Folks
Wanted to gather some opinions as to drinking windows for Myriad wines… cabernets and syrahs!
I have been collecting for some time… but I tend to prefer aged wines … so I am thinking I should figure out when to start drinking them.
Seems like a silly subject almost… but some wines are particularly long range drinkers, and many are specifically intended for somewhat earlier drinking.
What do you think!
Matthew Billet
The few I’ve had were only a few years old and were tannic and certainly not ready yet, but still fruity and deadly delicious.
I really like most of Mike’s Cabernets from about 7 years post-vintage to about 12 years out. I haven’t had any older than that, as I always consume them all by then. However, I’ve never had one of his wines that felt tired or on the verge of decline, so I think you’d be fine to age them at least 15 years.
I have less experience with the Syrahs, but I’m sure many here can speak to that.
I’ve held off 8 years on an Esther Block Syrah and it was not slowing down, just morphing a bit. The Syrahs will hang in there as long as the Cabs do IMO.
Imo the Cabs generally need a few years to settle but it depends on vintage - 2012s and 2013s were very unforgiving and are just opening now while the 2014s were much more accessible on release (at least to my palate). I might start checking in on 2010s, had a 2010 Quivet Kenefick last weekend that was absolutely on fire.
The Syrahs are almost always open for business and never seem to close.
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I had a shipping notification from one winery this week and told them I would reject the shipment if it got released to the shipper. Been 95+ in SoCal this week. We seem to get one week in the fall each year like this and it gets taken for granted how warm it can still be for us. I had a bad experience with a case of wine delivered end of day from UPS in late October under the same scenario and the wine was totally cooked, leaking through the cork in several bottles.
I mostly have a hard time aging Myriad (and other Mike Smith wines) because they usually drink so well young.
With that said, I had a 2014 Myriad Dr. Crane over the 4th of July this year, and it could go for many years, it was enjoyable but certainly had the structure to continue improving. A month or so ago, I had a 2009 Kenefick Ranch that was good, but was missing something from the youthful exuberance that I am used to from this bottling–I think because I usually drink Mike’s wines from this vineyard on the young side. I did make the mistake of opening a 2016 Las Piedras (Quivet) and a 2016 Steltzner based on Cellar Tracker reviews recently, and they both would benefit from a year or three in bottle. Fantastic wines, but not showing all they will, with time.
Hello All - a quick note from the winery:
We have a ‘myriad’ of drinking windows- depending on the vintage and vineyard and of course…and how you like your wines ( young or aged) Never hesitate to reach out to us or check our website/ winemaker tasting notes, we try to give our best guesstimate on a drinking window. Thank you for all the support, enjoy the wines, they are spectacular!
D’oh!
I don’t think the wines have been around long enough for me to make a proper assessment about long term ‘drinking windows.’
I have had some in the 8 year old range and they were still vibrant and primary, which I mean as a compliment.
When we serve this line up, it’s right near the top for how frequently people do the “this is great wine” pause and then start asking questions.
I expect long, happy lives.
2005 was the first vintage? maybe I will hit wine searcher and see how far back I can go. That’s sounds like a fun assignment!
Or maybe their various wines have a myriad of drinking windows.
I reached out to Leah last Fri to hold my shipment this week and no problem. However, I can’t say the same for a friend who ordered from Realm and it shipped to San Diego on Mon, ouch 
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I often can’t decide who’s fussier, oenophiles, or audiophiles.
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Sorry Brian I guess I do not read every line in the email. BTW where is podunk?
USA/California/Sonoma County/Russian River Valley/Forestville