x

Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Eisele Vineyard, Napa Valley, United States

Eisele Vineyard
Napa Valley United States
  • 97
    Points
  • The 824 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 5 Pros of
    5 recommend
    this wine
13 97
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    228

  • Producer ranking ?

    14

  • Decanting time

    4h

  • When to drink

    2020-2035

  • Food Pairing

    Game

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Read more
Close

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...

Read more
Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

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.

-

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

-
  • 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

-
  • 93p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Calistoga, Napa Valley
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Send
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

Insight Member

 
Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

Insight Member

  Register