[QUOTE=astrocity, post:35, topic:127515]
31 posts and 32 Woots for me. Hmmm Speak softly and carry a big Woot
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that’s an instant w.w CLASSIC! you should make it your sig. wish i could, but i decidedly do NOT speak softly. 
Hmm, it looks like a pretty good selection. I’m going to wait for labrats though and hopefully it doesn’t sell out before then.
Oh boy! I just clicked on two.
I have never been disappointed with any Wine Woot…used to order one, now always two. Hope to be a LabRat.
Mlou
[QUOTE=dgfait, post:39, topic:127515]
Never had any of these varietals, but I’ve had their cab.
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i had heard rumors of cab only winos out there, but i thought they were just a myth - until i saw this. 
I ordered one, with some reservations - I’d love to labrat these.
These wines should be at least good value for money. The Pedroncellis have been making wine in Sonoma County a long time - my family’s Sonoma Country winery days were about 15 years earlier, but 80 years is certainly long enough to know the territory. The Pedroncellis have always made Zin based wines - they were one of the very reliable local producers of ‘d. a. g. o. red’ that was mostly Zin and Carignan (which was mostly what was planted in Sonoma County, along with a little alicante bouchet, after Prohibition).
If I remember correctly, Pedroncelli was one of the last producers to stop using large redwood casks for aging reds. They were always oriented towards the taste of the grapes, rather than the oak/fruit/soil balance of more high end winemakers. In the early 70s, the Pedroncellis - I remember Jim being very active in promoting the wines then - they moved largely from jug wine into varietals, as better grapes were being planted in the Dry Creek and Alexander Valley areas where they had vineyards and sourced grapes.
Their red wines were always far superior to their whites. In fact, about the only time I recall enjoying a Pedroncelli white was at an abalone feed in Santa Rosa round 1973. Jim brought something he was experimenting with that was not commercially available, I think to get reactions. Whatever it was, and unfortunately I don’t remember, was fresh, charming, and went well - but unfortunately the abalone was tough! But, I digress.
So, why am I not a huge enthusiast? I have always found Pedroncelli wines - except a few pinot noirs - to be what I would call ‘rough around the edges.’
Typically, they had very good fruit – you always knew the grapes spoke for themselves, but often very tannic. Now, I like tannic young wines. Sometimes, because they’re great pizza wines (so to speak), and sometimes because they have the promise the wines will age well. It all depends on the balance and finesse.
With Pedroncelli, their charm was as young, bold, and ‘put hair on your chest’ reds to drink with Italian food, or with grilled burgers or kabobs. By themselves, they weren’t civilized and balanced enough for me to choose them over (say) Simi zinfandel or even the best offerings from Sebastiani. The wines did not hold a candle to the upper levels of Napa winemaking, or – to stick with Dry Creek Valley Zin – Paul Draper’s marvelous Zins from the area which he made for Ridge. Just not in the same world. The Petit Sirah was never competition for Concannons or for the Napa PS Ridge made from the York Creek vineyard.
That’s not to say they weren’t (and aren’t) very honest, well-made wines. In recent years, I have only occasionally tried a Pedroncelli wine, because here on the East coast, they’re usually not good values for money, so I don’t see them that much. Most often, I will see and try the the Petite Sirah, which is almost always solid. But, the style has seemed to me fairly consistent, still ‘rough’ compared to other traditionally made Petite Sirahs like Concannon.
I think I’ve only had their sangiovese once, which was a good wine, but heavier than I would want in a Chianti (no surprise here, just fact).
I have not had the merlot, but would expect it to be consistent with their style.
I’m never particularly happy when these wine woots include a merlot, but cause it’s always pretty much a dead loss from my perspective – I give them to people who like merlot or take them to parties.
This pre-(re)view isn’t meant as negative – I did buy some and will probably send my daughter a pack – rather it’s a caution. If you like refined, elegant and exquisitely balanced wine that will age, this is not for you. If you like brawny, honest wines, with a light touch of the winemaker’s hand, try it. Don’t expect wines that will be long agers (even their Cabernets did not do terribly well after they went to sleep at ~6 back in the '70s).
In for 2…
What the heck, its only 12 bucks a bottle…
I’ve stayed away for 3 weeks, so I’ve been pretty good!
Woo Hoo!
And now I’m better than everyone else!
Pedroncelli Quartet
Current numbers (updated each minute):
First sucker: shh64
Speed to first woot: 0m 6.780s
Last wooter to woot: bearbones11
OK, I guess I’m becoming a wooter… In for one, nice variety for the price and they sound like good wines to grill a burger or have with some of my wife’s excellent spaghetti and meat sauce. And at this price, if they become sauce, I won’t feel too bad.
I seem to recall having their “Four Grapes” port at a tasting along with Ficklin…
[QUOTE=rpm, post:45, topic:127515]
I’m never particularly happy when these wine woots include a merlot, but cause it’s always pretty much a dead loss from my perspective – I give them to people who like merlot or take them to parties.
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RPM - I take it you’re not a merlot fan. That said, what do you think of Christian Moieux’s ten-buck merlot? That’s the only merlot at anything near that price point I’ve really enjoyed.
Edit - Err… I mean Moueix. I’m sure I’m the first person to ever misspell THAT name.
[QUOTE=bearbones11, post:49, topic:127515]
RPM - I take it you’re not a merlot fan. That said, what do you think of Christian Moieux’s ten-buck merlot? That’s the only merlot at anything near that price point I’ve really enjoyed.
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Don’t know it. The only Merlot I have ever liked well enough to buy some (3 cases, 2 in magnums) was the 1985 Matanzas Creek. A remarkable wine and a ‘one-off’ of an amazing quality. I tried some subsequent Matanzas Creek Merlots that did not come close. To me, this wine was up there with the two ('47,'48) pinot noirs that Tchelistcheff made that were never equalled. Other than that, there’s always Petrus, but who has that kind of money?
From my perspective, the usefulness of the Merlot grape is to add some aroma to cabernet wines that are too tight nosed, and to soften too-tannic cabernet into reasonably young drinkability – as long as you don’t add so much that the flabbiness and short finish so typical of Merlot spoil an otherwise decent wine.
Not that great a Woot. I can purchase most of these in the $10-11 range at Total Wine & More in Tampa.
As I have tears streaming, and I’m pounding my fist like a baby, I must say “I hate NJ today”
In for 1, what the heck.
[QUOTE=AVHarris, post:37, topic:127515]
I’m in. I only drink Reds and I am a big Zin fanas well. I have some delicious Fontina sitting in the fridge too. Mmmm, Ok I’m ready.
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There was an interesting article in last week’s SF Chronicle wine section about the red/white divide. You can find it here.
[QUOTE=rpm, post:45, topic:127515]
This pre-(re)view isn’t meant as negative – I did buy some and will probably send my daughter a pack – rather it’s a caution. If you like refined, elegant and exquisitely balanced wine that will age, this is not for you. If you like brawny, honest wines, with a light touch of the winemaker’s hand, try it. Don’t expect wines that will be long agers (even their Cabernets did not do terribly well after they went to sleep at ~6 back in the '70s).
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informative background and hopefully you will be a lab rat for one of the non-merlot offerings here as you bring an interesting and knowledgeable perspective. i did have a 2000 northstar merlot last week which was quite good, nice cherry/plum and not flabby from this vantage. it represented the distinctiveness and “fineness” of a quality grape that doesn’t just have to used for blending.
after sitting on the fence last week until the sell out dictated no purchase, this one may be fun as long as expectations are kept balanced. the other dry creek offering i bought (chateau souverain) was one of our best woot purchases.
[QUOTE=evrything4fun, post:469, topic:125980]
Pedroncelli? Been in Dry Creek Valley since 1927…
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Well done =).
[QUOTE=auggie24, post:16, topic:127515]
At $10 (ok $11.25), the quality for the price seems good according the reviews - around 80ish. I hope you weren’t expecting a 90+ for $11.25. Although, if you know where to get that, let us in on the secret…
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I’ve had a few bottles that were high 80s for $12 and under, but no 90’s quite yet…I got a case of them from WL (90+ rated wines for under $12) but none of them has rated a 90 with me just yet. I’m sure they exist, though.
[QUOTE=rpm, post:45, topic:127515]
‘d. a. g. o. red’
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I had written up this medium length paragraph about how, in my book, you could say the word d.a.g.o. or call me whatever other potentially racist terms you’d like without fear of retribution from me or the ACLU, because I thought you had filtered yourself due to sensitivity…but turns out you were just avoiding the woot filter (if I read you correctly, heh.)
[QUOTE=modF, post:52, topic:127515]
As I have tears streaming, and I’m pounding my fist like a baby, I must say “I hate NJ today”
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Little chilly, eh? (NJ resident as well.)
[QUOTE=rpm, post:45, topic:127515]
This pre-(re)view isn’t meant as negative . . .
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Your reviews are well supported to the point that I can use them for judgments where we differ.
On the point. I always do wine with food. Pizza Wine is a positive comment for me. Just as there is a need for refined wine, there is also a need for brawny, honest wine.
Good review. Now, I await the La brats - yeah, even $50 bucks needs some assurance!
Checking in from NY. Oh yeah it’s cold today. Got the smoker going outside with a brisket and assorted fresh sausages. In for one !
I’ve found the Pedroncelli Zins to be a good value for the money. I’ve tried keeping them around longer than the conventional wisdom says I should, and wound up with a mini vertical tasting of the Mother Clone Zins from 1995 and 1996, just a few months ago. Frankly, I had lost them in the back of the cellar, and forgot about them. I was pleasantly surprised with their durability, knowing that they are not generally built to age that well. The tannins had softened beautifully, and there was plenty of the pepper and clove I’ve come to expect from the Dry Creek Zins. Easily the equal of wines at twice the price. Maybe I just got lucky this time, but I’m going to open the '97 and '98 soon, and I’m hoping for the best.
In for 2, hoping for labrat luck.