Dinner with Bruce Neyers at Café Maxx

"With Enough good wine- anything is possible" - Andrew Lampasone

Bruce Neyers has been the National Sales Manager for Kermit Lynch for decades and this is where I first met Bruce when I was at Café Maxx. I have been a big fan of Kermit Lynch ever since and have been following his handy work as a vintner from day one.
Begun in 1992 by Bruce and Barbara Neyers, Neyers Vineyards produces about 15,000 cases of wine annually. About 25% of their production is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on our 50-acre, organically farmed Conn Valley ranch. They purchase additional grapes from a select group of growers, among them the Sangiacomo family of the Carneros District, Will Nord of Napa, Cam Thieriot of Sonoma Coast, Lee Hudson of Carneros, Jay and Pam Heminway of Chiles Valley, Rich Pato of Oakley, and the Tofanelli family of Calistoga. Join us as we break bread with Bruce as Chef Oliver Saucy will serve up a special five course menu to compliment the wines. The fee for this dinner is $125 all-inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Neyers Wine Dinner at Café Maxx
With special guest Bruce Neyers
Thursday June 24th
7pm

Pass arounds
Duck breast crostini with grapes
Molten brie philo triangles with apple-mango relish
Maine Lobster cream puffs
Tempura shrimp

Neyers Chardonnay Carneros District 2008
Price: $33.25    Sale $29.26

Neyers 2007 Carneros Chardonnay was scored 93 Points by the Wine Spectator, and called, among other things, "delicious". We'll settle for that -- anytime, any wine. There's no great secret about what they do with Chardonnay at Neyers Vineyards: they rely on traditional French winemaking practices that in most instances have been in use for over a century. The fruit is completely protected from vine to winery. Although machines are increasingly used in the industry, their grapes are hand harvested. They are delivered to the winery only in the morning when temperatures are cooler. They are transported in small bins that hold only 1000 pounds. The juice is gently pressed from the grapes and transferred by air pump to French oak barrels, which are custom-made from three-year-air-dried wood. The primary and secondary fermentations occur naturally, using native micro-flora found on the grape skins. The wine is removed from the barrels a year later for the first and only time, when they bottle. The fruit used here is from vineyards owned and farmed by the Sangiacomo, Donnell, Yamakawa and Schrem families. The soils are all a combination of clay and loam. The wine is characterized by its exotic tropical fruit aromas and luscious, round flavors. There's a white peach component in the aftertaste, and the finish includes a touch of grilled bread. Delicious!

First course
Olive oil braised Mahi-mahi with Mediterranean mussels
Roasted corn and chardonnay garlic butter

Neyers Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard 2007
Price: $53.75    Sale $47.30

In 2007, this dramatic vineyard, almost 1500 feet above the Pacific, yielded barely one ton of grapes per acre. The fruit was ideal -- completely mature, and perfectly balanced, with enough natural acidity to keep the wine fresh and lively for years to come. We've drunk up most of our old bottles of Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay, but a friend wrote us not long ago to report that a recently opened bottle of the 1997 was still '...youthful and luxurious'. This one will be around that long as well.  202 cases produced

Second course

Marinated grilled quail with blackberry glaze, whole grains and micro greens

Neyers Merlot Neyers Ranch Conn Valley Napa Valley 2007
Price: $39.75    Sale $34.98

Our real Christmas present this year was word from the California Certified Organic Farmers that our Conn Valley Vineyards have been certified as organic -- the culmination of a four-year-long process. We'll be able to note that on the label in a year or so, but for now it's important to know that organic farming, which began for us in 1999, is now a fully integrated aspect of our 40-acre Conn Valley ranch. The 2007 vintage in the Napa Valley -- with its small crop, mild summer, and long, even ripening during harvest -- was especially attractive for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. We were able to make a wine of complexity, depth and enormous appeal. The blend includes about 25% Cabernet Sauvingon, much like that delicious 1979 Ch. Figeac I enjoyed on New Years Eve.  950 cases produced

 

Third course

Center cut Sterling skirt steak, mole sauce, rice pilaf and onion rings

Neyers Zinfandel Pato Vineyard Central Coastal County 2008
Price: $34.50    Sale $30.36

When this vineyard was being planted, William Jennings Bryan was being nominated as the Democratic candidate for president. Now, more than 110 years later, the vines are still producing a small crop. The wine we make from it has been hailed as one of the most respected bottlings of Zinfandel to come out of the state. We're aware that many winemakers would succeed with the fruit from this unique vineyard; we feel fortunate to be the temporary beneficiaries of a rare treasure. We refrigerate the grapes as they are harvested, meticulously inspect every cluster twice before crushing it, and do a skin contact maceration for 45-60 days before the tank is drained and pressed. The finished wine is then aged in 60-gallon French oak barrels for 10 months before our customary unfiltered bottling.  1,200 cases produced

Fourth course

Mushroom crusted rack of lamb with roasted baby portabella mushrooms fingerlings and seasonal vegetables

Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon Neyers Ranch Conn Valley Napa Valley 2006
Price: $53.75    Sale $47.30

Our organically and sustainably farmed 50-acre vineyard sits just east of the town of St. Helena, in the hills that separate the Napa Valley from the warmer regions of Pope and Chiles Valley. The ranch is divided into several parcels of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all of them on soils that combine compacted volcanic ash with an underlying layer of gravel. This is land that is ideal for those Bordeaux grape varieties, and the gentle, south-facing slope makes it better still. We've planted vines using the utmost care, selecting rootstock appropriate for low yields and dry-farming conditions. The scion budwood, selected for maximum flavor and complexity, comes from a stand of vines at the old Inglenook Winery; it is thought to have originated at Chateau Margaux. The finished wine, which is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% Merlot, is the result of a rigorous selection process that uses only a portion of what is already an extraordinary small crop. Look for this wine to be full of the lush varietal flavors normally associated with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, like chocolate and just-ripened cherries. It drinks well right now, it's so soft.  751 cases

 

Dessert & Cheese

Selection of artisanal cheeses with dried fruit, crackers and crostini

Neyers Syrah Old Lakeville Road Sonoma Coast 2008
Price: $39.75    Sale $34.98

It's difficult to imagine a winemaking process that is more labor intensive than the one that we've developed for our Syrah. Whole-cluster fermentation, complete stem retention, manual punch-down and 45 days or so of skin contact are all practices developed in France a hundred years ago. Tradition continues to find a home here at Neyers Vineyards. In the mid-1990's, the Sangiacomo family began to develop this Sonoma Coast appellation vineyard to our specifications. We wanted to replicate the great Syrah vineyards of the northern Rhöne, with their steep hills, cool climate and rocky soils. We found a 12-acre spot with all of these characteristics, and planted it to Syrah bud wood from Cornas, Hermitage and Cöte-Rötie. Each component lends its own element of old world charm to the blend. The finished wine has the textbook loveliness that makes Syrah one of the world's most versatile grapes.  883 cases produced

 

Finger chocolates and cookies with berries

A bit about Neyers winery:

Winemaker Tadeo Borchardt joined them in 2004 after several years of experience in the industry making wine in both California and New Zealand. He's a Cum Laude graduate of the University of Arizona, a zealous advocate of their natural winemaking practices and an enthusiastic supporter of our appreciation for traditionally produced European wines. He brings with him a valuable combination of technical know-how and respect for tradition.

Consulting winemaker Ehren Jordan returned to the Napa Valley in 1994 following a two-year stint in the Northern Rhone town of Cornas, where he worked for Jean-Luc Columbo, one of the most respected vintners in Europe. Ehren's training with Columbo expanded his technical knowledge of winemaking, while enlarging his understanding of grape growing. He has been with Neyers as a partner, winemaker, consultant and friend since they began the business in 1992.

Bruce's experiences over the past several years working with Kermit Lynch Imports and a group of more than 100 French vintners have been important in shaping the style of our wines. Most of these producers farm organically, make their wines naturally without use of cultured yeast or laboratory designed winemaking aids, and are comfortable bottling their wines without either fining or filtration. Bruce has long admired their wines, and has eagerly adopted many of their natural winemaking practices