Opened and poured, from the cellar. Deep purple to the rim, thick and full bodied. Lush, humid, multi-layered fruit on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, smooth, velveteen, really nice wine. Day two the remaining glass was a bit more sour and disjointed, yet still very thick and full. Taking a point off for the day two experience.
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Brought by Jay Hack and while this isn't a style I regularly drink, I found myself really enjoying this. It's very much about the primary black and red fruited flavours right now, but it's never over the top or fruit bomb-y - there's impressive depth and balance here, and time in the decanter brings out more earthy/savoury notes. Excellent with kebabs off the grill.
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Very smooth enjoyable Cabernet with all the requisite flavors you expect from Napa cab…. However, it’s not a good QPR as I have had many $60 - $90 cabs as good if not better…this was $98… Also their quick price increases over the last few years has felt disloyal to me…2020 was $175..nearly 80% increase in 5 years…REALLY? I am finding way better wine at better prices from Bordeaux for example not to mention other Cali brands…. Count me off their list..
Drinking really nicely right now. Blue and black fruit but deft and light like a ballerina which is atypical of younger Myriad wines which can tend to be a bit heavy when young. Popped and poured and after 20 minutes was drinking consistently.
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Wonderful wine, so smooth and clean. Black and blue fruit, licorice, perhaps a bit of chocolate. Velvet in the mouth. Long, satisfying finish. If scoring, 93-95.
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Much the same as my prior bottle - good dark fruit, ample acidity to age for years to come. Could still stand to shed a few lingering overt traces of oak flavors, at least for my palate. Will wait another year or three on my last bottle.
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The wine was consumed out of a Riedel SOMM Bordeaux glass and was paired with a marinated hanger steak. I chose to double decant (poured wine out of the bottle and immediately returned it to the bottle without the cork) for 8+ hours. The serving temperature was approximately 61 degrees.
The wine color was a very dark purple. The nose had aromas of dark fruits and some spice. The taste was of blue and black fruits with the strongest fruit flavor of blackberries. There was some spice and a hint of menthol. The oak showed up with a hint of vanilla and almond. The tannins were still very present and might have benefited from a true long decant or more time in the cellar. There was a smooth texture with a good mouthfeel. The finish was long but not super long.
The wine was good and on the verge of very good but it was just missing that IT factor to push it into the next realm. Based on CT reviews, it appears that IT factor was present soon after release but dissipated over time. May be it will return with more time in the bottle, as the tannins soften and become more integrated.
My score is a 94+ with the possibility of becoming a 96 with a few more years. Unfortunately, this bottle was a 1 off.
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Decanted 4hrs and followed. Very deep concentrated wine, dark fruit, hints of roasted elements. Tannins a bit coarse, quite prominent and dry despite the scale of the fruit. Everything in balance, quite polished, but the ripeness a bit past preference for me.
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I felt about the same with this wine as I did 2 years ago. Very enjoyable, but lacked the excitement or intensity of the 2014 Realm The Bard that we were also drinking.
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Had it a couples a days ago at our CWG-D, everyone said Cabernet Sauvignon but me... I felt dryer than most Cali Cabs so I thought it was a Cali Bordeaux blend, I picked the year despite it can be confused with a 2-4 years older wine.
It have a nice nose, the mid palate is pleasant but lacking complexity, it’s a bit over the top in the oak department but that should be resolved in a couple of years. Not too much of acidity but nice tannins which should push it forward.
The finish is fair, nothing exceptional. Overall it looks like a good value.
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One off from the big box winestore ($111) about 6 months ago; been eager and a little nervous to try this, with 2 so-so experiences with M. Smith wines and TNs on this all over the place. I also worried because after my first 2 Mike Smith experiences, it seemed like my partygoing days when I'd go to a party and be bored, only to hear that it had been great just before I got there or after I left, which is to say, I was drinking the wine either too early or too late, but not at the right time (thanks to csimm and Bad monkey for timing advice on this.). Opened with 1 oz pour, then let sit for about 45 minutes, and 2 glasses consumed over the next couple of hours. On the palate, the nose gives the feel of being in the world's largest, sweetest blackberry patch, with a creek of blackberry liquer running through it. On the palate, all manner of ripe, dark berries with wet earth, minerality and graphite. After about an hour, notes of coffee, dark chocolate and spice emerge, and the vibrant fruit pulls back just a bit for a gravelly finish. Purple almost to the point of blackness, full-bodied, legs like tree trunks. No discernible acidity, tannins which were silky and only revealed after the fruit pulled back a bit, and happily, no heat. Extraordinary concentration and purity of fruit, tremendous intensity and persistence, medium complexity which deepened in hours 1-3. I feared that this wine might be the equivalent of drinking jet fuel from a fire hose; it wasn't. While balance and structure aren't the first words this wine brings to mind, it was neither flabby nor unstructured. The lack of acidity made it a non-factor with grilled burgers and veggies and chocolate as well, but you didn't buy this expecting a Crozes-Hermitage or a Barolo, did you? On night 2, the wine receded quite significantly and lost steam. Still, on night 1, this wine showed me why, even if I'm not going to make the trip to Jonestown--or Smithtown, as the case may be--or even become a charter member of the Myriad mailing list, some very knowledgeable wine lovers are so fond of Mr. Smith's wines. The qpr at what I paid for it was notable, and I'd buy again. Just a bit less sweetness and more acidity (and ergo, food friendliness) and a better performance on night 2 and this excellent wine would have been shooting for immortality. It seems like there may be some variability on this bottling, but my sense was that this was smack in the middle of its drinking window, likely to stay here for a few years, but susceptible to weakening with too much air. 95+ night one, 90-91 night 2.
Another head scratcher......but then again as the 22nd bottle of the night, I'm surprised I can still feel my head. At the pnp this is beautiful. It is dark and deep, with sweet rounded tannins and great structure. Wrapping up the evening and winding down during cleanup and bidding goodbye's it sits and takes in about 30-45 min of air. At that point it changes. Tincture of iodine appears, with a tart line of astringency. Wow! What a changeover! I had to deduct a few points over time or this would have been a 96-97 for me. Not sure if I've ever had a Myriad do this before, but bears watching with future bottles.
93 + points but not showing as nicely as it did earlier on. I would recommend holding this cab for now. Quality dark berry fruit with good extraction and nice flavors, but a little tight and slightly acidic this point. I believe that the George’s lll show much more to my liking while in its early development. Consumed over three days.
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Decanted 3 hours before consuming. This wine is drinking so well now. Consistent with my prior note, albeit a tad more open and ready to drink. I did not take detailed notes. Just a downright delicious wine, that's all.
Much more closed than my initial experience at time of release. Very primal with mouth puckering tannin and searing acidity. Fortunately there is a real beast of a wine here. Unfortunately it’s in hibernation. Decanted 3 hours and didn’t budge. I’ll hold my last 3 plus years.
Decided to give this a shot for New Year's Eve. Really smooth upon opening. I was pretty excited at that point and let it decant for another couple hours. IMO, this is still quite young. Even following the decant, the wine didn't evolve a whole lot. Quite a bit of grip from the tannin and the fruit notes were pretty primary. This hasn't quite come together enough to score it much higher. A tasty bottle nonetheless, I was just expecting more based on some of the previous scores and comments.
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After a couple of Coravin evolutions, the remaining juice from this bottle was PnP’d and consumed within 30 minutes. Great flavors and energy during this volley.
Again, I know there is seemingly much debate about when these are best. I’ll just say this... The GIII seems to meld especially well with the baby fat oak treatment that goes along with it. In this case, like food, fat is flavor. Some (myself included) can be very much drawn to that. As such, if that’s your jam, best to hit these bad boys when they first get released. When the gooey goodness sheds, a more tame animal emerges.
Depending on your preference, mood, or whatever palate religion you adhere to, this wine is great to drink now, or hold for a number of years with confidence. The only hurry is if you are adverse to a more affable Cabernet. I personally don’t believe holding will emasculate this GIII into a neutered, quivering Chihuahua version of itself. Just don’t expect that Stay Puft Marshmallow Man intensity a year or two after release.
I like the idea of experiencing this wine over the course of its life cycle at various stages. But in all reality, after a couple of years of finding its way, I don't think this is going to change all that drastically over the mid/latter stages of its life. Pretty much a super pleasant Steady Eddie from then on.
Coravin pour. Same as before. It's fun. It's flavorful. It's not going to win any Nobel Peace Prizes or ever make it as an answer on Jeopardy, but this is solid juice served with a smile all day long. Drink now and over the next few years.
I wanted to good wine tonight, but I should’ve read my last notes on this particular vintage. Similar notes to the last posting, however it did show better on day two. The wine did increase its flavor profile to a good degree, elevating a bit from hibernation with the blue purple fruits showing a bit better with firm ascidity. I will wait awhile before cracking another cork on this vintage. Point range, from 91 to 92.6 Points if scoring and improve with age is certain.
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Get together with a friend for the Champions League games and we decided to put the 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges cab next to the 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges Empyrean to see how they compare. Dark ruby fruit - dark currants, dark cherry, dark raspberry, and a little dark plum. Really smooth mid-palate coupled with nice depth/concentration and purity of fruit. Nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little graphite component. Fairly long finish. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Improved with time and took around one hour to really open-up. In all, we both agreed that the regular G3 bottling was quite a bit better at this stage - fuller fruit, more flavorful/expressive, better finish, etc..
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I love how most of the 2015 Napa cabs are drinking right now despite their youth so I decided to revisit this cab - I'm glad I did. Dark ruby fruit - dark currants, dark cherry, dark raspberry, and a little dark plum. Really smooth (seamless from beginning to end) coupled with a beautiful purity and nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved with time but drinking quite well after the decant. It still isn't showing quite the same depth as late last year but a big improvement from a couple months ago - the fruit has filled-out some mid-palate, it is more expressive/flavorful, and the tartness on the finish wasn't present. As has also been the case with some previous vintages, this wine can be chameleon like - changing quite often back and forth from great to just good. Thankfully this bottle was great and one of the better bottles that I've had this year.
The last time I popped a cork on this wine it was on a path to transitioning, tasty but definitely on a journey. Today, its official this wine is in transition/hibernation. Acidity has pushed the ripe dark fruit to the background and is showing big. The Cab did open up a bit, but not a whole lot. I will let my remaining stash rest on the rack until further notice. This Cab is till really tasty, but its repressed and dominated by an acidic, tart cranberry fruit like presence. With half a bottle remaining, I will post the day 2 results. 93-94 Points if scoring. It will be interesting to note the path this wine takes when I revisit it tonight. In the meantime I’ll say, all the stuffing that makes this an exceptional wine are there, but this wine seems to be on lock down at this point.
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Parting is such sweet sorrow, with a wine as good as this. I decided to add another note on the occasion of drinking my last bottle of this wine. To be sure, it was a revelation seven months ago (11/17 - 98 points), and it's something less than that now... but not that much less. It's a fantastic bottle of wine, especially for the money, and - even if it's not as fresh and exuberant as before - it's still awfully good.
The tasting profile is relatively similar to last fall, just more subdued: the volume has been turned down, a few leaves have fallen, the coolest kids have gone home. The wine is still dark in color and full in body, with the nose a touch more grainy (though still alive with blueberry, graphite, and herbs). The flavors are still ripe but a bit more savory (black cherry, cocoa powder, and gravel), and the finish is less sweet and intense. 14.8% alcohol. Drink now or in 2019.
More broadly, though, it’s worth noting that these are observations on the margins. You might ask: "Even if it's something less, is it still something good?" And the answer is: "Absolutely." This is fantastic wine that offers incredible ripeness, ample complexity, and deep supporting notes (tannin and acidity) that make it all sing. I'm not sure if this will rise again, but that's not the only question worth asking. As csimm suggested, drinking wine is supposed to be fun - and this wine is a lot of fun (along with complex, powerful, and balanced).
It's been said before, but it's worth saying again: this is an incredible wine is for the money. I really don't know another wine that sells (or, I guess, sold) for $98 that can touch this one for QPR. Based on present-day drinking, this is one of my favorites in the class of 2015, and to achieve this quality at this price point is mind-boggling. 96+.
Had this as a PNP. A very nice Napa cab, but from the previous comments I wish that I had tried it earlier! Not as much fruit as I was expecting from the previous comments, and almost more of a French style, but still very nice. I was a little surprised that the 2015 Myriad Halcon Syrah compared very favorably to this, and to some people the Halcon was better.
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Packed and stacked wine that is going to improve. As others have mentioned, this is so delish right now for its primary fruit. Notes of black fruit, cinnamon, and espresso. Loads of fruit in the mouth, and serious structure, but hidden behind all that fruit. Fun drink now, I decanted 4 hours night one and consumed 2 glasses over 2 hours. Put in the fridge with a cork and finished on night 2. Absolutely no diminishment on the profile, smoothed out some on day 2. Such a great wine!
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Get together with some friends: 2015 Carter Weitz cab, 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges cab, 2015 12c Beckstoffer Georges cab, 2014 Quivet Kenefick Ranch cab, and 2014 Lewelling cab.
Similar thoughts as the last bottle a couple weeks ago. Once again, I thought this vintage showed much better late last year/early this year when I believe it would have compared well against the 2015 Carter Weitz but not this time around. Although the flavors are a little bit more expressive/flavorful, the fruit isn't showing the same depth/concentration. In addition, I thought the finish was just a little tart. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Not much improvement with time. Still enjoyable but once again I'm going to lay my remaining bottles down until the end of the year hoping that this vintage picks-up some more weight/complexity as expected by the winemaker.
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Most recent reviews are spot on, which encouraged me to go ahead with a Pnp. I’ll admit, I had some doubts...expecting this 14.8% alc beast to initially lash out with some heat followed by some teeth sucking tannins. My fears were completely unfounded..right out of the gate this was lush, velvety and round balanced by the gorgeous weight of the black Beckstoffer fruit. We made it a little more interesting and popped a 2015 NV Quivet next to it to see if the G3 was double the fun at double the price. While the Quivet is akin to putting a reigning junior lightweight against a top middleweight contender, in the end, I’d take one G3 vs two NVs...YMMV. The weight and quality of fruit on the G3 and lasting finish pulled ahead. Comparatively, the fruit on the NV is great, but the tannins showed more astringent / medicinal, which isn’t something I may have focused on if not side by side. Both excellent wines in their respective classes and I repeatedly love the Quivet NV for the solid QPR, but the G3 was stellar and was just amazed at how approachable this wine is right now. No need to wait folks - G3 is a knock out! 96+
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Hey man...all I can say is that I’m a fan. PnP is right now, ready to go. A few minutes of alcohol on the initial pull, but otherwise its delivery was fun, filling, vivacious, and concentrated. It’s a gulper for sure (well, that’s at least what I did). Slap this down on a table and watch your peeps get fired-up over this wine... unless your peeps are Francophiles, in which case you’ll want to do two things. Not serve them this wine...and find new friends.
I know the book on this wine is that it is sometimes marred by some sort of unpredictability or seemingly frequent or rapid transitional Tourette syndrome, but even during its most drastic electrocardiograph spikes, it is still pretty damn good. Big and rich without being heavy. Flavorful and ripe without being blasted out or over processed. Kinda like when you bite into a perfectly BBQ’d steak. You get that “Mmmm” sensation, settle into your seat, and start nodding your head up and down in affirmation. It’s simply satisfying... the Snickers of modern Cabs!
Is this a 20 year wine? No chance. But I personally don’t find much value in that supposed quality anyway. I’m actually glad I don’t have to sit on my hands for 20 friggin years before this wine starts tasing good.
Be it Schrader, Purlieu, AO, B Cellars, 12C, Boich, or whomever the other guys and gals are pulling fruit from the GIII site, I still favor Myriad’s version consistently across vintages. The Crane/Elysian is certainly the most complex in the lineup, but I’m more than down with having a decent contingent of Myriad GIII occupying my cellar.
This ‘15 GIII reminds me that this whole endeavor is supposed to be fun. Not every one of these wines has to give me migraine trying to conjure up fancy adjectives about why it’s good or how it “dances along the palate with effortless ballerina grace and beauty...” Yes, I’m clearly more guilty than most for the superfluous dragging on over a bottle wine (obviously this GIII note is no exception - what am I on now...paragraph 5 of this TN?!), but in the end this is a fun ride and I personally didn’t find this bottle to be in any other place than where I would expect it to be. It is certainly not as powerful and intense as a year ago when I last had it... but that’s cuz it’s a year older. Makes sense to me. True enough, this is a shorter term drinker for me just based on my palate preference. So...Drink now and over the next few years.
All the stuffing is there, but nowhere near as intense and powerful as it was several weeks ago. This is no doubt, part of the evolutionary process of this wine as it seems to be going through bit of a dumb phase for now. I truly adored this G3‘s dark fruit profile, it’s power, extraction and intensity when I first tasted the first couple of bottles, but it appears this wine is in hibernation mode for now.
Considering buying more in the secondary market so I decided to revisit. Purple fruit - dark currants, blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with decent depth and a nice purity, however, the fruit came across lighter than the last bottle around a month ago. Nice vibrant flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep and just a little tart. Let it slow ox for a couple hours and drank out of a decanter for a couple more. Improved a little with time. In my opinion, the Myriad G3 cab can be a little perplexing at times. Chameleon like - changing quite often from great to just good. This bottle was just good in my opinion. Going to lay the other bottles down until the end of the year as recommended by the winemaker who suggested giving his higher-end/Beckstoffer cabs at least one to two years from the release date with the belief that they should add some weight/complexity.
Initially Coravin'ed a glass of this as well as a 2015 12c GIII.
This was fascinating, given the same vineyard, vintage and winemaker. The Myriad was much more plush, racy and sumptuous. Dark purple fruit and a big push on the back end. Finish was quite big and a little grippy, but not too much.
The 12c was more austere, with red fruit and a bit of Rutherford Dust. But not much on the baking spices or cocoa powder I might associate with Rutherford. Just seemed like it really needed some more time.
We splash decanted the Myriad and it disappeared pretty quickly. The decant did help a bit with the back end and finish, but this wine can certainly use some more time laying down. 94+
On initial opening, fragrance enveloped the area, smelled of candied blue fruits, intoxicating.
Poured in decanter an upon initial taste, was blown away with mouth coating goodness!! Have to say on first sip, was definitely the best GIII I have ever had, and the best wine this year. Deep dark almost glowing purple in glass.
Just like the nose, tastes of Candied Blue and Black fruit, a bit of espresso, dark chocolate, creme de cassis, vanilla bean, and more.
Over the coarse of the few hours in bottle & glass the wine seemed to soften up some, even sort of shut down a little, still wonderful finish but the entry and mid seemed to fall off a bit.. not sure if it was just my palate or???????, but wondering if its entering into a "Phase"??
Think will hold off for a while before popping another, but if you do open, do yourself a favor and grab a quick glass!! Definitely worth the hype I've read about!!
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Deep purplish ruby red. A touch of purple flowers with tons of baking spices, blackberries, cinnamon, and blackcurrants. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Rich on the palate with notes of blackberries, baking spices, cherries, gravel and spices. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2034.
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Powerhouse Napa cab but not fruity. Dark chocolate and acidity with a moderately heavy body. This was a PnP and would do well with some decanting. Cinnamon and cherry on the initial attack. Only disappointment is the lack of nose as it is muted.
N3 T7 F5 B7 F8
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Dark blue/black fruit with a touch of red - blackberry, dark currants, dark raspberry, and a little dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with really nice depth - the fruit came across bigger/fuller with this bottle and probably the biggest/fullest vintage that I've had of this wine. However, I also thought that the fruit came across a little closed - nose was somewhat lacking and the flavors a little light/soft. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep - I believe it could use some more time for the fruit to open-up. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Not much improvement with time but drinking pretty well after the decant. Purposely left some for day two hoping it would open-up a little more and show more character but no luck - the flavors were still light/soft and it didn't show the same depth as day one. Like the 2015 Carter Weitz, I'm going to lay the other bottles down for another year or so as recommended by the winemaker hoping that the fruit becomes a little more expressive.
Stellar: Exceptionally good; outstanding. Synonyms: marvelous, outstanding, superb, first-rate, out of this world, heavenly, dazzling. That fully describes this 2015 vintage of the Myriad George III. Extracted dark, ripe black-and-blue berry fruit, cream de cassis, blackberry liquor with a hint of coco essence. The Finnish still sets on the back of my palate. The absolute best G-3 ever by my standards anyway. 99-100 Points.
Similar experience to my 10/31/17 note, but it is definitely a bit firmer and the tannins a bit more prominent than last time around. My fear is this takes the same path as the 2013, which I felt was amazing in the first 6 months after shipping, but never again reached that apex. That said, this is a super young wine and may just be going through a phase. Still very, very good and I enjoy some of the newfound backbone; just hoping it doesn't close down never again to regain that amazing expression of fruit. Much superior to the 2014 vintage.
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Pop and pour. Also did a Rivers Marie Panek from 2015.
This was just tight. Lovely fruit, just big ol' tannins and lots of grip. Left after a couple small glasses and waited for Night 2.
Definitely smoothed out on Night 2 -- but still lots of grip. Bigger and better wine than the 2015 Scarlett cab that we popped, but still clearly needs time.
A wine that I am proud to have, but will need some time to get the to right spot.
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Looking for something good while wrapping presents and this was the choice. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant. However, I thought the fruit from this bottle came across a little redder instead of the primarily blue/black fruit of the last bottle and also a little richer. In addition, I didn't think the flavors were as full/distinct/flavorful. However, the fruit did fill-out a little more mid-palate and with the finish. Still really good but I personally preferred the last bottle around a month ago - I thought it showed more character.
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3-hr slow ox, transferred to decanter & drank over 4 hours. Drink with confidence if you are going for a heavy hitting Napa Cab. Very jammy on the nose with the palate confirming huge blue-black fruit. Nice round tannins for a smooth finish. Saved one glass each for nights two and three which performed just as well / better.
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This is a big wine with a lot going on. Nice purple and red color, very fruit forward with notes of cherries, blueberry and a little plum. Creamy and vanilla notes. Still primary and hopefully, everything will end up coming together. This is too fruit forward for my palate. 93-94 points.
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Deep purplish ruby red. Looks insanely young. Tons of baking spices and dark fruits on the nose. Notes of creme de cassis, cinnamon, brown sugar, blackberries, and caramel. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Super rich palate with tons of black fruits, blackberries, black currants, spices, and baking spices. Does not want to quit. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2035.
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Some friends in town that appreciate wine so I decided to pop a bottle. Once again, really really smooth mid-palate coupled with a beautiful purity, solid depth, nice vibrant flavors of dark blue/black berries and a little spice, fairly long finish, etc.. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Not much improvement with time but drinking extremely well after the decant. Although the prime drinking window from the Winery is 3 to 10 years, my remaining bottles probably aren't going to make it past the next six months. With this vintage drinking now at a 98+ rating in my opinion I see no reason to why wait for what it might become - especially after my recent experience with the 2014 vintage. I personally don't see the structure for this vintage getting much better with more time. Maybe the fruit will fill-out a little bit more with time but I'm not going to gamble on it in light of how well it is drinking right now.
Believe the CT consensus: this wine is amazing. I opened this bottle with some skepticism, for reasons both objective (young, big red) and subjective (a pessimism born of the belief that it's better to be surprised than disappointed) - but this wine had me at the first sip. I haven't had enough 2015's to assess this wine as to the vintage, but I can assess this wine as to its age: it's the best young red I've ever tasted, period.
Dark garnet, almost opaque, in color; full in body; inviting nose of boysenberry, baking spices, and eucalyptus. Intense and layered tastes of black cherry, mountain blueberry, dark chocolate, and cedar, with a sweet and intense finish that reminds me of a well-made mocha (rich, not too much sugar, just enough bite). 14.8% alcohol. I always worry about the tannins in a wine this young, but they are truly fine-grained, washed over (pleasantly) by rich and deep fruit. This was fairly accessible from the beginning, but it improved over a few hours (adding more espresso notes with time).
Somewhat fittingly, the only other wine I've rated this highly was the 2013 Realm Bard in 10/15 (a few months before RP dropped his score). Like that wine, the 2015 GIII is rich, dense, and graceful, while also being a tremendous, ridiculous value. (For the record, I recently drank the 2015 Realm Bard, and there's no contest: the Myriad runs laps around it.) I'm not sure how this develops over time, but the rating is based on the moment: this is so good, so young, that it's a shame not to try it now.
Ideally I probably should have let the bottles settle a little longer after shipment, however, I was really curious about this wine in light of the other reviews and since it has consistently been my favorite vineyard that Mike works with for the money. Purple fruit - blueberry, dark cherry, dark currants, and a little plum. Really nice depth/concentration coupled with a beautiful purity. Full/vibrant flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Fairly long and deep finish. Decanted for three hours and drank over another two. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant - very approachable at this stage despite its youth. However, according to the Winery the prime drinking window for this vintage is three to ten years. Nonetheless, I wouldn't hesitate popping another bottle sooner than later - I love how it is drinking now with a decent decant. Interesting that Parker originally rated this wine with the barrel tasting last year 95 to 97 but Lisa Perrotti-Brown from WA re-rated it 93 with her recent tasting. In my opinion Parker got it right the first time.
Initially some heat on the nose that pretty well dissipated after a 3 hour decant. On the front this wine is not shy or restrained with plenty of ripe and extracted elements shinning through. On the finish mouth puckering tannins and sharp acid cut it short. This is big wine (more intense than the 14) but well made and structured. Chalky cassis, anise liqueur, cake batter, syrupy cherry, and sweet tobacco. Definitely a healthy helping of creamy oak. Not sure how this will age but like drinking candy now.
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Just received my shipment and couldn't resist trying it now. My experience with GIII has always been that it's an early drinker, so I don't feel it's much of a sacrifice (bottle shock be damned!).
Coravin pour. Just a gorgeous, powerful bouquet of blueberry pie, cherries, vanilla extract and cedar emanates from the glass. Absolutely stunning. Hits the pallet with a wallop, displaying full bodied layers of blue and red fruit, plum, hints of oak and a bit of loamy earth. Super dense and rich, this is a hedonists dream right now. Finishes very long and pure. Exceptional fruit quality. Doesn't have the structure or nuance of wines from Crane or LPV, but this is amazing right out of the chute and drinks well above its price point in Napa terms. This is an easy 96, and I'm quite sure that's underselling it. This is one that Advocate and Perrotti-Brown missed on IMO.
I'm not sure if I have ever given a 100 point score on a wine (I'll have to check my notes), but this 2015 G-3 is the best wine I have ever experienced... and to be so young? I can only imagine what bottle age will do for this wine, but with me, it may not last long enough to know. Big, adequate (in no way overdone from my prospective) extraction, blue and black berry fruit, a sweet, dark red liqueur of blackcurrants (cream de cassis) and intensity on the palate with a finish that goes on and on. I have never had anything like it. I don't know if the pros will score it the as high as I have, but this wine has everything that I adore in a Big, Cult style Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Thanks for the preview Mike, we all have a lot to look forward to. These wines are absolutely phenomenal. The 2015 Myriads Cabs will not disappoint for those of us who adore, big voluptuous, full bodied and full throttle Cabs .
2015 Myriad & Quivet lineup (Carter Cellars (Envy Wines) - Calistoga): Similar to my previous notes from two weeks ago. A lot of power here. This bottle was slightly more subdued than the bottle I tried on 6/17/2017 (In fact, Mike Smith mentioned it might have even been from the same bottle – via Coravin – which could account for its more moderated display this time around).
It’s important to note that when I use words like “subdued” and “moderated” to describe this particular wine, I’m still talking about a Myriad GIII; it’s big and powerful, displaying big purple, red, and blue fruit with touches of dust/mulch on the back end. 98-99 points. I’m very interested to see what becomes of this wine come 2019.
Hands down the best GIII Mike Smith has made to date. Off the charts intensity and concentration. A rich drive pushes unbelievable tiers of black, blue, and purple fruit flavors on through a finish that lasts 60+ seconds. Rushes across the mid-palate with an undeniable depth that rivals the Myriad Cranes.
Scorched earth, fresh road tar, cacao, fresh vanilla bean, and hints of mulch notes round out the core fruit. I know that GIII can sometimes produce a more fruit, less structure type of wine, but rest assured, this GIII is able to more than adequately frame the massive layers of flavors.
99+ points with a potential perfect score in a year when it comes into even more focus with further integration. An unbelievable effort in my opinion.
Wow, what power out of the gate, this is a Big Boy for sure. Nice, beautiful dark and ripe purple blue, intense and beautiful concentration. The fruit exhibits perfect ripeness and depth with cassis, cedar and oak notes. This Geo. III is off to a flying start with all the desired elements in place to score in the upper 90 point range. This is a high octane Cab that is a shear delight and a pure pleasure to the palate. 97 Points and subject to change..... I may be underestimating this one 97.5
3/22/2024 - Senso-beak wrote: 94 Points
Opened and poured, from the cellar. Deep purple to the rim, thick and full bodied. Lush, humid, multi-layered fruit on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, smooth, velveteen, really nice wine. Day two the remaining glass was a bit more sour and disjointed, yet still very thick and full. Taking a point off for the day two experience.
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7/21/2023 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still benefitted from air - an hour or so helped. Delicious.
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6/22/2023 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Brought by Jay Hack and while this isn't a style I regularly drink, I found myself really enjoying this. It's very much about the primary black and red fruited flavours right now, but it's never over the top or fruit bomb-y - there's impressive depth and balance here, and time in the decanter brings out more earthy/savoury notes. Excellent with kebabs off the grill.
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9/18/2022 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very smooth enjoyable Cabernet with all the requisite flavors you expect from Napa cab….
However, it’s not a good QPR as I have had many $60 - $90 cabs as good if not better…this was $98…
Also their quick price increases over the last few years has felt disloyal to me…2020 was $175..nearly 80% increase in 5 years…REALLY?
I am finding way better wine at better prices from Bordeaux for example not to mention other Cali brands…. Count me off their list..
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4/24/2022 - hhyder Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking really nicely right now. Blue and black fruit but deft and light like a ballerina which is atypical of younger Myriad wines which can tend to be a bit heavy when young. Popped and poured and after 20 minutes was drinking consistently.
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4/9/2022 - wendyinwlv wrote: 94 Points
Has its own characteristics, soft smooth and refined. Wow factor is there!
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2/13/2022 - dontime wrote:
Wonderful wine, so smooth and clean. Black and blue fruit, licorice, perhaps a bit of chocolate. Velvet in the mouth. Long, satisfying finish. If scoring, 93-95.
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11/24/2021 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much the same as my prior bottle - good dark fruit, ample acidity to age for years to come. Could still stand to shed a few lingering overt traces of oak flavors, at least for my palate. Will wait another year or three on my last bottle.
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6/20/2021 - KJD45$ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good not great....but enjoyable nonetheless..
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4/3/2021 - FlyPig Likes this wine: 98 Points
Sensational, 30 minutes of air and it was singing. Bravo. Hard to fathom this was $95 on release.
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3/21/2021 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine was consumed out of a Riedel SOMM Bordeaux glass and was paired with a marinated hanger steak. I chose to double decant (poured wine out of the bottle and immediately returned it to the bottle without the cork) for 8+ hours. The serving temperature was approximately 61 degrees.
The wine color was a very dark purple. The nose had aromas of dark fruits and some spice. The taste was of blue and black fruits with the strongest fruit flavor of blackberries. There was some spice and a hint of menthol. The oak showed up with a hint of vanilla and almond. The tannins were still very present and might have benefited from a true long decant or more time in the cellar. There was a smooth texture with a good mouthfeel. The finish was long but not super long.
The wine was good and on the verge of very good but it was just missing that IT factor to push it into the next realm. Based on CT reviews, it appears that IT factor was present soon after release but dissipated over time. May be it will return with more time in the bottle, as the tannins soften and become more integrated.
My score is a 94+ with the possibility of becoming a 96 with a few more years. Unfortunately, this bottle was a 1 off.
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12/25/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4hrs and followed. Very deep concentrated wine, dark fruit, hints of roasted elements. Tannins a bit coarse, quite prominent and dry despite the scale of the fruit. Everything in balance, quite polished, but the ripeness a bit past preference for me.
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8/23/2020 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
I felt about the same with this wine as I did 2 years ago. Very enjoyable, but lacked the excitement or intensity of the 2014 Realm The Bard that we were also drinking.
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6/5/2020 - gteran76 wrote: 91 Points
Had it a couples a days ago at our CWG-D, everyone said Cabernet Sauvignon but me... I felt dryer than most Cali Cabs so I thought it was a Cali Bordeaux blend, I picked the year despite it can be confused with a 2-4 years older wine.
It have a nice nose, the mid palate is pleasant but lacking complexity, it’s a bit over the top in the oak department but that should be resolved in a couple of years. Not too much of acidity but nice tannins which should push it forward.
The finish is fair, nothing exceptional. Overall it looks like a good value.
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5/2/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
One off from the big box winestore ($111) about 6 months ago; been eager and a little nervous to try this, with 2 so-so experiences with M. Smith wines and TNs on this all over the place. I also worried because after my first 2 Mike Smith experiences, it seemed like my partygoing days when I'd go to a party and be bored, only to hear that it had been great just before I got there or after I left, which is to say, I was drinking the wine either too early or too late, but not at the right time (thanks to csimm and Bad monkey for timing advice on this.). Opened with 1 oz pour, then let sit for about 45 minutes, and 2 glasses consumed over the next couple of hours. On the palate, the nose gives the feel of being in the world's largest, sweetest blackberry patch, with a creek of blackberry liquer running through it. On the palate, all manner of ripe, dark berries with wet earth, minerality and graphite. After about an hour, notes of coffee, dark chocolate and spice emerge, and the vibrant fruit pulls back just a bit for a gravelly finish. Purple almost to the point of blackness, full-bodied, legs like tree trunks. No discernible acidity, tannins which were silky and only revealed after the fruit pulled back a bit, and happily, no heat. Extraordinary concentration and purity of fruit, tremendous intensity and persistence, medium complexity which deepened in hours 1-3. I feared that this wine might be the equivalent of drinking jet fuel from a fire hose; it wasn't. While balance and structure aren't the first words this wine brings to mind, it was neither flabby nor unstructured. The lack of acidity made it a non-factor with grilled burgers and veggies and chocolate as well, but you didn't buy this expecting a Crozes-Hermitage or a Barolo, did you? On night 2, the wine receded quite significantly and lost steam. Still, on night 1, this wine showed me why, even if I'm not going to make the trip to Jonestown--or Smithtown, as the case may be--or even become a charter member of the Myriad mailing list, some very knowledgeable wine lovers are so fond of Mr. Smith's wines. The qpr at what I paid for it was notable, and I'd buy again. Just a bit less sweetness and more acidity (and ergo, food friendliness) and a better performance on night 2 and this excellent wine would have been shooting for immortality. It seems like there may be some variability on this bottling, but my sense was that this was smack in the middle of its drinking window, likely to stay here for a few years, but susceptible to weakening with too much air. 95+ night one, 90-91 night 2.
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1/13/2020 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasty, dark fruit, still good acidity and tannic backbone. It’ll be fun to try again in a year or three.
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10/13/2019 - Justinwine wrote: 91 Points
Good. CLosed in. Maybe 3-4 more years and drink another.
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9/29/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another head scratcher......but then again as the 22nd bottle of the night, I'm surprised I can still feel my head. At the pnp this is beautiful. It is dark and deep, with sweet rounded tannins and great structure. Wrapping up the evening and winding down during cleanup and bidding goodbye's it sits and takes in about 30-45 min of air. At that point it changes. Tincture of iodine appears, with a tart line of astringency. Wow! What a changeover! I had to deduct a few points over time or this would have been a 96-97 for me. Not sure if I've ever had a Myriad do this before, but bears watching with future bottles.
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5/14/2019 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
93 + points but not showing as nicely as it did earlier on. I would recommend holding this cab for now. Quality dark berry fruit with good extraction and nice flavors, but a little tight and slightly acidic this point. I believe that the George’s lll show much more to my liking while in its early development. Consumed over three days.
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4/6/2019 - twither Likes this wine: 94 Points
Took a long time to open up, but once it did (Day2), it was excellent.
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2/24/2019 - bubbachumps wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours before consuming. This wine is drinking so well now. Consistent with my prior note, albeit a tad more open and ready to drink. I did not take detailed notes. Just a downright delicious wine, that's all.
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2/3/2019 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Much more closed than my initial experience at time of release. Very primal with mouth puckering tannin and searing acidity. Fortunately there is a real beast of a wine here. Unfortunately it’s in hibernation. Decanted 3 hours and didn’t budge. I’ll hold my last 3 plus years.
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12/31/2018 - kwn70 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decided to give this a shot for New Year's Eve. Really smooth upon opening. I was pretty excited at that point and let it decant for another couple hours. IMO, this is still quite young. Even following the decant, the wine didn't evolve a whole lot. Quite a bit of grip from the tannin and the fruit notes were pretty primary. This hasn't quite come together enough to score it much higher. A tasty bottle nonetheless, I was just expecting more based on some of the previous scores and comments.
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11/17/2018 - csimm wrote:
After a couple of Coravin evolutions, the remaining juice from this bottle was PnP’d and consumed within 30 minutes. Great flavors and energy during this volley.
Again, I know there is seemingly much debate about when these are best. I’ll just say this... The GIII seems to meld especially well with the baby fat oak treatment that goes along with it. In this case, like food, fat is flavor. Some (myself included) can be very much drawn to that. As such, if that’s your jam, best to hit these bad boys when they first get released. When the gooey goodness sheds, a more tame animal emerges.
Depending on your preference, mood, or whatever palate religion you adhere to, this wine is great to drink now, or hold for a number of years with confidence. The only hurry is if you are adverse to a more affable Cabernet. I personally don’t believe holding will emasculate this GIII into a neutered, quivering Chihuahua version of itself. Just don’t expect that Stay Puft Marshmallow Man intensity a year or two after release.
I like the idea of experiencing this wine over the course of its life cycle at various stages. But in all reality, after a couple of years of finding its way, I don't think this is going to change all that drastically over the mid/latter stages of its life. Pretty much a super pleasant Steady Eddie from then on.
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11/7/2018 - csimm wrote:
Coravin pour. Same as before. It's fun. It's flavorful. It's not going to win any Nobel Peace Prizes or ever make it as an answer on Jeopardy, but this is solid juice served with a smile all day long. Drink now and over the next few years.
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10/13/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
I wanted to good wine tonight, but I should’ve read my last notes on this particular vintage. Similar notes to the last posting, however it did show better on day two. The wine did increase its flavor profile to a good degree, elevating a bit from hibernation with the blue purple fruits showing a bit better with firm ascidity. I will wait awhile before cracking another cork on this vintage. Point range, from 91 to 92.6 Points if scoring and improve with age is certain.
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9/19/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 96 Points
Get together with a friend for the Champions League games and we decided to put the 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges cab next to the 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges Empyrean to see how they compare. Dark ruby fruit - dark currants, dark cherry, dark raspberry, and a little dark plum. Really smooth mid-palate coupled with nice depth/concentration and purity of fruit. Nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little graphite component. Fairly long finish. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Improved with time and took around one hour to really open-up. In all, we both agreed that the regular G3 bottling was quite a bit better at this stage - fuller fruit, more flavorful/expressive, better finish, etc..
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8/10/2018 - Justinwine wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular wine. Huge red berry flavors. But not o worry. Seamless integration .Wow, so good.
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8/8/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 97 Points
I love how most of the 2015 Napa cabs are drinking right now despite their youth so I decided to revisit this cab - I'm glad I did. Dark ruby fruit - dark currants, dark cherry, dark raspberry, and a little dark plum. Really smooth (seamless from beginning to end) coupled with a beautiful purity and nice vibrant/rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved with time but drinking quite well after the decant. It still isn't showing quite the same depth as late last year but a big improvement from a couple months ago - the fruit has filled-out some mid-palate, it is more expressive/flavorful, and the tartness on the finish wasn't present. As has also been the case with some previous vintages, this wine can be chameleon like - changing quite often back and forth from great to just good. Thankfully this bottle was great and one of the better bottles that I've had this year.
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7/16/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
The last time I popped a cork on this wine it was on a path to transitioning, tasty but definitely on a journey. Today, its official this wine is in transition/hibernation. Acidity has pushed the ripe dark fruit to the background and is showing big. The Cab did open up a bit, but not a whole lot. I will let my remaining stash rest on the rack until further notice. This Cab is till really tasty, but its repressed and dominated by an acidic, tart cranberry fruit like presence. With half a bottle remaining, I will post the day 2 results. 93-94 Points if scoring. It will be interesting to note the path this wine takes when I revisit it tonight. In the meantime I’ll say, all the stuffing that makes this an exceptional wine are there, but this wine seems to be on lock down at this point.
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6/24/2018 - msuwine wrote: 96 Points
Parting is such sweet sorrow, with a wine as good as this. I decided to add another note on the occasion of drinking my last bottle of this wine. To be sure, it was a revelation seven months ago (11/17 - 98 points), and it's something less than that now... but not that much less. It's a fantastic bottle of wine, especially for the money, and - even if it's not as fresh and exuberant as before - it's still awfully good.
The tasting profile is relatively similar to last fall, just more subdued: the volume has been turned down, a few leaves have fallen, the coolest kids have gone home. The wine is still dark in color and full in body, with the nose a touch more grainy (though still alive with blueberry, graphite, and herbs). The flavors are still ripe but a bit more savory (black cherry, cocoa powder, and gravel), and the finish is less sweet and intense. 14.8% alcohol. Drink now or in 2019.
More broadly, though, it’s worth noting that these are observations on the margins. You might ask: "Even if it's something less, is it still something good?" And the answer is: "Absolutely." This is fantastic wine that offers incredible ripeness, ample complexity, and deep supporting notes (tannin and acidity) that make it all sing. I'm not sure if this will rise again, but that's not the only question worth asking. As csimm suggested, drinking wine is supposed to be fun - and this wine is a lot of fun (along with complex, powerful, and balanced).
It's been said before, but it's worth saying again: this is an incredible wine is for the money. I really don't know another wine that sells (or, I guess, sold) for $98 that can touch this one for QPR. Based on present-day drinking, this is one of my favorites in the class of 2015, and to achieve this quality at this price point is mind-boggling. 96+.
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5/5/2018 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this as a PNP. A very nice Napa cab, but from the previous comments I wish that I had tried it earlier! Not as much fruit as I was expecting from the previous comments, and almost more of a French style, but still very nice. I was a little surprised that the 2015 Myriad Halcon Syrah compared very favorably to this, and to some people the Halcon was better.
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5/5/2018 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
Packed and stacked wine that is going to improve. As others have mentioned, this is so delish right now for its primary fruit. Notes of black fruit, cinnamon, and espresso. Loads of fruit in the mouth, and serious structure, but hidden behind all that fruit. Fun drink now, I decanted 4 hours night one and consumed 2 glasses over 2 hours. Put in the fridge with a cork and finished on night 2. Absolutely no diminishment on the profile, smoothed out some on day 2. Such a great wine!
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5/5/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Get together with some friends: 2015 Carter Weitz cab, 2015 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges cab, 2015 12c Beckstoffer Georges cab, 2014 Quivet Kenefick Ranch cab, and 2014 Lewelling cab.
Similar thoughts as the last bottle a couple weeks ago. Once again, I thought this vintage showed much better late last year/early this year when I believe it would have compared well against the 2015 Carter Weitz but not this time around. Although the flavors are a little bit more expressive/flavorful, the fruit isn't showing the same depth/concentration. In addition, I thought the finish was just a little tart. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Not much improvement with time. Still enjoyable but once again I'm going to lay my remaining bottles down until the end of the year hoping that this vintage picks-up some more weight/complexity as expected by the winemaker.
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5/4/2018 - City Squirrel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Most recent reviews are spot on, which encouraged me to go ahead with a Pnp. I’ll admit, I had some doubts...expecting this 14.8% alc beast to initially lash out with some heat followed by some teeth sucking tannins. My fears were completely unfounded..right out of the gate this was lush, velvety and round balanced by the gorgeous weight of the black Beckstoffer fruit. We made it a little more interesting and popped a 2015 NV Quivet next to it to see if the G3 was double the fun at double the price. While the Quivet is akin to putting a reigning junior lightweight against a top middleweight contender, in the end, I’d take one G3 vs two NVs...YMMV. The weight and quality of fruit on the G3 and lasting finish pulled ahead. Comparatively, the fruit on the NV is great, but the tannins showed more astringent / medicinal, which isn’t something I may have focused on if not side by side. Both excellent wines in their respective classes and I repeatedly love the Quivet NV for the solid QPR, but the G3 was stellar and was just amazed at how approachable this wine is right now. No need to wait folks - G3 is a knock out! 96+
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5/2/2018 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Hey man...all I can say is that I’m a fan. PnP is right now, ready to go. A few minutes of alcohol on the initial pull, but otherwise its delivery was fun, filling, vivacious, and concentrated. It’s a gulper for sure (well, that’s at least what I did). Slap this down on a table and watch your peeps get fired-up over this wine... unless your peeps are Francophiles, in which case you’ll want to do two things. Not serve them this wine...and find new friends.
I know the book on this wine is that it is sometimes marred by some sort of unpredictability or seemingly frequent or rapid transitional Tourette syndrome, but even during its most drastic electrocardiograph spikes, it is still pretty damn good. Big and rich without being heavy. Flavorful and ripe without being blasted out or over processed. Kinda like when you bite into a perfectly BBQ’d steak. You get that “Mmmm” sensation, settle into your seat, and start nodding your head up and down in affirmation. It’s simply satisfying... the Snickers of modern Cabs!
Is this a 20 year wine? No chance. But I personally don’t find much value in that supposed quality anyway. I’m actually glad I don’t have to sit on my hands for 20 friggin years before this wine starts tasing good.
Be it Schrader, Purlieu, AO, B Cellars, 12C, Boich, or whomever the other guys and gals are pulling fruit from the GIII site, I still favor Myriad’s version consistently across vintages. The Crane/Elysian is certainly the most complex in the lineup, but I’m more than down with having a decent contingent of Myriad GIII occupying my cellar.
This ‘15 GIII reminds me that this whole endeavor is supposed to be fun. Not every one of these wines has to give me migraine trying to conjure up fancy adjectives about why it’s good or how it “dances along the palate with effortless ballerina grace and beauty...” Yes, I’m clearly more guilty than most for the superfluous dragging on over a bottle wine (obviously this GIII note is no exception - what am I on now...paragraph 5 of this TN?!), but in the end this is a fun ride and I personally didn’t find this bottle to be in any other place than where I would expect it to be. It is certainly not as powerful and intense as a year ago when I last had it... but that’s cuz it’s a year older. Makes sense to me. True enough, this is a shorter term drinker for me just based on my palate preference. So...Drink now and over the next few years.
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5/1/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
All the stuffing is there, but nowhere near as intense and powerful as it was several weeks ago. This is no doubt, part of the evolutionary process of this wine as it seems to be going through bit of a dumb phase for now. I truly adored this G3‘s dark fruit profile, it’s power, extraction and intensity when I first tasted the first couple of bottles, but it appears this wine is in hibernation mode for now.
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4/22/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Considering buying more in the secondary market so I decided to revisit. Purple fruit - dark currants, blackberry, blueberry, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with decent depth and a nice purity, however, the fruit came across lighter than the last bottle around a month ago. Nice vibrant flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep and just a little tart. Let it slow ox for a couple hours and drank out of a decanter for a couple more. Improved a little with time. In my opinion, the Myriad G3 cab can be a little perplexing at times. Chameleon like - changing quite often from great to just good. This bottle was just good in my opinion. Going to lay the other bottles down until the end of the year as recommended by the winemaker who suggested giving his higher-end/Beckstoffer cabs at least one to two years from the release date with the belief that they should add some weight/complexity.
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3/25/2018 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Initially Coravin'ed a glass of this as well as a 2015 12c GIII.
This was fascinating, given the same vineyard, vintage and winemaker. The Myriad was much more plush, racy and sumptuous. Dark purple fruit and a big push on the back end. Finish was quite big and a little grippy, but not too much.
The 12c was more austere, with red fruit and a bit of Rutherford Dust. But not much on the baking spices or cocoa powder I might associate with Rutherford. Just seemed like it really needed some more time.
We splash decanted the Myriad and it disappeared pretty quickly. The decant did help a bit with the back end and finish, but this wine can certainly use some more time laying down. 94+
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3/20/2018 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oh My its all they are saying and more!!
On initial opening, fragrance enveloped the area, smelled of candied blue fruits, intoxicating.
Poured in decanter an upon initial taste, was blown away with mouth coating goodness!! Have to say on first sip, was definitely the best GIII I have ever had, and the best wine this year. Deep dark almost glowing purple in glass.
Just like the nose, tastes of Candied Blue and Black fruit, a bit of espresso, dark chocolate, creme de cassis, vanilla bean, and more.
Over the coarse of the few hours in bottle & glass the wine seemed to soften up some, even sort of shut down a little, still wonderful finish but the entry and mid seemed to fall off a bit.. not sure if it was just my palate or???????, but wondering if its entering into a "Phase"??
Think will hold off for a while before popping another, but if you do open, do yourself a favor and grab a quick glass!! Definitely worth the hype I've read about!!
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3/17/2018 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points
Light fruity nose - cherry
N6 F6 B8 T8 F7
This is heavy and a powerhouse with the back bone for steak and food.
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3/16/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 94 Points
Deep purplish ruby red. A touch of purple flowers with tons of baking spices, blackberries, cinnamon, and blackcurrants. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Rich on the palate with notes of blackberries, baking spices, cherries, gravel and spices. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2034.
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3/14/2018 - cab blends Likes this wine: 95 Points
Powerhouse Napa cab but not fruity. Dark chocolate and acidity with a moderately heavy body. This was a PnP and would do well with some decanting. Cinnamon and cherry on the initial attack. Only disappointment is the lack of nose as it is muted.
N3 T7 F5 B7 F8
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2/15/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 95 Points
Dark blue/black fruit with a touch of red - blackberry, dark currants, dark raspberry, and a little dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with really nice depth - the fruit came across bigger/fuller with this bottle and probably the biggest/fullest vintage that I've had of this wine. However, I also thought that the fruit came across a little closed - nose was somewhat lacking and the flavors a little light/soft. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep - I believe it could use some more time for the fruit to open-up. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Not much improvement with time but drinking pretty well after the decant. Purposely left some for day two hoping it would open-up a little more and show more character but no luck - the flavors were still light/soft and it didn't show the same depth as day one. Like the 2015 Carter Weitz, I'm going to lay the other bottles down for another year or so as recommended by the winemaker hoping that the fruit becomes a little more expressive.
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1/28/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 99 Points
Stellar: Exceptionally good; outstanding.
Synonyms: marvelous, outstanding, superb, first-rate, out of this world, heavenly, dazzling. That fully describes this 2015 vintage of the Myriad George III. Extracted dark, ripe black-and-blue berry fruit, cream de cassis, blackberry liquor with a hint of coco essence. The Finnish still sets on the back of my palate. The absolute best G-3 ever by my standards anyway. 99-100 Points.
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1/28/2018 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar experience to my 10/31/17 note, but it is definitely a bit firmer and the tannins a bit more prominent than last time around. My fear is this takes the same path as the 2013, which I felt was amazing in the first 6 months after shipping, but never again reached that apex. That said, this is a super young wine and may just be going through a phase. Still very, very good and I enjoy some of the newfound backbone; just hoping it doesn't close down never again to regain that amazing expression of fruit. Much superior to the 2014 vintage.
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12/28/2017 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Also did a Rivers Marie Panek from 2015.
This was just tight. Lovely fruit, just big ol' tannins and lots of grip. Left after a couple small glasses and waited for Night 2.
Definitely smoothed out on Night 2 -- but still lots of grip. Bigger and better wine than the 2015 Scarlett cab that we popped, but still clearly needs time.
A wine that I am proud to have, but will need some time to get the to right spot.
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12/26/2017 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
This GIII us a Behemoth, huge blue-black fruit, perfect fruit extraction and nice round tannins. I love this wine.
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12/25/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 96 Points
Looking for something good while wrapping presents and this was the choice. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant. However, I thought the fruit from this bottle came across a little redder instead of the primarily blue/black fruit of the last bottle and also a little richer. In addition, I didn't think the flavors were as full/distinct/flavorful. However, the fruit did fill-out a little more mid-palate and with the finish. Still really good but I personally preferred the last bottle around a month ago - I thought it showed more character.
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12/9/2017 - Whodeyinsea wrote: 96 Points
3-hr slow ox, transferred to decanter & drank over 4 hours.
Drink with confidence if you are going for a heavy hitting Napa Cab.
Very jammy on the nose with the palate confirming huge blue-black fruit. Nice round tannins for a smooth finish.
Saved one glass each for nights two and three which performed just as well / better.
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11/15/2017 - #1Winelover wrote: 94 Points
This is a big wine with a lot going on. Nice purple and red color, very fruit forward with notes of cherries, blueberry and a little plum. Creamy and vanilla notes. Still primary and hopefully, everything will end up coming together. This is too fruit forward for my palate. 93-94 points.
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11/12/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 95 Points
Deep purplish ruby red. Looks insanely young. Tons of baking spices and dark fruits on the nose. Notes of creme de cassis, cinnamon, brown sugar, blackberries, and caramel. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Super rich palate with tons of black fruits, blackberries, black currants, spices, and baking spices. Does not want to quit. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2035.
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11/12/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 98 Points
Some friends in town that appreciate wine so I decided to pop a bottle. Once again, really really smooth mid-palate coupled with a beautiful purity, solid depth, nice vibrant flavors of dark blue/black berries and a little spice, fairly long finish, etc.. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Not much improvement with time but drinking extremely well after the decant. Although the prime drinking window from the Winery is 3 to 10 years, my remaining bottles probably aren't going to make it past the next six months. With this vintage drinking now at a 98+ rating in my opinion I see no reason to why wait for what it might become - especially after my recent experience with the 2014 vintage. I personally don't see the structure for this vintage getting much better with more time. Maybe the fruit will fill-out a little bit more with time but I'm not going to gamble on it in light of how well it is drinking right now.
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11/8/2017 - msuwine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Believe the CT consensus: this wine is amazing. I opened this bottle with some skepticism, for reasons both objective (young, big red) and subjective (a pessimism born of the belief that it's better to be surprised than disappointed) - but this wine had me at the first sip. I haven't had enough 2015's to assess this wine as to the vintage, but I can assess this wine as to its age: it's the best young red I've ever tasted, period.
Dark garnet, almost opaque, in color; full in body; inviting nose of boysenberry, baking spices, and eucalyptus. Intense and layered tastes of black cherry, mountain blueberry, dark chocolate, and cedar, with a sweet and intense finish that reminds me of a well-made mocha (rich, not too much sugar, just enough bite). 14.8% alcohol. I always worry about the tannins in a wine this young, but they are truly fine-grained, washed over (pleasantly) by rich and deep fruit. This was fairly accessible from the beginning, but it improved over a few hours (adding more espresso notes with time).
Somewhat fittingly, the only other wine I've rated this highly was the 2013 Realm Bard in 10/15 (a few months before RP dropped his score). Like that wine, the 2015 GIII is rich, dense, and graceful, while also being a tremendous, ridiculous value. (For the record, I recently drank the 2015 Realm Bard, and there's no contest: the Myriad runs laps around it.) I'm not sure how this develops over time, but the rating is based on the moment: this is so good, so young, that it's a shame not to try it now.
In a word: wow.
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11/5/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 97 Points
Ideally I probably should have let the bottles settle a little longer after shipment, however, I was really curious about this wine in light of the other reviews and since it has consistently been my favorite vineyard that Mike works with for the money. Purple fruit - blueberry, dark cherry, dark currants, and a little plum. Really nice depth/concentration coupled with a beautiful purity. Full/vibrant flavors of dark berries and a little spice. Fairly long and deep finish. Decanted for three hours and drank over another two. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well after the decant - very approachable at this stage despite its youth. However, according to the Winery the prime drinking window for this vintage is three to ten years. Nonetheless, I wouldn't hesitate popping another bottle sooner than later - I love how it is drinking now with a decent decant. Interesting that Parker originally rated this wine with the barrel tasting last year 95 to 97 but Lisa Perrotti-Brown from WA re-rated it 93 with her recent tasting. In my opinion Parker got it right the first time.
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11/2/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 97 Points
Initially some heat on the nose that pretty well dissipated after a 3 hour decant. On the front this wine is not shy or restrained with plenty of ripe and extracted elements shinning through. On the finish mouth puckering tannins and sharp acid cut it short. This is big wine (more intense than the 14) but well made and structured. Chalky cassis, anise liqueur, cake batter, syrupy cherry, and sweet tobacco. Definitely a healthy helping of creamy oak. Not sure how this will age but like drinking candy now.
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10/31/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just received my shipment and couldn't resist trying it now. My experience with GIII has always been that it's an early drinker, so I don't feel it's much of a sacrifice (bottle shock be damned!).
Coravin pour. Just a gorgeous, powerful bouquet of blueberry pie, cherries, vanilla extract and cedar emanates from the glass. Absolutely stunning. Hits the pallet with a wallop, displaying full bodied layers of blue and red fruit, plum, hints of oak and a bit of loamy earth. Super dense and rich, this is a hedonists dream right now. Finishes very long and pure. Exceptional fruit quality. Doesn't have the structure or nuance of wines from Crane or LPV, but this is amazing right out of the chute and drinks well above its price point in Napa terms. This is an easy 96, and I'm quite sure that's underselling it. This is one that Advocate and Perrotti-Brown missed on IMO.
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9/3/2017 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 100 Points
I'm not sure if I have ever given a 100 point score on a wine (I'll have to check my notes), but this 2015 G-3 is the best wine I have ever experienced... and to be so young? I can only imagine what bottle age will do for this wine, but with me, it may not last long enough to know. Big, adequate (in no way overdone from my prospective) extraction, blue and black berry fruit, a sweet, dark red liqueur of blackcurrants (cream de cassis) and intensity on the palate with a finish that goes on and on. I have never had anything like it. I don't know if the pros will score it the as high as I have, but this wine has everything that I adore in a Big, Cult style Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Thanks for the preview Mike, we all have a lot to look forward to. These wines are absolutely phenomenal. The 2015 Myriads Cabs will not disappoint for those of us who adore, big voluptuous, full bodied and full throttle Cabs .
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6/29/2017 - csimm wrote: 99 Points
2015 Myriad & Quivet lineup (Carter Cellars (Envy Wines) - Calistoga): Similar to my previous notes from two weeks ago. A lot of power here. This bottle was slightly more subdued than the bottle I tried on 6/17/2017 (In fact, Mike Smith mentioned it might have even been from the same bottle – via Coravin – which could account for its more moderated display this time around).
It’s important to note that when I use words like “subdued” and “moderated” to describe this particular wine, I’m still talking about a Myriad GIII; it’s big and powerful, displaying big purple, red, and blue fruit with touches of dust/mulch on the back end. 98-99 points. I’m very interested to see what becomes of this wine come 2019.
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6/17/2017 - csimm wrote: 99 Points
Hands down the best GIII Mike Smith has made to date. Off the charts intensity and concentration. A rich drive pushes unbelievable tiers of black, blue, and purple fruit flavors on through a finish that lasts 60+ seconds. Rushes across the mid-palate with an undeniable depth that rivals the Myriad Cranes.
Scorched earth, fresh road tar, cacao, fresh vanilla bean, and hints of mulch notes round out the core fruit. I know that GIII can sometimes produce a more fruit, less structure type of wine, but rest assured, this GIII is able to more than adequately frame the massive layers of flavors.
99+ points with a potential perfect score in a year when it comes into even more focus with further integration. An unbelievable effort in my opinion.
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5/27/2017 - Yack Man wrote: 98 Points
Wow, what power out of the gate, this is a Big Boy for sure. Nice, beautiful dark and ripe purple blue, intense and beautiful concentration. The fruit exhibits perfect ripeness and depth with cassis, cedar and oak notes. This Geo. III is off to a flying start with all the desired elements in place to score in the upper 90 point range. This is a high octane Cab that is a shear delight and a pure pleasure to the palate. 97 Points and subject to change..... I may be underestimating this one 97.5
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