, as I recall.
I was totally NOT going to buy this since I just bought 2 cases of the Iron Horse unoacked Chardonnay…but then all these comments…oy. In for a small on this. Winter weather seems like a port season anyways.
/giphy assuming-dysfunctional-hall
What a lovely surprise! I was about to read tasting notes, then thought, why? I know I’ll want it, just hit the button, then you can read about it knowing you will have some arriving in a couple of weeks. It’s Wellington! How could I resist? And as a bonus, I do love Port.
I still have 33 bottles of Wellington in my cellar, 7 of are estate port and I am thrilled to add a case of these NV bottles to my stash to enjoy over the next few decades. Thank you @winedavid and @peterw for blessing us with this treat!!
On the other website, I had to wootleg bottles of Wellington to @chipgreen which was a great excuse to make a new friend and enjoy a bottle or three of wine over dinner.
When living in Colorado, I used to volunteer time during barrel tasting at a “Port House” found that having Port with an English Blue Cheese very tasty… it’s a Christmas tradition
You’re killing me here, I really don’t need more wine, but all the rave reviews over the years I am unable to resist adding more Wellington to my bottles of Victory from the farewell sale.
Reminds me of the 1st RPM Magical Historical Tour aftermath … Between @JavaDrinker and @TimothyB purchases at Corison (Tim, during tour) and Wellington (tour and after, both of them), Java’s SUV became a low-rider. Ground-effect from so many cases from Wellington!
@MarkDaSpark Wow - you got me on the site in time to buy something!
And I have to correct you - on the first RPM tour I bought exactly 3 bottles at Corison. So the Wellington factor was much higher than you think.
@PeterW@TimothyB We’re having a gathering at my place on Dec 18…just sayin’…
Peter, you could meet our little ones and the other little one who’s come out of RPM Tour 2014 engagements!
Hey @PeterW, I just noticed that the Criolla photo doesn’t have the name Criolla on it and it’s your older style of 500 ml bottle instead of the stubby bottle you did for the last few batches. Is this a different bottling of Criolla, older bottles, or some other creature?
@klezman
Can confirm that the 500ml does not say Criolla on it and is not the stubbier bottle style. It actually looks identical to the 750, just smaller.
@klezman@PeterW Having just gotten my shipment today, I’m wondering the same. Just like in the pictures, the little bottle has the same label as the big ones, with nary a word about Criolla.
@InFrom@klezman@PeterW yea, Peter came clean on this with me before we launched. he was apologetic, but the label was available… and he was closing up shop… eh, i get it.
@Winedavid49
I think most of us would agree that the contents of the bottle matter more than what’s on the outside. Especially when it’s from a secret stash of Wellington.
@chipgreen As Rosanne Rosannadanna would say “Nevermind”. The port(s) arrived today before our trip, so crisis averted. Hopefully, my next shipment will not also be shipped early.
Ups notified me that something from wine country connect is shipping expected by Dec 17… Only recently purchased this and the gruet/sauvage sparkling and neither shows an update on cm side.
Mine is between Reno and Salt Lake City, on the way to Denver! Don’t have to worry about any heat exposure in the truck with this one. Unless there’s a fire.
Got my 4 with some dark chocolate caramels. I’m now pretty well stocked with port, and thanks to a few holiday dinners and gifted bottles, I had room to add this to the closet and remove an empty case.
So people who got a single 4-pack get a box of chocolates and my double order of a 4-pack gets a tea towel? I mean, I sure don’t need the calories, but I know those chocolates are really good. I guess this year it’s more of a random addition compared to prior years’ set formula.
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC Case arrived… Red wax and label on the 500. My box had no gifts though. Very much a bummer. Was hoping for some CM swag or chocolates. Wonder what happened.
Quick question, I’ve seen in the pictures above and in the four pack that I got, the cork is very wet in the small bottle all the way almost to the top. Is this a problem?
@jaybird I’d make sure to keep the cork wet and avoid temperature fluctuations so it doesn’t end up fully compromised top to bottom, if you can do that, it should be fine. But drink those first.
My 4 pack is somehow only a 2 pack! I’m missing two 750 bottles (and no wax on my 500 cork). I reported the problem, hoping for some resolution.
I don’t even like port, but how the heck could I pass on Wellington?!
Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 750ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
Wellington Vineyards Old Vines Port, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 500ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $360/case MSRP
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, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 27 - Wednesday, Dec 29
Wellington Vineyards Ports
4 bottles for $59.99 $15/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
NV Wellington Port
NV Wellington Criolla Port
@PeterW we are so thankful to see you back here! Quite the amazing surprise! Drinking your 2007 Grenache in honour of this momentous occasion!
On the main page it says Three 750 mL Ports for each 500 mL Port (Criolla), however, for the case it shows 11 and 1. Is that correct or is it nine 750 mL and three 500mL?
@steveo5186 , it’s 11 & 1
@PeterW @steveo5186 thanks Peter! 2 4-packs for me and molarchae!
Also, is this 1x Criolla in the case or 3? Both are noted in different places.
Autobuy. In for a case
Could not find a giphy I would leave up there. As you might imagine. Psychotic luminous ass, indeed.
@InFrom it was entertaining, if inappropriate, while it lasted.
@InFrom that one has appeared before, and stayed up
@InFrom In the first one I got, the ass was amazingly luminous.
@InFrom @klezman
There was something wrong with what was there?!
@klezman @rjquillin Not if you’re a fan of luminous asses, psychotic or otherwise.
@InFrom In for some if you order and have too many! Just had the Merlot over the holiday weekend! Hoarding the single vineyard cabs that I have left!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Wellington Vineyards Ports - $20 = 11.10%
Wow, I don’t know if I still have any of that vintage. 2007 Grenache, that is.
@PeterW that 2007 is going pretty well with cast iron seared pork chops!
Working on the setup error…
Restarted my Membership for this offer.
/giphy murderous-cogent-advice
Now let’s see if I can actually receive delivery of this case without another nightmare UPS experience!
@chipgreen wonderful!!
@Winedavid49
Got lucky, had 2 other packages as well and the UPS guy left them all on my porch without a signature for the Wellington.
/giphy blast from the past
/giphy sly-lean-mite
So, @PeterW, where have you been hiding these?
@InFrom and will there be more?
@klezman A different one for each night of Chanukah would be nice!
@InFrom now you’re talking!
!חג שמח
@klezman What’s Hebrew for, “back atcha”?
@InFrom Wrong machine to write it in Hebrew, but it’d be “gam lecha”.
A huge thanks to @PeterW, @WineDavid49 and Alice for pulling this together. Not sure what it took, but to see a new bottling, or at least a new release from Peter is rather like meeting Sherman and travelling in the WayBack machine.
Wellington NV Old Vines Estate Vineyard Sonoma County Port
Received this, a full 750, not the more normal 500ml bottles, Tuesday last week next day Brown. I assume next day so it wouldn’t get buried and lost in other pre Thanksgiving day deliveries and of course I pulled the cork that evening for a quick sip.
Pretty aromatic straight off with loads of sweet dark fruits, a bit of resinous wood and perhaps a touch of caramel along with the expected alcohol. Color using the Wine Folly chart somewhere between a medium ruby and deep garnet with a bit of cloudiness. First sip confirmed the sweet fruits and a wallop of alcohol that suggests this need to chill a bit which it didn’t get that evening. Left corked on the counter.
Second pour was the following day, temperature ~20°C, a few degrees cooler and it was essentially unchanged. Understanding both of these were both casual sips without trying to tease out any complexities. But both those left a good impression and a solid ‘I like this’ emotion and the troublesome realization I have absolutely no idea how I may attempt to describe a port.
Fast forward to today, properly chilled to the range of 13~14°C to see if I can do this some justice.
Chocolate has appeared to join the fruits that seem to have receded a bit perhaps because of the perceived chocolate. A bit of woodyness and tasty tannins finish things off with a long, well over a minute, finish.
Sweet tooth Moscato/Riesling SWMBO joins in with a sip, thinking this was one of my normal dry reds, and lifts both eyebrows in a strong approval and adds hints of apricot and pear.
The bottle indicates 19% AbV with no mention of RS or other labs I’d like to see if only out of curiosity. For me this is a sweeter port than most I’ve had. While there is complexity, imo it does not reach that of a good vintage or tawny, but I do like this and can’t imagine not picking up whatever WD will allow us to purchase.
Oh, and so far no food while tasting…
So I don’t think I’ve done justice to the Rat bottle, just lack the nose, buds and vocabulary, so it seems some comparison tasting may be in order. Off to the cellar to pull a 2010 vintage Wellington Estate bottle I could find, and a 2012 Four Grapes Pedroncelli to hopefully add some perspective.
Left to right the offer NV, the 2010 Welling, the 2012 Pedroncelli
2010 Wellington Vintage Estate (not labeled Old Vines)
Color nearly the same. A bit darker body and rim, more opaque with very similar clarity.
Shy nose lacks the abundant and rich fruit on the NV Rat bottle. Viscosity on par with the NV, but lighter on the palate. This is a ‘drier’ release with plenty of barrel and tannins here, not nearly as primary as the NV with a bit more to contemplate, and, despite also being labeled 19% AbV, lacks the hotness of the NV.
2012 Four Grapes Pedroncelli
Well, this is different. Duh, it’s a blend of Tinta Madeira, Souzao, Touriga and Tinta Cāo and who knows what the Wellington is at this point. Body and rim darker still than the '10 but retaining very similar pigmentation to both. The Ped seems richer and smoother on the palate. Dryer still than the '10 with some tannic pucker. Long more viscous finish than either of the Wellingtons with a slight, something approaching a bitterness just makes it presence known.
So far I like all three of these. The NV is on the high end of RS/perceived sweetness and the Ped brings up the low end. They are all very clearly different from one another.
Bonus bottles found in the fridge:
NV Wellington Old Vines White Port
CT tasting notes from some well known palates that after reading I can’t disagree with with.
1977 Quarles Harris Porto Vintage
Nearly forgot I had this leftover as a birthday bottle for younger daughter. It’s been in the fridge capped with Ar, so, no degradation.
Ahhh, yeah, this is different. Gets the Wine Folly deep amber or copper color match, almost looks like a Tawny, quite clear. Dry fruit, caramel, a lot of interesting stuff going on and can’t even begin to compare to the other three.
CT tasting notes
A brief summary:
It’s been difficult, if not impossible, to enforce the “swish-n-spit” of a formal tasting, so I’m pretty worthless after five different samples, but suffice it to say all the red ports did well paired with a hard cheese, Beehive Promontory, or a soft Brie from Costco. The white port, not so much.
The Pedroncelli 54% Cacao worked with all five as did Laceys Almond and dark chocolate cookies I pick up at GO.
Yup, in for the max…
Rumor has it there will be a palate posting later that will have some content, not just a lot of words…
@rjquillin Thanks for the comparisons - very informative!
@PeterW
So good to see you back. We’ve missed you, and with an offer no less.
And give a nod to Toby if you’re still in contact.
Any chance you could compare this to that 2010 I opened as a comparison?
My SO does not drink port. At all. But I never thought I’d see Wellington on Casemates, so in for 2 x 4-packs to bolster the gold capsule inventory in the cellar!
Thanks for making an offer available and for the participation, @PeterW ! I hope retirement is treating you well! And of you have any Victory, Library, or large formats you’re looking to offload, let @WineDavid49 know! I’m sure they would move quick!
/giphy equitable-hospitable-load
We love port, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Wellington!
/giphy calm-fascinated-burrito
Wellington Vineyards port NV (750ml)
I was very fortunate to be selected to rat this incredible, triumphant return of Wellington to Casemates. I, like many of you have been a big fan of Peter’s wines for years and bought countless cases in the time leading up to his retirement. Of all those bottles, I had tried only one port, a 2003 from one of the library bonus bottle offerings. So my experience of Wellington port (and port in general) is limited.
Of the many surprises surrounding this offer, the 750ml format was not expected but certainly welcomed. It allowed for tastings over multiple nights over the holiday weekend.
Day 1, Thanksgiving. Things started out a bit rough, as another family member tried opening the bottle and broke off part of the cork. I was able to remedy the situation in which I noticed heavy sediment, so decanting or leaving upright for an extended period is recommended.
The wine was a deep, ruby red, opaque and inviting. Aromas were abundant, with dark fruit, caramel, and fig playing nicely together. On the palate, there was a richness without being cloying. The caramel and dark fruit carried through, with a solid medium-long finish. The high abv was well hidden. Now seeing the ph and rs numbers, I’m not surprised by this. Not being a dessert wine drinker, I was expecting to be overwhelmed with sugar, but the acid kept it lively. Our pairings with cranberry/apple (crapple) and pumpkin pies were lovely.
Day 3 tasting, and not much has changed. I suppose this is to be expected with fortified wines, but again my experience here is limited. This pairing, with pecan pie, might have been even better than the previous two on turkey day.
Day 4 was a sampling of the wine on its own, which was quite enjoyable in its own right. Sipping this nectar on a chilly evening kept me nice and warm. This is definitely a wine I can see drinking in the winter months.
At one time, Wellington comprised over 40% of my cellar. Those days are long gone, but I will not pass up this opportunity to add to my stash. I think I liked this even more than the '03 I tried several years back. My only question for Peter is how long we can expect this to age. It would be great to hold onto these for many years to come.
Thanks to WD, Alice, and Peter W for this amazing opportunity!
@PeterW It’s so great to see you here! We’ve been pulling some of your older bottles from the cellar and thoroughly enjoying them! Many thanks to you!
/giphy permissible-fuchsia-rhinoceros
/giphy elastic-luscious-cricket
/image petty-unlikely-eagle case of port almost autobuy
Wahoo! Wellington was my first buy from the old site, and I just have a few bottles of Victory left from the farewell offer there. In for a four-pack; I can’t imagine this offer will last long!
/giphy wistful-psychedelic-oil
A wonderful midnight surprise! In for a case!
'member woot?
So excited to see a Wellington!!! Don’t drink port often, but can’t resist adding some Wellington back to the cellar. @PeterW -hope you are well!!! Any insights on how these will age?
/giphy frankly-minor-werewolf
@vaaccess, they will change over time, but should last for decades.
@PeterW Wow. That’s a long time! LOL. Good to know!
/giphy confusing-frightened-news
/giphy pious-buff-governor
What a thrill! PeterW, good to see you’re doing well…and doing good. In for 2 4-packs.
First Wellington purchase. I’m also not a big port drinker, but I like to have some on hand.
/giphy bumpy-unruly-pest
Wow! What can I say: go to sleep on the West Coast of the East Coast (Florida Gulf Coast) and find a whole bunch of absolutely outstanding Lab Rat reports on this lovely Old Vines Port (nonvintage) from Peter Wellington!
It’s not often you get to taste, and Lab Rat, a wine you thought you’d never see again! In this instance, Peter Wellington’s nonvintage Old Vines Port. The wine arrived a couple of days before Thanksgiving and SWMBO and I agreed that we would make this part of our Thanksgiving Feast for ten.
After dealing with the well-laden buffet tables full of turkey, stuffing, a couple of kinds of gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, four or five vegetable sides, rolls, apple bars, pumpkin pied (home roasted pumpkin) and pecan pie, and several courses of white and red wines, what better way to end the festive dinner party than a nice glass of port!
rpm gave the group – about half serious winos (who’ve Lab Ratted with us before) and half more casual wine drinkers – some background on Peter Wellington, California port-style wines, and some thoughts on tasting the wine.
This wasn’t rpm and SWMBO’s usual methodically serious, formal scoring tasting. Rather, we poured for the group and asked them all to taste and reflect, and then we collated their impressions and notes with our own.
The wine has very good color and (for a port) medium body. The nose is lovely. Everyone commented on how much they enjoyed the nose. A very nice mixture of aroma – fruit and floral notes – and bouquet – leather, tobacco and earth notes. Several people got plummy fruit, three (including rpm) got some violets.
Taste was what I’d expect in a mature California port-style wine: some richness and plummy fruit, but lacking the depth of vintage Port. Good mouth feel. No alcoholic bite, though fortified. Several tasters said it was very port-like, but (in fairness) one person who drinks a fair amount of port (mostly Tawny, some vintage) thought it wasn’t port-like. The comment was fair, in that no one would mistake this for a vintage Port from a good year (say 1977) or for an old Tawny. And, it’s much too refined to be like a Ruby Port. But it’s good. Very good, indeed. Even the port drinker said it was very good and had a second glass!
The finish is very smooth, the tannins one sees in young port-style wines are almost fully resolved, making this among the smoothest drinking California port-style wines I’ve had (except, perhaps, for some very old Quady vintage Zinfandel port or some early Ficklin port I forgot about for 20 years…).
This wine will pair very well with chocolate and chocolate-based deserts, and will go nicely with most cheeses.
Subsequent tasting on Day 2, 3 and 4 (not much lasted, but a bit did) reinforced the original impressions, emphasizing the bottle bouquet aromas and flavors over the initial fruit.
Overall, both SWMBO and I like this wine very much. Peter’s Old Vines Port is a wine that can be enjoyed at many levels, from the simple “it’s easy to enjoy after dinner” to a moderately complex and very interesting blend that has developed nicely over several years.
Speaking of vintages: there’s no vintage date on the label, but the last vintage Peter made under his label was 2013. As a nonvintage wine, this is almost certainly a blend of several vintages different vintages, wines that Peter held onto and has finally decided to release. We’re very lucky to have this on offer!
It’s not entirely clear what the blend is. Peter has experimented with a number of blends for port-style wines over the years, and the label provided no information. If I had to guess, I’d say there was a significant amount of Syrah and like Carignane in it, but clearly other things as well: perhaps some petite sirah, maybe even some port varietals.
I highly recommend the Wellington Old Vines Port (nv).
This would be a great addition to your holiday wine repertoire, a nice sipping wine by the fire of an evening as well as the regular ‘after dinner/dessert’ duty. It’s a wine you can be comfortable serving to friends on a cool evening, knowing everyone will enjoy it.
QPR will depend on the price. Peter’s wines are almost always good values at retail prices, and at Casemates (or the former site) outstanding values. Having seen the pricing, this is an outstanding value!
/giphy shaggy-sweltering-margarita
In for 2-4 packs!
/giphy partial-testy-coffee
Wow! I thought if I were ever to see Wellington on casemates again, it would be a consulting winemaker type offer, not an actual Wellington from his estate. Amazing! Thanks, Peter and WD.
/giphy horrified-unoccupied-kingfisher
I’ve never been much of a port drinker, but I also don’t recall having had any that wasn’t kept around for cooking. Time to expand my horizons.
/giphy floppy-low-insect
I’m surprised there is still any left.
I think it’s time to start asking @PeterW if we might see any other offers here. Or if he’s still fully retired or has taken up some work back in the business.
@klezman
Absolutely! I’m sure many of us are on the edge of our seats wanting to find out and hoping for more Wellington.
@klezman, sorry to say, but this is it.
@klezman @PeterW
and it’s been a great! run.
@PeterW we can always hope!
Playing some good pétanque?
In a year of constant bad news, a little beam of light…
/giphy sorrowful-ambiguous-illusionist
WHOA!
Where did these come from? What else is hiding in that stash? 
@winesnob. Sadly, this is all. Unless, of course, you bought all the Wellington you could in those last months!
@MarkDaSpark fortunately I bought all I could. Over 12 cases back then. But I’m down to about half of that. An assortment of vintages from 2004-2013
@winesnob. Not quite that much. Only 32 assortment and 7 of his Criola port.
This is truly the most spectacular “cyber monday” offer I have seen. I thought I went back in time when I loaded the page and saw Wellington.
My parents were lucky enough to visit and Peter specifically came to meet (site that wont be mentioned)ers. They were on a wine bus and were adamant about visiting. The other couple on the trip said how thankful they were for the suggestion of Wellington. “This is what we were hoping for!” (Personal, hand-crafted, small lots of great wine. And Toby and surprise visit from Peter.)
My girlfriend of almost a decade first shared a Karren Cab from '08. Luckily still have a few left. Can’t wait for our tenth to open.
I could go on forever about how much his wines are great, but are memory-markers of my life.
Of all the winemakers that I have had from other site and here, Peter holds a special place. This is a trip down memory lane. Thank you so much. And I hope Peter is well.
Like others here, my first order on CM was the 05 and 06 Victory Reserve, of which I still have one bottle each. My wife and I were able to plan a CA trip (we’re in NY) and meet Peter and Toby just before the winery closed. A great memory, and I have a Magnum of 2002 Reserve Syrah waiting for our youngest’s 21st birthday. Enjoyed immensely a magnum of 2000 Hulen Vineyard cab for an older daughter’s 21st bday this past August. Still have a lot of beautiful Wellington’s left in the cellar, and this is an impossibly rare chance to add a few more! In for 2 four packs. Thanks @PeterW!!!
@wnance And 1/4 of my cellar is Wellington thanks to @wnance and @WineDavid49 and @PeterW!!! I’m in for Auld Lang Syne!
brilliant-wobbly-calculator
Wellington!?
This kills me, because I miss all of the Wellington deals from the past (still have Victory and a couple of the signed Magnums in the cellar). Just really wish this wasn’t Port…
But I can’t resist! In for adding some along side the others.
Reminds me of when my wife and I first went to Sonoma. We stopped by the tasting room only to find Peter had closed a week or so before. Talk about poor timing.
@bigbear83 never know who in your life will like ports. Could be a good in with a new friend. Me, I just love fortified wine.
Whoa…my basement has absolutely no room to store any more wine boxes, yet I still check this site now and again and have grossly violated my SIWBM this past month. So when I clicked into Casements for no reason today, I couldn’t believe what I saw! I knew it wasn’t April Fools Day because we just celebrated Thanksgiving! Then I thought maybe the offer was coming from the group that bought Peter’s vineyards! Then I saw “Peter this…” and “Peter that…”! At 73 yrs old, I thought I was hallucinating so I got out of Casemates, then got back in and saw “Wellington” again!
I immediately skimmed over the posts and thought "darn, quit reading the posts and press the “Order Button”! It felt like I went back I time! I even went back into Casemates to make sure I REALLY DID ORDER WELLINGTON!! Yep, I’m on board!
A serious “Welcome Back Peter!” After ordering, I checked my inventory and found I had almost 260 btls of Wellington! All these years and I’ve been afraid to drink your wine because we’d never see it again! I just thought to myself, darn…I’m a Wellington hoarder!! I have 54 btls of various vintages of Victory, a few from 2001 to 2005, with the rest from 2007 to 2013. I have your White Port and Criolla sold in '17, plus all the other varietals. I’m also hoarding a case of XX Revelry!!
With all that said, I’m dedicating my December 2021 as “Drink Peter Wellington Wine Month”!!! All Health, Happiness, and Fortune go to Peter Wellington,1st and foremost, and to the other pioneers from the two websites that filled our storage areas with outstanding wine!!
Today was “QUITE A SURPRISE” WD49!! Thank You!!
@Boatman72 impressive collection there!!
@Boatman72 I relate to your story. Between you, chip and me we all need bigger basements or perhaps a NE Ohio storage facility.
@Boatman72 Dude! We’re not getting any younger! Enjoy the good stuff, and stop hoarding those Wellingtons! You’ve got enough for several years’ worth of Wellington Wednesdays.
I just had some Wellington cab from the Woot! days last week. If only…
I was in a wine club once.
@msten You and me both. I still have mine, too.
I don’t drink a lot of port style, but I do love a good tawny from time to time. Even knowing, from the lab rats, the tawnier of the two is perhaps not quite a full tawny, I am intrigued by both of these, so I’m in.
This is the first Wellington offer I’ve been able to buy; the rest I saw have never shipped to Kansas, as I recall.
/giphy textured-airy-regret
I was totally NOT going to buy this since I just bought 2 cases of the Iron Horse unoacked Chardonnay…but then all these comments…oy. In for a small on this. Winter weather seems like a port season anyways.
/giphy assuming-dysfunctional-hall
What, Port? Without backlog? In 4 4!
/giphy unhelpful-careless-branch
What manner of witchcraft is this?!?!?!
Good to see @PeterW amongst the cyberfolk once again!
Autobuy engage.
/giphy alert-terminal-earwig
@javadrinker Seriously. I don’t have room for a case of anything since I got the grenache bottles that don’t fit anywhere, but that didn’t stop me.
I almost cried, then I bought…
/giphy whole-witchy-octopus
I’ll simply add my own take on “Peter? On Casemates?! Great Scott!”
Unbelievably delightful surprise. We thankfully also still have ~50 bottles of his juice in the cellar but it’s not like I’m not buying this.
/giphy acceptable-bitter-meat
What a lovely surprise! I was about to read tasting notes, then thought, why? I know I’ll want it, just hit the button, then you can read about it knowing you will have some arriving in a couple of weeks. It’s Wellington! How could I resist? And as a bonus, I do love Port.
What a surprise. Have some Victory juice and mixed reds from the old site. Heady days of yore.
Don’t have any Port in the cellar, and there’s always room for Wellington. These will make lovely gifts for what we can’t drink.
In for 2x4.
/giphy frosty impressive minute
After that surprising Zin, how could I resist a Wellington offering? In for a case.
/giphy mummified-mucky-science
I still have 33 bottles of Wellington in my cellar, 7 of are estate port and I am thrilled to add a case of these NV bottles to my stash to enjoy over the next few decades. Thank you @winedavid and @peterw for blessing us with this treat!!
On the other website, I had to wootleg bottles of Wellington to @chipgreen which was a great excuse to make a new friend and enjoy a bottle or three of wine over dinner.
I am very grateful! Happy thanksgiving to all!
In for a case.
@nathanbsmith
Good times
When living in Colorado, I used to volunteer time during barrel tasting at a “Port House” found that having Port with an English Blue Cheese very tasty… it’s a Christmas tradition
/giphy quality-quiet-lobster
You had me at Wellington.
@Minnehaha LOL
@Minnehaha same for me! I didn’t even really look to see what it was.
OK, own up who broke into Peter’s cellar while he was away for Thanksgiving.
/giphy pastel-flippant-elf
hope i’m not too late!!
/giphy guarded-extreme-pilsner
/giphy helpful-clean-fog
You’re killing me here, I really don’t need more wine, but all the rave reviews over the years I am unable to resist adding more Wellington to my bottles of Victory from the farewell sale.
/giphy limp-jealous-mollusk
Of course it is
How has this not sold out? I got a four pack yesterday and the longer this is up, the harder it is to resist a second order…
@jchasma
Production: 403 cases
Could not resist more Wellington…
/giphy proficient-proverbial-beaver
/giphy careful-united-meat
Have not yet developed a taste for dessert wine… but. BUY ALL THE WELLINGTON!!
Don’t really drink much port, but who can resist a Wellington offer?
/giphy toasty-persuasive-meal
This implies there’s still a stash of Wellington somewhere…
@tnarg42
Pretty sure Ron and klez have that market cornered
@tnarg42 When do the children of @WineDavid49 head for college? That’s when some incredible offerings should come along!
@ScottW58 @tnarg42 I mean, I only have 214. Ron’s CT (which is of questionable accuracy) says he has 1100…
@klezman @tnarg42
Ha! 109.5 cases between you is well yeah real close to my whole cellar!
@klezman @ScottW58 @tnarg42
Yeah, pretty sure that’s inflated due to unrecorded consumption, gifts and splits not recorded.
@klezman @ScottW58 @tnarg42
Opened up Criolla Port and …
If you’re on the fence, buy it, buy it all!
Reminds me of the 1st RPM Magical Historical Tour aftermath … Between @JavaDrinker and @TimothyB purchases at Corison (Tim, during tour) and Wellington (tour and after, both of them), Java’s SUV became a low-rider. Ground-effect from so many cases from Wellington!
@MarkDaSpark Wow - you got me on the site in time to buy something!
And I have to correct you - on the first RPM tour I bought exactly 3 bottles at Corison. So the Wellington factor was much higher than you think.
@PeterW When may we host you in So Cal? Before Sparky leaves civilization for Texas, I hope.
@PeterW @TimothyB We’re having a gathering at my place on Dec 18…just sayin’…
Peter, you could meet our little ones and the other little one who’s come out of RPM Tour 2014 engagements!
@PeterW @TimothyB Sparky’s decamping to Texas? Crazy!
@woopdedoo Surely you already knew he was…
I snoozed! I losed!
@canonizer so sad
Hey @PeterW, I just noticed that the Criolla photo doesn’t have the name Criolla on it and it’s your older style of 500 ml bottle instead of the stubby bottle you did for the last few batches. Is this a different bottling of Criolla, older bottles, or some other creature?
@klezman
Can confirm that the 500ml does not say Criolla on it and is not the stubbier bottle style. It actually looks identical to the 750, just smaller.
@chipgreen Yeah, that’s why I was confused! I just wrote Criolla on the back with a Sharpie.
@klezman @PeterW Having just gotten my shipment today, I’m wondering the same. Just like in the pictures, the little bottle has the same label as the big ones, with nary a word about Criolla.
Also, @Winedavid49, thanks for the chocolates!
@InFrom @klezman @PeterW yea, Peter came clean on this with me before we launched. he was apologetic, but the label was available… and he was closing up shop… eh, i get it.
@Winedavid49
I think most of us would agree that the contents of the bottle matter more than what’s on the outside. Especially when it’s from a secret stash of Wellington.
@kawichris650 @Winedavid49 I’m going to get out my Sharpie.
Anyone get a shipping notice yet?
@chipgreen Not yet. The shipping estimate is the week after Christmas though I hope it arrives early!!
@chipgreen Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 27 - Wednesday, Dec 29
I just got mine - not expected.
I was relying on this window - I will be out of town when it likely arrives. Grrrr.
@chipgreen As Rosanne Rosannadanna would say “Nevermind”. The port(s) arrived today before our trip, so crisis averted. Hopefully, my next shipment will not also be shipped early.
Ups notified me that something from wine country connect is shipping expected by Dec 17… Only recently purchased this and the gruet/sauvage sparkling and neither shows an update on cm side.
Just got mine;)
Mine is between Reno and Salt Lake City, on the way to Denver! Don’t have to worry about any heat exposure in the truck with this one. Unless there’s a fire.
@CObrent got mine today, bottles were nice and cool, no signs of fire!
@knlprez Same - already stored in the wine fridge, to enjoy over the next 5+ (10?) years!
Got mine today along with another CM tea towel.
@klezman I’m up to two towels as well, hopefully the next couple cases have something different!
Got my 4 with some dark chocolate caramels. I’m now pretty well stocked with port, and thanks to a few holiday dinners and gifted bottles, I had room to add this to the closet and remove an empty case.
Did anyone get a 500ml bottle without a label? Surprised to find mine without label, foil, and a Wellington cork. Thoughts?
@shrimp74 Mine had a label, no foil, but had a red/wax cap on top of the cork. And a towel!
@shrimp74 My 500ml also has neither label nor foil.
@shrimp74 my four pack had the chocolates and an 500 ml shiner with a red wax stamped tip
@pjmartin ditto that
@pjmartin Same here, can’t wait to try.
@pjmartin I got the caramels, but i also got the 500mL in with a label, no wax, no capsule.
Nice . thank you
Beanie and towel.
Label and red wax on the cork for my 500ml and Casemates tea towel for the gift. Thanks, WD and Peter!
No shiners, Casemates chocolates in my 4-pack delivered today.
So people who got a single 4-pack get a box of chocolates and my double order of a 4-pack gets a tea towel? I mean, I sure don’t need the calories, but I know those chocolates are really good. I guess this year it’s more of a random addition compared to prior years’ set formula.
@klezman I did the same, and got the same.
SWMBO will be truly disappointed.
@klezman at least you got something.
@klezman I also did the same and got the same. (And corks in the criolla bottles not too bad.)
Waiting on my case today. Most exciting.
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC Case arrived… Red wax and label on the 500. My box had no gifts though. Very much a bummer. Was hoping for some CM swag or chocolates. Wonder what happened.
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC Update, support says it was shipped separately so just keeping an eye out now.
Label and red wax with some delicious dark chocolate carmels I enjoyed with my already open bottle of Pedroncelli.
Thanks Casemates!
Label, red wax and chocolate caramels. Thanks Casemates
and a very Merry Christmas to all!!
Quick question, I’ve seen in the pictures above and in the four pack that I got, the cork is very wet in the small bottle all the way almost to the top. Is this a problem?
Edit… Also, no label and five pack of caramels
@jaybird I’d make sure to keep the cork wet and avoid temperature fluctuations so it doesn’t end up fully compromised top to bottom, if you can do that, it should be fine. But drink those first.
@jaybird Thanks for that. Checked mine and similar deal here. So much for keeping this for any length of time.
My 4 pack is somehow only a 2 pack! I’m missing two 750 bottles (and no wax on my 500 cork). I reported the problem, hoping for some resolution.
I don’t even like port, but how the heck could I pass on Wellington?!
Hmmm…. I received my 2 four packs, but no towel or chocolate. Sad face.
@mwfielder Had same issue. Support said it is shipping separate via ups. Hopefully shows up soon.
@mwfielder Any updates on your end? Nothing on mine.
@mwfielder @winedavid bummer to not see any communication here
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC @mwfielder I think you mean @WineDavid49?
@klezman @mwfielder @Winedavid49 thanks! Forgot to look it up to confirm before posting.