McPrice Myers began his career working for specialty food retailers and grocery stores, giving him the opportunity to taste a lot of wine. In wine he found a passion and started dreaming of the day when he would make his own wine.

He started working harvests in Paso Robles, learning the trade and making the contacts that would lay the groundwork for the point at which he would eventually make his own wine. In 2002, Myers contracted enough fruit to make 250 cases of Santa Barbara County Syrah.

His 2005 grenache is black cherry in color. Dark fruit with a bit of pine and pepper on the nose. On the palate, lush, full bodied and loaded with fruit — black cherry and raspberry reduction with some white pepper — and notes of toasted vanilla, espresso, plum and graphite. The white pepper and graphite really persist on a slightly heady finish.

The wine weighs in at 15.4% alcohol. A wee bit over the top for my tastes, I would prefer that things would be dialed back a bit, but I can certainly appreciate the wine and must admit that the alcohol is surprisingly well integrated. I also thought it showed better the day after I opened it as it seemed to mellow and some of the heat burned off.