Here are my impressions from a January tasting of 5 barrel samples.
That’s all I’ve got.
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Just got home from blind tasting 2020 Myriad Cabernet barrel samples of 5 different vineyards along the valley from Calistoga to Yountville/Oak Knoll. We were not told what we were drinking or where they came from. We were asked to be brutally honest in our assessment of whether we felt any of the wines were tainted. Note, these were all barrel samples, not finished, racked, blended wines. These notes are not indicative of the final product but merely a look to see if we felt they had flaws.
Wine 1 - Herbal nose, good concentration of fruit, stony minerality, finish cut short by tannic infusion. Tastes like a wine that needs time rather than one with an issue.
Impression - No taint
Wine 2 - Herbal+, touch of pyrazine, dark dense fruit, mocha, nice tannic structure, more polished than #1.
Impression - no taint
Wine 3 - Not as aromatic as 1 & 2, red fruited, very tannic, more classic styled of the 3.
Impression - no taint
Wine 4 - Musty, almost damp mold whiff on the nose, dark fruited, big fruit, very dense, finish is bitter and biting in the back of the palate. One of these wines is not like the others.
Impression - Tainted
Wine 5 - Big expressive nose, purple and blue concentrated fruit, mineral streak, great purity. Favorite of the bunch.
Impression - no taint
On reveal
Wine 1 - Kenefick Ranch
Wine 2 - GIII
Wine 3 - Peterson Family
Wine 4 - Steltzner
Wine 5 - Dr Crane
Around the table we all tagged Steltzner as being off. Mike said someone else called it out for taint as well and they are now not going to release it. As for the rest of them, I’ll buy with confidence.
Hope this helps those wondering about Myriad. Nobody is putting a gun to your head. If you’re queasy about 2020 just pass. Mike says his 2021s are the best wines he’s ever made in his opinion. You can have that to look forward to.