Salvestrin - Dr Crane Vineyard "3d" Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Price: $195.00

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Producer	Salvestrin
Country	United States
Region	California
Subregion	Napa Valley
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage	2019
Sku	12108093
Size	750ml

  

WA

98

Back in April we were lucky enough to have Rich Salvestrin in the house pouring his fabulous Napa Valley wines. Rich spent the evening going from table to table and engaging our guests with his humble story of a fourth generation Napa farming family that has owned a small portion of one of the greatest and most historic patches of vines in Napa, the amazing Dr. Crane vineyard, since the 1930s.

The connection made with him that evening got us a small allocation of his top wine, a selection of best parcels and barrels of his Dr. Crane, the Three D Cabernet Sauvignon. With a rocking 98 point review from the Wine Advocate, the wine’s bona fides are not in doubt. It is simply outstanding. But the other  compelling reason to buy in on this wine is the price! 

Like his other Cabs, Rich prices them very reasonably given their incredible pedigree and quality. His Napa Cabernet 2020 is just $50, his Dr. Crane bottling $100, and this spectacular wine is $189 on three or more.The winery sells it for $195, plus shipping!

The 3D Cabernet Sauvignon is their top offering, named in honor of Rich and Shannon’s three daughters - the fourth generation at the winery. As Rich says “Watching my daughters grow up on the family vineyard that my grandparents started in 1932 is pretty special.” Pretty special indeed, and you get a feel for what kind of guy this is, and the passion, love and dedication he has for the land.

It is always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a selection of the barrels each year. After about 14 months aging, the winemaking team tastes through every single new Cabernet Sauvignon barrel from the vintage and selects the very best. 

The barrels are then stacked together and put away in the cellar. Twice more, the selected barrels are tasted through – each time eliminating barrels and keeping only the very best – until our final round where they keep the top 10-12 - only about 250 cases.  These barrels are then blended and put back to barrel for the final aging period before bottling. 

About Salvestrin: “It began when Italian immigrants John and Emma Salvestrin fell in love with St. Helena while visiting friends in the early 1920s. In 1932 they purchased a portion of the historic Crane Ranch, including the Victorian home of Dr. Crane. With the repeal of prohibition in 1933, they started selling grapes as the wine industry began to grow again. Ed Salvestrin, who grew up on the family vineyard, continued to grow quality grapes through the 60s, 70s and 80s preserving the family legacy for future generations. He still lives on site and frequently tends to his fruit trees (apples, pomegranates, grapefruit, persimmon) when he’s not helping out in the vineyard. In 1987, Rich Salvestrin completed his degree in viticulture from Fresno State University. He returned to the family vineyard to help farm and also to expand the family's grape growing business to include winemaking. 1994 was the inaugural vintage of Salvestrin Cabernet Sauvignon and in 2001 the estate winery was constructed amongst the family vines. Today, the fourth generation Salvestrin girls are growing up on the family vineyard.

A barrel selection that stays in oak for an extra year, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon 3D Dr. Crane Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a mix of several clones. Marked by subtle cedar and vanilla shadings and wonderfully deep cassis notes, it's full-bodied, rich and supported by supple tannins and an elegant, lingering finish. Lovely stuff! With 450 cases produced and a sticker price under $200, it's a terrific value in upper-echelon Napa.

The Salvestrin family owns and lives in the original 1879 Victorian house build by Dr. George Belden Crane. Italian immigrants John and Emma Salvestrin purchased the historic home and a portion of the vineyards in 1932. While the original Dr. Crane estate had as many as 100 acres of vines in the 1880s, today it is split into several parcels. Andy Beckstoffer farms 21 acres, and Salvestrin has 19 acres. A handshake agreement among the families allows both to use the Dr. Crane Vineyard designation. Back when Biale was buying Salvestrin fruit from the older plantings, the wines (Petite Sirah and Zinfandel) were labeled Old Crane Ranch. The vineyard has been certified organic since 2021. Ed Salvestrin, John and Emma's son, took over the property in the 1960s, growing grapes for nearby wineries. He still lives on the property, but current management is led by his son, Rich Salvestrin, who received his viticulture degree from Fresno State and returned home in 1987. The vineyards underwent extensive replanting from 1987-1994 under his leadership, and he also began making wine. The first vintage of Salvestrin Cabernet Sauvignon was the 1994, and the winery was completed in time to handle the 2001 vintage. To honor the family's Italian heritage, Salvestrin planted Sangiovese in 1996 and has been bottling it as a varietal wine since 1999. Countless visitors to Saint Helena arriving from the south pass by the vineyards, house and winery every day, but more of them should schedule a tasting here, as the wines clearly merit attention and are attractively priced for their quality and pedigree.

Published: May 04, 2023