2007 Myriad Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

2007 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll

2012 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s

2011 Black Stallion Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Myriad Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard – $38.00

Besides his outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons, Mike Smith also makes some stunning Syrahs.

This has 14.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork dipped in wax.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color. The stunning nose has blackberries, charred meat, stony minerals, hot asphalt, dried herbs, scorched earth, cracked black peppercorns, baking spices and dried wildflowers. This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity. On the palate the juicy berries, minerals and black pepper jump out first with charred meat and dried herbs coming in on the back end. The finish has outstanding length with a floral note and a touch of tart cherry entering the picture. This is drinking very nicely but will last in the cellar for another 4 to 6 years, maybe more. (93 pts)

2007 Myriad Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

2007 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll – $37.99

I grabbed a few bottles of this wine at the local store during a wine tasting. A month or two later, the store put the wine on sale for about 25% off, so a few more bottles followed me home. I had a bottle a little over a year ago and felt it would be better in another year…time to see if I was right.

This wine is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot from the winery’s estate vineyard, Main Ranch.

This has 14.3% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

The Winery

Constructed in 1886 by a Scottish sea captain, Hamden McIntyre, our winery was originally known as Eshcol. McIntyre designed it as a gravity-flow system: a horse-drawn winch brought grapes to the third floor of the three-story structure for crushing; gravity carried the juice to the second floor for fermenting; and, eventually, the wine descended to the first floor for aging. Eshcol was among a number of wineries McIntyre designed during this period; the others were Greystone (now The Culinary Institute of America), Far Niente and Inglenook.

Much more background and information is available on the winery’s website by clicking here.

My Tasting Note

A couple of years in the cellar have really helped this wine open up and fill out. The wine is a deep maroon color. The very inviting nose has cassis, cedar, Asian spices, dried herbs, tobacco, vanilla, minerals, cocoa powder and dried flowers. This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. The wine is loaded with up front spicy fruit and minerals with dried herbs and cedar coming in on the back end. The finish has good length with the savory elements leading the charge and the fruit in the background providing nice sweetness. (92 pts)

2007 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll

2012 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s – $19.79

This is always an enjoyable Aussie Shiraz. It may not be the most complex and nuanced bottle of wine on the store’s shelf, but loads of flavor is guaranteed. This should be perfect as an after dinner sipper in a hotel after a long day on the road.

This has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The enticing nose has blackberries, wood embers, minerals, blueberries, licorice, Asian spice, black pepper and candied violets. This has a fairly full body with moderate smooth tannins and decent acidity. On the palate ripe juicy berries and smoke grab hold first with Asian spice, black pepper and a candied floral note coming in later. The finish has good length with smoky berries leading the way. As always, a good bargain for what’s in the bottle. (90 pts)

2012 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s

2011 Black Stallion Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.99

I grabbed a bottle of this value priced Napa Cab based on a recommendation from a friend. How can you really go wrong with a $20 Napa Cab?

This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The familiar nose has cassis, dried herbs, licorice, cedar, black cherry, minerals and baking spices. This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity. On the palate spices, cassis, dried herbs and minerals hit first with cedar and black cherries coming in on the back end. This has good length on the finish. This is an enjoyable Napa Cab for a week night dinner or to share with friends. (89 pts)

2011 Black Stallion Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.