Meyer Family Cellars is a small, family-owned winery situated in the picturesque Yorkville Highlands Appellation
of Mendocino County. An artisanal winery in this emerging viticultural area, Meyer Family was established in
1987 by Silver Oak founders and former owners Justin and Bonny Meyer,
who dreamt of a family wine brand that drew upon their extensive
experience in the Napa and Alexander Valleys. Incorporated in the plan was their son, Matt, a well-traveled student of wine and graduate
of the enology and viticulture program at the University of California
Davis.
Today Meyer Family Cellars is in the capable hands of co-winemakers Matt and Karen Meyer.
Their approach to winemaking mirrors the unique position of their
product. While their wine incorporates “old world” balanced acidity and
minerality with “new world” ripeness and forward fruit, similarly, Matt
and Karen apply the wisdom gleaned from family history while welcoming
new ideas into the process.
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Rosé of SyrahA dry rosé of syrah that shows the slightest hint of sweetness on the mid-palate. It has crisp, slightly pronounced acidity and great, refreshing fruit characters on both the nose and palate. With watermelon being the dominant character on the nose, the softer hints of strawberry come through on the palate.
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SyrahA cool climate syrah differs from a warm climate syrah in its elegance and refined structure. Yorkville Highlands has surprising cold summer nights with temperatures regularly dipping into the 40's. This allows the grapes to retain their natural acidity, color and fruit after the warm days. As a result, the wine shows more blueberry, boysenberry, violet and spice.
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Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon "Fluffy Billows"Produced from an old, dry-farmed Oakville vineyard and put into a variety of French barrels, this offers a worthy counterpoint to the iconic Bonny's Vineyard. Bright acidity and moderate alcohol are hallmarks for this food-friendly cabernet where the oak is a little more pronounced and adds a grainy texture. There is an array of spicy aromas, including cedar, vanilla, nutmeg, clove and a hint of molasses.
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Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon "Bonny's Vineyard"The original 4 acre vineyard - and home - of Justin and Bonny Meyer, this cepage developed such a cult following at Silver Oak that Justin stopped making it in 1991. He said there were too many people who were unhappy they could not get an allocation. The juice became part of the Silver Oak Napa blend - until the Meyer's sold their share in Silver Oak to their partner in the late 90s.
With Bonny's encouragement, the family relaunched "Bonny's Vineyard" in 2002. Made in a similar fashion to Justin's original, the wine spends 2 1/2 years in American oak. It exhibits dark notes of leather, plum and cardamom, along with a hint of eucalyptus which is a characteristic of this vineyard. As the wine opens, aromas of ripe cherry, cedar and vanilla emerge. Fine tannins, balanced acidity and bright fruit define this well-structured cabernet.
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PortMade
in a modified solera method, Meyer Family Port is one of California's
signature fortified wines. This rich and complex Port is a blend of
several vintages of old-vine Zinfandel that average eight years of age
at release.
On the nose, the Meyer Family Port displays
aromas of baked fruit and cooking spice, along with warm notes of
alembic Zinfandel brandy. Rich and round on the palate, its lush
flavors of sweet cassis and brandied cherries are framed by integrated
oak and fine acidity. This delicious Port has a long, concentrated
finish and pairs beautifully with artisanal blue cheeses, intense
chocolate desserts, or a good cigar.
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