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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2011 and 2015 (based on 5 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.1 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 31 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by rjquillin on 11/16/2016: Last bottle, sorry to see them gone, but all were enjoyed. (1912 views) | | | Tasted by iByron on 9/3/2013 & rated 89 points: Deep orange in color (natch!). Butterscotch, thick-petaled flowers, nuts, hint of tropicalia all come together on the nose and palate. Big full mouthfeel, and just enough acidity. Lingering finish with a moderate tannic structure cleans up the end. A food wine to be sure, but quite a pleasant drink on its own. Drink now or hold to 2016 if you want to see how it does. (3335 views) | | | Tasted by klezman on 8/31/2013: Significantly nicer than the 2011. This is bone dry, great flavour profile with lots of savoury notes to go along with the bright fruit and tropical notes. (4014 views) | | | Tasted by yorknh on 1/4/2013 & rated 89 points: About a year after having had the first bottle, the second bottle has proven to be as good as the first but in slightly different ways. Everything has mellowed a bit. If the fruit had faded less I would have given this a 90 or 91 but I'll stick with 89. Because while the fruit I enjoyed has faded some, so has the sharpish oak edge.
It really is a unique wine that is distinctly not a white wine nor a red. It seems that none was offered this year, but I will grab more if newer vintages pop up in the future. (4170 views) | | | Tasted by woot842 on 10/21/2012 & rated 91 points: Opened this bottle almost a year from the day I bought it. Left is sitting for 15 min. at room temp. Bottle was never cooled. Bouquet is not as aromatic compared to when I consumed the first bottle. Tastes a lot more mellow. First bottle was quite tannic. This current bottle is definitely creamier, vanilla is pronounced with an initial hint of sweetness. Still very good. Current vintage is 2010 so I think end of shelf life is 2014. (4278 views) | | | Tasted by North316 on 10/10/2012 & rated 86 points: Still not quite sure what to make of this wine. Popped and let air in the bottle for 30 minutes and come up more to room temp. Upon first taste it just seemed very disjointed to me tart/bitter overtones. After a little while in the glass it mellowed out a bit into some nice fruit, slightly floral flavors. A little more time in the glass and I was finally getting the butterscotch/banana cream pie flavors that others have noted, though I would lean it more towards a creme brulie with a hint of nutmeg.
This is definitely still an interesting wine. Not amazing, but interesting. It definitely needs some decant time IMHO to open up properly. Still have 2 more bottles to see how this one will evolve. (3653 views) | | | Tasted by iByron on 9/24/2012 & rated 87 points: Deep orange color. Faint floral honey nutty nose. Dry butterscotch and non-oxidized Sherry on the palate. Good long finish that comes through even with food. And an excellent food wine it is. Best with more of a chill than a red, but not cold. (2358 views) | | | Tasted by NEwino on 5/5/2012 & rated 89 points: Similiar to my first review this was an interesting bottle that only requires a slight chill and has a true butterscotch flavor to it. This quite the conversation piece bottle and I love pulling it out with people that are only slightly experienced with wine. (2432 views) | | | Tasted by BlackIce on 3/25/2012 & rated 87 points: This is unique. Definitely drink this more at room temperature (however you define that). Chilled does not do it justice. My first bottle (of 3 total) of this Orange wine made in a red style from Chardonnay (60%) and Viognier (40%). I can definitely taste the tannin from the skin contact. A good thing. As someone else noted there is a bit of petrol to this which is not a good thing. This will not appeal to a lot of people. I look forward to the next 2 to see how it evolves. (2090 views) | | | Tasted by NEwino on 3/21/2012 & rated 88 points: I really enjoy trying to figure this wine out. I seems this doesn't need to be chilled down and I much prefer this wine warmer than most Chards that I drink. When it is to cold I feel like the nose is muted and not near as enjoyable as when it is warmer and the oaky butterscotch flavors start to show up. The mouth on this show wonderfull firmness with a hint of tart. I am curious to see this wine age and change. This is the type of wine that could handle a fuller flavored meal and I can't wait to try it again with something as simple as a nice juicy burger. (1824 views) | | | Tasted by tastark on 2/19/2012 & rated 85 points: What to say about this wine? It's... interesting. The color is, well, a bit orange in hue. The nose smells faintly of petrol and vinegar (faulty perhaps?). On the palette there's not much fruit, but it's medium bodied, dry and somewhat tannic from the maceration. Definitely like nothing else you've ever drank. I don't think this will ever win a lot of fans, but it went well with our tuna steaks. (1801 views) | | | Tasted by rjquillin on 2/18/2012: bkarlan got this one fair and square from me. (2773 views) | | | Tasted by rjquillin on 1/7/2012: Nice clear golden to pale amber color and kind of a floral-citrus nose, dry with perhaps only a touch of what might be perceived as sweetness, but really isn't. Enough acid so it isn't at all flabby, perhaps tart would be a good descriptor with only a bit of tannic finish. (3045 views) | | | Tasted by yorknh on 1/5/2012 & rated 89 points: This is one of the first wines with an aroma that I could easily identify...butterscotch. I detected a bit of oak as well. The wine is a lovely clear golden amber. Tannin was soft but present, same for the acid. Fruity but not jammy, with sweet citrus (like oranges) dominating. It has body, but it's not buttery. My only complaint was that there was a bit more oak spice than I would care for.
All told a unique and appealing wine, and if the oak spice fades just a bit with time, it will push my rating past the 90 barrier. If it comes up on Woot again, I will definitely buy more. (2077 views) | | | Tasted by North316 on 1/3/2012 & rated 87 points: I really enjoyed this unique wine. I was out of town so didn't do any specific tasting notes. I will over the next few bottles. (2157 views) | | | Tasted by cmaldoon on 1/1/2012 & rated 91 points: This was excellent! Tasted of a floral Chardonnay with balanced oak. Seemed slightly sweet due to the fruitiness from the vigonier. Good depth and freshness. Liked by all. (2123 views) | | | Tasted by Zbear on 12/24/2011 & rated 90 points: This 'orange wine' is new to me.. white grapes made in the style of red wine, and what a pleasant surprise. A clear orange-sunset colour. This wine is a 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viognier blend. It is definitely an after dinner wine, and is best just slightly chilled. A medium wine that only got better over the course of the evening.
Very pleasing aroma of spices, clove and nutmeg. Tropical fruit, honey and anise flavours, with an almost brandy-like taste. A very interesting wine. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (1063 views) | | | Tasted by boylan on 12/21/2011 & rated 89 points: Couldn't resist, opened one immediately after getting it from woot. Tasting notes from winery quite accurate. Spicy. Really enjoyed it as a wine and for the novelty. (2050 views) | | | Tasted by bsevern on 12/17/2011 & rated 91 points: This Sebastiani wine was a holiday exclusive to wine.woot that quickly sold out, and I hope it becomes an annual tradition as it turned out to be phenomenal!!
Although it's called the "Big Orange Crusher" there are no oranges involved in this wine, what makes it an orange wine is the way it was made. Here's notes from the winery:
"This unique Orange wine was crafted by fermenting the juice of Chardonnay and Viognier grapes with their grape skins and seeds; much like how red wines are made. Fermenting “on the skins” and oak aging assisted in creating this hearty highly-structured wine. Soft chalky tannins and rich mouth-filling structure on the mid-palate make this wine simply delicious. Warm rich aromas of butterscotch, toasted oak, banana cream pie and dried mango entice the senses. Smooth and succulent flavors of lemon verbena, orange creamcicle, anise and cedar wood take hold of this wine while toasted almond nuances linger through the finish."
First bottle was chilled in the fridge, PnP'd, and served with Orange chicken (just a coincidence). On the nose were an array of aromas - citrus, baking spices, crème brûlée, tropical fruit, wow very nice. These carry to the palate, with an variety of additional flavors that develop and change over time. As the temp dropped, it opened up with flavors of baked banana creme pie, even hints of coconut. Wonderful mouth fill, silky smooth tannins, just a fantastic wine! I wish I'd purchased more before it sold out, but who knew it would be such a treasure. The tasting notes from the winery are, IMHO, very accurate (especially with the wine closer to room temp vs chilled).
As this was produced like a red wine, it'll be interesting to see how it'll evolve in the bottle. (2392 views) | | | Tasted by woot842 on 12/5/2011 & rated 91 points: Purchased from wine.woot.
Wine is best consumed when temps are slightly chilled to room temp as it is quite tannic and can overpower the flavors if ice-cold. I paired it with baked chicken wings flavored with BBQ sauce and spicy Thai chili paste. Wine is light but gives a nice mouthy feel. There are hints of oak/vanilla but mostly fruit flavored and leaves a nice aftertaste. Wine is also very aromatic, I could seriously spend all day sniffing it. Ice-cold temps give a slight vanilla, orangery scent. Let the wine sit for a bit and a scent reminiscent of pink bubble gum comes out.
Outstanding wine overall. Per winemaker on wine woot forums, ageing the wine will bring out oak flavors so looking forward to letting rest of the bottles sit for a while. (1724 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| The Crusher Producer website
Ownership: Don Sebastiani & Sons2010 The Crusher Big Orange Wilson VineyardVarietal: White Wine Blend - 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viognier
Appellation: Wilson Vineyards, Clarksburg
Vintage: 2010
Winemaker Michelle McClendon
Alcohol: 14.8%
pH: 3.70
TA: 0.58 g/100 mLWhite Blend"White blend" means the wine is made from a blend of two or more different white varieties - or in some cases a blend of pink or red varieties that are vinified white, ie. without any skin contact.
A blend of Antao, Arinto, Rouperio. USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Valley The Central California Winegrowers (Official site) | Central Valley (California Wine Institute)Clarksburg Clarksburg Wine Growers & Vintners Association |
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