I got to know Drew Neiman many years ago when he was the wine manager at a local Columbus Steakhouse. Eventually I wound up involved financially in a wine distributorship that Drew owned in Ohio so disclaimer alert. He left o n a quest to be a winemaker in Napa and his first vintage was his 1999 Napa Red. Drew became a cellar rat for John Kongsgaard at Luna and Newton and then for John when he started his own label. These days Drew makes his win es at a custom crush facility at Caldwell Vineyards in Napa and his chards, cabs, merlots and syrahs are always well recieved but admittedly a bit pri cey. I opened a bottle of his 2005 Caldwell Vineyards Syrah last night wit h some very strong Aussie lamb. The wine is quite dark in the glass, a bit on the heavy side and full of Napa fruit. Nose of blueberries, smoke, and typical syrah black pepper and beets. Black fruits on the palate, full th rottle concentration and ripeness, plush but full tannins. A bit of beef b lood and beet juice on the somewhat short finish. Nice but not super. "B"
- posted
10 years ago