Wine & Spirits Bargains at the PLCB (Part 1)

[mike volker]

Katie,

Glad you liked the wine, I was pretty sure that you would. I'm obviously pretty new to the board, but do we ever get together at a BYOB restaurant and meet each other?

Best,

Mike

[mrbigjas]

After D's column on the Cuvee de Pena sold out the stores I found Hand Picked Selections online. Wine Cellar in Cinnaminson had it for $5.95. Check the HPS web site and you will find their top forty and all are reasonable. Their "The Fifteen" grenache was a Chairman's Selection a couple months ago at $10(down from $15), its a great QPR at that price. Here's the email for Wine Cellar, it's probably cheaper over there and cinnaminson is not that far from Philly. regalwine@aol.com

Best,

Mike

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thanks for the recommendation, mike. i got a couple bottles of 'the fifteen' when it was the chairman's selection but i wasn't a huge fan of it. if course i can't keep a thought in my head for more than about 15 minutes, so i don't remember what it was that i didn't like about it.

and to answer your other question, yes, us folks on the PA board do get together from time to time. check out the pizza club thread.

I got news for you - I'm not swilling $25 bottles of wine every night either.  But I will certainly pick up a good selection of them when they're on sale and save them for BYO dinners and such.  The everyday wine is exactly that.  And usually in the $8-13 range.  While I don't work for a non-profit, it feels that way when I look at my paycheck. 

you have a point there. i gotta figure out a way for better storage in my house.

The Trilogy was delicious.  Big fat juicy Bordeaux blend.  Lots of fruit and very silky.  As soon as I read the back label I knew it needed Neanderthal meat with it.  As soon as it was opened and I tasted it, I knew that ordering the lamb chops was a good thing.  Big fat juicy Bordeaux blend.  Lots of fruit and very silky.  A lot of those "darker" notes like cocoa, leather and tobacco as well as bright notes of dark fruits like black cherries and plums.  Delicious wine and I'd recommend picking up a bottle or two whilst it's still a bargain.  My thanks to Mike for the recommendation.  Good call.

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will do. thanks to both of you.

[herbacidal]

you have a point there.  i gotta figure out a way for better storage in my house.

will do.  thanks to both of you.

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You got a basement? I just threw my wine in there. Horizontal of course. Most of the bottles from the last time I bought wine (with Katie, about a year ago) are still there.

Temp's good as long as you're out of the sunlight and away from the hot water heater.

[mrbigjas]

You got a basement?  I just threw my wine in there.  Horizontal of course.  Most of the bottles from the last time I bought wine (with Katie, about a year ago) are still there. 

Temp's good as long as you're out of the sunlight and away from the hot water heater.

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my basement is ok. but the dryer and the hot water heater and the dehumidifier are all down there creating heat. as are the cat boxes, a sump pump, and a crawl space under the kitchen, creating smells.

in other words, the temp is usually ok but not always (it's cool in winter because it's underground, and cool in summer because the a/c is based down there, but it can heat up occasionally when the dryer runs). and there are stinky fumes from the cat boxes. really one fifty-bottle wine fridge would be perfect, would fit upstairs, and they aren't that expensive. i might have to look into that.

otoh i recently opened a 1995 sterling diamond mountain ranch cab that i bought in 1999 and which had been sitting down there ever since, and it was freaking great. so maybe i shouldn't worry about it so much. that was a real nice wine, made for aging, unlike what i hear about so many california cabs these days. it could have sat around longer. wish i had a few more bottles of it. but whatever.

[KatieLoeb]

thanks for the recommendation, mike. i got a couple bottles of 'the fifteen' when it was the chairman's selection but i wasn't a huge fan of it. if course i can't keep a thought in my head for more than about 15 minutes, so i don't remember what it was that i didn't like about it.

James:

Is it possible you're just not a fan of Grenache? I mean - I love the stuff but maybe it's too lightweight and "strawberry-y" for your palate. Are there other Grenache that you normally like? Grenache tends to ripen with pretty high sugar levels so it ferments into wine that's slightly sweet, fruity, high in alcohol and low in tannins. Maybe it's just not your favorite grape/wine style? Not to worry. There's many others to explore and make friends with.

Most of the bottles from the last time I bought wine (with Katie, about a year ago) are still there

Herb. Dude. We gotta get you outta the house more often.

Glad you liked the wine, I was pretty sure that you would. I'm obviously pretty new to the board, but do we ever get together at a BYOB restaurant and meet each other?

Mike:

My thanks for the heads up. We obviously have similar taste and I'd love to raise a glass with you in person sometime soon. We do hang out and eat and drink with some frequency so keep your eyes peeled on this forum for news of upcoming Philly Pholk get togethers. Pizza Club is always good for some laughs and good eats and drinks and DDC gets together as often as someone can plan and execute a dinner. I'm working on something for early-mid October in that regard, so hopefully you'll be able to make it then. And of course you are always welcome to stop by Rouge and introduce yourself if in the neighborhood. I'm there most of the time...

[mrbigjas]

James:

Is it possible you're just not a fan of Grenache?  I mean - I love the stuff but maybe it's too lightweight and "strawberry-y" for your palate.  Are there other Grenache that you normally like?  Grenache tends to ripen with pretty high sugar levels so it ferments into wine that's slightly sweet, fruity, high in alcohol and low in tannins.  Maybe it's just not your favorite grape/wine style?  Not to worry.  There's many others to explore and make friends with. 

could be. i don't know that i've had many 100% grenache wines, although i like many of the wines i've had that have grenache as one of the grapes in the blend. i'll have to look into it some more.

[mike volker]

I have a passive cellar in the basement that works pretty well. I would highly recommend that you get Jeff Cox's "Cellaring Wine"(available at amazon.com). This is the best book I have ever read on the subject, its easy to read and runs the gamut from why to how to what to cellar. Its lots of fun.

Best,

Mike

[mrbigjas]

thanks, mike. i'll look into it. generally speaking i buy wines that are ready to drink when i buy them, but i like to keep some age-able things around.

[katbert]

I was at amateur night for wine tasting tonight; rules were red, <$20. There wasn't a set # of ppl showing up and we ended up with 10 bottles including one made by the host's father. This was probably (ok definitely) too many and we had a fair number of dropouts before the end. From ~10 opinions that managed to get through all the bottles, the top three were (in order) Clos du Bois merlot 2000, T Vine something '95 (mostly grenache), Pedroncelli cab 2000 (I brought it but didn't know anything about it beforehand). The T Vine snuck in at the end around the price rule since it's not like one can just go to the store & pick it up. yum.

Since everyone's been talking about it, I also picked up some of the Trilogy- they have one case at the 19th street store & >1 at the 13th st superstore. The staff at the stores are really into it also. Since we're sharing storage stories, I don't have a basement so mine is currently going into the lesser used drawers of one of my dressers & a drawer in a bookshelf. My collection rate > consumption rate so I'm going to either expand into the closet or go to more byos. Also I think I've tasted more wine in the last month (there was a trip to the Finger Lakes region) than I've ever tasted in my life previous to that. I'm starting to like it more.

[glepore]

Pedroncelli cab 2000 (I brought it but didn't know anything about it beforehand). The T Vine snuck in at the end around the price rule since it's not like one can just go to the store & pick it up. yum.

Had the Pedroncelli last night-quite a deal at 11 bucks-color's a little light, but plenty of fruit and enough tannin/structure to last a while. At that price, I'm surely going to get more.

[percyn]

Katie,

Tried a bottle last night and it was better than I expected. Wish I had bought another case of Trilogy when it was available though. Thanks for your Help.

Best, Mike

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Mike,

I just bought a couple bottles of the 2000 Trilogy. If you are still looking for a case, PM me and I will tell you were they have a couple cases left.

Has anyone tried the Miner Syrah for $16.99 (normally $35)?

[mike volker]

Thanks, but Collegeville just got the Trilogy back in again. Also the Iron Horse PN 2001 $18 and the Arrowood Syrah 2000 $18 are very good for the money.

Best,

Mike

[KatieLoeb]

I've finally discovered the link for the Chairman's Selections page of the PLCB website. I'm not sure how often it's updated, but since I have spies in the managers of the two local stores, I get a heads up on some things before they come out.

I've tried all of these in the last couple of weeks:

St. Francis Merlot Reserve Behler Vineyard 2000 $17.99

Dry Creek Merlot Reserve 2000 $12.99

St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon Nuns Canyon Reserve 2000 $17.99

Each one of these has been delicious and a real bargain. I've had those Pedroncelli wines before and those are a killer buy as well.

On deck for the next round of Chairman's Selections:

Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon Library Selection 1992 $19.99.

My friend Marnie Old spoiled this for all of us that would snap it all up by posting this as her "Selection of the Month" in the latest issue of Philadelphia Magazine. (Marnie!!! ) Nab it when you can or talk to the wine manager at your local store to see if they'll give you a heads up when it comes in. It's going to go at lightning speed and is an absurd price for 14 year old already-aged-for-you-at-the-winery Cabernet. Should be in either end of October or early November my sources tell me.

[glepore]

Each one of these has been delicious and a real bargain.  I've had those Pedroncelli wines before and those are a killer buy as well.

On deck for the next round of Chairman's Selections:

Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon Library Selection 1992 $19.99.

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Wow-the last deal like that was maybe 5 yrs ago or so when the specialty stores had mags of Wm Hill cabs from 82-84 for 25 bucks. Still have one or two of those, but I'll have to bribe the specialty wine guy in Lansdale to grab a couple of the Burgess for me.

Katie, is the Pedroncelli Zin as good as the cab?-I'm spending so much on these "wine glut" bargains that I need to start prioritizing.

[mike volker]

Thanks Katie, I think I"ll go over right now and try to reserve a case or two when it comes in. I almost missed the Sette Ponti Oreno in July it went so fast(someone was buying up every bottle in the state, but they managed to get me five bottles that got missed).

Best,

Mike

[KatieLoeb]

Katie, is the Pedroncelli Zin as good as the cab?-I'm spending so much on these "wine glut" bargains that I need to start prioritizing.

The Pedroncelli Cab is basically at about half price right now (it's normally $22), so from that perspective it's a "bigger/better" bargain. But that Zin at $9.99 makes it perfect for "grab-and-go" to BYOB of your choice or to take to someone's house for dinner without breaking the bank. Even at it's regular price of $14.50 it's a pretty good value.

[lancastermike]

I picked up abottle of Willamette Valley 2001 Pinot Noir for 8.99 and it was great. This being my favorite grape, I really liked it. Not sure what the regular price is but it was a bargain. I find myself drinking more and more Oregon and Washington wine these days. i am a real value wine shopper and I think these areas offer very good value. In Lancaster we have a wine superstore and they had a stock of Duck Pond Pinot Grigio which my wife drank up all summer. Not one of my favorites but again it was real good value

[KatieLoeb]

The Bad News:

The first round of the 1992 Burgess Library Selection Cabernet at 12th & Chestnut Specialty store was pre-sold, apparently they got 3 cases and ONE person bought all 36 bottles . I'm told they might be getting more. Jenkintown and Germantown stores are also already sold out but supposedly getting more next week.

I looked up this wine on the Burgess website. It's $48 AT THE WINERY! It's less than half price here in PA.

Befriend ye your local PLCB Wine Manager. This stuff is FLYING out of the stores, aided no doubt, by the mention in Philadelphia Magazine.

The Good News:

A whole line of the Burgess wines are part of the upcoming Chairman's selections for this month. I have the list of what's on deck at home. Will post later.

[percyn]

The Bad News:

The first round of the 1992 Burgess Library Selection Cabernet at 12th & Chestnut Specialty store was pre-sold, apparently they got 3 cases and ONE person bought all 36 bottles      .  I'm told they might be getting more.  Jenkintown and Germantown stores are also already sold out but supposedly getting more next week.

I lucked out on Thursday and bought a bottle of the 1992 Burgess Cab, to see if I liked it, before I bought more. Opend and enjoyed it last night and when I went back this morning to buy more, the 1992 was replaced with a 2000

BTW, I was there Thursday to buy a case of Trilogy 2000, but they were all sold out and as of Thursday there were only 4 cases of the Trilogy in PA (1 is being held for me, so it is down to 3).

[mike volker]

I picked up my case of the '92 Burgess this afternoon and the first bottle is decanting right now. Collegeville got 24 bottles but the other twelve were being shipped out to another store. I just took my first taste .

Thanks for the heads up Katie.

Best,

Mike

[KatieLoeb]

I snagged a six bottle half case today at the very nice PLCB store in Norristown that I hadn't ever had the priviledge of visiting. Very nice well stocked store! Pizza Club was right around the corner this afternoon, so after what seemed like a hundred phone calls yesterday, I was pleased to locate some right near where I knew I would be today. The store Manager was very nice about holding it for me.

I probably won't get to have my first bottle until possibly tomorrow evening or later in the week. Glad you guys are enjoying yours though! I will continue my dogged bloodhound-like hunt for more bottles and keep you all abreast of any successes. After I've picked up mine of course.

[mike volker]

Katie,

FWIW, I started drinking at about the two hr mark and it seemed to reach its peak at about five hrs after decanting. Glad you found some.

Best,

Mike

[KatieLoeb]

Katie,

FWIW, I started drinking at about the two hr mark and it seemed to reach its peak at about five hrs after decanting. Glad you found some.

Best,

Mike

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Mike:

That sounds amazing. I'll have to plan the bottle around that time frame then. Open early - decant - drink later.

I'm gifting one of my bottles to friends that just got married last weekend along with a set of 8 Riedel glasses. I think they'll enjoy it too!

[percyn]

Looks like the 1992 Burgees Cab went quick...my local premium store said that they *might* get some in a few weeks. Picked up some Burgees 2000 Syrah and Zin, anyone try those yet?

BTW, I think there is 1 bottle of Trilogy 2000 left in the Collegeville store. Sorry, I picked up the last case from there yesterday.

[KatieLoeb]

Shhhhhhh....Can you all keep a secret? I got a clandestine phone call from Marnie this afternoon and she told me she was standing in front of several cases of the Burgess Cabernet at the 12th & Chestnut store and it wasn't even out on the floor yet. I'll call first thing in the morning and confirm and report back...

The other Burgess wines are on my "Coming soon" list. If they're already out I'll have to go check out some of those as well. I haven't had the pleasure yet but they're priced so reasonably how can you go wrong? The 2000 Cab is is $12.99 and got an 88 in the Wine Dictator; the 2000 Syrah is $9.99 and got an 87 in the same publication. Although I haven't tried these particular vintages, I know Burgess to be very consistent and well repsected. At those prices it's worth a little experimentation.

I promised to post this a few days ago and here's my first chance. I have included as much information as I have on each wine including any high scores from the wine press. I qualify this by saying I have not tried all of these wines. It's a dirty job and I'm just the woman to handle it - I'm going to do my damndest to try! YMMV from said media reviews, but with the winery and vintage you should be able to Google further info and/or tasting notes and see what sounds like it's up your personal taste alley. All wines may not be available at all PLCB Specialty stores.

Also supposedly "Coming Soon to a PLCB Specialty store near you" (and maybe these wines are all arriving now) are:

- Burgess Zinfandel Napa Valley 2000, $7.99 (regularly $22, 90 pts and Editor's Choice" Wine Enthusiast)

- St. Supery Meritage Red 1999 @ $22.99 (regularly $50)

- Gainey Vineyard Limited Selection Chardonnay 2001, $12.99 (regularly $28)

- Gainey Vineyard Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2002, $11.99 (regularly $21.49)

- Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ 2004, $11.99 (regularly $17)

- Kim Crawford Pinot Noir Marlborough Anderson Vineyard 2002, $14.99 (regularly $34)

- Kuleto Villa Sangiovese 2000, $11.99 (regularly $24-88 points International Wine Cellar)

- Hogue Syrah Genesis 2000, $8.99 (regularly $18.89 - 88 pts. Wine Spectator)

- Hanna Cabernet Sauvignon Bismarck Ranch Vineyard 1999, $19.99 (regularly $62!!!! 92 pts. Wine & Spirits, 89 pts Wine Spectator)

- Pine Ridge Merlot Crimson Creek 2000, $12.99 (regularly $30)

- Domaine Carneros by Tattinger "Le Reve" Brut 1997, $12.99 (regularly $28 - 90 pts. Wine Advocate)

- Sette Ponti Toscana Oreno 2000, $39.99 (regularly $90!!! 92 pts Wine Spectator)

- Toasted Head Russian River Chardonnay 2002, $10.49 (regularly $16.50 - 91 points Wine & Spirits)

- Vina Almaviva Puente Alto 2001, $49.99 (regularly $80 - 95 pts Wine Spectator)

- Vinas del Monstant "Fra Guerau" 2001, $7.99 (regularly $$18.99 - 88 pts Wine Spectator)

That ought to keep you all busy for awhile!

Let's compare notes on any of these that we are able to locate, OK??