Gård Vintners Washington Whites (6)

[rjquillin]

How is this shipping?
UPS or FedEx?

Yes, I know WCC ships FedEx, but I believe April was a direct winery shipment.

I had a lengthy exchange last April with Lisa and ended up missing out, as it was scheduled to ship UPS, and at the time that for me wouldn’t work at all, to my disappointment. Perhaps this time.

[83fxwg]

I picked up a case the last time it was offered and really enjoyed most of it (haven’t got to the Riesling). The Freyja (not offered) was outstanding. I actually liked the Pinot Gris, but as I believe someone already mentioned you just couldn’t serve it too cold or it would blow out the very delicate flavors. The dry Riesling was was a nice compromise for those that don’t like sweeter wines, but enjoy the Riesling flavor profile.

[lisat5]

@rjquillin

How is this shipping?
UPS or FedEx?

Yes, I know WCC ships FedEx, but I believe April was a direct winery shipment.

I had a lengthy exchange last April with Lisa and ended up missing out, as it was scheduled to ship UPS, and at the time that for me wouldn’t work at all, to my disappointment. Perhaps this time.

Hello again! Thanks for your interest. We’re shipping FedEx this time!

[lisat5]

@Moondragon

So would the Altruism make a good multipurpose wine: summer sipping as well as food-pairing?

Yes, the Altruism Riesling is semi dry/slightly sweet and makes for a great summer sipper. Also very food-friendly. Rated “Best Buy” and “Recommended” from Wine Press NW. More info: Gard Vintners: Fine Washington wines produced by Lawrence Cellars

[lisat5]

@ThunderThighs

cough Summer Shipping cough

The previous offer was during the cooler months. Just gonna point that out. Also, while two of the wines are the same, the Dry Riesling is different.

Actually, the 09 Altruism Riesling is the only wine that appeared in both Woot promotions. The Dry Riesling is different vintage - 2009 in this offer - and the 2009 Pinot Gris wasn’t in the first offer. All wines are vineyard designate - estate grown, in fact - at Lawrence Vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

[lisat5]

@83fxwg

I picked up a case the last time it was offered and really enjoyed most of it (haven’t got to the Riesling). The Freyja (not offered) was outstanding. I actually liked the Pinot Gris, but as I believe someone already mentioned you just couldn’t serve it too cold or it would blow out the very delicate flavors. The dry Riesling was was a nice compromise for those that don’t like sweeter wines, but enjoy the Riesling flavor profile.

Thanks! Love to hear that you enjoyed the Freyja! Yes, I agree with the comments that these wines should be chilled, but not too cold or you might lose some of the subtleties. The Dry Riesling and Pinot Gris are on the dry side - the Altruism Riesling is semi-dry, but the slight sweetness is balanced well with the acidity.

[lisat5]

@North316

As I started typing this, I realized that it may not be all that helpful at all. I also purchased the case offering previously. So far I have only tried the Riesling (which is not the same one offered here) and the Freyja, which is not offered here at all. These were both good wines and worth the price paid then ($9/btl). The Riesling wasn’t my favorite Riesling but was pleasant enough and didn’t appear to have any major flaws, I was just hoping for more because I tend to like my wines on the sweeter side. The Freyja was actually very good. The wife and I drank it while in the pool on a 95 degree day and it was quite refreshing. We haven’t tried the Dry Riesling or the PG, but I am looking forward to the Dry Riesling (not a big fan of PG).

Though this is a slightly different offering, and does have some Vinyard designate wines, you can expect some decent wines. I wouldn’t expect any of these to blow you away, but they shouldn’t disappoint either. I know they are different, and summer shipping is in effect, but the increase from $8.75 to $13.33 per bottle on the offering seems a little steep for me. It is still a decent deal, just not as good of a QPR as the last offering.

Thanks for picking up Gard on the last offer. Yes, our white wines tend to be on the drier, less sweet side. 09 Altruism Riesling is the sweetest wine offered here at 1.6% residual sugars - considered semi-dry, but the acidity might mask some of the sweetness making it appear a little drier than expected. Still a fantastic wine, great summer sipper.

All Gard wines are vineyard designate - Lawrence Vineyards - our estate vineyard on the Royal Slope of the Columbia Valley (see www.lawrencevineyards.com.

Sorry we couldn’t match the screaming deal of our first Wine.Woot offering - we wanted to make a big splash on the site for our first go 'round! Hoping that doesn’t dissuade you from this offer - still at a good price.

[lisat5]

@cmaldoon

I got the previous offer of a case from Gård and here’s my take:

The altruism Riesling is a simple wine, semi sweet. Typical low to mid end Riesling noting special but pleasant

I did not like the altruism Pinot Gris at all, not enough concentration of flavor, mine was like water. That being said, this is not the altruism but rather a vineyard designate which is hopefully better.

The dry riesling was FANTASTIC. One of the more complex whites I have had the pleasure of enjoying. The case had the previous year but I’d expect them to be similar.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for picking up Gard on our last offer. Glad to hear you enjoyed our Dry Riesling - I’d say that’s our flagship white wine, and the 2008 and 2009 are very similar in style.

Yes, this is a completely different Pinot Gris than the last order - it’s a very unique wine, aged 6 months on 100% new French oak puncheons (super big barrels) whereas the Altruism Pinot Gris from the last offer was done on stainless steel. More info: Gard Vintners: Fine Washington wines produced by Lawrence Cellars

[sdilullo]

We bought the sampler back in April. While these aren’t amazing 90+ pt bottles, they’re all quite decent - though the QPR (4/3 offer was $8.75/btl, whereas it’s now $13.33/btl) was certainly better that time.

My (pairing w/food) notes on these:

Dry Riesling…

• Dryness was nice with baked tilapia and red skin potatoes with green beans
• Indeed quite dry, but decent with chili/lime panko tilapia

Altruism Riesling…

• Good with sesame chicken and green beans
• Decent pairing with teryaki chicken and spring rolls

Pinot Gris…

• A tad dry, improved after being opened for an hour or two

I know these aren’t the exact same wines but I suspect there enough similarities for this to be at least a decent general guide. Not going in this time as I just ordered 10 bottles of Triacipedis… but it’s probably worth an order if you’re interested and/or a big white drinker.