Eisele Vineyard - Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Price: $655.00
| Producer | Eisele Vineyard |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Sku | 05646 |
Eisele Vineyard Description
In wine, there is nothing so immutable as the land. Vintages offer variation, as do winemakers and proprietors. Mother Nature is 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.
First planted to vines in the 1880s, Eisele Vineyard sits in the northeast Napa Valley, just east of Calistoga at the base of the Palisades Mountain range. Farmed organically since 1998 and biodynamically since 2000, the site has been principally dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon for the last fifty years. Beginning with the inaugural release bearing the Eisele name in 1971, this iconic vineyard has received consistent recognition for possessing one of the great terroirs of Napa Valley. The wines invariably express the exceptional depth, elegance and longevity which are hallmarks of the Eisele Vineyard.
Our vision is nothing less than to re-embrace the long history of Eisele Vineyard while realizing the full potential of this remarkable estate. Preserving and expanding upon the vineyard’s distinguished legacy in Napa Valley — and among the great winegrowing estates of the world — is both an honor and our aspiration. Through intellectual rigor, humility, and with the utmost respect for the land, our aim is to make wines that speak of the Eisele Vineyard in the most authentic way possible.
Wine Advocate: 100 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-purple color. Its nose begins a little reserved, slowly revealing a quiet intensity of freshly crushed blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries, cassis and aniseed with compelling nuances of black tea, cigar box, truffles and charcuterie, plus, with coaxing, gentle wafts of red roses and crushed rocks emerge. The medium to full-bodied palate is simply arresting, offering a a myriad floral and earth sparks amidst a black fruit core and with seamless, firm, very fine-grained tannins. Well-knit freshness brings forth layer after layer of delicate nuances on the very long, mineral-laced finish. The team at Eisele, led by Frédéric Engerer (of Chateau Latour) and beautifully orchestrated by winemaker Hélène Mingot, have knocked it out of the park this vintage with this singular expression that both embraces the site's heritage and reveals parts unknown.
James Suckling: 99 Points
The aromas are so complex here with blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and orange peel. Juicy and deep with a polished and lush texture. Full-bodied yet supple and harmonious. Poised and extremely long. You really want to drink this now, but be patient. Try after 2024.
Vinous Media: 99 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from Eisele Vineyard is simply monumental. Powerful and persistent, the 2016 marries intensity with finesse in the way only a wine from a world-class site can. Everything is just in the right place. Time in the glass brings out stunning richness in every dimension and truly exceptional pedigree. Dramatic and statuesque in its beauty, the 2016 is a towering Cabernet Sauvignon that shows why Eisele Vineyard is one of the world's great vineyard sites. In a word: epic.
-- Antonio Galloni
Wine Spectator: 96 Points
Ripe, broad and fleshy, this lets beautiful plum sauce and blackberry compote notes drape effortlessly over a tobacco- and loam-accented spine. The loamy edge drives through the finish with authority, while the fruit keeps cascading over it, ending very long and very deep. This has a beguiling aspect despite the enormous scale, but it should benefit from cellaring. A wine of the earth, through and through. Best from 2021 through 2035. 1,825 cases made. — JM
