It is a very special wine year in & year out. This year is no exception.
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I can totally see this getting to MacDonald level acclaim, but maybe not pricing. Thereās just so much scarcity to Macdonald, which creates a viscous cycle where demand only increases, increasing scarcity, etc. Itās certainly good wine but itās grown beyond that to a rarity in a way La Pelle might not ā probably for the better!
I honestly canāt think of a good comp for La Pelle maybe VV/Realm? Theyāre certainly all peers from a winemaking perspective. I think La Pelle far and away represents the best QPR in Napa and their wines are certainly up there with the best in Napaā¦
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I tend to disagree on the VV/Realm comparison as yes he makes the wine for VV but MKās personal palate is more old world- N RhĆ“ne for example (although I can see why you would say that). So he takes the Melka round tannin profile and infuses that with a more Old World lean but like others that try to swim upstream, he does it on a way that melds or integrates vs trying to produce something itās not. It deep but well structured, generous not opulent, layers of complexity yet doesnāt need a thesaurus to understand- and itās backed by a beautifully long finish. I am still marveling at a ā17 cuvĆ©e (entry level) which was one of the few oh wow wines I tried and then purchased for that vintage.
While I am no longer a realm fan, price and blatant over extension/dilution. I am a very big Vice Versa fan.
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Have trimmed down to nine āCoreā active lists (eliminated eleven others ytdācellar is overflowing) but have initial offer for Reserve and everything read here and elsewhere (CT) says WOW for La Pelle! Only option is replace, but cannot see any wayā¦ Must delete offer 
There are lots of comments on the core Napa wines here. Any thoughts on how the Bien Nacido bottlings hold up (chard and syrah) and in what style they are?
Chard is more of a Chablis white burg style. Consistent notes. Does not resemble typical CA chard not the linear green acidic Oregon version either.
Syrah more N RhĆ“ne style with a touch of Napa. Lots of pepper, meaty, etc. only tasted this once, havenāt pulled a cork since last year.
Just love the portfolio, diversity, style and price points.
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Their Chardonnay is delicious and definitely worth it!
I also definitely agree with Ryan above.
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In case anyone is interested, the La Pelle offer is out - a day earlier than their email indicated. 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon ($510/6pk) and 2022 Sauvignon Blanc ($330/6pk). Or 3 of each ($420).
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Love La Pelle, but Iāve been purchasing their bottles from 3rd party retailers and have saved a good amount of $$$ in the process.
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Maybe I am in a good mood, but I like this method of calibration. Although I do not know Di Costanzo, TRB wines represent a significant portion of my cellar and I know what this means. So where do I find a wine that gets a 10 on your scale, other than a Phillippe Cambie wine from 2003?
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what kind of prices are you finding? I havenāt really seen these discounted
If you go to
use my friendās referral link Referral LINK
you can get the 2021 La Pelle Reserve for $135 after the $50 off using referral credit.
ALso, if you have wineaccess offer on your AMEX credit card you will get addditional $30 off, bringing it down to $105
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I canāt name a specific off the top of my head. It has been a while since I have had one. That noted, CDPs in hot years, Napa ooze monsters, and some 90ās Aussie Shiraz are what my old brain drags up.
Looks like it went up early by mistake, the offer has been taken down now.
Wine Access is no longer selling the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (just the Chardonnay and Syrah).
Thats strange. I still see it right now.
I believe WineAccess has E and W Coast warehouses and sometimes there is a discrepancy on availability based on your address.
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I didnāt know about that and itās not available for me on the West Coast.
Now that you mention it, I remember that.
Went ahead and pulled the trigger on a 6 pack of the SB, i skipped the NV cab since i bought the reserve earlier this year. Not whining or anything, but $65 shipping on a 6 packā¦ouch.
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