The high plains of Elgin, Arizona are beautiful, with amazing vistas in every direction and a night sky so full of stars that it looks like a painting. We had heard good things about wineries in Elgin so we decided to check it out Salvatore Vineyards for ourselves.
Salvatore Vineyards is in a large steel building surrounded by ample parking right on Elgin Road. We arrived moments after opening time, so we entered to find a spacious but empty tasting room with a large U-shaped tasting bar decorated with wine bottles bearing the labels of the various brands that make up Salvatore Vineyards. Dozens of wine tasters could be comfortably served in this thoughtfully designed space. The entire tasting room was bright and inviting and featured a large window into the production facility for curious wine lovers. Wine guide Jamie welcomed us and told us a bit about the winery as we settled in. We learned that owner/winemaker Jason Domanico named his winemaking business Salvatore Vineyards after his grandfather Salvatore Ligammari. In addition to the Salvatore Vineyards label, wines are also marketed under Cabal Cellars and Passion Cellars brands. Our tastings could be any five tastes from both Cabal and Passion labels. That’s a lot of freedom!
I started with their 2023 Passion Cellars 2nd Love Rosé. Jamie told us that this wine had only been released two weeks earlier and was already winning fans. A blend of 46% Tempranillo, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Marsanne, 10% Riesling, and 8% Roussanne (whew! what a list!) I found it bursting with exuberant fruit, led by cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. This wine should be even better in a year or two. Next up was their 2021 Cabal Cellars Conspiracy. Another blend, this time containing 40% Graciano, 37% Petit Verdot, 20% Tempranillo, and 3% Aglianico, I enjoyed the plum and dark cherry notes and balanced tannins on the finish. My next taste was my favorite: their 2020 Passion Cellars Spectre. This wine started with aromas of Bing cherry leading to a wonderful parade of pitted fruit across the palate. Several bottles of this Tuscan-style wine jumped onto our “Take Home” list after the first sip.
Jamie next poured their 2021 Passion Cellars Tannat. This wine just begs to be paired with a steak! Abundant plum and other pitted fruit and a gentle finish would perfectly mingle with a medium rare sirloin. Their 2021 Passion Cellars Syrah was my next taste. With a classic Syrah nose and earthy, dusty plum flavors, with an 8% splash of Graciano for a bit more zip on the finish, this is a fine representation of warm climate Syrah. My tasting wrapped up with their Cabal Cellars NV 27 Club Port. Predominately Petit Verdot, this is a lovely, classic port style dessert wine. A wonderful closing act to a very fun tasting flight!
We had a few more wineries planned for our day, so following a nice tour of their production facility in back, we purchased our wine and thanked Jamie for such an enjoyable introduction to Salvatore Vineyards.
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
