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What We Say 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
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Mission Codename: The Legacy of Dr. Crane
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery, a Wine Spies Operative favorite. Procure an ample allotment of their sought-after Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for our well-deserving Operatives.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Salvestrin Wine Company
Wine Subject: 2006 Salvestrin Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Kent Barthman and Rich Salvestrin
Backgrounder: Napa, California is revered for its wines. In particular, for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines available anywhere in the world. For today’s wine, Agent Red returns to our old friends at Salvestrin – and return, victorious, with their exceptional 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Three generations of Salvestrins have made wine in America. Today, Rich Salvestrin makes wine on the family’s estate, a practice which began with Rich’s grandfather, John, and was continued by his son, Ed. By American standards, three generations is about as old as a winemaking family can be. Rich’s heritage shines through in today’s wine! Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Deepest ruby red, with even coloration, from the core to the edge of the glass. After a good swirl, skinny, straight, wine-stained legs move very slowly down the glass.
Smell – Bold and lush, with layers of dark aromas. The wine leads off with blackberry, black currant, dried tobacco, red currant and dark cocoa powder. These sit atop bramble bush, dried violets, fresh fennel, softly toasty oak and sweet brown spice.
Feel – Cool and round, initially, this wine becomes quickly grippy and very plush with a decidedly chewy feel. Firm tannins and a slate mineral dryness spread evenly, all around the palate giving the wine a very plush overall feel and appeal.
Taste – Dark and very juicy, with bold black cherry, blackberry and wild strawberry out in front. As the wine breathes, it really expands, delivering additional flavors of red plum, dried cranberry, bramble, dried red rose petals, leather, cigar box and dark slate.
Finish – Very long and packed with flavor. Dark fruit and red fruit gradually yield to earthy flavors of dried flowers, minerals and subtle dark spice.
Conclusion – Salvestrin comes roaring back to grace our pages! Today’s extraordinary 2006 Salvestrin Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a juicy, earthy, balanced wine with plenty of character and drinkable appeal. This is classic Napa Cabernet, but with brighter, juicier fruit than one might expect from this vintage. This wine delivers bold, bright fruit, tempered by leather, spice, bramble and a fine minerality. Enjoy this wine now, but be sure to lay a few bottles down for the next decade or more. Pair this exceptionally food-friendly wine with a grilled steak or a herb roasted chicken.
Mission Report:
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The approximate location of the WINERY can be seen in this <A HREF="" TARGET=“NEW”>satellite photo</A>.
What the Winery Says
Salvestrin
Awards & Accolades:
90 Points – Wine Enthusiast – “marked by extracted, jammy fruit flavors of blackberries and chocolate, sturdy tannins and elaborate oak. All the pieces are fine…” Enjoy now or cellar for optimal enjoyment."
About This Wine:
Big, complex wine with layers of flavor. The wine opens with dark ripe fruits of black cherry and blackberry. A little later, vanilla, new leather and cocoa begin to become apparent. Although this wine has a soft elegant entry on the palate, the wine unwinds and reveals its depth and rich, lush structure. With vibrant acidity and firm but refined tannins, this wine has a finish that does not want to let go. It hangs on and on with ripe fruits and cocoa.
About The Winery:
Our family has been growing wine grapes in Napa Valley for 75 years, since the day John Salvestrin arrived from northern Italy and began farming a 26-acre vineyard originally planted in 1860. For us, this historic St. Helena vineyard is home and making great wine a family value. We invite you to learn more about our vineyard and winery in these pages and to visit us the next time you’re in Napa Valley.
In 1910, Italian grape grower and home winemaker John Salvestrin emigrated to the U.S., settling in 1927 in California’s Napa Valley. In 1932, John and his wife Emma purchased the historic Crane ranch in St. Helena, beginning a lineage of three generations of Salvestrins who have farmed this heralded property’s vines, some of which date back to the 1890s.
Following in his father’s footsteps, John’s son Ed farmed the family vineyard while working in the St. Helena Post Office, and Ed’s son Richard, graduating in 1987 with a degree in viticulture from Fresno State University, joined his father in nurturing the cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese, petite syrah, and zinfandel vines that now comprise it. Rich, is the Vineyard Manager and Co-winemaker along with Kent Barthman, who has been consulting for the Salvestrin family since the winery completion in 2001.
Ed’s wife Susanne, a longtime pastry chef at nearby Sutter Home Winery, along with their daughter Lynn, run the family’s Sunny Acres Bed & Breakfast (originally the Victorian-era home of Dr. George Crane), making guests feel right at home with her warmth and delicious country-style breakfasts.
For Susanne, Ed, Shannon and Rich, Salvestrin Estate Vineyard and Winery is a special place, embodying the passionate commitment of three generations of Salvestrins to produce exceptional grapes and wines.
The Estate Vineyard and Winery:
Located in the heart of Napa Valley, just south of the town of St. Helena, our 26-acre estate vineyard was planted originally in the 1860s by Napa Valley pioneer George Crane. Viticultural innovators, Yount and Crane were among the first to plant European grape varieties in California. Two blocks of the vineyard’s old zinfandel vines planted by Crane survive to this day.
Beginning in 1932, three generations of our family have farmed this unique vineyard, which today is comprised of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese, petite syrah, and zinfandel vines. The vineyard’s warm microclimate and gravelly volcanic soils give us fully ripened fruit with an ideal balance of flavor, tannin, and acidity.
For many years, we sold all our grapes to other Napa Valley wineries. However, in 1994, we began making our own wines. In 2001, we completed construction of a new winery on the site, which blends state-of-the-art technology with traditional old-world methods, enabling us to expertly vinify our hand-crafted, estate-grown Napa Valley wines.
Technical Analysis:
APPELLATION: NAPA VALLEY
ALCOHOL: 14.8%
