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Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley, United States

Eisele Vineyard
Napa Valley United States
  • 97
    Points
  • The 825 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 5 Pros of
    5 recommend
    this wine
13 97
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    229

  • Producer ranking ?

    14

  • Decanting time

    4h

  • When to drink

    2020-2035

  • Food Pairing

    Game

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The Story

Altagracia is named after estate's former owner's, Bart Araujo’s, grandmother. This second wine of the estate is a Bordeaux-style blend vinified in the same manner as the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It is essentially the expression of the Eastern parcels of the Eisele Vineyard, completed with fruit sourced from other Napa Valley vineyards where we hold long-term grape contracts and which are farmed to our specifications. This Napa Vall...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

The 2018 winter received only a third of the previous year’s rainfall combined with low temperatures in February, delaying the vegetative cycle. Generous Spring rains arrived at the end of March a few days before budbreak, while cool temperatures continued to slow down the growth of the canopy. This allowed for extremely balanced vines with little need for intervention. Bloom occurred on May 24th
,one of the latest on record. The fruit set was generous with beautifully full clusters. The ensuing Summer started warm and finished mild, without extreme climatic demand, creating ideal ripening conditions. Continuing amiable weather in August allowed a slow maturation of the fruit with off-the-charts levels of color. The team was able to harvest each block at optimal ripeness between September
30th and October 19th, the latest harvest in 7 years. There was little to no sorting required in the cellar. Once in tank, excellent extractability resulted in a high level of polymeric anthocyanin and moderate tannin levels, leading to very balanced and refined young wines. Coincidentally, the “elevage” in oak was slightly shorter than usual (19 months) with a fair amount of lightly toasted oak, leading to bottling in June.

TASTING NOTES
The 2018 Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon unfolds with a nose of intense black fruit, wild blueberries and fresh black currants with a whiff of dried violets and tobacco. The mouthfeel is ample but firm with mineral notes of volcanic rock, forest humus and hints of dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine shows great depth thanks to extended maceration, with a refined texture of tight-knit tannins
supporting the energetic black and blue fruits. As the wine opens, layers of floral notes, peppercorn
and cardamom add to the complexity. The long finish lingers with a touch of licorice. This is a very
pure and elegant Altagracia.

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Full-bodied, tannic, dark cherry notes, blackberry notes, blackcurrant notes, wild berry notes, spicy, good body, well-balanced, long

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  • 95p

Shows a fresh edge, with dark plum and blackberry puree flavors stitched with a hint of alder and backed by subtle floral and earth accents, carrying through the structured but accessible finish. Sneaky long too, so there's no rush. Drink now through 2032. – Wine Spectator 93p

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  • 93p
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Information

Origin

Calistoga, Napa Valley
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