Margerum 2006 M5, Santa Ynez
Doug's mission statement for M5: "M5 is a wine that is from a thought =E2=80=93 a blend that is an amalgamation of memories, both distant and recent, of wines I've tasted and loved the past thirty-three years."

2006 was a great Grenache year. The key to each year's M5 is to balance the crimson, aromatic, lean, bright, tight, crangrape, (crangrape is a made up word) tobacco, smoky, leather, earthy Grenache, Counoise, Mourvedre and Cinsault based components with the bombastic, dark, black, licorice, plum, fruity tannic, bold, intense, ripe, full-bodied Syrah. M5 is a blend using five grape varieties from twelve of the highest quality vineyards in Santa Barbara County. As always, this multi-vineyard, multi-varietal cuvee illustrates the benefits inherent in a blended wine. The component wines speak to each other with tastes that are not easy to describe but with a quality and a deliciousness that is wonderful to behold, swallow, and enjoy. Doug and the Duke have conspired to bring this beauty to you now at a savings of 20% off the list price. Normally retailing at $28.00, you can purchase M5 for $22.50 per bottle or $135. 00 per 6-pack case. This offer is for a limited time, so you need to act right away!

Margerum 2005 Syrah, UBER
Doug set out to make the ultimate Syrah using the co-fermentation concept he adapted to M5. He co-ferments grapes from the top Santa Barbara County Syrah vineyards Alondra de Los Prados, Volgelzang Vineyards, Great Oaks Ranch Vineyard, Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Alisos Vineyard, Black Oak Vineyard, and Colson Canyon Vineyard, and then blends selected barrels. The result is a wine with tremendous structure, length and complexity. 2005 was an exceptional year, as the fruit maturity and flavors were present early. This allowed for judicious selections at harvest prior to excessive sugar ripeness. UBER is a synonym for super, e.g. ubercool, this means it is a top wine in the hip sense - a generally intensified product and the best wine that will come from the winery each year. He began calling the wine UBER as the working name while it was fermenting for the concentrated multifaceted flavors it produced. It is ripe and generous, with up-front plum and blackberry fruit on the palate and solid tannins and juicy acidity on a finish the shows the oak in a restrained manner. Here's another gem from the hands of a master with a 20% discount off the retail price. The list price is $50.00, but, for a limited time only, the Duke is making it available for just $39.99 per bottle or $239.50 per 6-pack case.