La Pelle portfolio is a steal- the Chard is very unique for domestic. They are doing a wine dinner in AZ next weekend. Great juice.
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After trying dipping my toes in last year with a smaller order and trying a bottle last year, jumping in with an order this year was a no-brainer for me.
Went for 2 of each. Was happy to see they were not bundled in 3 packs
In for a mixed 6 pack. Eager to try these wines with all of the positive comments here
I keep taking a chance on new project with a decent amount of hype and little to no track record and somewhat regretting it, so I’ve told myself I’d stop doing that… however, I’m very tempted to try these…
I put my money where my mouth is and, assuming I get my 1 wished bottle, I am in for a case (4 each). The 23 vintage and tasting the 22 flagship at Inspire Napa made for an easy decision in a year I need to reduce wine spending.
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Grabbed a couple each of the Days and Nights and Overline. Couldn’t bring myself to pay the tariff for If and only if. Happy they added some entry level options though. So many stellar domestic Chardonnays in this 60-80 range that it’s hard to make that 2x price leap.
Edit: couldn’t help myself. Added 1 UB.
For what it’s worth I was lucky to taste the three wines ~2 weeks ago, just before bottling. Purchased a few bottles of the 2022 (drank 1 last year - was a fan of). What stood out was the uniqueness of each - went in order from carneros to RR to UB. And each was my favorite… until I tried the next one… with the intensity ramping up from Carneros to UB. Stoked on the Carneros/RR wines - great values. UB is next level - dense yet light, intense, minerality. Would put these in a different category than say Aubert/PM - more energy, less unctuous, less oak, and lighter on feet (while keeping the layers of fruit) - with more layers/intensity than top OR chard I’ve had. Not burg, not traditional domestic, it lives in it’s own category stylistically
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How does this compare to Top Walter Scott or M. Long? I’m trying to place this in my mental map, but finding it difficult. doesn’t seem like a reductive pycm, a rich white burg, a ripe Aubert, etc.
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Take with a grain of salt as I don’t drink much Oregon CH on consistent basis (I really like it though). Haven’t had ML yet. Had a few WS x-Novo’s. Those were more reductive/matchstick/higher acid to me than the sphaerics. The Carneros had the most OR chard / Chablis-ish character. The RR adds more body/richness that I haven’t really seen in OR, with the UB bringing even more layers.
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Received the ‘save-the-date’ email but didn’t receive an offer.
The reverse for me. I didn’t receive the save the date email but I got an offer.
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Agreed. These wines are kick ass. We actually had Brian Ball fly to our club to do a Skipstone tasting and he brought along the if and only if…knocked my socks off. Happy to see some entry level wines with this year’s offering.
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Purchased a mag and 2-750’s (2023) of the “If and only if” tried one of the bottles. Wine is very good. Wish I would have requested more.
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Laura and Brian were featured on a podcast recently.
They now have an estate vineyard (13 acres) in Sonoma’s Freestone-Occidental area and also will start to bottle some pinot noir beginning with the 2024 vintage.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QCIZGECRsHlUCmxqG9FeY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW7AvnehQug&list=PLfErzo-SauFboB4i7Jq3uoO0HjYIecsI3&index=1
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Bump. The 2024 wines are being released on January 20th. Really liking what I’ve tasted so far. The 2023 Overline I poured at my company Christmas party was fantastic!
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How would you compare to other wines at this price point?
Agreed. Beyond tough. Absolute ocean of great wines out there that cost much less.
Also, one of those wineries that wants you to sign up for their mailing list just to see the prices. That is a 100% nonstarter for me.
The Overline last year was $65. For that price it was fantastic. I like a wide range of CA chardonnays, from Aubert to Ceritas. If you’re looking for more refinement from an Aubert-type wine, this is it.
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I really enjoyed the Overline in this lineup as well - especially for the fair price point. Have not had the single If and Only If that I purchased though. Will give it a couple years