Tart black currant, tobacco leaf, dark plum skin. Barely-ripe blackberry, volcanic earth, bitter dark chocolate. Fresh violet and crushed clove, young cedar and roasted bell pepper. Black cherry, cassis, and acai battle with eucalyptus and potpourri in an energetic, fresh, and surprisingly restrained initial attack. As the dust settles basalt and red earth immediately make their presence felt in a barrage of iron-rich minerality that pulses with great tension and vigor. Coco powder, coffee, and cinnamon attempt to soften the earthy edge but merely decorate it with delicate baking spices. Nuanced, lifted, and expressive in profile yet quite tart and still extremely young - promising many decades of brilliant development in the cellar. Medium plus in body and tremendously balanced with decidedly high yet somehow nonabrasive tannin and acidity. This 2015 Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon by Salvestrin Winery is impressively complex, classic, and elegant Napa Cab from one of the Valley's most historic vineyards.

Napa Valley viticulture pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane planted his now eponymous vineyard on the benches of Saint Helena in the 1850's, and today this seminal property is still producing absolutely spectacular wine. This bottling, crafted by Salvestrin Winery using Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from their estate parcels of the Dr. Crane Vineyard, is a remarkable example of the noble character of this legendary site. The Salvestrin's have been meticulously farming their section of the Dr. Crane Vineyard since the end of Prohibition and have mastered an authentic and classic expression of its unique terroir. While it contains outstanding depth of fruit along with a beautiful pyrazinic edge this wine's ability to express the character of its soils is what makes it truly unique. It is balanced, built for the long haul, and would certainly warrant 10, 20, or even 30 years in the cellar to blossom into full maturity. Truly a memorable bottle of wine from an illustrious site.