| Score: |
100 RP.
"Both 2013s are clearly the finest Eisele wines made under the administration of François Pinault and his top lieutenant, Frédéric Engerer, who also runs the show at Château Latour. The utterly compelling 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage and 1,800 cases were made. The wine is off-the-charts great, with an opaque bluish/purple color to the rim, an aroma of pen ink, graphite, blackberry and blueberry fruit, a hint of licorice, camphor and incense. The wine is full-bodied, with extraordinary concentration, remarkable equilibrium and noticeable, but sweet, well-integrated tannin. This is a large-scaled Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, but flawless and with no edges. It is an amazing effort and a great achievement from this incredible terroir. Drink it over the next 30-40 years. 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." Wine Advocate #227, Oct 2016 |