Neyers Vineyards Bruce's Journal
Our 2019 Syrah from Garys’ Vineyard
By Bruce Neyers
Saturday 31st August, 2024
I met Bruce Kaiser through a mutual friend in 1975. For much of his career, he was the Fine Wine Manager of Butterfield Auction House. During that time, Bruce had the opportunity to meet many of the most respected wine collectors in the world, as well as the chance to taste many of the world’s important wines with them. Few people I’ve met know the fine wine business as well as Bruce, so I was especially pleased when he joined us at the winery this year for our annual wine club tasting. Near the end of the afternoon, Bruce and I were able to break away, and chat about the old days. He asked to taste a bottle of the 2019 Syrah ‘Garys’ Vineyard’, and a few days later sent this note:
“I’m no stranger to the way Neyers Winery makes Syrah, as I’ve enjoyed them since they started the winery in the 1990s. I can still recall many of my favorites. They stand out, in large part, because of the consistently wonderful varietal character in their aroma.
Way back, I introduced a good friend to California Syrah by opening a 2002 Syrah from Neyers. After swirling his glass and taking a whiff, he gazed at me and stated, ‘It looks like we don’t have to only buy Rhône anymore.’ That rich aroma of fresh berries, exotic spice, and a hint of bacon always works for me.
This brings me to the 2019 Neyers Syrah ‘Garys’ Vineyard’. Both the aroma and taste are unmistakably Syrah, but this one stands out even more because it is attractively lighter in body. The 2019 vintage was a colder than normal growing season. That’s right: cold vintage Syrah — especially — smells and tastes like Syrah!
With its lighter, more delicate style, the 2019 is excellent with foods that I wouldn’t normally serve with northern Rhône Syrah. This is the first time I paired Syrah with salmon, for example.
I remember the Neyers 2019 Syrah for its lovely aroma and beautiful balance. It’s not a powerhouse, but it’s as gratifying a Syrah as I have ever enjoyed.”
Thanks for those comments, Bruce. The grace and elegance of this wine might be just what you’ve been looking for from this variety.
The Syrah vines at Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, west of Soledad, look down upon the beautiful Salinas Valley.
Neyers Garys’ Vineyard Syrah
Our daughter Lizzie took this photo yesterday, and it shows our Home Vineyard block of Merlot vines just as the grapes have completed veraison. This typically means we are about 30-40 days from picking, so we are planning on this harvest to start around September 25-30. That’s about a week or two earlier than we harvested the same vineyard last year, which makes sense as 2023 was a slightly cooler growing season. The fruit quality once again looks great.
Photo by Liz Neyers Mix
Barbara took this picture a few weeks ago when one of favorite neighbors paid us a visit. He’s obviously not there to fish in our swimming pool, so we looked at it as a social call. Lizzie tells us that a visit by a Great Blue Heron is a sign of good luck, which we were especially appreciative of this close to harvest.
Photo by Barbara Neyers
