Perhaps more in loon with classic California Durif styles, lacking the enological flaws of course, and from a vineyard whose owner’s devotion to privacy—I won’t call him paranoid—rivals that of a few of the Panamint and Death Valley miners I know. In the event that I don’t make it all the way down the mountain from his vineyard with the harvest, he doesn’t want the attention from ag inspectors—or other authorities—that an accurate bill of lading found on my remains might bring. I have to say, though, that dealing with this character is well worth it—the berries are as small as those of any ripe red Vinifera variety grapes I’ve ever seen, and I have to be very careful how I manage the fermentation. (Blah, blah.)
Full, ‘complete’ flavor. . . . Imagine a purple and black and red grape pie, with an oak crust. (Mind your teeth.) I ‘explained’ the name and label upon releasing earlier vintages, so I’ll skip that. I will say, however, that this is one of the two best Petite Sirahs I have made, and that doesn’t mean #2.
I mean, that doesn’t mean this is #2. It’s tres bon merde!
Specs
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: Petite Sirah
Appellation: Tuolumne County
Vineyard: El Pendejo
Alcohol: 15.7%
Total Acidity: 6.2 g/L
2023 Zeppelin Winery Jetable Red Wine
Tasting Notes
Petite Sirah, whether Durif or Peloursin, and as a fallible rule, the ladder is darker though less extracted- was once and to some extent still is a variety not known for its amiability to the soft palated consumer. I cannot describe this wine as lush, nor will I apply it- the word as an adjective or noun to any of you, O drinker, except by accident. It is meant to be taken internally and self- dosed.
Aromas and flavors of blackberry, dried, black plum (Prun-no! not even. But the joke was inevitable if jetable) and Moab cherry (sans pit) with a whiff of clove to be served with clov-en hoofed creature meat. Medium to. . . lighter tannins? Relatively like a fourth cousin. (I could have tried to extract more structure from the petite grapes, but I would’ve needed more grapes–a quarter of a ton doesn’t make that much volume and thus lower heat of fermentation. And I was in Alta Amador anyway)
The name of the wine, Jetable, while susceptible to Franco-American meatball mispronunciation, (Accent on the first syllable, G like the second g in “garbage” – tah-bul) is also susceptible to misinterpretation in this case. Normally it means “disposable”. I just mean you can ‘toss it back’ down the hatch so to speak or you can cellar it in the hold. I’ve been given to understand that my wines don’t fall apart. My marine construction efforts however, are meant to. I’m on the fourth!
The label photo was taken at Lake Thomas A Edison this summer. That’s the stunning recessed peak (12,813’ back there) and my Disposable Sailboat 4, a, er hatchless trimaran. It’s tacky, but it tacks.
Specs
Vintage: 2023
Varietal: 58% Petite Sirah, 38% Syrah, 4% Tannat
Appellation: Amador & San Luis Obispo Counties
Vineyard: El Pendejo
Alcohol: 15.9%
Total Acidity: 6.6 g/L
What’s Included
2-bottles:
1x 2023 Zeppelin Winery Darwinian Five Petite Sirah
1x 2023 Zeppelin Winery Jetable Red Wine Case:
6x 2023 Zeppelin Winery Darwinian Five Petite Sirah
Owners: Dave Andrews, Stillman Brown and Joe Kraman
Founded: 2003
Location: Cayucos, CA
In ancient times, long ago, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, the consulting winemaker, assistant cellar sock monkey, and rock band mis-manager Stillman Brown of Red Zeppelin infamy, and his footloose and still insufficiently silent mouthpiece and de factoid attorney GD Lewis of Jory Winery, became Zeppelin Winery, and even since then have wines that at least one of them believes are at least more than good enough to have pretty much anything on the label, excepting hallucinogenic drugs. Over the last decade, most of the wines have been from grapes grown by one of our crazier clients, in two concocted sub-appellations of west Paso Robles that split the hidden Hill of Graceland vineyard. He drives the tractor and poormouths himself, I do everything else… Sales are almost exclusively to our email list, though we make irregular appearances on Casemates.com.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
After a dental cleaning I returned to the office and picked up a bottle of Zeppelin Winery 2023 Darwinian Five, a tooth staining 100% Petite Sirah from the El Pendejo Vineyard, Tuolumne County, California. Pendejo…really?
I coravined a glass of Andrew Murray 2021 E11even PS for comparison. If the Andrew Murray was at 11, the Darwinian Five has it turned up to 22. This wine is as subtle as a sledgehammer and is absolutely delicious. The wine is inky purple, cocoa and berries on the nose. Palate is full +++ body, massive dark berries, moderate acidity and just the perfect amount of grippy tannins all in balance hiding the 15.7% alcohol. Long peppery finish. A big wine, yet nuanced.
This unmistakably a Zeppelin Winery style of wine. If you know, you know. If not, consider trying it as it is a singular experience.
I enjoyed this as a cocktail. Food pairing would have to be a rich, savory red meat or stew.
Thanks to everyone at the home office for the opportunity to rat. I’ll check later for any questions.
I’m very glad you liked it. I know it ain’t cheap, but at least it’s sub-vanity, (I never had any money to lose in this business.)
The explanation for the vineyard name will be on the consumer invoice which you’ll get, if you buy any.
(sorry, that sounds snarkful: but I blush, not snicker)
My next release will not be a 2025 Death Valley Blush, mit aroma of Snickers. Unless it’s posthumous, and my kids follow instructions.
Let’s see, of the three ‘owners’ of Zeppelin Winery listed above, two I fired over a decade ago. The third, aka the second, to answer a question posed above, with votes tallied - votes, indeed - has actually been on a Zeppelin airship, in Mountain View, CA, also over a decade ago. It was airborne, several feet or so.
I am one of the three people pictured in the photo at the top of the linked, ZeppelinWinery.com website: two are amongst the living, the third was one of the three most innertaining Elvis ‘impersonators’ ever to orbi- er, walk the face of the Earth. One of the other two - Elvi, not people in the picture - is also no longer on the face of the Earth. The third just refreshed the ZeppelinWinery website.
Good evening CaseMateys. Checking in with a glass of Stillman’s 23’ Jetable in hand. Thank you WineDavid and Alice for sending it my way. *Alice had emailed me last week to let me know she’d send me a bottle after the Yankees beat my Dodgers. I emailed her after our game 5 win to inquire as to whether she would still be sending something… and she did.
Always a treat to taste a Swilly Selection. I was intrigued upon reading the blend: 58% Petite Syrah, 38% Syrah and 4% Tannat. The fruit is sourced from Amador and San Luis Obispo Counties. Maybe Stillman will give us more info on the vineyards…. It’s a youngin’ - 2023, so presumably just bottled.
The bottle’s been resting for a couple of days… and I popped the cork and poured a glass. This wine is beautiful to look at! Inky dark and brooding with a luminescent magenta rim.
I like drinking my Rhônes in a Burgundy stem to give me ‘lots of nose’. And the Jetable has a beautiful, mouth watering nose. Aromas of raspberry and blackberry pie are joined by notes of blood orange, graphite, vanilla, a little sweet spice.
This wine is a big ol’ juicy mouth-full. Dark berries fruit with an undertone of blood orange. A wee bit of black pepper, spice and chocolate. Again, it’s big, concentrated and juicy with some young, grippy tannins. Not really hot in spite of stated ABV of 15.9.
I didn’t open this one at dinner, but I suspect it would make a perfect pairing with something big and rich like an Irish lamb stew.
As always, a big, yummy wine from Stillman. Thanks for letting me partake! Swilly - hope all is well in Cayucos!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Zeppelin Winery Mixed Reds - $30 = 7.13%
2023 Zeppelin Winery Darwinian Five Petite Sirah
Tasting Notes
Specs
2023 Zeppelin Winery Jetable Red Wine
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
2-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $816/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 2 - Tuesday, Dec 3
Zeppelin Winery Mixed Reds
2 bottles for $69.99 $35/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $389.99 $32.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2023 Zeppelin Winery Darwinian Five
2023 Zeppelin Winery Jetable
2023 Zeppelin Winery Darwinian Five
After a dental cleaning I returned to the office and picked up a bottle of Zeppelin Winery 2023 Darwinian Five, a tooth staining 100% Petite Sirah from the El Pendejo Vineyard, Tuolumne County, California. Pendejo…really?
I coravined a glass of Andrew Murray 2021 E11even PS for comparison. If the Andrew Murray was at 11, the Darwinian Five has it turned up to 22. This wine is as subtle as a sledgehammer and is absolutely delicious. The wine is inky purple, cocoa and berries on the nose. Palate is full +++ body, massive dark berries, moderate acidity and just the perfect amount of grippy tannins all in balance hiding the 15.7% alcohol. Long peppery finish. A big wine, yet nuanced.
This unmistakably a Zeppelin Winery style of wine. If you know, you know. If not, consider trying it as it is a singular experience.
I enjoyed this as a cocktail. Food pairing would have to be a rich, savory red meat or stew.
Thanks to everyone at the home office for the opportunity to rat. I’ll check later for any questions.
@msten
I’m very glad you liked it. I know it ain’t cheap, but at least it’s sub-vanity, (I never had any money to lose in this business.)
The explanation for the vineyard name will be on the consumer invoice which you’ll get, if you buy any.
(sorry, that sounds snarkful: but I blush, not snicker)
My next release will not be a 2025 Death Valley Blush, mit aroma of Snickers. Unless it’s posthumous, and my kids follow instructions.
@msten Sounds like you should have had the dental cleaning after tasting the wine and not before
enter image description here
Let’s see, of the three ‘owners’ of Zeppelin Winery listed above, two I fired over a decade ago. The third, aka the second, to answer a question posed above, with votes tallied - votes, indeed - has actually been on a Zeppelin airship, in Mountain View, CA, also over a decade ago. It was airborne, several feet or so.
I am one of the three people pictured in the photo at the top of the linked, ZeppelinWinery.com website: two are amongst the living, the third was one of the three most innertaining Elvis ‘impersonators’ ever to orbi- er, walk the face of the Earth. One of the other two - Elvi, not people in the picture - is also no longer on the face of the Earth. The third just refreshed the ZeppelinWinery website.
2023 Zeppelin Winery Jetable
Good evening CaseMateys. Checking in with a glass of Stillman’s 23’ Jetable in hand. Thank you WineDavid and Alice for sending it my way. *Alice had emailed me last week to let me know she’d send me a bottle after the Yankees beat my Dodgers. I emailed her after our game 5 win to inquire as to whether she would still be sending something… and she did.
Always a treat to taste a Swilly Selection. I was intrigued upon reading the blend: 58% Petite Syrah, 38% Syrah and 4% Tannat. The fruit is sourced from Amador and San Luis Obispo Counties. Maybe Stillman will give us more info on the vineyards…. It’s a youngin’ - 2023, so presumably just bottled.
The bottle’s been resting for a couple of days… and I popped the cork and poured a glass. This wine is beautiful to look at! Inky dark and brooding with a luminescent magenta rim.
I like drinking my Rhônes in a Burgundy stem to give me ‘lots of nose’. And the Jetable has a beautiful, mouth watering nose. Aromas of raspberry and blackberry pie are joined by notes of blood orange, graphite, vanilla, a little sweet spice.
This wine is a big ol’ juicy mouth-full. Dark berries fruit with an undertone of blood orange. A wee bit of black pepper, spice and chocolate. Again, it’s big, concentrated and juicy with some young, grippy tannins. Not really hot in spite of stated ABV of 15.9.
I didn’t open this one at dinner, but I suspect it would make a perfect pairing with something big and rich like an Irish lamb stew.
As always, a big, yummy wine from Stillman. Thanks for letting me partake! Swilly - hope all is well in Cayucos!!
@neilfindswine Thank you! I am at the moment in Baja Cayucos, aka Morro Bay.
@neilfindswine That’s not Morro Bay.
@neilfindswine ah Neil, such a talent. on screen and content. singular.
@Winedavid59 aww shucks. I just find wine.
Sort of been waiting for some 2023s. In for a case.
/giphy invincible-sordid-haircut
Any Atlanta folks up for a split?
@winstoncharles better hurry!
@Winedavid59 @winstoncharles
not much stock offered to play with huh?
I see cases are already sold out.
@winstoncharles did you get one you wanna split ?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Zeppelin Winery Mixed Reds - $30 = 7.13%
/giphy assorted-agreeable-gum
@rjquillin
Did I dood it?
@MarkDaSpark
Likely, if you got a case.
Nooooo I missed it. RIP my palate. Yay my wallett?
Are you kidding me? Sold out already?
@ZeppelinWinery
You’re a pretty popular guy around here!
@ZeppelinWinery
Quit being so stingy with what you allocate for WD to shill for you
/sarc
In for a pair - as with all PS, will be laying down for 5 years or so.
Glad this sold out before I could convince myself to buy more swill