Miner Family Vineyards is a dynamic family owned winery tucked into the eastern hills of the Oakville appellation, squarely within the heart of Napa Valley. Founded in 1998 by Dave & Emily Miner along with his folks Ed & Norma, Miner is defined first and foremost by a sensational portfolio of wines, wines consistently characterized by and committed to individualistic style and uncommon quality. In only a few short years, Miner has identified, sought and secured a number of California?s finest vineyard sites to produce and showcase a wide array of varietals. Each wine is crafted in a style to encapsulate the distinctive elements and the indelible fingerprints of their respective vineyards. This combination of excellent vineyard sites along with passionate and thoughtful winemaking injects the necessary components for creating profoundly joyful wines.

www.minerwines.com

Chardonnay Wild Yeast
The grapes are fermented naturally using only indigenous yeast cultures found on the skins of the grapes themselves, in the vineyards and within the walls of the winery. A very traditional and Burgundian approach, this extremely slow process requires a delicate balance between constant hand holding and hands off winemaking. The wine naturally sails through 100% malolactic while retaining its vital acidity resulting in a barrel fermented wine of unbelievable complexity, freshness, richness, flavor and length. A seriously sexy wine for those who long to take their Chardonnay habit to a whole new level.
2002 $44.99 - SOLD OUT
2001 $44.99 - SOLD OUT
"Turning smooth and supple, with maturing Chardonnay flavors, this is complex and elegant, with buttery pear, fig, apricot and melon flavors that are focused and persistent. Drink now through 2008." 90 The Wine Spectator 6/15/04

Chardonnay Napa
This Chardonnay represents a composition showcasing several of Napa?s finest vineyards. The decadent, richly woven fruit flavors are the result of carefully chosen vineyard sites coupled with picking only when the grapes had achieved maximum ripeness. The abundantly fruit-driven profile is further complimented by the minimal use of malolactic fermentation, which in the case of this wine was allowed to take place in only 47% of the lot. A completely balanced package, and a wonderfully food friendly Chard to boot.
2003 $26.99
2002 $26.99

Viognier Simpson
Tropical, heady, ripe and downright delicious are but a few words flung liberally about when dishing this wine. Bursting at the seams with lively honeysuckle, citrus and images of far away places, this wine lights up the tongue with a youthfully fresh, vibrant texture. A fickle grape in anyone's vineyard, Madera grower John Simpson faithfully coaxes out the very finest personalities of this once rare, blessedly salvaged Rhone varietal. So order up the sushi, splash a few bottles of Miner Viognier on ice, make those summer getaway plans...and thank us later.
2003 $18.99
2002 $18.99
"The light green/straw-colored 2002 Viognier Simpson Vineyard exhibits big, expressive floral notes intermixed with peach and apricot jam. Medium-bodied, nicely-textured, and pure, this classy, well-delineated white reveals underlying minerality, something rarely found in New World Viognier." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #148

Rosato
Often misrepresented as something akin to sweet and icky, true and truly dry ros? wines are the quintessential summertime quaffers of choice. A saignee from 100% Sangiovese after 64 hours in contact with the red skins, this medium-bodied Rosato offers up not only a refreshing change of pace, but a mouthful of seriously refreshing fun. A tried and true partner to a wide array of dishes, we recommend you chill a bottle or three the next time you fire up the grill, pop a cork and enjoy the pink drink with eyes wide open. 764 cases made.
2003 sold out

The Oracle
The new signature Napa Valley Red epitomizes the elegance of the old world but was meticulously crafted for the modern palate. With a velvet mouth feel and subtle spice and earth nuances, this Bordeaux Blend displays a refined fusion of cedar box and tobacco aromas, rose petal and concentrated black fruit characteristics. Beautifully balanced with harmonious flavors that intermingle on the palate with utter finesse. The Oracle captivates, envelops the senses and entices you back to the glass for more... pure molten pleasure. 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, aged 20 months in 50% new French oak.
2001 $44.99

Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
The key to this wine rests squarely on the shoulders of the enormously compelling mountain grown fruit. Picked high above the valley floor, nearly 1500 feet above sea level, our Cab grapes reside within a low-yielding vineyard planted over rocky, volcanic soil. Deep, dark, rich and extremely focused, this is truly what great Oakville Cab is about.
2001 $48.99
"From its deep, blackcurrant fruit to its suggestions of olives and fresh loamy earth, this very impressive effort is nothing short of classic Cabernet in all its respects. It is nicely extracted with no hint of excess, and its wonderfully rick oak is always subservient to its unstinting fruit. Its finely spun tannins provide the right bit of structural spine, and, behind its immediate flush of richness and fruit, it shows itself to be a most serious wine that is sure to get better and better with time." 93 Connoisseurs' Guide, April 2005
2000 $46.99 available
"Plenty to admire in this ripe, supple, harmonious wine. A core of ripe plum, black cherry, blackberry and spicy, cedary nuances combine to give complexity and charm. Fine-grained yet chalky tannins on the finish make it approachable now. Best from 2004 through 2012." The Wine Spectator 10/31/03

Merlot Stagecoach
The second release to come from the highly sought after Stagecoach Vineyard set high above the eastern hills of the valley. Carved out of rocky, red volcanic soil similar to the earth up at Oakville Ranch, this vineyard gives us the rich, voluminous & decadent characteristics of mountain grown fruit. Expect deep, rich earth and tobacco notes along with flavors of sweet blackberry, currant and cocoa nicely bundled and balanced on the palate with a lingering campfire finish of sweet oak and fruit. A glass of pure purple cashmere.
2000 $29.99-750ml available
"Great Merlot, one that rises above the ordinary to achieve real distinction. Has aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, plum, chocolate, coffee, violets and smoky oak, and drinks dry and smooth. The tannins are wonderfully thick, soft and complex, and the finish impresses with its intensity. So rich, it?s almost its own food group." 93 The Wine Enthusiast 12/1/03
"Well-crafted, with a core of mocha, currant, herb and mineral flavors, finishing with a touch of espresso. Turns firmly tannic on the finish, so short-term cellaring is advised. Best from 2004 through 2010." The Wine Spectator 6/15/03

Merlot Oakville
Hand picked and sorted in the vineyard, then aged in French oak barrels for 19 months and bottled unfiltered. The big, ripe, mouth-filling fruit and long rich finish are appealing now, but put some away for a few years to unlock the magic of this mountain grown Merlot .Those pillars of the famed Right Bank have revealed time and time again the ageless sleeping giant this grape is capable of unleashing under the right circumstances.
2000 $31.99

Pinot Noir Garys' 2003 $45.99 Available

Pinot Noir Garys' 2002 $45.99 LIMITED
From the suddenly hot, yet thoroughly cool appellation known as the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Miners have once again crafted a wine of unparallel grace and buxom proportions. Utilizing the ultra-fine fruit contained within Garys? Vineyard, grown upon vines grafted over to original, if somewhat surreptitiously obtained La Tache budwood.

"Positively plush in character and simply brimming with the very ripe fruit qualities that are quintessentially Californian, Miner's version of Garys' Vineyard Pinot will win smiles aplenty for its opulence and sheer generosity. It is high in the creaminess born of first rate barrels, but its course is determined by juicy cherries and remains so through a lengthy finish. There is heat enough to notice at the end, but the wine's richness and pervasive fruit carry the day." 91 Connoisseurs' Guide June 2004

Zinfandel Napa
The Zin program here is essentially an homage to the old school style whereby wines are crafted in a jammy, food friendly and altogether heart-warming way. Completely eschewing the current rage for infinite extraction and mouth searing alcoholic bionics, the Napa Zin seeks an exuberant partnership with the mouth filling, robust San Francisco cuisine. Selected from two very distinct vineyards, one near Calistoga, the other in Chiles Valley and finished with a dollop of Petite Sirah, this wine exudes youthful aromatics of clove, cinnamon and tobacco backed by fruit flavors of wild raspberry and strawberry.
2001 $21.99 available

Sangiovese Gibson
These Sangiovese grapes are picked from a pristine, third generation vineyard in Mendocino lovingly farmed by Bob Gibson. Bob's grapes in the bottle offer up radiant bing cherry fruit and strawberry jam flavors backed by notes of dried tea leaves, mocha and a touch of earth. The frisky acidity serves the wine well on the table allowing it to share space with a wide array of dishes. A delicious and versatile wine at a refreshingly decent price.
2002 $17.99 limited

Syrah Napa
Miner's first bottling of Napa Valley Syrah was taken from fairly young vines sourced from three unique local vineyards. Aromatically deep and densely hued, this robust (nearly rotund) bad boy packs a wollop and delivers blow by blow flavors of bright red cherry fruit, cloves and tobacco together with their various tell-tale cousins. While there are plenty of rich tannins to be savored by those hardened Cabophiles, the wine is ultimately woven into a seamless mass, thereby ear-marking a bottle or two for this evening?s grilled rack of any dang thing.
2000 $24.99 available
"The 2000 Syrah, offers red and black currant fruit, a soft, easygoing personality, medium to full body, and plenty of dried herb, black currant, licorice, and pepper characteristics. Drink it over the next 3-4 years." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #148

Dave & Emily Miner