Tasted blind
Called it a brunello, very surprised in a good way for the reveal
The fruit was more expansive, heading towards black cherries and blackberries
Complex herbal, mushroom, dry earth aromas
Maybe a hint of Brett
Medium bodied. Lengthy finish on medium grippy tannins and higher acid.
Really enjoyable — 4 years ago
A decent Cab Sauv from the Estate Salvestrin specifically out of the Dr. Crane Vinyard in St. Helena, Napa. It’s composed of 83% Cab Sauv, 10% Merlot, and 7% Cab Sauv. It’s deep and intense of baked dark cherry on the nose, great texture on the palate and pretty silky mouthfeel. Tannins are structured and smooth. Great overall. It can age beautifully! — 8 months ago
6 year anniversary — 7 years ago
I found a house in St Helena last week and will be moving there at the end of May. I thought I should get acquainted with the neighbors. What better way than a face off?
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Neyers Vineyards 2011 Neyers Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon vs Salvestrin Winery 2013 Salvestrin Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Neyers Ranch is situated in the hills of Conn Valley just east of St Helena, with elevations ranging from 400’ to 1200’ on a south-facing, 50-acre parcel bisected by Conn Creek. Since 1998 Neyers has sustainably farmed this vineyard. Winemaker Tadeo Borchardt started in 2004 as assistant to then winemaker Ehren Jordan.
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This Neyers was highlighted as one of the best of Napa’s 2011s in Jon Bonné’s piece for the SF Chronicle “Lessons from Napa in the trickiest of years” saying it “finds that great Cabernet balance of sleekness and dense flavor” with “pitch-perfect expression” and an “oregano-like herbal side frames its meaty structure and subtle blackcurrant fruit.”
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Since 1932, three generations of Salvestrins have sustainable farmed their vineyard which was originally planted in 1860 by Dr. George Crane. It’s situated immediately south of St Helena High School and along Main St (Hwy 29), surrounding the family winery. Rich Salvestrin farms the vineyard and makes the wine, and his wife Shannon handles the sales and marketing, while they both raise the 4th generation on their farm.
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Robert Parker gushed over the 2013, as “lusty, savory, hedonistic, rich and mouth-filling, with a dense purple color and not a hard edge in sight.” His praise did not stop there, saying that this “blockbuster fruit bomb has complexity, richness and a savory intensity that has to be tasted to be believed.”
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The vintages were so different that it’s difficult to weigh them against each other. Bonné is definitely on point calling the Neyers one of the best examples of 2011 Napa Cabernet. Savory, with rich aromatics of Mexican cocoa powder and mole sauce, reminiscent of Corison’s 2011. To Parker’s credit, the Salvestrin is definitely a blockbuster and a hedonistic fruit bomb, but the savoriness, complexity, and length tone down its showiness, and add a level of decorum that sets it apart. — 7 years ago
Decisions decisions… Both very comparable styles. Salvestrin is a St Helena Suav Blanc with fruit derived from the foothills and elaborated by a female winemaker, it’s got great balance and composure. Very elegant on the palate, it has this sublime honeysuckle component somewhere in the mid palate. — a year ago
leon egozi
NY wine spectator event — 15 days ago