The 2016 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California, is a red wine that has garnered high praise across the board from esteemed wine critics. With its 14.3% alcohol content, this wine exemplifies the characteristics of a well-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon, showcasing the expertise of winemaker Hélène Mingot and the team led by Frédéric Engerer.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarded it a perfect score of 100, noting its "deep garnet-purple color" and a nose that reveals "freshly crushed blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries, cassis and aniseed." The review highlights the wine's "seamless, firm, very fine-grained tannins" and describes it as a "singular expression" of the vineyard's heritage.
James Suckling also gave it near-perfect marks with a score of 99, praising the "complex aromas" of blackberries, blackcurrants, and orange peel, and describing the wine as "full-bodied yet supple and harmonious" with a "polished and lush texture."
The Wine Independent echoed the high praise with another perfect score, emphasizing its "myriad of black and blue fruit layers" and "incredible array of earth, spice, and floral nuances," concluding with a "long, long, long" finish.
Wine Spectator, with a score of 96, lauded the wine's "beautiful plum sauce and blackberry compote notes" and its "tobacco- and loam-accented spine," noting its potential for cellaring until 2035.
Jeff Leve and Decanter each awarded it 98 points, with Jeff Leve highlighting its "leafy, floral, tobacco, spice and fruit filled character" and Decanter noting its "pure and beautifully balanced" composition.
Overall, the 2016 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a remarkable wine, rich and sensuous with a balance of fruit, earth, and floral notes, promising enjoyment for decades to come.