The End of an Era: Sean Thackrey's Pleiades Wine Co. Closing Operations

As many of you reading this will know, Sean Thackrey, the creative genius and free spirt behind Pleiades Wine Co., sadly passed away in 2022 after 40 years of inspiring generations of winemakers and wine drinkers alike. Sean was one of the most experimental, naturally gifted, intuitive winemakers California has ever known. Never confined by convention nor distracted by fads, Sean followed his own path guided by his one ultimate goal, to provide pleasure to those that drank his wines.

After his passing, his protégé of 10 years, Dustin Durfee, took the reins and continued the work in the same self-taught, non-conformist ways that Sean had shown him over the last decade. Though Sean's in imitable personality could never be replicated, the wines have continued to consistently impress me and have remained very true to the core style that made them so beloved in the first place. The Pleiades Old Vine Blend, produced since 1981, though always bottled as a non-vintage wine, is one of the all-time best-selling wines at K&L. A quick scan of our database shows no less than 23 iterations of this bottling, and that doesn't include any wines that we sold before the mid-1990s that wouldn't have been logged in our current system. This consistently delicious, approachable, complex red has been pleasing people and staying relevant, perhaps even "cool" for decades. What's more it has remained a fantastic value in a world of ever-increasing prices.

A couple weeks back I received a note letting me know that the Pleaides Wine Company was going to close up shop and stop making wines. They were looking to partner with someone to move through remaining inventory as they look to wrap up current operations. With the caveat that the family may embark on future projects continuing Sean's legacy, this will be the last time that the wines we have all come to know and love will be available in their familiar form.

Knowing the quality of the wines, how popular the wines are, and how many people will want to stock up on these soon to be discontinued wines, we took a big swing and agreed up on some extra sharp pricing with the winery. With an additional 25% off our already very competitive price this wine is an absolute bargain that offers incredible value, quality, and pedigree. Here’s what we have in stock.