94pts Vinous

The 2023 Red Blend M5 is fabulous. Bright and punchy, the 2023 impresses with its purity of fruit. Vibrant plum, blueberry, mint, lavender and spice abound. A wine with striking inner perfume and fine balance, the 2023 is just sublime.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

Black cherries, blackberries, peppery herbs, smoked earth, and some earthy nuances all emerge from the 2023 M5 Red, a richer, mouth-filling, medium-bodied red based on 45% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest Counoise and Cinsault. It has the pure, elegant style of the vintage and is nicely balanced.

Winemaker Notes

M5 is Margerum's Flagship wine. It is modeled after top wines from southern Rhône – Châteauneuf-du-Pape . The M is for Margerum and the 5 is for 5 grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise. M5 is a Grenache based blend and has elegance and layers making it a versatile table and food wine. The overlying presence of Grenache flavors initially impacts the palate, followed by a finish complete with hints of jam, cocoa and dark berry contributions of Syrah and earthy Mourvèdre. It’s a “go to” wine since it drinks well with every occasion and almost every type of cuisine.

Syrah adds richness and power, Mourvèdre adds earthy, old world, Counoise adds aromatics of watermelon and Cinsault add a spice component

Largely estate plus purchased grapes & made with Reductive winemaking style. Aged in 50% neutral puncheons and 50% neutral and a few new barrels. Finish primary/secondary in barrel. Then blended. Never racked. Great with almost any food at the table.

Blend: 39% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, 7% Cinsault and 7% Counoise

Winery Description

Margerum Wine Company is committed to working with the top vineyards in Santa Barbara County to produce small lots of premium wines. The winery is located in Los Olivos in the heart of California's beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. We are part of a growing group of vintners looking to return wine making to its previous form of production – hand-crafted and personal. Owner Doug Margerum and winemaker Doug "Scotty" Scott, craft world-class wine in a temperature controlled building that houses tanks, barrels, and a cold room that is perfect for our production size.
Our commitment is to create handmade wines with place and personality to them that are made to our own standards. We work within the connotations of nature, stressing individuality, and making a production on a human scale. We strive to make wines that we personally enjoy and our hope is others will enjoy them as well. The approach to this is the antithesis of mass production.