Miner Family Vineyards selected
as Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting Winery Of The Year 2006!
 "The winery's flagship wine is The Oracle, made with fruit contracted from Stagecoach Vineyards, in the hills just above Oakville Ranch. The 2002 was the winery's top-scoring red this year. It has sleek, generous texture and just enough granitic minerality to distinguish it from valley-floor Oakville wines. It tastes like it was grown in the hills."
To download press reviews for both current and previous vintages: click
here.
Red Wines - Current Vintage
The Oracle, Napa Valley Red Wine 2006
93 Points, Wine & Spirits Magazine, April 2010
"Dave Miner sources most of the grapes for this blend from Stagecoach Vineyard, planted at 1,500 feet on Altas Peak...It's a cool savory red with fine tannin ripeness. While oak is a formidable part of the structure, the fruit tannin is what gives a lasting impression, with a complexity that includes ferrous elements and a mushroom-like fruitiness. This has the concentration and stature to benefit from ten years in the cellar."
The Oracle, Napa Valley Red Wine 2005
San Francisco Wine Competition, Gold Medal June 2009
Wine Enthusiast, March 2009
"Made in the contemporary style of extreme ripeness and early drinkability, this Cab-based Bordeaux blend is very soft, rather sweet and smokey-oaky. It has pastry filling flavors of black cherries, black raspberries, currants and chocolate."
The Oracle, Napa Valley Red Wine 2004
Silver Medal Winner, 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition
4+ STARS, RESTAURANT WINE
"Full bodied and complex, this is an excellent blend, with rich fruit character, good depth of flavor, evident complexity, and a long finish, tasting of plum, cedar, black licorice, spicy oak, and blueberry."- Ronn Wiegand, MS, MW
Washington Examiner, April 17, 2008
"A Bordeaux style blend that delivers ripe fruit over the entire palate with a wonderful mouthfeel. Good balance and structure."
90 Points, Wine Advocate, December 2007
"A beautiful wine from this Napa winery... Deep ruby/purple, with spicy aromatics intertwined with some lush blackberry and cassis fruit, opulent on the palate, with full body, silky tannins, and low acidity, this is a beauty that should drink handsomely for at least a decade. Drink 2007 - 2017." - Robert Parker
91 Points, Wine & Spirits Magazine, December 2007
"This wine's cool edges bring a North Coast conifer forest to mind. Ripe cherry flavors and espresso coffee scents give it sweetness, though the wine is balanced and understated. For duck with roasted cherries."
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast, December 2007
"It's a distinguished wine, classic in the modern Napa sense of softness and ripeness to the point of decadent drinkability. There's a sweet olive-tapenade edge to the blackberry, cassis and cherry flavors. The finish, believe it or not, suggests blueberry pie, fresh from the oven."
Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 2006
4 Star Award, Decanter Magazine
91 Points, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, August 2009
"Miner's Oakville bottling scores big points for its very evident depth and its decidedly generous fruit...at least three to five years need to pass before this begins to fulfill its considerable promise."
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast, Sept. '09
"This is a good, young Oakville Cabernet, showing the firms tannins and black currant and cassis flavors you get from this splendid part of Napa Valley...it should develop through 2015." - S.H.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyard 2005
92 Points, Wine Enthusiast, Sept. '09
"Very ripe and jammy, with potent of flavors of blackberries, cherries, and smoky new oak. Feels a bit direct and obvious now, but that's because it's just a baby. Needs time. Age through 2010, at the very least." - S.H.
4 STARS, Decanter Magazine, January 2009
"Good summer berry aromas. Delicious: generous fruit, but still fresh. Not the heaviest styles - quite sleek and refined."
91 Points, TWO STARS Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, August 2008
"A highly distinctive wine...deep, well-defined wine with a fine sense of fruity substance. It is long on currants with adjuncts of vanilla, dried flowers and chocolate, and it shows a bit of palatal polish that belies its relative youth. It is not one for drinking straightaway, however, and its nominal finishing tannins clearly invite five to seven years of continuing growth and improvement. Very limited availability.Medium Red. Balanced, good depth, medium tannin. Beef and lamb.Cellar for future drinking. Wine will improve with bottle aging."
Pinot Noir, Garys' Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007
Vinography, June 2009
Best Pinot Noirs in California - Pinot Days Tasting 2009
Piedmont Post, July 2009
"This fine wine comes from the latest Pinot Noir growing to hit the big time, the Santa Lucia Highlands near Salinas. The nose is a bit reticent but soon reveals aromas of plum, dark cherry and hoisin. The palate is full-bodied and firm, saturated tannins and more fed-cherried fruit on the well-structured masculine finish."
San Francisco Chronicle Recommends, July 2009
"Miner Family Winery's Gary Brookman is one of several winemakers with access to great fruit from both the Rosella's and Garys' Vineyards. Smooth ripe cherry laced with vanilla, baking spice and hint of savory herb. Bright and focused, with a lingering finish." Click here to read more.
90 Points, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, June 2009
"Showing its youth in its slightly direct fruit, but rich and deep in the manner of top wines from this location, this interesting wine features lightly toasted notes of toffee, sweet grains and vanilla in its aromas, and despite being noticeably ripe it is also quite well-balanced and lively....time is clearly going to bring it softer stance and increased range and openess."
San Francisco Wine Competition, Silver Medal June 2009
Vinography, June 2009
Best Pinot Noirs in California - Pinot Days Tasting 2009
95 Points, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
An outstanding Pinot, absolutely, decadently good, that combines attributes of the fine vintage with some fine parcels from this celebrated vineyard. Softly lush, it shows fabulous flavors of cherries, red currants, licorice, cola, orange peel, sandalwood and Asian spices, but never loses structural balance and control. --S.H.
Pinot Noir, Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
2007
93 Points Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Just beautiful, so well-crafted and balanced. With an edge of tannins and acids, could be an ager for a while. Shows a delicate structure, with cherry cola, raspberry, orange peel, vanilla and anise flavors that taste sweetly appealing, but are really bone dry. Now though 2012. --S.H.
Syrah Napa Valley
2003
Food & Wine Magazine's Wine Guide 2007
"A heavy bottle holds a wine of surprising delicacy, with dark fruit, cocoa, flowers and fine minerals. Drink now -- eight years. Excellent."
2005 Miner "La Diligence" Syrah
Piedmont Post "Rhone Rangers Best of Tasting", April 2007
"Interesting nose of dark berry fruit with hints of eucalyptus and menthol. Monster fruit explodes on the palate and yet there is enough structure to balance out the wine. This blockbuster could use a few years of aging and will last for a decade."
Merlot, Stagecoach Vineyard 2005
Decanter Magazine "4 Star Award" December 2008
SF Chronicle November 14, 2008 TWO AND A HALF STARS
"Overt oak offset by deep, extracted bramble berry tinged with herb and mint. Becomes brighter on the finish, which has graphite and finely grained tannins."
4 STARS, RESTAURANT WINE
"Round, full bodied, quite toasty in character, with some richness, firm structure, and a long finish, tasting of cedar, spicy oak, tobacco, black currant, and cherry." - Ronn Wiegand, MS, MW
Highly Recommended, California Grapevine
"Medium ruby; attractive, intense, toasty,smoky, cedary, slightly herbaceous, dark currant and black cherry fruit aroma with notes of vanilla, tobacco and green olive; full body; big,rich, thick, concentrated, cedary, herbal, black cherry fruit flavors..."
Petite Sirah, Napa Valley 2006
92 Points, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, July '09
"Petite Sirah's surly side has been tamed by winemaking polish and lots of very rich oak here, and while ample varietal tannins do make themselves known, even they seem somehow refined... careful crafting is only half the story, however, for it is dense, deep and nicely extracted with plenty of ripe, blackberry fruit emerging at every stop. It can be drunk now with hearty, well-seasoned braised meats, but its potential for better is clear and it will improve for at least five or six years."
Sangiovese, Mendocino 2005
4 STARS, RESTAURANT WINE
"Full bodied, crisp and toasty and ripe in style with a medium long finish, tasting of cocoa, spicy oak, plum, and cherry."- Ronn Wiegand, MS, MW
KCBS Radio, All News 740 AM, San Francisco
Narsai David's Wine Reviews 5/30/07
"Fine, rich aromas of ripe berries and a toasty touch of oak on the aroma, leads to a very appealing mouthful. Splendid balance between fruit, tannin, and acidity. I drank this with a pasta full of springtime vegetables - mainly favas ... a perfect combo, but any spicy dish or roast chicken would be fine."
Click here for the audio review in .mp3 format. (second review :59)
Rosato, Mendocino 2006
KCBS Radio, All News 740 AM, San Francisco
Narsai David's Wine Reviews 5/30/07
"Bright, glistening color... Red enough to suggest something like a more serious rose. Aromas of a berry bramble and a bit of spice lead to a delicious wine. Just enough tannin to provide a little mouthfeel. Certainly the perfect wine as the weather warms up. Picnics for sure. Baked ham, pizza, or just a chilled glass of Rose. A delicious wine."
Click here for the audio review in .mp3 format.
Washington Examiner 5/10/07
"... a wonderfully unique blush wine featuring notes of strawberry and earthiness on the delicate nose. Fresh flavors of red cherry and pomegranate are kept in balance, resulting in a crisp, refreshing finish. Serve well-chilled alongside grilled or chilled shrimp."
2008 La Diligence Marsanne
91 Points Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine Volume 34 Issue 9: July 2010
100% Marsanne. By Miner. For some years now, the winery has been working with the irrepressible Francois Villard of Condrieu in the making of Rhone varietals here in California. Their latest collaboration has produced this remarkable wine that joins the list of brilliant efforts from Stagecoach Vineyard grapes. Its aromas drift towards blossomy yet stop short of being outright floral in tone and instead pick up notes of Meyer lemons, lime leaves and hints of Fuji apples all with a slight bit of honeyed concentration. Its finish is tasty and vital
La Diligence, Syrah 2007
91 Points, 2 Puffs Connoisseurs' Guide, December 2009
"Rich and far-ranging in aroma and quite complex and rewarding in flavor, this concentrated wine delivers smells of Syrah spice, roast beef and energetic blackberry fruit. It is full and fleshy on the palate...it is the kind of Syrah that accompanies a savory leg of lamb better than any other wine."
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast, Sept. '09
"This is a huge, ripe, powerful Syrah. It would be a mere fruit bomb, with explosive flavors of blackberry jam, currants, plums, violets, cocoa, anise, orange zest and pepper, except for the structure, which shows the fine terroir of Napa Valley. Firm tannins and adequate acidity provide balance. Better after 2010." - S.H.
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