Update on Bob Cabral, former winemaker for Williams Selyem

This is for those wanting to track Bob Cabral,the former winemaker for Williams Selyem from 1998-2015, before Jeff Mangahas took over in 2015. Here’s an update:

Bob Cabral Wines: After making wine since the 1970s, Bob Cabral is returning to the grassroots approach that got him excited about winemaking in the first place. Proprietary names are used for each wine, with each of the names having a personal meaning and significance. There are subtle elements of Bob’s fascination with old concert posters in the label art. The inaugural releases were from the 2015 vintage. The wines are sold exclusively through a mailing list at www.bobcabralwines.com.

Bob also makes Game of Thrones wine.

The Wine Makers podcast did two podcast with him recently. The first covered Three Sticks Winery and the second one covered his own brand.

Thanks for the update.
I liked many of the wines he made for Williams Selyem, so I took a look at the web-site, despite not needing another mailing list to add to my collection.

No shipping to my state and pricing above my threshold.
For those who will ask:
$125 for Pinot (RRV);
$100 for Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast); and
$75 for Rose of Pinot Noir (RRV).

I have to say, this gives the impression that it’s all about marketing:

$75 for a rosé? WTF!

Not really. Proprietary names are a marketing challenge. The cache of his name along with the price points he’s set are the marketing, implying high quality and limited quantity. Defying the conventional wisdom that SVDs are universally the zenith of quality can turn off a lot of potential customers.

Gotta love Michael Jordan, MS, for this impressive bit of schooling:

Cabral is also the only person in the world to make a 100 point Pinot Noir from California, and there has only been one ever.

Do you pay $75 for any wine?

This title sounded like he was recovering from an illness!!

That’s nonsense - I’ve given lots of California Pinots 100 points, especially after the 5th glass.

Wes - What I was trying to say is that highlighting proprietary names with “meaning and significance” and cool labels that mean something to the winemaker is a side of California wine that really makes me want to gag. It makes it sound like the business plan began with marketing and the wines are an afterthought.

Maybe the wines are great, and I’m sure this is a sensible business approach when you’re trying to sell debut wines at these price points. But it still annoys me.

But I guess I’m not the target market.

Lots

That’s what I was thinking.

I think Donum’s Rosé is $75

Who? WTFx2!

I agree Barry. Could have worded it differently. When I got this info, I had just read a thread that had to do with Bob and Jeff Mangahas, his predecessor and I’m thinking here’s an update on Bob`s whereabouts; thru. the “Update”.