Denier-Handal Dry Creek Valley Red Blend 4-Pack
$64.99 $120.00 46% off List Price
2011 Denier-Handal Limited Release Red Wine Blend, Family Selection, Dry Creek Valley
CT link above
HELLO dear Wine.Wooters! Glad to be piping in on this very small batch wine offering…many of you know I’m close to the Handal family so…my 2 cents.
7 months ago, this wine wasn’t ready to show it’s beauty. NOW is smokin’ good. I’ve had this bottle open quite a bit over the past month - it’s a true “table wine with a nice grip”. Love how it’s developed this year into big flavor with a long and inviting finish.
I think it’s perfect for the cooler weather meals - I’m talking the amazing one-pot slow cooked stews and such. We had it last Friday night with an Italian Sausage and Piquillo ragu dish and it was a great match.
Anything with Dick Handal and Peter Welington involved is worth it, even sight unseen, or untasted. First sucker, first time ever!
EDIT: LW says I’ve been first sucker before, but she’s been drinking, so who knows?
Would LOVE to buy some but will be out of town for almost two weeks. Nothing like missed shipment notices help scream “No one here.”
[QUOTE=texacaliali, post:3, topic:435313]
HELLO dear Wine.Wooters! Glad to be piping in on this very small batch wine offering…many of you know I’m close to the Handal family so…my 2 cents.
7 months ago, this wine wasn’t ready to show it’s beauty. NOW is smokin’ good. I’ve had this bottle open quite a bit over the past month - it’s a true “table wine with a nice grip”. Love how it’s developed this year into big flavor with a long and inviting finish.
I think it’s perfect for the cooler weather meals - I’m talking the amazing one-pot slow cooked stews and such. We had it last Friday night with an Italian Sausage and Piquillo ragu dish and it was a great match.
[/quote]
Sounds like it might be good with the Turkish lamb and quince stew I made last week, and drove bahwm crazy with the aromas. Maybe I should order more?
[QUOTE=ddeuddeg, post:6, topic:435313]
Sounds like it might be good with the Turkish lamb and quince stew I made last week, and drove bahwm crazy with the aromas. Maybe I should order more?
[/quote]
you had me at Turkish lamb & quince stew!
Hello all, been a long time since I have popped on with tasting notes. Happen to have a bottle of this as I got to say hello to the Handal family recently.
The bottle rode on a plane with me which landed at 7:30 and was open by 8:30 :).
2011 Handal Red Wine Blend
My notes align well with the description and Texicali Ali’s notes. PnP, color is fairly dense for the blend. Nose is dark brambly red fruit with a hint of some dusty earth and cinnamon. She says nutmeg/clove. No perceptible heat on the nose. Palate is full and rich with medium acid and medium plus tannin. Finish is dry with some chewy tannins (think petite sirah here). Picking up dense cherry, pomegranate, and a bit of a candied fruit layer. Quite smooth on the front and pick up heft through the mid palate to the finish.
As the wine opens up the finish softens. This is just a really nice drinking wine. Great for any night of the week when you want to kick back and have dinner, and a wine for after dinner.
Solid price point on a solid wine. Recommended. Still drinking this now, so I’ll pop on in the morning if I have anything else to add. Great family, great winemaker, great vineyard… what else do you need?
[QUOTE=ddeuddeg, post:6, topic:435313]
Sounds like it might be good with the Turkish lamb and quince stew I made last week, and drove bahwm crazy with the aromas. Maybe I should order more?
[/quote]
Yes, yes it would. And probably so…
[QUOTE=texacaliali, post:7, topic:435313]
you had me at Turkish lamb & quince stew!
[/quote]
I’ll send you the recipe–it certainly is yummy! 
I was just going to post: Handel-Denier Vineyard and Peter Wellington as winemaker, how can you go wrong? Then, I read ddeuddeg’s post! I give up. I’m going to bed, knowing that he has already ordered!
been away for awhile, not following threads…
how should i interpret the past tense in the tagline for texacaliali “WineDavid was my Boss!”
one of them no longer working for woot???
[QUOTE=dfstineh, post:12, topic:435313]
been away for awhile, not following threads…
how should i interpret the past tense in the tagline for texacaliali “WineDavid was my Boss!”
one of them no longer working for woot???
[/quote]
She’s on to new ventures. It’s all good!
[QUOTE=bahwm, post:13, topic:435313]
She’s on to new ventures. It’s all good!
[/quote]
oh yes, all is fantastic with WD and my little world of wine!
Keep trying to buy and it takes me to the login to Amazon window. I use my Amazon login and it tells me I am lucky to already have a linked account. But CANNOT buy anything. NOTHING goes to cart.
HELP PLEASE
Got it to work with my alternate Amazon Acct. At least my wife won’t see the bill.
[QUOTE=troman1056, post:15, topic:435313]
Keep trying to buy and it takes me to the login to Amazon window. I use my Amazon login and it tells me I am lucky to already have a linked account. But CANNOT buy anything. NOTHING goes to cart.
HELP PLEASE
Got it to work with my alternate Amazon Acct. At least my wife won’t see the bill.
[/quote]
I was going to see if I could duplicate the issue but was already logged in with my Amazon payments account from having just purchased more Beehive cheese, so it went right to the final checkout screen.
Glad you got it to work and it’s a stealth buy? Bonus! 
Very interested in this wine. Our family has been enjoying a somewhat similar blend for many years from Limerick Lane called 1023 which is nominally 50/50 Zinfandel and Syrah; although the folks at the winery tell us when we visit that the blend actually changes every year.
Can Peter or anyone else out there who knows give me an idea of how long this could age before going downhill? We had a bottle of 2004 1023 recently which was still drinking very nicely, but it is from the RRV and at an entirely different price point. Any help would be appreciated as it will help to inform how much I buy.
Is the 4.00 pH accurate? If so it is hard to imagine it as a good food wine with a 15.0% ABV.
Only one guy’s thoughts
[QUOTE=tenoreprimo, post:18, topic:435313]
Is the 4.00 pH accurate? If so it is hard to imagine it as a good food wine with a 15.0% ABV.
Only one guy’s thoughts
[/quote]
My thoughts exactly. So, two people’s thoughts.
[QUOTE=tenoreprimo, post:18, topic:435313]
Is the 4.00 pH accurate? If so it is hard to imagine it as a good food wine with a 15.0% ABV.
Only one guy’s thoughts
[/quote]
This was my first thought as well…
Is Peter coming on over to discuss this today