No thread about this yet (or I'm just fried & couldn't find it!)

Chardonnay

Sea Smoke $48
Mt. Carmet $52
Sweeney Canyon $6

Pinots

Ashley's $48
Cargasacchi $56
Mt. Carmel $60.


Any thoughts, tasting notes or must-buys on this list? I've become a big fan of their chardonnay, and will likely order a pinot sampler, too.

BTW: No limits on orering due to increased production. Just has to be in 3,6 or 12 bottle multiples.

I went for the 6 bottle Pinot sampler.

Ditto on the Pinot sampler.

I'm not sure what the timing is on this mailer, because mine came while I was away on business. I didn't get around to ordering for well over a week after arrival. When I went to enter my purchases on Cellar Tracker, there were no more than two or three other people who had ordered the wine by then. I would have thought that as a first-come-first-served mailer, the B-C wines would have generated far more enthusiasm. Maybe not that many people have received mailers yet. Or do people just not care about B-C Pinots any more. By comparison, when I went to enter my Aubert Pinot purchases just two days after the e-mail hit, there were dozens and dozens of prior purchases. I thought B-C had a big following. No?

In reading the mailer and noting the increase in production, I'll bet there are some that are hllding back to see where they are going to spend their money on coming mailers. Guess there just isn;t too much urgency here. ON the other hand, I'm getting mine in ASAP. Last time I waited aroudn on something like this, Carlisle sold out and I missed on 2 cases of my "don't miss" wines.

I missed out on some wines in the past as well, which is why I had such angst in not responding for over a week.

IIRC, Jones is/was a big supporter of B-C wines. Perhaps that's why the chatter is a little less than it used to be. Is he posting anywhere, by the by? Sorry for thread drift.

No.

Definitely an increase in production from ‘04. They’ve relaxed allocations/rules for selecting wines for your order. Last spring, when they released the ‘04 Cargasacchi (and that was all that was released then), it sold out pretty quickly.

And I don’t think these are anywhere near the popularity/demand/status of Aubert.

I just took a look on CellarTracker for number of bottles for B-C, and I would say that they are on pace with last year purchases. And I think you can also conclude that B-C fans are not big CellarTracker users.


Example:
61 Bottles 2005 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard
53(14) Bottles 2004 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard

And Total Bottles
2,219 bottles in stock and 344 pending delivery

(Sorry, perhaps I was a little bored )

at one time i was a big fan of B-C. I still love the fact that they have some serious cajones doing 100% Whole Cluster, but their booze has left me a little dismayed. You really had to try to get a Pinot over 15% in `05. Offputting, in my eyes.

Where is the % alcohol mentioned? I don't see it in the mailer. I'm tempted just because these wines are so unusual.

if you go to their website:

http://www.brewerclifton.com/wines.html

and click on the images of the whites and reds, you can see the alc level on the bottles...which include:

chards:
Sweeney Canyon 16.4%
Mt Carmel 15.4%
Seasmoke 16.4%

pinots:
Carg 15.5%
Mt Carmel 15.6%
Ashley's 15.1%

So...they aren't shy wines. But despite the alc levels, my experience is that they don't show it....untill you stand up that is.

Bought my mixed pinot 6-pack. I've already crushed my 2004 Ashley's and half of my 2004 Clos Pepe--very good early drinkers for B-C.

Can't wait to try the 05s.

ML, did you get any of the '04 Rio Vista? I had a bottle over the weekend (my first B-C '04) and absolutely loved it after 2 hours of airtime. Saving my last one for another few years. I haven't tried the Ashleys or Clos Pepe yet.

I enjoyed the Rio Vista so much that I'm definitely a buyer of the '05's. I was hedging given all the mailers but I just can't pass these up.

kimber, I've drunk both of my Rio Vistas. Unfortunately, one was corked but the other was quite good. I'm sticking with these guys--the wines show incredible personality. So far, the Ashley's and the Clos Pepe have shown the best for me.

First off let me say that I know nothing about these wines but, having said that, at these alcohol levels I would drink these young as aging them would seem very risky at best.

I am having trouble pulling the trigger on these, but when I do (and I will), I intend to age them a long time (even the Chardonnays). I don't think that there is a correlation between alcohol levels and aging ability (or else I am in a lot of trouble with my Rhones).