WTN: M45 (the XVI edition)

RA 3 hours 47 minutes 24 seconds
Declination +24 degrees 7 minutes

Sean Thackrey Pleiades XVI

Sometime one can look up at the sky and try to comprehend the impossible distances, the scale beyond human reckoning, and the perplexing marriage of time and distance. In spite of the certitude of science the profound chemistry and physics of distant stars does not wake thoughts of fusion but rather of wonder that can not be contained by words, only hinted at by language.

It was one hell of wine I had. My serious wine friends have been on about this one for a while and their description certainly piqued my curiosity. If I am to believe the stories the wine maker is some lunatic out of the fringes of society, such as it is in Northern California, letting twigs and beasts fall into his recycled fermenting vessels without so much as a how do. I had been told his mutant blend named after the Seven Sisters tasted of nothing so much as an entire eucalyptus grove fallen into a velvet sea of cherries, slowly disturbing the forest floor, which also seems to have found it's way into the wine what with the farm critters and cacutus and what not. And it does. This is made from grapes? I can scarce believe it. Methinks sorcery is involved.

Nice length too.

I have been told that the plans are to not continue the production of this wine. This makes Thackrey a criminal of the worst sort in my mind.

I would very appreciate hearing from others who have experience with this wine, with an eye towards expected life should say some humble poster here want to buy a crate so as to spend his summer evenings on the porch howling at the moon.

Never had the Pleiades, though I've liked the Orion.
Nice note

[David M. Bueker]

I am a big fan of the Pleiades, as is my co-moderator, Jenise. Thanks for the note!

I am a big fan of the Pleiades, as is my co-moderator, Jenise. Thanks for the note!

What's your educated case as to lifespan. I'm not looking for this to improve, I think it's right where it needs to be (at least the edition I had), I'm just wanting it to survive.

[David M. Bueker]

I have successfully held bottles of the Pleiades for 5+ years. They don't generally improve, but they don't decline either.

[Jenise]

Kelly, I've posted a lot of love letters to these wines over the years. But more to the point, I opened what was maybe our fourth bottle of the XVI two months ago for friends, and I noted: "Pleiades XVI – Also my wine. As I said yesterday, I've never had a Pleiades I didn't like, and it's remarkable the extent to which Sean mixes up the grapes in each batch (viognier!) and get a different result every time and yet the whole manages to always taste like a Sean Thackery wine. What some call mint and what I'd call eucalyptus is certainly a large component of that. This has put on weight and funk since the last bottle I tasted a year ago, and where then I thought the XVI would have a shorter than usual future after yesterday I'm not so convinced." Every single bottle we've had has been markedly better than the last--I think you'd be safe buying a case. This wine can usually be counted on for 5-10 years anyway, and maybe they'll go beyond that in some vintages but who can keep their hands off them to find out?

I am a big fan of the Pleiades, as is my co-moderator, Jenise. Thanks for the note!

What's your educated case as to lifespan. I'm not looking for this to improve, I think it's right where it needs to be (at least the edition I had), I'm just wanting it to survive.

Well, it's a young pup with less than 100 million years on it, so you can expect to stay reasonably fresh for the next 5 billion years or so . . . .

I think I might have to invest. I truly loved this. I had assumed that his would be some stupid expensive vin well outside of my price range, but it seems to be available here or there above and below the $30 price point.

[Jenise]

I think I might have to invest. I truly loved this. I had assumed that his would be some stupid expensive vin well outside of my price range, but it seems to be available here or there above and below the $30 price point.

Exactly how I felt the first time I tasted a Pleiades. Someone in San Francisco is selling the XVI for $21.95, and K & L apparently already has the XVII. If you'd consider buying from across the country, good price:

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1046793&cid=TPV-Winezap

BRW I apologize for using the word "invest". I have to admit to having a prejudice against the using of items of pleasure, especially foodstuffs, as financial instruments.

[David M. Bueker]

BRW I apologize for using the word "invest". I have to admit to having a prejudice against the using of items of pleasure, especially foodstuffs, as financial instruments.

The terminology we typically use around these parts is "back up the truck."

The terminology we typically use around these parts is "back up the truck."

That I can get behind.