After 6 months of sales, our inventory has now been depleted! But don't worry you can check out our NEW All-Stars White and Rosé Wine Intro Pack and All-Stars Red Wine Intro Pack and/or take advantage of our 3 times/week Insider Deals!
Get four bottles of our highest rated, best-selling, most requested wines from our most popular wineries for less than half price. These are truly our Insider Deal All-Stars!
This is the deal to end all deals! If you've been hesitant to take part in our Insider Deals, THIS is the one you've been waiting for.
The All Star line-up includes:
- The single vineyard, Bulk Buy rated, dry-farmed, naturally made perfect 10 (94+ points) Peterson Tollini Zero Manipulation red blend featuring old-vine Carignane. This wine has one of the highest Overall Ratings we've ever offered in an Insider Deal!
- The $40 single vineyard, 93-point Winesmith Cabernet Franc that spends an incredible 56 months in French oak and is made by the guy that literally wrote the book on winemaking, Clark Smith!
- The single vineyard, perfect 10 (94+ points) Vigo Syrah!
- And finally, perhaps our most talked about deal - the 93-point Son of a Butcher Tannat-based red blend from the French Tannat Master himself, Y Rousseau.
This collection is designed to introduce you to some of our best-selling wineries while also pushing you out of your normal Cab/Pinot Noir comfort zone with delicious varietals and blends that you may not drink much of but should.
The good news is that you'll be expanding your comfort zone in the easiest way possible as these are all guaranteed winners, offered here at less than half their normal price. In fact, some of these exact wines have sold out in just a few hours in previous offers.
Besides the fact that we've got 4 different wines from 4 different wineries in today's deal, one of the other big differences versus our normal deals is that this is not a flash sale format. This means this offer does not expire and can be purchased any time, or at least as long as inventory is available, which we've tried to make sure is bountiful.
Over the years we've gotten tons of requests to start a wine club and while there are certainly good aspects to that, we've never been very comfortable with the commitment it locks people into. This offer is the first of what we hope to be many that are really a "Reverse Wine Club" - pre-packaged collections of multiple wines for you to take advantage of whenever (and as often) as you want, without any commitment. (You can find our second collection, the "Perfect 10" Pack here!)
We only want you to order the wines that YOU want to drink, so if an offer doesn't appeal to you, you're not stuck with it like a normal wine club. There's also no worry about getting a great initial group of wines and then the quality falling off once you're committed because, well, you're never committed!
In order for as many people as possible to take part, we've also expanded the ship states for this offer to just about every state we can possibly ship to - which means some of you will be able to try the wines from these wineries for the very first time.
Rarely discounted, these four wines have an SRP of over $130. As usual you won't pay anywhere close to that price through our Insider Deal.
Shipping is a flat $6.99 per order no matter how many 4-packs you buy (limit of 6 per order). Orders will be batched together and sent out the beginning of each week via UPS ground. (And now that summer is over, no more styrofoam packaging!) Read on for our full reviews of each wine.
This 4-pack deal is available to ship to the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI and WY. (These states are dependent on the individual licenses of the offering winery. Future deals may have more or less states available.)
While we have quite a bit of inventory of these 4 wines, due to the small production of most of the wineries we work with, individual wines are subject to change and may be updated as necessary with other best-sellers. In the event a wine does need to be swapped out, this post will be updated with that info.
Clicking on the buy button above will take you to the site winedealmaker.com to checkout. If you don't see the embedded buy box click here to order.
Up first, let's take a look at the Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher (SOB) Red Blend. We've lost count of the number of people who told us the Y Rousseau single varietal Tannat previously featured as an Insider Deal was one of, if not THE best wine they have ever tasted.
The Son of a Butcher red blend features more of that deep, dark and delicious Tannat magic at a fraction of the price. This is an insane value for a wine of this quality made by Yannick Rousseau himself, who comes from and trained in the home of Tannat, the Madiran region of France. And in fact, Yannick has gone all in on this wine, using his entire California Tannat production for 2020 in this delicious blend!
Those of you who are familiar with Y Rousseau or who got in on our previous offers are no doubt already all in on this one, but for everyone else, here is the some of the feedback we received from our previous Y Rousseau deals:
"We just finished our first bottle and it was terrific. I grew up in a French household and my father loved the “black wine” which I believe was from Cahors or that area. Any time I ask for Tannat (we live in Naples, Fl.), I am told, no one would buy that here; you will need to go to NY to find it. So, Jon, we are very happy with our purchase and encouraged that a California vintner would take the 'risk' to produce something that many would not recognize."
"The wine is outstanding. I am so glad I bought a case 😁"
"Jon my wife and I just opened our first bottle of the Tannat insider deal. Not being familiar with this grape I didn’t know what to expect. It was over the top good. Your description was way understated. My wife is not given to superlatives and describes this wine as by far the best she has ever had. Thanks Jon."
"I recently took advantage of your offer of Rousseau Tannat. So glad I did, and now sorry I did not buy more (like all those quotes on your website!) So if more becomes available I'd like to be informed. Will be watching for your specials and offers because this Tannat was a very nice surprise. Take good care, we appreciate your good work."
"Thanks Jon. We already drank all 6 of the first order so we were ecstatic to see you offering it again. My wife and I both love it."
"I know that you don't need to have 'customers' email you every time they like a wine that you have suggested/rated, and I have enjoyed many of your recommendations. But this Tannat was spectacular! Wow! That was amazing!"
The aptly named Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher (SOB) Red Blend is 30% Tannat, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petite Sirah aged for 18 months in 20% new and 80% neutral French oak barrels. It has 14.7% alcohol. It's aptly named not only because it goes great with meat but also because Yannick's father, pictured on the label, was in fact a butcher in France.
The 2020 Y Rousseau Son of a Butcher Red Blend begins with a wonderful aroma of blackberry and black cherry plus sage and other assorted spices, licorice and touches of coffee, vanilla, mint and more. This wine is still fairly young at this point so it does need a bit of time to open up but once it does it is just as good as ever.
The wine tastes lovely, lovely, lovely! This is a delicious, nicely tannic, full-bodied blend anchored by the Tannat we know you love but also complemented wonderfully by all those other varieties.
Big and spicy, this is fun to drink and just as you would expect, is made to paired with a big, juicy steak. It also features a smooth and velvety mouthfeel, lots of ripe and juicy dark fruit, plenty of spice and slightly chewy tannins that lead into the dry, incredibly long finish. Yum.
This is one good SOB!
2020 Y ROUSSEAU SON OF A BUTCHER RED BLEND
BULK BUY
Next let's take a look at the Peterson Winery Zero Manipulation Red which comes from the dry-farmed Tollini Vineyard in Redwood Valley, Mendocino and is made in a way that lets the true goodness of the grape shine through -- unfined, unfiltered and with no additives (meaning it is also vegan).
Here's how the winery describes the Zero Manipulation blend:
Zero Manipulation is a combination of intention as well as practice. Each year is slightly different, and our goal is to express that variation (while still making a wine that tastes good), and not having a preconceived notion of the wine being exactly the same each year. We don't add enzymes, tannins, acid, etc., and don't fine or filter these wines (or treat with velcorin, or lysozyme, or gum arabic, or or or...). SO2 is used after fermentation and at bottling though with switching to screw caps and lower oxygen pickup, we can get away with less.
The less you do in the course of a wine’s tenure in the cellar, the more of the grape’s, vineyard’s, and vintage’s essence you’ll have to bottle. Every time you do something to a wine, you take out a little of what you started with.
Even better than that, this wine tastes amazing -- both on its own and with a wide variety of food. Honestly, it's the type of wine that is so rich and flavorful that it makes you wonder what's been wrong with all the other wine you've been tasting.
The Zero Manipulation Red is a blend of 73% old vine Carignane, 22% Grenache and 5% Syrah aged a long time in neutral oak barrels (22 months). Just 725 cases were made and the wine has 14.6% alcohol.
The 2017 Peterson Winery Tollini Vineyard Zero Manipulation Red Blend begins with a really enticing, succulent aroma of black cherry and blackberry with plenty of spice, cola, vanilla and even a touch of a meaty note. This one literally sucks you right into the glass and once there it's hard to get your nose out of it!
Taking a sip reveals quite a lovely, flavorful blend full of deep, savory black cherry, black raspberry and blackberry. It's medium-bodied, wonderfully balanced, smooth, spicy and easy to drink. It's rather elegant really, but still quite quaffable which is not an easy feat to achieve.
The amount of old vine Carignane is up to 73% in this vintage (versus 68% for the 2016 and 58% for the 2015 vintages we previously offered) and it takes the wine up a notch in our opinion. It's so rich and full of flavor that it makes you wonder what's wrong with a lot of the other wines you've been tasting at this price point!
It ends dry, very long and lively with a little spice under the lasting fruit. I love it! And while it's drinking absolutely wonderfully now, I think it will get even better with a couple more years of bottle age.
2017 PETERSON WINERY TOLLINI VINEYARD ZERO MANIPULATION RED BLEND
BULK BUY
Phew! And we're only halfway through this amazing deal. Next, we go to one of our highest selling wineries run by one of our very favorite winemakers, Clark Smith.
Many of you are, of course, familiar with Clark Smith (the guy who literally wrote the book on winemaking - he's the author od "Postmodern Winemaking") from our previous Two Jakes and WineSmith deals. These have been some of the most popular on the site and most requested for repeats.
Today we go back to the remarkable high altitude Diamond Ridge Vineyard and its volcanic soils for the variety that Clark is probably best known for, Cabernet Franc - a seriously under-rated and under-appreciated grape in the U.S.
The Winesmith Lake County Cabernet Franc is 77% Cabernet Franc (clone 1) and 23% Merlot (clone 181) from the Diamond Ridge Vineyard in Clear Lake AVA of Lake County, a special spot thanks to its volcanic soils. The wine spends an incredible 56 months in neutral French oak barrels and has 14.2% alcohol.
The 2016 Winesmith Cabernet Franc opens with lots of attractive, spicy cherry notes along with cedar, licorice, tobacco, mint, cinnamon, rosemary and much more.
The wine tastes smooth and spicy with just about all those notes from the nose making an appearance in the mouth, which is pretty remarkable. Quite harmonious, this is a special one!
It ends dry, long, and just a bit dusty and grippy. While excellent now, according to Clark, this is a wine that can keep for decades! (The 1994 is still going strong.)
You can hear Clark talk more about this wine here.
2016 WINESMITH LAKE COUNTY CABERNET FRANC
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
And last but not least, we're rounding out this 4-pack with one of most popular wines that has (up until now) had very limited states it could ship to. Through today's All Star Intro Pack we're making it available just about as widely as we can.
We're huge fans of Rhone varietals so we jumped at the chance to grab the remaining inventory on several vintages of the single vineyard Vigo Syrah. Buyers will get a single bottle of either the 2015 Syrah or 2017 Syrah. (The Vigo Grenache previously in this 4-pack is sold out and has been replaced by this wine.)
Both of these wines are 100% varietal, single vineyard bottlings aged 18 months in French oak. They have alcohol levels of 14.5% - 14.8%. They all also have a number of outside scores from the likes of Wine Enthusiast in the 91 to 93-point range.
Normally only available from the winery at a price of $48 per bottle, you won't be paying anywhere close to that through this Insider Deal.
The 2015 Vigo Cellars Syrah opens with a lovely, enticing aroma of blackberry, baking spice, vanilla, coffee and more.
The taste is just pure delicious. Full of dark fruit that is wonderfully interwoven with lots of different spice notes, this wine has great structure and balance. Add to that a smooth and lush mouthfeel with slightly chewy tannins and wow. Man, I love a good Syrah!
The finish is dry and quite long with the fruit and spice lingering along with a little minerality. Excellent!
The 2017 Vigo Cellars Syrah opens with a similar aroma to the 2015 but with some touches of dried herbs and white pepper too. It's quite a savory start.
The wine tastes very similar to the 2015 as well, which is a very good thing. It is perhaps a big lighter on the spice but maybe even a bit more delicious on the fruit. It's beautifully interwoven with lots of different spice and dried herb notes.
The finish is dry, quite long and a bit juicy with the fruit and spice lingering along with some mineral touches.
Man, I love a good Syrah and these are both great examples, both scoring a perfect 10 Taste Rating. These are off-the-charts good!
As we noted above, you will get one bottle of either the 2015 Syrah or 2017 Syrah, depending upon supply. Whichever you get, it's a screaming deal.
Here's what people are saying about our Insider Deals:
"Hi Jon, Best thing I ever did is buy wine thru you...not been disappointed with any of them! Thank you SO MUCH!"
"I am seriously considering having the Insider Deals as my primary go-to. Why did I not do this sooner? Thank you"
"The only thing I have ever been disappointed in with an Insider Deal is that I didn't purchase more."
"I love this wine I bought from you!!!! Thanks for doing what do do!!!"
"This an absolutely amazing wine, Jon. And $5 shipping for four bottles? You've outdone yourself!"
"Thanks Jon. We already drank all 6 of the first order so we were ecstatic to see you offering it again. My wife and I both love it."
"You are a man after my own heart. I have always looked for the best and least expensive wine and you just made it easier. Cheers!"
"Hi Jon, well, I did something people have warned about - bought 6 bottles and should have bought 12!"
"Have had nothing but great bottles since I started ordering your recommendations. Thanks so much! "
"We've gotten in on three of the deals and have been VERY happy with the value. I originally was going to do a wine club thing but the insider deal appeals to me much more."
"The $5 or $10 shipping on the Insider Deals is another great part of the deal. We recently paid $27 to a winery in California to ship 6 bottles (same packaging as the insider deals)....yikes!"
"Just got my 6 bottles and having my first glass. WHY, WHY didn't I buy a case??!!"
"I really missed the boat by only getting four bottles of this offer last month. Should have bought least at a case."
"My wife and I have really enjoyed getting to know new wines (and better than we used to buy!) Thanks for what you do and providing this service!"
"Jon - you have to stop offering all of these amazing deals. My self discipline is fading fast!!"
"I recently took advantage of your offer. So glad I did, and now sorry I did not buy more (like all those quotes on your website!)"
"The wine is outstanding. I am so glad I bought a case."
" I only drink Reverse Wine Snob wine, it actually doesn't make sense to buy from a store. You don't get anything interesting, unique, and full of value otherwise."
"Jon, I should have bought more! Delicious!!"
"I am a Certified Specialist of Wine. I love your deals. You pick great wines!! Kudos to you for getting us great deals!"
"thanks for the deal...this wine is spectacular for $12.50/bottle. I am used to buying big, bold, young cabs or old vine zins and paying considerably more multiples of this price."
"Hi Jon, just had to let you know that I love this wine!!!! Thanks for doing what you do."
"I have purchased many times over the last several months and loved the wines!"
"Seriously amazing deal!!! I love a bold red, and Reverse Wine Snob delivered!!! Perfect for a rainy night!!"
"AMAZING!! Damn, I should have bought a CASE!!"
"WOW. Just... wow. Absolutely delicious. If I knew it was going to be this good, I would have bought a case... or two. This was dead-center in the sweet spot of what I like. Thank you!!"
"I have loved all my RWS deals, can't wait to get this one."
"I know that you don't need to have 'customers' email you every time they like a wine that you have suggested/rated, and I have enjoyed many of your recommendations. But this Tannat was spectacular! Wow! That was amazing!"
"I finally opened a bottle of this and it did not disappoint. Delicious!!!"
"Thanks for a great service! We’ve been loving your emails and wine deals!"
"This insider deal is a great wine!!! So glad I got it!!"
"My Insider Deal arrived just in time for my celebration tonight and it’s absolutely delicious! Cheers!"
"Wish I had doubled my order!"
"I've gotten quite a few of these and loved them all -- keep them coming!"
"Wow - this wine is amazing!!! Glad I have two more bottles of it!!"
"Bought a case wish I had purchased 2-3 cases. Fantastic buy for the price."
"This Insider Deal was the best ever. This wine is amazing!!! Strongly recommend."
Get the Insider Deal All Stars Intro Pack!
If you have more questions or any trouble ordering please check out our FAQ! Also please note that ordering accounts are not automatically created so there is no need to login unless you have previously ordered and checked the box to create an account during checkout (which is not required).
You might also check out our second collection, the "Perfect 10" Pack. Four of our highest rated wines, all with 10 Taste Ratings (94+ points), all from different wineries, and all offered at a huge discount!
Note, this Intro 4-Pack previously contained the Vigo Grenache instead of the Syrah. Here's our review of that wine:
Grenache, in our opinion is a variety that everyone should explore. Outside of places like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, it is not well recognized, which is a pity but also a boon to Reverse Wine Snobs looking for extreme value. And talk about extreme value, today's deal has got it!
The 2016 Vigo Cellars Grenache opens with aromas of black cherry, cranberry, licorice, mint and lots of other wonderful herbal and spice notes. I love it!
Taking a sip reveals a medium-bodied wine with soft tannins that is full of flavors similar to the nose with a bit of oaky spice. Delicious and easy to drink, this one is good right out of the bottle but after a couple hours of air it's really singing.
It ends with a dry, long, lovely finish.
The 2018 Vigo Cellars Grenache opens with aromas of licorice, cola, black cherry, mint and lots of other wonderful herbal and spice notes. I also love it!
Taking a sip reveals a smooth, medium-bodied wine with soft tannins. The fruit is a bit more tangy in the mouth but otherwise is full of flavors similar to the nose plus lots of licorice and oaky spice. Delicious and easy to drink, the wine is still a bit young, but it opens up nicely after a few hours.
It ends dry, long and lovely and the whole thing is just as good on day 2.
