It might have “meek” in the name but this stuff, man, is anything but. If you fancy yourself a red wine drinking badass who likes ‘em big, packed and stacked, then you should step into the ring with this little bruiser and see if you can go the distance.

With the price slashed by 55% how can you go wrong with a single vineyard library release?

The Meeker Vineyard is the ultimate boutique address in the idyllic Sonoma countryside. They’ve been making wine since 1984 and today it’s a multi-generational family affair. Lucas Meeker grew up at the winery, and learned the ropes from his father, growing up with terroir in his blood. We enjoy buying wine from small family producers in our hood, and Meeker is certainly worthy of our love.

This brings together Petit Sirah and Syrah into one harmonious, loud, and boisterous bottle. If you like full tilt, inky reds, well you will SO dig this stuff.

There is NOTHING “petite” about the dark purple colored big boy based on the called variety. It opens with an inviting ripe blackberry jam bouquet with notes of boysenberry and oak. On the palate, this wine is full-bodied, energetic, and juicy, while fully coating your mouth. The flavor profile is a tasty stewed plum and acai berry blend with notes of black raspberry tea, black pepper, and hints of nutmeg and licorice. The finish is dry, its abundant flavors and firm tannins lingering for quite a while. This would hit the spot on a cold and rainy evening. Savor it with Kerrygold Dubliner cheese and Stone Wheat Thins.

In the early days, Robert Parker set The Meeker Vineyard off on the right foot, praising that; “this winery continues to impress me… excellent value!” and it did not take long for the Wine Spectator to include them on a list of “100 Best Wines of the World” with a Zinfandel.

Lucas and his dad shared winemaking responsibilities for years and the biggest philosophical difference between them came to the blending, Charlie was an advocate, while Lucas sees more fidelity in varietal expression; “while blending is a core aspect of winemaking tradition, the keystone of our house style is to merge early access with Old World aging potential balancing fruit with tannin and pH.” Fascinatingly, The Paddle straddles both schools of thought, intense expression, in perfect harmony.

The last Meeker Vineyard we were able to squeeze under $20 in 2020 vanished fast, so should this one.