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.