TYLER: *BD14 Newbie* - Offering Our Most Limited Bottlings & Estate Wines

BerserkerDay Archive (BerserkerDays 1-15) BerserkerDay 14 - January 27, 2023
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We are thrilled to participate in our first BerserkerDay! I would like to extend a gracious thank you to Todd, and the Berserker team.

Tyler is dedicated to producing wines of delicacy and balance, where structure and nuance are favored above all else. We believe wine should be elegant and honest, and possess aromatic purity and textural complexity. To best convey the individuality of each vineyard site, we try to be modern in our thinking and classic in our approach.

This year we are offering packs of our most limited bottlings, with ground shipping included ($25 - $50 value)! This is a rare opportunity to purchase wines reserved for our Favored Allocation Members, and occasionally to visitors of our Mae Estate Vineyard House. These bottlings are not available through retail or distribution.

For everyone who purchases a pack during BD14, we would also like to extend a complimentary visit for two to our Mae Estate Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, redeemable through 2024 ($140.00 value). For those unable to visit in person, I would like to extend an invitation for a private, virtual tasting with myself.

TYLER PINOT NOIR 3 PACK - SOLD OUT

  • 2020 Mae Estate ‘CP’ Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (125 cases produced, WA: 96pts, VN: 94pts)
  • 2020 La Rinconada Vineyard ‘R22’ Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (94 cases produced, WA: 98pts, VN: 96pts)
  • 2020 Bentrock Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (75 cases produced, WA: 96pts, VN: 94pts)

TYLER CHARDONNAY 3 PACK - SOLD OUT

This pack includes one bottle of the following (12 3-packs available)

  • 2020 Mae Estate ‘BR’ Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills (50 cases produced, WA: 98pts, VN: 95pts)
  • 2020 Duncan (Donnachadh) Family Vineyard Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills (62 cases produced, WA: 95pts, VN: 93pts)
  • 2017 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine, Santa Maria Valley (350 bottles produced, WA: 94pts, VN: 92pts)

TYLER MAE ESTATE 4 PACK (cont. US)

This pack includes one bottle of each of our estate wines, two of which are normally available to our Favored Allocation Members. (24 4-packs available)

  • 2020 Mae Estate Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills (WA: 95pts, VN: 94pts)
  • 2020 Mae Estate Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (WA: 95pts, VN: 91pts)
  • 2020 Mae Estate ‘BR’ Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills (50 cases produced, WA: 98pts, VN: 95pts)
  • 2020 Mae Estate ‘CP’ Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills (125 cases produced, WA: 96pts, VN: 94pts)

>> In an effort to not clutter this post up too much, I’VE CREATED THIS PDF FOR OUR BD14 OFFER, it contains a ton of useful info about these wines, our production techniques, our vineyards, etc. <<

ABOUT TYLER:
Tyler was founded by Santa Barbara native, Justin Tyler Willett, at 24 years old in 2005. Tyler’s first vintage was made up of a few barrels of Pinot Noir, stashed in the cellar Justin was working at during that time. The following vintage, Justin introduced Chardonnay to the lineup. He continued to focus on producing high-quality, classically styled wines, with a deliberate focus on balance, sense of place, and a reflection of time. Over the years, the reputation of Justin’s winemaking, and quality of his Tyler wines, has launched Tyler into an international brand. Nearly 50% of Tyler’s total production is now being sold across Europe as collectors and savvy buyers look for a worthy alternative to some of the world’s classic regions.

The development of what is now our Mae Estate Vineyard, acquisition of the Fiddlestix Vineyard, past partnerships with Etienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille, Rodolphe Peters of Pierre Peters, and numerous accolades and press, are all humbling affirmations of the quality of Tyler, and success of Justin’s ambitions.

Tylers Mae Estate
Tylers Mae Estate1800×1008 221 KB

SHIPPING DETAILS
All orders will be shipped February 13th, WEATHER PENDING via FedEx Ground, at this time we are unable to ship via UPS. Alternatively we can ship via GSO in AZ, CA, NV, OR, WA. We are unable to ship to AL, AK, MS, UT. AK & HI, are not included in these offers, we can ship however for an additional $50 per shipment, please reach out directly and we can arrange.

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This being our first time participating in BerserkerDay, I’d like to give a little background about myself for those who decide to purchase, so that they know who they are supporting beyond Justin.

I was born in Santa Barbara and grew up in Santa Barbara County. In my youth I participated in 4H, and later FFA; little did I know that Agriculture would be such a significant part of my adult life as I was convinced my path was Film & TV production or making skate videos at the very least. While working as a news editor for a Santa Barbara area CBS affiliate, our station was purchased and like the entire local news industry, they began to consolidate leaving most of us without a job. While contemplating my next move I picked up some freelance work for a hotel group that wanted to promote wine tourism, this was my first introduction into wine (outside of our high school vineyard that I tended to as quickly as possible so I could leave early and skate). Working on this project I soon realized the beauty of this area that I had taken for granted all my life, I began to understand the hard work and efforts of the vineyard workers, the grueling hours of vintage, the welcoming hospitality of the staff in each tasting room I visited; this whole thing was special, and I wanted to be a part of it.

I started working in the Sta. Rita Hills while simultaneously going back to school at the local college for wine marketing. After grinding in this industry for about 4 years I was introduced to Justin. I was given the opportunity to work with his Lieu Dit Wines, and soon the Tyler wines. Back then it was just me, his assistant in the cellar, and him. We were a small but effective team and the roots Justin had laid were starting to come to fruition.

This leads into why I wanted to tell my personal story, and from here this is my personal sentiment (independent of me being “on the clock”). I have lurked this forum over the years and have read the rumblings about Tyler’s pricing. My hope is to add context into what Justin, and our team, have established. In just a few months I will be celebrating my 8-year anniversary at Tyler, I like to think that is quite the feat in an industry that sees so much turnover.

I have remained at Tyler because first and foremost, I am a believer in Justin. Those who have met him will comment on his intensity, focus, and commitment. All traits that I failed to see in previous employers. Tyler is not a lifestyle brand, we have proudly avoided playing up all the kitschy ways you can sell wine or build a brand, and instead have let our product speak for itself over the years. The success and growth of Tyler in its 17 years is the epitome of the American dream for any small business owner. We have gone from employing 2-3 employees to now employing 12 full time employees (not including our farming company), and we will be adding more this year! While our business is just a drop in the bucket, creating any number of jobs in your own community is an accomplishment to be proud of. At Tyler, we are proud to create these opportunities, we offer wages above the industry average, a 401K retirement program, and 100% employer backed health care for all our full-time employees. This all might sound as standard stuff in most industries, but when I started 8 years ago, that was so far from the case in this industry, and unfortunately is still not the norm through today. We (as an industry) lose so many talented hospitality workers to low wages and lack of benefits. Earning the compensation and benefits I receive at Tyler has allowed my wife and I to purchase our own home, raise two wonderful daughters, and given me a career path to continue growing, while not feeling priced out of the area I grew up in.

I say all this so that those considering supporting us will see the value in what they are purchasing. I didn’t even discuss the increasing labor costs for a brand that chooses organic practices, or the doubling of the cost of our American made glass, and so on. Along with receiving some seriously good wine, know that your money is going to an independent, small business that values its employees.

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Although not a volunteer taster for these wines, we recently had the Tyler Pinot noir which was excellent, highly recommended

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Visited these guys a few months ago, incredible experience, would highly recommend doing a tour if you’re in Santa Barbara

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FINALLY getting around to looking at listings, and posting notes.

I absolutely adore Tyler and Mae Estate wines - what the winemaker has absolutely nailed is mouthfeel, which you’ll see in my notes from our recent tasting (end of December, was there with my wife and father in law) - hopefully these are all the same wines being offered, or for the most part:

2017 Tyler Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut - 2.5 grams/liter dosage, from the old Dierberg vineyard, white flowers, nice citrus and green apple profile, very fruit forward finish but also some minerality

2020 Mae Estate Chardonnay Estate - 20k cases, 10k going to Europe (5k to Norway alone!) Fresh nose, shy on fruit, mineral driven, bit of matchstick, rich and silky palate from the new oak but really well done, chalky and salty finish

2020 Mae Estate BR Chardonnay (their ‘reserve’ Chardonnay) - 100% new oak, 64 cases, getting just a nice flinty note on the nose, sweet apple and pitted fruits on the palate, gorgeous texture/mouthfeel, long finish that is very silky and rewarding - really lovely finish

2020 Tyler Duncan Family Chardonnay (Donnachadh) - 2 barrels made/65case - working on the top of the hill, one of the highest Chardonnay plantings in SRH, low yield site - quite different stylistically, big tropical fruit profile on this, a bit more ‘hollow’ than the others, but nice acidity on the finish, not as rich in profile overall

2020 Tyler Pinot Noir Bentrock Vineyard - interesting vegetal note with black raspberry but 100% destemmed, nice savory component, dark fruit profile, beautifully silky palate, nice finish of more dark berry and fragrant flower - unique floral component on this wine

2020 Mae Estate Pinot Noir CP - mineral nose, also maybe getting a touch of heat, red fruit and pepper, gorgeous mouthfeel, nice texture, chalky, really get the whole cluster with forest berries on this one on the palate and the finish as well

2020 Tyler Pinot Noir La Riconada Vineyard R22 - gorgeous blackberry and raspberry profile on the nose, very lively, touch of green and rocks, lively palate as well, super juicy fruit, really gorgeous fruit on this, again, the texture is just spot on, finish is not as elegant as others but the fruit profile really carries this wine well, stylistically different from the others but with the texture that seems consistent across the board

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Todd, thank you for the kind words. To Clarify, the numbers above are roughly Tyler’s total production, not specific to the Mae bottling. That being said, we love our Norwegian clients, they sure can drink!

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I just copied and pasted my notes that I took when I was there - happy to amend as needed!

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Are these packs discounted? What is the normal price on these wines?

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Justin has been consistently making top notch wines in an ‘old world’ style for quite some time - and his wines should align with many palates on this board. He also makes his Lieu Dit wines which are some of the best values in CA IMHO

Cheers

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Hi Andrew, thank you for your question. The wines in these packs are not discounted. These are wines that are normally not available to the public and I’ve had to intentionally hold back some inventory to put together todays offer. We are offering complimentary shipping which can range from a discount of $25 - $50+ depending where you are located in the US. Additionally we are offering a complimentary private visit to our estate to all of those who purchase, which is valued at $140 per couple. Alternatively for those who cannot visit, I am happy to arrange a virtual meeting. Thank you for your interest, happy BD14!

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Hi Larry, thank you for the kind words! Totally agree about LD, for consumers looking for some serious value, those wines check all the boxes and are true to Justin’s winemaking style. Happy BD14!

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One of my favorite Central Coast CA Pinot producers. Tasting fee is expensive for non members so this is a nice way to try some of their best and an incentive/lower barrier to come visit. I’ve only had a few bottles here and there from friends so this will be a great opportunity for me to come over to the winery for a closer look, which I have been meaning to do for years.

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Noah, thank you for your purchase. I was real happy to see someone so local.

A visit to the vineyard house will be perfect for someone looking to learn more, each appointment is completely private with your own host is we very well educated in wine, and of course all things Tyler. I liken it to a Tyler/Sta. Rita masterclass meets visiting old friends. We end with a pretty solid coffee service after the tasting as well, so its far from the typical belly up at the bar tasting room. I will follow up with an email with more info!

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Gabe, not much time to check in detail, as I’m prepping the next launch group, but didn’t you say you were running low on the chardonnay?

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We have a few more Chardonnay packs left, and just two of the Pinot packs. HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported us today! :green_heart:

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but screw those people from yesterday, right??

Folks, as I mentioned above, what Tyler/Mae Estate’s winemaker absolutely NAILS is mouthfeel, like nothing I’ve seen in California, truly

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Ha! I think I’ve sampled a small dose of what you and the team experience, where the days just blend together.

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We are SOLD OUT of the Pinot 3 Pack. :tada:

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As a current list member, can’t recommend the wines or estate tasting enough. Worth a try if you’re on the fence