Winemaker Notes
The AME Vineyard sits on a south-facing slope, with vine rows running east and west across the face of the hillside. The rows start at about 600’ elevation, and rise to about 1000’ elevation, with the vines planted at a dense 3’ X 5’ spacing, with 2,420 vines per acre. The winery used a mix of 420A and 3309 rootstocks, and trained the vines in unilateral cordon. Because of the windy conditions at the higher elevations, the parcel is cooler, and the crop is typically harvested a full two weeks after the other vineyards on our Conn Valley Ranch. This additional hang-time allows for the development of stronger, darker colors, thorough physiological ripeness in the berries for power and complexity, and a range of classic flavors that are desirable in mature Cabernet Sauvignon.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bold, potent fruit flavors and a generous, late-picked expression put this undeniably delicious wine on the high end of the ripeness scale. The body is huge while the tannins are well integrated, letting the blackberries, dried cherries and dried blueberries saturate the palate.
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James Suckling
?Blackberries, black cherries, bitter chocolate and dried herbs on the nose. Firm and chewy with a full body and savory, fleshy layers. Nicely focused, with a lengthy finish. Drink after 2024.
"In 1999, Bruce and Barbara Neyers purchased and renovated a winery on a thirty-acre parcel in the Sage Canyon area of Napa Valley. Over the next 14 months they built a modern, highly functional winery designed for traditional winemaking practices. They produced their first vintage in this state of the art facility in 2000. In 2002, Wine and Spirits Magazine named Neyers Vineyards the Artisan Winery of the Year.
About 25% of our production is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Bruce and Barbara’s 50-acre, Conn Valley ranch. They purchase additional grapes from a select group of growers, among them the Sangiacomo family of the Carneros District, Will Nord of Napa, the Rossi Ranch of Sonoma County, Markus Bokisch and the Evangelho family.
Even though Neyers Vineyards sits in the heart of the Napa Valley, Bruce's experience with French wine importer Kermit Lynch has had an undeniable influence on their wines. Many of the French producers Bruce has worked with farm organically, make their wines naturally without use of cultured yeast or laboratory designed malo-lactic starter, and bottle their wines without fining or filtration. Neyers barrels are made in France, to our specifications, from wood that we buy in bulk and air dry for three years, two years longer than normal. All of the grapes are picked by hand, into small bins that hold only one-half ton. They are then laboriously hand sorted and inspected at the winery as winemaker Tadeo Borchardt gently guides the winemaking process along. As Bruce says, “No expense has been spared in our grape growing, winemaking practices, or processing equipment, yet customers repeatedly tell us that our wines represent great value in today's highly competitive wine market.” Bruce Neyers produces his own content for the company blog, “Vintner Tales.” "
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.