Cabernet Sauvignon'Altagracia'

To produce the estate’s flagship wine, three quarters of the 38-acre Eisele Vineyard is dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon and its companion varieties, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The resulting wine is an intense expression of the Eisele Vineyard terroir, exhibiting characteristic flavors of cassis, blackberry, cedar and chocolate, with a lingering mineral finish. Cabernets from the Eisele Vineyard are highly regarded for their complexity, concentration, weight without heaviness, silky texture and ability to age for decades.

A dry winter turned into a wet spring, with over eleven inches of rain in March that filled the vineyard soils to field capacity. What ensued was an ‘ideal’ growing season, with even budbreak, beautiful weather at bloom, and fruit set that produced a bountiful crop. The full-sized clusters across the Eisele Vineyard completed veraison by mid-July, and flavor intensity developed steadily throughout the summer. Warm days and cool nights over the length of the growing season resulted in daily temperature swings of up to 50 degrees, and these variances allowed the tannins to ripen harmoniously, while sugar levels increased slowly through a cooler than average September.

Harvest of the Bordeaux varietals began on September 22nd, and three days of moderate heat at the start of October, set the stage for the final pick of Cabernet Sauvignon on the 16th. All clusters were hand-picked in prime condition during cool morning hours, resulting in one of the finest expressions of Eisele Vineyard terroir. 2012 will be remembered as an exceptional vintage.

The grapes were certified ‘Organic’ by California Certified Organic Farmers and ‘Biodynamic’ by Demeter.