Stymie was a famous racehorse in mid-twentieth century American history. Once Stymie gained the lead on the track he would never relinquish the spot. This trait was so pronounced that “stymie” has actually become part of our vocabulary. In 1950 Jed’s father, a newspaperman, wagered a bet on Stymie that paid off well. So well, in fact, that the winnings financed the Steele family’s move from New York to San Francisco. Our new Stymie label is reserved for rare, small production wines of the highest quality we produce.

Vineyards The grapes used to craft the Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve Merlot were grown by Floyd and Jolene Silva in their Shady Rest Vineyard. The Shady Rest Vineyard is located on a gravelly bench, overlooking the Big Valley area of Lake County. An ideal location for growing Merlot vines.

Winemaking We used our typical Merlot warm fermentation on the Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve Merlot. The wine was aged for 30 months in a hand-selected lot of French and American oak barrels. Because of the quality of the grapes, we chose to craft a rich, generous style of Merlot from this exceptional fruit. Total production of this wine is just 250 6-bottle cases.

Food Pairing This first vintage of Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve Merlot has a rich, deep, dark red color and firm body. The wine exhibits aromas of chocolate, jammy fruit, tobacco, and a hint of pepper. The palate reveals a rich, well-structured wine with flavors of ripe red currants, a peppery mid-palate, and just a hint of coffee. It has an excellent, long-lasting finish and smooth tannins. This superb Merlot is the perfect “special occasion” wine and pairs well with big hearty foods. Exceptional with any preparation of lamb or beef, steaks, cherry-wood grilled venison chops, ragout, and any other full-flavored dish. And you will be missing out if you don’t try this Merlot with chocolate.

Steele Stymie
Founder’s Reserve Syrah
Lake County

Vineyards The Syrah grapes from Floyd and Jolene Silva’s Shady Rest Vineyard are the backbone of our Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve Syrah. The Shady Rest Vineyard was planted in 1993 and is located on a gravelly bench, overlooking the Big Valley area of Lake County in Northern California.

Winemaking We used our typical Syrah winemaking techniques on the Stymie, including gentle crushing and fermentation temperature below 90 degrees F. Because of the high quality of the grapes, we aged the wine in barrels made by the acclaimed cooper, Taransaud. The wine remained in barrel for 22 months. Total production of this wine is just 250 6-bottle cases.

Food Pairing This first vintage of Steele Stymie Founder’s Reserve Syrah has a rich, dark red color and has firm body. The Syrah has excellent New World fruit aromas and flavors of berry and cherry with a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon. The rich, full-bodied palate has subtle fruit with medium tannins and well-integrated oak. The finish is long with a hint of leather in the back palate. This inaugural vintage of Syrah has enough fruit to enjoy through the warmer months with summer lamb or steak, yet enough body and structure to pair well with winter cassoulet, stews, game, and braised shanks. An excellent Syrah that you won’t want to miss!