PnP. Lots of flavor considering the vintage. Black raspberry, blueberry, crushed black pepper, citrus notes. Feels light yet full of flavor, glad I have more left.
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Still early. Opened (but did not decant) for 6 hours prior to drinking. Finished 3rd of 3 in blind tasting. Not yet integrated - super vegetal/funky nose and open (one taster was certain it was Walla Walla rocks). Grassy, earthy, with some dark fruits and a bit of tang. Not bad, just know it will be better.
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So damn good. Bacon fat, black olive, dirt, and dark ripe fruit. Just delicious. Wish I had a case stuck away. This is how I like my Syrah! Cheers, Mike Smith!
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OMG! Is this stuff good. Rich, ripe dark fruit (agree with Loren on the initial plum), olives and slight spice, with a luscious mouth feel and a lingering finish. The QPR here is off the charts. If scoring 94-96.
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Bedrock, Quivet, Seghesio, Saxum + (Our home): I bought this a while ago on release to try this winery. Then I started to see pretty high scores and wondered what was up. Last night seemed a great time to try it. Purple in color. On opening there is a very strong plum scent. Also some black raspberries, a bit spice and slight black pepper. As it opened, the plums faded and the black raspberries got stronger with a bit of a liqueur note. On the palate, this has a very nice texture. Delicious fruit. Much riper than I was expecting. The alcohol is not noticeable except in the texture but the fruit is pretty bold. I like that a lot, but given the vineyard and vintage, I guess I expected a cool climate type Syrah. This is not that. Very middle of the road, which is my favorite style. It was my only bottle, but this should age out very nicely over the next 8 to 10 years (or more).
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Fresh mint, green and black pepper, smoke. Ripe, dark concentrated fruit, with good freshness. Finishes gracefully, some chalk and sweetness from the fruit lingering along with the acidity. This was a treat, made sure to get a sample of this early on. A favorite among a group of 40+ Syrah's tasted.
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Gave 4-5 hours of air in decanter. Nose of blackened berries, smoked oily meats, dried flowers, funky wet forest floor and strange deep graphite bordering on gunpowder. On the palate comes mouthwatering fruit, ultra concentrated red, blue, black berries. Huge in the mouth yet not cloying. Stone, wet leaves, bacon. Finishes with tannin elevating more deep syrupy salivating fruit. Simply stated, this is stunning. PJG: 93
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I've been thinking about this wine in the back of my mind ever since I tasted it right after bottling about 18 months ago. It really spoke to me and I couldn't resist any longer. The black olive, flower petal, smoky cured meat and blueberry/blackberry fruit on the nose is captivating but it doesn't stop there. The palate is plush and weighty but wonderfully textured and balanced with smoky dark fruits, red meat, bustling acid, a hint of oak and a little whole cluster steminess on the backside. Man what a great bottle of wine. Delivers everything I look for in a Syrah x10. Drank over two days and do not see why the drinking window is set 2016-2020. It can easily go to 2024 but by all means give one a try now and see what it has in store. Just crazy good. My favorite Mike Smith Syrah to date.
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Got at it too young, hate when I do that. It was a bit "olive" when I first opened it. Finished the 2nd night and that had blown off and the dark fruit showed through. Much better night 2.
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Popped, aired briefly and poured at restaurant. Meaty aromatics with a bit of smoke primary, black fruit secondary. Black fruit on the palate, with some bacon fat and something else I really couldn't distinguish. Obviously well-made, but I wasn't wowed as expected.
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Holy crap, this wine is just stunning. All below have hit on the profile already but I just wanted to emphasize the fact Mike Smith is a wine rock star.... This Sh!@ is amazing. We didn't even decant, we let it sit opened in the bottle for a few hours. Should of bought more!
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Fantastic bottle. I'm not a big fan of syrah but I love what Mike is doing at Quivet. It was the party favorite, wish I'd poured myself a bigger glass.
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No formal notes. 5 hours slow ox. This really strutted its stuff with 5 hours of air. Did not pair with any food. We just enjoyed it on its own, and I recommend precisely that to everyone. If you cannot resist the temptation, open one and give it time in the glass, and enjoy its evolution over a few hours.
Perhaps my favorite wine so far from Mike and Leah. I've had plenty of other wines they are a part of, including Carter and of course Myriad, but this was in a breed of its own. Like owning a thoroughbread vs a 4000 dollar claimer. Seriously top notch wine from top notch people. Mike, can I order any more from your library? Maybe 36 bottles will do. Wish I had more to chart its evolution over the next 10 years.
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Pepper, black raspberry, olive, and game in the nose, medium full bodied, one hour decant, surprisingly supple in the glass, this wine has aging potential, yet is very drinkable today.
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I completely agree with King Cab's tasting notes. This was one of those wines, especially after reading his notes, that I was very interested in trying. The wine did not disappoint and was one of those "experiences" that I will long remember.
The wine is very well balanced and the nose opens up immediately to blueberries and some red berries with just the right amount of smokiness. There is great acidity and a truly long finish. I am just sorry I only purchased two ...
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The nose shows tremendous breed and elegance. It tells you that what to come will be phenomenal; and it would be correct. Big bursting blue/red fruits with a hint of dried rosemary. Palate shows a multi-dimensional attack of all things wonderful with North Coast Cali Syrah. Notes of blueberry compote, red berries and red currants with some sarsaparilla and cola Wow, this is really a fine tuned and well made Syrah, one that I have watched for the last 3 vintages. This one is the culmination of everything before it. Medium weight and deftly balanced with super complicated tannins and a perfect acidity level. Finish goes long. The star of this show is the freshness and breed that comes with it. A wine this easy to drink could very well become illegal. If you remotely even like Syrah, you best get on this list. On second thought, stay away. I would hate to see my allocation shrink.
Monday afternoon with Mike Smith (Envy Cellars, Calistoga): Not yet released. This vineyard is in the southernmost edge of the Carneros AVA. You can see the SF Bay from the vineyard. It produces some great cool climate fruit. It's made up of two blocks. Hulda block, which is comprised of clone 300 syrah whose cuttings came from Crozes-Hermitage in the Northern Rhone and Esther block, which is clone 174. 2011 was one of those years where Las Madres almost gave up because the fruit was not going to ripen. Then came a heat spike in October that pushed the vineyard through to the finish line. I had a barrel sample of this back in April at the Las Madres Luncheon. The nose on this wine is unreal. Mike credits the Remond Allier Forest MTL barrels for the incredibly savory, smoky, merde quality to the nose that just jumps from the glass. Really intoxicating but also polarizing as some people are put off by this aroma. The mouth is again silky smooth with creamy ripe red and blue fruit on the attack. Good balance of acid that lifts the palate right through the finish which does not exhibit a whole lot of tannin but brings a little bitter citrus zest into the fold late. I love a wine with personality and this one has a whole lot of it. It's on my buy list for February.
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2/11/2021 - jwebtx wrote:
Cranberry, soy, smoke/mineral, lingering acidity. Meaty nose. PNP. Bought on release.
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1/3/2021 - Backdoctor wrote: 91 Points
Delicious syrah, drinking great now
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4/19/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not quite as exciting as the last bottle... but damn good!!!!!
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2/10/2017 - bobpsi Likes this wine:
PnP. Lots of flavor considering the vintage. Black raspberry, blueberry, crushed black pepper, citrus notes. Feels light yet full of flavor, glad I have more left.
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4/9/2016 - HungryMother wrote: 90 Points
Still early. Opened (but did not decant) for 6 hours prior to drinking. Finished 3rd of 3 in blind tasting. Not yet integrated - super vegetal/funky nose and open (one taster was certain it was Walla Walla rocks). Grassy, earthy, with some dark fruits and a bit of tang. Not bad, just know it will be better.
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4/3/2016 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable. Rich and savory notes with hints of smoked meat and olive. That carries over to the palate. Good, long finish.
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1/4/2016 - dontime wrote: 95 Points
So damn good. Bacon fat, black olive, dirt, and dark ripe fruit. Just delicious. Wish I had a case stuck away. This is how I like my Syrah! Cheers, Mike Smith!
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2/16/2015 - dontime wrote:
OMG! Is this stuff good. Rich, ripe dark fruit (agree with Loren on the initial plum), olives and slight spice, with a luscious mouth feel and a lingering finish. The QPR here is off the charts. If scoring 94-96.
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2/12/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! Words fail me. Easily the best syrah I've had in at least 6 months!!!
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7/26/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Bedrock, Quivet, Seghesio, Saxum + (Our home): I bought this a while ago on release to try this winery. Then I started to see pretty high scores and wondered what was up. Last night seemed a great time to try it. Purple in color. On opening there is a very strong plum scent. Also some black raspberries, a bit spice and slight black pepper. As it opened, the plums faded and the black raspberries got stronger with a bit of a liqueur note. On the palate, this has a very nice texture. Delicious fruit. Much riper than I was expecting. The alcohol is not noticeable except in the texture but the fruit is pretty bold. I like that a lot, but given the vineyard and vintage, I guess I expected a cool climate type Syrah. This is not that. Very middle of the road, which is my favorite style. It was my only bottle, but this should age out very nicely over the next 8 to 10 years (or more).
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7/22/2014 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:
Fresh mint, green and black pepper, smoke. Ripe, dark concentrated fruit, with good freshness. Finishes gracefully, some chalk and sweetness from the fruit lingering along with the acidity. This was a treat, made sure to get a sample of this early on. A favorite among a group of 40+ Syrah's tasted.
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5/17/2014 - oceanspirit Likes this wine: 91 Points
An excellent syrah, bit of a bit that gives it depth. Drank with dinner, no decant.
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4/27/2014 - noahbw Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gave 4-5 hours of air in decanter. Nose of blackened berries, smoked oily meats, dried flowers, funky wet forest floor and strange deep graphite bordering on gunpowder. On the palate comes mouthwatering fruit, ultra concentrated red, blue, black berries. Huge in the mouth yet not cloying. Stone, wet leaves, bacon. Finishes with tannin elevating more deep syrupy salivating fruit. Simply stated, this is stunning. PJG: 93
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2/11/2014 - Silveradoup wrote: 97 Points
Amazing!
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2/7/2014 - River Rat Likes this wine:
I've been thinking about this wine in the back of my mind ever since I tasted it right after bottling about 18 months ago. It really spoke to me and I couldn't resist any longer. The black olive, flower petal, smoky cured meat and blueberry/blackberry fruit on the nose is captivating but it doesn't stop there. The palate is plush and weighty but wonderfully textured and balanced with smoky dark fruits, red meat, bustling acid, a hint of oak and a little whole cluster steminess on the backside. Man what a great bottle of wine. Delivers everything I look for in a Syrah x10. Drank over two days and do not see why the drinking window is set 2016-2020. It can easily go to 2024 but by all means give one a try now and see what it has in store. Just crazy good.
My favorite Mike Smith Syrah to date.
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1/21/2014 - BinVA wrote: 93 Points
Got at it too young, hate when I do that. It was a bit "olive" when I first opened it. Finished the 2nd night and that had blown off and the dark fruit showed through. Much better night 2.
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11/23/2013 - jwebtx wrote:
Meaty nose, but not giving much in the taste dept right now.
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8/17/2013 - The Wine Write wrote: 91 Points
Popped, aired briefly and poured at restaurant. Meaty aromatics with a bit of smoke primary, black fruit secondary. Black fruit on the palate, with some bacon fat and something else I really couldn't distinguish. Obviously well-made, but I wasn't wowed as expected.
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8/17/2013 - NH WINO wrote: 97 Points
Holy crap, this wine is just stunning. All below have hit on the profile already but I just wanted to emphasize the fact Mike Smith is a wine rock star.... This Sh!@ is amazing. We didn't even decant, we let it sit opened in the bottle for a few hours. Should of bought more!
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8/12/2013 - CaliRice wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic!!
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8/3/2013 - BinVA Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic bottle. I'm not a big fan of syrah but I love what Mike is doing at Quivet. It was the party favorite, wish I'd poured myself a bigger glass.
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5/20/2013 - gigmoney Likes this wine: 95 Points
No formal notes. 5 hours slow ox. This really strutted its stuff with 5 hours of air. Did not pair with any food. We just enjoyed it on its own, and I recommend precisely that to everyone. If you cannot resist the temptation, open one and give it time in the glass, and enjoy its evolution over a few hours.
Perhaps my favorite wine so far from Mike and Leah. I've had plenty of other wines they are a part of, including Carter and of course Myriad, but this was in a breed of its own. Like owning a thoroughbread vs a 4000 dollar claimer. Seriously top notch wine from top notch people. Mike, can I order any more from your library? Maybe 36 bottles will do. Wish I had more to chart its evolution over the next 10 years.
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5/4/2013 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pepper, black raspberry, olive, and game in the nose, medium full bodied, one hour decant, surprisingly supple in the glass, this wine has aging potential, yet is very drinkable today.
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4/18/2013 - afiss wrote: 97 Points
I completely agree with King Cab's tasting notes. This was one of those wines, especially after reading his notes, that I was very interested in trying. The wine did not disappoint and was one of those "experiences" that I will long remember.
The wine is very well balanced and the nose opens up immediately to blueberries and some red berries with just the right amount of smokiness. There is great acidity and a truly long finish. I am just sorry I only purchased two ...
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4/7/2013 - King Cab wrote: 96 Points
The nose shows tremendous breed and elegance. It tells you that what to come will be phenomenal; and it would be correct.
Big bursting blue/red fruits with a hint of dried rosemary. Palate shows a multi-dimensional attack of all things wonderful with North Coast Cali Syrah. Notes of blueberry compote, red berries and red currants with some sarsaparilla and cola Wow, this is really a fine tuned and well made Syrah, one that I have watched for the last 3 vintages. This one is the culmination of everything before it. Medium weight and deftly balanced with super complicated tannins and a perfect acidity level. Finish goes long. The star of this show is the freshness and breed that comes with it. A wine this easy to drink could very well become illegal. If you remotely even like Syrah, you best get on this list. On second thought, stay away. I would hate to see my allocation shrink.
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8/27/2012 - River Rat wrote:
Monday afternoon with Mike Smith (Envy Cellars, Calistoga): Not yet released. This vineyard is in the southernmost edge of the Carneros AVA. You can see the SF Bay from the vineyard. It produces some great cool climate fruit. It's made up of two blocks. Hulda block, which is comprised of clone 300 syrah whose cuttings came from Crozes-Hermitage in the Northern Rhone and Esther block, which is clone 174. 2011 was one of those years where Las Madres almost gave up because the fruit was not going to ripen. Then came a heat spike in October that pushed the vineyard through to the finish line. I had a barrel sample of this back in April at the Las Madres Luncheon. The nose on this wine is unreal. Mike credits the Remond Allier Forest MTL barrels for the incredibly savory, smoky, merde quality to the nose that just jumps from the glass. Really intoxicating but also polarizing as some people are put off by this aroma. The mouth is again silky smooth with creamy ripe red and blue fruit on the attack. Good balance of acid that lifts the palate right through the finish which does not exhibit a whole lot of tannin but brings a little bitter citrus zest into the fold late. I love a wine with personality and this one has a whole lot of it. It's on my buy list for February.
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