The 2020 Pinot Noir 115/667 has a distinctive spicy character that energizes the dark cherry and mineral tones in this bottling. Grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted. Clones are kept in separate lots during fermentation and barrel aging. 20% of the lots go through whole cluster fermentation to add complexity and balance acidity.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: Pommard 115-53%, 667-47%
Vineyard: San Saba Vineyard
Appellation: Monterey, CA
Oak: French oak, 20% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 728 cases
Certified Sustainable (SIP)
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 4/777
Tasting Notes
Wrath’s blend of clones 777 and Pommard 4 has always showcased the dark, earthy side of our estate pinot fruit, and the 2020 vintage is no exception. The nose shows off dark fruit and earthy forest floor. A rich, seamless, and dark intensity defines the palate, while the whole cluster fermentation (20%) leads to a long and structured finish.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Clones: Pommard 4-65%, 777-35%
Vineyard: San Saba Vineyard
Appellation: Monterey, CA
Oak: 100% French oak, 20% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 798 cases
Certified Sustainable (SIP)
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir Swan/828
Tasting Notes
This clone blend combines dark cherry, raspberries, and the scent of earthiness on the nose. The palate offers a balance of structure and acidity that at compliments elegant, focused red berry and cherry cola with a hint of the forest floor. Nimble and pure, it terminates with a long and clean finish enhanced with a touch of mineral.
The wrath of Juno sent Aeneas wandering the Mediterranean in Vergil’s Aeneid. For the ancient Romans, “ira” or wrath, was a tool of a god, an unstoppable anger driven by forces greater than man. One can argue that we see such fury in both the might of nature and the passion of art. Wrath appears in the edgy power of Robert Plant’s voice and the raw wail of Eric Clapton’s guitar. It is frozen into Jackson Pollock’s violent splatters of paint. Wrath is in the wall of maritime fog that rolls into the Salinas Valley and the relentless afternoon winds that scream through our grape trellises. Wrath wines represent a nexus of nature and an unbridled passion for winemaking.
Wrath produces site-driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc from our estate vineyard and respected properties in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Our production is small, our distribution is limited and our wines reveal attitude, passion, and an inherent respect for what a vineyard can give us.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, SC, SD, TX, VT, WA, WY
@klezman I agree. Wonder if the producer is around for this one. I’d be interested in how smoke did or didn’t have an impact on these wines. 2020 wine offers make me a little itchy…
@kaolis@klezman the lack of any mention of it from rats, plus the fact that fires mainly were to the north of Santa Cruz, inclined me to pull the trigger. FWIW in the 11th hour. I agree that it is a bummer no winery participation, as I don’t believe we have seen Wrath here???
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2020 Wrath Mixed Pinot Noir - $70 = 26.91%
Greetings, Casemateers! We were fortunate to receive not one, but two bottles of Wrath Pinot noir to sample and share our thoughts. My parter and I are both fans of this grape, and having recently returned from a trip to the Willamette valley, this was right in our wheelhouse. I was also excited to try a new pinot glass from the most recent BerserkerDay.
We were joined in the tasting by three friends at our local sushi restaurant. Their experience with wine tastings are limited but we were pleased to have additional feedback. The wines were received yesterday and were cool to the touch from UPS. They were placed in a fridge and brought out an hour before the tasting with the goal of around 60 degree serving temp. Let’s jump right in with the wines!
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir, Pommard 4/777
Our timing was a bit off with temperature with this one. I would estimate it started off in the low 50s but warmed over the course of the tasting. PnP, the color was a lighter ruby/garnet color, clear and free of sediment. Not surprisingly, the nose was a bit muted, but I definitely detected oak and earth as it warmed.
On the palate, there was more oak and a bit of cherry. Fruit was in the background on this one, but was definitely there. In the mid palate, acidity was medium and was followed with a similarly medium finish. Overall, this was definitely the more restrained of the two bottles and went very well with our sushi, standing up to the heavy soy sauce/wasabi flavors but not overwhelming the fish.
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir, 115/667
This wine was the star of the show for our group. It was given a bit more of a chance to breathe (slow ox) and warm up to a desirable temp. Oak was less dominant here, allowing the fruit to come out a bit more. I was able to pick up cherry and some cola with just a hint of oak.
Flavors were very intense, with cherry intermingling with a mild spice and a wonderful richness without being over the top. There were other flavors as well, with a complexity I didn’t expect. As I continued to taste, I began to notice citrus (orange?) with mild, dusty tannins. Fruit was more in balance with the wood leading to a very enjoyable overall experience. Acid and finish were similar to the 4/777, and were a great complement to the meal.
Overall, these are clearly well made wines. While our entire group preferred the 115/667, the 4/777 was also quite enjoyable. Prior to seeing the Casemates price, I thought anything under $20 a bottle would be an excellent deal. Seeing it here at under $16 (case price), it’s really a no brainer purchase for those that enjoy CA pinot. It’s priced like something from the supermarket, but has the complexity of a much more serious wine. I would happily pay $25 - $30 in a wine shop for these, especially the 115/667. I also expect these to get better with a few years in the cellar. This wine is not available for purchase in my state, which saved me from temptation right after buying a sea of PN in Oregon.
As always, I’m happy to answer any questions. Thanks to Alice, WD, and the entire Casemates team for the opportunity to sample these wines. The Labrat program is truly unique in the wine world, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.
My wife and I were happy to hear we had been selected as Labrats again.
Wrath Pinot Noir 2020 115/667
Thursday evening we uncorked this Wrath pinot noir (115/667) and poured into our glasses, the first thing we noticed was that it had an incredible aroma of red fruit. As we examined the wine, my wife pointed out the beautiful pomegranate color, so rich for a pinot noir. As we tasted the wine, we liked how the aroma of the red fruits carried over to the flavors on our palate. The wine tasted of red berry fruits, specifically dark cherry and rhubarb but also had low undertones of minerals and a bit of baking spices. Despite the wine being fruit forward it is not sweet, . It is silky and smooth, mellow tannins. Despite being a pinot this wine could pair easily with a mushroom pasta. chicken, pork or veal. This pinot is a nice medium bodied that could be drank in the present - 100% drinkability.
Wrath Pinot Noir 2020 Swan/829
After tasting the first pinot we were even more excited to pour the next one. This wine was also a delicious red hue, more of a pale ruby. The aroma of this pinot was a bit more mellow, showcasing some oak and earthiness. It’s amazing how two pinots from the same producer can taste so different. We liked this one for its notes of smokiness, mushroom, moss and earthy flavors. There were subtle notes of red fruits including raspberry band plum. Overall another lovely pinot with medium body, minimal acidity, a few more tannins than the 115/667 and a lingering finish. We would pair this wine with a grilled meats or salmon. We both think that this wine has the potential for a few years of aging before hitting its peak. It’s a good wine now, but we both preferred the 115/667 to drink now.
I’m around to answer any questions! Thanks again for the opportunity to Labrat!
Sorry the pictures I have won’t upload while I’m at work…
@ejrunion I saw wrath and went “oh, wrath, like grapes of wrath, because it’s wine.” But then the whole “about the winery” thing referenced the Aeneid and Jackson Pollack and Eric Clapton and maritime fog, so then the label just made me angry. They referenced everything but the most obvious reference. We know where you got your name, and it’s not from Robert Plant! And your label looks like you were writing possible names for your winery on a whiteboard with a sharpie, and just decided to use that for your label because you couldn’t erase it. If you just use the dry erase marker over the sharpie, it should come off, and then you can get more creative, like you did with the whole avoiding referencing the grapes of wrath thing.
@coolac5 My original post was about the cleverness of the title, and it was not a slam of the wine at all. I love whimsical and clever titles, hence the VeggieTales pic of Pa and Ma Grape. The reviews of the wines sound like they are amazing!
@ejrunion apologies as that should have been directed at @warpedrotors. Wrath makes outstanding wines, you will not be disappointed (other than by the name LOL!)
@coolac5@ejrunion since this was meant for me, I’ll respond. I have no obligation to post things that are relevant to the discussion of the wine. I was simply pretending to be angry at the obvious and inexplicable avoidance of acknowledging that their name comes from the grapes of wrath, rather than any of the nonsensical references they tried to force upon it. If you struggle with anything I post, or desire every post to fit into your guidelines for acceptability, I invite you to ignore me or write mean things about me in your diary. I promise it won’t make me struggle with anything. I’ve seen plenty of discussion in the past of how certain wines have bad labels or names, and this one made me feel like chiming in with harmless criticism. I said nothing about the quality of the wine produced by the winery in question. If names and labels weren’t relevant to selling, buying and consuming wine, there probably wouldn’t be so many names and labels. I do apologize for offending your delicate sensibilities though. I had no idea my post would cause struggle.
First off, thank you to Casemates for allowing me the opportunity to be a lab rat! This is such a cool program and I’m happy to be a part of it. On Wednesday I received two bottles and a bonus Casemates stemless wine glass to add to my collection. On Thursday evening we had a couple friends over to taste the 4/777 and the Swan/828 with us. On first pour, the Swan/828 is slightly lighter in color than the 4/777 and has a stronger fruit and cherry aroma. The 4/777 was more reserved to the nose at first although after a few moments in the glass we were also able to pick up its dark fruit and earthy notes.
We poured everyone small glasses of each wine and began our tasting with the Swan/828. From the beginning, everyone enjoyed this wine, even a friend that usually only prefers white wines. We all tasted cherry and berry flavors as well as an underlying complexity that made the wine well balanced and enjoyable to keep sipping.
Moving on to the 4/777, we could still detect fruit, mainly cherry, but this one was more mysterious and full bodied. In addition to the fruit flavors, the oak, earth, and mineral notes are more pronounced.The white wine drinker among us thought the alcohol was more pronounced in this wine and much preferred the Swan/828. The remaining three of us enjoyed both wines. For me personally, I think the Swan/828 is delightful on its own and the 4/777 has enough body and structure to pair with many types of cuisine.
Both wines taste well-balanced and complex, from sip to sip there is fruitiness and acidity that hits you first but those are just the top notes and below that each has an intricately nuanced structure - it’s hard for me to describe but we all agreed that they seemed expertly crafted. Like we could taste the winemaker’s vision that went into each bottle.
I stopped by their tasting room in Carmel around 2018 (I think) and really enjoyed the wines and felt they were well made, cant speak to these specifically though, but I’m tempted to jump in here.
Wrath won a blind taste test at a Pinot Noir party we held several years ago, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit there tasting room in Soledad (Monterey County). Wrath wines are well-made and are sold at easily twice this price point. A personal favorite of mine at Total Wine is Wrath.
As a Pinot-phile, this offer is a smoking deal at $18+ delivered. Picked up a case, will give two sets of verticals as Xmas gifts and hold the two other sets for personal consumption
/giphy husky-gusty-cinnamon
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 115/667
93 pts Planet Grape, Catherine Fallis, MS
Tasting Notes
Specs
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 4/777
Tasting Notes
Specs
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir Swan/828
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$468/Case for 4x 2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 115/667 + 4x 2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 4/777 + 4x 2020 Wrath Pinot Noir Swan/828 at Wrath Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, SC, SD, TX, VT, WA, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Sep 29 - Monday, Oct 2
Wrath Mixed Pinot Noir
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 115/667
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir 4/777
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir Swan/828
A semi clonal Pinot set. Interesting!
@klezman I agree. Wonder if the producer is around for this one. I’d be interested in how smoke did or didn’t have an impact on these wines. 2020 wine offers make me a little itchy…
@klezman well apparently no producer help…no smoke? was tested, not tested? Flash detente?
@kaolis Does flash detente help with smoke?
@kaolis @klezman the lack of any mention of it from rats, plus the fact that fires mainly were to the north of Santa Cruz, inclined me to pull the trigger. FWIW in the 11th hour. I agree that it is a bummer no winery participation, as I don’t believe we have seen Wrath here???
@coolac5 @kaolis @klezman No smoke detected in either bottle.
@coolac5 @hscottk @klezman flash detente can help smoke taint, basically because it minimizes skin contact
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2020 Wrath Mixed Pinot Noir - $70 = 26.91%
Greetings, Casemateers! We were fortunate to receive not one, but two bottles of Wrath Pinot noir to sample and share our thoughts. My parter and I are both fans of this grape, and having recently returned from a trip to the Willamette valley, this was right in our wheelhouse. I was also excited to try a new pinot glass from the most recent BerserkerDay.
We were joined in the tasting by three friends at our local sushi restaurant. Their experience with wine tastings are limited but we were pleased to have additional feedback. The wines were received yesterday and were cool to the touch from UPS. They were placed in a fridge and brought out an hour before the tasting with the goal of around 60 degree serving temp. Let’s jump right in with the wines!
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir, Pommard 4/777
Our timing was a bit off with temperature with this one. I would estimate it started off in the low 50s but warmed over the course of the tasting. PnP, the color was a lighter ruby/garnet color, clear and free of sediment. Not surprisingly, the nose was a bit muted, but I definitely detected oak and earth as it warmed.
On the palate, there was more oak and a bit of cherry. Fruit was in the background on this one, but was definitely there. In the mid palate, acidity was medium and was followed with a similarly medium finish. Overall, this was definitely the more restrained of the two bottles and went very well with our sushi, standing up to the heavy soy sauce/wasabi flavors but not overwhelming the fish.
2020 Wrath Pinot Noir, 115/667
This wine was the star of the show for our group. It was given a bit more of a chance to breathe (slow ox) and warm up to a desirable temp. Oak was less dominant here, allowing the fruit to come out a bit more. I was able to pick up cherry and some cola with just a hint of oak.
Flavors were very intense, with cherry intermingling with a mild spice and a wonderful richness without being over the top. There were other flavors as well, with a complexity I didn’t expect. As I continued to taste, I began to notice citrus (orange?) with mild, dusty tannins. Fruit was more in balance with the wood leading to a very enjoyable overall experience. Acid and finish were similar to the 4/777, and were a great complement to the meal.
Overall, these are clearly well made wines. While our entire group preferred the 115/667, the 4/777 was also quite enjoyable. Prior to seeing the Casemates price, I thought anything under $20 a bottle would be an excellent deal. Seeing it here at under $16 (case price), it’s really a no brainer purchase for those that enjoy CA pinot. It’s priced like something from the supermarket, but has the complexity of a much more serious wine. I would happily pay $25 - $30 in a wine shop for these, especially the 115/667. I also expect these to get better with a few years in the cellar. This wine is not available for purchase in my state, which saved me from temptation right after buying a sea of PN in Oregon.
As always, I’m happy to answer any questions. Thanks to Alice, WD, and the entire Casemates team for the opportunity to sample these wines. The Labrat program is truly unique in the wine world, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.
@hscottk 3rd picture looks like a flamingo, or maybe a toucan.
@hscottk @mattig88 wow
@hscottk @mattig88
Toucan Hand
My wife and I were happy to hear we had been selected as Labrats again.
Wrath Pinot Noir 2020 115/667
Thursday evening we uncorked this Wrath pinot noir (115/667) and poured into our glasses, the first thing we noticed was that it had an incredible aroma of red fruit. As we examined the wine, my wife pointed out the beautiful pomegranate color, so rich for a pinot noir. As we tasted the wine, we liked how the aroma of the red fruits carried over to the flavors on our palate. The wine tasted of red berry fruits, specifically dark cherry and rhubarb but also had low undertones of minerals and a bit of baking spices. Despite the wine being fruit forward it is not sweet, . It is silky and smooth, mellow tannins. Despite being a pinot this wine could pair easily with a mushroom pasta. chicken, pork or veal. This pinot is a nice medium bodied that could be drank in the present - 100% drinkability.
Wrath Pinot Noir 2020 Swan/829
After tasting the first pinot we were even more excited to pour the next one. This wine was also a delicious red hue, more of a pale ruby. The aroma of this pinot was a bit more mellow, showcasing some oak and earthiness. It’s amazing how two pinots from the same producer can taste so different. We liked this one for its notes of smokiness, mushroom, moss and earthy flavors. There were subtle notes of red fruits including raspberry band plum. Overall another lovely pinot with medium body, minimal acidity, a few more tannins than the 115/667 and a lingering finish. We would pair this wine with a grilled meats or salmon. We both think that this wine has the potential for a few years of aging before hitting its peak. It’s a good wine now, but we both preferred the 115/667 to drink now.
I’m around to answer any questions! Thanks again for the opportunity to Labrat!
Sorry the pictures I have won’t upload while I’m at work…
Ive had all these wines recently, this is a solid deal…Buy
@wino121 why? Notes? Thanks
Oh, I get it! The Grapes of Wrath! Near Monterrey, Steinbeck, etc! Clever!!!
@ejrunion I saw wrath and went “oh, wrath, like grapes of wrath, because it’s wine.” But then the whole “about the winery” thing referenced the Aeneid and Jackson Pollack and Eric Clapton and maritime fog, so then the label just made me angry. They referenced everything but the most obvious reference. We know where you got your name, and it’s not from Robert Plant! And your label looks like you were writing possible names for your winery on a whiteboard with a sharpie, and just decided to use that for your label because you couldn’t erase it. If you just use the dry erase marker over the sharpie, it should come off, and then you can get more creative, like you did with the whole avoiding referencing the grapes of wrath thing.
@ejrunion @warpedrotors
My thoughts exactly…
@ejrunion I am struggling to determine what value/relevancy your post brings to the conversation about the wine?
@coolac5 My original post was about the cleverness of the title, and it was not a slam of the wine at all. I love whimsical and clever titles, hence the VeggieTales pic of Pa and Ma Grape. The reviews of the wines sound like they are amazing!
@ejrunion apologies as that should have been directed at @warpedrotors. Wrath makes outstanding wines, you will not be disappointed (other than by the name LOL!)
@coolac5 @ejrunion since this was meant for me, I’ll respond. I have no obligation to post things that are relevant to the discussion of the wine. I was simply pretending to be angry at the obvious and inexplicable avoidance of acknowledging that their name comes from the grapes of wrath, rather than any of the nonsensical references they tried to force upon it. If you struggle with anything I post, or desire every post to fit into your guidelines for acceptability, I invite you to ignore me or write mean things about me in your diary. I promise it won’t make me struggle with anything. I’ve seen plenty of discussion in the past of how certain wines have bad labels or names, and this one made me feel like chiming in with harmless criticism. I said nothing about the quality of the wine produced by the winery in question. If names and labels weren’t relevant to selling, buying and consuming wine, there probably wouldn’t be so many names and labels. I do apologize for offending your delicate sensibilities though. I had no idea my post would cause struggle.
No VA or MD? Anyone in DC looking to split or over buy?
First off, thank you to Casemates for allowing me the opportunity to be a lab rat! This is such a cool program and I’m happy to be a part of it. On Wednesday I received two bottles and a bonus Casemates stemless wine glass to add to my collection. On Thursday evening we had a couple friends over to taste the 4/777 and the Swan/828 with us. On first pour, the Swan/828 is slightly lighter in color than the 4/777 and has a stronger fruit and cherry aroma. The 4/777 was more reserved to the nose at first although after a few moments in the glass we were also able to pick up its dark fruit and earthy notes.
We poured everyone small glasses of each wine and began our tasting with the Swan/828. From the beginning, everyone enjoyed this wine, even a friend that usually only prefers white wines. We all tasted cherry and berry flavors as well as an underlying complexity that made the wine well balanced and enjoyable to keep sipping.
Moving on to the 4/777, we could still detect fruit, mainly cherry, but this one was more mysterious and full bodied. In addition to the fruit flavors, the oak, earth, and mineral notes are more pronounced.The white wine drinker among us thought the alcohol was more pronounced in this wine and much preferred the Swan/828. The remaining three of us enjoyed both wines. For me personally, I think the Swan/828 is delightful on its own and the 4/777 has enough body and structure to pair with many types of cuisine.
Both wines taste well-balanced and complex, from sip to sip there is fruitiness and acidity that hits you first but those are just the top notes and below that each has an intricately nuanced structure - it’s hard for me to describe but we all agreed that they seemed expertly crafted. Like we could taste the winemaker’s vision that went into each bottle.
I stopped by their tasting room in Carmel around 2018 (I think) and really enjoyed the wines and felt they were well made, cant speak to these specifically though, but I’m tempted to jump in here.
@CorTot If I hadn’t gotten both the Kent Rasmussen and Twisted Oak offers, I’d be all over this. And the Tercero special offer, too.
@CorTot @klezman
I could do half a case, if you two want to split the other half. Deliver there so it doesn’t get lost here.
@klezman @rjquillin I’m assuming this didn’t get ordered, which is fine. If it comes back around I would take a 1/2 case.
@CorTot @klezman
It did.
I’ll see if I can get the delivery address changed.
@klezman @rjquillin
Wrath won a blind taste test at a Pinot Noir party we held several years ago, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit there tasting room in Soledad (Monterey County). Wrath wines are well-made and are sold at easily twice this price point. A personal favorite of mine at Total Wine is Wrath.
As a Pinot-phile, this offer is a smoking deal at $18+ delivered. Picked up a case, will give two sets of verticals as Xmas gifts and hold the two other sets for personal consumption
/giphy husky-gusty-cinnamon