Quivet

What can you tell me about Quivet? Good QPR? Worth buying?

Greeting fellow Hammer, and welcome to WineBerserkers.

There seems to be general agreement on the board that Quivet is a good wine that offers value for the buck. This is 5% of my cellar, and Myriad (sister brand) is another 5%. You won’t be disappointed. [cheers.gif]

Here comes a ridiculous statement…I love Myriad, but I haven’t tried Quivet because I hate the label. Hate to judge a book by it’s cover and I know I really like Mike’s wines, but it just looks like a 3rd grader made it in MS Paint. Can’t do it. hitsfan

Do you enjoy big ripe crowd-pleasing Napa Cabernets and Syrahs? I don’t mean massively overblown sugary examples like Caymus, but Mike Smith certainly makes big, juicy wines that are likely at their best while young and fruity. If that is your preferred style, then the Quivet wines are excellent examples, and relative to other Napa Cabs pretty good values.

They certainly do drink well young. That said, I haven’t noticed any problems aging Mike’s cabs. I had an '05 Myriad cab a year or so ago and it was in excellent shape, and an '06 Quivet cab opened last month benefitted from an 11 hr double decant. Of course, both of those wines were made from Spring Mtn fruit. I believe Mike started working with valley floor vineyards in 2007 when he made a Dr. Crane. I haven’t had that, but can attest to the '08 Dr. Crane being quite young at this stage.

“Excellent shape” and needing an “11 hour decant” doesn’t sound like a wine that gains complexity with age - just one that maintains what it had the day it left the winery. When I age Bordeaux, Burgundy, Vouvray, Brunello, Barolo, Monte Bello, etc it is because they improve with age. Quivet isn’t like that.

Maybe it doesn’t need to be ‘like that’.
Quivet Syrahs are some of the best in the sub $75 price range you can find. Myriads Napa Cab is the best $50 bottle of Napa Cab you can find today. Discussing their virtues of age as if they should replace anyone’s bordeaux or st josephs is disingenuous to them both and most likely worthy a different thread.
I agree, the Quivet label is not very attractive but you owe yourself the opportunity to taste one soon.
The Las Madres bottlings from both wineries seek a different path from others as well as themselves and do it well. Something for NEARLY everyone and I see that as a good thing.

For what it’s worth, a few years ago, I sampled the Myriad and Quivet Syrah side by side (same vintage but I don’t recall which) and I preferred the Quivet that night by a long shot. And let’s not forget the Quivet Sauvignon Blanc which is wonderful and an outstanding value too.

Thanks much everyone. I was going to buy some Myriad but didn’t want to spring for 5 of the same type syrah (and a Sem that I would never drink because I seldom drink whites).

Does anyone know if I am a previous myriad buyer will I be on the previous buyers list for Quivet thus go-round?

I don’t believe so. I’m pretty sure they are two separate lists.

Just to piggyback on Pobega’s post, I don’t think we need to rehash the Old World vs New World aging debate and my comment wasn’t intended to do so. My post was in response to your assertion that Mike Smith’s wines are probably best enjoyed while they’re still young and fruity. “Young and fruity” wouldn’t adequately describe any of the wines I mentioned in my post, and least of all the oldest two I mentioned. There’s no reason to think Mike’s cabs drop off after their young and fruity stage; they do not. The same can be said for the Myriad syrahs which, to my palate, need several years to show their best. For instance, the '09 and '10 (the oldest Myriad syrahs in my cellar) are nowhere near peak. The Quivet syrahs I’ve had seemed to drink well sooner.

Great question.

yes.

read these:

I’ve been buying Myriad and Quivet since the initial vintage, and can only speak to my own experience. I can tell you that I recently had an 06 Quivet Kenefick ranch that I enjoyed more than I did when I opened a bottle of the same wine in 2010 (according to my personal notes in CT), and believe it will be even better the next time. To me, the wine improved with age. But what do I know? Just because a wine “isn’t like” Bordeaux or the others you mentioned, does not mean it won’t get better over time.

The two Kenefick Ranch 2012 syrahs I’ve opened so far have been big crowd pleasers! I have also thoroughly enjoyed the two Kenefick Ranch Cabs (2010), and the Las Madres syrah and sauvignon blancs have also drank exceptionally well. Solid wines!

The 2011 Quivet Carneros Las Madras Hulda Block Syrah we had holiday season stunned us.

Glenn, I’m sitting on some '12 Quivet Syrah but have yet to try any - pondering a purchase of the 13s, but only pondering as I’ve blown up the finances on BD, CC, various other lists and clubs, some '10 Barolo and a run of badly inept poker.

Not asking for a thesis, but what was it about the '11 Las Madras that stunned you?

Elegance and balance but not flavor-shy at all. Also not an olivepalooza. I have a tn up here somewhere.

The 2012 Quivet Cellars 100% Whole Cluster Syrah Kenefick Ranch is utterly mind-blowing.

So we uncorked this last night with grass-fed T-Bone and sweet potatoes. Didn’t give it air and the wine showed a bit flat in Zalto Burg glass.

Nose has an interesting industrial note but little in the way of fruit or Syrah. Guessing that was the WC? Mouthfeel fine, very little on my palate made me think Syrah. Finish even and unsweetened.

Root day?