June 2 for me.
Did you get an offer today?
Yes.
Is theirs Pinot worth the price of admission?
imho, no. It’s a $50 Pinot dressed in $125 camouflage.
How would you describe the wine; is it restrained, fruit forward, big and jammy? I’ve never read much about it; what CA producer would you compare it to?
It’s tough to compare this early given that I’ve only sampled the ’12 Boar’s View Pinot once. However, if you compare against the two other Pinot projects vinified by TRB (Aston Estate and Rivers-Marie), I would say that the BV is somewhere in between those two styles. AE is a bigger wine, grapes picked riper, the fruit profile is darker. It has more of an immediate appeal, more fruit-driven w/ less acid. The RM pinots are more restrained, which is more in my wheel house. The ’12 BV when I tasted it was big, but incredibly structured and young. Big, firm tannins, primary flavors of black and red fruits, nice acidic spine, but also very hot. Could definitely taste the alcohol. Very tightly wound, astringent that was tough to coax even after a couple hours in the decanter. Could it be a wonderful wine in 5 years, absolutely! But is it a wine that I would pay $125 for 6x, probably not. Mainly because I enjoy lighter style pinots with a more delicate profile. But when I do opt for a bigger style pinot, I can pay $100 for Cirq and enjoy it with more of an immediate sexy appeal. Or I can continue to spend $150 for Marcassin that has a similar profile, different for sure, but longer track record from that area.
Got an email for it today. Guess a secondary offer because it did not sell out? Not buying.
Anybody buying this secondary offer? Bought the primary offer?
Jason’s description pretty much nails it, although I’d put the RM between the AE and BV. The BV is on the far right of the austerity scale as his note suggests. I don’t know that a blender hyper-decant could unwind this today. Honestly, the inaugural vintage left me a bit confused. This wine is unlike anything I’ve come to know from Schrader or TRB.
Given the proximity to Marcassin, the farming, and the wine-making, I suspect this wine will be great in 5 years. I also presume this is why Helen holds their’s back so long. If I had the funds and inclination, I might keep buying for several years to find out. At this price though, I personally will hold on to what I have and see what happens over the next few years. If it turns out great, I’ll try to get back on the list then.
Got the secondary and I will pass on it just like their initial offering. $125 per bottle will get me some pretty good Burgundy with some age, and I don’t have to gamble (and likely lose) on the Boars’ View rounding into something I will enjoy. Or I could look around and pick up some older Calera or Williams Selyem without the guesswork. I bought some Aston Estate in the initial offering. and it definitely didn’t round into something better for my taste.