2021 Eisele Vineyard Estate Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2021 Eisele Vineyard Estate Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon is a polished and expressive Napa Valley red that channels the character of one of California’s most storied vineyard sites. Crafted as the estate’s more approachable Cabernet, Altagracia delivers the depth and precision of Eisele Vineyard in a slightly more generous, earlier-drinking style. This is a wine that marries modern finesse with the classic structure that has made Napa Cabernet world-famous. What sets Altagracia apart is its origin: it is sourced entirely from the biodynamically farmed, organically certified Eisele Vineyard in Calistoga, a site revered since the 1960s for producing benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. Under the stewardship of the Rouzaud family (of Champagne Louis Roederer), the estate has refined its focus on purity of fruit, balance, and terroir transparency. The 2021 vintage continues the legacy of a vineyard that has contributed to some of Napa’s most important wines over the past half-century.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2021 Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon shows a deep, vibrant ruby to garnet core with a youthful purple rim, signaling both concentration and freshness. It presents as vivid and precise rather than opaque or heavy, hinting at the lifted style within. On the nose, expect finely etched aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum and wild blackberry layered with graphite, crushed violets, and a subtle dried herb character. Notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, cacao nib and a discreet touch of vanilla and sweet spice from French oak frame the fruit without overpowering it. As it opens, more savory nuances emerge—pencil shavings, warm stones, and a hint of anise. The palate is medium to full-bodied yet wonderfully poised, with a core of pure cassis, dark cherry and black raspberry wrapped in silky, tightly knit tannins. There is a cool, almost mineral edge to the mid-palate, reflecting the gravelly, cobble-rich soils of the vineyard. The acidity is bright and lifting, giving energy and tension to the wine, while the finish is long and refined, lingering on dark fruit, cocoa powder and a whisper of graphite. Oak is seamlessly integrated, offering structure and polish rather than overt flavor. While already accessible with aeration in its youth, the 2021 Altagracia has the structure to evolve gracefully. Over the next 3–5 years it will gain complexity and further integrate its fruit and tannins, with an overall drinking window of roughly 10–15 years from vintage in proper cellaring conditions.

Production
The 2021 Altagracia is drawn from the historic Eisele Vineyard in Calistoga at the northern end of Napa Valley, a site characterized by well-drained alluvial soils strewn with rounded river cobbles over gravel and sand. This unique terroir promotes deep root systems, natural vine balance, and a signature mineral tension in the wines. Farmed organically since the early 1990s and biodynamically for many years, the vineyard is managed with meticulous attention to soil health and biodiversity. Grapes are harvested by hand on a parcel-by-parcel basis at optimal ripeness, then carefully sorted to ensure only pristine fruit reaches the winery. Vinification typically involves fermentation in small temperature-controlled tanks, with gentle pump-overs or punch-downs to extract fine tannins and aromatic complexity. The wine is then matured in high-quality French oak barrels (a portion new, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels) for well over a year, allowing the Cabernet Sauvignon to gain texture and harmony while preserving the clarity and freshness that define the estate’s style.

Food & Serving
This 2021 Altagracia Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural partner for refined yet flavorful dishes. Classic pairings include grilled or roasted lamb, dry-aged ribeye, beef tenderloin with herb crust, or veal chops with rosemary and garlic. It also shines alongside dishes like duck breast with dark cherry reduction, braised short ribs, wild mushroom risotto, or aged hard cheeses such as Comté, aged Gouda, or Pecorino. For the best experience, serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F), slightly cooler than typical room temperature to highlight its freshness and aromatics. Decanting for 1–2 hours in its youth helps the wine unfurl its layered bouquet and smooth the tannins; as it gains bottle age, a shorter decant—primarily to remove any sediment—will be sufficient.

Producer
Eisele Vineyard is one of Napa Valley’s most revered single-vineyard estates, located in the Calistoga AVA at the northern edge of the valley. First planted to vines in the 19th century and recognized for Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s and 1970s, the site rose to prominence under the Araujo family, whose Eisele Vineyard wines became benchmarks for site-expressive, ageworthy Napa Cabernets. In 2013, stewardship passed to the Rouzaud family, owners of Champagne Louis Roederer, who further invested in organic and biodynamic farming and a precision-focused cellar philosophy. Today, Eisele Vineyard is celebrated for its quiet, classical style—wines that emphasize balance, elegance, and terroir rather than sheer power. The Altagracia range represents the estate’s more immediately approachable expression, yet still carries the pedigree and refinement that have made Eisele a reference point in Napa Valley and beyond.

We deliver within 2 - 6 business days. You can choose whether it should be to a parcel shop or home delivery. Free delivery to both parcel shops and your front door. Our store partners primarily use GLS, DPD, UPS and DHL for deliveries. We cover deliveries to the majority of countries in Europe.