Steele Wines/Three Great Wines/Wine Master Jed Steele

Over the years I have enjoyed Steele wines.Jed Steele has been making wine for many decades,and now Quincy Steele has joined in and expanded the portfolio.All the wines are very special and come from many different grape growing regions.Let's take a look at some of the history and check out these three wines. A message from Jed Steele..... The year 2011 marks my forty-third year of being involved in making wine in California. From my start as a cellar worker at Stony Hill in Napa Valley in 1968, to UC Davis for a Master’s Degree in Enology, to starting Ed Meades in the Anderson Valley and being there for ten years, to then starting Kendall-Jackson and working there for the first nine vintages of that wildly successful winery (I left the year we broke the million cases per year production mark), to the start of our own STEELE Wines in 1991-it has been an incredible ride. During this time I have been able to produce wines from just about every top quality wine region in the state, from Santa Barbara to Mendocino. The line-up of vineyards which we either own or from which we purchase grapes has evolved slowly over the years to where we consistently draw on some of the finest vineyards in California. From viewing the actual number of wines we bottle, you might think that we are a large winery. However, this is not the case, as we specialize in many wines where the final bottling is less than 1,000 cases. This reflects my never ending fascination with many different varietals and vineyard locations.This approach allows us to maintain the practice of true craftmanship in the production of our small lot bottlings. We thank you for your patronage, and hope you enjoy our wines. Jed Steele Owner/Winemaker Now to the wines...first let's open the Stymie Syrah! Named after a racehorse in the 1950’s, Stymie was bet on by Jed Steele’s father and the winnings helped to move the entire family from New York to California. We showcase Lake County Syrah by handpicking the best fruit and aging it for 3 years before it is released. The concentrated fruit flavors, smoky undertones and lingering finish make this wine enjoyable now, but will continue to improve for another 10 years. Now on to the Catfish Zinfandel!! The vineyard is located on the Bell Hill bench of Lake County just south of Kelseyville. Catfish Vineyard, planted in 1901, is head pruned and stands on its own roots. Steele Wines purchased the vineyard in 2000 and we have been working to rehabilitate the old vines since that time. Catfish Vineyard Zinfandel, is actually a field blend of a number of varieties, including small amounts of carignan, alicante bouschet, cabernet sauvignon , petite sirah, and cinsault. Having more than one variety assured the old-time vintners that they would have some grapes to harvest regardless of the spring frosts or autumn storms. This has always been a favorite of mine! We will get on to the Chardonnay another time.Food just came to the table,and we will be very quite for the near future.Cheers!