By Bruce Neyers

Wednesday 5th October, 2022

Good News from James Suckling: A Look at the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Neyers Ranch’

The 2018 vintage was one of the coldest in recent memory, and despite being a relatively dry year, we still harvested almost 60 tons of fruit from our 20-acre ranch in Napa’s Conn Valley. October was especially beautiful in 2018, with long days of moderate weather and chilly evening temperatures that kept the natural acidity levels high and the skins loaded with attractive, dark pigments. The result was a longer than normal hang time, and the fruit was harvested from October 17-21. The early reaction to the wine has been enthusiastic, and we’ve enjoyed seeing it so widely accepted in the trade.

James Suckling agrees with our assessment, and in a recent issue, he filed the following review:

Neyers Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Neyers Ranch’

“Very brooding with a dark purple color. Some raw olives, charcoal, roasted herbs, blackberries, cassis and cocoa powder on the nose. The full-bodied palate is charged with chewy tannins that surround the center-palate fruit. Still needs time to soften more. Drink from 2024. 91 POINTS” – James Suckling

We had some peculiar weather this year in September. It began with a ten-day Bay Area hot spell, when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees every day. The heat wave was followed by a three-day rainstorm that gave us over 2 inches of rain in Saint Helena. I hadn’t experienced anything like this in my 50 years of living in the Napa Valley, so I asked our talented vineyard manager Hugo Maldonado for his assessment. “Our vineyard fared well,” was his report. “The hot weather stopped the fruit from ripening further, as the vines shut down to conserve moisture. The rainfall re-hydrated the vines, and our canopy management prevented severe dehydration.” Grapevines are hardy and tolerant – an increasingly important characteristic these days.

We grill a lot in October, as this is normally the best weather we see in northern California. It gives me the opportunity to enjoy one of Barbara’s favorite dinners – and one of her best — a mixed grill of Italian Sausage with a Crispy Potato Galette and Fresh Applesauce. I’m normally the grill chef – under close supervision, of course. It’s a pleasant assignment on these final, long days of the year. Being outdoors on the grill patio, in the mild evening air, with a slight breeze stirring, listening to the sausage cook and enjoying a glass of red wine is as close to perfection as my life gets. It’s especially rewarding now that the vintage is almost in, and we can enjoy a short break before work on next year’s crop begins.

Shopping for the right Italian Sausage is tricky, and Barbara has some advice. She also wrote down her recipe for the Crispy Potato Galette and her homemade applesauce. They are listed below.

Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds assorted apples, such as Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Pippin, and Gala
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
• 1 cup water

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, bring apples, lemon juice, and water to boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until apples are soft. Add sugar if using.
2. Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth with small chunks remaining.
3. Transfer the applesauce to a bowl and refrigerate if not using right away.

Potato Galette

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pounds, medium size Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced using a mandolin
• 3 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Hear clarified butter in a 10 ½-inch cast-iron pan over medium heat until hot.
2. Arrange potatoes in a circular pattern slightly overlapping slices to fill pan. Repeat process using the remaining  potatoes.
3. Cook until golden brown. Turn potatoes and cook the other side until the potatoes are golden and brown and cooked through. If needed add more butter. Season with Kosher salt and ground pepper.
4. Slide galette onto cutting board.
5. Cut into wedges, and serve immediately.

Sausages

I like to get a mix of both hot and sweet Italian Sausage for the grill, and make sure they are freshly made, by a reputable producer. On a mesquite fired grill, I plan on 8-10 minutes for each sausage to ensure they are cooked through completely.