Eisele Vineyard Altagracia Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

$495

Perfect 100 Points - limited                              Napa's legendary Eisele Vineyard needs no introduction as it is one of the greatest estates in Napa and among the finest in the world.   Last year the owners of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux purchased the winery and vineyard from founders Bart & Daphne Araujo and the 2013 is their inaugural vintage under the renamed winery as Eisele Vineyard.  100 Points Robert Parker: ":  "Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon charges from the gate with exuberant red and black cherries notes, black currants and mulberries with a beautiful roses and lavender perfume, plus hints of sandalwood and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, concentrated and downright explosive in the mouth, it is still wearing loads of gorgeous puppy-fat fruit flavors, offering suggestions of the complex, multilayered blockbuster that it will emerge into. The structure deserves its own mention: wonderful, seamless freshness and oh-so-fine, pixelated tannins, with an extraordinary persistence of fruit and mineral nuances. Wow." ... Readers should note that the relatively new owners of what was formerly known as the Araujo Estate have finally changed the name to the Eisele Vineyard. This is one of the greatest terroirs in all of Napa Valley, if not all of California. It certainly makes sense to promote its name. For old-timers out there, the first single Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon I remember was made by Paul Draper in 1971 at Ridge. That was followed by a one-off, but a phenomenal wine, the 1974 Conn Creek Eisele Vineyard (the wine was purchased at a bankruptcy sale and bottled by Conn Creek). Then there was a succession of great Eisele Vineyard wines from Joseph Phelps, including the 1975 and 1978, all of which today remain vibrant and incredible. Certainly, when the Araujos arrived they also produced world-class wines of first-growth quality. It is no coincidence that the Eisele Vineyard is now owned by a first-growth proprietor from France, François Pinault, of Château Latour in Bordeaux and other significant estates in France, especially the tiny jewel of a vineyard in the Rhône Valley, Château Grillet. The tasting I did seemed to show that all is proceeding brilliantly at the Eisele Vineyard, with two of the three Cabernet Sauvignons I tasted thoroughly compelling—so the greatness from this fabulous terroir continues unabated."

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Ratings on Delectable

ADAM STROMFELD Delectable Pro

Dark and earthy black fruit soft elegance. Mushrooms and cooked meat. Beautifully balanced

Dark and earthy black fruit soft elegance. Mushrooms and cooked meat. Beautifully balanced

9.5

Willem Booij

Well made “second” wine, this a crowd pleaser with statue. Smooth velvet entry with soft “powder style” tannins, nice integrated wood and of course the light tobacco i the mouth. Somewhere it brings me to the style of Pontet Canet, and this is at the age of six a wine to watch. Big

Well made “second” wine, this a crowd pleaser with statue. Smooth velvet entry with soft “powder style” tannins, nice integrated wood and of course the light tobacco i the mouth. Somewhere it brings me to the style of Pontet Canet, and this is at the age of six a wine to watch. Big

9.4

Amit Srivastava

Very balanced wine . 2+ hours decanting helped open up the wine big time. Nice finish. Not too big.

Very balanced wine . 2+ hours decanting helped open up the wine big time. Nice finish. Not too big.

9.0

Andrea Wilson @farmforthesoul

Truly spectacular. Obviously, it is on the high end side, but I enjoyed every drop.

Truly spectacular. Obviously, it is on the high end side, but I enjoyed every drop.

9.3

Eric

Top second label IMO. Great vintage too.

Top second label IMO. Great vintage too.

9.5

Antonio Palau

ya

ya

9.3

Casey Stringer

Best second label around

Best second label around

9.5

Denise Hayashi

Excellent

Excellent

10

Eric

Holy cow! Stanky. Black licorice tar and black fruit. Complex and grippy. Blown away.

Holy cow! Stanky. Black licorice tar and black fruit. Complex and grippy. Blown away.

9.7

WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.