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So a couple of times Sam has told me about Wines Til Sold Out, which is a site that sells one wine at a discount until they are sold out, then they offer a new wine until it is sold out. It took me a month to figure what he meant exactly, and then I subscribed to their mailings and get two or three emails a day touting the wines.
They generally give you free shipping on three or four bottles and Sam takes fliers here and there on wines around $10 or $15. Thus I saw the Thumbprint up, a Russian River Valley wine for $12 a bottle, so we split 4 bottles. I emailed Sam about them a few days back and he did not like it.
I popped a bottle tonight to try it with my friends Clara and Aaron. At first I thought Sam was wrong, but it had a very alcoholic nose with hints of cranberry and cedar. A little bitter on the palate with muted fruit. I agree with Sam as it tastes like a cheap Pinot.
8 comments:
Alex, FYI, the price paid for this wine was $21.99 with free shipping. If we had paid $12 for the wine, I would have had a different opinion...
Thank you for reminding me how much we spent. What a rip!
Can you tell me where you found this wine with free shipping? I went to the Wines Til Sold Out website but I didn't see it.
I really like this wine. We had it as part of a Sonoma County Pinot Noir tasting and I thought it had great balance, with the ripe cherry of California and an earthy, forest-mushroom note that reminded me of Burgundy. I also really liked the gentle mouthfeel; the tannins were particularly well-managed. I'm sorry you guys didn't like it but maybe you didn't account for bottle shock. I never open wines for at least two weeks after I receive them. If you have another bottle, maybe try it a couple weeks from now, give it 20 minutes to breathe and see if you like it more.
I sure wish I could buy it at the prices you mention! The only Thumbprint Pinot on the winery's website right now sells for $45 -- and no free shipping either.
@wine rocks: glad you liked the wine. it actually came up again on Wines Til Sold out. The point of the site is that they post a wine at discount until it sells out, then post a new one - so you only buy 1 wine until it is sold out.
good luck finding it. I do have another bottle and am waiting until the fall to try it.
This is a complex Burgundy style Pinot Noir that requires patience and understanding. This is not a "pop the top and chug it" wine.
It is a classic food wine, with brilliant cherry aromas and flavors that open up beautifully with ripe strawberry flavors and soft tannins expressed when I taste this wine.
Certainly not a 'cheap pinot' if you know anything about Pinots from the Russian River Valley. Judges at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair awarded this exact wine a Silver medal against ALL other Sonoma County Pinots! I paid $36 for my bottle at the tasting room, I did store it properly and did not subject it to extreme temperatures while shipping it in JULY! Of course they offer free shipping! I enjoyed my bottle very much with a grilled pork chop topped with sauteed mushroom and saffron risotto. I've NEVER tasted ANY $12 bottle of wine this good!
I would recommend to you gentlemen to perhaps reconsider purchasing wine from the stupid website you mentioned that seems to think it is alright to ship wine in JULY!!!!!! You guys think your shipment may have been heat spoiled? I think so!
@jenakastar: Thank you for your comment. From which part of Burgundy would you compare the Thumbprint to? I generally do not drink a lot of Burgundy because of the price, but I am interested to hear your thoughts. We just had a great Santenay (which I think I reviewed), that goes for about $56 on the BONDA list.
Pretty sure the Thumbprint was shipped AIR in June, but didn't receive the shipment. Our total cost was $21.95 a bottle. Had I paid $36, I would have been more disappointed with the wine.
I am familiar with Russian River Pinots, I just didn't like this one, but that is the great thing about wine - there is one to suit every palate! I wouldn't think the saffron would be a great compliment to the wine, but I could see the earthiness of the mushrooms working - perhaps you had a different vintage?
The corks were intact, so no heat spoilage, but you never know. @wine rocks really liked the wine as well, so maybe it was an off bottle. As I mentioned, I have another that I will try in September.
As far as $12 Pinots, there are some great ones from Australia (Tasmania) one in particular Tamar Ridge, and from New Zealand called Rimu Grove (which I reviewed in May).
Thanks again for your comments. This review has generated the most controversy so far!
I've had many a bottle of this. In fact, it was one of the wines that finally woke me up my taste buds. It was the beginning of a wonderful journey where I discovered that wines out of the sub-$12 range could enrichen your life. You just have to let them breathe... I usually let my Thumb Pinot stand at least 20 minutes. When it opens up, it's a wonderful world.
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