The Crane Assembly Dr. Crane Vineyard Wine Tasting Wednesday August 19th 7:30pm with owners Vail and Leslie Miller
If all be true that I do think,
There are five reasons we should drink: Good wine - a friend - or being dry - Or lest we should be by and by - Or any other reason why. Henry Aldrich 1647 – 1710
I can think of at least two reasons to drink wine every day as I’m on a very strict diet of two bottles a day! The wines that I love drinking the most usually come from very special places as I say wines are about a time, their vintage year and a place where the grapes come out of the ground.
One of the most special places in the Napa Valley was planted in 1859 by Dr. George Belden Crane and his original vineyard is now owned by a few different people with Andy Beckstoffer, the most famous grower in Napa Valley owning 21 acres. The wines made from this fruit are some of the most coveted Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley today. In my opinión this is one of the best sites in Napa Valley and almost always a contender for wine of the night whenever it is put in a tasting of Napa Valley no matter who the producers is.
One of the smallest owners of this historic vineyard is a new winery called The Crane Assembly. The owners, Vail and Leslie Miller were in earlier this year to taste me on their new releases, and I was confused as to why they did not put the name Dr. Crane Vineyard on the label. They do allude to the fact that this is Dr. Crane fruit by their name the Crane Assembly, but why would you not put one of the most famous vineyards of Napa on your label if you could? So, when they said they had some older vintages and would be coming back to town in August, I thought it would be a great time to introduce these wines to our “Wine Drinking People”
Join us as we welcome Vail and Leslie back to South Florida for a tasting of their Dr. Crane vineyard wines back to the 2013 vintage. This tasting is limited to 14 tasters and the fee for this event which includes dinner and gratuity is $350 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
The Crane Assembly Wine Tasting with Owners Vail and Leslie Miller
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
7:30pm
2024 The Crane Assembly Disciples Sauvignon Blanc Napa
2024 The Crane Assembly Disciples Pinot Noir Bell Summe Vineyard Sonoma Coast
2022 G.B. Crane Vineyard el Coco Red Blend Napa
2021 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Disciples Napa Valley
2022 The Crane Assembly Disciples Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
2022 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
2019 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
2016 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
2013 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Black Bean Soup with Tomato Salsa and Avocado Crema
Japanese A5 Waygu Filet with Blue Cheese Au Gratin Sweet Potato and Cabernet Demi
Chocolate Chip Bourbon Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Creme
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner and gratuity is $350+ Tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accomodate you.
A bit about Dr. Crane Vineyard and The Crane Assembly:
The story begins in the early 1850s, when Dr. George Belden Crane set sail around South America before arriving in San Francisco in 1853. After four years in the Santa Clara Valley, he moved to the city of Napa and ultimately settled in St. Helena in 1859, where he purchased more than 300 acres.
This was where Crane’s vision inched closer to reality. It was said that growing grapes of any kind in this region would be a ludicrous effort, however, Crane’s determination would soon tell otherwise.
Nestled in the alluvial fan of the Mayacamas Mountains in southern St. Helena, this is where Crane first established vines in 1859, with the ambition to produce wines that could rival the best in the world. He began by introducing Napa Valley to Vitis vinifera, European grape varieties.
While records are limited, the original plantings were most likely a field blend commonly referred to as “mixed blacks,” typically including Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, and smaller amounts of varieties such as Alicante Bouschet, Mourvèdre, and Valdiguié.
Today, of the 6.5 acres under vine at the G.B. Crane Vineyard, 1.3 acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.9 acres to Petite Sirah, with two rows of Merlot and approximately four acres dedicated to the historic “mixed blacks,” including plantings dating to 1885, after phylloxera, and later additions from the 1930s.
This four-acre block has been continuously farmed for more than 165 years by a succession of stewards. Today, we are proud to carry that responsibility forward.
Vail Jr. and Leslie Miller divide their time between St. Helena, California, and Dayton, Ohio, guided by a shared love of family, legacy, and wine.
Vail, a Dayton native and Miami University graduate, and Leslie, who grew up in High Point, North Carolina, and graduated from UNC Greensboro, met in Jackson, Wyoming, in the summer of 1992. Both come from families with deep entrepreneurial roots. Vail’s great-grandfather founded Heidelberg Distributing Company in 1938, and Leslie’s great-grandfather founded Harriss & Covington in 1920.
That spirit of stewardship now continues with The Crane Assembly. Drawn to St. Helena for both its history and its personal significance, Vail and Leslie see this chapter as an opportunity to honor tradition, build with intention, and carry a meaningful legacy forward.
Ryan Keith is the General Manager of The Crane Assembly Winery. Originally from Oregon, he moved to Napa Valley in 2002 and built his career through hospitality and estate-driven wineries, developing a deep respect for vineyards, old vines, and wines of purpose.
Since joining The Crane Assembly in 2016 as its first employee, Ryan has helped shape its next chapter with a strong commitment to the vineyard’s history, the integrity of the wines, and the legacy they carry forward.
Atelier Melka brings deep Napa Valley pedigree and a forward-looking perspective to The Crane Assembly. With Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky guiding the wines, the estate moves into its next chapter with a team known for shaping some of the valley’s most respected Cabernet Sauvignons.
Together, they bring a thoughtful balance of experience, precision, and vision. Their approach is rooted in a deep respect for great vineyard sites and a belief that exceptional wines should reflect both place and purpose. At The Crane Assembly, that means honoring the history of this storied St. Helena vineyard while helping define its future with clarity, restraint, and intention.
Philippe and Maayan are not simply carrying a legacy forward. They are helping refine and elevate it for the next generation.
All the wines from The Crane Assembly in the store on SALE!!
2024 The Crane Assembly Disciples Sauvignon Blanc Napa
Price: $58.50 Your Price: $52.65
Pale straw in the glass, like a hint of morning sunshine. Bright aromatics of citrus blossom, white peach, and crushed stone lead into notes of spearmint, fresh grass, and tropical fruit. The palate is vibrant and textured, with lemon curd, key lime, and tangerine layered over ripe stone fruit. A touch of sweetness and subtle French oak add depth, finishing long and juicy with a savory edge and a hint of mint. A vivid expression of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc - refined, refreshing, and food-friendly.
Production : 7 Barrels
Blend Composition : 100% Sauvignon Blanc
2024 The Crane Assembly Disciples Pinot Noir Bell Summe Vineyard Sonoma Coast
Price: $69.00 Your Price: $62.10
Sourced from the steep, organically farmed slopes of Bell Summe Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast, our 2024 Disciples Pinot Noir was harvested in the early morning hours of August 29, 2024, and crafted in an Old World style. Three clones of Pinot Noir were natively fermented following a four-day cold soak in open-top fermenters, with 20% whole cluster inclusion. The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels from multiple forests (45% new) and bottled unfined and unfiltered on January 27, 2026. It balances structure, lift, and aromatic complexity, finishing with refinement and quiet confidence.
Blend Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Production: 9 Barrels
Winemaker Notes: The 2024 Disciples Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast AVA opens with aromas of ripe cherry, subtle cola, dried herbs, and a delicate floral lift. Medium-bodied, the palate shows vibrant acidity and a seamless texture, with layers of red cherry and raspberry framed by savory undertones and gentle spice. Fine, integrated tannins carry through a long, balanced, and elegant finish.
2022 G.B. Crane Vineyard el Coco Red Blend Napa
Price: $96.00 Your Price: $86.40
Coco is where fine art, old-world influence, and bold winemaking meet. Inspired by a work from Francisco Goya.
This wine has always stood apart for its richness of mood and expression. As part of The Crane Assembly, El Coco is being reimagined with fresh purpose, bringing its dramatic origins into a more elevated story shaped by craftsmanship, pedigree, and a singular sense of place.
The 2022 G.B. Crane Vineyard el Coco opens with aromatics of violets, dark chocolate, and plum, followed by secondary aromas of blue stone fruits, fresh raspberries, and black tea. It exhibits a rich, plush mouthfeel that coats the palate in a succulent, mouthwatering fashion, with flavors of anise, black cherry, and ripe raspberry. The finish is marked by mineral and slate-like notes, along with a lingering, solid grip.
2021 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Disciples Napa Valley
Price: $63.00 Your Price: $56.70
The 2021 Disciples appears opaque with a black-purple core and a fuchsia rim alongside its slow pace in the glass. Opening aromatics abound with briar fruit, black plum, blue fruits, redwood bark and charred meats—one could spend all day in there. The palate is selfish, refusing to be anything but itself, characterized by notes of black fruits, tarragon, roast lamb, mint and sarsaparilla. Rich yet welcoming with a persistent thread of minerality throughout, the grippy tannins aren’t abrasive but appreciated as structure, giving way to the soft, slow fade.
Blend: 34% Petite Sirah, 30% Zinfandel, 26% Syrah,10% Grenache
2022 The Crane Assembly Disciples Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $101.25
Winemaker Notes: Dark purple in color with beautiful clarity. Fresh aromatics of blackberry and raspberry carry a mineral edge, complemented by hints of red licorice, cinnamon, and a touch of mint. On the palate, the wine is dense and structured with good grip. Flavors of fresh blackberry and black licorice unfold alongside notes of pencil shavings, graphite, and subtle fennel. The purity of fruit is evident, balanced by firm, mouth-coating tannins. The finish is long and persistent, expanding in the back of the mouth with a mouthwatering salinity that is both savory and succulent—evoking the natural freshness of ripe fruit... A nice lift of fresh acidity gives the wine aromatic energy that carries through the end.
Blend Composition: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon | 2% Petite Sirah | 1% Merlot
Production: 12 Barrels
2013 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
Price: $450.00 Your Price: $405.00
(98 Points) The 2013 G. B. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Composition is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah and 2% Merlot. This is a big boy at 15.3% natural alcohol. Nevertheless, there’s no heat to it. It is a seamless classic from Napa, with copious quantities of blackberry and blackcurrant, some Asian spice and a full-bodied, nearly massive entry on the palate, with oodles of fruit, glycerin and extract. Tannins are present, but soft and well-integrated. This is a big, juicy, compelling effort from Dave Phinney that should drink well for 30 or more years. The winemaker behind these magnificent wines is Dave Phinney, working from the Dr. George Beldon Crane Vineyard, which was first planted as a site in 1885. At that time it was largely a blend of grapes often referred to as "mixed blacks." There are now eight acres in production, four containing the original plantings and the rest planted from 1930 onward. Phinney and a group of his friends purchased the vineyard in 2012. These notes reflect what they’re doing to date and serious consumers should be thrilled. (RP) Wine Advocate. Review Date: 10/2016
2016 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
Price: $325.00 Your Price: $292.50
Sourced from a historic eight-acre vineyard, four of which are believed to be planted by George Beldon Crane in 1885, this release is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Petite Sirah. Only ten barrels were produced.
2019 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena, USA
Price: $295.00 Your Price: $265.50
(95 Points) A big, bold wine from the estate vineyard in southern St. Helena, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon G.B. Crane Vineyard weighs in at 15.7% alcohol on the label, but it carries it well. Yes, it's super ripe in its black cherries and dark chocolate notes, its considerable weight and richness and its supple, melted tannins, but any heat is subsumed under the wine's substance. No, it won't be for classicists, but it is a hedonist's delight. I suggest drinking it on the young side, while the fruit still carries the day. (JC) Wine Advocate Review Date: 07/2024
In 2019, the G.B. Crane Vineyard experienced a wet winter and spring followed by above average temperatures throughout the summer without any major heat spikes. As a result, our vines struggled just the right amount to produce berries of immense concentration. We harvested our Cabernet Sauvignon two weeks earlier than in 2018, in the early mornings of October 9th and 14th. Upon receiving the grapes in the winery, we implemented a four-day cold soak followed by a long, cool fermentation, for a total of 23 days on skins. Aged 20 months in French Oak, 60% new, we bottled the 123 cases in August 2021, allowing for a few years in bottle before its release.
Production 5 Barrels
Blend Composition: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon | 4% Merlot | 4% Petite Sirah
Tasting Notes: The 2019 G.B. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep garnet core with a vivacious ruby red rim. Immediate aromatics of cassis, pluot, black cherry, garrigue and sweet oak come from the glass. Layered notes of raspberry, dark chocolate and blackberry are wrapped within a silky smooth and elegant body with intensity and energy. The consistent tension of acidity keeps the palate balanced with ripe tannins and lengthy closing notes of black licorice and fennel. Kevin A. Fox - Winemaker
2022 The Crane Assembly GB Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
Price: $262.50 Your Price: $236.25
The 2022 growing season in St. Helena began with a dry winter and mild spring, leading to an early, even budbreak and a steady progression through summer. Warm, consistent conditions supported balanced vine growth and gradual fruit maturation, building concentration while preserving freshness. A brief early September heat event was followed by a return to moderate weather, allowing the vines to regain balance heading into harvest. We harvested the Cabernet Sauvignon in the early morning of September 17th. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak (85% new) and bottled in August 2024, with a total production of 148 cases
Production : 6 Barrels
Blend Composition: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon | 3% Merlot | 3% Petite SIrah
Tasting Notes: The 2022 G.B. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon presents a medium-dark purple core. Bright and expressive, the aromatics open with dark currant, fresh blackberry, and raspberry, layered with black licorice and a touch of toasty oak. With time in the glass, added complexity emerges—plum, lavender, black tea, tilled earth, and cigar box—showcasing both youthful energy and depth. Incredibly textural and mouthcoating, the palate is defined by integrated tannins that glide seamlessly, carrying flavors of blue and black fruits, gravelly earth, fennel, forest floor, and sweet tobacco. A vibrant freshness keeps the wine light on its feet, leading to a long, lingering finish marked by subtle salinity, violet lift, and a dusty, tart-edged brightness.
Other wines made from DR. Crane Vineyard available at Wine Watch on SALE!!
2022 Realm Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $550.00 Sale Price: $425.00 Quantity in Stock: 8
(96 Points) A big, muscular wine, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard is loaded with black cherry fruit and graced by hints of dark chocolate and mocha. It's the last vintage to include a smidgeon of Petit Verdot (4%), a full-bodied, richly tannic but ripe effort, with a long, harmonious finish. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2021 Realm Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $775.00 Sale Price: $650.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 Points) The 2021 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, with 5% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. Quite closed to start off, it requires a lot of shaking to wake up notes of blackcurrant pastilles, juicy blackberries, and fresh plums plus suggestions of crushed rocks, candied violets, dark chocolate, and licorice with a touch of iron ore. The full-bodied palate delivers a firm, fine-grained texture and seamless freshness supporting the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing with a firework display of mineral, floral and chocolaty notes. (LPB) The Wine Independent, Review Date: 02/2024
2021 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Dr Crane Beckstoffer Vineyard Napa
Price: $330.00 Your Price: $297.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
(98 Points) Coming from a warmer site on the west side of St. Helena, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is deeper plum/purple hue and boasts a ripe, powerful nose of black fruits, spring flowers, lead pencil, and scorched earth. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, the vintage's freshness and purity, and a blockbuster of a finish. This heavenly Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 30+ years of overall longevity. It will probably merit a triple digit rating at maturity. Jeb Dunnuck
2019 Salvestrin Winery Three D Cabernet Sauvignon Dr Crane Vineyard Napa USA
Price: $225.00 Your Price: $202.50 Quantity in Stock: 6
(98 Points) 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... Wine Advocate
2018 Alejandro Bulgheroni 'Lithology' Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Napa Valley
Price: $380.00 Sale Price: $310.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(98 Points) Very deep purple-black in color, the 2018 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard charges out of the gate with intense scents of chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry compote and crème de cassis, leading to nuances of star anise, mocha, black olives and iron ore. The decadently rich, full-bodied palate packs an impressive punch, delivering impactful black and blue fruit preserves with loads of mineral and exotic spice layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2011 Realm Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa MAGNUM
Price: $1200.00 Sale Price: $999.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(91 Points) All things considered, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard has aged well. Fruity and supple, with pretty savory overtones, the 2011 is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next few years. (AG) Vinous, Review Date: 03/2022
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