I have finite dollars to spend on wine so when I’m added to a mailing list I usually try out a few bottles before diving in. I received an allocation from Myriad in the fall and ordered 3 bottles of the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Spring allocation is coming up so I opened a bottle last night to see if I was going to jump in to some more expensive bottles. I decanted this for about an hour. Oak, vanilla and more oak and vanilla. This was pretty much a dead ringer for the 2013 Caymus Cabernet. This is my first Myriad and I don’t want to knock something that other’s like but this wine was vile and to my taste undrinkable. It wasn’t flawed it just isn’t what I look for in a wine. My best description would be vanilla milkshake with a bitter oak aftertaste.
I get that a lot of people will love this style of wine but I’m surprised that Myriad seems so popular on the AFWE board. Please, tell me what I’m missing.
Sorry to hear the bottle sucked – which recent vintage?
Myriad isn’t AFWE in any way, it’s a modern style of Napa Cab that’s full of lush fruit and oak is most certainly used. I recently had the 2014 Myriad Napa Cab, thought it was super delicious and nothing like Caymus. To be fair, I haven’t tasted Caymus since the 2012…would doubt much changed in 2013 though.
I will also add that certain vintages of Myriad need some time to settle. The 2012 Napa was a brute on release, not the easiest to drink. Now? It’s pretty awesome.
'15 hasn’t had time to integrate the oak. Those need to sit for a few years. I’ve never had any of his wines but I know they are similar to TRB. But they are definitely not in the AFWE wheelhouse.
I haven’t had a Myriad CS yet, but I think that you’re missing two things. The first is that you’re drinking a '15 which is sooooooo young. I’m all for opening young bottles to evaluate (or just enjoy!), but it would take a very familiar taster to assess a big ass '15 CS today. The second is your expectations. It sounds like you thought you had in your glass an old world-styled Claret, which would make the Myriad a huge disappointment, I would guess.
If something old school like Heitz is a 3 on the “big/ripe/milkshake” scale and Caymus is a 10, Myriad is probably in the 6-8 range. Drinking it super young puts it closer to 8.
As for Caymus comparisons, I find Caymus to be gloopy and lacking any supporting structure. Myriad, while big, comes off as balanced to me.
YMMV
‘15 is probably the worst vintage to drink young as the fruit is heavily concentrated and the wine very structured. Maybe it’s not in your wheelhouse though. No harm no foul.
What made you want to buy Myriad in the first place? What style cabernet do you like to drink? As others have said, Myriad is a modern Napa cab with some balance. I have enjoyed them as a “cocktail wine”, but it is not my preferred style. As Aaron and Kyle said, 2015 is quite young.
I bought for about 5 years. Initially really liked it but palate shifted last 3 years or so.
Recently tried a 2011 dr crane. Didn’t like it. Folks mention it might be vintage.
Tried another dr crane 2011 and 2012 side by side. Didn’t like either. So… yah.
You aren’t missing anything. Just an ocean of wine and some folks like one type and other like another.
Mike’s an awesome dude. His wine tend toward the high in sweet/lush profile. If u like it. It’s super well made. If u prefer Pessac, then it’s never gonna match up.
Love reading this thread - and the different opinions expressed here.
A decade or two ago, folks certainly would not have been drinking these wines so young - but then again, producers continues to release wines earlier and earlier to not only meet customers’ demands but also because it’s just good business from a winery standpoint.
I dig Mike and his wines but understand they are not for everyone.
I think one of the big issues here is ‘expectations’ either based on reputation of the winery, reputation based on what others here have to say, and perhaps what one reads on CT or somewhere else.
As a producer, it’s always ‘humbling’ when someone says something ‘nice’ about your wines and ‘challenging’ when another person pans the same wine. That said, I never take these things ‘personally’ and just hope that my wines are ultimately enjoyed and viewed as ‘objectively’ as possible.
Hopefully I’ll have a chance to try one of these 15s in the near future - I’d love to compare notes with others.
Agree with all of the points above. I enjoy Myriad wines, but know it for what it is - more fruit forward than say a Corison or EMH Black Cat but nowhere close to Caymus in my experience. Caymus, to me, is candied, syrupy, confected…haven’t got that from any of the Myriad wines I’ve tried.
Expectations? I’m definitely not an AFWE guy but I really love a good Napa Cab. My first love wines were Insignia, Mondavi and Beringer Reserve Cabs and Dominus all from the early 90s. If I’m looking for something, that would be it. Recent Anakotas have been in my wheelhouse but this wine definitely was not.
My question has been answered. Thank you. This is their style and not mine, so I’ll move along.
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