This crazy grape produces a Sauternes-style dessert wine in southern France in the regions of Jurançon and Pecherenc du Vic Bilh, a white wine appellation superimposed on Madiran, where I received my tutelage in postmodern winemaking techniques from my guru, Patrick Ducournau.
This obscure prehistoric ancestor of the Muscat varieties is highly aromatic and achieves very high sugars while retaining exceptionally high acidity. It was treasured by the ancients because it stops fermenting while still sweet, producing a luscious dessert wine without the need for modern sterile filtration.
To enhance its aromatic richness and complexity, we fermented in the presence of Acacia wood chips to add a honeysuckle element to the nose and some tannin structure to the mouth. Each year we bottle two-thirds and return the rest to barrel for increased aged complexity before blending in the following year’s new wine.
Expect a palate impression lighter and drier than Sauternes, better with Tiramisu, cannoli’s, strawberry shortcake or mille-feuille puff pastry, or just by itself. The French like it with half-shell oysters or duck foie gras.
Clark Smith is an MIT drop-out who wandered out to California in 1972 and sold wine retail in the Bay Area for several years, where he acquired a love of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and all things French and observed first hand the California winery explosion in the 1970s. After a three-year stint at Veedercrest Vineyards, he secured enology training at UC Davis and spent the 1980s as founding winemaker for The R.H. Phillips Vineyard in Yolo County. In 1990, he founded WineSmith Consulting and patented a group of new winemaking techniques involving reverse osmosis, spinning off Vinovation, which went on to become the world’s largest wine production consulting firm over its 17-year history.
Frustrated with California’s winemaking trends, Clark started WineSmith Cellars in 1993 as a teaching winery to make Eurocentric wines to explore traditions beyond the mainstream, expanding for his winemaking clients the range of possibility for California fruit. Choosing to create long-term partnerships with committed growers rather than growing his own grapes, Clark has become a renowned expert on Cabernet Franc, having vinified twenty vintages from a wide variety of sites.
Teaching at Napa Valley College gave him access to the Student Vineyard for Faux Chablis and his Pauillac-style $100 “Crucible” Cabernet Sauvignon. From Renaissance Vineyards in North Yuba County, he has made a sulfite-free Roman Syrah and also produces a Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills in a delicate, age-worthy Côtes de Beaune style. These wines are vinified in an ancient beat-up warehouse in Sebastopol, California.
WineSmith wines are noted for their longevity, classic balance, structural integrity, minerality, and understated soulfulness. They often are aged extensively prior to release. When drinking a WineSmith wine, always ask yourself “What is this wine trying to teach me?” Clark is a vocal advocate of living soil and graceful longevity, and generally avoids excessive oak, alcohol, or extended hang-time. He is not shy about employing new tools when they are needed, such as alcohol adjustment to bring fruit into balance or micro-oxygenation to build refined structure, but always fully discloses techniques that are controversial and is outspoken in explaining his rationale.
His book, Postmodern Winemaking, is the culmination of four decades of reflection on wine’s true nature.
Greetings, folks. It’s wonderful to be back among my homies as we celebrate good riddance to 2021 and embark on the new, improved year to come.
This wine is a continuation of the solera series you first saw as the 2017 / 2018 version last year. Each year since 2017, we have barreled down one barrel for age and complexity, then blend with fresh juice from the new vintage, resulting in a wine that is youthfully fruity and redolent with aged complexities at the same time.
This crazy grape produces a delicate, refreshing dessert wine in southern France in the regions of Jurançon and Pecherenc du Vic Bilh, great for light desserts. Its gorgeous, complex nose leads into a crisp and refreshing palate far more delicate than botrytised wines such as Sauternes.
@winesmith so this is the newest bottling? Is there a way to identify which bottling and the average/maximum age of the Solera?
So how does this compare to the set you made last year? We quite liked them!
In fact, shortly we’re going to open a 2004 Cabernet franc Icewine from Niagara given how much we like dessert wine in our house!
@klezman Yes, there is a way to tell which batch you have. If you look carefully at the bottles you have, you’ll notice that there is no paper label. At considerable expense, we had the label silkscreened onto the glass. It’s really gorgeous, but easy to miss. In fact, nobody notices, and it sure cost a ton of money.
So when we bottled the 17/18/19/20 blend, we went back to paper labels. We internally call this Batch 3. I think it’s a wonderful rejoinder while sticking to the same delicate style.
Obviously, this is and always will be a non-vintage, California appellation wine, by now containing eight components from three vineyard sources and four vintages, so we can’t use conventional distinctions you’re used to.
Now that we are well underway with a successful series, in subsequent vintages, we’ll add the batch number to the label, okay?
[posting for @cjsiege, 'cause she’s currently cruising in a no-net zone.]
WineSmith Petite Manseng
I received an unexpected package from Casemates – 'tis the season, eh? Inside was today’s lovely offering, WineSmith’s Petite Manseng.
On the pop and pour, the aroma of fresh apple juice with a tiny hint of honeysuckle fills the glass! This has a big nose! Gorgeous golden color in the glass, with long legs on the swirl.
On the entry, it’s sweet pineapple (no sharp acidity) and mango, with lychee on the finish. Palate is broad. Sweet, but not too sweet. Lots of flavor! It’s definitely a dessert wine, but the sweetness is restrained. I would drink an icy cold glass of this as my dessert any day!!!
/giphy errant-passive-platypus
in for 4… Would love more but too much port in my stash now. Someone mail me a CM tea towel or something. I never got my gift.
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC Thanks! However, I should point out that this is really from a different planet than port. It’s very delicate with satisfying acid balance and belongs more in the realm of a Mosel spaetlese.
@winesmith yum, probably need more of this in my life. Port and Rosso vermut can be heavy and syrupy at times. Even sherry can be cloying. The acidity here sounds perfect.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
WineSmith Cellars Dessert Wine - $15 = 9.08%
Somebody at Casemates has a sense of humor. Of all the rattage out there, this is what I get. I will keep an open palate nonetheless. So here goes…
C’est quoi Petit Manseng? (what is Petit Manseng)
Petit Manseng is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France. It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries.
So this means it should have a more full body perhaps? I seldom indulge in white varietals but I have been known to be captivated by some fuller bodied white wines so let’s find out.
Clear, white gold color. Big, thick floral nose with notes of honeysuckle, cantaloupe and a hint of leather. It is a little restrained though. Swirling vigorously reveals a touch of cola so faint it could be missed. Hints of oak vanilla here and there further accentuate the fruit.
Body is not what I was expecting to be honest. It is very restrained. Soft, silky, smooth, viscous but not as sweet as the nose would suggest. It gently falls on the palate, covering it with juicy ripe berries, honey, a beeswax to be more precise, crisp toasted caramel. This sweet silky blanket, slowly disappears as it falls upon the palate, leaving behind a crisp refined caramel, subtle berries and a gentle grit. Must be those thick skins.
You know, I thought this was another sweet dessert wine like a Moscato (which I’m generally okay with) but it actually feels a little more than just that. It’s different in it’s expression but I can’t quite pinpoint how or why. The only thing that comes to mind is right now is a late harvest Viognier but those tend to be much more viscous almost syrupy. This is nothing like the rest. This is not a port, or a late harvest Zin. It is different. It feels and tastes well made, well put together. It is surprisingly balanced. I can see this being an interesting addition to one’s cellar for that once in a while occasion. An interesting varietal to pique the curious palate’s interest. A dessert sip for the discerning palate. It says 15% ABV however I seriously doubt that. It’s probably closer to 14%. It is far too tame.
This is my first Petit Manseng and I will give it to Casemates for keeping me on my toes. If you like sweet wine or you need to have a classy dessert wine option on hand, I think this could be a great conversation piece. Especially for the price.
I agree - a very fine description. Thanks for bringing an open mind to an out-of-the-box experience. That’s always a good idea around WineSmith wines, which are generally experimental. As you see on the back label, (nice crisp photography, and I hope folks will read the text), “We Smiths explore traditions outside the mainstream.” Our website contains dropdown lists of “forgeries” and “oddities,” and this wine is both.
You’re a talented observer and I’m amazed that you were able to chronicle the intricate features of an unfamiliar style. Let me unpack the winemaking sources of these various descriptors.
Floral, cantaloupe, Moscato: These are the innate varietal characteristics of the fresh juice, principally terpenes with some fermentation esters and thiols thrown in. The blend contains 110 gallons of 2020 juice blended with 70 gallons of the 17/18/19 barreled down portion, so it’s quite fresh and full of primal fruit. PM is subtler than more multidimensional than Moscato.
Honeysuckle: Also mentioned in the other rattage above. This is Acacia wood chips (also known as mimosa, that tree with the bright orange flowers). We love the way this aromatic wood interacts with and lifts out the varietal aromas, so we ferment with 1.5 grams per liter and sometimes add a little more post-fermentation. It also brings a bit of tannin, which along with the tannin from the skins tightens the palate (You called it “gentle grit”). Although the mouth is delicately silky with no astringency or bitterness, the effect is a palate impression much lighter and drier than the numbers imply.
[A word about the aromatic varieties. Their high terpene content makes them very tasty eating on the vine, so they receive more than their fair share of attack by birds and bees, which damage the fruit and leave behind cuts and perforations that can harbor bacteria. Hence the thick skins. Also, they have all evolved lots of tannin, which when exposed to air oxidatively polymerizes to cauterize and scar over these wounds, just as in an apple or banana. This tannin is a great co-pigmentor, and we like to throw the skins into Grenache and Tempranillo fermentations to aid extraction or color and flavor.]
Hints of oak vanilla: That’s exactly what it is. We are using a single barrel of highly depleted, nearly neutral French oak, but over the years, a tiny bit of vanilla does get extracted.
Leather, honey, beeswax, caramel: These are tertiary aromas that evolve when terpenes age. They are related to the sexy petrol and bay leaf you see in aged Rieslings from the Mosel and McClaren Vale in Australia. The caramel is oxidized sugar, like the crust of a creme brulee. It’s very faint because at room temperature, it takes years to evolve. Those of you who have had my 2008 Pinot Noir may recall the toasted marshmallow that evolved over a decade in neutral cooperage.
Surprisingly balanced: This is brought about by the complex interplay of sugar, tannin, palate fruitiness, alcohol and high acidity. All these elements sort of cancel each other out, leaving an impression of weightlessness.
This analysis might suggest that the wine is overwhelming. It isn’t. It’s very understated. But you can drill down to a depth and intricacy seldom encountered in a delicate white.
@winesmith ahhhhh what a great read! I love it! The pleasure is all mine! Venturing outside the box and off the beaten path drives my appetite for “the new”.
Not all wines are destined to fulfill the mundane role of being a palate pleaser. Some also serve a higher purpose, one of education and enlightenment.
Thank you for sharing! I need to come by and visit!
@winesnob Wait… is there a tiger on the bottle? I always enjoy a good dessert wine - and the rattage suggests this is, in fact, a good dessert wine, but I really can’t resist felines on my labels
@growltiger indeed my friend. This would make a great dessert wine. The smaller format means you font have to commit to a full bottle. These should easily linger around your cellar for many years and hold up just as well. Cheers!
@growltiger@winesnob I should also mention that an open bottle holds up for months in the fridge. We take little nightly nips until it’s gone, then reload.
I blame the holidays for my losing track of time and missing the window to pick some of this up. Hey @winesmith - I’m (kinda) local but have been sadly unfamiliar with your wines - do you have a tasting room where I can get more acquainted?
@growltiger We can honor the Casemates pricing on www.winesmithwines.com or call the office to facilitate an online sale. We don’t currently have a tasting room license (it’s coming soon), but I’d be happy to meet with you and discuss our family project. I just can’t taste there just yet.
Do I assume Growltiger is a reference to T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats? I love that scene in Cats.
@winesmith You are a saint (and a well-read one - I am indeed named for T.S. Elliot’s character). Give a shout to let me know how best to get in touch to place that online order (and to connect the next time I’m up your way!)
@Boatman72 Why yes. We have lots. However, the 375-ml package was bottled in response to a special request by WineDavid for last year’s 2+2 sale, and it’s almost all gone. Which is good – 375-ml bottles are very hard to sell in the broad market. We do however have quite a bit of 750-ml bottles, which retail for $40 instead of $25 for the half bottle, and they sell very well. We also have four barrels reserved as the base for the next batch, so we’ve got another well established non-vintage program that will continue into the future with a growing fan base.
@winesmith 1st, Happy New Year 2022!! Hoping for a Healthy and Prosperous year for you and everyone here on Casemates! Hoping you and Dave can get together on an “Any Gorilla” offering!! I still have a few bottles left from the offer you mentioned with the Petit Manseng and I thought both were great!!!
@rjquillin It was a whisper that was responded to unwhispered.
Original whisper:
FYI…I noticed the ABV stated on the bottle in the product picture on the homepage is different than the ABV on the rat bottle that is pictured…12.9% vs. 15%
@rjquillin It is even stupider because of how bad the writing is in the first panel. It should say, “What do you call dessert wine without any muscles.”
Thank you @rjquillin for posting for me!! Yesterday was definitely a “no cell zone”!
A follow up for you all – I found a dessert pairing for this wine! Grand Marnier Souffle! If you are an adventurous baker, I recommend the pairing. The not-too-sweet character of this Petite Manseng will make a stellar pour alongside a similarly not-too-sweet dessert course. Or with a cheese and nut board after dinner.
(Hey, I’m on a cruise. I don’t have to cook anything right now… Cheese and nut boards available 24/7!)
Thank you, again, to Clark, the @winesmith team, and everyone at @WCC!
Mrs. Woopdedoo celebrated her 59th on the 1st. Like the Spanish Inquisition - no one expects a surprise party on their 59th. So - surprise party it was. For the first time, I decided to do a wine tasting with the invited friends. I thought it would be most interesting to do a different grape one, so folks could be exposed to things they might not have been. Started with SB (Kim Crawford) and Chard (Hwy 12) then moved to 2012 Pinot (Bell), 2012 Grenache (WS), 2017 Barbera (SH), 2007 Cab Franc (WS), 2017 Zin (SH), then finished with 2002 Corison Cab and finally, the blend - 2013 Revelry (wooters/PW). I was amazed at how much the Grenache seemed more Pinot-like in both aroma and taste - than the Pinot. Fun night and folks seemed to appreciate my community-derived knowledge. Threw in some rpm aphorisms for good measure.
@woopdedoo Yes, you never know with Grenache. That and Cab Franc are like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates - you never know what you’re gonnna get. Both are capable of incredibly diverse expressions of terroir expression. My SCM version is indeed PN-like in color with plenty of strawberry fruit, though I find the tannin structure more solid than most PN and the aromatics contain earthy elements that conjure the Rhone more than Burgundy. In the Chateauneuf du Pape itself, Grenache is black in color – who knows why.
It does sound like an amazing evening. Tell me more about Scott’s Zin and Barbera. He’s the master.
@winesmith The Grenache was not so Pinot in color, but got the mushroom earthiness that I so associate with Pinot. And the taste profile seemed more Pinot too. The Barbera in particular was amazing. So much going on in the nose and the taste - I looked forward to the group’s experience as it is so different from most other stuff that they would have had. I drank the last full glass today after sitting out overnight uncorked and it was even better. The Amador Zins are so reliable, it was unsurprisingly good and balanced. But it too, was even better today - again uncorked - in its final glass. Scott is the master - but YOU are also the master. It was fun talking to the group about both of you and your backgrounds and expertise in crafting truly outstanding wines. It is cool to have the Michigan connection with Scott as he often comes in to judge the Michigan wines.
@woopdedoo What I admire about Scott is his dedication to a balanced, Eurocentric style working with Amador fruit, which is more known for raisiny wine. Facing to the western sun, it’s a real challenge to make wines with such restrained alcohol and deep fresh fruit.
@winesmith Well said and well recognized. I am so used to drinking Scott’s wines, and have so little awareness of Amador geography, I have become ignorantly blissful of the gifts I have been given. Thanks for your perspective and continuing education.
Drank my last bottle of this on Christmas Day, paired with “Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake” the signature dessert from Sweet Basil, a well known restaurant in Vail, CO. (Somehow we ended up with the recipe.) With a batter made up mostly of pureed dates, it has a natural sweetness and is then saturated with a brandy toffee sauce, topped with more sauce and fresh whipped cream, and then served warm. Amazing, and the Petit Manseng was the perfect foil, with a bit of sweetness, good acidity, lots of complimentary tropical fruit flavors, and a long finish. It was the perfect end to a great day of food and wine. In for a restock…
WineSmith Petit Manseng, California 375ml
Tasting Notes
Fermentation techniques:
Elevage details:
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$300/Case at WineSmith Cellars for 12x WineSmith Petit Manseng, California 375ml Sauvignon
About The Winery
WineSmith - Petit Manseng
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
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 24 - Friday, Jan 28
Greetings, folks. It’s wonderful to be back among my homies as we celebrate good riddance to 2021 and embark on the new, improved year to come.
This wine is a continuation of the solera series you first saw as the 2017 / 2018 version last year. Each year since 2017, we have barreled down one barrel for age and complexity, then blend with fresh juice from the new vintage, resulting in a wine that is youthfully fruity and redolent with aged complexities at the same time.
This crazy grape produces a delicate, refreshing dessert wine in southern France in the regions of Jurançon and Pecherenc du Vic Bilh, great for light desserts. Its gorgeous, complex nose leads into a crisp and refreshing palate far more delicate than botrytised wines such as Sauternes.
@winesmith so this is the newest bottling? Is there a way to identify which bottling and the average/maximum age of the Solera?
So how does this compare to the set you made last year? We quite liked them!
In fact, shortly we’re going to open a 2004 Cabernet franc Icewine from Niagara given how much we like dessert wine in our house!
@klezman Yes, there is a way to tell which batch you have. If you look carefully at the bottles you have, you’ll notice that there is no paper label. At considerable expense, we had the label silkscreened onto the glass. It’s really gorgeous, but easy to miss. In fact, nobody notices, and it sure cost a ton of money.
So when we bottled the 17/18/19/20 blend, we went back to paper labels. We internally call this Batch 3. I think it’s a wonderful rejoinder while sticking to the same delicate style.
Obviously, this is and always will be a non-vintage, California appellation wine, by now containing eight components from three vineyard sources and four vintages, so we can’t use conventional distinctions you’re used to.
Now that we are well underway with a successful series, in subsequent vintages, we’ll add the batch number to the label, okay?
@winesmith adding the batch number would be excellent!
Now I need to go look at one of my existing bottles to note the silk screen.
[posting for @cjsiege, 'cause she’s currently cruising in a no-net zone.]
WineSmith Petite Manseng
I received an unexpected package from Casemates – 'tis the season, eh? Inside was today’s lovely offering, WineSmith’s Petite Manseng.
On the pop and pour, the aroma of fresh apple juice with a tiny hint of honeysuckle fills the glass! This has a big nose! Gorgeous golden color in the glass, with long legs on the swirl.
On the entry, it’s sweet pineapple (no sharp acidity) and mango, with lychee on the finish. Palate is broad. Sweet, but not too sweet. Lots of flavor! It’s definitely a dessert wine, but the sweetness is restrained. I would drink an icy cold glass of this as my dessert any day!!!
@rjquillin Thanks for helping out, Ron.
@rjquillin, Thank you so much for posting on my behalf!!!
This is a community of amazing and generous people
@cjsiege @rjquillin And thank you both for a perceptive, concise review and for arranging for a prompt posting – very helpful to the community.
/giphy errant-passive-platypus
in for 4… Would love more but too much port in my stash now. Someone mail me a CM tea towel or something. I never got my gift.
@LJeAYsy4LoqxEC Thanks! However, I should point out that this is really from a different planet than port. It’s very delicate with satisfying acid balance and belongs more in the realm of a Mosel spaetlese.
@winesmith yum, probably need more of this in my life. Port and Rosso vermut can be heavy and syrupy at times. Even sherry can be cloying. The acidity here sounds perfect.
/giphy flattering-frightful-tinker
I shouldn’t of. But I couldn’t resist…got a case.
Happy New year!!
NV WineSmith Cellars Petit Manseng
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Happy New Year everyone!!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
WineSmith Cellars Dessert Wine - $15 = 9.08%
Somebody at Casemates has a sense of humor. Of all the rattage out there, this is what I get. I will keep an open palate nonetheless. So here goes…
C’est quoi Petit Manseng? (what is Petit Manseng)
Petit Manseng is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France. It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries.
So this means it should have a more full body perhaps? I seldom indulge in white varietals but I have been known to be captivated by some fuller bodied white wines so let’s find out.
Clear, white gold color. Big, thick floral nose with notes of honeysuckle, cantaloupe and a hint of leather. It is a little restrained though. Swirling vigorously reveals a touch of cola so faint it could be missed. Hints of oak vanilla here and there further accentuate the fruit.
Body is not what I was expecting to be honest. It is very restrained. Soft, silky, smooth, viscous but not as sweet as the nose would suggest. It gently falls on the palate, covering it with juicy ripe berries, honey, a beeswax to be more precise, crisp toasted caramel. This sweet silky blanket, slowly disappears as it falls upon the palate, leaving behind a crisp refined caramel, subtle berries and a gentle grit. Must be those thick skins.
You know, I thought this was another sweet dessert wine like a Moscato (which I’m generally okay with) but it actually feels a little more than just that. It’s different in it’s expression but I can’t quite pinpoint how or why. The only thing that comes to mind is right now is a late harvest Viognier but those tend to be much more viscous almost syrupy. This is nothing like the rest. This is not a port, or a late harvest Zin. It is different. It feels and tastes well made, well put together. It is surprisingly balanced. I can see this being an interesting addition to one’s cellar for that once in a while occasion. An interesting varietal to pique the curious palate’s interest. A dessert sip for the discerning palate. It says 15% ABV however I seriously doubt that. It’s probably closer to 14%. It is far too tame.
This is my first Petit Manseng and I will give it to Casemates for keeping me on my toes. If you like sweet wine or you need to have a classy dessert wine option on hand, I think this could be a great conversation piece. Especially for the price.
Cheers and happy new year!
@winesnob Great rattage! Thanks!
@winesnob
I agree - a very fine description. Thanks for bringing an open mind to an out-of-the-box experience. That’s always a good idea around WineSmith wines, which are generally experimental. As you see on the back label, (nice crisp photography, and I hope folks will read the text), “We Smiths explore traditions outside the mainstream.” Our website contains dropdown lists of “forgeries” and “oddities,” and this wine is both.
You’re a talented observer and I’m amazed that you were able to chronicle the intricate features of an unfamiliar style. Let me unpack the winemaking sources of these various descriptors.
[A word about the aromatic varieties. Their high terpene content makes them very tasty eating on the vine, so they receive more than their fair share of attack by birds and bees, which damage the fruit and leave behind cuts and perforations that can harbor bacteria. Hence the thick skins. Also, they have all evolved lots of tannin, which when exposed to air oxidatively polymerizes to cauterize and scar over these wounds, just as in an apple or banana. This tannin is a great co-pigmentor, and we like to throw the skins into Grenache and Tempranillo fermentations to aid extraction or color and flavor.]
This analysis might suggest that the wine is overwhelming. It isn’t. It’s very understated. But you can drill down to a depth and intricacy seldom encountered in a delicate white.
Thanks so much for your input. Well done!
@winesmith ahhhhh what a great read! I love it! The pleasure is all mine! Venturing outside the box and off the beaten path drives my appetite for “the new”.
Not all wines are destined to fulfill the mundane role of being a palate pleaser. Some also serve a higher purpose, one of education and enlightenment.
Thank you for sharing! I need to come by and visit!
@winesnob Hey, any time.
@winesnob Wait… is there a tiger on the bottle? I always enjoy a good dessert wine - and the rattage suggests this is, in fact, a good dessert wine, but I really can’t resist felines on my labels
@growltiger @winesnob Yes. I hate UPC codes, so I disguise them. Although the WineSmith logo has a lion, I went with a tiger for the stripes.
@growltiger indeed my friend. This would make a great dessert wine. The smaller format means you font have to commit to a full bottle. These should easily linger around your cellar for many years and hold up just as well. Cheers!
@winesnob Beautifully written. I consider this the first piece toward my literature reading goals for 2022. Thank you.
@growltiger @winesnob I should also mention that an open bottle holds up for months in the fridge. We take little nightly nips until it’s gone, then reload.
I blame the holidays for my losing track of time and missing the window to pick some of this up. Hey @winesmith - I’m (kinda) local but have been sadly unfamiliar with your wines - do you have a tasting room where I can get more acquainted?
@growltiger We can honor the Casemates pricing on www.winesmithwines.com or call the office to facilitate an online sale. We don’t currently have a tasting room license (it’s coming soon), but I’d be happy to meet with you and discuss our family project. I just can’t taste there just yet.
Do I assume Growltiger is a reference to T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats? I love that scene in Cats.
@winesmith You are a saint (and a well-read one - I am indeed named for T.S. Elliot’s character). Give a shout to let me know how best to get in touch to place that online order (and to connect the next time I’m up your way!)
Welcome back Clark, Any Gorilla’s lately??
@Boatman72 Why yes. We have lots. However, the 375-ml package was bottled in response to a special request by WineDavid for last year’s 2+2 sale, and it’s almost all gone. Which is good – 375-ml bottles are very hard to sell in the broad market. We do however have quite a bit of 750-ml bottles, which retail for $40 instead of $25 for the half bottle, and they sell very well. We also have four barrels reserved as the base for the next batch, so we’ve got another well established non-vintage program that will continue into the future with a growing fan base.
@winesmith 1st, Happy New Year 2022!! Hoping for a Healthy and Prosperous year for you and everyone here on Casemates! Hoping you and Dave can get together on an “Any Gorilla” offering!! I still have a few bottles left from the offer you mentioned with the Petit Manseng and I thought both were great!!!
Happy new year!
@Winedavid49
Happy New Year!
@Winedavid49 Happy New Year from NEO!!
Not sure how that happened. The rat bottle is correct.
@winesmith
I seem to have lost the thread…
“that” ?
@rjquillin It was a whisper that was responded to unwhispered.
Original whisper:
FYI…I noticed the ABV stated on the bottle in the product picture on the homepage is different than the ABV on the rat bottle that is pictured…12.9% vs. 15%
This will be my last order for a while. 2022 is the year the cellar finally gets smaller!
/giphy novelty-hairy-rail
@klezman
Until WD comes up with some amazing offer that can’t be ignored.
@klezman I’ve said that for years now. Sometimes I even succeed for a while, but I seem to always find myself right back where I started.
Just remember to exercise in the new year … just because it’s Twenty-Twenty-Too doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep up those exercises!
Looking forward to a new Clue Thread in Twenty-Twenty-Too!
And remember,
/buy
@Cerridwyn
I guress i did that wrong
@Cerridwyn
/image Atomic-alike-summer
@winesmith and others;
check out the meh offer stupid joke
@rjquillin It is even stupider because of how bad the writing is in the first panel. It should say, “What do you call dessert wine without any muscles.”
@Mark_L @rjquillin Ahha.
My first Casemates purchase!
/giphy gloating-huge-cloud
@gorgeousplanet I am honored.
@gorgeousplanet woohoo! thanks!!
Thank you @rjquillin for posting for me!! Yesterday was definitely a “no cell zone”!
A follow up for you all – I found a dessert pairing for this wine! Grand Marnier Souffle! If you are an adventurous baker, I recommend the pairing. The not-too-sweet character of this Petite Manseng will make a stellar pour alongside a similarly not-too-sweet dessert course. Or with a cheese and nut board after dinner.
(Hey, I’m on a cruise. I don’t have to cook anything right now… Cheese and nut boards available 24/7!)
Thank you, again, to Clark, the @winesmith team, and everyone at @WCC!
Mrs. Woopdedoo celebrated her 59th on the 1st. Like the Spanish Inquisition - no one expects a surprise party on their 59th. So - surprise party it was. For the first time, I decided to do a wine tasting with the invited friends. I thought it would be most interesting to do a different grape one, so folks could be exposed to things they might not have been. Started with SB (Kim Crawford) and Chard (Hwy 12) then moved to 2012 Pinot (Bell), 2012 Grenache (WS), 2017 Barbera (SH), 2007 Cab Franc (WS), 2017 Zin (SH), then finished with 2002 Corison Cab and finally, the blend - 2013 Revelry (wooters/PW). I was amazed at how much the Grenache seemed more Pinot-like in both aroma and taste - than the Pinot. Fun night and folks seemed to appreciate my community-derived knowledge. Threw in some rpm aphorisms for good measure.
@woopdedoo
Happy birthday to Mrs. Woopdedoo. Sounds like you all had a great time!
@woopdedoo Yes, you never know with Grenache. That and Cab Franc are like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates - you never know what you’re gonnna get. Both are capable of incredibly diverse expressions of terroir expression. My SCM version is indeed PN-like in color with plenty of strawberry fruit, though I find the tannin structure more solid than most PN and the aromatics contain earthy elements that conjure the Rhone more than Burgundy. In the Chateauneuf du Pape itself, Grenache is black in color – who knows why.
It does sound like an amazing evening. Tell me more about Scott’s Zin and Barbera. He’s the master.
@winesmith The Grenache was not so Pinot in color, but got the mushroom earthiness that I so associate with Pinot. And the taste profile seemed more Pinot too. The Barbera in particular was amazing. So much going on in the nose and the taste - I looked forward to the group’s experience as it is so different from most other stuff that they would have had. I drank the last full glass today after sitting out overnight uncorked and it was even better. The Amador Zins are so reliable, it was unsurprisingly good and balanced. But it too, was even better today - again uncorked - in its final glass. Scott is the master - but YOU are also the master. It was fun talking to the group about both of you and your backgrounds and expertise in crafting truly outstanding wines. It is cool to have the Michigan connection with Scott as he often comes in to judge the Michigan wines.
@woopdedoo What I admire about Scott is his dedication to a balanced, Eurocentric style working with Amador fruit, which is more known for raisiny wine. Facing to the western sun, it’s a real challenge to make wines with such restrained alcohol and deep fresh fruit.
@winesmith Well said and well recognized. I am so used to drinking Scott’s wines, and have so little awareness of Amador geography, I have become ignorantly blissful of the gifts I have been given. Thanks for your perspective and continuing education.
Drank my last bottle of this on Christmas Day, paired with “Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake” the signature dessert from Sweet Basil, a well known restaurant in Vail, CO. (Somehow we ended up with the recipe.) With a batter made up mostly of pureed dates, it has a natural sweetness and is then saturated with a brandy toffee sauce, topped with more sauce and fresh whipped cream, and then served warm. Amazing, and the Petit Manseng was the perfect foil, with a bit of sweetness, good acidity, lots of complimentary tropical fruit flavors, and a long finish. It was the perfect end to a great day of food and wine. In for a restock…
As good as Batch #1 was, you’ll find Batch #3 a nice upgrade. Same balance, but more complexity.
Oh, I love this! The 4-bottle packs were gone, so I got a whole case, and I’m so glad I did!
Woohoo 4pk arrived. Looking forward to enjoying it.