Neyers
Neyers Ranch - Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
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.
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?
.
Neyers Vineyards 2011 Neyers Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon vs Salvestrin Winery 2013 Salvestrin Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
.
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.
.
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.”
.
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.
.
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.”
.
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.
Had the opportunity to taste this with Bruce Neyers during a great lunch at The Coach House in OKC. Such a pretty balance between ripeness and structure. Grab a bottle before it's gone.
Had the opportunity to taste this with Bruce Neyers during a great lunch at The Coach House in OKC. Such a pretty balance between ripeness and structure. Grab a bottle before it's gone.
1 person found it helpfulSep 20th, 2015Nose - Blackberries and cherries; Taste: Blackberries, Leather, & Tobacco leaves
Nose - Blackberries and cherries; Taste: Blackberries, Leather, & Tobacco leaves
1 person found it helpfulSep 20th, 2015
2010 drinking really good sage, tannins and power.
2010 drinking really good sage, tannins and power.
1 person found it helpfulJul 30th, 2015
It's hard to beat great Caa fruit with an Old World approach. Solid structure props up the heaps of black currant, savory notes, and warm oak spices.
It's hard to beat great Caa fruit with an Old World approach. Solid structure props up the heaps of black currant, savory notes, and warm oak spices.
Jun 22nd, 2017
Dust & ripe berries. Quite viscous, with iodine, blackberry, cassis, leather, & iron-rich dust. Ripe & dusty, definitely Conn Valley juice. Needs a 2 hour decant, or more bottle time, but worth the effort. Enjoy!
Dust & ripe berries. Quite viscous, with iodine, blackberry, cassis, leather, & iron-rich dust. Ripe & dusty, definitely Conn Valley juice. Needs a 2 hour decant, or more bottle time, but worth the effort. Enjoy!
May 28th, 2017
Perfumed fruit and dry florals on the nose. Dry blackberries, blueberries, black plum skin, Asian spice, clove, black pepper, sage, stems, leather, dry dark earth, bitty minerals, purple florals, strong new oak use and burnt ambers. Very dry and gritty on the finish. Revisit in 7-10 years.
Perfumed fruit and dry florals on the nose. Dry blackberries, blueberries, black plum skin, Asian spice, clove, black pepper, sage, stems, leather, dry dark earth, bitty minerals, purple florals, strong new oak use and burnt ambers. Very dry and gritty on the finish. Revisit in 7-10 years.
Sep 17th, 2016
Nice wine in an otherwise uneven year. Black currants, bay leaf, bell pepper, hints of graphite, and really nice fine-grained tannins.
Nice wine in an otherwise uneven year. Black currants, bay leaf, bell pepper, hints of graphite, and really nice fine-grained tannins.
Dec 22nd, 2015