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Quady North Mae's Vineyard
Missing Mae
In the San Joaquin Valley of California, the name Quady means world-renowned dessert wines and aperitifs, orange muscats that explode like a sunburst on the tongue.
A second-generation winemaker, it would have been easy for Herb Quady to stick with the family business. But Herb Quady has never done the easy thing....or the expected thing.
So, Quady went north to Oregon to build his own winemaking career. To a place where the wine industry still welcomes rebellious sorts that don’t take themselves too seriously. He started making big reds and bright whites, leading with unusual varietals, like Grenache Blanc and Mourvedre, Viognier and Cabernet Franc. Herb loves to shock folks by selling some of his wines as box wines – enclosed inside ammo boxes.
These days he can be found in the tasting room, or at Barrel 42 - a new 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art winemaking facility, incubating a few dozen small producers from across the state. When he isn't in the winery, he is generally in one of dozens of vineyards he helps steward through Applegate Valley Vineyard Management.
Named by the Oregon Wine Press "2023 Winery Person of the Year", the rebel is building quite a reputation, with folks all around wearing t-shirts proclaiming, “Herb is my winemaker.” Which leads to an important question: Can you still be a rebel when you’re the king?
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Quady North, Jacksonville, Oregon
Mae's Vineyard
After working harvest with us last year - MM is now off saving the world as an engineer! Making the big bucks. Living the big life. So we figured if we can't have MM, we can drink all her wine. Cuz we miss her.
This single vineyard, small lot release is rarely seen outside of the tasting room. A special treat from the Quady North family to ours - let's all raise a glass to the next generation.
Mae's Vineyard Syrah - always supple, but also fresh and vibrant, with a very pure nose. All this is the result of very careful handling in the winery, excluding oxygen at every step and treating the wine as gently as possible.
Mae’s Vineyard is part of our Estate Vineyard, named for our eldest daughter: Margaux Mae. We planted this vineyard to high quality ENTAV clones in 2006. Our single vineyard Syrah is generally sourced from clones 877 and 174.
We make our single vineyard Syrahs by fermenting whole berries in one ton insulated bins, then pressing off near dryness. They age in a combination of small, new French oak, and larger, more neutral French Oak barrels, racking just once in 18 months.
Tasting Notes: Mae’s Syrah seems to be defined by consistent pure, dark fruit. As in previous bottlings, there is a natural balance. Notes of Amerena cherry, as well some grilled meat aromas. Supple and smooth, it is definitely ready to drink now, but should also age gracefully for several years.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Syrah has a long documented history in the Rhône region of southeastern France, but it was not known if it had originated in that region.
A 1998 study conducted by Carole Meredith's research group in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis used DNA typing and extensive grape reference material from the viticultural research station in Montpellier, France to conclude that Syrah was the offspring of the grape varieties Dureza (father) and Mondeuse blanche (mother).
Syrah and Shiraz The grape's many other synonyms are used in various parts of the world, including Antourenein noir, Balsamina, Candive, Entournerein, Hignin noir, Marsanne noir, Schiras, Sirac, Syra, Syrac, Serine, and Sereine.
A Cellar 503 selection in September 2025, Back to School Applegate Valley | Syrah
