Doug Margerum, good friend of the Duke and winemaker for his own label, received some richly-deserved praise in a recent edition of the Wine Advocate. Robert Parker raved about Doug's 2003 M5 thusly: "This deep ruby/purple-colored effort exhibits sweet aromas of black raspberries, melted licorice, pepper, and Provencal garrigue-like scents. With stunning texture, loads of fruit, and well-integrated wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this beauty can be drunk now and over the next 6-7 years." He awarded it a healthy 92 points on his 100-point scale.

Unfortunately, the 2003 M5 has long been sold out. BUT, we have the equally sensational Margerum 2004 M5 available on a "futures" basis for delivery next month. We think that the 2004 is even tastier than the 2003 that Parker loved. In fact, we are willing to wager that the master of descriptors will have to dig out his Thesauras when he tastes Doug's 2004 effort. Read on to be reminded of what we said several months ago. We are also including some of his other Syrahs in this offering.

Margerum 2004 M5
The intriguing five-component blend of M5 is 40% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre, 8% Counoise and 4% Cinsault, for a sub-total of 94%. The remaining 6% is something Doug calls the Genesis of M5. This is a co-fermentation of the winery production - basically a little bit of each of M5's elements. Here is the story: Doug usually buys in one-ton increments because he can fit a ton of crushed grapes into his three-quarter-ton insulated fermentation bins. For some reason, he kept getting 1.1 tons of everything. He started a little natural yeast fermentation that he continually added to over the two months of harvest and it kept going as he added fuel (unfermented wine grapes) to the fire. All said and done, he had a fermentation where some grapes were on their skins for sixty days. Once pressed, he realized he had done something special and it was an integral beginning of the final blend - a wine with flavors beyond anything that would have evolved from the individual components. As Doug says every year - this is a wine that is from a thought, an amalgamation of memories both distant and recent of wines he has tasted and loved the past 31 years. The 2004 M5 is a little darker and a little richer than the 2003, but Doug thinks it is an even more fulfilling wine.
Release Price $25.00 per bottle - Futures Price $21.25 per bottle - Buy 6 or more for just $19.99 per bottle. (Release Date: October 1, 2005)

Margerum 2004 Syrah, Colson Canyon
Colson Canyon is always the sexiest, most intriguing and most interesting Syrah of the group that Doug produces. This is the "Bold and the Beautiful" of wines, as it has a beguiling and complex plot line with an alluring undercurrent full of the beautiful dark fruit, earth, and scents of wild things that attract you as you become familiar with the wine. This is a wine that will age very well. In the mouth, it is full and resolute with massive core fruit and a long, determined finish. It is also un-fined and unfiltered.
Release Price $30.00 per bottle - Futures Price $25.50 per bottle. Buy 6 or more and receive an additional 5% discount, making the final price just $24.25 per bottle. (Release Date: October 1, 2005)

Margerum 2004 Syrah, Black Oak
The wonderful people who own this vineyard, Dan and Meagan Reeves, approached Doug in 2003 to see if he wanted to work with the fruit grown at their steep, well-maintained vineyard planted deep in the valley of Alisos Canyon. Doug proclaims that only one other time did he have a barrel of wine that reaches out like this wine does. He claims to have gone to this barrel a hundred times in the last year to taste and says that it always gets better. He threatens that he may never bottle it. It could be 36 months in barrel. Jim Clendenen declared it to be the best wine in Margerum's winery. It is a year old in people years, but a mere infant in Black Oak Syrah years. Production? A paltry 50 cases!
Release Price $50.00 per bottle - Futures Price $42.50 per bottle. Buy 6 or more and receive an additional 5% discount, making the final price just $40.39 per bottle. (Release Date: April 1, 2006)

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