Thank you for having us back for the second year, we’re excited to be here!! Happy shopping, Berserkers, and here’s to an epic BD15 
WHO WE ARE: What’s up, Berserkers? My name is Elise Nerlove and I’m one half of a father/daughter duo crafting killer wines since 1983. We specialize in Estate Grown Burgundian-style Pinot Noir, farmed organically on our homestead/vineyard/Micro-Winery in the wild hills of southeast Napa Valley. We produce just under 1,000 cases of wine a year. You won’t find our wines in any wine shops or restaurants – we’re 100% direct-to-consumer, with most folks receiving a bi-annual allocation of wines through our wine club. Our Pinot Noir is like a secret handshake – and that’s the way we like it.
WHY WE’RE HERE: Like most small businesses, the pandemic taught us to think beyond tourism and wine events. Last year, we discovered WineBerserkers. A community of people who participate and support Micro-wineries? We wish we’d found you sooner! We’re thrilled to be participating in Berserker Day for the second year – a great event supporting small producers.
WHAT WE DO: When we’re not nurturing grapevines, we’re busting balls and taking names at the local government level. Say hello to the rebels of Save the Family Farms – that’s us…seriously. We started the Micro-Winery movement and organization in Napa County in 2017. We don’t just make wine; we make a statement. In 2022, after 5 years of busting balls and taking names we successfully passed the Micro-Winery Ordinance in Napa County in the name of preserving the small family farms (which are becoming increasingly rare in a land of corporate takeovers). It was a real donnybrook, but we did it. Read more about our story and our work at the bottom of the offer, but for now, let’s get to the good stuff….
BONUS RAFFLE: everyone who orders AND comments on this thread will be entered into a raffle and one lucky person will win a box of our famous Pinot Noir infused truffles.
(Unfortunately cannot to ship to AK, HI, UT, MS)
Offer One: Elkhorn Peak “Busting Balls” 6-Pack (25% discount + FREE SHIPPING)
Use coupon code: BD15-6 at checkout
Our best deal is also the broadest representation of what we do and includes Pinot Noir from our library. Our Pinot Noir is known to age exceptionally well and our selection of library Pinot Noirs are a favorite among many. Included in this offer are one bottle each of:
- 2021 Napa Valley Chardonnay (275 cases produced)
- 2018 Estate Grown Napa Valley Pinot Noir (LIBRARY WINE)
- 2018 Estate Grown Napa Valley Pinot Noir Reserve (LIBRARY WINE)
- 2017 Estate Grown Napa Valley Pinot Noir (LIBRARY WINE)
- 2022 Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon (50 cases produced)
- 2021 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon – our inaugural release of Cab, 5 years in the making – get the Cab story
BD15 Price: $261 ($261 + FREE shipping)
Retail Price: $398 ($348 + $50 shipping)
BD15 saving >> $137!
2018 Pinot Noir Tasting notes by @Nate_Rulis from BD14 (thanks for reviewing our wine, Nate!)
Elkhorn Peak Pinot Noir 2018
100% Estate grown Pinot Noir
5 clones (Pommard, Dijon 114 & 115, swan and “R” clone)
ABV: 14.7%
12 months neutral French Oak barrels
Garnet color.
PNP at first. Nose is chocolate, raspberries and petrichor with some heat. Raspberry coulis,
cocoa & sous bois. There’s a mature-ness to the wine. Medium-bodied.
Tasting on day 2 and I started to get a broader aspect of primary fruit. The raspberry notes were
joined by some Luxardo cherry and a hint of orange. The cocoa and sous bois was still very
present and delightful. That long finish continued.
Had with a variety of charcuterie and cheese. My personal favorite pairing was with a duck prosciutto
that drew out a lovely strawberry note in the wine. As Elise recommends on the EP website, I
also tried it with some blue cheese and it served as an unexpectedly delightful pairing.
2018 Pinot Noir RESERVE reviewed by berserker @David.Berman (thanks David!):
2018 Elkhorn Peak Pinot Noir Reserve:
Color: translucent medium brick red
Nose: The nose is now earthiness and potpourri with clove and vanilla taking a side-by-side to darker riper red fruits leaning more towards raspberry and black cherry or plum.
Palate/Taste: Much more of a silky feel across the mouth with black cherry and rich strawberry. Tannins are soft, but comparatively pricklier than the non-Reserve sibling. The acidity remains quite good but is more full mouth coating giving me the same urge to keep drinking. I don’t pick up the same sense of alcohol as I did with the non-reserve pinot, but the body is also bit fuller leaning towards medium. Black tea and gun smoke linger on a long finish now.
Offer Two: Elkhorn Peak “Taking Names” 4-Pack (20% OFF + $25 shipping)
Use coupon code: BD15-4 at checkout
This 4-pack includes a variety of our most beloved wines:
- 1 bottle of 2019 Estate Grown Pinot Noir (398 cases produced)
- 1 bottle of our 2019 Estate Grown Pinot Noir RESERVE (270 cases produced – 94 points by Rich Cook!)
- 1 bottle of one bottle of 2021 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (225 cases produced)
- 1 bottle of our 2021 Chardonnay (275 cases produced)
BD15 Price: $225 ($200 + $25 shipping)
Retail Price: $300 ($250 + $50 shipping)
BD15 savings: $75!
Another gem of a tasting note from @David.Berman:
Holy Moses, this is super aromatic with a spectacularly crazy tropicality blend of overripe pineapple, honeydew, and Meyer lemon…The chardonnay kind of blew me away.
BONUS OFFER! Want to choose your own adventure? We support that. Shop our current release wines and add ANY four bottles to your cart and we’ll give you the BD15 savings: 20% OFF + $25 shipping. TO REDEEM: Add any 4 bottles of wine to your cart, then use coupon code: BD15-4 at checkout to receive the BD15 savings!
Offer Three: Elkhorn Peak “The Donnybrook” 3-Pack (15% OFF + $15 shipping)
Use coupon code: BD15-3 at checkout
The Donnybrook 3-Pack includes one bottle of each of our core varietals:
- 1 bottle of 2019 Estate Grown Pinot Noir (398 cases produced)
- 1 bottle of one bottle of 2021 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (225 cases produced)
- 1 bottle of our 2021 Chardonnay (275 cases produced)
BD15 Price: $172 ($157 + $15 shipping)
Retail Price: $220 ($185 + $35 shipping)
BD15 savings: $48!
Thank you again for having us back and for taking the time to shop our BD15 offer! We know there are a lot of great options out there, and we sincerely appreciate your business. We’ll be in the chat all day to assist, and can also be reached at info@elkhornpeak.com.
MORE ABOUT ELKHORN PEAK: www.elkhornpeak.com
The Summary: As a family-owned and operated micro-winery, we take pride in crafting exceptional wines in limited quantities from our estate vineyards. Our laid-back, non-pretentious approach to wine reflects our commitment to authenticity. We aren’t represented by distributors, we choose to sell 100% direct. Choosing to remain small isn’t about the struggle—it’s about the freedom to focus on our estate vineyard and handcraft each bottle without market demands and pressures. For over 40 years, we’ve marched to our own beat, consistently producing incredible Pinot Noir and more. Our allegiance is to our cherished wine club members (and now the annual berserker blitz too). We love the lifestyle, the craft, and what we do. If you find yourself in Napa Valley, consider this a personal invitation to visit. We’d be thrilled to show you around and share a glass of wine with you. Cheers!
Vineyards: Located in South Napa, Jamieson Canyon is a six mile stretch along Highway 12 and home to Elkhorn Peak Cellars Estate vineyards. All of our vineyards are farmed non-certified organic, and each year we move towards more sustainable farming practices, with a goal of being a fully regenerative vineyard by 2026. As growers, we concentrate on healthy vine development over high yield crops. The delicate vineyard tasks of pruning, canopy management and harvesting are all done in-house and by hand - never machines. Our goal is to establish well-developed vines that will produce fruit of the highest quality on a consistent basis. With production levels at two tons per acre, the focus is on quality over quantity - always.
Winemaking: We barrel age our Pinot Noirs for one year minimum, and then bottle and cellar for 2-3 additional years. The traditional Pinot Noir is aged in 100% neutral French Oak, the Reserve sees 10-15% NEW French Oak, and the Cabernet Sauvignon sees a majority of new French Oak. Our Pinot Noirs have an excellent reputation of aging well. All of the wines produced at Elkhorn Peak Cellars are done under the direction of Winemaker, Kent Rasmussen, one of the most respected Pinot Noir winemakers in the Napa Valley. We met Kent in 1987 and developed a lasting friendship that goes beyond winemaking. Kent understands our philosophy around farming high quality, low yield fruit and really lets the growing style speak through our wine. Five years ago, Kent begun mentoring Elise Nerlove in winemaking. With Kent’s wisdom and hands on teaching, as well as experience from a harvest internship at Failla Wines, Elise has has an active role in the winemaking program at Elkhorn Peak. Her pet project are the line of Pet Nats.
The Future: In 2022, we successfully dropped the Micro-Winery Ordinance in Napa County in the name of preserving the small family farms that are becoming lost in the land of corporate takeovers. And then in 2023 we dropped the Napa Valley Verified Micro-Producer Designation (photo below). The objective of the designation is simple: help customers identify authentic Micro-Producers and small family farmers without corporate ties. You won’t be reading about Elkhorn Peak selling out to a conglomerate - ever. We’re here to rep the small family farms and we’re not afraid to rock the boat. Berserkers, you get it, right?
Other Cool Facts: Ken collects, restores, buys, sells and trades antique slot machines and pinball machines. He’s been doing it as long as he’s been growing grapes. In an old barn on our property, he’s setup a “slot shop” full of the antiques. Come by for a visit, enjoy a glass of wine and try your hand in the slot shop. Don’t forget to bring your nickels. And if you’re in the market for a slot of your own, we have plenty available for sale! Check out Ken’s website: Napa Slot Machines.
