It's your last chance (ever) to get some of this Lake County goodness from Jed Steele! The Writer's Block Malbec and Writer's Block Syrah are back by popular demand but only for one day.
Today our long, long line of extremely popular Writer's Block wines Insider Deals from Steele Wines most likely comes to an end. We've offered everything from Syrah to Petite Sirah to Malbec to Cabernet Franc to Pinot Noir to Zinfandel - and many of these more than once! All have been extremely well received and oft requested.
Legendary winemaker Jed Steele; however, has retired. Steele Wines was purchased by Clay Shannon of Shannon Vineyards (another RWS favorite) in 2020, long after both of these wines were produced. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that they are going to continue producing wine under the Writer's Block label going forward given Jed's retirement. While this will come as sad news to many of you, we're here to help soften the blow with 50% off not one, but two Bulk Buy rated Writer's Block wines!
One of the reasons we love these wines so much is not only the delicious and under-rated grapes of Lake County but also the care the winery takes in making these wines. Here's how Steele Wines describes the winemaking process:
It's all about minimalism. At Steele we use standard, non-GMO yeasts, natural fermentations, and no extra additives or enzymes. During fermentation we gently pumpover, use inert gas to move the finished wines, and use gravity flow as much as possible. All of this ensures that we don't bruise the wine during its time in the cellar, which helps retain fresh aromas and flavors in the finished wines. From handpicking grapes to gentle processing and bottling in our own facility, we make sure our grapes are cared for from vineyard to bottle. It's all about a light hand in the winemaking to better highlight the aromas and flavors of the quality fruit we crush.
Both of these wines have quite reasonable SRPs at $24.
For the next day; however, you can get 2 bottles of the 2017 Writer's Block Malbec and 2 bottles 2017 Writer's Block Syrah for just $52.99, or $13.25 a bottle, plus $5 for shipping. That's a total discount of 50% versus the normal shipped price!
Buy multiples and you save even more since you'll never pay more than $5 shipping, no matter how many 4-packs you buy. Read on for our full reviews of both wines.
This 4-pack deal is available to ship to the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, VT, WA and WI. (These states are dependent on the individual licenses of the offering winery. Future deals may have more or less states available.)
This limited time, winery direct offer ends Wednesday 4/6/2022 at noon (PT) unless it sells out sooner.
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.
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).
Up first we've got the 2017 Writer's Block Malbec from vineyards at 1,900 feet of elevation in the Red Hills appellation of Lake County. The area gets it names from the red volcanic soils here and combined with the high elevation, make for the perfect spot to grow Malbec.
The wine spends 12 months in equal parts French, American and Hungarian oak with 15% of the total being new. It has basically no residual sugar (.07 g/L) and only 1,600 cases were produced.
From the winery:
This Malbec is sourced from the Red Hills Appellation of Lake County. The vineyard was planted in 1999-2000 on well drained slopes of iron rich red soil, remnants of an eruption of Mt. Konocti. An excellent vineyard site above 2000 ft., we were one of the first wineries to work with Red Hills Malbec.
Winemaker Quincy Steele’s experiences working in Argentina inform this wine and its style. Native yeast fermentation, extended macerations, and cooler fermentation temperatures give him as much control as possible with respect to extracting. Aromas and flavors are very pronounced ripe red berry and black fruit, and spice with medium acid and moderate tannins.
Extremely versatile food wine that pairs well with most grilled meats and grilled vegetable preparations. Try a grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, a cassoulet or a cheese & charcuterie plate.
Produced & Bottled by QMS Group
13.5% Alcohol
The 2017 Writer's Block Malbec begins with a lovely aroma of plum, spice, black pepper and a little smoke.
The wine tastes fresh and fruity with lots of dark, tart, juicy flavors. Full-bodied and loaded with flavor, this fun to drink wine features plenty of acidity and firm tannins. A nice burst of spice and black pepper lead into the dry, long, grippy finish.
The ripe, juicy style actually reminds me a bit of one of our all-time favorite wines, the Scott Harvey Barbera.
The second half of today's 4-pack is the 91-point (Tasting Panel) 2017 Writer's Block Syrah from the Cana Springs Vineyard in Lake County. It is aged for 12 months in 15% new French, American and Hungarian oak and with several years of additional aging in the bottle, this wine is drinking absolutely beautifully right now.
From the winery:
Aromas: Ripe plum, black pepper, with a rustic note of dried herbs.
Flavors: Fresh cherries, blackberries, sweet tobacco, olive and a kiss of french oak on the finish.
Structure: medium to full body, long length finish.
Produced & Bottled by QMS Group
13.8% Alcohol
The 2017 Writer's Block Syrah opens with a very pleasing aroma of blackberry, black cherry, black pepper and some other assorted spice notes along with a little cedar and leather.
Taking a sip reveals a rich, dense and juicy Syrah loaded with dark berry fruit wrapped up in a smooth, lush texture and featuring lots of well-integrated spice, pepper, licorice, black tea, coffee and even more secondary notes. It has really evolved well at this point and is drinking wonderfully now. More in the Australian Shiraz style than that of a Rhone Syrah, this is another wine that is quite fun to drink but also has plenty of complexity.
It ends dry, long and yummy! I'm guessing this one might have been a bit hard to handle in its youth but it's drinking just beautifully now. This is pretty impressive for a sub-$15 wine.
Here's what people are saying about our Insider Deals:
"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."
"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!"
"Wish I would have ordered more!! It was great. Looking back, I wish I didn’t open it at our annual pool party. It’s gone. **Sob**"
"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 Writer's Block Malbec and Syrah 4-Pack while you can! This deal ends Wednesday 4/6 at noon Pacific.
