Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 - Araujo Estate (CBO magnum, 1.5 L)

Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 — Araujo Estate

This Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, offered here in OWC magnum 1.5 L, belongs among the great expressions of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. From a historic vineyard located east of Calistoga, it combines depth, precision, aromatic richness and the silky texture for which Eisele is renowned: cassis, blackberry, black cherry, white mulberry, flowers, lavender, sandalwood, cinnamon, blond tobacco and a long mineral finish.

Formerly associated with Araujo Estate, Eisele Vineyard is one of Napa’s cult terroirs. Long established and converted to organic farming in 1998, then to biodynamics in 2000, the vineyard produces Cabernets that are at once deep, refined and long-lived. The 2015 is a wine of energy and abundance, concentrated and explosive, yet carried by remarkable freshness and extremely fine tannins.

Terroir: Eisele Vineyard, Calistoga and Napa’s sedimentary soils

Eisele Vineyard is located in north-eastern Napa Valley, east of Calistoga, at the foot of the Palisades Mountain Range. Historically planted as early as the 1880s and replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1964, the vineyard is regarded as one of California’s great Cabernet terroirs. Its position brings warmth, ripeness and concentration, while preserving a very distinctive aromatic precision.

The heart of the vineyard, crossed by Simmons Canyon Creek, lies on ancient sedimentary soils with a notably fine texture. These soils give a Cabernet that is less demonstrative than one might expect from Napa, yet highly defined: pure black fruit, floral notes, very fine tannins, freshness, energy and a mineral finish. The 2015 expresses this terroir with rare intensity, between solar richness and precision of grain.

Tasting notes

Appearance: medium to deep garnet-purple, dense, bright and still very youthful in expression. In magnum, the colour should evolve slowly, retaining its dark brilliance and natural depth for a long time.

Nose: intense, elegant and highly expressive, with red and black cherry, cassis, blackberry, white mulberry, lavender, rose, flowers, sandalwood, cinnamon, vanilla, cumin, blond tobacco, liquorice and perfumed earth. With air, deeper notes of black fruit, exotic spices, cedar, discreet graphite and fresh earth may appear.

Palate: full, concentrated and explosive, yet perfectly balanced by continuous freshness. The red and black fruit is generous, almost luxuriant, with a silky texture, very fine tannins and a remarkable sense of precision. The finish is extraordinarily persistent, carried by cassis, black cherry, spice, flowers, perfumed earth and a very clear mineral nuance.

Expression of the 2015 vintage

The 2015 vintage in Napa Valley produced intensely aromatic, rich and concentrated Cabernets. At Eisele Vineyard, the year stands out for radiant fruit, significant concentration and surprisingly harmonious freshness. Critical tastings regularly highlight the exuberant fruit character, rose and lavender perfume, very fine tannins and exceptional persistence of the wine.

Today, this 2015 in magnum can already impress with its generosity and purity, yet it remains built for ageing. With time, the black and red fruit should evolve towards more cedar, tobacco, graphite, cocoa, sweet spices, fine leather and perfumed soil nuances, while preserving the silky texture and freshness that define great Eisele Cabernets.