Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesEqual proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot organically grown on the estate are co-fermented to produce this wine. With considerable structure and a regal charm, ripe notes of black cherry and rhubarb meld with mocha and just-tilled soil. Aged 22 months in 60% new French oak.
This is an elegant wine made from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, co-fermented and aged 22 months in French oak, 60% of it new. Cedar, cigar box and oak are complemented by dense black plum and red cherry.
Volker Eisele Family Estate creates enticing wines from the Napa Valley. Organically farmed since 1974, the Estate produces wines of uncommon balance and finesse. All fruit for our limited production wine is grown in our Chiles Valley District vineyard. The elevation and northwesterly Pacific winds funneling through the valley, create a longer cooler growing season. This combination of factors yield aromatic, crisp fruit with bright acidity and structed tannins. Our decades of experience in farming one vineyard means the quality of our wine is consistent year in, year out.
Our winemakers’ philosophy is, “To use a light hand in crafting varietally-correct wines that make the taster think about where they were grown, and not who made them.
~ Molly Lippitt, Winemaker
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.