| | Carole Meredith and Steve Lagier are among the larger than life personalities in the global wine industry. This married couple for years has been a key part of the production crew that brought California wine to a theatre near you. For 15 years, Steve worked for one of the industry's biggest names, Robert Mondavi, making wines that have graced the tables of poets and peasants across America and abroad. Carole had a career as a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. Her research team sleuthed and uncovered the genetic origins of a number of important wine grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, and most famously as far as California and Croatia are concerned, Zinfandel, aka Tribidrag. (https://winesofcroatia.wordpress.com/tag/tribidrag/).
Through Napa Valley wine insider Lee Norland of Punch Vineyards, I came to know about Lagier Meredith. On December 8, 2015, I was able to meet Carole and Steve at their home and vineyard, at an elevation of 1300 feet located on an eastern facing flank of Mt. Veeder, overlooking Napa valley and the San Pablo and San Francisco Bays. The road up Mt Veeder rolls through the Oak Knoll district and AVA, and then climbs precipitously the last 1000 feet through thickly forested inclines. It was a drizzly day and fog obscured the view. But the sensation of wet air and Kerry green, mossy rocks was compensation, as was seeing all the darting hummingbirds in action, seeking out Carole's nectar rich array of flowers and plants.
The LM wines are expressions of vines planted, nurtured, and maintained by Steve and Carole. Their formidable scientific know how and years of field experience have made them passionately nurturing in the vineyard. At four or five acres it is a small one, but a very steep one, and they do all the work themselves. On the other hand, that same experience has led them to follow a non-interventionist winemaking philosophy, as though at harvest, they cut all the apron strings, and send their offspring out into the world to be well behaved grown-ups with a minimum of direction. No grape sorting table, as unhealthy clusters are removed before harvest. No whole clusters. No new oak.
The LM wines have a timeless and traditional, in fact, very hand made feel, like Amish furniture, which displays the beauty of the wood's natural grain rather than trend or fashion. Like the Amish youth with their ruddy cheeks and clean living, the wines glow without cosmetics. LM wines are delicious young or with age. One need not be fussy about waiting years to enjoy them, although they cellar beautifully. - 2013 Lagier Meredith Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (1/11/2016)
Bottled mid 2015. Tasted in Dec 2015.
Blue/black color. Dark and savory fruit with forest floor, black olives, and some funk. The restive aromatics are quiet for the time being. In the mouth an explosion of primary fruit and feral flavors, deep and long, with concentrated flavor, abundant acidity, and long-haul tannin. Preferably in the cellar for 5 to 10 years, but by no means harsh or without immediate appeal. A 24 to 72 hour decant is recommended by Lagier Meredith at this stage for the wine to bloom fully. Likely 92-94.
- 2013 Lagier Meredith Mondeuse - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (1/11/2016)
Mondeuse has a reputation like steel girders or Tannat, high in structural elements and low in finesse. However, I have had young Mondeuse from the Savoie, located between Lyon and the Alps, that was refreshing if simple in its youth.
The LM version, to some surprise, seemed poised in between. The color was more crimson than the 2013 Syrah. Aromatically, it was more open and inviting than the 2013 Syrah, with notes of violets (non-shrinking ones), blackberry, red currant, and Grand Cru Beaujolais. The mouth was both supple and immediately accessible in its primary state, and also savory with a longer story to tell for those with patience.
The Beaujolais analogy ends on the palate where the Mondeuse emphasizes the savory. Nevertheless, the abundant tannins were not forbidding or harsh, and compared to the Syrah of the same vintage the fruit seemed redder and rounder. In fact, come to think of it I've had more austere Beaujolais. 92
Will follow this wine with interest.
- 2013 Lagier Meredith Malbec - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (1/11/2016)
What a pleasant find, utterly luscious Malbec! For me not the most prepossessing Bordeaux variety after five years of trying many much-ballyhooed Argentina Malbecs.
The LM Malbec is fragrant as incense (NO RUBBER TIRE), with luscious and forward blueberry and juniper and dark cherry flavors. Tannic as expected on the palate but quite smooth and plush, rather like a Napa Valley floor Cabernet, as opposed to a Napa hillside Cabernet. Feminine fragrance and athletic structure in a very appealing package. Drink now with a long decant or cellar to follow its trek. 94 (92 pts.)
- 2013 Lagier Meredith Tribidrag - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (1/11/2016)
This Zinfandel shares a cool climate, savory character with its vineyard mates Malbec, Syrah, and Mondeuse. But it is clearly a California Zinfandel, perhaps closest in style to RRV Zinfandel vineyards such as Saitone, Martinelli Montafi, and Papera. Lots of deep red color, with blue edges in the glass. The aromatics are more forward compared to LM's Syrah and Mondeuse, with inviting spice and blue and red fruit, distinct and yet integrated. Nice acidity adds zip and bramble to the palate, backed with well-behaved tannin. Hard not to go ahead and indulge now, but clearly can be cellared a few years. 93
Since the winemaking equipment and regime are more or less uniform, then in tasting this flight of wines from the same vintage the individuality and rate of development of each variety were clinically captured. The Zinfandel and Malbec seem more precocious than the Mondeuse and the Syrah was clearly going to be the late bloomer. The wines are unfiltered, so their colors may have lacked some of the unnatural brilliance of mass produced wines, and their aromas are more complex and woodsy if less artificially perfumed. I had read about the widely admired Syrah, and was not surprised by its massive and burly nature. However, the other three wines did not follow suit. They were all highly individual and varietally expressive. Hours after the tasting I suddenly realized that I had just attended perhaps the most wonderful scientific lecture ever, and certainly the best tasting.
LM wines reflect the scientific integrity and loving nurture of their parents. I find similarity with the wines of Tablas Creek Vineyards in the honesty and purity of varietal expression. If you like TCV wines, you may enjoy LM as well.
PS. Carole cures her own nicoise like olives. But that is a lengthy lecture in itself. |
