Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I have always enjoyed the elegant, French-styled Syrahs from this winery, and this 2005 appears to be the finest they have yet produced. A beautiful deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of blueberries, black raspberries, spice, and ground pepper. Displaying a seamless integration of acidity, alcohol, tannin, and wood, winemaker/proprietor Carol Meredith has fashioned a brilliant Syrah offering substance and style. With full body, superb balance, a silky texture, and a fascinating mouthfeel, it can be drunk now as well as over the next 7-8 years.
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Wine & Spirits
This vintage from Stephen Lagier and Carole Meredith’s vineyard on Mount Veeder is fuller and deeper in tone than the previous two. It needs several hours in a decanter to spread beyond the confines of new oak and ripe fruit, yielding brighter crushed peppercorn scents. Cellar and then serve it with roast boar.
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Wine Spectator
Enticing floral, jasmine, wild berry and blueberry scents fold over on the palate, giving this sleek, focused youngster a tight beam of fruit and a touch of sage and game meat. The tannins are ripe and integrated. Drink now through 2013. 940 cases made.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.