Eisele Vineyard 2023 Syrah, Napa Valley

                    
Napa's legendary Eisele Vineyard needs no introduction as it is one of the greatest estates in Napa and among the finest in the world. Several years ago the owners of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux purchased the winery and vineyard from founders Bart & Daphne Araujo under the renamed winery as Eisele Vineyard. This a rare new release of their small-production Syrah only released in certain years. Limited.

95 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Another Saint-Joseph look-alike, the Eisele Vineyard 2023 Syrah has a deep purple hue as well as a great nose of darker berries, peppery herbs, and violets, with a beautiful minerality that emerges on the finish. It's medium to full-bodied, has remarkable purity, and terrific balance. It will easily be an outstanding Syrah."

Notes: Composed of organically grown, biodynamic Syrah fermented with 7% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 45% new oak, 35% used French oak, and 20% amphora. Only 268 cases were made. *Organic* *Biodynamic*


... 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."