Napa Cabernet estate with a 38 acre vineyard and a wine of cassis, blackberry and mineral finish.
The producer
Eisele Vineyard lies east of Calistoga at the foot of the Palisades, on an alluvial fan of volcanic cobbly soils. The producing vineyard covers 38 acres and yields concentrated fruit. Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon carries cassis, blackberry, cedar, chocolate and a lingering mineral finish, with concentration, lightness of weight, silky texture and the ability to age for decades.
Known for
Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
Notable facts
Milton and Barbara Eisele purchased the 162 acre property in 1969.
Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted at Eisele Vineyard in 1964.
Ridge winemaker Paul Draper produced the first Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in 1971.
The story
Paul Draper Names the Vineyard
In 1971, Ridge winemaker Paul Draper produced the first Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It was one of the first vineyard designated wines in California. The label named Eisele Vineyard as the source of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The site had first been planted to vines in the 1880s, and Cabernet Sauvignon had first been planted there in 1964. Draper's wine joined the vineyard name and the grape in one bottle. The bottle came from a named site in Napa Valley.
From the atlas
Eisele Vineyard
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Northeastern Napa Valley
Site
East of Calistoga, at the foot of the Palisades
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Listed wine
Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Producing vineyard
38 acres
The Producer
Milton and Barbara Eisele purchased the 162 acre property in 1969 and gave it the Eisele Vineyard name. Daphne and Bart Araujo acquired it in 1990 and stewarded it for 23 years. Pinault became the estate's steward in 2013.
The Araujos introduced organic farming, embraced Biodynamic principles and built the property's first winery with temperature controlled caves.
The range includes Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Altagracia. The producer describes them as Cabernet wines from geologically distinct parts of the estate, without placing one above the other.
Place
Simmons Creek and an eastern tributary spread volcanic cobbly soils from the Palisades across an alluvial fan. The ground drains well, and the vineyard produces low yields of concentrated fruit.
Cooling northwestern winds through Chalk Hill Gap and deep groundwater help the vineyard withstand climatic pressure. These conditions support consistency in quality from the site.
Wines
Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a Cabernet wine. Altagracia is the more immediately approachable estate Cabernet expression, with refined texture, freshness, balance and ageing potential.
The two wines come from geologically distinct parts of the estate. The range therefore holds two Cabernet expressions with different vineyard origins and different positions in the glass.
In The Glass
Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon shows cassis, blackberry, cedar and chocolate, followed by a lingering mineral finish. The profile combines concentration with lightness of weight and a silky texture. Its ability to age for decades gives the wine a long cellar life.
A Bottle To Understand It
Open Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022. It is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a 750 ml bottle at 14.5% alcohol. Altagracia offers the more immediately approachable estate expression.
Final Word
Eisele Vineyard is a Napa Cabernet estate with vines first planted in the 1880s and Cabernet Sauvignon first planted there in 1964.