2020 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Our second vintage from the Weiler vineyard, we and the primary grape purchaser made the decision to harvest this fruit about fifteen days earlier than would have been optimal to avoid any smoke contact. The Glass Fire had just started in Napa County, and the forecast was showing that the prevailing wind would change, pushing smoke southward into Sonoma Valley. As a result, we moved our harvest date up and were able to get the grapes into the winery before smoke impacted the area.
You’ll find this to be a classic representation of the Merlot grape, showing aromatics of cocoa, rubbed sage and dark chocolate, while on the palate, black cherry, tea and red plumb with a silky-smooth finish. This wine is best now and will hold for another 3 years.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietal: 100% Merlot
AVA: Sonoma Valley – Sonoma County
Vineyard: Weiler Vineyard
Barrel Program: 16 months aged in medium toast French oak, 30% new. Unfiltered
Alcohol: 13.9%
Case Production: 50 cases
Pairing: “Classic” Steak & Frites - Filet Mignon with a Bearnaise sauce and French fries.
2021 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Our third vintage from the Weiler Vineyard, COVID was over and I was able to take an extended vacation to my home in France. Returning during the first week of September, harvest was underway all over Sonoma County. Temperatures were warm, happily no wild fires to contend with, making for a perfect harvest at the end of September. Of course, ripeness also increased making this vintage of Merlot the most opulent of all the Merlots I had made to date with George’s fruit.
You’ll discover aromatics of molasses and cocoa with hints of berry and tea. On the palate, dark cherry, blackberry and wild cassis with a long berry finish. Enjoy it now or lay it down for another 5 years.
Specs
Vintage: 2021
Varietal: 100% Merlot
AVA: Sonoma Valley – Sonoma County
Vineyard: Weiler Vineyard
Barrel Program: 16 months aged in medium toast French oak, 30% new. Unfiltered
Alcohol: 14.5%
Case Production: 50 cases
Pairing: Line caught Pacific Salmon, served with heirloom tomatoes and a corn relish with just a splash of balsamic.
2022 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
One of the first things we’re taught as winemakers with multiple wines is not to admit to your customers that you have a favorite. But I figured I can cheat and say that of my ’20, ’21 & ’22 Merlot vintages, the ’22 vintage is my favorite. Perhaps it’s the richness and silky-smooth finish with lots of roundness?
You’ll discover aromatics of cedar, coffee, molasses and cocoa. On the palate, dark cherry, blackberry and sweet cedar with a long, round and balanced finish. Enjoy it now or lay it down for another 10 years.
Specs
Vintage: 2022
Varietal: 100% Merlot
AVA: Sonoma Valley – Sonoma County
Vineyard: Weiler Vineyard
Barrel Program: 18 months aged in medium toast French oak, 40% new. Unfiltered
Alcohol: 14.1%
Case Production: 100 cases
Pairing: BBQ Shrimp Burgers with classic potato salad.
What’s Included
6-bottles:
2x - 2020 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
2x - 2021 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
2x - 2022 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Case:
4x - 2020 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
4x - 2021 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
4x - 2022 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Founded in 2002, our mission hasn’t wavered: We strive to produce high quality, food friendly wines at an affordable price, using the finest quality grapes grown throughout Sonoma County.
Although it has only been since 1999 that Jon started producing wine for friends and family; his fascination with wine began while he was in college, working in the tasting room at the Mirassou Winery in San Jose, California.
It may also be possible that Jon’s interest in wine is in his blood. In the early 1900’s, Jon’s great-grandparents owned and farmed vineyards in San Martin, California. His passion for wine and food has been the driving force contributing to his success.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Inspiration Vineyards Merlot Vertical - $50 = 27.78%
When the description says, “This wine is best now and will hold for another 3 years.” does that mean from right now or from 2020 when it was bottled? I’ve always been curious about the drink window… Anyway, can someone help me out? This seems like a really good deal and I’d love to push that button!
@mattykillpatty a quick observation… not knowing when exactly the winery made that statement, but I’m assuming from bottle… this was picked late September 2020 and spent 16 months in barrel. So was bottled early 2022?
@kaolis so, then, the drinking window starts in 2022? Or did the wine maker make a special comment to the casemates community that this still has three years of window left?
@mattykillpatty making assumptions here… I’m guessing no special comment to casemates…it seems all of these are crafted to be drinkable on release… also as mentioned the 2020 was a difficult vintage… side note the '22 was part of a mixed case on meh a while back, maybe someone here has a note on that
I have not been able to give this a proper tasting yet, however, here are some quick notes since the offer is already live.
I received the 2020 Merlot Wednesday afternoon, but was busy with a family obligation that evening. Thursday night was also busy, so here I am (at almost 2am) opening the bottle for a small pour and brief taste. I’m having the wine on its own and I’m guessing/hoping it does better with food. Initial impressions…
Aroma: Something funky/grassy/vegetal that I can’t pinpoint. Palate: Dark fruit, quite tart/astringent. Overall thoughts: I’m not sure if I like it as a cocktail. Perhaps it needs time to breathe and/or needs food to accompany it.
I will get some much needed rest and revist the wine during the day. In the meantime, the bottle is being stored on the kitchen counter, at room temp, sealed with a wine stopper.
I wasn’t quite ready to have Merlot for breakfast haha. I did have it with grilled tri-tip for lunch though.
Front and rear bottle photos:
The wine is still very tart, but more fruit has appeared. That could be due to the development and air in the bottle overnight, or most likely due to pairing the wine with a peppery tri-tip. Black cherry and tea are the prominent flavors, and the wine is bone dry. I’m enjoying it MUCH more during this second tasting.
Although the wine is rather young, I’m wondering if this particular vintage might be just a little bit past its prime (based on the winery notes, the acidity, and the fact that the grapes were harvested early than intended in order to avoid smoke taint). That’s not to say the wine isn’t enjoyable now, but I don’t think any additional time in the cellar will benefit this vintage.
So for those that pull the trigger on this offer, I’d recommend drinking the 2020 bottles first. At the Casemates price, I’d say this has decent QPR. FWIW, the bottle is HEFTY and gives off the impression that this is a premium wine.
@kawichris650@losthighwayz thanks good review but leaves it inconclusive, as probably it should be. Your comments about additional time in the cellar reminds me : Years ago I would buy cheap wine from TJ or Grocery Outlet, and thought if I saved it for a while it would be ‘better’ wine. I’ve since concluded that all you end up with is old cheap wine.
@kawichris650@pmarin@losthighwayz@ScottW58
As an aside, I’ll say there have been some GO bottles that have done quite well. Thinking of the York Creek '97 Meritage I’m still enjoying. Cathy Corison was the winemaker of this $15 bottle, Most all the other YC have fared well too.
Inspiration (yes, same as this offer), Bell (Anthony Bell), Acumen, and Astrale e Terra (Scott Harvey) as well…
@kawichris650@pmarin@rjquillin
I’m going to agree with @pmarin on this one, sure there are some exceptions but I’m not buying a boat load of crap to find them. And it’s a matter of taste also my liver deserves better
Reminds me, I was wanting to watch Sideways again…
“Not another F-in Merlot… “
I have been going through some neglected wine storage and I’m finding some merlots even from good producers (most likely wine.woot days) and hate to say that even though they seem fine, just don’t do it for me.
I do love me a good Merlot. I can’t usually get them because my wife’s a Pinot woman which pretty much makes me a Pinot man. But I do love the taste of a good Merlot. You know what they call a good Merlot in France? A Bordeaux. You know why they call it that?
Popped open the 2022. Overall impression is that it’s a solid daily drinker, depending on price I could see a solid qpr for it. Writing this out on mobile to get it up quickly, so apologies for autocorrect or other weirdness.
Pour is very dark, weak legs.
Nose leans towards minerality, which j wasn’t expecting. Much more graphite and muted berry. I liked this, but the wife was expecting it to be more fruit forward.
At the pop and pour the fruit was very muted, but i felt like it was in good balance with enough acid and astringency.
Let it breathe for about an hour or so and came back to pour a glass without a lot of change, though the fruit came out more, still muted. A bit of ripe strawberry or raspberry.
I didn’t get any of those vegetal flavors in this year, which is good because I hate them.
I think this would be a really solid wine for a group where you want something solid, but have to please a lot of people. It’s structured without being fussy, has enough fruit without being a bomb, and the finish is astringent without being biting. Price is very reasonable for this vintage
I have the 2021 Labrat bottle and we were planning a nice roast chicken dinner last night to pair with the wine and report back. Sadly, my entire extended family got taken out yesterday by one very nasty stomach bug, so I can’t follow through on rattage as there is no food or wine in my immediate future. My apologies. Time for another nap…
Inspiration Vineyards Merlot Vertical
2020 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Specs
2021 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Specs
2022 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$608.00/Case for 4x - 2020 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 4x - 2021 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 4x - 2022 Inspiration Merlot, Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley at Inspiration Vineyards and Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 20 - Tuesday, Jul 21
Inspiration Vineyards Merlot Vertical
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020
2021
2022
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Inspiration Vineyards Merlot Vertical - $50 = 27.78%
When the description says, “This wine is best now and will hold for another 3 years.” does that mean from right now or from 2020 when it was bottled? I’ve always been curious about the drink window… Anyway, can someone help me out? This seems like a really good deal and I’d love to push that button!
@mattykillpatty a quick observation… not knowing when exactly the winery made that statement, but I’m assuming from bottle… this was picked late September 2020 and spent 16 months in barrel. So was bottled early 2022?
@kaolis so, then, the drinking window starts in 2022? Or did the wine maker make a special comment to the casemates community that this still has three years of window left?
@mattykillpatty making assumptions here… I’m guessing no special comment to casemates…it seems all of these are crafted to be drinkable on release… also as mentioned the 2020 was a difficult vintage… side note the '22 was part of a mixed case on meh a while back, maybe someone here has a note on that
I have not been able to give this a proper tasting yet, however, here are some quick notes since the offer is already live.
I received the 2020 Merlot Wednesday afternoon, but was busy with a family obligation that evening. Thursday night was also busy, so here I am (at almost 2am) opening the bottle for a small pour and brief taste. I’m having the wine on its own and I’m guessing/hoping it does better with food. Initial impressions…
Aroma: Something funky/grassy/vegetal that I can’t pinpoint.
Palate: Dark fruit, quite tart/astringent.
Overall thoughts: I’m not sure if I like it as a cocktail. Perhaps it needs time to breathe and/or needs food to accompany it.
I will get some much needed rest and revist the wine during the day. In the meantime, the bottle is being stored on the kitchen counter, at room temp, sealed with a wine stopper.
@kawichris650 any updates?
@losthighwayz
I wasn’t quite ready to have Merlot for breakfast haha. I did have it with grilled tri-tip for lunch though.
Front and rear bottle photos:
The wine is still very tart, but more fruit has appeared. That could be due to the development and air in the bottle overnight, or most likely due to pairing the wine with a peppery tri-tip. Black cherry and tea are the prominent flavors, and the wine is bone dry. I’m enjoying it MUCH more during this second tasting.
Although the wine is rather young, I’m wondering if this particular vintage might be just a little bit past its prime (based on the winery notes, the acidity, and the fact that the grapes were harvested early than intended in order to avoid smoke taint). That’s not to say the wine isn’t enjoyable now, but I don’t think any additional time in the cellar will benefit this vintage.
So for those that pull the trigger on this offer, I’d recommend drinking the 2020 bottles first. At the Casemates price, I’d say this has decent QPR. FWIW, the bottle is HEFTY and gives off the impression that this is a premium wine.
@kawichris650 @losthighwayz thanks good review but leaves it inconclusive, as probably it should be. Your comments about additional time in the cellar reminds me : Years ago I would buy cheap wine from TJ or Grocery Outlet, and thought if I saved it for a while it would be ‘better’ wine. I’ve since concluded that all you end up with is old cheap wine.
@kawichris650 @pmarin @losthighwayz @ScottW58
As an aside, I’ll say there have been some GO bottles that have done quite well. Thinking of the York Creek '97 Meritage I’m still enjoying. Cathy Corison was the winemaker of this $15 bottle, Most all the other YC have fared well too.
Inspiration (yes, same as this offer), Bell (Anthony Bell), Acumen, and Astrale e Terra (Scott Harvey) as well…
@kawichris650 @pmarin @rjquillin
I’m going to agree with @pmarin on this one, sure there are some exceptions but I’m not buying a boat load of crap to find them. And it’s a matter of taste also my liver deserves better
@kawichris650 @pmarin @ScottW58
Agreed, but some are a bit budget limited too
@kawichris650 @pmarin @rjquillin
Although buying 12 or 24 bottles of crap to find a gem I would not consider budget friendly IMHO.
Reminds me, I was wanting to watch Sideways again…
“Not another F-in Merlot… “
I have been going through some neglected wine storage and I’m finding some merlots even from good producers (most likely wine.woot days) and hate to say that even though they seem fine, just don’t do it for me.
More rats please
@ttboy23 ??
/image New York pizza rat?
I do love me a good Merlot. I can’t usually get them because my wife’s a Pinot woman which pretty much makes me a Pinot man. But I do love the taste of a good Merlot. You know what they call a good Merlot in France? A Bordeaux. You know why they call it that?
Jules
@lionel47 because it rhymes with Merlot?
Popped open the 2022. Overall impression is that it’s a solid daily drinker, depending on price I could see a solid qpr for it. Writing this out on mobile to get it up quickly, so apologies for autocorrect or other weirdness.
Pour is very dark, weak legs.
Nose leans towards minerality, which j wasn’t expecting. Much more graphite and muted berry. I liked this, but the wife was expecting it to be more fruit forward.
At the pop and pour the fruit was very muted, but i felt like it was in good balance with enough acid and astringency.
Let it breathe for about an hour or so and came back to pour a glass without a lot of change, though the fruit came out more, still muted. A bit of ripe strawberry or raspberry.
I didn’t get any of those vegetal flavors in this year, which is good because I hate them.
I think this would be a really solid wine for a group where you want something solid, but have to please a lot of people. It’s structured without being fussy, has enough fruit without being a bomb, and the finish is astringent without being biting. Price is very reasonable for this vintage
Hi all,
I have the 2021 Labrat bottle and we were planning a nice roast chicken dinner last night to pair with the wine and report back. Sadly, my entire extended family got taken out yesterday by one very nasty stomach bug, so I can’t follow through on rattage as there is no food or wine in my immediate future. My apologies. Time for another nap…
@wnance oh come on… buck it up (sick pun intended)