This is a perfect example of how price can ruin your wine. When I met with winemaker Jeff Hundertmark back in February 2009, he told me the story of how this wine came into being. It seems that Marynissen had a problem with their lees filter while pumping their wines and thus could not use it, so they had to take the wines off lees to a certain level and then dump whatever was left into a tank for safe keeping, until they were ready to dispose of the sludgy mess. Before dumping, Jeff tasted this concoction and was impressed enough to give it some extra attention. It took another 3-and-a-half months for the lees and other sludge to settle and when all was said and done, 70% of the wine was rescued. After the calculations were made, the blend turned out something like this: 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah, 1% each of Malbec, Petite Sirah and Gamay. Jeff told me they were thinking of charging between 20-25 dollars a bottle. My opinion at the time was 20 was good, 25 would be the top end. Now released, my opinion about the pricing is still the same … the wine shows much of the character it did back in February: black fruit up the wazoo, pepper, spice and herbs, full mouth-feel and high alcohol (14%) with a good deal of ageing potential. I was ready to give this wine 4½ stars back in February, especially based on its ageing potential and it’s soon to be price … but I am glad I kept my review to myself. The marketing department got hold of this wine and has now priced it at $29 … it may seem petty to quibble over $4 between $20 and $25 this was good value (remember, this is a sludge and bottom renderings blend) – at 29 I think it’s just another overpriced wine, and so yes, they’ve priced it too high. Time for you to decide. Price: $29.00 – Rating: ****