Salvestrin Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018

11/15/21 Note: I just saw that the Salvestrin 2018 Dr. Crane was put into the Top 10 wines of the year by Wine Spectator. I of course didn’t know that was going to happen before I got this wine for us, but it doesn’t surprise me. I have five cases left of the Napa Valley Cab – first come, first served.

​​Dr. George Belden Crane was among the first visionaries to plant vines in the U.S. back in 1862. He made the sobering discovery that he would later document in his medical journal that there was far more money to be made in wine grapes than in medicine. If only he could have been around to see what his grapes fetch today!

Eventually, Ed Salvestrin’s family would go on to buy the Crane property in 1932. He and his wife, Suzanne would sell the fruit to the high-flying big name players in wine, such as the Beckstoffers (who purchased the vineyard in 1999), Paul Hobbs, Alpha Omega and Realm just to name a few. By the late 90’s prices had already began to swell into the $200-$300 range, with Dr. Crane Vineyard fruit commanding far more per ton than almost any other vineyard in the valley.

But like many of the best wines in the worlds, the Salvestrins finally decided to make their own Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet and bottle it under the family name. Ever since their inaugural vintage in 2001, they have become managed to stay a bit under the radar while consistently garnering big scores from arguably the world’s two toughest critics in Wine Spectator and Parker’s Wine Advocate.

While reviewing the 2010s, Robert Parker, Jr. himself declared, “These wines never seem to get old, and this will be one our grandchildren can enjoy circa 2050.”