We recently attended a wine tasting featuring the wines
of Neyers Vineyards with a Q & A session featuring owner Bruce Neyers. It
was a very informative session as the labeling on the bottles of wine from
Neyers Vineyards doesn’t tell a fraction of the story of how the wines are
produced nor does it elaborate the winemaking philosophy of Bruce Neyers.
Bruce Neyers originally started with the Joseph Phelps
winery many moons ago and as part of being a loyal employee, was offered shares
in the winery. He eventually parlayed these shares into vineyards of his own
seeking out the best sites for his own wines. He also had a second job with the
original Kermit Lynch retail location and eventually was offered a position as
a regional sales manager when Kermit Lynch decided to distribute wine to the rest
of the country including Neyers own label.
After multiple trips to France he got to know many of the
vignerons in the Old World and many of them sent their children to Napa Valley
to live with the Neyers family as part of their American wine education.
The Neyers also hosted a 3rd generation wine
barrel maker from France who eventually rose to prominence supplying barrels
for not just the Domaine de la Romanee Conti but also the tops houses in
Bordeaux. And when you supply the DRC, the demand for these barrels also rises
exponentially – so much so that American winemakers can only procure the 3rd
level barrels through a negociant which also raises the cost of each barrel. However,
since Bruce befriended this barrel maker years ago and hosted him as a house
guest, Neyer Vineyard is allowed to purchase the top level barrels directly
from him bypassing the negociant! As Bruce stated, “it doesn’t hurt to be nice
to people”.
Chuck Furuya also pointed out that despite the simple
labels on each bottle, the Neyers wines are grown organically with sustainable
growing methods using heirloom varieties of grapes (not clonal selections bred
for disease resistance or maximum yield) and are unfined and unfiltered. The
vineyard locations also are selected to produce wines with distinct terroir
versus maximal ripeness. And it was evident in the tasting that the Neyers
wines lie between the Old World and New World.
The tasting lineup looked like this:
2012 Neyers “Sage Canyon Cuvee”
From my perspective, this wine is a homage to the old vine Carignane wines of Maxime Magnon of southern France.
The Carignane & Mourvedre come from 139 year old vines out in Oakley. Foot stomped, wild yeast fermented
& bottled unfiltered, unfined, this is an absolutely delicious Old Vine red, well worth checking out!
Definitely reminded me of a recent vintage Domaine Faury. Very approachable now and gulpable even with this hot and humid weather we've been having.
2010 Neyers Merlot “Napa Valley”
Their 1992 Merlot was the wine that originally caught my attention. It a lifetime standout.
The grapes come from their organically farmed farmed vineyard in Conn Valley & is still today
one of the top 2 merlots out of California for me!!!
Unlike any CA Merlot, this beauty had a nose of gravel and dried red fruit with a seamless palate flow and medium finish. Other than lacking tobacco, definitely more St Emilion than Golden State.
.
2006 Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon “AME”
Towards the back of their estate vineyard is a steep, super rocky hillside, which
they dynamited & planted. It serves as the core for this stellar, worldly Cabernet, which stylistically
lies somewhere between California & France. NO fruit bombs here!
Named after Bruce's three children (Alexandra, Michael and Elizabeth) especially since the oldest felt that she should have a wine named after her like hear friend Maya (Dalla Valle's Maya). Loads of dried herb and dried red fruit with stone and pebble and a long finish.
2012 Neyers Chardonnay “Il Novillero Vineyard”
One of the 3 best Chardonnays out of California from my perspective. This is Shot Wente (an heirloom Chardonnay selection)
grown on a very unassuming looking vineyard down in southern Carneros. Profound! WOW!
If I didn't see the bottle, i would have guessed Old World with stone and pebble followed by hints of citrus and stone fruit with a pronounced minerality on the palate.
Once the formal tasting was over, I had to share a couple of bottles I had in tow with the Neyers since they were seated at our table. A 2010 Chapoutier Les Granits St Joseph with beeswax and candied citrus peel on the nose and rich palate...
Along with a 1998 Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco. Alas my last older bottle of Heredia but great with the paella special of the evening.
Heck, I even had the cajones to share my freshly baked sourdough loaf with Barbara Neyers who both cooked and managed Chez Panisse for years alongside the venerable Alice Waters... and I think she enjoyed my bread... (whew)!
All in all, a very informative tasting especially with a vigneron who produces wines the way they were meant to be produced. With as little intervention as possible without additives from heirloom grape varieties in a sustainable manner. And it doesn't hurt to grow in great sites too... A voitre sante Bruce and Barbara.
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