For years, the Wine Warehouse’s French shelves have been dominated by the wines that sport a Kermit Lynch logo on their back label. This phenomenon is due largely in part to the quality of the wines and equally because of the selling machine known as Bruce Neyers who is Kermit Lynch’s National Sales Manager. Behind his daily grind, Bruce works his magic on some of the finest wines produced in the Napa Valley.Founded in 1992 by Bruce and Barbara Neyers and now with their winemaking partner, Ehren Jordan, Neyers Vineyards produces about 15,000 cases of wine annually. Approximately 25% of the production is Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on their 50-acre Conn Valley ranch. Neyers purchases additional grapes from a select group of high-tier growers, among them the Sangiacomo family of Sonoma County, Will Nord of Napa, Cam Thieriot of Sonoma Coast, Lee Hudson of Carneros, Rich Pato of Oakley in Contra Costa, and the Tofanelli family of Calistoga.
Winemaker Ehren Jordan, returned to the Napa Valley in 1994 following a two-year stint in the Northern Rhone town of Cornas. Ehren worked for Jean-Luc Columbo, one of the most respected winemakers in Europe. Ehren’s training with Columbo not only expanded his technical knowledge of winemaking, but more importantly served to enlarge his scope of the craft, giving him a deeper respect for the role of grape growing and its importance in the production of fine wine. Most of Kermit’s producers farm organically, make their wines naturally which is without use of cultured yeast or laboratory designed malo-lactic bacteria. These traditional wineries are also comfortable bottling their wines without filtration.
Before working with Kermit Lynch, Bruce was the National Sales Manager for the Joseph Phelps Winery. As Phelps was and is known for their Cabernet Sauvignon, Bruce planned from the beginning for Neyers Vineyards to grow world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Bruce and Barbara Neyers spent a few years looking at Napa Valley vineyard property and in 1984 they found the property. The vineyards sit at 250 feet above the main Napa Valley floor, with some parcels rising to almost 900 feet. The vineyard is planted on hillsides with the slope facing due south, maximizing exposure to the sun and guaranteeing proper ripeness. Conn Creek bisects the slope, so there's ample water for the site. The soil is rocky, with a near-ideal combination of gravel and clay; the vines struggle to grow here which Bruce theorizes, enhances the flavors. In 2004 the vineyard yielded barely 20 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from almost 12 acres of vines, less than 2 tons/acre. 950 cases produced.'The well-made, richly fruity 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Neyers Ranch exhibits loads of herb-tinged, smoky, berry fruit intermixed with black currants and cherries. This medium-bodied, well-made Cabernet is best consumed over the next decade.' 88 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Neyers Ranch’ Conn Valley 2004, Retail $44.99 Warehouse $39.99
Neyers began to develop the vineyards on their 45-acre home ranch in 1984, soon after they bought the property. In 1999, they converted the farm entirely to organics. Since then, they feel that each vintage harvested seems to yield darker and more flavorful grapes. Neyers Merlot is always a blend with the 05 being comprised of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 3000 cases produced.'The 2005 Merlot Neyers Ranch exhibits aromas and flavors of red currants, cranberries, mocha, and herbs in its medium-bodied, zesty, French-like profile. Consume it during its first 5-7 years of life.' 87-88 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Merlot ‘Neyers Ranch’ Conn Valley 2005, Retail $34.99 Warehouse $29.99
The Sangiacomo Family developed this vineyard in the mid-1990's, using budwood from the three primary red wine vineyards in the northern Rhóne: Cornas, Hermitage and Cóte-Rótie. The 12-acre parcel was divided into three blocks, and each is harvested and fermented separately. The vineyard is located in what is proving to be one of the most favorable spots for Syrah in California. This is the third bottling of wine from the Old Lakeville Road vines, with each being regarded as one of the most highly rated cuvees of California-produced Syrah from its particular vintage. 1190 cases produced.'The 2006 Syrah Old Lakeville is deep ruby/purple, offering hints of charcoal, blackberry, raspberry, and cherry notes. It has impressive ripeness and density, richness, and more tannin and structure than the Hudson Vineyard. This particular cuvee will benefit from 1-2 years of cellaring and should last for up to a decade.' 90 points Wine Advocate
'Ripe and grapey, with rich, elegant spice, pepper and juicy, dusty, wild berry flavors that are sleek and focused, ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2012.' 93 points, The Wine Spectator.
Neyers Syrah ‘Old Lakeville Road’ 2006, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $24.99
Bruce doesn’t know of a Zinfandel vineyard in Napa Valley that is grown at any higher altitude than this one. These low yielding, hillside vines in the Chiles Valley are grown at an elevation of more than 1800 feet. The rocky, shallow soil ensures that the fruit is packed full of generous, spicy flavors with the 2006 yielding barely two tons per acre. This Zin is already exhibiting an attractive precociousness. 1064 cases produced.
'The 2006 Zinfandel from High Valley (1,800-foot elevation) is my pick of this group, as it was in the previous vintage. Deep, beautiful briery fruit intermixed with black cherry, pepper, and earth jumps from the glass of this wine, which has beautiful density, good acidity, and a nice, powerful finish that combines purity and elegance. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.' 91 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Zinfandel High Valley 2006, Retail $34.99 Warehouse $24.99
Bruce’s love affair with Domaine Tempier of Bandol (Provence) and their Mourvédre began in the late 1970's when Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame arranged for him to visit as a guest of the owners. Bruce was thoroughly impressed. Thus, Bruce found it impossible to turn down Rich Pato's offer of the small crop of Mourvédre from the 100 year-old vines on his Oakley ranch as they became available in 2006. Mourvédre itself is a variety that resists oxidation, making it frequently one of the longest-lived of all red wines. It's uniquely expressive as well, combining elements of fruit, mineral, earth and leather into a package that can be greater than the sum of its parts. We at the Wine Warehouse tasted this Mourvedre with Bruce last year and our managers insisted on us bringing it in. This Mourvedre was the hit of the Neyers tasting. 353 cases produced.
'The 2006 Mourvedre Pato Vineyard is relatively stylish for a wine that can often be rustic and animal. The wine displays civilized blueberry and raspberry fruit with earth and spice. It is well-made, medium to full-bodied, with excellent ripeness and sweet tannin. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.' 90 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Mourvedre ‘Pato Vineyard’ 2006, Retail $44.99 Warehouse $29.99
As Neyers Chardonnay’s go……………..
‘I thought this was the strongest line-up of wines Neyers has yet produced, although last year the wines were nearly as good, so he seems to be on a roll. He has produced a very strong group of Chardonnays from a vintage that one has to be somewhat careful with given the problems with botrytis in many of the lower-lying vineyards. These are all pure, clean examples of Chardonnay.’ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
Grapes were harvested over the last week of September through the third week of October from the Sangiacomo Kiser, El Novillero and Yamakawa vineyards in Sonoma Carneros, and from the Clos Pegase Vineyard in Napa Valley Carneros. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and the juice racked without settling to a combination of new, once, and twice used French oak barrels for a completely natural sugar and malo-lactic fermentation lasting two to five months. The must was aged in barrel seven months until bottling in July of 07. Neither fining agents nor yeast foods or other additives were used throughout the process, and the wine was lightly filtered at the time of bottling. The length of the growing season of 2006 was exaggerated, lasting well into mid-Autumn, almost a month longer than was experienced in 2005, increasing the richness and flavor of the wines, and insuring that the grapes ripen fully. 4400 cases produced.
'The 2006 Chardonnay Carneros has a nice, smoky nose of hazelnuts, honeyed citrus, and a touch of tropical fruits in a medium to full-bodied wine with, again, great fruit purity, richness, and zesty underlying acidity.' 90 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Chardonnay ‘Carneros’ 2006, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $23.99
Grapes for this wine were harvested in late September from its vineyard in Yountville, then whole cluster pressed, racked to 60 gallon French oak barrels for a natural, indigenous yeast fermentation that lasted almost six months during which the yeast lees were stirred weekly; racked just once in mid-July prior to bottling with no fining or additives used in the processing. The wine was lightly filtered at the time of bottling. In 2006 the Yountville vineyard endured a much smaller than normal crop -- 50% of the original estimate was lost during flowering -- so the fruit that was harvested was loaded with ripe flavors. The vineyard is planted on a shallow soil outcropping, which keeps the natural nitrogen level low, and extends the length of time of the fermentation. This makes for a unique combination of aromas and flavors, a wine more mineral and earthy, with fruit components less tropical than those found in the Carneros. 2700 cases produced.
'The 2006 Chardonnay Napa reveals many tropical fruits, plenty of orange and nectarine notes, medium to full body, and loads of pure fruit in a sexy, sensual style of Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years.' 89 points The Wine Advocate
Neyers Chardonnay ‘Napa’ 2006, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $23.99
In his new book, The Science of Wine, British writer Jamie Goode interviews the controversial Loire Valley winemaker and biodynamic guru Nicolas Joly about the longstanding practice of fermenting wine by adding a laboratory cultured yeast strain. Joly remarks: "Adding yeast is absurd. Natural yeast is marked by the subtleties of the year. If you have added yeast, you have lost something of that year. Joly's approach to the use of indigenous yeast is an important element in traditional winemaking in France, and it's the same approach practiced at Neyers Vineyards with Chardonnay. Indigeous yeasts extend the fermentation time, thus adding an element of risk to the process, but the outcome can't be duplicated with laboratory-designed yeast. There is a richer mouth-feel component as longer fermentations tend to add a bit of glycerol richness to the wine and more complex flavors on the palate. Bruce feels that there is a buttery richness and a spicy mineral-like complexity that make up the key components in this wine. The vines originate from a vineyard which is located southwest of the town of Sonoma in the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay. Neyers produced 548 cases of El Novillero Chardonnay in 2006.
'Leesy (suspended yeast cells) complexity is noticeable in the 2006 Chardonnay El Novillero Vineyard. This wine exhibits good acidity and much more minerality, with hints of pineapple, buttered citrus, brioche, and waxy notes. The wine is a superb Chardonnay, pure, medium to full-bodied, and I suspect capable of lasting 3-4 years.' 92 points Wine Advocate
Neyers Chardonnay ‘El Novillero’ 2006, Retail $41.99 Warehouse $34.99
We will soon have a few other Neyers offerings within the next month. Be on the lookout for the Syrah Cuvee D’Honneur 05 and the Chardonnay Theriot 06.
