The original stewards of this fabled land were Milton and Barbara Eisele who established this exceptional piece of land, absolutely ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. With the 1971 Ridge Vineyards, the 1974 Conn Creek Winery and the Joseph Phelps “Eisele” vineyard designated wines from 1975-1991, they did just that. Following those iconic wines, Bart and Daphne Araujo created an authentic winegrowing estate during their 23 years of stewardship turning many a wine lovers’ heads with the authentic character, the exceptional balance and the elegance that is the Eisele Vineyard. They put an indelible stamp on the vineyard replanting vines, introducing organic and biodynamic farming, and creating a diverse eco-system to ensure the health of the land while producing outstanding, exquisite, world-class wines. When the Pinault family, through Artemis Domaines, acquired Araujo Estate in 2013, forty vintages had already carried the Eisele Vineyard designation. As they contemplated their vision for the future, they admired its history, rich in memories, with one constant that has remained: the Eisele Vineyard itself. “In wine, there is nothing so immutable as the land. Vintages offer variation, as do winemakers and proprietors. Mother Nature is reliably capricious, always wanting the last word. But the land is a constant, its geology and composition immovable. At the heart of every great wine is a piece of land like no other.”
Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Eisele Cabernet is an iron fist in a velvet glove. Very small berries were the signature of the 2017 vintage. It displays a deep dark garnet robe suggesting a great core of rich, spicy fruit. The nose opens on intense floral notes of violet and fresh blue fruit typical of the Eisele Vineyard terroir, with a subtle scent of roasted meat jus. With time it delivers ripe Moreau cherries and blond tobacco leaves. The mouthfeel is fresh, precise and deliciously savory, showing great concentration. The tannins are very fine and tightly knit with a coconut powder feel accompanied by Darjeeling tea notes. Layers of dark fruits linger in the long finish. Great aging potential, as history has proven. 98 Points.
